Brad Stevens
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BearcatAlum1
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In my opinion Stevens is a Butler Guy as Mick is a UC guy. Stevens will stay at Butler, same asMick will stay at UC when he wins the NC at UC.
Don't be so sure. I've heard Butler fans think he is gone for the right job and $.
Of course, that's true with 95% of coaches.
The two previous coaches at Butler went for bigger jobs and ended up with a pink slip. Stevens is the current flavor of the month, and he is smart enough to wait for a slam dunk opportunity before he leaves, based on how the previous two coaches were treated. My guess is that Butler will pony up and give him a sizable increase, which will keep him there for a couple of more years. But he will tire of dominating the Horizon league and will eventually head for a more prestigous job.
ohioubearcat
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Hate to say it but money talks. He will get a 4x increase in his pay. IMO I think he waits until a "big time" job opening. He no longer needs the stepping stone that Thad Matta needed (yes xavier is one giant coaching stepping stone).
I would love Stevens. I have been very high on him for awhile. I'm a fan of his brand of basketball and his ability to optimize his talent. He's not playing with peanuts over there but I'd like to see what he could do with top recruits.
I would love Stevens. I have been very high on him for awhile. I'm a fan of his brand of basketball and his ability to optimize his talent. He's not playing with peanuts over there but I'd like to see what he could do with top recruits.
Kingsley Court
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Is this true? For some reason I thought the previous coach did get fired at Iowa, but thought the one before that was Thad. I'm too lazy to look it up, but I agree I think that the firing of the other coach could make Stevens cautious of leaving.
BearcatAlum1
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I don't think Stevens could recruit the same type of player to UC as he does Butler.
We're a large, urban university with a wide array of people from all walks of life.
Butler is a tiny school located in Indianapolis, with about 4,000 students at close to $40,000/year (tuition + room/board).
Bulter is similar to Xavier and Dayton in terms of the student composition, probably more so like Xavier.
Butler is the "Duke" of the midmajor conferences in terms of the players on the roster. The academics at Butler are no big deal.
UC could never get these types of kids, IMO.
You may be right Alum, but we see kids go to USC, ND, Florida that wouldn't necesarily fit there either. It seems that most kids want a bigger stage, not necessarily wanting what they're used to back home. I would think it would depend on each individual.
I would worry more about Stevens attracting top notch talent than bringing in similar guys to what he already has.
I would worry more about Stevens attracting top notch talent than bringing in similar guys to what he already has.
This from Lance at www.homer247.com
All season long I've heard from UC fans demanding Mick be more vocal, rant, rave, get technicals, get in the face of his players. Now, I'm getting emails from the same fans that want UC to go after Butler coach Brad Stevens. The coach with, perhaps, the calmest sideline demeanor I've ever seen. Classic
All season long I've heard from UC fans demanding Mick be more vocal, rant, rave, get technicals, get in the face of his players. Now, I'm getting emails from the same fans that want UC to go after Butler coach Brad Stevens. The coach with, perhaps, the calmest sideline demeanor I've ever seen. Classic
Indeed, when he took off for a flying chest bump with the freshman walk-on Emerson Kampen after the game, Stevens got surprisingly high in the air.
Ten years ago, Stevens, a native of suburban Indianapolis, took another leap. He walked away from a job as a marketing representative at the medicine manufacturer Eli Lilly to pursue a college coaching career at one of its lowest rungs — the director of basketball operations at Butler. He did not become a head coach until three years ago and still looks young enough to be mistaken for a player.
Yet throughout the tournament, the visage of Stevens on the sideline is one of composure. He mostly stands with his arms folded, observing, and when he is moved to action, it is often polite applause — for a job well done or as a pick-me-up.
“He’s calm and collected, but he’s fiercely competitive,” Tracy Stevens said. “He’s always thinking about how he can beat you.”
Brad Stevens is a believer in statistical analysis, which after heavily influencing baseball is making its way into basketball. At home, he pores over statistics almost as much as he does film in preparing game plans. He refers to the 6-foot-3 forward Willie Veasley as his team’s Shane Battier, the Houston Rockets player whose role as a facilitator is not often reflected in box scores but has made him a darling of the statistical set.
The result is a team that is not gifted athletically and starts only two players taller than 6-3 but that could outrebound Kansas State by 12. And force Syracuse into 18 turnovers. And hold each regional opponent to a season-low point total, neither reaching 60 points.
“Yeah, definitely,” Kansas State forward Curtis Kelly said when asked if the Wildcats had underestimated Butler. “I didn’t think they were that good, especially defensively. But they disrupted our offense with their pressure.”
