Boals to OSU as assistant?

[powerofx]

Now that XU assistant Chris Mack has been promoted to HC, there are rumors that Mack may try and bring in Boals (sp?) as his number two. They have been crossing paths at summer camps, recruiting, and the past two years of XU/UofA scrimages. Mack wants to keep Weatherspoon and convince Payne to come to X. Any thoughts?

[Zip Watcher]

We need Boals to stay. He's a big part of what's happening here, and hopefully UA can keep him.He's close to home @ UA, and he's got Zeke coming in. I for one hope he sticks around.Go Zips!! B)

[ziptrumpet87]

Gotta keep Boals! He and KD make a great team!

[skip-zip]

Seems like nearly a lateral move, which would surprise me. X is often a ranked team, but he'd still be an assistant in a non-major conference.

[WinZip]

I have never seen anything that would lead me to believe he is leaving...I have never seen anything that would lead me to believe he would not leave...If he's close to home though that's a huge plus, and he has to see that UA has a lot on the horizon.

[powerofx]

Seems like nearly a lateral move, which would surprise me. X is often a ranked team, but he'd still be an assistant in a non-major conference.

I know I'm looking at this from my Xavier glasses but I think that statement is incorrect. And this is coming from someone that is from Akron, whose family all went to Akron,and who roots for the Zips as their number 2 team. Akron went to the tourney for the first time in 20+ years and has zero NBA players over that time period. XU pays coaches more...has been to 2 elite 8s and one sweet 16 over the past 6 years, plays to a sold out 10k arena, and develops NBA talent - both in the NBA (West, Posey, etc.) and on the roster (potentially Brown, Crawford).Saying its just another non-major team defies the logic as to why he came to UA from RMU...Now if you said that since he's Associate Head coach and will prbably stay at UA until he gets a head coaching gig rather than another assictant gig, I'd buy that.

[Quickzips]

We absolutely have to keep Coach Boals. Lock him up in a bunker underneath the JAR if we have to, but the guy needs to stay. He's a big part of our recruiting efforts and a huge part of what we are building here.That said, it would be a step up for him if he decided to leave, but not a huge step up. I'm sure the pay is better, and Xavier has a little better national reputation, but this isn't like Coach K is calling him wanting him to sit second chair at Duke.

[FromdaBurgh]

I would like to pose this question to the entire ZipNation...What IF Coach Boals DOES LEAVE...what do you all think will happen to the program? Do any of you think that Coach D is capable of bringing in another quality assistant to replace him or do you think that the program will fall to the wayside???Just curious...

[Zipmeister]

Xavier has a slightly better national reputation than Akron? Next you will be telling me that Dollie Parton has slightly bigger hooters than does the average twelve year old boy.

[MDZip]

The program will go on just fine, KD has both a process and a reputation to fall back on to hire more quality assistants. Remember Shaka Smart was an assistant in the early years and somehow we survived without a guy who was a very good recruiter and was thought of well enough to get the VCU job as his first job. I like Coach Boals a great deal but I also hope that he ends up doing what is best for him, even if that would mean leaving our program. I certainly hope not, but it does (and should) happen. That just indicates the quality of asst. coaches we can get. And to the poster of this topic, would it have killed you to add a question mark at the end of the subject line? I thought he was already gone.

[WinZip]

He's what I'm readingXavier NewswireHas to be tempting, but I'm hoping he has some unfinished buisness to take care of.If he would leave I have no doubt KD and staff can bring in someone of equal or greater quality.

[Quickzips]

I wouldn't expect the program to collapse without Boals, but it would certainly be a loss. KD has a way of surrounding himself with good people. As was already stated, Shaka Smart already came out of our program and is putting together a nice career for himself. Would it set us back a little bit? Ofcourse. You don't lose your top recruiter and expect everything to go on without a hiccup, but I don't think it would kill our program.That said, someone please screen Jeff Boals phone calls for the next couple weeks. Anything that comes from a 513 area code should be heavily screened.

