Ricardo Patton at DU as an assistant.

[BlackNGold]

I did not see this anywhere on the board, SIAP. It appears that Ricardo's relationship with the Billups family remains strong and he is onboard to help Rodney in coaching the Pioneers. He will definitely help in recruiting.

I always liked Ricardo and felt he was one of the good guys, so I hope he does well and good to see him back in Colorado. Maybe he will be at some CU alum golf tournaments.

 

[Buffnik]

It was posted and discussed, but not sure where the thread is. I hope this will lead to Ricardo being present at CU going into the future when players and teams from his era are honored. That bridge needs to be rebuilt. No reason Tad & RG can't do so. It wasn't them that had anything to do with that lame duck year fiasco of an exit.

DP had a weekend article on Patton that was pretty good: http://www.denverpost.com/colleges/ci_29775746/ricardo-patton-back-college-game-du-basketball

Patton seems to have a great outlook these days and to have gotten philosophical about things:
"I can't say that it didn't work out for me at CU," Patton said. "I have warm feelings about the opportunity afforded me at CU. For me, it did work out. Sometimes an administration and fans want to see something new."

 

[sackman]

Dude mast two tournament appearances. That's two more appearances than the five guys who preceeded him.

 

[CUFan]

He was a pretty darn good recruiter for a program that seemingly had little support.

 

[sackman]

That said, he totally mailed it in that last year. No effort whatsoever.

 

[PAHIBuff]

I like DU as a school. It's hard to recruit to DU basketball because of the school's very patrician self-image AND its difficulty finding a proper conference placement. I think the conference they are in now is OK, unlike the previous one (Sun Belt), but somehow nothing ever seems perfect. Some folks say the WCC is the place, but DU would absolutely get killed in the WCC for at least its first three or four years, and maybe longer. DU needs to spend less time firing coaches (in all sports) and more time finding a place to exist. If they fired Scott because they are trying to increase wins and attendance quickly, best of luck with that.

 

[BIGEZ321]

Glad to see RP back in the college ranks. I'm pulling for Billups and RP to do some special things at DU.

 

[torero]

I like DU as a school. It's hard to recruit to DU basketball because of the school's very patrician self-image AND its difficulty finding a proper conference placement. I think the conference they are in now is OK, unlike the previous one (Sun Belt), but somehow nothing ever seems perfect. Some folks say the WCC is the place, but DU would absolutely get killed in the WCC for at least its first three or four years, and maybe longer. DU needs to spend less time firing coaches (in all sports) and more time finding a place to exist. If they fired Scott because they are trying to increase wins and attendance quickly, best of luck with that.

My dad is DU basketball alum. I went to a WCC school. The WCC is absolutely the right fit for them, and I absolutely disagree they'd get killed to start. Now, they aren't Gonzaga. But neither is the rest of the conference. WCC=/= Gonzaga. Gonzaga does a great job carrying the banner of the conference, but DU fits in right with the rest of the conference aside from BYU and the Zags. I'm hopeful that DU gets the invite once BYU eventually leaves. BYU just doesn't seem to be sustainable as a long time conference member.

 

[BuffG]

Dude mast two tournament appearances. That's two more appearances than the five guys who preceeded him.

4* guys: Harrington, Miller, Apke, & Blair.

Sox Walseth had 2 elite eights & 1 sweet sixteen

 

[Buffnik]

I like DU as a school. It's hard to recruit to DU basketball because of the school's very patrician self-image AND its difficulty finding a proper conference placement. I think the conference they are in now is OK, unlike the previous one (Sun Belt), but somehow nothing ever seems perfect. Some folks say the WCC is the place, but DU would absolutely get killed in the WCC for at least its first three or four years, and maybe longer. DU needs to spend less time firing coaches (in all sports) and more time finding a place to exist. If they fired Scott because they are trying to increase wins and attendance quickly, best of luck with that.

I question whether the WCC would want to go to 12 teams. 10 is the right number for a basketball-only conference since you play everyone H-A every year in hoops with 10 teams. But if they were to add 2, Denver and Seattle make the most sense imho.

 

[SECOBuffsFan]

BYU is going to run for bigger and better at some point...can see DU sliding in to that spot in basketball

 

[sackman]

BYU is going to run for bigger and better at some point...can see DU sliding in to that spot in basketball

Where?

 

[PAHIBuff]

My dad is DU basketball alum. I went to a WCC school. The WCC is absolutely the right fit for them, and I absolutely disagree they'd get killed to start. Now, they aren't Gonzaga. But neither is the rest of the conference. WCC=/= Gonzaga. Gonzaga does a great job carrying the banner of the conference, but DU fits in right with the rest of the conference aside from BYU and the Zags. I'm hopeful that DU gets the invite once BYU eventually leaves. BYU just doesn't seem to be sustainable as a long time conference member.

