Jay Bilas Top 10 coaches | Page 5 | Syracusefan.com

Jay Bilas Top 10 coaches

Making the ncaas 23 out of 25 is the most impressive stat there. Jb falls well short there, mostly because of the last 15 years or so when NIT and bubbles became a semi regular question. Perhaps if izzo coached another 20 years his numbers would also fade.

The last 15 years also includes the period from 09-14 when we were a 1-4 seed every year.
 
They're so cringe-worthy. "I'm from the projects yada yada..."

No Jay, you're from Rolling Hills Estates, California, but many of the kids who you get paid a lot of money to talk about are in fact from the projects.
It's almost like be became too big and famous for people to give him the reality check. If you listen to the podcast with Mike Waters he did with Bilas, he very nicely asked him about it without ruffling his feathers, and Mike has to be careful as they are media brethren etc etc...but the implication is "dude, what are you thinking?" Jay couldn't be more proud of himself.
 
Wooden won seven titles in a row. No one else has won more than two in a row. Wooden's predecessor was 93-120 so I guess u could say Wooden built the UCLA program from scratch, too.

IMO he is a bit overrated. He certainly is a Top 5 coach of all time but I don't think he is a clear cut #1 like many people do.

1. He had the best players and that had more to do with money bags than him.

2. He only need to win 2 games to reach the Final Four vs needing 4 Ws today. Less potential trip ups.

3. The NCAAT was like today's 1-4 and 13-16 seeds with the middle 5-12 cut out (at larges). There were a lot of quality teams left out that could have given UCLA a scare.

4. The West was weaker than the East or Mideast regions. It was made up of only teams from the West. Today you can have an at large team from the East show up in that region. Back then they went to the NIT. So those 2 games he had to win were against weaker competition. Then he had to beat the weak Midwest region winner to make the final.

All of the above was the environment that he coached in. Compared to others in the same environment he is head and shoulders above the rest. But it is hard to compare his achievements in his era vs someone from the last 25 years in a completely different environment.
 
IMO he is a bit overrated. He certainly is a Top 5 coach of all time but I don't think he is a clear cut #1 like many people do.

1. He had the best players and that had more to do with money bags than him.

2. He only need to win 2 games to reach the Final Four vs needing 4 Ws today. Less potential trip ups.

3. The NCAAT was like today's 1-4 and 13-16 seeds with the middle 5-12 cut out (at larges). There were a lot of quality teams left out that could have given UCLA a scare.

4. The West was weaker than the East or Mideast regions. It was made up of only teams from the West. Today you can have an at large team from the East show up in that region. Back then they went to the NIT. So those 2 games he had to win were against weaker competition. Then he had to beat the weak Midwest region winner to make the final.

All of the above was the environment that he coached in. Compared to others in the same environment he is head and shoulders above the rest. But it is hard to compare his achievements in his era vs someone from the last 25 years in a completely different environment.
My response to each point:

1- Every coach on that list was probably involved in some sort of shenanigans with recruiting. Nature of the beast. Not sure he had to pay a lot of players to come to UCLA. Best coach, best team, best cheerleaders, beautiful campus, you get the picture. And he won five titles without Walton or Alcindor. Won seven in a row. Dean Smith, Al McGuire, Adolph Rupp, Denny Crum, plenty of great coaches were on the scene when Wooden dominated.

2- Yeah he had to win less games but there were also less invites. Had to win his league or else he couldn't go.

3- Fair point but every other team in the country had the same advantage.

4- Seems like a generality that somehow the midwest was weaker than the mideast and east year after year. Really? Bottom line is he beat all comers.

It is hard to compare eras no doubt but difficult to imagine anybody else on that list doing better.
 
But at least he advocates for them to be able to make money off themselves. Unlike many of the coaches who literally make their millions off the backs of those kids who think NIL money will ruin sports.
Fair point. I think Bilas is generally a good person and is usually on the right side of most arguments. I just find him a bit exhausting at times.
 
With my apologies to any Attorneys that may be on this board, Bilas is a Lawyer, enough said !
Add Dookie Dooschy and the cake is baked !
 
I saw Jay Bilas at a grocery store in Los Angeles yesterday. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything.
He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?”
I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.
 
I saw Jay Bilas at a grocery store in Los Angeles yesterday. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything.
He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?”
I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.
Oddly specific.
 
My response to each point:

1- Every coach on that list was probably involved in some sort of shenanigans with recruiting. Nature of the beast. Not sure he had to pay a lot of players to come to UCLA. Best coach, best team, best cheerleaders, beautiful campus, you get the picture. And he won five titles without Walton or Alcindor. Won seven in a row. Dean Smith, Al McGuire, Adolph Rupp, Denny Crum, plenty of great coaches were on the scene when Wooden dominated.

2- Yeah he had to win less games but there were also less invites. Had to win his league or else he couldn't go.

3- Fair point but every other team in the country had the same advantage.

4- Seems like a generality that somehow the midwest was weaker than the mideast and east year after year. Really? Bottom line is he beat all comers.

It is hard to compare eras no doubt but difficult to imagine anybody else on that list doing better.

I think there is no argument he is the best of his era. In our current era it is impossible to have that type of success. There is too much parity. Kids leave early to turn pro. You need to win 6 games to cut down the nets.

For #4 look at the end of season Top 25s. They are predominantly teams from the East and Mideast regions. Based off of that, the West and Midwest had easier competition both during the season and in the NCAAT. Also much of the top talent came from high schools east of the Mississippi.

