Why Pastner is likely to be here at least 5 years

[lv20gt]

While your projected 2021-2022 lineup looks strong to us as fans, I wonder how that will be perceived by 2021 recruits. By that I mean, with the exception of the center position, I don't see many opportunities for immediate minutes as we will have 2-4 year starters in the other positions.

I think there is a very good argument for playing time for those 4* type recruits who aren't expecting to be one and done. For instance a PG or PF who comes in next year's class is all but guaranteed to start as a sophomore. barring late additions to this class. The wings would be harder to sell, but it is also likely we might see a transfer as well. As it stands I would expect to try and land a PG and a PF in that class, and maybe a C depending on how things shake up at the end of this recruiting cycle, and while the immediate playing time might not be there the opportunity for early playing time can still be used.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

10-10 in the ACC would be nice. But you also need 10 wins out of conference. If we go 10-3 or better out of conference, that takes a lot of the pressure off. Not losing to St Johns when we’re up 16 and not losing to Gardner Webb would help. It doesn’t take that much.

 

[Jacketman1]

Pastner came in with the rep of terrible Xs and Os, great recruiter. Since coming to GT he has been fantastic Xs and Os(at least on D, not so much on O) and a terrible recruiter. Getting Bubba is a start. Now it's time to actuallly win some games, because the ACC will be down next year. I'm tired of making these excuses about Bell, or Josh O leaving, all of that nonsense. You think Josh O was the difference against Gardner Webb, or that pitiful ND team we lost to in the ACCT? GT hasn't made the NCAAs since 2010 y'all, and I barely remember it. Next season I'll be a senior in HS. The train needs to get moving, or we need to find a new conductor.

 

[RamblinRed]

I realized something when I was looking back at his contract. in 2020-2021 Pastner will be the first coach to ever have a $2M salary to coach a GT basketball team. We've had a couple years where we payed coaches in total more than that, but never an individual coach.
As an idea of how that stands here are the coaching salaries for the various coaches around the league for last season

Christian - BC - $1.48M
Pastner - GT - $1.8M
Larranaga - Miami - $2.05M
Hamilton - FSU $2.25M
Brey - ND - 2.43M
Manning - Wake - last confirmed total was $1.83M, his extension he received after making the First Four in 2017 is rumored to pay him $2.5-2.7M
Boeheim - Syr - 2.695M
Keatts - NCST - 2.7M
Brownell - Clemson - 2.75M
Capel - Pitt - not reported but rumored to be in the $3M range
Roy - UNC - $3.9M
Mack - L'ville - 4.0M
Bennett - UVA - $4.15M
K - $7.05M

Note also that Mike Young at VT will receive $2M next year with a 5 yr contract that will top out at $2.75M

Pastner will make $1.9M next season.

I need to see GT take a big step forward next season to feel like Pastner will ultimately deserve an extension but I don't expect GT to fire him after year 4 even if it doesn't go well as GT spent its money on Football and will need a couple of years before thinking about making a basketball change. If GT fired Pastner after year 4 it is very likely to go 'inexpensive' on a hire due to lack of funds and repeat the process again in 5 years.

 

[Peacone36]

I realized something when I was looking back at his contract. in 2020-2021 Pastner will be the first coach to ever have a $2M salary to coach a GT basketball team. We've had a couple years where we payed coaches in total more than that, but never an individual coach.
As an idea of how that stands here are the coaching salaries for the various coaches around the league for last season

Christian - BC - $1.48M
Pastner - GT - $1.8M
Larranaga - Miami - $2.05M
Hamilton - FSU $2.25M
Brey - ND - 2.43M
Manning - Wake - last confirmed total was $1.83M, his extension he received after making the First Four in 2017 is rumored to pay him $2.5-2.7M
Boeheim - Syr - 2.695M
Keatts - NCST - 2.7M
Brownell - Clemson - 2.75M
Capel - Pitt - not reported but rumored to be in the $3M range
Roy - UNC - $3.9M
Mack - L'ville - 4.0M
Bennett - UVA - $4.15M
K - $7.05M

Note also that Mike Young at VT will receive $2M next year with a 5 yr contract that will top out at $2.75M

Pastner will make $1.9M next season.

I need to see GT take a big step forward next season to feel like Pastner will ultimately deserve an extension but I don't expect GT to fire him after year 4 even if it doesn't go well as GT spent its money on Football and will need a couple of years before thinking about making a basketball change. If GT fired Pastner after year 4 it is very likely to go 'inexpensive' on a hire due to lack of funds and repeat the process again in 5 years.

That $1.9MM would be roughly 6x what my #1 choice is making currently....