IMO, at best they'd finish in the bottom half or even the bottom third of the conference initially. Having said that, the youngster from Texas looks great as does the guard Rosga. Both played increasingly as true freshman this year. Getting into the WCC would uptick DU's recruiting profile, but they'd really have to hustle. I'd love to see it personally, if DU could pull it off and be competitive. It would be great to be able to see the Zags, St. Mary's, and others come into the Ritchie Center every year.

 

[jgisland]

That said, he totally mailed it in that last year. No effort whatsoever.

as he should have, he put in more effort that CU put in him. when you make a coach coach out the last year of his contract with no intention of extending you get what you deserve. that was 100% a cheap-skate move, RP deserved better, firing him would have been infinitely more commendable than what they did.

 

[Duff Man]

as he should have, he put in more effort that CU put in him. when you make a coach coach out the last year of his contract with no intention of extending you get what you deserve. that was 100% a cheap-skate move, RP deserved better, firing him would have been infinitely more commendable than what they did.

I would like this post 100 times if I could. Patton was treated pretty poorly on the way out.

 

[slider]

Thanks Bohn

 

[Buffenuf]

Thanks Bohn

Thanks, Patton! Was a two way street, if Patton were honorable he would have either quit or worked his a*s off to embarrass the sh*t out of Bohn. Instead he took the money and ran. (Won't even mention his complete and embarrassing failure, no, outright REFUSAL to recruit Colorado kids not named "Chauncey Billups" or his racialist dust ups, especially with CU alum asst. coach Mike Frink, which chilled a team that started out 10-0!)

 

[sackman]

A true professional doesn't do that. A true professional doesn't pout and whine about not being treated fairly. He goes about his business and puts forth the effort necessary. He had the option to resign. He didn't. Instead he chose to play out the string.
I'm not here to bash him. He was good for CU. I'm merely pointing out a flaw in his character that manifested itself that last year. Hopefully he learned from that. Nobody is perfect. I'd be tempted to do the same thing in his shoes, but that doesn't mean he "should have" done that. He shouldn't have.

 

[Goose]

as he should have, he put in more effort that CU put in him. when you make a coach coach out the last year of his contract with no intention of extending you get what you deserve. that was 100% a cheap-skate move, RP deserved better, firing him would have been infinitely more commendable than what they did.

This. Anyone who's ever sat with me at the Horse knows I'm anything but a Patton fan, but that was bull**** he had to go through that. Wish him the best at DU, and I think it's a good spot for him.

 

[BIGEZ321]

Thanks, Patton! Was a two way street, if Patton were honorable he would have either quit or worked his a*s off to embarrass the sh*t out of Bohn. Instead he took the money and ran. (Won't even mention his complete and embarrassing failure, no, outright REFUSAL to recruit Colorado kids not named "Chauncey Billups" or his racialist dust ups, especially with CU alum asst. coach Mike Frink, which chilled a team that started out 10-0!)

I don't think Patton mailed it in. I thought he was frustrated that he couldn't coach the team up to producing some wins, and the frustration was evident by this statement.

"Some players reported that Patton told them slave traders thought of light-skinned blacks as being weaker and less tough than dark-skinned blacks. The players said Patton was trying to motivate some team members."

That team in 2006-2007 just wasn't very good. Hall, Roby, Silas and that was about it. It was just time for Patton to move on.

 

[scoob]

My dad is DU basketball alum. I went to a WCC school. The WCC is absolutely the right fit for them, and I absolutely disagree they'd get killed to start. Now, they aren't Gonzaga. But neither is the rest of the conference. WCC=/= Gonzaga. Gonzaga does a great job carrying the banner of the conference, but DU fits in right with the rest of the conference aside from BYU and the Zags. I'm hopeful that DU gets the invite once BYU eventually leaves. BYU just doesn't seem to be sustainable as a long time conference member.

Seriously, if I'm a Colorado HS basketball player and not quite good enough for the Buffs, DU in the WCC would be an easy choice over CSU or Wyoming. Better school, better travel, better location...

 

[Nor Cal Buff]

Only 4 of 10 WCC teams had a higher Kenpom rating. They wouldn't get smoked outside of the Big 3 in the WCC.

 

[YngC]

The Patton era in Boulder was as complicated off the court as it was on. That family was put through a lot of racist bull**** in Boulder, while also making things extremely difficult for themselves with their attitudes towards those who would have been perfectly supportive otherwise. I never had any personal issues with the man, as I was treated very well by him and his family. But that was a complicated dynamic with him, the program, the school, the town, and his family.

 

[Kuratz]

Moving from the Summit League would be a huge mistake. Winning the WCC would take a monumental effort and getting an at-large is not in the cards at this point. Get to the dance once or twice and don't cause any controversy. It's never going to be a significant mid-major and DU has a tiny fanbase that mostly cares about hockey and lacrosse. DU invests in niche sports it knows it can win championships in; basketball isn't one of them. I hope Rodney and Patton have success, though it won't surprise me if they move on to a P5 program down the road.

