The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Quinnipiac reached new heights with NCAA run
Quinnipiac has gone to great lengths to expand its brand and cultivate an image. The women’s basketball team’s performance the past two weeks have brought the school to new heights.
There’s an unexplained phenomenon at my house. It seems the only time anyone feels the need to have an extended conversation with me is either three seconds after I’ve dozed off on the couch or three seconds after I’ve shut the bathroom door.
• It’s been said that for a mid-major, the media hype that comes with reaching the Sweet 16 is the equivalent of a larger program making the Final Four. We saw it firsthand around these parts this week.
Quinnipiac’s underdog run in the women’s basketball tournament ended with a 42-point loss to South Carolina in the Sweet 16 on Saturday. The blowout loss on ESPN was disappointing; the journey there unleashed a whole new wave of exposure. That’s saying something for a school that’s played in two national championship men’s hockey games since 2013.
Hockey is a niche sport, popular in the Northeast and large swaths of the Midwest. Basketball brings true national attention and media. Quinnipiac has gone to great lengths to expand its brand and cultivate an image. The past two weeks have brought it to new heights. The final piece of the puzzle is men’s basketball. Speaking of which ... • Expect an announcement from Quinnipiac in the next couple of days on its new men’s basketball coach. The school made a point not to divert attention from the women’s team, which saw its season end on Saturday in the Sweet 16.
Several candidates have been interviewed. Those confirmed include Villanova assistant Baker Dunleavy, Iona assistant Jared Grasso and Southern Connecticut State coach Scott Burrell.
Others believed to be in the mix are Albany coach Will Brown and Robert Morris coach Andy Toole. Vermont coach John Becker, a candidate earlier in the process, announced this week he will remain at his current job.
• So which way will Quinnipiac go? Dunleavy, Grasso and Burrell make the most sense.
Dunleavy, son of longtime NBA coach Mike Dunleavy, brings the most impressive coaching resume even though he’s only worked at one place. He played for Jay Wright and was hired away from Wall Street by Wright in 2010, working his way from director of basketball operations to associate head coach in three seasons. Last year he won a national championship.
Grasso and Burrell would also be home-run hires for Quinnipiac.
Grasso is an alum who’s helped make Iona the premier team in the MAAC over the past seven years. Hiring away the chief recruiter of your league’s top gun is a nice strategic move, too. Burrell, a Hamden native, has extensive NBA experience as a player and reached the NCAA Division II tournament twice in two seasons at Southern. Quinnipiac is the dream job for both.
• For Quinnipiac’s sake, let’s hope the hiring goes a little smoother than the debacle at UMass. Pat Kelsey signed a contract to be the new coach only to back out a half-hour before his introductory press conference. UMass athletic director Ryan Bamford, who worked as an associate AD at Yale a decade ago, may hold Kelsey over the coals for a $1 million contract buyout Kelsey agreed to before his change of heart.
• Tommy Amaker has a sweet gig going at Harvard, but is being mentioned as a candidate at Georgetown, which just fired John Thompson III.
• The most fascinating trend at the NCAA tournament continues to be the insistence of taking a 3-pointer, almost always contested, while down by one on the final possession of a game.
• Former University of New Haven basketball star turned heavyweight boxing prospect Cassius Chaney goes for his 10th victory in 10 professional fights on April 15 at Mohegan Sun. He beat Tommy Washington in Philadelphia two weeks ago, and faces his stiffest challenge as a pro in Juan Goode (84, six KOs).
• At least players seem to care about winning the World Baseball Classic. And that’s a good thing. Raw emotion and genuine excitement goes a long way toward making any sporting event a success. Those who took the time to watch were rewarded with great baseball that’s a heck of a lot more interesting than spring training.
• New Haven’s Josh Zeid parlayed an outstanding performance for Israel at the WBC — 10 scoreless innings — into a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.
• Glen Miller, UConn’s associate head coach, is leaving the program. Could Tom Moore be on his way back to UConn as an assistant?
• How tough is it to find a serviceable quarterback in the NFL? The Bears finally dumped Spaulding Smails look-alike Jay Cutler. They’ll replace him with either Mike Glennon or Mark Sanchez. Glennon, who’s made five starts over the past three seasons as Tampa Bay’s Backup, will make $15 million annually. And Sanchez’s will forever be known as the butt fumble guy. The Bears might want to think about playing without a QB this season.
• With Didi Gregorius on the shelf for six weeks, rumors are the Yankees could be in the market for Nick Ahmed of the Diamondbacks. Ahmed, a UConn product, is considered one of the game’s best defensive shortstops.
• For all the TV games and national coverage, there’s no better profile-raiser for an up-and-coming women’s basketball program than Geno Auriemma strutting around in a Quinnipiac T-shirt.