Things couldnt have gone much worse for Josh Pastner, Coach Calipari's former assistant coach at Memphis. Three months ago, he was one of the most sought-after assistant coaches in the country. Since then, fate has dealt him a cruel hand.
At first, things were going great. Calipari left Memphis for Kentucky, and Pastner was presented with a choice. It seems likely he would have been in line to follow Calipari to Kentucky to serve as assistant coach, but he was offered the head coaching position at Memphis.
Since then, however, it would seem Pastner's luck has changed. While it can be debated as to whether or not he realized he would lose some or all of Calipari's massive recruiting haul, the fact remains that DeMarcus Cousins, Xavier Henry, and Darnell Dodson all decommitted from Memphis. As well, he lost out in the John Wall sweepstakes. These losses were signifigant, but they were only the beginning.
Accusations of academic fraud have made things even worse. These accusations, while likely having nothing whatsoever to do with either Pastner or former Memphis coach Calipari, nonetheless have become a media sideshow, and as such, have made life extremely difficult for the Memphis coach, as he attests to in an interview he gave to MyFoxMemphis. He was adamant, however, that it would not affect the future of the program. He wanted to get that message out to as many recruits as possible.However, at least one of those recruits, isnt sure. Per Zagsblog, Latavious Williams appears to be wavering on his decision to commit to the Tigers, in light of the recent accusations. “I’m still committed,” he said Friday by phone. “Right now they’re looking into that [allegations that someone else took the SAT for former point guard Derrick Rose]. I’m going to take my time and chill out.” Williams also said that Europe still remained a viable option if his grades were to get red-flagged by the NCAA.
“If they red-flag then I’ll go,” he said.
It is unfortunate for such a bright young coach, considered by many as one of the best potential young coaches out there, to be hit with so much adversity so early in his career. Don't be surprised, though, if Pastner is up to the challenge.