What Wooden did regular season is closer IMO to Gonzaga winning their conference every year then a team like Kansas winning the B12 every year. He should get a ton of credit for doing so.

He had advantages. We will never know what he could have ton in today’s environment. It is all speculation. I just don’t think he is clear cut #1.
 
John Wooden would rarely call timeouts if his teams were struggling.
I watched the memorable Notre Dame upset of UCLA and if Wooden used a timeout while his team was struggling instead of just letting his players try to play thru it and figure it out themselves they could have won that game.

He is still the greatest college hoops coach of alltime though.
 
Oh that drives me crazy. Same with golf - hit the golf ball, make the golf shot - yeah we know what sport it is.
Reggie Miller—"the call by the official" [Who else can make a call?]
Kobe Bryant—"the game of basketball" [A bit too haughty.]
Calipari (via Vance Wahlberg?)—"the dribble drive"
 
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John Wooden would rarely call timeouts if his teams were struggling.
I watched the memorable Notre Dame upset of UCLA and if Wooden used a timeout while his team was struggling instead of just letting his players try to play thru it and figure it out themselves they could have won that game.

He is still the greatest college hoops coach of alltime though.

I think he is so hard to judge. IMO (and according to Al) if you quantum leaped Coach K, Bobby Knight, Rick Pitino into John Wooden they would have had similar success. But if you sent Roy Williams, Dean Smith, or John Calipari then UCLA has maybe half the success.
 
I think there is no argument he is the best of his era. In our current era it is impossible to have that type of success. There is too much parity. Kids leave early to turn pro. You need to win 6 games to cut down the nets.

For #4 look at the end of season Top 25s. They are predominantly teams from the East and Mideast regions. Based off of that, the West and Midwest had easier competition both during the season and in the NCAAT. Also much of the top talent came from high schools east of the Mississippi.

What Wooden did regular season is closer IMO to Gonzaga winning their conference every year then a team like Kansas winning the B12 every year. He should get a ton of credit for doing so.

He had advantages. We will never know what he could have ton in today’s environment. It is all speculation. I just don’t think he is clear cut #1.
I went back and looked at the brackets during Wooden's run and there were plenty of good midwest teams. Some times he had tougher games in the semis than the finals. But it really doesn't matter- whoever came out of the east/mideast he beat them too.

It's interesting that you mention Bobby Knight. Knight has often said that his 1975 team was the best team he ever coached. They lost to UK in the regional final. Guess who beat Kentucky in the national final for his 10th title? With a starting lineup of Dave Meyers, Richard Washington, Marques Johnson, Pete Trgovich and Andre McCarter. Good players but not superstars.

Wooden won ten titles in 12 years and in one of those years lost in OT in the national semifinal to NC State and David Thompson. They blew that game, he should have had 11 out of 12. That's damn near perfection - do u really believe these other coaches could have improved upon that?
 
I went back and looked at the brackets during Wooden's run and there were plenty of good midwest teams. Some times he had tougher games in the semis than the finals. But it really doesn't matter- whoever came out of the east/mideast he beat them too.

It's interesting that you mention Bobby Knight. Knight has often said that his 1975 team was the best team he ever coached. They lost to UK in the regional final. Guess who beat Kentucky in the national final for his 10th title? With a starting lineup of Dave Meyers, Richard Washington, Marques Johnson, Pete Trgovich and Andre McCarter. Good players but not superstars.

Wooden won ten titles in 12 years and in one of those years lost in OT in the national semifinal to NC State and David Thompson. They blew that game, he should have had 11 out of 12. That's damn near perfection - do u really believe these other coaches could have improved upon that?
I don’t think other coaches do better but I do think they may have done just as well. Goodrich, Alcindor, Walton, Marques Johnson makes coaching a lot easier. 8 of Wooden’s titles had one of those players on it. The weakest teams talent wise were likely the 2 champions between Alcindor and Walton. Even those teams had Sidney Wicks.

1975 had three NBA top 3 draft picks on the team. Yes, only one panned out but they were drafted based on the talent they showed in college. The next season Gene Bartow took 2 of those guys and lost in the Final Four vs Indiana.

Wooden made 3 NCAATs in his 1st 13 seasons. He didn’t make a Final Four until year 14. You need talent to win titles and that talent did come without the money.
 
I saw Jay Bilas at a grocery store in Los Angeles yesterday. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything.
He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?”
I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.
That's not a Bilas problem.
That's L.A.
 
I need somebody to explain the joke he is trying to make. I can’t figure it out.


He had me for a minute.
 

He had me for a minute.
Thanks I knew he was joking but couldn’t figure it out.
 
Now let’s do a list of those that didn’t have the help of illicit alumni and special interest groups that provided financial and other incentives

Man that list is short but Boeheim is on it
 
Reggie Miller—"the call by the official" [Who else can make a call?]
Kobe Bryant—"the game of basketball" [A bit too haughty.]
Calipari (via Vance Wahlberg?)—"the dribble drive"


Yes on "dribble drive"!

What else are you going to do - run with the ball?
 
I saw Jay Bilas at a grocery store in Los Angeles yesterday. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything.
He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?”
I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.
Dookies revert to the mean.
 
Winning when you have the best players when like 20 other teams are taking basketball seriously isn't that great. He would never have done that in the modern era. He's also the biggest cheater in college basketball history.

Sam Gilbert. Enough said.
 

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