years back who'dve thought going from UA(and pretty much all the other PAC-12 schools) to UNC would be moving to the easier conf

Can't really argue the point, although the ACC did do considerably better in the SEC challenge last year compared to the disastrous showing in 2024 (7-9 vs 2-14). Would be interesting to see how the ACC and Big12 would be lined up if a similar challenge were scheduled.

I'm not a fan of Lloyd as a game coach but no one can deny the guy is a recruiting machine. What he did at Gonzaga as lead recruiter and here as head coach is impressive. His connections in Europe, Scandinavia and Africa are solid. If he does go that opens up another high profile job. Basketball is very important at U of A and the fan support is excellent.

Not related but Randy Bennett has been sidelined with an undisclosed health issue since arriving in Tempe.

Conference strength is really a hard thing to argue

Some conferences are top heavy (B1G)
Some conferences are resting on their past glory but are still really good but not what they once were (. ACC & Big East )
Some conferences are really deep without having an elite team ( SEC )
The PAC flat out doesn't exist anymore
The Big 12 is a Frankenstein's monster of spare parts so truly difficult to evaluate

A&M is better and I really like our new coach

The Pac12 returns next year...

Gonzaga
Utah State
San Diego State
Boise State
Fresno State
Colorado State
Oregon State
Washington State
Texas State (not a typo)

Tommy Lloyd just agreed to a new contract with Arizona making him one of the 5 highest paid coaches in the country

Glad to hear that. I'm all Aggies but it's more fun when the local teams are good.

_lefraud_ said:

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The Pac12 returns next year...

Gonzaga
Utah State
San Diego State
Boise State
Fresno State
Colorado State
Oregon State
Washington State
Texas State (not a typo)

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Just go ahead and make it Gonzaga State and change it to State Conference; that's crazy.

In the aftermath of Lloyd inking a new deal at Arizona, there doesn't seem to be anything new on the UNC coach's search. For sake of discussion, I'll post an article from Yahoo Sports below. Quick summary, they list six candidates, starting with Donovan, followed by May, McCollum, Otzelberger, Golden, and Oats. So, it's largely a rehash of what has been previously projected. A few thoughts:
- If you were betting, it might be Donovan against the field at this point. But, there are persisting questions about whether he would be willing to adapt to the new realities (transfer portal, NIL) of college basketball.
- UNC legend Tyler Hansbrough has said UNC should make May say, "No." However, aside from better weather or a preference for a particular shade of blue, there doesn't seem to be anything for him to gain by moving to UNC. With that said, May is really family oriented and has three sons with basketball ties. So, there might be an angle there.
- McCollum and Otzelberger are program builders and could work well from a style of play and/or game day coaching perspective.
- Golden and Oats just don't seem to be good fits for UNC, although I know some would differ on that point.
- Beyond these comments, I was a bit surprised to not see Byington from Vanderbilt on the list, Yes, he signed a new contract with the Dores but there's probably still room for "negotiation" (unlike with Lloyd).
- Going back to the UNC "family model," I've seen Jerry Stackhouse mentioned. After all, he was the 2023 SEC Coach of the Year at Vanderbilt. Probably not.
- Do you see other possibilities, such as McCasland at Tech? Also, Hansbrough suggested former Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone, whose daughter plays volleyball at UNC. Anyone else?

https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/after-tommy-lloyd-passed-on-north-carolina-to-stay-at-arizona-here-are-6-other-candidates-for-tar-heels-job-041534971.html

I still think Byington ends up there.

Quote:

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If you were betting, it might be Donovan against the field at this point. But, there are persisting questions about whether he would be willing to adapt to the new realities (transfer portal, NIL) of college basketball.

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The new NIL landscape is going to make it hard to maintain the blue blood dominance and everybody else dynamic. Everybody can attract top talent if they have the money and can find an above average coach. The really good coaches have more options just like the top talent. Why go to a situation like UNC with their sky high expectations when you can stay at a school with everything else in place and you're not having to fight history?

With regard to McCasland, he seems pretty happy at Tech. He's got facilities, fan support, and big money donors for NIL support. Who knows, but I don't see him making a move.

I largely agree but it's hard to duplicate the atmosphere in a gym packed with motivated fans. As shown by Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium, it doesn't even have to be the consistent 15,000 plus you can expect at a few select blue bloods. Plus, some coaches seem to want (thrive under?) the pressure that comes with a basketball first school such as UNC, Duke, Kentucky, or Kansas. In any case, It's fun to discuss.

Hasn't the Dean Dome always been called a wine and cheese crowd? Just remember hearing/reading that it's not as raucous of a crowd as you would expect it to be. But again goes back to that faux humble air they like to walk around with.

