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Why do we need a Vegas tie? I dont care where theyre tied too. Im all for the USU rental method of 1 or 2 years of Conference titles and dance and gone...
dMaybe you're rooting for the wrong team?

Masked you have been a loud mouth here, did you ever ask what us UNLV fans really want? You want some rental? We want a loyal, lifer coach that like the city.
 
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Again... How does having a coach with UNLV or Vegas ties do anything for us? Outside Jay Wright showing up for an introductory press conference why would that matter? How does that increase our chances of us winning a conference title next year? We need a coach that can actually coach and recruit and win in this new world of college athletics. What "Vegas" tied coach are you thinking is going to waltz in and do that?
 
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Again... How does having a coach with UNLV or Vegas ties do anything for us? Outside Jay Wright showing up for an introductory press conference why would that matter? How does that increase our chances of us winning a conference title next year? We need a coach that can actually coach and recruit and win in this new world of college athletics. What "Vegas" tied coach are you thinking is going to waltz in and do that?
Grant Rice is that you?
 
dMaybe you're rooting for the wrong team?

Masked you have been a loud mouth here, did you ever ask what us UNLV fans really want? You want some rental? We want a loyal, lifer coach that like the city.
I actually just want us to win. I didnt get to attend UNLV during its "Glory" years. I didnt get to attend UNLV during Lon's best years.. I watched it thrive during the best parts of Rice's tenure.. Since then its been a complete downfall and each cycle we hire a coach that doesn't pan out and more and more fans tune out what UNLV does. I use the rental term because I'm a realist. We aren't a "national power" that can afford to keep a good coach around and build a program like Gonzaga, not unless some anonymous donor steps up and funds UNLV in a way they havent in years. Do I wish we couldve hired a coach that built a program that wins championships and maintains an identity with long term success.. absolutely. But we are a probably a coach or 2 away from that being the case. So yeah, Ill take a rental for a season or 2 that hangs a banner in the Mack and builds a foundation for the next hire.
 
I was ready to fired CKK in the OCC games but then thing changed during conference plays. AFA aside. I have no idea what the hell that was? CKK got better and better...until Ka and Whaley got hurts. Whaley never seems the same after that injury. That kid is a 260 lbs of flying boulder before he got hurt. I dont want to see our staff go yet. Coaches like Barret Perry and Jamal Williams are good to great coaches behind CKK.

I think Bear Cherry is going to fine manning the middle. Coach Barret Perry is no joke on the recruiting front.

Perry and Kruger have whiffed a ton. The Sun has an article out today saying the ASU guard didn’t even consider unlv after staff reached out.
 
Suddenly I’m not as pro-Kevin as I once was.
Why are you pro Kruger is the question. Worst rebounding team in school history, slowest team in school history with a 5* point guard, no one can make a 15 footer if there neck was in the slicer etc. Poor coaching, low expectations, poorly designed offense and the list goes on.
 
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Why do we need a Vegas tie? I dont care where theyre tied too. Im all for the USU rental method of 1 or 2 years of Conference titles and dance and gone...
That’s what Beard was supposed to be. Helluva coach.

Let’s find the next one and reset asap. Hopefully Harper is also tired of wasting time but who knows.
 
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dMaybe you're rooting for the wrong team?

Masked you have been a loud mouth here, did you ever ask what us UNLV fans really want? You want some rental? We want a loyal, lifer coach that like the city.
We had him and he was disgracefully fired in 2016. UNLV has been cursed ever since.
 
Jay Wrights agent actually... Look, if you can swing 4 million a year and let him do the broadcast play by play from the bench Im might be able to swing a deal...
The ghost of Rollie wins if he coaches here.
 
Jay Wrights agent actually... Look, if you can swing 4 million a year and let him do the broadcast play by play from the bench Im might be able to swing a deal...
Jay Wright actually want to come here but Harter says "he cannot carried BB jockstraps" Maybe it was Pitino after they messed it up. But Jay Wright name was there during that time. Look, there are so many coaches that went on to be successful elsewhere after UNLV rejects them. Eric Musselman is one of then. And so was UH Sampson. Then you got Beard and the current Illinois coach. Yeah we are not a P5 team but UNLV is a little different than most G5 team and that includes Gonzaga.
 
