BleedGopher
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per ESPN:
Roundtable: What's kept UNLV from restoring the glory?
UNLV still has a brand to college basketball fans of a certain age. Las Vegas remains a destination in every sense of the word. Knowing that, what's been the biggest hurdle in this program's ability to stay nationally relevant over the last quarter-century?
Myron Medcalf, senior college basketball writer: They just haven't made the most of the talent they've had. And a revolving door of coaches is a factor in that. UNLV has had eight first-round picks since Larry Johnson left the program. If a handful of those players had won a few games in the NCAA tournament, I think we'd be having a different conversation about UNLV's relevance right now. Owning one trip to the second weekend (2007) since Tark's last Final Four team is how you become a thing of the past.
Jeff Borzello, college basketball insider: I think part of it is the constant changes at both the head coach level and above the head coach, at the athletic director level. Just look at the number of head coaches since Tarkanian at the top of this piece: 13 coaches, including six interims. It's not much better at the top of the department. There have been nine athletic directors since 1990. It's hard to maintain consistency in goals and targets -- and how to achieve them -- when the leadership is shifting every couple years.
I think the other part is just the simple fact it's not in a power conference. How many programs are truly nationally relevant outside the big leagues? The list is Gonzaga. And that's it. The others who were on that list (Wichita State, Butler, Creighton, etc.) all joined a power conference. It's hard to gain traction every year on a national level without the steady attention and backing of a power conference.
John Gasaway, college basketball writer: The fact that the program is still a brand to persons of a certain age is a tribute to Tarkanian. Since Tark took the Runnin' Rebels to the 1991 Final Four, however, this program's been to exactly one Sweet 16 in the last 28 years. So one conclusion might be that though Tarkanian's success was extreme, the program's futility since then has also been a bit aberrant. That futility has been a product of the factors that my colleague Mr. Borzello has identified.
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26715326/25-plus-years-tark-unlv-searching
Go Gophers!!
Roundtable: What's kept UNLV from restoring the glory?
UNLV still has a brand to college basketball fans of a certain age. Las Vegas remains a destination in every sense of the word. Knowing that, what's been the biggest hurdle in this program's ability to stay nationally relevant over the last quarter-century?
Myron Medcalf, senior college basketball writer: They just haven't made the most of the talent they've had. And a revolving door of coaches is a factor in that. UNLV has had eight first-round picks since Larry Johnson left the program. If a handful of those players had won a few games in the NCAA tournament, I think we'd be having a different conversation about UNLV's relevance right now. Owning one trip to the second weekend (2007) since Tark's last Final Four team is how you become a thing of the past.
Jeff Borzello, college basketball insider: I think part of it is the constant changes at both the head coach level and above the head coach, at the athletic director level. Just look at the number of head coaches since Tarkanian at the top of this piece: 13 coaches, including six interims. It's not much better at the top of the department. There have been nine athletic directors since 1990. It's hard to maintain consistency in goals and targets -- and how to achieve them -- when the leadership is shifting every couple years.
I think the other part is just the simple fact it's not in a power conference. How many programs are truly nationally relevant outside the big leagues? The list is Gonzaga. And that's it. The others who were on that list (Wichita State, Butler, Creighton, etc.) all joined a power conference. It's hard to gain traction every year on a national level without the steady attention and backing of a power conference.
John Gasaway, college basketball writer: The fact that the program is still a brand to persons of a certain age is a tribute to Tarkanian. Since Tark took the Runnin' Rebels to the 1991 Final Four, however, this program's been to exactly one Sweet 16 in the last 28 years. So one conclusion might be that though Tarkanian's success was extreme, the program's futility since then has also been a bit aberrant. That futility has been a product of the factors that my colleague Mr. Borzello has identified.
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26715326/25-plus-years-tark-unlv-searching
Go Gophers!!