 

[dyemeduke]

Seriously, if I'm a Colorado HS basketball player and not quite good enough for the Buffs, DU in the WCC would be an easy choice over CSU or Wyoming. Better school, better travel, better location...

I respectfully disagree. I grew up in CO, so I actually like CSU as well. Affinities for sports programs aside and trying to be subjective as possible, CSU is a better school than DU in my opinion. Now of course there are many caveats to that, such as what one's major is, grad programs, etc. However, there's this false assumption that DU's academics are superior because of their student demographic. A university is not better just because the school costs a lot and is private. A good example would be our law programs. DU's law program seems more prominent around the city of Denver, because it's more "known." However, CU's has consistently been ranked higher, even when it needed to overhaul its library. People colloquially consider DU to be a superior law school, when it is not. I know rankings aren't the whole story, but my other arguments would be full of disclaimers.

Moving from the Summit League would be a huge mistake. Winning the WCC would take a monumental effort and getting an at-large is not in the cards at this point. Get to the dance once or twice and don't cause any controversy. It's never going to be a significant mid-major and DU has a tiny fanbase that mostly cares about hockey and lacrosse. DU invests in niche sports it knows it can win championships in; basketball isn't one of them. I hope Rodney and Patton have success, though it won't surprise me if they move on to a P5 program down the road.

I agree. I root for Rodney Billups to succeed, but I do not see DU as a great job. It's a stepping stone from being an assistant, so great for Rodney. As far as the job itself goes, DU bball is usually not very good. I think when Wahaab Carter (sp?) was playing was the last time the team was truly competitive. I will say though that I think their athletics get support from their admin, which goes a long way.

 

[Buffenuf]

DU is "better" for only one reason: Location! It's not in Ft Fun or the Windy Cowtown.
DU is every upper-middle-class kid in the Midwest's safety school and has only one question on its application form: MasterCard or VISA?
(The DU Law School's Colo. Bar passage rate for graduates, is consistently 10-20% less than CU Law's!)

 

[Kuratz]

Cool story bro.

 

[PAHIBuff]

I respectfully disagree. I grew up in CO, so I actually like CSU as well. Affinities for sports programs aside and trying to be subjective as possible, CSU is a better school than DU in my opinion. Now of course there are many caveats to that, such as what one's major is, grad programs, etc. However, there's this false assumption that DU's academics are superior because of their student demographic. A university is not better just because the school costs a lot and is private. A good example would be our law programs. DU's law program seems more prominent around the city of Denver, because it's more "known." However, CU's has consistently been ranked higher, even when it needed to overhaul its library. People colloquially consider DU to be a superior law school, when it is not. I know rankings aren't the whole story, but my other arguments would be full of disclaimers.



I agree. I root for Rodney Billups to succeed, but I do not see DU as a great job. It's a stepping stone from being an assistant, so great for Rodney. As far as the job itself goes, DU bball is usually not very good. I think when Wahaab Carter (sp?) was playing was the last time the team was truly competitive. I will say though that I think their athletics get support from their admin, which goes a long way.

Even as a stepping stone job, DU as a member of the WCC is a better stepping stone than is DU as a member of the Summit League if the program can play consistently well. One of the things that Rodney and Ricardo are going to have to do is to ramp up the recruiting quite a bit. That's the challenge, and it's a tough one.

 

[PAHIBuff]

Moving from the Summit League would be a huge mistake. Winning the WCC would take a monumental effort and getting an at-large is not in the cards at this point. Get to the dance once or twice and don't cause any controversy. It's never going to be a significant mid-major and DU has a tiny fanbase that mostly cares about hockey and lacrosse. DU invests in niche sports it knows it can win championships in; basketball isn't one of them. I hope Rodney and Patton have success, though it won't surprise me if they move on to a P5 program down the road.

But I think DU looks at programs like Butler (pre-new conference) and Gonzaga and thinks "why not us?" Just find a John Stockton and a Mark Few and the moon and stars line up over the course of several years.
Gonzaga sits in a sports wasteland in an isolated small city in the rural half of an above-average state. Some things you just can't plan. I guess it's not unreasonable for the D.U. AD (Peg B.D.) to expect some measurable progress towards winning the Summit League and getting into the tournament now and then.

 

[YngC]

Seriously, if I'm a *BLACK* Colorado HS basketball player and not quite good enough for the Buffs, DU in the WCC would be an easy choice over CSU or Wyoming. Better school, better travel, better location...

If you use this inserted caveat, then yes.

The African American community in Colorado is, while extremely small, intensely connected--especially in Denver. Having someone like Rodney who is like family (or actually family) to many of these families means that they finally have someone repping an in-state program that has their interests in mind. Right when Rodney was hired, I got a text from a good friend of mine plugged right into that scene that said, "DU is now the second choice for every brotha from Denver." This was such a huge hire for DU, at the very least because of what it does for their reputation within the AA community.