Friday Roundtable: Most Underpaid Coaches In College Basketball

Mike Brey has Notre Dame - and one Cincinnati Bengals fan - ready for war. (USO photo by Mike Theiler)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among a group of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall recently got a raise after taking his team to the Final Four, which got us to thinking, who are the most underpaid coaches in college basketball?

Alex:
Bob McKillop. His name doesn't carry the same swagger as a Bill Self and he doesn't have a well-known nickname like Coach K, but it should spark some memories, at the very least. Like the time McKillop's Davidson team knocked down Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin on a march to the Elite Eight behind strong team chemistry and the hot hand of Stephen Curry, coming within three points of the Final Four as Kansas outlasted the Wildcats. Or the time, more recently, when McKillop's squad beat Self's Jayhawks in what was essentially a home game for KU (they played in Kansas City), as teamwork and a knack for efficient three-point shooting prevailed against the college all-stars (Thomas Robinson, anyone?) and rich tradition of the eventual national runner-up.

The list goes on, yet McKillop is just the 49th-highest paid coach ($370,618 with no incentives or bonuses) in NCAA hoops, trailing the likes of current Kansas State head coach and Illinois-reject Bruce Weber (No. 25; $1.5 million with $655k available via bonuses) and Cincinnati's Mick Cronin (No. 29; $1,358,900 before $555k in possible bonuses). McKillop has been consistently more successful than both relative to his school and conference affiliation (Southern), taking the Wildcats to seven March Madnesses since 1997-98, including six in the past nine seasons. His brand of basketball isn't flashy and he doesn't attract top-tier recruits, but he develops the right recruits in a system that allows them to play to their strengths without sacrificing team ideals for individual success.

Kyle:
The good people at USA Today ranked the 62 highest-paid college basketball coaches for 2013, and most of the names at the top are no shock to anyone. Yet one that surprised me, because of the conference, success of the program and number of years with the school was Mike Brey of Notre Dame. Brey is the No. 41 highest-paid college basketball coach at $616,843 without any bonus opportunities.

Notre Dame has not been a national title contender much, but the program has always been competitive in the brutal Big East, and considering where the program was before Brey took over, he is a steal for $616,000. Brey came to Notre Dame in 2000-01, and after not making the NCAA Tournament since 1990, Brey has taken the Fighting Irish to the big dance in eight of his 13 years as head coach, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2003. Notre Dame has also had 20 wins or more in ever season but three during that stretch.

Brey might not be an elite college coach, but when Jay Wright and Travis Ford are making $2.2 million a year and Mike Montgomery at Cal is making a million more than Brey, he has had a lot of success for just over half a million dollars.

Atlantic 10 Adds Davidson To Conference For 2014-15

Davidson College will join the Atlantic 10 conference in 2014-15. (sbnation.com)

The NCAA's conference realignment is basically musical chairs at this point as everyone waits for the music to stop. But the beats continue, and with it are more moves, the latest being by the Atlantic 10.

The conference announced Davidson will be the newest member of the conference in 2014-15, a move that helps fill a void for the A-10 left by the departures of Xavier and Butler (Butler played in the conference for a whopping one year).

The A-10 may have lost some of the big names that made it a great mid-major basketball conference, but it is still a huge upgrade for Davidson coming out of the Southern Conference. Coming with Davidson is George Mason, who leaves the Colonial Athletic Association, the same conference Davidson turned down last year. Yet unlike Davidson, George Mason will start its participation in the A-10 this season.

The Wildcats basketball team is coming off a 26-8 season in which they lost in the second (the former first) round of the NCAA Tournament on a last-second layup to Marquette. Davidson has reached the big dance in consecutive years, which hadn't happened since Stephen Curry (he's doing quite well for himself now) led the Wildcats to an Elite 8 appearance in 2008.

As of now, the teams that will compete against Davidson in the conference are: Rhode Island, UMass, Dayton, George Mason, George Washington, La Salle, Saint Joseph's, Duquesne, Fordham, St. Bonaventure, Richmond, Saint Louis, and VCU.


