Bobby Hurley hired to coach Buffalo basketball

The University of Buffalo has hired Bobby Hurley to lead the basketball team in a new direction.

Hurley was introduced as the new coach today after cutting his teeth with his brother, Danny, at Wagner and Rhode Island where Danny was the head coach and Bobby was an assistant.

He'll be taking over for the recently ousted Reggie Witherspoon, who had a small bit of success but was never able to get the team to the NCAA tournament in a pretty wide open MAC conference.

"The appointment of coach Hurley sends a clear statement that the University at Buffalo is committed to bringing big-time college athletics to the western New York community and the state at large," athletic director Danny White said. "I'm confident after our discussions that he is the right leader to take our program to the next level."

Most know Hurley from his days as a national championship winning point guard at Duke, which should get Buffalo some name recognition. Before anyone thinks this is a Clyde Drexler (Houston) or Isiah Thomas (Florida International) gimmick hiring, you must remember that basketball runs in the Hurley family blood.

Bob Hurley Sr. coaches the famed St. Anthony's high school program in New Jersey and has compiled more than 1000 wins. Dan played at Seton Hall and Bobby played in the NBA after his Duke career.

I don't know what this will do for recruiting and getting fans in the seats but knowing the leader that Hurley was at Duke, I believe the Bulls made a good hire. Hopefully for the fans there, it will translate into a winning program.

Isiah Thomas wants another shot in college or the NBA

After his well documented failures in both college basketball and the NBA, Isiah Thomas wants to get another shot at coaching or being a general manager at either level.

Thomas was recently fired by Florida International after compiling a 26-65 record over three seasons. Thomas has also coached the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers and served as the general manager for the Knicks and Toronto Raptors. Thomas has a good friendship with Knicks owner James Dolan and has been connected to any opening in the Knicks organization.

"I definitely want to be in basketball again whether it be coaching or as a general manager," Thomas said by phone. "My gift is basketball. I would love working with the kids. If it's the right college program, I would consider it. If it's the right GM job or coaching job in the NBA, I would consider it. I love the game. I just want to be in the game."


"I have great friends in the organization," said Thomas, a two-time NBA champion and 12-time All-Star with the Detroit Pistons. "A lot of them I gave them their first job opportunities in the NBA. The owner and I have a very good relationship. It's an organization I will always root for and will always want them to do well because they're all personal friends of mine." 

Thomas says he would be willing to listen to all offers college or pro.

"I'm like everyone else, I keep my options open," Thomas said. "My mom always said don't burn any bridges. I followed her advice. It would have to be the right option and right place."


The question is would anyone be willing go all in on Thomas. When he played he was one of the best players of all time. He was a winner. Off the court is another story where he's had more than one failure. Namely running the Knicks into the ground.

Call me a homer since he did play for my hometown Detroit Pistons, but I think he should get another chance despite his track record, but it would have to be the right situation. He shouldn't be thrown into a rebuilding situation.

Derrick Rose asks Isiah Thomas for some winning advice

Say what you want about Isiah Thomas, but he was one of the all time greats of the NBA. In my opinion, he gets overlooked during the "golden years" of the 80s. They always mention Magic, Bird, and Jordan, but fail to mention Thomas. He was one of the fiercest competitors that ever played. For a little guy, he had a lot of heart and was one of the toughest players in the league.

Current Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose wants to win. He wants to win some championships and wants to be one of the greatest to play the game. He just doesn't go around beating his chest saying it.

After losing to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals last summer, Rose sought out Chicago legend Thomas for some counsel and advice.  


Isiah Thomas said he met Rose last year after a game in Detroit and that Rose contacted him after the Bulls' season had ended.


"He was pretty down," Thomas told ESPNChicago.com by phone on Wednesday. "He asked me 'How did you do it? How did you win back-to-back championships at this size?' And my response to him was that once you understand your opponent and know your opponent better than you know yourself, you'll win."


Translation: Study film like your life depends on it.

Rose looks up to Thomas and despite his front office troubles, he knows that Thomas knows what it takes to win.

"... He's somebody where in Chicago, you definitely got to look up to, especially being a guard, winning championships in this league," Rose said. "[I] try to take things out of his game and put them into mine. But [he's] a cool dude. I played against his son in AAU. And he's from Chicago so I got to look up to him."


"It's hard to pattern your game after somebody that's great like that," Rose said. "If anything, he was a winner. His will to win, no matter how big he was on the floor, he was a small guy, but his passion for the game and how dedicated he was to playing the game."


Rose, like Thomas, is enduring his share of bumps and bruises in pursuit of an NBA championship. But like Thomas he is more than willing to pay the price. Growing up in a tough Chicago environment will give you that  kind of attitude. That means being tough and doing whatever it takes to win.  

Oakley Not Impressed With The Current Edition Of The Knicks

One of the tough guys from years past, Charles Oakley isn't afraid to let his opinion known about anything. That would include the current make up of the New York Knicks and how they treated him and Patrick Ewing, Isiah Thomas' role with the team, and whether Amar'e Stoudemire is the man to lead the Knicks back to the promised land.

