WORK TO DO
Quartet of coaches needs strong finishes to avoid hot seats getting hotter
THIS isn’t necessarily about coaches who could soon wind up on the unemployment line. It’s about a group that needs to finish strong to assure its members of not having to worry about job security in the near future, who need to punch tickets to the NCAA Tournament with inspiring play down the stretch to ease concerns about those coaches’ long-term futures at their respective schools.
Below are four coaches who would help themselves a lot by closing the season strong:
Chris Mullin, St. John’s: Let’s be clear: Mullin isn’t getting fired. Not with two years left on his contract and roughly $4 million still coming his way, and not when you consider his status as the greatest player in program history. The only way he’s not the St. John’s coach next year is if he decides to leave on his terms. But he also has a new athletic director, former Duke executive Mike Cragg, intent on returning St. John’s to prominence. And with this roster — some believe it is the most talented in the Big East — missing the NCAA Tournament would make his seat white-hot next season. This team, led by Preseason Big East Player of the Year Shamorie Ponds, has proven capable of being top-25 good, with a season sweep of No. 10 Marquette and a near road upset of No. 14 Villanova. It has also proven maddening, with ugly home losses to DePaul, Georgetown and Providence. It’s up to Mullin, who is looking for his first winning season in his fourth year at his alma mater, to avoid more losses like those. Richard Pitino, Minneso
ta: His last name has given him more rope than most would have been afforded. But one NCAA Tournament in six years — if Minnesota fails to go dancing — should at least give t he Big Ten school’s higher-ups pause. While the Gophers are in position to be a part of March Madness if they don’t collapse, they have lost three straight,
and the schedule is difficult the rest of the way. His 37-66 Big Ten record doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
Shaka Smart, Texas: Like Mullin, Smart isn’t going anywhere. Not with four more years and $16 million left on his contract. But he’s been far from impressive in four years at Texas, failing to win an NCAA Tournament game in two trips. Missing the Big Dance this year could create problems for him, and the on- t he- bubble Longhorns (14-10) are no lock despite winning three of their last four games. Smart is 14-18 in games decided by three points or less and 28-36 in league play, numbers he has to improve upon. Sean Miller, Arizona: An NCAA Tournament at-large bid is almost certainly out of range. The roster isn’t anywhere close to the loaded group Arizona is accustomed to watching. Still, it would be prudent for Miller to remind his bosses he’s more than a highlevel recruiter and is capable of getting more out of less, especially with the FBI investigation into corruption into college basketball involving the school, and the guilty plea of former assistant Emmanuel “Book” Richardson hanging over the pro- gram. If this season really spirals out of control, and the Wildcats have already lost five straight and six of seven, it may make it easier for Arizona to move on from Miller despite the loaded recruiting class he has coming in. In the least, mixing in a few wins would alleviate some of the pressure Miller is obviously dealing with.
Seed work
The NCAA Selection Committee revealed its top 16 seeds on Saturday based on the season through Friday’s games, and there were few surprises. Duke was the overall top seed, followed by Tennessee, Virginia and Gonzaga. There were, however, a few trends based on these ratings-driven selections that are worth noting.
The importance of Quadrant 1 victories. Those are wins over teams end-of-season NET ratings, the NCAA’s new ratings tool, that are 1-30 at home, 1-50 at a neutral site and 1-75 on the road. Marquette, for instance, was a given a three-seed (12th overall). The Golden Eagles had six Quad 1 victories (now seven after defeating Villanova on Saturday), and were seeded higher than their 21 NET would have suggested.
Conference records aren’t significant. Kansas State and Villanova both lead their leagues, but neither was included in the top 16. The entire résumé is what is being evaluated.
The NET is important, unless something specific really stands out. Of the 16 teams, 12 were within two spots of their NET rating and three teams were in the exact same position. Virginia Tech, with a NET of 11, was left out, but that was likely mostly due to its 3-5 record in Quad 1 games.