I haven't been to many games there in person so wouldn't trust my instinct. You would know well that the intimacy of a place like Cameron can't be duplicated at a larger coliseum such as the Smith Center. But, from my own limited personal experience and watching a lot of games on TV, the desired raucous atmosphere is there for Duke (anytime) but not necessarily for a midweek game with … fill in the blank. As you would expect, this is a major point of discussion in considering the proposed new or renovated UNC coliseum. I'll attach a related Reddit post here.

https://www.reddit.com/r/tarheels/s/lH6Q9eiNtb

If UNC has $20M to spend every year on talent then they'll remain a top dog. If they don't, they won't.

I say $20 because that's where it will be in 2-4 years

13B said:

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_lefraud_ said:

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The Pac12 returns next year...

Gonzaga
Utah State
San Diego State
Boise State
Fresno State
Colorado State
Oregon State
Washington State
Texas State (not a typo)

---

Just go ahead and make it Gonzaga State and change it to State Conference; that's crazy.

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This ain't the WCC. Zags won't breeze through the likes of Utah State, San Diego State or even Colorado State. Those are road games they'd likely lose.

If I were UNC I'd just bite the bullet and hire Nate Oats. Yeah he's a slime ball but after they make the final four next year, the fans won't care about his past.

beatlesphan said:

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If I were UNC I'd just bite the bullet and hire Nate Oats. Yeah he's a slime ball but after they make the final four next year, the fans won't care about his past.

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Absolutely. He'd go in a heartbeat. Otherwise, it's a burned out Billy Donovan.

He's already signed an extension

beatlesphan said:

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If I were UNC I'd just bite the bullet and hire Nate Oats. Yeah he's a slime ball but after they make the final four next year, the fans won't care about his past.

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Hope that doesn't happen.

The Lost said:

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Bunk Moreland said:

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If UNC has $20M to spend every year on talent then they'll remain a top dog. If they don't, they won't.

I say $20 because that's where it will be in 2-4 years

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Fascinated to see when this money runs dry, because if definitely will for most. There is literally no roi

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you can say that, but what are rich folks doing if not throwing a match on piles of money most of the time anyway?

NEWS: Dusty May has removed his name from the North Carolina coach search, sources told @CBSSports. He'll be staying on at Michigan. UNC has been aware and has continued its search with other targets on its board. Billy Donovan remains a primary potential candidate in Chapel Hill pic.twitter.com/l7nwhNTrur

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 5, 2026

Scott Drew now reportedly just behind Donovan in odds to become UNC coach. Hard to argue with his success at Bayor, including a national championship. But, this hire doesn't excite me - maybe an example of "familiarity breeds contempt."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/insight/scott-drew-emerges-as-leading-unc-coaching-target/gm-GM28110298?gemSnapshotKey=GM28110298-snapshot-1&uxmode=ruby#:~:text=North%20Carolina's%20search%20for%20a,Show%20all

UNC going the NBA route

BREAKING: North Carolina intends to hire former NBA coach Michael Malone as its next head basketball coach, ESPN reports.https://t.co/UDfjDYYPjd pic.twitter.com/sBMWM2VIyx

— On3 (@On3) April 6, 2026

Wow wasn't even in top 8 on odds

portal opens tomorrow. They felt the crunch.

He's very personable and energetic. The sales pitch will be that he developed the best player (debatable) in the world. Having said that, he was pretty pissed the Nuggets fired him. It has been widely rumored he wants another shot in the NBA to prove them wrong.

Bulls just fired their front office so I guess that means Donovan got what he wanted. Apparently Mike Malone's daughter plays volleyball at UNC? I mean he's a great basketball coach, but this seems a bit out of nowhere.

Malone had been mentioned as a possibility by Tyler Hansbrough. Apparently, Malone's daughter plays volleyball at UNC. The main reaction locally seems to be "surprise." Complaints about the search - no candidate locked away at the time of Hubert's firing - were taking a toll. Sadly, the reference to Belichick may be appropriate. Time will tell.

https://keepingitheel.com/tyler-hansbrough-s-new-shortlist-for-unc-coach-includes-a-total-wildcard-option

Yeah I don't know about that hire. I guess their hand was forced because of the portal and alumni pressure. It's interesting that no one really had interest in the job; I think that's very telling.

College ball is different than pro ball that's for sure. We'll see how he adjusts.

Billy Donovan wanted to wait until end of season to make a decision on North Carolina and one source close to Donovan felt as though he might have taken it.

But source said that new North Carolina AD Steve Newmark panicked after Tommy Lloyd and Dusty May spurned the Tar Heels.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 6, 2026