[winflop]

Wow, did this thread turn poisonous in a hurry. Perhaps everybody could take a deep breath before continuing. For my part, if I implied that the failure to hire a Stanford-basketball-connected assistant was a make-or-break deal, I apologize. I think, general speaking, that's a better way to go: Stanford admissions can be a thorny path for the unfamiliar, and it's almost always better to have a thread of continuity in recruiting. But failure to go in that direction is not inexorably a fatal mistake, and oldalum is correct, we don't really know what happened. Maybe Haase tried for a Stanford connection but couldn't find one available. It's always possible that Haase is taking advice from 76lsjumb, but I don't think we should jump to that conclusion without evidence.

We'll have to wait and see how this plays out, but we know that this was a significant mistake on Dawkins' part that he only addressed once with Mad Dog and only for one year - by then most of the damage had already been done.  I think it was in part ego on Dawkins' part that he could get Stanford on his own and I do worry that Haase may be heading down the same path.

I'm concerned and I do think it's a mistake.  I hope I'm wrong, or that if I'm right then Haase makes a course correction quickly (i.e., next year).  It's also that several quality former players with both head and assistant coaching experience were available.

[winflop]

Wow, did this thread turn poisonous in a hurry. Perhaps everybody could take a deep breath before continuing. For my part, if I implied that the failure to hire a Stanford-basketball-connected assistant was a make-or-break deal, I apologize. I think, general speaking, that's a better way to go: Stanford admissions can be a thorny path for the unfamiliar, and it's almost always better to have a thread of continuity in recruiting. But failure to go in that direction is not inexorably a fatal mistake, and oldalum is correct, we don't really know what happened. Maybe Haase tried for a Stanford connection but couldn't find one available. It's always possible that Haase is taking advice from 76lsjumb, but I don't think we should jump to that conclusion without evidence.

We'll have to wait and see how this plays out, but we know that this was a significant mistake on Dawkins' part that he only addressed once with Mad Dog and only for one year - by then most of the damage had already been done.  I think it was in part ego on Dawkins' part that he could get Stanford on his own and I do worry that Haase may be heading down the same path.

I'm concerned and I do think it's a mistake.  I hope I'm wrong, or that if I'm right then Haase makes a course correction quickly (i.e., next year).  It's also that several quality former players with both head and assistant coaching experience were available.