Davidson the new Gonzaga?

[Once and Future Zag]

Is the Insider Katz article.

Bob McKillop thinks that the media surge is not a sign of a long term program change.

"I think Stephen Curry is the reason we're getting all the TV attention," said McKillop.

Could it be possible that is a contributing reason that GU wasn't a flash in the pan - there was no real "superstar" on the '99 and '00 squads that were program profile-changing and then graduated/left and were discovered to be irreplaceable once they were gone?

Just a thought.

[BobZag]

Only time will tell. We'll see if Davidson can sustain the limelight and image that Curry has been a major part of when he leaves.

Some here would say Santangelo or Calvary were stars, but not on a big national stage. Dickau was the first real "celebrity" we had, earning 1st Team AA honors, a SI layout, constant media publicity, etc. Then came Ronny. Stepp was to a degree but Ronny took the baton from Dickau, really. Then Adam and the daily hype. Now Daye and Pargo, etc. I believe Gray could be special if he continues on his path.

The beat goes on.

But it's the 26 wins-per-year seasons, with some big wins, that keeps it all going.

[JAGzag]

Again?

Seems like every year we hear this question! Way too premature in my opinion.

[Pleasant Peninsula]

Also interesting from the same article...

• Oregon's Ernie Kent has had his contract rolled over or renegotiated every season he has been with the Ducks, according to Oregon spokesperson Greg Walker. Kent just had his contract renegotiated for the third time. The rollover contract is common among many coaches so that coaches can tell recruits they still have years left on their deal. But Oregon seems to put out news releases every time the contract is rolled over. Not every school does that. Kent took the Ducks to the Elite Eight in 2002 and 2007 and squeezed them into the NCAAs this past season with a 9-9 Pac-10 finish. The Ducks lost to Mississippi State in the first round.

Interesting.

[CDC84]

The biggest obstacle that Davidson faces when it comes to continuing its success are its academic standards and the school's location. Davidson is a super elite academic institution that absolutely will not bend its entrance requirements for any athletes. If you're a star basketball player, you have a better chance of getting into Stanford or Duke. Needless to say, this situation is not helped by the fact that they have to compete with all of the Tobacco Road schools for players. The pickings are slim. It's a real tough deal for them, and their success very much revolves around the genius of Bob McKillop and his ability to spot under the radar players and dominate just about every coach he faces in terms of game planning.

[Zag79]

one impressive run, one even more impressive star is a helluva ride but not anything close to what gonzaga has done.