Inevitably, many fans and media look at the near immediate success of Alabama and Arkansas under now third year coaches Nate Oats and Eric Musselman as further proof that Tom Crean doesn't know what he's doing. After all, each coach began a year AFTER Crean took over in Athens. So how did they make these big leaps to SEC and NCAA Tournament success when Georgia can't seem to gain any traction?
Here's how. Both coaches inherited SIGNIFICANTLY more talent from their previous regimes than Crean did.
Players already on the roster or already committed to Alabama prior to Oats taking over:
G Kira Lewis (So), G John Petty (Jr), G Jaden Shackelford (Fr), F Alex Reese (Jr), F Herb Jones (Jr)
Oats walked into his first year with maybe the best point guard in the country already on his roster in sophomore Lewis, who now plays for the New Orleans Pelicans. Shackelford, Petty, Jones and Reese formed an experienced nucleus on Alabama's 2020-2021 SEC league and tourney championship and Sweet 16 team. Oats added transfer Jahvon Quinerly and freshman recruits Josh Primo and Keon Ellis to the mix, but the nucleus of the squad had all been secured by previous coach Avery Johnson.
Players already on the roster or already committed to Arkansas prior to Musselman taking over:
G Mason Jones (Jr), G Isaiah Joe (So), G Desi Sills (So)
Musselman's first year roster was buoyed by star guards Jones and Joe, both holdovers from Mike Anderson's regime. The two scored about 14 pts/game in 2018-19, but upped those figures in Musselman's first year to the tune of 22 pts and 17 pts per game. Both have played in the NBA. The inherited star power helped Arkansas win 20 games and further boost Musselman's profile, which he used to great effect the following year. Musselman raided the transfer portal in 2020-21 and made the pieces fit alongside star recruit Moses Moody.
Meanwhile, Tom Crean inherited Nicolas Claxton for one year and Rayshaun Hammonds, Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris for two years. He also had Mark Fox holdovers Derek Ogbeide, TeShaun Hightower and William Jackson for one season. With the exception of Claxton and to a lesser degree Hammonds, the personnel left for Crean pales in comparison to what Oats and Musselman inherited. Why no one ever seems to mention these simple objective facts is mind boggling.
Here's how. Both coaches inherited SIGNIFICANTLY more talent from their previous regimes than Crean did.
Players already on the roster or already committed to Alabama prior to Oats taking over:
G Kira Lewis (So), G John Petty (Jr), G Jaden Shackelford (Fr), F Alex Reese (Jr), F Herb Jones (Jr)
Oats walked into his first year with maybe the best point guard in the country already on his roster in sophomore Lewis, who now plays for the New Orleans Pelicans. Shackelford, Petty, Jones and Reese formed an experienced nucleus on Alabama's 2020-2021 SEC league and tourney championship and Sweet 16 team. Oats added transfer Jahvon Quinerly and freshman recruits Josh Primo and Keon Ellis to the mix, but the nucleus of the squad had all been secured by previous coach Avery Johnson.
Players already on the roster or already committed to Arkansas prior to Musselman taking over:
G Mason Jones (Jr), G Isaiah Joe (So), G Desi Sills (So)
Musselman's first year roster was buoyed by star guards Jones and Joe, both holdovers from Mike Anderson's regime. The two scored about 14 pts/game in 2018-19, but upped those figures in Musselman's first year to the tune of 22 pts and 17 pts per game. Both have played in the NBA. The inherited star power helped Arkansas win 20 games and further boost Musselman's profile, which he used to great effect the following year. Musselman raided the transfer portal in 2020-21 and made the pieces fit alongside star recruit Moses Moody.
Meanwhile, Tom Crean inherited Nicolas Claxton for one year and Rayshaun Hammonds, Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris for two years. He also had Mark Fox holdovers Derek Ogbeide, TeShaun Hightower and William Jackson for one season. With the exception of Claxton and to a lesser degree Hammonds, the personnel left for Crean pales in comparison to what Oats and Musselman inherited. Why no one ever seems to mention these simple objective facts is mind boggling.