Two things have been noticeable about Butler in the N.C.A.A. tournament — the Bulldogs are very well prepared for their opponents, and they do not rattle easily.
In each game, there were key wrinkles in the Bulldogs’ game plan — how they tried to force Syracuse’s Andy Rautins to dribble to his right, for example, or the way they changed the positioning of their screens against Kansas State.
When center Matt Howard was in foul trouble early against Kansas State, Andrew Smith, a husky freshman who had not played in a tournament game, performed as if he had prepared all season for the moment, playing a near-flawless 12 minutes, a season high.
“We know everything we need to about our opponents, all their tendencies are broken down,” the sophomore guard Ronald Nored said. “I honestly believe every time we go on the court, we’re the most prepared team in the country.”
That preparation translates into confidence, and it is what the Bulldogs, who have won 24 consecutive games, credit for their success when the game is in the balance.
They are 10-1 in games decided by 5 points or fewer and have come from behind in the second half of all four tournament games. They trailed Murray State, Syracuse and Kansas State in the final five minutes, yet did not wilt.
“I really love their resolve and their toughness,” said Barry Collier, the Butler athletic director and a former coach there. “There’s a level of toughness that defines this team, and I really appreciate it.”
Amid the celebration on the court Saturday, the silver-haired Collier, who also played at Butler, wrapped his arms around Stevens like a father would a son and told him, “Awesome.”
It was Collier who promoted Stevens to head coach when Todd Lickliter left for Iowa. Stevens interviewed for the job the day after Lickliter left and was called back the next day for a second interview.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/sports/ncaabasketball/29butler.html
Ten years ago, Stevens, a native of suburban Indianapolis, took another leap. He walked away from a job as a marketing representative at the medicine manufacturer Eli Lilly to pursue a college coaching career at one of its lowest rungs — the director of basketball operations at Butler. He did not become a head coach until three years ago and still looks young enough to be mistaken for a player.
Yet throughout the tournament, the visage of Stevens on the sideline is one of composure. He mostly stands with his arms folded, observing, and when he is moved to action, it is often polite applause — for a job well done or as a pick-me-up.
“He’s calm and collected, but he’s fiercely competitive,” Tracy Stevens said. “He’s always thinking about how he can beat you.”
Brad Stevens is a believer in statistical analysis, which after heavily influencing baseball is making its way into basketball. At home, he pores over statistics almost as much as he does film in preparing game plans. He refers to the 6-foot-3 forward Willie Veasley as his team’s Shane Battier, the Houston Rockets player whose role as a facilitator is not often reflected in box scores but has made him a darling of the statistical set.
The result is a team that is not gifted athletically and starts only two players taller than 6-3 but that could outrebound Kansas State by 12. And force Syracuse into 18 turnovers. And hold each regional opponent to a season-low point total, neither reaching 60 points.
“Yeah, definitely,” Kansas State forward Curtis Kelly said when asked if the Wildcats had underestimated Butler. “I didn’t think they were that good, especially defensively. But they disrupted our offense with their pressure.”
Two things have been noticeable about Butler in the N.C.A.A. tournament — the Bulldogs are very well prepared for their opponents, and they do not rattle easily.
In each game, there were key wrinkles in the Bulldogs’ game plan — how they tried to force Syracuse’s Andy Rautins to dribble to his right, for example, or the way they changed the positioning of their screens against Kansas State.
When center Matt Howard was in foul trouble early against Kansas State, Andrew Smith, a husky freshman who had not played in a tournament game, performed as if he had prepared all season for the moment, playing a near-flawless 12 minutes, a season high.
“We know everything we need to about our opponents, all their tendencies are broken down,” the sophomore guard Ronald Nored said. “I honestly believe every time we go on the court, we’re the most prepared team in the country.”
That preparation translates into confidence, and it is what the Bulldogs, who have won 24 consecutive games, credit for their success when the game is in the balance.
They are 10-1 in games decided by 5 points or fewer and have come from behind in the second half of all four tournament games. They trailed Murray State, Syracuse and Kansas State in the final five minutes, yet did not wilt.
“I really love their resolve and their toughness,” said Barry Collier, the Butler athletic director and a former coach there. “There’s a level of toughness that defines this team, and I really appreciate it.”
Amid the celebration on the court Saturday, the silver-haired Collier, who also played at Butler, wrapped his arms around Stevens like a father would a son and told him, “Awesome.”
It was Collier who promoted Stevens to head coach when Todd Lickliter left for Iowa. Stevens interviewed for the job the day after Lickliter left and was called back the next day for a second interview.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/sports/ncaabasketball/29butler.html