The Coach of the Yr race is large open as February looms with a plethora of candidates making nice circumstances for consideration. Whereas Bruce Pearl of No. 1 Auburn and Jon Scheyer of No. 2 Duke are apparent names, the listing goes a lot deeper.
Final season, UConn’s Dan Hurley earned the Coach of the Yr designation from CBS Sports activities within the midst of guiding the Huskies to consecutive nationwide titles. In 2023, it went to Mud Might, who was then within the technique of guiding FAU to the Closing 4.
A superb Coach of the Yr candidate can come from a blue blood program, or it may be the architect of a mid-major’s particular season. Usually, those that garner consideration led groups that far exceed modest expectations.Â
This season, you may additionally hear a handful of first-year coaches thrown into the combo. Newbies similar to Might (Michigan) Darian DeVries (West Virginia), Mark Byington (Vanderbilt), Pat Kelsey (Louisville) and Mark Pope (Kentucky) are every having fun with success that would result in COTY consideration.
Whereas over a month stays till we’ll formally identify a university basketball Coach of the Yr, our writers are weighing in for this week’s Dribble Handoff on who they’d vote for if the season ended right now.
Mark Pope
As I’ve mentioned and written many instances over the previous few weeks, the Coach of the Yr race stays large open, with a protracted listing of viable candidates. It will possibly change weekly — if not each day. Nonetheless, proper now, I imagine the chief ought to be Kentucky coach Mark Pope, particularly after his Wildcats secured a seventh Quadrant 1 win Tuesday evening with a 78-73 victory at Tennessee.
It is a tremendous story.
Pope was not Kentucky’s first selection to exchange John Calipari and inherited zero gamers from him. He constructed a group by way of the switch portal in months that began the season ranked forty third at KenPom.com. The Wildcats are actually No. 8 in my High 25 and 1. Solely Auburn and Oregon have extra Q1 wins than Kentucky.
Whether or not you favor your Coach of the Yr candidates come from Closing 4 contenders or groups that overachieve relative to preseason expectations, Pope checks each packing containers. He has excelled at his alma mater and already proven that despite the fact that he wasn’t Kentucky’s first selection, he might need been an ideal one. — Gary Parrish
Jon Scheyer
If we needed to vote right now, the third-year coach chargeable for the nation’s longest successful streak (14) would get my vote. He recruited the No. 1 class within the nation (which ought to be an element, in my view, in terms of voting for one of these award) and has managed to mesh elite freshman expertise with a few key returning gamers and a few particular portal additions to place Duke able to possibly run the desk within the ACC.Â
The 18-2 Blue Devils have a win over Bruce Pearl’s Auburn Tigers, have in mind. They’ve exceeded preseason expectations so far, and simply because it is Duke and the typical fan expects the Blue Devils to be good, that also should not be utilized at a reduction for Scheyer’s candidacy. Duke is 10-0 in ACC play for first time since 2007-08, when Scheyer was in uniform as a sophomore. I feel his case is as sturdy or higher than anybody’s heading into February. However we have got 9 weeks to go earlier than our workers right here has to vote on the true factor. — Matt Norlander
Bruce PearlÂ
Let me first echo what my colleague Gary Parrish said up prime: the Coach of the Yr race is way from over. It is not even February but. Plus there are myriad methods to guage this award. Realistically, I feel there are practically a half-dozen viable candidates — possibly extra. However for my cash, Pearl is chief within the clubhouse at this juncture.
This is why: Pearl’s Auburn Tigers are 18-1 on the season, No. 1 in internet score in line with KenPom and an ideal 6-0 within the laughably loaded SEC. And that 18-1 file features a No. 4 scoring margin regardless of one of many hardest nonconference schedules amongst all groups with wins over Houston, Iowa State, Memphis and Purdue beneath its belt.Â
Auburn has performed this whereas overcoming bouts of adversity each self-inflicted (just like the plane-fight incident and the newest tweeting incident) and injury-related (star Johni Broome missed two video games with an ankle harm). If the Tigers proceed at this tempo, they are going to end as the most effective group in the most effective convention with maybe the most effective participant within the sport powering what presently ranks as the most effective offense in faculty hoops from an effectivity standpoint. That is onerous to argue towards. — Kyle Boone
Tom Izzo
After Michigan State misplaced to North Carolina within the second spherical of final season’s NCAA Event, Izzo vowed that he would get the Spartans deep within the NCAA Event once more or “die attempting.” It was a brash assertion that illustrated Izzo’s continued hearth, at the same time as his seventieth birthday approaches. This season’s outcomes replicate that tenacity and are mark of the most effective work of his profession.
Michigan State is considerably quietly placing collectively a particular season with Closing 4 potential. The Spartans have gained 13 straight to take a two-game lad within the Huge Ten standings. Izzo’s membership has only one double-figure scorer (Jaden Akins), depends extensively on its bench and ranks 351st in made 3-pointers per recreation at 5.5.
But it surely’s a bodily group that rebounds like loopy, assaults the basket and lives on the free-throw line. The Spartans have been between a No. 7 and No. 11 seed for every of the previous 4 NCAA Tournaments, however this group is a No. 2 seed in Jerry Palm’s Bracketology. The final time Michigan State was a No. 2 seed, it reached the Closing 4. As issues stand coming into February, the 2024-25 Spartans appear like they may do the identical, and that might clearly make Izzo COTY materials. — David Cobb
Pat Kelsey, Louisville
To make the case for Kelsey, you have to return to how unhealthy Louisville basketball was the final two seasons beneath former coach Kenny Payne. A once-proud program and NCAA Event fell on onerous instances, successful simply 12 whole video games within the final two seasons.
Then Kelsey saved the day.
Louisville is 16-5 total and 9-1 in ACC play. The lone league loss got here towards No. 2 Duke final month. Since dropping to Kentucky in mid-December, Louisville has gained 10 consecutive video games. Barring a historic late-season collapse, Louisville can be going again to the match. I used to be excessive on Louisville coming into the season and tabbed the Cardinals as “underrated” when the ACC Media Ballot got here out. Kelsey’s program was picked to complete ninth and presently sits in a second-place tie with Clemson behind Duke within the standings. Louisville being “again” has been among the finest storylines of the season. It is why Kelsey deserves COTY consideration.  — Cameron Salerno
Bruce Pearl
No offense in kenpom.com‘s historical past has ever eclipsed an adjusted 130 offensive score. Auburn is sitting at 129.3 with February looming proper across the nook. Pearl, offensive coordinator Mike Burgomaster and this Auburn workers are on the verge of some historic stuff.Â
Pearl’s willingness to alter and evolve is on the epicenter of it.
Auburn tweaked Broome’s rotation sample to let the large fella keep on the ground for north of half-hour on the common. The chance value of getting him on the bench was too nice. Broome has rewarded the boosted minutes with a Nationwide Participant of the Yr-caliber marketing campaign. Auburn is without doubt one of the elite slicing groups in faculty basketball, and the roster is teeming with snipers like Denver Jones, Tahaad Pettiford, Chad Baker-Mazara and Miles Kelly — all of which may warmth up at a second’s discover.
If Auburn can with this SEC and hold the offense buzzing at all-time ranges, Pearl is the Coach of the Yr. — Isaac Trotter