Keeping up with Keith (Dambrot)

[Reslife4Life]

And the Dukes win 69-67

[clarkwgriswold]

I went.  A free D1 basketball game in the gym of my alma mater fifteen minutes from home.  I'd have gone whether or not KD was involved.  It was a great game.  Duquesne came up with a steal and went down the floor to score a fast break basket with .2 left on the clock to win.  KD has some players but they still seem to be lacking some cohesion.  They play hard on defense.  You get the sense from watching the bench interactions that KD's prepping to turn it over to Dru soon.   Bradley may never return to NEO.

[GP1]

10 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 You get the sense from watching the bench interactions that KD's prepping to turn it over to Dru soon.

Does the athletic director know this?

Edited December 19, 2023 by GP1

[Hilltopper]

1 hour ago, GP1 said:

Does the athletic director know this?

It's been the plan for several years now. This is the last year on KD's contract. 

[clarkwgriswold]

2 hours ago, GP1 said:

Does the athletic director know this?

I suspect that was the deal in bringing him there.

 

He's also the only assistant off of the bench during play.

[kreed5120]

Keith Dambrot is 94-85 overall and 46-57 in conference play. While a step up from where they were before, I can't imagine that's what they had in mind when they did a $25 million dollar renovation to their arena and made Dambrot one of the higher paid coaches in the Atlantic 10. 

[Captain Kangaroo]

Would an A-10 program hand it's reins over to a guy with zero head coaching experience? I'd be surprised. 

 

Three years as an assistant at Cleveland State, and 2 years under Dambrot is a great resume for the Tiffin job, but is that really going to beat VCU, Dayton, St. Bonaventure, and the rest?

 

Groce probably has a better shot at the job.

[GP1]

1 hour ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

Would an A-10 program hand it's reins over to a guy with zero head coaching experience? I'd be surprised. 

I'd be shocked. KD was the best they could do at the time and their fan base was highly unimpressed. Dru would be an even less impressive. 

 

Athletic Directors will do almost anything to get a better job. Dru isn't someone an AD will want to hang their future on.

[Zippy87]

11 hours ago, GP1 said:

I'd be shocked. KD was the best they could do at the time and their fan base was highly unimpressed. Dru would be an even less impressive. 

 

Athletic Directors will do almost anything to get a better job. Dru isn't someone an AD will want to hang their future on.

 

You can bet that LeBron James will throw his influence behind Dru in a big way. He's tight with KD, but Dru is like a brother to him. Recruiting is different when you have the GOAT to support you in bringing in talent.

[GP1]

8 hours ago, Zippy87 said:

 

You can bet that LeBron James will throw his influence behind Dru in a big way. He's tight with KD, but Dru is like a brother to him. Recruiting is different when you have the GOAT to support you in bringing in talent.

I didn't know Michael Jordan was a supporter of Duquesne basketball.

 

Contrary to public opinion around NE Ohio, LeBron doesn't have sway over all things basketball. KD has been at Duquesne for around 7-8 years now. Where is all the talent LBJ raked in for him?  They are still playing a Mickey Mouse game at a high school gym for crying out loud. Either LBJ is landing great talent at Duquesne and KD is under performing, which I reject because KD has a track record of getting the best out of lesser talent, or LBJ really has no influence in recruiting. 

[Let'sGoZips94]

46 minutes ago, GP1 said:

I didn't know Michael Jordan was a supporter of Duquesne basketball.

 

Contrary to public opinion around NE Ohio, LeBron doesn't have sway over all things basketball. KD has been at Duquesne for around 7-8 years now. Where is all the talent LBJ raked in for him?  They are still playing a Mickey Mouse game at a high school gym for crying out loud. Either LBJ is landing great talent at Duquesne and KD is under performing, which I reject because KD has a track record of getting the best out of lesser talent, or LBJ really has no influence in recruiting. 

 

This is a very narrow focus and completely ignores the financial benefit of having LeBum attached to your program. Akron is taken care of for life with gear, and LeBum wears the Akron Nikes during NBA games. Any program that has KD, Rome, or Dru will have the same types of benefits, if not more. That "high school gym game" was likely fully funded by LeBum that allowed a Pittsburgh program to showcase itself to the Northeast Ohio recruiting base. 

 

I loathe LeBum; hate him. But to ignore his influential power, especially financially, with decisions like this is simply unintelligent. Dru will absolutely get a shot as a HC at the DI level sooner rather than later, whether it be at Duquesne or not, and LeBum will be right by his side in many ways. 

[GP1]

5 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

This is a very narrow focus and completely ignores the financial benefit of having LeBum attached to your program. Akron is taken care of for life with gear, and LeBum wears the Akron Nikes during NBA games. Any program that has KD, Rome, or Dru will have the same types of benefits, if not more. That "high school gym game" was likely fully funded by LeBum that allowed a Pittsburgh program to showcase itself to the Northeast Ohio recruiting base. 

