i actually agree with everything you said after this, but this part isn't true. i really wish that i could expound more, but i can't do so without outing/doxxing the former players who've told me some stories about Shaka. the bottom line is this (and i've alluded to this before)- i know for a fact that Shaka, who does represent the university well and who puts up a pretty great public image, has a nasty habit of playing mind games with/freezing out guys who aren't "his guys". whether it's a player he inherited, or a player who for whatever reason found himself at odds with Shaka, coach Smart has treated some of his players in some seriously immature and at times downright fucked up ways. like, you'd be upset and angry and like, "ok, fuck Shaka Smart" if you knew what i know. again, this is such lame shit for me to be posting; i know that. i wish i could get more specific, but i can't.
here is something i can say though- during the entire six years that Shaka was here, how many of his starters were ever demoted or benched, and how many of his bench players ever *earned* a larger role? we all know that these things rarely happened during Shaka's time as HC here, and that is emblematic of what i'm talking about. if you're one of Shaka's guys, what can you do to get benched? to lose minutes? to have your role reduced? unfortunately, the only answer (which is "cross Shaka Smart") has nothing to do with on-court performance. his guys are his guys, and the other guys don't matter.
Jordan Barnett and James Banks? Shaka had no use for them; G Tech and Mizzou were very happy to take them off his hands. Prince Ibeh? gets no PT until Cam breaks his foot. Turns out to be the Big XII DPOY. Royce Hamm and Brock Cunningham? these dudes couldn't even get meaningful run in November/December games, and then all they did was save Shaka's job when injuries forced him to play them during the stretch run of Big XII play. Demarcus Holland and Kendal Yancy? Holland went from the team captain, senior leader, first-in/last-out, Big XII all-defense team member to being demoted and actually sat out of games that he was healthy for. Yancy rode the pine on our 11 win team until Shaka said "fuck it" and played him and it turned out that he was one of our more steady, calm, and consistent players. Greg Brown gets upset with something and, as sometimes happens with teenagers, needs to be calmed down. the result? he plays a total of 6 minutes vs ACU in a game where they outrebound us on the offensive glass 18-5. Matt Coleman could have taken three consecutive shots from half court and not been punished at all, but GB III needs to be taught some lesson for being upset with Shaka, in the most important game of Shaka's career no less.
meanwhile, Ramey and Jones will pull up from 23 feet with 25 seconds left on the shot clock with Texas down by 7 with 2:30 left and it doesn't move Shaka's needle. Matt Coleman can *disappear* for an entire half or more, and there will be no discernible amount of coaching, benching, teaching, nothing from Shaka. Matt will just play his standard 35 minutes and he'll either figure it out at some point or he won't. Ramey can aimlessly drive, leave his feet, take a bad shot/turn the ball over three times in five possessions, and Shaka doesn't notice. meanwhile Royce Hamm breathes wrong and he's out of the mix.
again, i seriously wish that i could tell specific stories without doxxing people who trusted me with said stories, but i can't. all i can do is point to the above anecdotes and hope that y'all can connect the dots here with regards to Shaka being this "great man". if you're his guy, he's your mentor and role model. if you aren't, then the guy can be a total charlatan who fucks with your head and tries to gaslight you into submission. there are certainly worse guys out there- he's no Gregg Marshall- but he's not the guy he portrays himself to be, and i won't be rooting particularly hard for him moving forward.