[Zip Watcher]

I think it would slow the Zips down a bit for 2010 recruiting if Jeff did happen to leave. Seems like he might be the lead guy on Payne & Weatherspoon. Nothing says we're getting those guys for sure .. but if he's the guy in the door with the player, and he goes to a school those guys are considering, that can't possibly help the Zips with those guys.Good news is that we're talking about 2 years out, and not next year. The list of prospects for UA is long, it includes several 3 star players .. not all of them are JB's recruits.That said, IMHO KD's judgment is to be trusted here. Nothing he's done at UA in 5 years leads me to believe he won't make the right sort of move if faced with a vacancy on his staff. He's established here, the roster is loaded, they're coming off a conference title & NCAA appearance .. there's lots to like for a new assistant & recruiter. Attracting good candidates shouldn't be hard.I will continue to hope that the assistant coach continues to be JB .. and that he stays to help put UA above XU in the pecking order of college hoops. There's work to be done here .. but the tools are in place. One of the prices of being a good program is that you'll get raided for coaches. Further proof that this vision of KD's is coming to fruition.Go Zips!!! B)

[powerofx]

And to the poster of this topic, would it have killed you to add a question mark at the end of the subject line? I thought he was already gone.

Sorry. Maybe just wishful thinking on my part.

[Dave in Green]

I have no insight in this specific situation. But in any college basketball program, individuals will come and individuals will go. Whenever the departure of good people inevitably occurs at UA, it's ultimately going to be up to UA to replace them with other good people. If the school is committed to a strong basketball program, then the resources required to make that happen will be provided.

[Z.I.P.]

Think back, folks. When Jeff Boals was introduced as assistant coach, did any of you know anything about him? He was a young guy with little experience at that level. He has developed, under the tutelage of Keith Dambrot, into a coach who is being considered as top assistant at the next step up, a high-major non-BCS type program. If he was able to grow into the position that well, I have to believe KD will find another fine young coach who can do the same. It might be considered a feather-in-the-cap to coach Keith to see another assistant move up in the profession. The next stop for JB would be a HC job at a spot in the high-mid-major area, like Shaka received. Or he might wait a few years and be in line to take over at XU. Given past experience they do change coaches a lot -- especially compared to Akron! BUT, on the other hand, if coach Boals could be kept under wraps at the JAR, that would be a small coup. It appears that X is interested at least in large part because of the immediate relationship Jeff has established with specific recruits Xavier needs in order to keep their spot in the pecking order. If we can keep him, it could be a sign that we have a better chance at the Paynes and Weatherspoon than is suspected by many. It might be Akron who moves UP in the pecking order.We need you Jeff. Now if we can just reward you for your work...

[ROCK1]

From the Ohio State Rivals board:Archie Miller has agreed to take over a similar position at Arizona with his brother. Replacing Archie is Jeff Boals from Akron.Boals is one of the best, if not the best, when it comes to recruiting in the state of Ohio, and is a tireless worker. While losing Arch is a blow to OSU, hiring Boals is big time.

[WinZip]

sighI hope not...

[w00t]

Well, this is a kick in the taint.

[powerofx]

#$%^% you Sean Miller...messing up X while strengthening your boy Matta.

[zff]

With Boals gone where does that leave us the Zeke?

[Quickzips]

I hope these reports are false, but it doesn't look good. The immediate effect is that this certainly hurts our recruiting efforts, particularly in terms of Payne and Weatherspoon. I really hope Zeke is solidly enough in our corner that this wouldn't impact him, but who knows. Definitly not a great day for the Zips, but I guess if we are going to become a high mid-major program we are going to have to learn to deal with days like this.

[skip-zip]

Seems like nearly a lateral move, which would surprise me. X is often a ranked team, but he'd still be an assistant in a non-major conference.