Follow @BeatsDimesDrive on Twitter
Like Beats Dimes and Drives on Facebook

Stephen Curry Breaks Ray Allen's 3-Point Season Record

Stephen Curry is the new record-holder for most 3-pointers in a season. (cbssports.com)

Record Tying 3-pointer: Double screen on the left wing. Curl hard. Don’t give the defender space to get over the top. Pass received. Three hard dribbles to the right. Post man shows trying to help the screened defender. No problem. He doesn’t commit. Doesn’t want to get beat off the dribble, so he throws a half-hearted hand out before running into his own man. Perfect. Wide open. Let it rip.

Rattles home.

Even with Ray Allen now. Got to get one more.

Record Breaking Three: No more waiting. Pass is on its way. Grab it and just let it go. Forget the defender. He’s out of position. Don’t think. Just shoot. Catch and release. Like a million times before.

Swish.

And just like that, Stephen Curry held the record for the most 3-pointers made in a single season.

There have been many truly sensational 3-point shooters that have graced an NBA court. The likes of Larry Bird, Reggie Miller, Steve Nash and Ray Allen have all consistently watched a long ball nestle itself into the nylon. The engaging and compelling debates of “who’s the best” are never ending and will more than likely never be decided. However, every now and again a new player will throw his or her name into the discussion. By passing Ray Allen for most 3's in a single season, Golden State Warriors’ guard Stephen Curry is the most recent player to do so.

During his time at Davidson University, Curry was a dynamic scorer and a brilliant shooter.  Averaging more than 20 points a game throughout his college career, Curry exemplified what a scorer should be. He shot at least 45 percent in each of his seasons, and nearly 90 percent from the charity stripe. He also showed good defensive prowess, picking the pockets of his opponents twice per contest. The one thing that separated Curry from other guards was his jump shot and that has continued to be, among his many assets, his most lethal weapon.

Curry has a lightening-quick release that would challenge even Allen’s and a fearless demeanor that makes any shot seem like a good one for Curry. This same attitude helped him lead his Wildcats to the Elite Eight before falling to the Kansas Jayhawks in a tightly contested game in 2008. After having a career year in the 2008-09 season, where he averaged nearly 29 points a game, six assists a game and more than two steals a game, Curry left for the NBA. And this is where his path to true greatness as a shooter began.

Curry hit the ground running in his rookie season. He established himself as a lethal shooter from downtown, firing more than 43 percent from behind the arc. He led the Golden State Warriors from the point guard position with a combination of scoring and passing that quickly led to the discussion of where he ranked in the league among the position’s best. He was named to the Rookie All-NBA first team and finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting behind Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans. He made 166 3-pointers his rookie season, more than Allen, Miller and Bird did in their respective rookie years and each of them played full seasons, albeit Miller coming off the bench. While it is still early in his career, Curry has yet to shoot less than 43 percent from long distance, something none of the other names mentioned did. To bring things full circle, in Allen’s recorded setting year, when he made an astonishing 269 threes in a season, he shot 41 percent from downtown, an impressive number to say the least. However, Curry not only broke his record, he did with more efficiency. In conjunction with his 272 made 3-pointers, Curry shot a blistering 45 percent from behind the arc. He not only took Allen’s record, but did it in fewer shots and with more precision, something nobody could have believed would happen.

I do have an admission I must confess: I did not expect Curry to be a starter in the NBA, let alone the player he has become. I saw a skinny, undersized shooting guard who would get pushed around by the larger, stronger athletes at his position in the NBA. Not only has he proved me wrong, he’s made me look like a complete fool. While he is arguably the deadliest shooter in the NBA, he is also a dynamic point guard who creates opportunities for his teammates consistently. He grabs rebounds, racks up assists and, of course, shoots it as well as anyone in the game today. He is lightning quick on his feet, an exceptional ball-handler and a leader for his team, even though he is only 25 years old. To top it all off, now he has inserted his name into the record books, passing one of the greatest shooters to ever pick up a basketball, and his career is just getting started.

So let’s start up those debates again, and discuss who’s the bet from behind the arc.

This time, add Curry’s name to the list.

NCAA Tournament: Round of 64 Day 1 Recap

No. 14 Harvard pulled off the biggest upset of the night against No. 3 seed New Mexico. (thecrimson.com)

The first "official" day of the NCAA Tournament is in the books. It was a great day of basketball because, well, it was 10 hours of basketball. I'm not sure it's possible for the first Thursday of the NCAA Tournament to not be great, no matter what happens on the court.