I agree. We missed on Pitino, somehow got Lon to come and by his last year there was a line of fans with pitchforks after we got run out of the tournament by Illinois. Then we had Dave Rice and the ADs patience ran out... since then there's been name after name thrown out that want the Vegas job or were supposedly interested, our Rivals hired 2 solid coaches that turned them into the best teams in their programs histories, while ours hasnt been a shiny. Im not sure Underwood was ever a legit candidate, the year he was available he went straight to a P5 program, Beard flew the coop after our BOR clown show, Cronnin was a signature away from wanting to be here etc...
 
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I agree. We missed on Pitino, somehow got Lon to come and by his last year there was a line of fans with pitchforks after we got run out of the tournament by Illinois. Then we had Dave Rice and the ADs patience ran out... since then there's been name after name thrown out that want the Vegas job or were supposedly interested, our Rivals hired 2 solid coaches that turned them into the best teams in their programs histories, while ours hasnt been a shiny. Im not sure Underwood was ever a legit candidate, the year he was available he went straight to a P5 program, Beard flew the coop after our BOR clown show, Cronnin was a signature away from wanting to be here etc...
Sampson was around but they hired someone else.. shoulda, woulda, coulda!
 
I agree. We missed on Pitino, somehow got Lon to come and by his last year there was a line of fans with pitchforks after we got run out of the tournament by Illinois. Then we had Dave Rice and the ADs patience ran out... since then there's been name after name thrown out that want the Vegas job or were supposedly interested, our Rivals hired 2 solid coaches that turned them into the best teams in their programs histories, while ours hasnt been a shiny. Im not sure Underwood was ever a legit candidate, the year he was available he went straight to a P5 program, Beard flew the coop after our BOR clown show, Cronnin was a signature away from wanting to be here etc...
Have a little pride, Masked. That is all I am saying. There are a bunch of coaches that want to be here. Duke's Coach now Scherer was here in the last interview. I dont know what the F happens there? Coach K send him here so it seems.
During Coach CDR era. Coach K and Coach Self were all behind him. For some reason people at UNLV ****ed that up. I dont know if there are people within UNLV still ****ing up stuff for UNLV basketball like during the Maxson era or not? It just seems like it.
 
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So much for "I'm definitely staying in Vegas"

I know he's a young kid but come on...don't say things unless you really mean it
How do we know he didn’t mean it? I haven’t seen or heard anything from DJ himself that he’s leaving. Only thing I’ve seen or heard is speculation
 
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Lots of emotional reactions here. Regardless of what DTJ decides UNLV remains in the same boat…
Does it have the $$$ to buyout CKK’s contract?
Does it have the $$$ to throw at a new coach with a proven record of winning?
Does it have the $$$ to compete for quality players (not even 5* players)?
Easy to sit from the sidelines without any skin in the NIL game and say Harp should fire the coach under an assumption that a new coach is better than the existing coach. UNLV made that assumption with Rice and the program sank to an all time low from which we still haven’t recovered. The last thing UNLV needs is to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Have a plan. Build the resources to fund the plan. Execute the plan. But for heaven sake don’t overreact and don’t listen to reactionary fans or boosters. That’s one of the reasons we’re where we are today.
 
Lots of emotional reactions here. Regardless of what DTJ decides UNLV remains in the same boat…
Does it have the $$$ to buyout CKK’s contract?
Does it have the $$$ to throw at a new coach with a proven record of winning?
Does it have the $$$ to compete for quality players (not even 5* players)?
Easy to sit from the sidelines without any skin in the NIL game and say Harp should fire the coach under an assumption that a new coach is better than the existing coach. UNLV made that assumption with Rice and the program sank to an all time low from which we still haven’t recovered. The last thing UNLV needs is to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Have a plan. Build the resources to fund the plan. Execute the plan. But for heaven sake don’t overreact and don’t listen to reactionary fans or boosters. That’s one of the reasons we’re where we are today.
You have been all over the place since the beginning of the season. Prior to conference you wanted Kevin gone now you want to give him the benefit of the doubt even if DJ leaves? In this post you mentioned you have no confidence in the leadership.