 

[lv20gt]

Pastner came in with the rep of terrible Xs and Os, great recruiter. Since coming to GT he has been fantastic Xs and Os(at least on D, not so much on O) and a terrible recruiter.

He hasn't really been terrible recruiting. It hasn't been great, but it's far from terrible. Currently we have for next year, using 247 ranks.

Alvarado - High 3* PG (170ish in nation)
Devoe - 4* 51st in the nation
Parham - 20 a game scorer.
Phillips - Mid 3* ~250 ish
Price - Low 3*
Usher - 4* in highschool ~100 rank.
Moore - Mid 3* ~ 200ish
Sjoulnd - Mid 3* ~ 200ish
Cole - Low 3*
Wright - Unrated by 247/ 3* by rivals (only rivals ranking I'm using here)
Banks - 4* ranked ~60ish

Overall the talent he has put together has a pretty talented starting 5 (Jose, Devoe, Usher, Wright, and Banks) with solid talent for depth. But just as importantly is that there is a good spread of players so that with the exception of C we have a legit two deep at every position and a decent roster distribution (2sr, 5 jr, 3 sophs, 1 fr)

There is obvious room for improvement, and it lacks that real top end that some people want, but the team he has put together is probably the best put together one since the 08-09 NCAAT team. Now whether that will translate into an NCAAT appearance is to be determined.

 

[GTBatGirl96]

I have no way of knowing, but I assume that most 5* expect/ask for, shall we say, fringe benefit$. I would guess that most 3* would not? Anybody have a feel for where the transition line is, and about how high (of a recruit ranking) we could go without $helling out more fringe benefit$?

 

[ESPNjacket]

There is obvious room for improvement, and it lacks that real top end that some people want, but the team he has put together is probably the best put together one since the 08-09 NCAAT team. Now whether that will translate into an NCAAT appearance is to be determined.

'09 was a bad team. You mean '10.

Your post is spot on though. So many people have tuned out the program they don't even know who is on the team and who can play. They just read other sad posts and repeat them.

 

[AUFC]

I'm optimistic for next year but I think the jury is still out on more players than not.

To me, we have 3 players who are guaranteed to give us quality ACC minutes next year. If the 2 transfers work out (still total wildcards in GT team-context IMO) and Sjolund/Moses keep averaging double digits like they were at the end of last season when they were getting starter minutes, I think we'll be in great shape to make the NCAAT. 6 or 7 mid-range players averaging 9-14 ppg would put us about where NC State was last season. If Jose and/or Mike could also make the leap into Reeds/Nworas/Battles, we could eek into the Top 25 at times next year.

 

[MiracleWhips]

I'm optimistic for next year but I think the jury is still out on more players than not.

To me, we have 3 players who are guaranteed to give us quality ACC minutes next year. If the 2 transfers work out (still total wildcards in GT team-context IMO) and Sjolund/Moses keep averaging double digits like they were at the end of last season when they were getting starter minutes, I think we'll be in great shape to make the NCAAT. 6 or 7 mid-range players averaging 9-14 ppg would put us about where NC State was last season. If Jose and/or Mike could also make the leap into Reeds/Nworas/Battles, we could eek into the Top 25 at times next year.

". If Jose and/or Mike could also make the leap into Reeds/Nworas/Battles, we could eek into the Top 25 at times next year."

You mean in terms of scoring?

 

[kg01]

That $1.9MM would be roughly 6x what my #1 choice is making currently....

Oooooh, gimme another clue. I like guessing these.

 

[kg01]

I have no way of knowing, but I assume that most 5* expect/ask for, shall we say, fringe benefit$. I would guess that most 3* would not? Anybody have a feel for where the transition line is, and about how high (of a recruit ranking) we could go without $helling out more fringe benefit$?

I think it varies case by case. There's apparently some low(ish) 4stars that've gotten paid at least 5 figures. Then there are some high-end guys who haven't.

I think we need to do a better job of getting to the point (is this guy looking to get paid or not?) sooner so we're not spinning our wheels on the trail like we were with Sexton and others.

 

[lv20gt]

'09 was a bad team. You mean '10.

D'oh. I was mixing up the great 09 recruiting class vs the bad 09 team.

Your post is spot on though. So many people have tuned out the program they don't even know who is on the team and who can play. They just read other sad posts and repeat them.

I could see how people would view recruiting as being bad if they were just considering recruiting of high school players. However, though I dislike the overabundance of transfers in college basketball, it is an aspect of recruiting with the way the game is now, and in that regard Pastner has done pretty well in terms of getting us to a roster that should be good to compete for the next two years.