I know I'm looking at this from my Xavier glasses but I think that statement is incorrect. And this is coming from someone that is from Akron, whose family all went to Akron,and who roots for the Zips as their number 2 team. Akron went to the tourney for the first time in 20+ years and has zero NBA players over that time period. XU pays coaches more...has been to 2 elite 8s and one sweet 16 over the past 6 years, plays to a sold out 10k arena, and develops NBA talent - both in the NBA (West, Posey, etc.) and on the roster (potentially Brown, Crawford).Saying its just another non-major team defies the logic as to why he came to UA from RMU...Now if you said that since he's Associate Head coach and will prbably stay at UA until he gets a head coaching gig rather than another assictant gig, I'd buy that.

That is pretty much what I am saying, that I believe his next move would be to some type of head coaching job.But at the same time, don't get the impression here that I am in any way touting the equality of Akron's and Xavier's programs. I'm only stating that I don't see a guy like Jeff leaving for an A-10 assistant job. I think his next move would be much bigger than that.

[CraftyMFer]

I hope these reports are false, but it doesn't look good. The immediate effect is that this certainly hurts our recruiting efforts, particularly in terms of Payne and Weatherspoon. I really hope Zeke is solidly enough in our corner that this wouldn't impact him, but who knows. Definitly not a great day for the Zips, but I guess if we are going to become a high mid-major program we are going to have to learn to deal with days like this.

Zeke isnt going anywhere. He would have to sit out next year at a new school and probably pay his own way as well which is HIGHLY unikely.

[Zip Watcher]

Some brief thoughts on this, after sleeping on the tOSU news regarding JB last night.- First reaction was that it was bad for the Zips over and above just bad because we're losing a great guy. Good coach, good recruiter, great family guy .. he's integral to the complete program. But bad over and above because it could relieve us of any chance to land Weatherspoon or Payne or Payne.- This morning, I think I feel better about it than last night. If Jeff lands at OSU, I think that Payne & JDW might still be in play for Akron. The little that I know about tOSU's recruiting efforts for 2010 indicate that they have 1 spot open, and the position of need appears to be @ PG. They've already landed Sullinger for that class, and if another big isn't the position of need, Payne might not fit at tOSU. Perhaps.- Then if I believe my own BS on point #2, I've arrived at the conclusion that if we're losing Boals, it's better to lose him to tOSU than to XU. Especially if tOSU isn't bringing in another big for 2010. Had JB gone to XU, we'd most definitely be doomed on the Payne front. It's a longshot anyway .. but if Payne is close to Boals, and Boals ended up at XU, which is very much hot after him .. the equation's pretty easy. However, if tOSU isn't hot on a big .. then Payne could still be in play. I think it will be very interesting to see if the visit this weekend still goes down, and if the Rivals update dropping Akron from his list was a harbinger of this move by JB.- Next, I think this move, if confirmed .. should make Zips fans realize that the gap has closed big-time between Akron and the elite mid-majors (Xavier, Gonzaga, Dayton) as well as Akron and the BCS guys. We've landed one BCS talent .. he's signed and coming. We're in the hunt for 2 more for the following year. And a BCS that's been in the title game within the last 3 or 4 years is poaching our recruiter. Aside from the results on the court, which are apparent .. what further evidence do we need that this ship is steaming ahead in the right direction.- Lastly, I think, at least on the basketball side of things, we can drop the notion that the "Zips don't compete against tOSU for recruits." Fact is, they are, and they do compete for the same guys. One day soon, the Zips may just win one of these battles.There's work to be done, the gap still exists, but it's a little bit smaller this spring than last year .. and quite a bit smaller than it was in the spring of 2004.My best to Boals whatever happens. He's been great for the Zips, and he's always been cordial and engaging with the fans, some of us who are obsessed idiots when it comes to Zips hoops. It's a compliment to KD & the program for one of our guys to be pulled up to the bigger leagues.Go Zips!! B) B) P.S. Jeff, if you are going to Columbus, could you leave a parting gift in the way of a verbal from Payne to UA? We'd love you for it!