Yet the offense wasn't great and it looked like there wouldn't be any of the major upsets that we're normally accustomed ... oh, hey Harvard, almost missed you. It took one of the final games of the night, but No. 14 Harvard upset No. 3 New Mexico, making many who had New Mexico advancing multiple rounds sobbing into their pillow before falling asleep and waking up the next morning hoping it was all a dream. Those Ivy School Madness-makers were the big story of the night, but here are a few other takeaways from the first day of the NCAA Tournament.

No first for a No. 16 … yet
Every No. 1 seed each year has to go into that first game wishing and praying it is not them who becomes the first top seed to lose to a No. 16 seed. It will forever live in the history books along with the embarrassment that it was you and your school to "choke" first. An athletic Southern team gave Gonzaga all it could handle Thursday bringing the thought up once again, but the Bulldogs were too strong down the stretch to be upset. However, with the increasing parity and athleticism found at some of these mid-major schools, it would not be surprising to see a No. 16 come away victorious for the first time in the next five years.

Runaway victories
Out of the 16 games played Thursday, 11 of them were decided by 10 points or more. Some of these scores are misleading as it was closer than the final score would indicate (Butler vs. Bucknell) but others are the opposite, as it was never really felt that close (Michigan St. vs. Valpo). In a tournament where the stage and momentum are great equalizers, games are usually pretty competitive, but Thursday there were plenty of cases where one team didn't show up or the other team just ran away with the game from the beginning. This was especially surprising in the No. 8/No. 9 matchups, where the quality of the teams should be fairly equal, yet Wichita State ran all over Pitt and Colorado State did the same to Missouri. It will be interesting to see if the margin is closer in the Friday games.

Close, but not close enough
Yes, most of the games were not that close, but a few teams brought fans to the edge of their seats, especially in the afternoon sessions. No. 11 St. Mary's battled back from a late deficit to having the final shot to win with just more than a second remaining, while No. 14 Davidson had a one-point lead on Marquette with four seconds left. In a month and tournament known for underdogs being immortalized in last-second greatness, both St. Mary's and Davidson fell short of advancing to the Round of 32. Instead it was Marquette with the end-game heroics to win. We're still waiting for that first buzzer-beater from a mid-major player who will be remembered and talked about from that point on.

Follow @BeatsDimesDrive on Twitter
Like Beats Dimes and Drives on Facebook

Davidson Takes Impressive Streak Into NCAA Tournament

Davidson is one of the hottest teams in college basketball, riding a 17-game winning streak. (espn.com)

You remember the team. The team that Stephen Curry led to the Elite 8 back in 2008 and gave a Cinderella slipper? The team that was becoming a mainstay in the tournament, reaching the field for three consecutive years from 2006-08? The team that made a resurgence a season ago after a three year absence and was back in the big dance once again?

The name is Davidson and the Wildcats are back at it, winning the Southern Conference title Monday and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the 12th time in school history. Davidson may not have a superstar on the roster like Curry, but this is a team that could add a little madness to March.

What had flown wildly under the radar before last night was that the Wildcats are taking a 17-game winning streak with them into the NCAA Tournament. Part of the reason why it has gone mostly unnoticed is because Davidson plays in the Southern Conference, which doesn't get much time on national TV. Another reason could be there have been so many great performances from other teams outside power six conferences (Gonzaga, St. Louis, Creighton, New Mexico, VCU) that there was just not enough room to also talk a lot about Davidson. This is a good problem for college basketball to have, as it shows the product does not fall off a cliff outside of the BCS conferences, but not great for Davidson, who must feel left out of the conversation.

Granted, the Wildcats (26-7, 17-1) haven't had the most difficult conference stretch, but stringing together 17 wins without a letdown is a feat nonetheless. More impressively, only five of the 17 wins were by single digits, the rest being contests that were easily decided (including a 19-point win in the SoCon championship game against the College of Charleston, who at 24-10 and 14-4 was the second best team in the conference). When Davidson plays again in the NCAA Tournament, it will have been more than two months since its last loss on Jan. 14.

Davidson still has seven losses on the season, but three of those (Gonzaga, Duke and New Mexico) came to teams currently ranked in the top 12 in the country.

