Johnny Dawkins to Vanderbilt

EmCats3

All-Conference
Dec 4, 2008
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Only made the tournament twice in his career. Feel like a lot of people will say better based on recency bias, but I feel like he’s on the same level as JT III. Will end up a decent hire IMO
 

Friedas_Boss

Hall of Famer
Sep 17, 2003
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Dawkins would be a decent hire for you guys. If he learns to challenge a ref to review a hook and hold on a game winning play he might get you to at least a S16.

Man, I missed that. Watched the game, didn't see the hook and hold.

Can the NCAA just do away with that stupid rule? That silly rule decided the outcome of too many games this year.
 

Friedas_Boss

Hall of Famer
Sep 17, 2003
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Only made the tournament twice in his career. Feel like a lot of people will say better based on recency bias, but I feel like he’s on the same level as JT III. Will end up a decent hire IMO

My biggest issue with him is only getting to the NCAAT 1 out of 8 years at Stanford. I do think Vandy is an easier place to win than at Stanford, but the similarities in academic profile is concerning.

I want his son to come with him though if he comes. That should happen, right?
 

Friedas_Boss

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Sep 17, 2003
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Frieda, can you elaborate any on how the hell Bryce drew went so wrong at vandy?

Pretty simple:

1) VU hurt him on two grad transfers they wouldn't allow in this past offseason.

2) Drew chased Langford too hard and for too long. VU wouldn't allow him to recruit others while they were recruiting Langford, so when Langford accepted the cash to play at IU, it put us in a bad spot.

3) Simi Shittu tore his ACL in December of 17, and he was not himself all year. Plus, his attitude was atrocious.

4) The biggest reason is simply Darius Garland going out after 4 games. Garland was averaging close to 20 ppg with one game where he score in single digits. The guy was a flat out difference maker.

5) The refs giving the UTjr game to Flop Williams. Up 6 with a minute to play and the ball and the refs just handed the game to UTjr. That crushed the kids and the season was just done.

Drew couldn't overcome all of the above and he was showed the door. I didn't agree with it, but he ended the year on a 20 game losing streak, so it's hard to argue and I don't get to call the shots anyway. If up to me, I would have told Drew he had to make the NCAA Tournament this upcoming season or he was fired.
 

turkeywildturkey

All-Conference
Oct 23, 2003
2,647
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First off, it looks like I was wrong about John Thompson III.

The latest is that Vanderbilt is going to announce Johnny Dawkins to be their new head coach.

What do y'all think about this hire?

Better or worse than JTIII?

I never believed the JT III rumor. They did much better with Dawkins. Great hire, in my opinion.
 
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katwest

Heisman
Feb 16, 2003
40,033
14,112
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My biggest issue with him is only getting to the NCAAT 1 out of 8 years at Stanford. I do think Vandy is an easier place to win than at Stanford, but the similarities in academic profile is concerning.

I want his son to come with him though if he comes. That should happen, right?

He sued Stanford because they fired him before his contract was up, not sure what become of it. His son looks to be all of what they say he is though.
 
Jan 29, 2003
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I have to think you'd have gotten much different answers to this question a week ago. Right now everyone is thinking about the UCF/Duke game. Before that, everyone would have thought of Stanford. I remember Dan Monson, Kevin O'Neil, Billy Gillispie (gulp!), Andy Enfield.....how many guys have ridden a tournament run to a bigger job, and in hindsight it's easy to see that the tournament run was just a magical, accidental happenstance kind of thing, and not a revelation of great coaching?.......
 

docholiday51

Heisman
Oct 19, 2001
22,011
26,718
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I have to think you'd have gotten much different answers to this question a week ago. Right now everyone is thinking about the UCF/Duke game. Before that, everyone would have thought of Stanford. I remember Dan Monson, Kevin O'Neil, Billy Gillispie (gulp!), Andy Enfield.....how many guys have ridden a tournament run to a bigger job, and in hindsight it's easy to see that the tournament run was just a magical, accidental happenstance kind of thing, and not a revelation of great coaching?.......
You have a point but Dawkins is still a better hire than JT3
 
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Xception

Heisman
Apr 17, 2007
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Better, much more reason to be optimistic that he could build a unusually good season at UV. I don’t think he’ll turn it around super fast but I think he’ll improve Vandy.
 
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Friedas_Boss

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Sep 17, 2003
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I have to think you'd have gotten much different answers to this question a week ago. Right now everyone is thinking about the UCF/Duke game. Before that, everyone would have thought of Stanford. I remember Dan Monson, Kevin O'Neil, Billy Gillispie (gulp!), Andy Enfield.....how many guys have ridden a tournament run to a bigger job, and in hindsight it's easy to see that the tournament run was just a magical, accidental happenstance kind of thing, and not a revelation of great coaching?.......

I totally agree and that is a concern of mine. We won't know for a while, but I'd have to think Dawkins 9 year NBA career and name brand is worth something on the recruiting trail.

He's still young enough to be evolving as a coach as well and he certainly has good bloodlines with Rat Face.
 

revcort

Heisman
Feb 20, 2003
32,522
30,904
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Dawkins seems a better fit for Vandy than JTIII. Just my opinion. Either would do better than Bryce Drew.
I do think it should be noted- Bryce Drew came into the SEC at a really bad time and had some bad luck along the way. I can't remember SEC basketball being as good across the board as it's been in the last 2-3 seasons. There was a time when it was Kentucky and everyone else. Then it was Kentucky, Florida, and everyone else, with other teams having good season here and there. Now, the number of quality teams is at an all-time high, league wins are at a premium (especially road wins), and you've got 4 SEC teams in the Sweet 16 and 2 others that probably could have been there.
 
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KyCatFan1

Heisman
May 6, 2002
30,867
31,594
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I don't follow college basketball as a whole like I used to so I don't know how this hire will work out. I really never heard his name mentioned much, if at all before this year. How good will he be at a school with tougher requirements for students? Will his son follow him there as a grad transfer?
 
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buck8113

All-Conference
Feb 20, 2010
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always heard he was next in line for Duke. Would be funny if Vandy hires him be there one year then he leaves to go to Duke
 
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TNCatfanforever

Heisman
Apr 3, 2003
22,070
13,939
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Pretty simple:

1) VU hurt him on two grad transfers they wouldn't allow in this past offseason.

2) Drew chased Langford too hard and for too long. VU wouldn't allow him to recruit others while they were recruiting Langford, so when Langford accepted the cash to play at IU, it put us in a bad spot.

3) Simi Shittu tore his ACL in December of 17, and he was not himself all year. Plus, his attitude was atrocious.

4) The biggest reason is simply Darius Garland going out after 4 games. Garland was averaging close to 20 ppg with one game where he score in single digits. The guy was a flat out difference maker.

5) The refs giving the UTjr game to Flop Williams. Up 6 with a minute to play and the ball and the refs just handed the game to UTjr. That crushed the kids and the season was just done.

Drew couldn't overcome all of the above and he was showed the door. I didn't agree with it, but he ended the year on a 20 game losing streak, so it's hard to argue and I don't get to call the shots anyway. If up to me, I would have told Drew he had to make the NCAA Tournament this upcoming season or he was fired.
I saw Vandy in early November with Garland and they were a top 15 team. They beat Liberty easily. When Garland went down I think the entire spirit of the team died and Drew lost the team and couldn't get them back. I also think Shittu was a little hard to coach and wanted to do his own thing. Bryce has to learn to be more of a coach than a cheerleader. I imagine he didn't listen to Homer enough.
 
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