Also, just back to the original point. It's unlikely that Pastner will be fired before the end of year 5. However it's very possible for the decision to be made next year that basically leaves him as a dead man walking. Looking back Hewitt at recent coaching changed, Hewitt was fired after the '11 season but the writing was on the wall for a while there. He'd probably have been fired two years earlier if it weren't for the great 09 class. Gregory was fired after the 16 season but was almost definitely looked at for getting the axe after the previous year (I think I remember something about the AD not being able to get everything lined up financially). Gailey was fired after the 07 season but it was probably how the 06 year ended that was the biggest nail. Johnson retired, but it was probably at least in part because of pressure he felt after some of the previous years.

Point is GT usually doesn't move that quick on coaching hires. For better or worse coaches are usually given a last chance year even once we pretty much know what we will have to do. I don't think the admin, or even the fans, have the writing on the wall yet, and so I doubt next year will be the last. But it will probably be a deciding one.

 

[Wrecked]

Next season is **** or get off the pot for me. You should be getting the tournament with this roster if everyone gets their waivers.

Amen! We should be expecting to make the tournament next year. Barring injury, a tourney miss is a complete failure.

 

[Peacone36]

Amen! We should be expecting to make the tournament next year. Barring injury, a tourney miss is a complete failure.

Let’s calm doubt a bit with the completely failure rhetoric. **** does indeed happen. I’m just saying going into the season I think we should make the dance

 

[Jacketman1]

He hasn't really been terrible recruiting. It hasn't been great, but it's far from terrible. Currently we have for next year, using 247 ranks.

Alvarado - High 3* PG (170ish in nation)
Devoe - 4* 51st in the nation
Parham - 20 a game scorer.
Phillips - Mid 3* ~250 ish
Price - Low 3*
Usher - 4* in highschool ~100 rank.
Moore - Mid 3* ~ 200ish
Sjoulnd - Mid 3* ~ 200ish
Cole - Low 3*
Wright - Unrated by 247/ 3* by rivals (only rivals ranking I'm using here)
Banks - 4* ranked ~60ish

Overall the talent he has put together has a pretty talented starting 5 (Jose, Devoe, Usher, Wright, and Banks) with solid talent for depth. But just as importantly is that there is a good spread of players so that with the exception of C we have a legit two deep at every position and a decent roster distribution (2sr, 5 jr, 3 sophs, 1 fr)

There is obvious room for improvement, and it lacks that real top end that some people want, but the team he has put together is probably the best put together one since the 08-09 NCAAT team. Now whether that will translate into an NCAAT appearance is to be determined.

I see what you mean, and I concede that there are several good players there. However, that talent compared to our talent ten years ago, or the talent that he got at Memphis is no comparison. And this upcoming class has been somewhat of a failure SO FAR, given how many recruits he has whiffed on and the uninspiring signing of Didenko. Emphasis on SO FAR because there is still time for him to redeem the class.

 

[orientalnc]

I see what you mean, and I concede that there are several good players there. However, that talent compared to our talent ten years ago, or the talent that he got at Memphis is no comparison. And this upcoming class has been somewhat of a failure SO FAR, given how many recruits he has whiffed on and the uninspiring signing of Didenko. Emphasis on SO FAR because there is still time for him to redeem the class.

In your mind, what does this class need for redemption?

 

[AUFC]

". If Jose and/or Mike could also make the leap into Reeds/Nworas/Battles, we could eek into the Top 25 at times next year."

You mean in terms of scoring?

Yeah, like if one of them could hang 17ppg next year or something similar to that.

 

[sidewalkGTfan]

Pastner came in with the rep of terrible Xs and Os, great recruiter. Since coming to GT he has been fantastic Xs and Os(at least on D, not so much on O) and a terrible recruiter. Getting Bubba is a start. Now it's time to actuallly win some games, because the ACC will be down next year. I'm tired of making these excuses about Bell, or Josh O leaving, all of that nonsense. You think Josh O was the difference against Gardner Webb, or that pitiful ND team we lost to in the ACCT? GT hasn't made the NCAAs since 2010 y'all, and I barely remember it. Next season I'll be a senior in HS. The train needs to get moving, or we need to find a new conductor.

So if Josh O had stayed another year you don’t think we would’ve won more games last season?

 

[Jacketman1]

In your mind, what does this class need for redemption?

I think getting Bilau would be the cherry on top. I think Reveno would turn him in to a quality starter. I like the Price signing fine, and Usher also good. Didenko not at all. I will give CJP credit on Bubba signing, he may end up saving this upcoming season for us.