The Appalachian online - nice article

[scatman77]

I found this article in the online Appalachian paper. Nice write up detailing the fall, rise, fall, rise, and fall of men's basketball.

http://theappalachianonline.com/indepth ... tball.html

[app97]

Interesting read. I just saw Cantwell yesterday, roaming around at the Socon tournament with all access credentials. When I looked him up, all I could find was articles about him suing Kennesaw St over a job offer that was then declined.

About Fancher...I was always under the impression that he was forced out, partly due to his never making the ncaa tourney in 9 years. That's not the way he makes it sound in the recent interviews, though. He makes it sound like it was his decision.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Interesting read. I just saw Cantwell yesterday, roaming around at the Socon tournament with all access credentials. When I looked him up, all I could find was articles about him suing Kennesaw St over a job offer that was then declined.

About Fancher...I was always under the impression that he was forced out, partly due to his never making the ncaa tourney in 9 years. That's not the way he makes it sound in the recent interviews, though. He makes it sound like it was his decision.

I am far from an insider on Fancher and how that all went down. However that could be Fancher being a stand-up guy that does not want to appear petty.

[eggers76]

I do believe Fancher is a stand up guy.

[appgrouch]

Interesting read. I just saw Cantwell yesterday, roaming around at the Socon tournament with all access credentials. When I looked him up, all I could find was articles about him suing Kennesaw St over a job offer that was then declined.

About Fancher...I was always under the impression that he was forced out, partly due to his never making the ncaa tourney in 9 years. That's not the way he makes it sound in the recent interviews, though. He makes it sound like it was his decision.

The last year of Fanchers contract was bought out so Buzz could be hired.

The press release said "resigned", Tommy Bowman said fired.

[AppDawg]

I think this article needs to be reran next year at the BEGINNING of basketball season or first issue in January. This is the type of exposure we need in front of the a students. Unfortunately, we are 8+ months away from the next game.

[asu66]

Overall, I commend sports editor Lee Sanderlin of The Appalachian for his feature story on Appalachian's yo-yo like history in Division I basketball. An active observer of that history, I'd have to take exception to a few of his statements.

First, none of Houston Fancher's teams ever won an outright regular-season Southern Conference title. His teams won two outright Northern Division titles and shared one divisional title with Davidson and ETSU and shared another with Chattanooga.

As noted by another poster, resigning one's position doesn't entitle one to a contract buy-out. Houston was compensated by the university for a year that he didn't coach at ASU. I will stipulate that word games get played when sports agents and attorneys get involved. And they did get involved.

It is well-documented that UNC-W could not afford the contract offered to Buzz Peterson. The university admin, in fact, had to borrow a high percentage of the funds to meet the terms of his contract. It became a hot controversy in the university community. At the time, the university was also paying a contract buy-out to former head coach Benny Moss. Both the AD and the Chancellor who brought Peterson to Wilmington lost their jobs before Peterson's contract was bought out.

Jason Capel was not fired by Appalachian. His four year contract was "honored to the letter." His contract expired and he wasn't offered extended employment.

The "cold weather," "minority enrollment" and "isolated campus" issues mentioned in regard to basketball recruiting are ages-old ploys used against our recruiters that hold less and less meaning as the years go by. A couple of our head coaches have used them as excuses for not getting the job done in years gone by. They may remain good topics for debate, but they're largely strawmen. US collegiate basketball is an indoor winter sport--everywhere. How many Top 100 collegiate basketball programs are located on the southeast coast, gulf coast or "left" coast? How many minority players are playing football for the Apps--a largely cold weather, outdoor sport.

[T-Dog]

It is well-documented that UNC-W could not afford the contract offered to Buzz Peterson. The university admin, in fact, had to borrow a high percentage of the funds to meet the terms of his contract. It became a hot controversy in the university community. At the time, the university was also paying a contract buy-out to former head coach Benny Moss. Both the AD and the Chancellor who brought Peterson to Wilmington lost their jobs before Peterson's contract was bought out.

I lived in Wilmington that year and UNCW was a hot mess at the time. They let go a lot of folks who were there 20-30 years and many tears were shed by both the suddenly-jobless and the bosses. And in the middle of this, they give Buzz $435k a year while still paying Moss $200k a year for two more years.

