5-at-10: Coach K’s place on the Rushmore, the Hawks, early signing day, worst poker buddies in sports

Coach K

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is on the brink of history.

Coach K – and is there a better nickname in terms of utilitarianism that that? – is at 999 career wins after the Blue Devils smacked Pitt 79-65 on Monday.

He now has 420 career ACC wins – two behind Dean Smith.

We think it’s fair to ask for Coach K’s place in NCAA coaching history and the Rushmore of men’s college basketball coaches.

We all have to agree that John Wooden is on there and likely far left, correct? Then there is Adolph Rupp.

Pick and choose among the rest as you wish, but Coach K is right there.

Who else you got?

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Hawks

We’re not sure we’re comfortable in a world where the Atlanta Hawks are clearly the best team in the Eastern Conference and right there with the Golden State Warriors as the class of the NBA.

Yes, repeat it with us: “The Hawks and the Warriors are the class of the NBA.”

Is this 1988 and the Warriors are trotting out Run TMC and the Hawks are revolving around Nique’s high-wired act? Even then, a high-water mark for each franchise in terms of interest and relevance, neither was a serious threat.

Now, both are, and let’s examine some eye-popping numbers from these Atlanta Hawks.

They have won 13 in a row. They are 27-2 since Thanksgiving. They are impeccably balanced with no player in the top 30 in the league in minutes played or in scoring. They could have the best record in the East at the All-Star break and not have an all-star.

And then, this from the number-crunching geniuses – is it geniuses or genii, we’ll go with geniuses – at Elias, during their torrid post-Thanksgiving stretch, the Hawks have assisted on more than 70 percent of their baskets.

Dear Lord and Sweet Buckets of Sharing, that’s is outstanding.

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Early signing period

The Big Five conferences have flexed their muscle with this newly granted autonomy from the NCAA.

Late last week, the Big Five passed the groundbreaking – and potentially budget-breaking for smaller programs – “cost of attendance” which will allow schools to give student-athletes a yearly stipends.

It was passed almost unanimously, getting approved 79-1, with Boston College casting the lone dissenting – and rational – opinion. According to national reports, Boston College issued a fairly terse and direct statement that expressed its consider with increasing expense when most athletic departments are already “institutionally subsidized” and warned of the potential of sports programs being cut and possible underhand recruiting and rule-bending happening under loose Federal guidelines.

There concerns are valid and fair. We have long said and written that players already get paid – college educations are far from free – and while the current system needs examination, paying players what equals to “slave wages” is not the solution and only leads down the slick trail of “How much is enough?” and will never end the “$100 handshake” or rouge boosters or any of the seedy underbelly that makes passionate college sports fans cringe.

But we knew that was coming, regardless of which side of the debate you stand. And while we are against the stipend and the “cost of attendance” fallacy that has been propagandized by the image of some player not being able to “buy a pizza for his girlfriend,” it is becoming increasingly tough to argue against some sort of reward since normally frugal places like the University of Georgia is paying more than $2 million annually for its football coordinators for crying out loud.

So the change is coming, and earlier this week that change in the big-time college sports narrative continued to be reshaped.

An early-signing period for football was approved for the Big Five. Players will, starting in December 2015 will 72 hours starting on Dec. 16 to sign on the dotted-line on a letter of intent and officially accept a scholarship.

This could severely damage the “Hat Dance” rituals of kids sitting behind four college caps and pump-faking with each lid until they make a decision. But we agree that an early signing day is a positive step for college prospects who are certain where they are headed and are ready to end the texts and phone calls and the last-minute efforts from coaching staffs everywhere that know getting 18-year-olds to say yes is a big part of their job description.

Still, why not go earlier. Why not make it August 1, like the ACC was supporting.

This is a positive move, no doubt, but it feels like taking half a vaccination or buying half an insurance deposit. More and more schools are taking early enrollees, and with the difference really being only about 50 days, this is still not a fair extension compared to the ever-changing and forever-moving-forward recruiting calendar.

Plus, an August 1 signing date would put the pressure on these schools that are able to massage their recruiting agenda easily about taking this commit, unless a better player comes along and then maybe telling the one-time commit to be a former commit. You want an early commitment from a kid, be ready to give him a truly early scholarship.

We applaud the intent, but think the early-signing period is not early enough. Where’s the rooster?

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This and that

– The Tennessee Vols have exceeded every measure of expectation. In fact, the only negative thing Jomo can even offer is a Chas Bono comment cue the zinger in 5, 4, 3 and that’s because Tennessee has overachieved mightily. Here are interesting angles on that assessment from TFP SEC ace David Paschall here and TFP UT ace Downtown Patrick Brown here.

– Lean Gene Chizik was announced as UNC’s defensive coordinator. Good hire. Seriously. Lean Gene has multiple Nattys on his resume, and went two full years – 2004 with Auburn and 2005 with Texas – unblemished as a defensive coordinator.

– Apparently Michael Moore was taught snipers are cowards. Well, we have learned Moore is a windbag. We will now turn the microphone over to Colonel Nathan R. Jessup from the stand of “A Few Good Men” – “Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Michael Moore? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to.”

– Right when we are getting comfortable with gas under $2, a former CEO of Shell Oil told USA Today that $5 a gallon will return sooner rather than later. Side question: Has anyone noticed that we bellyache about gas when it goes North, but milk has never been more expensive and it rarely gets mentioned. Someone has to pay for Scottie’s elaborate bowtie collection we suppose.

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Today’s question

We have a few and we want your Rushmore on men’s college hoops coaches, but we also have one more.

OK, the NFL is investigating the New England Patriots about allegations that they deflated Indy’s balls. Yes, giggle if you must.

Our side Rushmore for the day: Who in the sports world is on the Rushmore of folks who would be the worst guys to be poker buddies with? Bill Belichick – and his four aces in his hoodie – would have to be there right?