Capel about to cash in?
Published: 3/11/2008 7:12 PM
Last Modified: 3/11/2008 7:12 PM
Interesting take from ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla concerning Jeff Capel, suddenly one of the most underpaid college basketball coaches ($750,000 annually) in the country...
"Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione took a calculated gamble when he hired young VCU coach Jeff Capel two years ago... At the time, I likened the hiring of Capel to drafting a high school player in the first round of the NBA draft. Potentially, Capel had 'star' written all over him, but he had not yet proved he could coach in a league such as the Big 12. Right now, it's looking as if Castigione has drafted LeBron James.
"Forget the 21 wins and the likely NCAA bid. What has impressed me the most has been Capel's crisis management skills. Hubie Brown used to say, 'The notoriety of a coach is directly proportional to his team's execution under pressure.' Upon being hired, Capel endured the loss of rising stars Scottie Reynolds and Damion James, who bolted for Villanova and Texas after signing with then-Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson. With the returning cast, those two guys would have had the Sooners a top-15 team a year ago.
"This season, Capel lost his two leading scorers, Blake Griffin and Longar Longar, for two games each in conference play and went 2-2. With Griffin out with a knee injury on Wednesday, the Sooners won at rival Oklahoma State, which was coming off its best stretch of the season.
"Capel has a quiet confidence and relates well to his players. It's obvious. What's also obvious is that Oklahoma has a gem and might have to ward off potential suitors such as South Carolina this offseason. My feeling is that Capel might be about to get a raise at Oklahoma."
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