 

I loathe LeBum; hate him. But to ignore his influential power, especially financially, with decisions like this is simply unintelligent. Dru will absolutely get a shot as a HC at the DI level sooner rather than later, whether it be at Duquesne or not, and LeBum will be right by his side in many ways. 

Maybe I don't pay close enough attention to basketball, but is the MBB floating around in a swimming pool of money on a Zippy floaty?

 

Let's be honest about the impact of LBJ's money. His school is currently being out performed by APS. When I live in Akron, they passed school levy after levy promising the kids would do better. Every time they passed one, the kids got dumber. It's a horrible school district. 

 

I agree Dru will get his shot. It won't be at Duquesne. The A10 is a very good mid major conference with highly competitive games every night. It isn't a conference for rookie head coaches, unless you are one of the less desirable programs.

 

Sports are results oriented. Dru doesn't have any actual results as a head coach. Any AD who hired him would be placing their career in great jeopardy. He'll need to produce results at a lesser school or become a assistant for a few years at a powerful basketball program. 

[Let'sGoZips94]

42 minutes ago, GP1 said:

Maybe I don't pay close enough attention to basketball, but is the MBB floating around in a swimming pool of money on a Zippy floaty?

 

Let's be honest about the impact of LBJ's money. His school is currently being out performed by APS. When I live in Akron, they passed school levy after levy promising the kids would do better. Every time they passed one, the kids got dumber. It's a horrible school district. 

 

I agree Dru will get his shot. It won't be at Duquesne. The A10 is a very good mid major conference with highly competitive games every night. It isn't a conference for rookie head coaches, unless you are one of the less desirable programs.

 

Sports are results oriented. Dru doesn't have any actual results as a head coach. Any AD who hired him would be placing their career in great jeopardy. He'll need to produce results at a lesser school or become a assistant for a few years at a powerful basketball program. 

 

There are benefits the basketball program receives from LeBum. He's not funding the whole program, but as an AD, the idea of being attached to his wealth and influence is attractive. 

 

The I Promise School is a corrupt disaster. That has nothing to do with LeBum's money; that has to do with his principles and values, which he has proven to be morally bankrupt for a long time. 

 

I guess I'm confused as to why Duquesne wouldn't be an option for Dru. They are a lesser program that you referenced. He has A10 assistant experience, which is a top mid major conference as you mentioned. And again, he has LeBum in his back pocket. Dru is going to go somewhere, and Duquesne is a viable option. 

[Zippy87]

3 hours ago, GP1 said:

I didn't know Michael Jordan was a supporter of Duquesne basketball.

 

Contrary to public opinion around NE Ohio, LeBron doesn't have sway over all things basketball. KD has been at Duquesne for around 7-8 years now. Where is all the talent LBJ raked in for him?  They are still playing a Mickey Mouse game at a high school gym for crying out loud. Either LBJ is landing great talent at Duquesne and KD is under performing, which I reject because KD has a track record of getting the best out of lesser talent, or LBJ really has no influence in recruiting. 

 

Nostalgia is a helluva drug in the GOAT debate!

 

I said it in my earlier post - LeBron is tight with KD, but he considers Dru as FAMILY. It's a much different relationship. Bron isn't going to be actively involved helping KD. He would be with Dru. Most young players today grew up watching Bron in his prime. I'm not saying Duquesne would become a top basketball school, but he has pretty significant influence with kids today and would be motivated to help a man he considers a brother.

 

 

[Reslife4Life]

1 hour ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

There are benefits the basketball program receives from LeBum. He's not funding the whole program, but as an AD, the idea of being attached to his wealth and influence is attractive. 

 

The I Promise School is a corrupt disaster. That has nothing to do with LeBum's money; that has to do with his principles and values, which he has proven to be morally bankrupt for a long time. 

 

I guess I'm confused as to why Duquesne wouldn't be an option for Dru. They are a lesser program that you referenced. He has A10 assistant experience, which is a top mid major conference as you mentioned. And again, he has LeBum in his back pocket. Dru is going to go somewhere, and Duquesne is a viable option. 

 

The kids that go to the I Promise School are at least a year or 2 behind their grade level coming in. They can be coming from very rough situations. The whole point of the school isn't to magically get these kids to pass a standardized test, it is to give them a chance in their lives. Test scores don't typically measure that

[Zippy87]

2 hours ago, GP1 said:

Maybe I don't pay close enough attention to basketball, but is the MBB floating around in a swimming pool of money on a Zippy floaty?

 

Let's be honest about the impact of LBJ's money. His school is currently being out performed by APS. When I live in Akron, they passed school levy after levy promising the kids would do better. Every time they passed one, the kids got dumber. It's a horrible school district. 