This is a team led by upperclassmen who know how to win and have played together in crucial situations. Senior Jake Cohen (14.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and junior De'Mon Brooks (13.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg) are a powerful front court that can cause trouble defensively for many teams. Davidson is also known as a program that can beat you from 3-point range, and teams who can get hot from behind the arc are usually not the types of teams opponents want to face in March. Head coach Bob McKillop has been to the big dance numerous times and knows what it takes to win a lose-and-go-home game.

In a season where non-power conference teams are excelling, don't forget about the team carrying an impressive streak and a lot of confidence into the NCAA Tournament.

Who Will Be Next To Jump From Cinderella To Powerhouse?

Gonzaga was America's original "Cinderella" team, but now is a terrifying team to meet in March. (sportingnews.com)

Gonzaga started the idea of the mid-major "Cinderella" with an Elite 8 run in 1999. Now the Zags are a consistent top-25 team that is expected to do well in March.

Butler took it a step further with consecutive NCAA Tournament title game appearances under coach Brad Stevens and is continuing to take on a beat top 25 opponents. We've already discussed how good of a coach Stevens is, as now Butler is moving away from that Cinderella title to being a fixture at the top of the game every year. 

It's a tough job for a mid-major to maintain the kind of excellence it takes to become one of the big boys, with less funds and recognition. Many teams haven't been able to hold on after breaking into the limelight. Just look at Bucknell, Vermont or Hampton. We'll see if Norfolk St. or Lehigh are one-hit wonders after last season's shockers. Factors like coaching and personnel are obviously involved and if your breakout coach leaves for a bigger school, your dreams of being the next Gonzaga could end in a second.

Still, Butler will likely be the last team to make the jump in performance level and credibility, so here are a couple more schools in the running to be next in line.

Favorite:

VCU: The Rams hammered their way into the spotlight in 2007 with a dramatic 79-77 win over Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They only reached the tournament one more time in the next three years (2009) but then had the breakout year in 2011. VCU scrapped its way to the Final Four before losing to who else but Butler. The Rams were back in it again last year, nearly losing to Indiana (63-61) in the second round. The Rams have had the big wins to get themselves known and then made an impressive run to make the nation believers. As long as Shaka Smart is the coach, VCU has a good chance to keep this going. They probably need two or three more tournament appearances and another Sweet 16 birth — as well as some huge regular-season wins — to move into Butler range.


In The Running:

Creighton: Creighton benefits from playing in a conference (Missouri Valley) known for producing talented, mid-major basketball programs. The BlueJays have been a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament since 1999, making the tournament eight times during that span, including five seasons in a row from 1999-2003. Creighton has advanced to the second round three times since 1999, yet can't seem to find a way into the second weekend. With potential National Player of the Year candidate Doug McDermott leading the way, this could be the year Creighton breaks through to the Sweet 16.

Davidson: If Stephen Curry could have stayed at Davidson for more than four years, Davidson could already be in line with Butler. The Wildcats reached the NCAA Tournament each year from 2006-2008, with the climax being Curry leading the 2008 squad to the Elite 8, where it was narrowly defeated by soon-to-be national champion Kansas. Bob McKillop has rebounded from the loss of that great 2008 senior class and is looking to make a second-straight tournament appearance this year. Davidson has been able to recruit pretty well, schedules big-name opponents early in the season and plays in a fairly weak conference, so the blueprint is there for the Davidson name to grow, but the Wildcats still need to go first.



Follow @BeatsDimesDrive on Twitter

Best of the Rest: Davidson Has Formula For Success

The long wait will soon be over when the first official NCAA basketball game of the 2012-13 season will tip-off on Nov. 15. Some of our favorite players have moved on the ranks of professional athletes, new recruits have been polishing their games in gyms with recognizable logos on the court, and schools have switched conference allegiances. Through a series of conference previews, the BDD crew will do its best to prepare you for the next 4.5 months of collegiate hoops.

We did not have the time and manpower to provide you with the brilliance of a conference preview for all 32 conferences. To make up for this, we've done the next best thing. Here is your Best of the Rest — non-power six conferences and excluding A-10, MVC, MWC, Horizon and WCC — in college basketball. We're covering a lot of ground in a little space, so if you disagree with a pick, let us know who you think should make the Best of the Rest.

