When assistant coach Howard was suspended prior to the Baylor game because of indiscretions involving recreational substances, there was a lot of spirited discussion involving the moral, social and legal ramifications of his behavior, especially in light of the fact his job centers on the mentoring of highly impressionable college kids. There was also much speculation as to whether or not Snacks should/would lose his job. As we all know, Coach Howard received a 2-week suspension and, if I'm not mistaken, is due to return to the bench for the Texas game.
It seems to me that, in all of the back and forth on this board about CH after the Baylor game, someone raised the question of whether or not Snacks' absence from the team affected our performance. Recall: we were on the verge of being blown out at home by Baylor in the first half, getting down by 13 points or so before recovering a pulling out the win. The question was never fully tackled on this board and I don't recall seeing any post referencing the inquiry since. If it's there, my apologies. Since the CH suspension and Baylor win, KU has lost 2 of 3 and has looked lifeless, listless and downright terrible in stretches despite having so much to play for.
So, I raise the question again for further discussion: Has Coach Howard's absence affected this team more than anyone is letting on, or are there simply too many variables (i.e. normal ebb and flow of a season, home vs. away games, quality of opponent, etc.) and too much statistical "noise" to suggest as such?
