July 7, 2008: Newy, Buck On: TCU BB, March Madness
Each Monday, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Ray Buck and NBC 5's Newy Scruggs go at it in a point-counterpoint on the sporting issues of the day.E-mail Ray Buck at rbuck@star-telegram.com or Newy Scruggs at info@newdawg.com and maybe your question will appear in an upcoming column.Was it time for TCU to let Neil Dougherty go as head coach?
NEW DAWG: No NCAA appearances after six yers made it tough for him to stay. I think TCU basketball is a bad job. The school doesn’t put enough money into the gig, and I don’t think it will be able to attract a top-notch coach. TCU basketball is an afterthought on campus.
BUCK: Well, it shouldn’t be an afterthought, Newy. What TCU needs is a coach who can: 1) recruit and 2) stir student-body passion — and I think that guy lives 30 minutes away in Dallas: Fran Fraschilla. You probably heard him over the weekend (along with Ron Franklin) call the Big 12 championship game on ESPN. Fraschilla knows the Mountain West (New Mexico) and knows how to get to the Big Dance (twice with Manhattan). He also may have a few helpful contacts at the “Worldwide Leader in Sports.” He’s smart. He’s glib. He’s good. He can sell basketball. Dougherty needed to go because this is a business — and he wasn’t winning. The ball is now in TCU’s court to finish making a good business decision.Prediction time: What’s your earliest "upset special" in the NCAA Tournament?NEW DAWG: Boise State (No. 14 seed) over Louisville (No. 3 seed).
BUCK: I’ve got a No. 14 upset of a No. 3, too. But mine is Georgia over Xavier in the West Region. The Bulldogs: “The Team That Never Sleeps.”Do Scott Drew’s backsliding Baylor Bears merit an invite to the Big Dance ... or not, as Dick Vitale suggests.NEW DAWG: Baylor deserves a spot. The Big 12 has some darned good clubs. Baylor’s story alone is worth a trip to the Big Dance. Hey, 21-10 and 9-7 (fourth place in the Big 12) was good enough to get in. Tell Dickie V to leave the Bears alone.
BUCK: God bless Dick Vitale. But I have to wonder if that’s not still the anesthesia talking. The Bears go into the tournament without momentum — their problem; getting snubbed by the selection committee — that would’ve been the tournament’s problem. This Baylor team reminds me a lot of past Louisville teams where playing smart isn’t a strong suit ... but unbridled talent is.Who will represent the Big 12 in the Final Four: Kansas? Texas? Both? Neither?NEW DAWG: I’ll say no team from the Big 12 will make it to San Antonio. Bill Self has tons of talent at KU, but he still hasn’t been able to get to the Final Four. I really like Pitt or Memphis to come out of the South Region instead of Texas.
BUCK: The Longhorns’ best shot is if Memphis and Pitt beat each other senseless — and the winner is missing two or three starters for the South Region final. I think No. 1 seed Kansas (Midwest) can, and will, get to the Final Four. Have a little confidence, Newy. Believe in Self.Should the NCAA take Bob Knight’s advice and double the men’s tournament field to 128 teams?NEW DAWG: I like this tournament because only 65 get in. It means something to go to the Big Dance. The field is large enough. Next thing you know it will be the Final Five instead of the Final Four.
BUCK: Knight wants to get rid of automatic bids and believes that an extra round to start the tournament (top-rated 64 hosting next-rated 64 on their home campuses) would level the playing field for 128 of 341 Division I teams in the country. Sounds simple enough until the 129th-rated team screams “snubbed!” I agree — leave it alone.What are you going to miss most — and least — about Texas Stadium?NEW DAWG: I won’t miss the terrible parking. It is a nightmare to get in and out of that place. I will miss walking the tunnel to the field. Nothing like it!
BUCK: What I’ll miss most: The original placement of the Ring of Honor names (tucked just inside the hole in the roof). Transplanting the names to Arlington will never be the same. What I’ll miss least: Walking back to the pressbox through a maze of hallways and empty food carts on deadline. It’s a very long walk.
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BUCK: Well, it shouldn’t be an afterthought, Newy. What TCU needs is a coach who can: 1) recruit and 2) stir student-body passion — and I think that guy lives 30 minutes away in Dallas: Fran Fraschilla. You probably heard him over the weekend (along with Ron Franklin) call the Big 12 championship game on ESPN. Fraschilla knows the Mountain West (New Mexico) and knows how to get to the Big Dance (twice with Manhattan). He also may have a few helpful contacts at the “Worldwide Leader in Sports.” He’s smart. He’s glib. He’s good. He can sell basketball. Dougherty needed to go because this is a business — and he wasn’t winning. The ball is now in TCU’s court to finish making a good business decision.Prediction time: What’s your earliest "upset special" in the NCAA Tournament?NEW DAWG: Boise State (No. 14 seed) over Louisville (No. 3 seed).
BUCK: I’ve got a No. 14 upset of a No. 3, too. But mine is Georgia over Xavier in the West Region. The Bulldogs: “The Team That Never Sleeps.”Do Scott Drew’s backsliding Baylor Bears merit an invite to the Big Dance ... or not, as Dick Vitale suggests.NEW DAWG: Baylor deserves a spot. The Big 12 has some darned good clubs. Baylor’s story alone is worth a trip to the Big Dance. Hey, 21-10 and 9-7 (fourth place in the Big 12) was good enough to get in. Tell Dickie V to leave the Bears alone.
BUCK: God bless Dick Vitale. But I have to wonder if that’s not still the anesthesia talking. The Bears go into the tournament without momentum — their problem; getting snubbed by the selection committee — that would’ve been the tournament’s problem. This Baylor team reminds me a lot of past Louisville teams where playing smart isn’t a strong suit ... but unbridled talent is.Who will represent the Big 12 in the Final Four: Kansas? Texas? Both? Neither?NEW DAWG: I’ll say no team from the Big 12 will make it to San Antonio. Bill Self has tons of talent at KU, but he still hasn’t been able to get to the Final Four. I really like Pitt or Memphis to come out of the South Region instead of Texas.
BUCK: The Longhorns’ best shot is if Memphis and Pitt beat each other senseless — and the winner is missing two or three starters for the South Region final. I think No. 1 seed Kansas (Midwest) can, and will, get to the Final Four. Have a little confidence, Newy. Believe in Self.Should the NCAA take Bob Knight’s advice and double the men’s tournament field to 128 teams?NEW DAWG: I like this tournament because only 65 get in. It means something to go to the Big Dance. The field is large enough. Next thing you know it will be the Final Five instead of the Final Four.
BUCK: Knight wants to get rid of automatic bids and believes that an extra round to start the tournament (top-rated 64 hosting next-rated 64 on their home campuses) would level the playing field for 128 of 341 Division I teams in the country. Sounds simple enough until the 129th-rated team screams “snubbed!” I agree — leave it alone.What are you going to miss most — and least — about Texas Stadium?NEW DAWG: I won’t miss the terrible parking. It is a nightmare to get in and out of that place. I will miss walking the tunnel to the field. Nothing like it!
BUCK: What I’ll miss most: The original placement of the Ring of Honor names (tucked just inside the hole in the roof). Transplanting the names to Arlington will never be the same. What I’ll miss least: Walking back to the pressbox through a maze of hallways and empty food carts on deadline. It’s a very long walk.
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