Yes, you need players but someone who knows the game, can relate, teach and motivate is superior to a talent harvester.
A special coach wins with less and when he has more, dominates. A mere recruiter is loved on signing day but never wins much.
If you can find the right man who will hire an accomplished staff of assistants, look out.
If any or all of them can sell recruits, well, nirvana.
Bohn driving the bus forward
CU athletic director Mike Bohn might frustrate many for a variety of reasons but you can't say the man is not a worker, not committed, not pushing the athletic program in a new direction. Just take a look at Neill Woelk's column in the Daily Camera today for proof.
BGT: Bohn's biggest flaw for many is he can't clean up the athletic department's mess on the carpet overnight. Look at the starting point from when he was first hired and where the school is today. There is clearly defined progress. In another year, there will be even more.
Reconstruction takes time. It requires from followers of the program that quality none of us want under the Christmas tree -- patience. Sort of like getting socks as a present as a kid. Boring and a tough sell but necessary.
Woelk's point is that CU now has something solid to show prospective new hires as a hook to consider working in Boulder. That's one big deal, one attractive trait, one that will get the attention of quality candidates.
Don't lie to me
The BGT truly appreciates the talent of Ohio State center Greg Oden, especially as a freshman, especially playing one-handed. He is long, a natural rebounder and shot blocker and will become an outstanding scorer soon. Oden also plays a position where there are never enough elite talents.
He will be a star in the NBA. A tremendous player. A multiple-time All-Star.
But if I'm picking first in the June draft and you give me 100 chances to change my mind, I'm not doing it. I'm sticking with Texas' forward Kevin Durant as my selection.
Grade-A beef.
Yesterday, today, tomorrow, the day after that and as the old commercial went "and so on, and so on, and so on."
Durant is the closest thing to Larry Bird the BGT has seen. No, he isn't the the amazing passer and winner that the Hick from French Lick was for years but wait until you get a load of him at the next level, especially if he has any talent around him as Bird always had.
The Longhorns have plenty of talent but it all plays off Durant. He is so good he doesn't have to pass. In the NBA, while excelling at scoring the ball, he will also learn the need for sharing, which he will end up doing. Durant loves the game and plays with endless energy. He will become, mark it down, an above-average passer. Considering the attention he will draw in the Association, how could the Tall Cool One not pile up assists. After all, he's built to please. I'm convinced he will. He is LeBron James-type of premium talent.
Comparing anyone to Bird is almost cruel but look at Durant -- he can shoot it deep, attack the basket, run the floor, finish, he is more athletic than Bird, can handle the ball, rebound and all this while being several protein shakes shy of being called skinny. He makes "skinny" look thick.
He is a legend-to-be in the NBA. Danny Manning was a diamond at Kansas but the last time the BGT remembers a freshman this good it was Oklahoma's Wayman Tisdale, a dominating force, but not as long and as well-rounded as Durant.
Rankings
BGT Best-of-the-Big 12: Texas A & M, Kansas, Texas, Kansas State/Texas Tech
BGT Best-in-the-Land: Florida, Ohio State, Texas A & M, Wisconsin
Barnett gets no love
Earlier this week, an alert was sent out in this space about a Dennis Dodd column on Gary Barnett. If you didn't yet see the reaction to that CBSSportsline.com piece, here you go.
The one who, thankfully, got away
From FoxSports.com, a story on a former Denver prep who left the state, first for Texas and then Washington. No tears lost for seeing this character not in the CU media guide.
BGT: Really, what was going through his mind at the time of this incident? What thoughts tied together in that instant to say, "hey, I have a good idea...let's just take this cab. How cool would that be! What a great story we'll have to tell and laugh about later."
Money question
This from FoxSports.com's John Czarnecki on that former Buff standout who just got a big raise.
"Center Andre Gurode, who actually shared his position with Al Johnson in 2005, is now the second-highest paid player on the (Dallas) Cowboys.
"Yes, this is great for Gurode, the kid who had his head mashed by Tennessee’s Albert Haynesworth last season, but it exemplifies how out-of-whack some salaries are in the NFL. A $5 million average for Gurode? Does this mean Pro Bowl quarterback Tony Romo ten million?"
Speaking of the NFL
I love it when the NFL becomes infatuated with speed for an offensive lineman, who do most of their work in a short box. Yes, guards have to pull and yes, linemen are expected to block downfield but how necessary is it for these guys to be blazers?I think there are a multitude of other signs I'd be looking for if scouting the mountains up front.
Even quickness matters more than pure speed.
Monday: Look for second installment of a two-part series on breaking down the Buffs' 2007 recruiting class. We'll name the names, bring you the coaches' comments, what those words mean and some player comparisons. A big conclusion to that feature. Monday morning.
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