Merthens, the AD at the time, later "resigned" after an incident when a WBB player was made to log roll up and down the practice court as punishment while vomiting profusely. She's now a deputy AD at Maryland. Then Chancellor, Rosemary Depaolo, has since retired. She once boasted that she took UNCW from being "a mediocre locally-focused university" to a respective, competitive institution.

New coach Kevin Keatts is now making 325k a year that will increase to around 400k a year. He's either getting a raise there or elsewhere this off-season, especially considering UNCW's payments to Buzz end after this month.

Funny enough that Buzz was fired THE VERY SAME DAY Capel was informed his contract wouldn't be renewed. However the current AD at The Dub, Jimmy Bass, knows what he's doing and had done good things for their brand (they're UNCW, not NC-Wilmington) and fundraising, which he has overhauled.

[asu66]

Interesting read. I just saw Cantwell yesterday, roaming around at the Socon tournament with all access credentials.

Kevin and Cathy reside at Lake Junaluska. They like the greater Asheville area. Both of them are UNC-A grads. Cathy is originally from Waynesville. Kevin's semi-retired, but he still has a consulting, player development and player eval business. He has a lot of friends in the basketball biz and he pretty much has his choice of major basketball events up and down the East Coast.

[scatman77]

Interesting read. I just saw Cantwell yesterday, roaming around at the Socon tournament with all access credentials.

Kevin and Cathy reside at Lake Junaluska. They like the greater Asheville area. Both of them are UNC-A grads. Cathy is originally from Waynesville. Kevin's semi-retired, but he still has a consulting, player development and player eval business. He has a lot of friends in the basketball biz and he pretty much has his choice of major basketball events up and down the East Coast.

I spoke with Kevin and Cathy at February reunion game. He's not changed a bit and is still up on the game. I know a lot of folks were not fans of is during his tenure but I will always cherish the memories and good times of the Cremins-Littles-Cantwell era and the others who coached with them. Good people right there.

Speaking of Geno....does you have any updated info on him?

[asu66]

Interesting read. I just saw Cantwell yesterday, roaming around at the Socon tournament with all access credentials.

Kevin and Cathy reside at Lake Junaluska. They like the greater Asheville area. Both of them are UNC-A grads. Cathy is originally from Waynesville. Kevin's semi-retired, but he still has a consulting, player development and player eval business. He has a lot of friends in the basketball biz and he pretty much has his choice of major basketball events up and down the East Coast.

I spoke with Kevin and Cathy at February reunion game. He's not changed a bit and is still up on the game. I know a lot of folks were not fans of is during his tenure but I will always cherish the memories and good times of the Cremins-Littles-Cantwell era and the others who coached with them. Good people right there.

Speaking of Geno....does you have any updated info on him?

You said that right. Kevin & Cathy, Bobby & Carolyn are all salt-of-the-earth folks. Friends we'll never forget and who'll never forget us and the good times we shared.

Haven't seen or heard from Gene in several years. I did remember this, but didn't attend the event.

http://www.ncshof.org/2015/05/31/gene-littles/

[scatman77]

Interesting read. I just saw Cantwell yesterday, roaming around at the Socon tournament with all access credentials.

Kevin and Cathy reside at Lake Junaluska. They like the greater Asheville area. Both of them are UNC-A grads. Cathy is originally from Waynesville. Kevin's semi-retired, but he still has a consulting, player development and player eval business. He has a lot of friends in the basketball biz and he pretty much has his choice of major basketball events up and down the East Coast.

I spoke with Kevin and Cathy at February reunion game. He's not changed a bit and is still up on the game. I know a lot of folks were not fans of is during his tenure but I will always cherish the memories and good times of the Cremins-Littles-Cantwell era and the others who coached with them. Good people right there.

Speaking of Geno....does you have any updated info on him?

You said that right. Kevin & Cathy, Bobby & Carolyn are all salt-of-the-earth folks. Friends we'll never forget and who'll never forget us and the good times we shared.

Haven't seen or heard from Gene in several years. I did remember this, but didn't attend the event.

http://www.ncshof.org/2015/05/31/gene-littles/

BTW....my apologies for the lousy grammar and spelling. Daisy might come out of the grave and slap me. "....does you have any......" Lawd have mercy....sounds like a GSU Iggle.