O'Neill keeps the staff intact, Donte Smith to probably stay at USC
by Paragon SC on Jun 30, 2009 7:00 AM PDT
in USC Basketball
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ESPN's Andy Katz reported yesterday that Kevin O'Neill will keep Tim Floyd's assistant coaches for the 2009/10 season.
The only difference you'll see at USC as far as the coaching staff is concerned is Kevin O'Neill standing where Tim Floyd used to in front of the bench.
The coaches behind him will all be the same.
Although it's not official, O'Neill did confirm he is retaining assistants Phil Johnson, Gib Arnold and Bob Cantu.
That's a significant move, considering those three are largely responsible for securing a number of the top talents USC has recently had under Floyd.
"I feel comfortable with all of them," said O'Neill.
The USC situation is unique in that the Trojans hired a coach who wasn't coming directly from another program, so the transition from one staff to another should be rather seamless. Johnson and O'Neill have known each other for decades. They both coached under Lute Olson, albeit not at the same time.
You can probably look at it a couple of different ways. 1) there wasn't enough time for O'Neill to assemble his own staff or 2) he wanted to keep some continuity in place with the current team while also having the coaching staff be able to hit the ground running on the recruiting trail.
I have seen it written in numerous places that O'Neill is a tireless recruiter. I would really like to know just what that means. What top recruits has O'Neill brought into the programs that he has coached. I am not really worried about O'Neill going after former commits that opted out of their LOI's. It would be nice to have them back but I think we are pretty much past that as it was announced that Derrick Williams will attend Arizona.
O'Neill has a tough road to hoe...He has to fight the perception that he is not a very warm person to be coach by. He has to prove that he has changed. He also is going to have a tough time getting kids to commit to USC if he cannot show them that he will be willing to open the offense up. Defense is a good thing but today's kids want to score...will this old dog learn some new tricks? Of course the other shoe has yet to drop in the form of the NCAA's investigation in regards to improper benefits given to OJ Mayo. That is O'Neill's other hurdle.
Speaking of players...Donte Smith will probably be returning to USC.
USC basketball coach Kevin O'Neill said he expects point guard Donte Smith to return to the team next season.
Smith decided to transfer to Cal State San Bernardino after last season but remains enrolled at USC for summer classes. Former coach Tim Floyd made Smith stay in school this summer to make sure he left in good academic standing.
But O'Neill said the junior will be back, which is a boost to the Trojans' point-guard depth.
"I'm planning on him coming back," O'Neill said. "His intentions are to be back."
Well, at least we will have a point guard to start the season...No, I do not think that Romeo Miller is a viable option, no offense to Mr. Miller. I would be surprised if he is still on the team in the fall let alone taking up a scholarship on the roster but you never know.
Speaking of Derrick WIlliams...
I find it very odd that the AD would let Jones and Williams out of their LOI without some Pac-10 restrictions. I highly doubt that allowing players out of their LOI's while imposing restrictions will have any negative impact on the NCAA. So, fine SC punishes itself but will then get punished by the NCAA...it makes no sense and it just goes to show how screwed up things are in Heritage Hall. It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Anyway, we move on...
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LOI Releases
I find it very odd that the AD would let Jones and Williams out of their LOI without some Pac-10 restrictions. I highly doubt that allowing players out of their LOI’s while imposing restrictions will have any negative impact on the NCAA.
I have to disagree 1000% with that statement. You might be able to get away with that in football, where high school coaches are still in control, but not in basketball, because these AAU people all know each other, talk to each other, hold grudges, and act like managers and agents (some more explicitly than others). If SC were to do what you suggested, no AAU creature would let USC get within 100 feet of a top 150 recruit, and if you want to be able to play regularly with the UCLA’s of the world, at least you need access to the AAU world.
by Zoulou on Jun 30, 2009 8:53 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Didn't SC put restrictions on Noel Johnson?
by Paragon SC on Jun 30, 2009 9:31 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
My guess
If SC did put restrictions on Noel, them I’m guessing that they felt they could because Noel is from Georgia, and the blowback would be minimal, since his alternate schools most likely aren’t going to be in the Pac 10. DW, however, is from Cali, and USC is going to be viciously negatively recruited against for the next few years, why add another recruiting hurdle.
by Zoulou on Jun 30, 2009 9:38 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thats Fair re DW...