Best Team: Davidson (Southern)

Davidson has the talent and experience to make another NCAA Tournament run. (examiner.com)

The Davidson Wildcats have the formula for a memorable season: senior leadership, winning experience, impressive offense and a mentality that they will not beat themselves. Coming off a 25-8 season (16-2 in conference) a year ago, the Wildcats have the pieces to duplicate last year's success. Davidson is returning seniors Nik Cochran and Jake Cohen as well as last year's leading scorer and rebounder, junior De'Mon Brooks. This team has played in big games and knows what it takes to win against the elite teams. Davidson will have the chance to make a statement early, facing New Mexico, Vanderbilt and Duke — all who reached the NCAA Tournament last year — in the non-conference schedule and should have no problems once conference play begins. Davidson can score — averaging 78 ppg last season — and are especially dangerous from 3-point range. But more impressive is the team's ability to rebound, which is another reason for its success. Davidson finished 19th in the country in rebounds per game with 38.9 last season. Teams better take advantage of making shots early, because they won't get many second chances. 

Dark Horse: Long Beach State (Big West)

LBSU will have to overcome replacing top players and a brutal schedule to repeat as Big West champs. (dailytarheel.com)

Last year's schedule made the country wonder if whoever schedules Long Beach State's games really hates the team. The 49ers faced five top-25 teams in the non-conference schedule a season ago, and all but one was on the road. Good luck with that. But then LBSU won two of those games (at No. 9 Pitt and vs. No. 15 Xavier) and lost two others by single digits and all of a sudden they were serious mid-major contenders. Credit coach Dan Monson for having the faith in his team to answer the challenge. The road isn't much easier this year — with games against UNC, Arizona, Syracuse, Ohio State and UCLA — and the job will be much more difficult without star guards Casper Ware and Larry Anderson. But running through the top-25 gauntlet last season prepared the 49ers to cruise through conference play, finishing 15-1. Even with the loss in talent, if the 49ers can upset one of their Goliath foes early in the season, and keep the rest close, they should gain the experience to succeed in the Big West.

Player of the Year: Isaiah Canaan, Murray State (Ohio Valley)

The Racers' leading scorer returns to wreak havoc on opposing defenses. (midwestsportsfans.com)

Canaan became a household name last season as he led the Racers to a 31-2 record and an appearance in the Round of 32 at the NCAA Tournament. LBSU's Casper Ware and Ohio's D.J. Cooper found the spotlight during March Madness, but no one stole the show like Canaan. The versatile guard was a force on offense, averaging 19 points per game while shooting 45 percent from both the field and 3-point range. Canaan has an excellent jump shot and can also drive to the basket and get to the line. The pro prospect now has the experience of playing in the limelight and returns for his senior season, where he will look to take the Racers back to the NCAA Tournament. Canaan has improved his game each season, so look for everything to come together this year in his final season on the college court.


Coach of the Year: Bob McKillop, Davidson (Southern)

Bob McKillop has his Davidson team positioned for success. (zimbio.com)

Davidson's experienced talent will lead the Wildcats in 2012-13, but don't underestimate the job by coach Bob McKillop. McKillop knows how to prepare his team for big games. He took the 2008 team to within a last-second 3-pointer of advancing to the Final Four against Kansas. He got his revenge when he beat Kansas during the regular season in Kansas City last season. McKillop does a great job of coaching a smart, fundamentally strong team that gives opposing coaches heartburn. It is a difficult task to get a mid-major underdog to go into Cameron Indoor Stadium and challenge Duke, but McKillop's teams are always ready to compete and rarely get out-hustled or outplayed. Mid-major coaches earn their stripes by beating up on the big boys early in the season, and McKillop has the opportunity to do that this year. 

Newcomer of the Year: Shaq Goodwin, Memphis (Conference USA)

Goodwin should make an immediate impact on the Memphis Tigers' offense. (fivestarbasketball.com)

Memphis may not play in a power six conference, but they sure don't play or recruit like it. The highlight of the Tigers' recruiting class was Shaq Goodwin, a four-star forward from Georgia who was No. 44 in his class according to Rivals.com and No. 31 on ESPN's Top 100. Goodwin should be a terrific rebounder — especially on the offensive glass  —out of the gate, and continue to develop his offensive game throughout the season. Goodwin is an athletic big man who should fit into Josh Pastner's system well.


Follow @BeatsDimesDrive on Twitter