Another season in the books, and with that comes coaching changes and predictions for the next year, although with transfers and spring recruiting and NBA Draft entries still coming, there is still so much to be decided.
Looking into the Crystal (Basket)Ball
Who do I like in 2015-16? Well, one thing is for sure: North Carolina is going to be very good. Brice Johnson’s decision to come back means almost everyone returns except J.P. Tokoto. Roy Williams quietly has a team that will be in everyone’s top-five entering next year. Coach Roy had a tough year with Coach Smith passing away and all the off-the-court stuff in the UNC athletic department as a whole, but he stayed the course and kept his focus. He just might have one more NCAA title in his trophy case this time next year.
Terps on the up
I tell you who I really like next year is Maryland, even though the Terps lost a lot. Melo Trimble is a pro, but he’s coming back for his sophomore year – which is a great decision for him and the program. Also, remember the name Diamond Stone – which, you have to admit, is pretty easy to remember. The 6’10” center is a big addition and makes this a Final Four roster, and Mark Turgeon is approaching that stage in his career where he can get them there. The Big Ten schedule will prepare them well, as it did for Michigan State and Wisconsin this year. Jake Layman has gone from 5.5 points per game to 11.7 to 12.5.
On the Carousel
The coaching carousel took a different route this year, as there wasn’t much going on in the major conferences.
Alabama did all it could to get Gregg Marshall, but Avery Johnson was an outside-the-box Plan B approach that will be fun. While everyone had Arizona State hiring Jeff Capel, Ray Anderson had a great plan in case that didn’t work out in Bobby Hurley. Former NBA player Mark Price gets his shot at UNC-Charlotte as does Chris Mullin at St. John’s, while Dave Leitao proves the world is round at DePaul. Mississippi State got a guy who won the Pac-12 title and then was fired in Ben Howland, Nevada got a guy who coached two NBA teams (Eric Musselman) and out west San Diego went with an alum with great West Coast ties in Lamont Smith. Finally, Rick Barnes changes shades of orange at Tennessee while Shaka Smart finally had an offer too good to refuse at Texas.
By the way, no conference has better coaches who were college players than the Pac-12. Think about it…Bobby Hurley, Sean Miller, Steve Alford, Johnny Dawkins, Cuonzo Martin, Larry Krystkowiak, Ernie Kent, Lorenzo Romar, Wayne Tinkle…these guys were all darn good players!
Everyone have a safe and happy summer. We look forward to next year when Maryland cuts down the nets! Yes, Mark Turgeon, you can start planning your parade!
– Bill Frieder
Former Michigan and Arizona State head coach Bill Frieder is an analyst for Westwood One’s coverage of NCAA Basketball. In his weekly blog Boxed Out, Bill scours the box scores to bring you interesting stories from the world of college basketball.