Is Momo in the same boat? thought he was east coast as well…
by Paragon SC on Jun 30, 2009 9:44 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Great points from Paragon and Zoulou
MG forfeited the 2009 recruiting class because they were xCTF’s guys. They would have complained about any new coach so WTF, might as well let them all go. Let’s just hope CKO can put together a good class in 2010.
by Locoweed 1.1 on Jun 30, 2009 10:03 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think that's right
So much of recruiting is coach driven, especially in basketball. It’s not worth having the kids potentially bitch and moan in private to their parents, their high school coaches, their AAU coaches and teammates about the mean ole new coach who didn’t recruit them and won’t give them playing time. Unless USC wants a WSU-style program (NCAA tourney every 2 to 3 years), USC is going to have to recruit aggressively for the top 150-200 players. I don’t think that’s what either the Athletic Department or the seat license holders had in might when they ponied up the five-figures just to have the right to purchase season tickets.
by Zoulou on Jun 30, 2009 1:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
USC Does Restrict Releases...
and transfers in all sports based on coach’s recommendation. Pac-10 foes are almost always excluded. Noel Johnson was excluded, see link:
http://www.thestate.com/186/story/834163.html
MoMo and D-Wil were not excluded due to a stipulation in the LOI that allows an unencumbered release for a coaching change. At least, that’s what I think happened.
by DFWTrojan on Jun 30, 2009 3:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yah but if our AD had any wavoes he would have put out restrictions
I say to hell with these AAU coaches they are the ones messing up players, heck they don’t even teach fundamentals anymore. THey are just go a between and are trying to get money from shoes companies if it weren’t for that most of them would be dealing drugs or robbing banks, stores, etc.
Paul D. Kelley
by so.cal.native1952 on Jun 30, 2009 12:34 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Anyway, the story
Is that CKO kept all of the top assistants. That’s a good thing, at least because the assistants are familiar with the talent and what they can and can’t do; it should help ease the transition, and perhaps SC will perform better than expected, which could, possibly, help in recruiting (if USC isn’t hammered by the NCAA), i.e. “Hey, KO isn’t a bad coach, he won 18 or 19 games with a depleted roster . . .”
by Zoulou on Jun 30, 2009 1:57 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
That!
We have a nice little core of hard working guys that will deliver for CKO, so 15 wins is a real possibility. We will see Alex Stepheson and Dwight Lewis live up to their potential. If we can pull a rabbit out of a hat at the point your 18-19 games could happen though it won’t be pretty.
by Locoweed 1.1 on Jun 30, 2009 2:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
O'Neill and defense
One quibble: emphasizing defennse won’t keep recruits away if O’Neill gets the program to the NCAA torunament and starts putting kids in the pros. Howland is a notorious D coach and seems to be getting his share of recruits. There is a perception that Howland can’t coach offense but his reputation as a defensive coach helped seal the deal with K Love and don’t think for a minute that recruits aren’t considering how Luc Richard Mbah a Moute ended up playing a ton for the Bucks after being a 2nd round pick with barely any offensive game-it was due to his outstanding defense. O’Neill has other issues that will make it difficult for him, but emphasizing defense will not hurt him in the long run IMHO.
by ucladj89 on Jun 30, 2009 5:12 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Howland is not Mr. Warm & Fuzzy
but he knows how to get his teams to perform, he’s gotten a bunch of his guys into the Association and he’s got UCLA hoops tradition to back him up.
We had a nice little thing going with xCTF emphasizing discipline on defense, therefore CKO won’t have to change the culture of the program. He does need to prove himself a winner, and he’s got to put a few guys in the league. If CKO can turn seniors Dwight Lewis and Marcus Johnson into serious NBA prospects, recruits will start paying attention to USC again.
by Locoweed 1.1 on Jun 30, 2009 5:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The talent is already defensively oriented
Except for DL and Nikola, all returning players are more known for their defense than for their offense, and DL isn’t a defensive slouch. Not sure about Nikola, but he’s long, so he should be someone to reckon with. With Leonard, Alex and Marcus, in a sense CKO will have it easier than he did at UofA, when he tried to get Budinger, Wise and Hill to play defense for 40 minutes.
CKO’s challenge will be to find a reliable 2nd option when teams double and extend against Dwight (and they will, they will).
by Zoulou on Jun 30, 2009 8:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
If Larry Coker can do it, can Coach Kev?
Here’s a link to the 2010 – ESPN Basketball recruiting list. From the looks of it, it sure looks like there are a lot of “undecideds” Coach O’Neill can get after. Damn! There’s lots of undecideds!
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Nico to Todd: "Shouldn't you be off voguing somewhere?"
by BixBeiderbecke on Jun 30, 2009 10:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
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