I have a message for new UCLA coach Steve Alford and USC coach Andy Enfield. If you want to last here in Southern California, you need to work hard to keep the best players here. Be a presence and make your program attractive to the players first - then the fans will come. But I'm torn on them both.
Alford's a good hire because he wins in the regular season. Alford's a bad hire because he's flopped in the tournament with his best teams (3 No. 3 seeds bounced early). Enfield's a good hire because his style of play is fun to watch and lets guys plays. Enfield's a bad hire because he's inexperienced as a head coach despite his experience as an assistant in the NBA.
So time will tell. Let's see what happens in 2-3 years when their recruiting pays off. In the meantime, my friend and colleague Rahshaun Haylock reports on Steve Alford's opening presser over at Fox Sports West.
Oh and Reggie Theus might be the most sleeper hire a team can make this year. Cal State Northridge did a fantastic job taking a chance on a coach who knows the LA prep scene and can definitely recruit solid kids to a solid program.
Here's a fine feature on Theus from Jason Lewis, my successor as Los Angeles Sentinel Sports Editor.
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