Noise from Mike White’s camp

I wonder if any insider actually knows if White will be back. I just don't see how SS could possibly think that the program is moving in the right direction. White has tried many different approaches to building a roster and every year Florida has pretty much been the same. The only difference this year is the talent isn't as good so we're now on the wrong side of the bubble.

I see no one on the current roster outside of CC (who's obviously not coming back) that would be on any of the preseason SEC all conference teams. In fact, no one would even be close. We do have a couple of bigs coming in and perhaps this is a class we can build on, but that kind of puts this team back to square 1 when White had his first good class... when he let his premiere pg Nembhard transfer after 2 years, thinking that he was slowing the team down instead of building around him. Last year, White was lucky that Mann was all world and single handily carried them to what should have been the Sweet 16.

White then thought that the team wasn't experienced enough, so he barely recruited this past offseason thinking that he could load up on mid major experienced players and now he's got his guys. Instead we're at 85-90% chance of going to the NIT and very few young guys to build with. Florida is now looking at at least 2 years before it may have a top 25 roster and that means that White has to have another good recruiting class the following year.

So if SS decides to keep White, than it means he believes in this plan and almost has to give him another couple of years. Imo, this is the offseason to either go in a different direction or commit to White's plan, but if it doesn't work out and Florida Basketball sinks further down in the SEC, then it's all on SS and he needs to be held fully accountable for that.

 

Maybe, but there's no way his strategy was "static", otherwise opponents would have carved them up

 

Nope. It rarely, if ever, got carved up, and it was a bitch to play against.

 

Not just “seven pages of the same old, same old” any longer . . .

 

Florida will be going in a different direction.

 

I hope you are right, but I will believe it when I see it. It took almost a complete meltdown by the football team for Stricklin to move on from Mullen, and White seems to be doing just enough to stay slightly above average. If White stays, then I see at least one more year of the same old, same old average bubble team.

 

I'm on the record as loving White but being fine with either decision by SS.

But he did just pulledthe trigger on a football coach that was more productive than Mike. Dan made the equivalent of 3 E8's in four years in football.

I think that was a good sign that we can trust SS here either way. He knew what he wanted in Napier. If what he wants isnt available he may be wise to give Mike one final opportunity to show progress.

He's in a tough spot if his intel says the top few guys on his list arent interested.

 

The Mullen thing is not on the same level.
Mullen had 2 top 10 team (3 top 12 teams) and 3 NY6 bowls in his first 3 seasons. 1 bad season wasnt what sunk Dan. It was deeper than that. Recruiting, chemistry in the building etc.

Scott is looking deeper here too I assume. What that results in is anyone's guess. It is possible he knows that Mike is his best option available even while performing worse than Dan did on game days.

 

My first choice right now is Anthony Grant. He is a high quality person. He is from the state of Florida. He can recruit. He was mentored by Billy both in college and the NBA. He was college coach of the year 2 seasons ago. He is doing a phenomenal job this season. He had the guts to play an almost all freshmen team right from the beginning of this year, and it is paying off. After losing 3 straight games to Massachusetts-Lowell, Lipscomb and Austin Peay, the team started to gel. It is now 22-9 and 14-4 in the A10. It upset an outstanding Davidson team the other night and has neutral court wins over Kansas and Miami. The big question to me is whether Grant would take the Florida job right now. It looks like he will have his entire Dayton team back next season, which could give him a national powerhouse. It’s worth a try at getting him. At some point, he is going to leave Dayton for a power conference team or an NBA team.

 

Interesting 33 - Conjecture on your part or do you have sources you care to share?

Thanks in advance.

 

Tampa - I like your choice of AG as well. For various reasons, not the least of which he is under the Billy D coaching tree.

Certainly would not be upset or heartbroken if it happens. As Jareduf points out above, short of some really amazing transfers to UF (Guards Please) it's hard to see the team being any better than the .600 / .625 or so that has been going on forever now.

AKA alluded to it earlier, my gut tells me CMW is not a particularly happy camper now either, it seems he is getting emotionally worn out by the grind and lack of success.

Having said that, CMW has his allies and is still looked upon with respect in the media.............at least IMO.

 

I asked my source yesterday if he has heard anything about CMW. I'll let you know what I can find out if he remembers to ask him next time they talk on the phone.

According to him this player is coming back next year and this makes me think CMW is returning. So it could be that the players are in the dark too about the future of their coach. We will just have to see.

 

I could see MW at Butler or Ole Miss next season.

 

He has no sources, he's not flapping his gums unless he's running CMW down

 

That is my point. In spite of Mullen’s success, those issues that Mullen had in the background finally came to a head resulting in this year’s mess. If he had made major coaching staff changes before last season by getting rid of underperforming coaches, he might still be here in spite of those issues. Mullen’s issues got too big for Stricklin to have kept him around even if he wanted to.

White has none of those other issues, but puts out a slightly above average(being generous) product every year except for one. I think Stricklin could convince himself to give White another year, and then another year, and we will end up in the same position we are right now, just two more years down the road in a deeper hole with respect to others teams in the conference. Just like we would have in football if we had kept Mullen.

 

Ole Miss could be a potentially interesting domino either way. They fire Kermit Davis and White potentially heads there if true all parties aren't really happy here. Or UF lets go of White, does that force Ole Miss' hand to get rid of Davis so they can go after one of their own?

 

I wrote MW "is an 18-13 coach", which 19-12 is spot on. Same as saying Joe Smith is a .250 hitter then he goes out and hits .255....he still is a .250 hitter. See the difference...not that he will exactly, but that he is like a ____.

We have lost 12. Going 19-12 or 17-14 or 18-13 is pretty much all the same. 60% win percentage.

The book has been written on Mike White. How many more pages of 60% win seasons do we need? Do we need to get to say 20 seasons with him posting a record of 5-15 vs fsu, 370-250 Win Loss record, making 14 NCAAs with one Elite 8, Zero F4's, Zero NCs, and a roster turnover rate higher than a 5 star hotel bed sheet turnover?

 

SI is reporting that Tom Crean will not be returning at Georgia. We should move fast on finding a new coach. There is going to be competition at Georgia and some other power conference schools.

 

on the one hand, we shouldn’t be in the same coach’s competition pool as UGA. On the other hand, just get them to the tournament and you are a hero, do it half or 2/3 of the time and you probably have a career gig. Of course it’s also been a coach’s graveyard. Which is baffling with the talent they have in that state.

 

no wrinkles? no adustments? No changes based on the opponent? If they ran they same exact defense, opponents would be idiots not to take advantage. It's like running the same exact defensive scheme in football. If you're right - which you're not - it would be the easiest defense to scheme against if they ran the exact same defense each time.