I didn’t have confidence in the leadership even if DJ stayed but if he leaves, what do you expect different from a staff that hasn’t figured recruiting out in 3 years?

My question to you is do you really think that Kevin can somehow recruit a whole new team next year that will be competitive the entire season? If you don’t have confidence in the leadership, why keep him is my question?!
 
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Well since seems like everything is going south i will post this NOW! Jefferson is not coming here. Maybe that is another reason DJ is leaving! Things can change ,but from what i was told we dont want to pay him.I dont know if pay him enough as in bigger offers?? But this is 2nd hand information it comes From a direct source and VERY RELIABLE !
 
You have been all over the place since the beginning of the season. Prior to conference you wanted Kevin gone now you want to give him the benefit of the doubt even if DJ leaves? In this post you mentioned you have no confidence in the leadership.

I didn’t have confidence in the leadership even if DJ stayed but if he leaves, what do you expect different from a staff that hasn’t figured recruiting out in 3 years?

My question to you is do you really think that Kevin can somehow recruit a whole new team next year that will be competitive the entire season? If you don’t have confidence in the leadership, why keep him is my question?!
Correct, I was very down on CKK early in the season. The team was flat out unprepared from the start and that’s entirely on the coaching staff. CKK showed some mettle and turned things around, adopted new strategies to take advantage of his players strengths and got the team playing some of the best defense (for the most part) we’ve seen in quite a while. A healthy Ka. Boone and Whaley and they likely make the Dance. He deserved another year (not an extension) for the job he did imo.
I do still have a questions about his overall leadership of the program. The consistent lose of quality players is troubling and DTJ would be the icing on the cake.
That all said, and as I’ve consistently posted, unless UNLV has the resources to make a real upgrade in coaching Harp has to be very careful with making a change for the sake of change. Starting from square one with another young coach or assistant can turn out much much worse than sticking with your current young coach with a few years under his belt. It also provides some consistency and stability to the program which has been lacking since his dad left. Why should we expect players to stick around when we change coaches almost as quickly as players hit the portal? If Harp has a great coach lined up, I have no issues with pulling the trigger on CKK. But if it’s just another “up and comer” that’s a totally different ballgame. Given his buyout and the price for a proven quality coach, coupled with UNLV’s financial position, I have real doubts about Harp’s ability to pull off something like that (especially when he’s also trying to build up the football program). Trust me, I sat behind the basket in Denver and watched LJ and company cut down the nets in 1990. Ending the pain of the last 30 years is my greatest desire for UNLV. But continuing the revolving door of coaches. If we’re gonna make a change it needs to be for the real deal. Hope that clarifies things.
 
It’s obvious, if the buyout is there and you have enough ammo to go after a Bryce Drew or Will Wade.

No hestitation. Done and done.


Though I think Harper being quiet is calculated. Staying out of the way to let CKK sink or swim.
 
Correct, I was very down on CKK early in the season. The team was flat out unprepared from the start and that’s entirely on the coaching staff. CKK showed some mettle and turned things around, adopted new strategies to take advantage of his players strengths and got the team playing some of the best defense (for the most part) we’ve seen in quite a while. A healthy Ka. Boone and Whaley and they likely make the Dance. He deserved another year (not an extension) for the job he did imo.
I do still have a questions about his overall leadership of the program. The consistent lose of quality players is troubling and DTJ would be the icing on the cake.
That all said, and as I’ve consistently posted, unless UNLV has the resources to make a real upgrade in coaching Harp has to be very careful with making a change for the sake of change. Starting from square one with another young coach or assistant can turn out much much worse than sticking with your current young coach with a few years under his belt. It also provides some consistency and stability to the program which has been lacking since his dad left. Why should we expect players to stick around when we change coaches almost as quickly as players hit the portal? If Harp has a great coach lined up, I have no issues with pulling the trigger on CKK. But if it’s just another “up and comer” that’s a totally different ballgame. Given his buyout and the price for a proven quality coach, coupled with UNLV’s financial position, I have real doubts about Harp’s ability to pull off something like that (especially when he’s also trying to build up the football program). Trust me, I sat behind the basket in Denver and watched LJ and company cut down the nets in 1990. Ending the pain of the last 30 years is my greatest desire for UNLV. But continuing the revolving door of coaches. If we’re gonna make a change it needs to be for the real deal. Hope that clarifies things.
I agree about hiring another “up and comer” I ain’t keen on that either but Harper has earned some rope with his football hire that nobody here ever discussed him before he was a candidate. I don’t think an up and comer is on the horizon in hoops, there are many decent names out there and guys like Sprinkle are out there to. And when I say guys like Sprinkle, I mean former HC’s not assistants.