 

I agree Dru will get his shot. It won't be at Duquesne. The A10 is a very good mid major conference with highly competitive games every night. It isn't a conference for rookie head coaches, unless you are one of the less desirable programs.

 

Sports are results oriented. Dru doesn't have any actual results as a head coach. Any AD who hired him would be placing their career in great jeopardy. He'll need to produce results at a lesser school or become a assistant for a few years at a powerful basketball program. 

 

The I Promise school is for kids who are at-risk. Judging them against "regular schools" is never going to work. Progress looks different with an at-risk population - it's more about growth than it is hitting ODE's subjective measures.

 

And each of those kids will have an opportunity once they graduate to attend college. They wouldn't otherwise. His foundation is literally changing lives for yhe better.

[GP1]

2 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

There are benefits the basketball program receives from LeBum. He's not funding the whole program, but as an AD, the idea of being attached to his wealth and influence is attractive. 

Ok. What are the benefits?

 

Let's say the AD at Duquesne somehow gets strong armed by LeBron to hire Dru and Dru turns out to be the Coleman Crawford of the A10. What happens then?  Can't fire him because your afraid of LBJ. Can't keep him. Fire the AD?..... What kind of AD are they going to get who is OK with not being able to fire a "family" member of LBJ's? If anyone really thinks about this, LBJ making decisions for a college basketball program he doesn't work for is laughable. He lives OSU....How many decisions is he making for their basketball program?.... Zero. OSU didn't even want his talentless son and OSU is not a good BB program. 

[Let'sGoZips94]

1 hour ago, Reslife4Life said:

 

The kids that go to the I Promise School are at least a year or 2 behind their grade level coming in. They can be coming from very rough situations. The whole point of the school isn't to magically get these kids to pass a standardized test, it is to give them a chance in their lives. Test scores don't typically measure that

 

56 minutes ago, Zippy87 said:

 

The I Promise school is for kids who are at-risk. Judging them against "regular schools" is never going to work. Progress looks different with an at-risk population - it's more about growth than it is hitting ODE's subjective measures.

 

And each of those kids will have an opportunity once they graduate to attend college. They wouldn't otherwise. His foundation is literally changing lives for yhe better.

 

If it's not to be judged vs a standard school, it shouldn't be taxpayer funded (I think standardized testing is stupid anyways, but I digress). The flaw of the school is it goes against everything LeBum preaches - "Nothing is given - everything is earned." At I Promise, it's "Everything is given. Nothing is earned." How does giving scholarships to failing students set them up for success in life? Giving them 8 hours a day in a positive environment is solid, but sending them home to genuinely 💩 situations undoes most, if not all the positive influence they experienced during the day. 

 

There are other ways to positively affect and truly change these kids and their communities, but LeBum just wanted to put his name on something and they created the most cliche crap of all time. 

[Let'sGoZips94]

5 minutes ago, GP1 said:

Ok. What are the benefits?

 

Let's say the AD at Duquesne somehow gets strong armed by LeBron to hire Dru and Dru turns out to be the Coleman Crawford of the A10. What happens then?  Can't fire him because your afraid of LBJ. Can't keep him. Fire the AD?..... What kind of AD are they going to get who is OK with not being able to fire a "family" member of LBJ's? If anyone really thinks about this, LBJ making decisions for a college basketball program he doesn't work for is laughable. He lives OSU....How many decisions is he making for their basketball program?.... Zero. OSU didn't even want his talentless son and OSU is not a good BB program. 

 

You're taking this way too literally. First of all, the Duquesne AD is already questionable after committing $1M+ per year to Dambrot, and $25M to arena renovations for a middling A10 program.

 

It's not about LeBum making decisions. It's about situations like "We want to recruit Northeast Ohio better. LeBum, can we work with SVSM to use their gym for a game to showcase our program?" LeBum: "Sure, it's taken care of and paid for." "Hey ESPN - we have LeBum's high school teammate as our coach. Want to air some of our games to be able to showcase that easy storyline?" ESPN: "Sure!"

 

Ohio State was one of Bronny's scholarships offers, but ok.

[Zippy87]

1 hour ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

 

If it's not to be judged vs a standard school, it shouldn't be taxpayer funded (I think standardized testing is stupid anyways, but I digress). The flaw of the school is it goes against everything LeBum preaches - "Nothing is given - everything is earned." At I Promise, it's "Everything is given. Nothing is earned." How does giving scholarships to failing students set them up for success in life? Giving them 8 hours a day in a positive environment is solid, but sending them home to genuinely 💩 situations undoes most, if not all the positive influence they experienced during the day. 

 

There are other ways to positively affect and truly change these kids and their communities, but LeBum just wanted to put his name on something and they created the most cliche crap of all time. 

 

If he were doing this for publicity, he would've picked the highest performing kids and boasted about the results. He didn't. 

