Last year, college basketball's offseason reeked of scandal, including numerous coaching faux pas and even a tragic death. 2004 has been extremely quiet in comparison. Just recently, the story broke concerning an alleged rape, and the resignation of both head coaches, at LaSalle University. Other than that, the headlines during this break featured one college icon stepping up to the pro coaching ranks and an even larger one staying put.
For some reason, though, throughout the summer months, a spotlight has turned on the Midwest ... Ohio, to be exact. It seems that some of the state's biggest programs have been involved in a messy triangle involving some disturbing patterns.
To get to the root of the situation, we start where the problems seem to, and that would be at the biggest school in the area. Let's face it, Ohio State's gone through enough with Maurice Clarett embattling the Buckeye football program. But that story's lost a lot of steam lately. So they figure, let's get some turmoil going in another athletic program. Who said these guys weren't fighters?
After getting Columbus' team to the Final Four in 1999, Jim O'Brien's victories almost continuously dwindled. Sure, his team posted a 14-16 record this past season, but the "brilliance" was still there as the Buckeyes went 24-8 in 2001-2002.
The problems supposedly came around when O'Brien confessed a couple of "no-no's" to AD Andy Geiger. One was a pending lawsuit partially filed by former player Boban Savovic concerning the payment of living arrangements for the guard while in Columbus. The second, and bigger, offense involved O'Brien apparently paying $6,000 to a potential recruit, a direct violation of NCAA rules. The stinger in that case ... the recruit was deemed ineligible to play anyway. Even we can feel the pain of that one.
That laid the groundwork for O'Brien to be booted and the focus of this triangle to shift to Cincinnati. Xavier was the darling of the 2004 tournament. They made it to the Elite Eight by upsetting two power conference studs, Mississippi State and Texas. The Musketeers even gave Duke the scare of their lives before falling just short of the national semis.
Their fearless leader ... Thad Matta, a rising coach who won 26 games each of his three years as head coach. Heck, he also went 24-8 in his lone season at his alma mater, Butler. The stage was set for this guy to take a dominant stance over the rest of the Atlantic-10 conference. And when the Buckeyes came courting for their vacant seat, he told them the equivalent of, "Thanks, but no thanks."
Then, one short week later, that phrase just became "Thanks" as Matta left his potential supremacy behind for the life of big-time schools and exposure. Where's the harm in all of this, you ask? Well, I guess it's just a case of the rethinking your ambition syndrome. But I know there's scandal somewhere, and I'll keep digging and searching ... just because I like you folks.
The show isn't over, though, as we turn attention cross-town to the Cincinnati basketball program. When head coach Bob Huggins was arrested for a DUI on June 8th (the same day that O'Brien was fired), the athletic department seemed to go into a bit of a tailspin. First, came the speculations. How to deal with an offense this devastating, especially in the face of the Larry Eustachy incident last year. Ultimately, a suspension and help seemed to be the answer.
Next came the process of moving forward with Huggins off the bench. Enter associate head coach Dan Peters, who first coached under Huggins in the early 1980s. Unfortunately for the university, the attraction of not knowing when the word in front of head coach would shift from "interim" back to "associate" couldn't be very deep. Peters recently left the Bearcats to join Matta in Columbus.
Now the question, where does that leave Cincy?
Oh, Oscar Robertson?
Yeah, that's a good idea. Bring him in and let him give an inspiration talk to the ... huh?
What do you mean name him coach?
You're kidding, right?
Apparently not. The Big O is currently the interim head coach of the program until Huggins can return to everyday duty on August 27th. Big O, if you don't mind me saying so, this is the epitome of a bad career move.
"I will do whatever I can to help develop these young men for their futures on and off the court," Robertson said.
Develop? A month isn't even time to repeat anything into the brains of most young players. At least Oscar is optimistic, seeing how he's more a temp RA than a coach.
So, which Ohio school will be sucked into the fray next? You know, there's that Akron Zips team. Strange situations must follow a school with a strange name like that. Better check it out.
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