I have not and will not advocate for an assistant to be hired here in either sport unless they are already on the staff and that would be for continuity only!

But in this case, no assistants, former HC’s only and I do think Harper should make a move now, especially if DJ leaves!
 
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Oh..one other thing. Coach Sampson stands on his principles. The Culture is THE Culture here. We'll never get into a NIL bidding war for a player. UH players get taken care of AFTER they arrive on campus. Sampson don't play that. Once a player asks HOW MUCH ARE WILLING....Sampson stops recruiting him. SImple. Point blank. That way, there's no division in the locker room. How do you think a player that's been here for 3-4 years feels to see some hotshot come in and already receive $400K?

So it's not about NIL. Trust me. Look at the past 4-5 years of players that have made it to the NBA through Sampson's tutelage : Armoni Brooks, Nate Hinton, Quentin Grimes, Taze Moore, DeJon Jarrreau, Jarace Walker, Marcus Sasser. Only Grimes and Jarace were above 3 stars coming out of HS. NBA scouts know that UH players WILL play defense in the NBA, cuz it's a non-negotiable here to get playing time. And that was playing in the American Athletic Conference before this year. That carries weight to kids and their parents when they can trust that their son is gonna treated like a son, but given tough love and grow into a man.

I'll leave ya'll with these two Sampson sayings that explain how/why we're a nationally relevant program now, and could beat aTm in OT with 4 starters fouled out, JoJo Tugler and Arceneaux out for the year, and a walk-on ON the court in OT.
1-"Every team plays hard. But do they COMPETE. We don't just play hard, our kids compete."
2-"It's one thing for your players to play together with one another. But do they play FOR each other? My kids play for each other. There is BIG difference."

Nate
NIL is definitely part of it he isn't going there out of the goodness of his heart. The rumor is $1MM. If the offer was $5K he wouldn't be going to Houston.
 
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Well since seems like everything is going south i will post this NOW! Jefferson is not coming here. Maybe that is another reason DJ is leaving! Things can change ,but from what i was told we dont want to pay him.I dont know if pay him enough as in bigger offers?? But this is 2nd hand information it comes From a direct source and VERY RELIABLE !
Hopefully he's using leverage to get us to sign Jefferson. I'm sure he doesn't want to go into next season and have no chance of winning. I'm sure he wants a commitment for us on our end.
 
Can’t post the tweet from Rebel Den but it says the academic staff was notified of Dedan’s intentions to portal.
 
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Luckily for us, we finally have a real football team. Save the basketball NIL money and direct it toward the Football program. Let CKK finish out his contract and let Harper start researching his replacement for 25'26'. This is the correct path.

Can't believe I'm saying this, but for the school, it's athletic department, and its future in general, Football>basketball.
 
Luckily for us, we finally have a real football team. Save the basketball NIL money and direct it toward the Football program. Let CKK finish out his contract and let Harper start researching his replacement for 25'26'. This is the correct path.

Can't believe I'm saying this, but for the school, it's athletic department, and its future in general, Football>basketball.
Yeah I don't see much of a path for basketball to recover. What good is a top coach if there isn't money to keep or get players?
 
Lol... I mean, what exactly does a recovery look like? There's certainly enough $ to hire a good coach and bring in players to win a conference championship and make an NCAA tournament. There's enough of a name to increase our seeding by playing tougher OOCs games than most G5s which could help us win a few games and maybe that seeding and a little luck gets you beyond the 2nd round, but our reality is we are a G5 program at a public university. Maybe we should try and just be a good G5 program that consistently is competitive in the conference, wins titles, and makes the dance before we throw in the towel and close the program because we might not be able to afford to keep a Super star in essentially Free Agency... there's 27 other programs a year that face that same reality, heck even P5s lose their stars to other P5s
 
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