 

Students who graduate high school aren't failing. For some kids, just crossing that stage with a diploma is a monumental success. Having access to a college education takes that even further.

 

Also, the school features wrap-around services to not just support the students but also their families, so they're very much aware support goes beyond 8 hours a day.

 

It seems some just don't like the guy (likely because he left or because he doesn't like a certain politician) and that's fine. But I hate seeing people knocking that school. It's going to change the lives of many.

 

I love this video.

 

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by Zippy87

[Let'sGoZips94]

23 minutes ago, Zippy87 said:

 

If he were doing this for publicity, he would've picked the highest performing kids and boasted about the results. He didn't. 

 

Students who graduate high school aren't failing. For some kids, just crossing that stage with a diploma is a monumental success. Having access to a college education takes that even further.

 

Also, the school features wrap-around services to not just support the students but also their families, so they're very much aware support goes beyond 8 hours a day.

 

It seems some just don't like the guy (likely because he left or because he doesn't like a certain politician) and that's fine. But I hate seeing people knocking that school. It's going to change the lives of many.

 

I love this video.

 

 

 

What wrap-around services are provided? I've only been able to find at-home tutoring mentioned as a specific. 

 

Have there been stats that show how the scholarship recipients are performing in college and in the work force? 

 

The school has had 5(?) principals since its inception, large amounts of staffing problems, etc. It's on a state watchlist for its poor performance thus far (I believe some of this has to do with testing, which I agree is a poor metric, but its tax payer funded so it should be on a similar grading scale as public schools). That sounds like just another version of their likely home life - inconsistent presence from people in their lives, etc. I'm struggling to see where this school truly improves the community which is the actual challenge these kids face. 

 

You also left out his ego, leaving Cleveland how he did the first time, his crying on the court, plethora of off days he takes in the NBA, Chinese affiliation, etc. He's unlikeable to many. 

[Zippy87]

12 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

What wrap-around services are provided? I've only been able to find at-home tutoring mentioned as a specific. 

 

Have there been stats that show how the scholarship recipients are performing in college and in the work force? 

 

The school has had 5(?) principals since its inception, large amounts of staffing problems, etc. It's on a state watchlist for its poor performance thus far (I believe some of this has to do with testing, which I agree is a poor metric, but its tax payer funded so it should be on a similar grading scale as public schools). That sounds like just another version of their likely home life - inconsistent presence from people in their lives, etc. I'm struggling to see where this school truly improves the community which is the actual challenge these kids face. 

 

You also left out his ego, leaving Cleveland how he did the first time, his crying on the court, plethora of off days he takes in the NBA, Chinese affiliation, etc. He's unlikeable to many. 

 

"His crying on the court" - tell me one NBA star that doesn't complain to referees

 

"Chinese affiliation" - this is a slippery slope to go down, many of us are "affiliated" to Chinese products

 

"Plethora of off days he takes" - he's played 25 of 27 games this year at age 39, averaging 34 MPG

 

He left Cleveland in a shitty way. He made amends by coming back and winning us a championship.

 

Again, for most it's politics or race and those other things are just excuses.

 

As for the school, they offer counseling, health checkups, food pantries, clothing, tutoring, and even housing. They also help parents who didn't graduate earn a GED.

 

It's true they've had turnover, which is true of most schools who serve inner-city, at-risk kids. It's an absolutely grueling job with a salary scale that doesn't meet its requirements. Teacher burnout is very real, especially post-Covid. 

 

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/05/ohios-teacher-shortage-as-schools-look-at-vacancies-teachers-fill-in-the-gaps.html

 

I'm not sure if the school will be a long-term success or not, but the motivation behind it - to lift up the most at-risk kids in the city - is a noble one. 

[GP1]

1 hour ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

Want to air some of our games to be able to showcase that easy storyline?" ESPN: "Sure!

Ok. I'm still missing something. If the storyline was so great ESPN would want to use it, why wasn't the game on TV the other night?

 

I'm also not sure how showcasing your program in NE Ohio at a high school gym makes a program look anything other than high schoolish. 

 

Again, maybe I'm just too stupid to understand the greatness LBJ has that can make everything in the world better, but I'm having trouble swallowing all of this. Maybe I live too far away to be able to see the greatness. I should watch more Duquesne basketball to see all of the high school all Americans KD has recruited because of the LBJ association. I'll check out their schedule so I can see all of the high level teams KD has beaten this year because after all of these years there his program has to be capable of doing so and not piling up wins against cupcakes like he did at Akron. 

 

I have a lot of work to do. 

[zippy5]

Feels like the guy using "LeBum" in an adult conversation may be slightly biased

[GP1]

18 minutes ago, Zippy87 said:

 

"His crying on the court" - tell me one NBA star that doesn't complain to referees

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/nba-least-minutes-played-in-2023

 

Here are a bunch.