While he was in New York to launch his clothing collection at the K1X store in SoHo, he didn't have too many kind words to say about the Knicks organization.

He doesn't think too highly of Stoudemire's game and thinks he's too West Coast to play in New York.

“Amar’e’s good, he’s good in his way,” Oakley said yesterday at the launch of his clothing collection at K1X’s store in SoHo. “He’s a West Coast player trying to translate to the East Coast. And the longer he plays in the East, the more his body’s gonna get damaged, because he’s got to take a beating now.”

Gotta disagree with Oak here. The East isn't the physical beast that it was when he played. Also the league is more athletic than it was back then which suits Stoudemire's game a whole lot better than it would've been back in the 80's and 90's. The players are more multiskilled than they were back then.It's an ongoing debate, but you must agree that the players of today are more athletic than years past.

Stoudemire might not be the player to get the Knicks to the promised land but stranger things have happened. I won't say he is and I won't say he won't lead them there, but he did seem to take more of a leadership role on the team when things started going south early in the season.

I do agree with what he said about head coach Mike D'Antoni. The Knicks will tease and excite you, but when it's time to play halfcourt ball and get grimy, the Knicks fall short. Don't believe me, watch the first two games of the series against the Boston Celtics and tell me why they lost. They can't play in the halfcourt.


“I don’t think [it can be successful], but that’s his coaching style,” Oakley said. “They knew when they signed him. ... When you go buy a Bentley, you know it’s not a Volkswagen. When they signed him, they knew what they were getting.



“That conversation should be dead, because it’s a West Coast offense playing in a hard-nosed city.


“You always give somebody a chance to prove themselves. I mean, this is his fourth year. He’s had a lot of time. ... I think it’s just more half-court offense, and they need the big, tough guy. He don’t want to play that way, but finesse, it’s not gonna work.”

“I mean, they’ve got hype,” he said. “But hype don’t win nothing.”

That should've been known when the Phoenix Suns couldn't get past the Spurs when D'Antoni coached them. Run and gun doesn't win in playoff time. Check and see how many titles Doug Moe won when he was coaching.

About the Knicks organization as a whole, he still has love for them but feels disrespected by them for not offering him a job in any capacity.

“[The Knicks] don’t want nothing to do with me,” said Oakley, who played for the Knicks from 1988-98. “I don’t know why. I tried to deal with them on several occasions. I’m not gonna keep trying.


“They don’t like Patrick, either. They won’t give Patrick a job, so I know they won’t give me a job. Patrick should have a job before anyone. He’s probably the best guy since [Walt] Frazier, [Earl] Monroe ... he’s the main guy on the list.”

“My door is always open to the Knicks,” he said. “I tell them all the time. They said something about I told LeBron to go to Miami. I was like, ‘You all have to be one of the craziest organizations in the world.’


“Y’all should have tried to call me and talk to me, and maybe we could have gotten LeBron to New York. You went to Isiah [Thomas], and some of these other guys that don’t know the guy.”

True indeed. Patrick Ewing shouldn't have to go anywhere else to be an assistant or have his name mentioned with other coaching jobs. As for Oakley, I don't think anyone would be asking you to court free agents for their team anytime soon, considering your disdain for today's players.

Last but not least was the aforementioned Isiah Thomas. He doesn't like him and I doubt he ever will. Oakley gave him a piece of his mind since he happened to bring him up.


“I don’t understand how he even got a job with management,” said Oakley, 47. “He had nothing to do with the Knicks, then he talked bad about the Knicks ... If I see him, he’d better turn around and go the other way.”

Well Charles, last time I checked Isiah Thomas never ran from anyone and never will. He was one of the toughest "little guys" to ever play the game, and considering his track record I don't think he'd be turning the othere way when he saw you. He still has that Chicago swagger in him and won't back down from anyone.

OH NO!

Rumor has it that Isiah Thomas could be next in line to lead the eternally cursed Los Angeles Clippers.A source close to the situation says Thomas has been contacted about taking over as coach,GM,and president.This would be yet another bad decision in Clipperland. This is after Mike Dunleavy stepped down as coach.but is staying on as GM.

  I like the Clippers for some odd reason and would hope that they could finally get their house in order.But even a basketball genius couldn't get them on track as long as Donald Sterling is in control.I like Isiah Thomas.He singlehandedly made my hometown Detroit Pistons a relevant NBA team.Although I feel he got a raw deal with the Indiana Pacers,he made some downright boneheaded moves when he was in charge of the New York Knicks.This would be a match made in hell.It would further sully Thomas' name in the NBA,after a brilliant Hall Of Fame career.And you know Sterling wouldn't give Thomas much to work with.If you think I'm wrong,go ask Paul Silas.You know Thomas is itching to get back in the NBA,but this would be a dastardly move that wouldn't be good for anyone.It should be thanks,but no thanks for Thomas.Stay at Florida International an build your name up again and maybe a better situation might come along.