[Matt Velazquez] Wojciechowski not anxious to fill roster spot

[Tugg Speedman]

Does it make any sense for a college head coach to "cut" the brother of his star recruit and potential lottery pick? 

Do you think it's possible the head coach was giving a player an honest assessment of what the player could expect regarding minutes the following year and the player would have none of that and left the team?

Again, that is a conversation you have in October, not in March a week after the season is over.  No one knows what kind of off-season Wally would have (good or bad) or what other players would do (good or bad). You cannot say that now.

Restated, what you said is probably how it was phrased, but its what it meant was "you're cut."

[wadesworld]

Again, that is a conversation you have in October, not in March a week after the season is over.  No one knows what kind of off-season Wally would have (good or bad) or what other players would do (good or bad). You cannot say that now.

Restated, what you said is probably how it was phrased, but its what it meant was "you're cut."

So...give Wally a school-year-long scholarship and then cut him right before the basketball season, guaranteeing that even if Walter wasn't locked into that scholarship for the entire year (which he would be) you couldn't do anything since the semester has started so you're not going to be able to add anyone for the basketball season that is a couple weeks from starting?  Yeah, that sounds like the much better option!

If the kid hadn't done anything in 4 years of college basketball to show he was a high major contributor (he hadn't) then his extra offseason isn't going to show the improvements necessary to contribute.

[brewcity77]

Still not a fan of how it went down, but what's done is done. Wally is gone and won't be back. Hope we find someone worth using the scholarship on. No one who is still debating this six weeks later is going to change their opinion on the matter, so why keep belaboring it? Nothing has changed since mid-April.

[TedBaxter]

Again, that is a conversation you have in October, not in March a week after the season is over.  No one knows what kind of off-season Wally would have (good or bad) or what other players would do (good or bad). You cannot say that now.

Restated, what you said is probably how it was phrased, but its what it meant was "you're cut."

That post-season conversation happens in 99.9% of D1 basketball programs.  Why should MU do anything differently?

[GGGG]

That post-season conversation happens in 99.9% of D1 basketball programs.  Why should MU do anything differently?

Because Heisey likes to argue.

[Lennys Tap]

Don't disagree.  However, there are still "shoplifters" who steal $500k worth of merchandise and those who lift $50.  Still a big difference in my book.

Think 500k would be considered grand theft not shoplifting but I don't disagree. My problem is when a guy rationalizes blatant cheating (visiting during a non contact period) by a head coach he likes but wants to tar and feather a head coach he dislikes when his ASSISTANT gives a kid a t shirt.

[NotAnAlum]

Why not sign someone first, cut to make room for them second?  Does that make more sense?

If you think the guy you have on the roster will be of very little use to you next season and you'd prefer to not deal with his "baggage" (parents expectations, practice conflicts) then NO you cut the guy first.  Its always easier to find someone when you have an obvious opening then it is to hope the word gets out that you're not happy with someone on a full roster and will create a position.

[Tugg Speedman]

If you think the guy you have on the roster will be of very little use to you next season and you'd prefer to not deal with his "baggage" (parents expectations, practice conflicts) then NO you cut the guy first.  Its always easier to find someone when you have an obvious opening then it is to hope the word gets out that you're not happy with someone on a full roster and will create a position.

So an empty schollie is better than keeping him.

A guy that logged 242 minutes this past season is now worth less than an empty schollie?

[brewcity77]

So an empty schollie is better than keeping him.

A guy that logged 242 minutes this past season is now worth less than an empty schollie?

We needed a power forward. The staff thought the chance to go after Gill, Young, and any other options they pursued was more valuable than the contributions Wally would bring to the table. Essentially, they banked that Reinhardt's addition would more than offset Wally's loss and hoped they could fill the scholarship otherwise.

I'm not a fan of the move, but I'd probably be less a fan of the staff offering Gill and Young when they had 13 scholarships spoken for and no alternate plan evident. I get why people wouldn't like it, but in a situation that likely was never going to end well, there's definitely a logical course that suggests this option was the least not well of the options available.

[jsglow]

Heisty, you're getting as bad as Ners was.  We understand your position on this.

[bilsu]

So far, Wojo's two recruiting classes have produced one top-10 team ranking and one top-20. Ipso fatso, I'm quite satisfied with Wojo's ability to recruit and to "read" recruits.

Landing numerous top targets and finishing second or third on a few others is similar to the kind of recruiting record blue-blood coaches have.

IMHO, while it's too early to judge Wojo a "blue-blood level" recruiter, it is FAR too early to question his ability to recruit.

All we can go on are facts. And the fact is that in his only two years at Marquette, he has recruited better than at least 95% of the coaches in America.

I do not think we can yet say Wojo is a great recruiter. I think you can generate a lot of enthusiasm when you come in as a new coach. Young Wojo vs. old Bo to me was a very appealing competition. Now it is Wojo vs. Gard and it will be interesting to see how that will work out. His second year he benefited greatly form Arizona St. decommits that were previously recruit by Johnson. I think this year's class is more attributable to Johnson than Wojo. I think next year's class will be more telling. We have a need for power forwards and centers and it will be interesting to see how well Wojo fills the available scholarships. There is significant playing time available at these two spots and there is enough talent at the other three positions to sell a recruit on the idea that he has a good chance to contribute right away on a good team.

[Herman Cain]

I do not think we can yet say Wojo is a great recruiter. I think you can generate a lot of enthusiasm when you come in as a new coach. Young Wojo vs. old Bo to me was a very appealing competition. Now it is Wojo vs. Gard and it will be interesting to see how that will work out. His second year he benefited greatly form Arizona St. decommits that were previously recruit by Johnson. I think this year's class is more attributable to Johnson than Wojo. I think next year's class will be more telling. We have a need for power forwards and centers and it will be interesting to see how well Wojo fills the available scholarships. There is significant playing time available at these two spots and there is enough talent at the other three positions to sell a recruit on the idea that he has a good chance to contribute right away on a good team.

Historically all successful coaches have an assistant who is a star at recruiting. So while it is true that Johnson has brought some good recruits in, that is part of his job for which he is well paid to do. Wojo has focused on high quality prospects as well. He did an excellent job of landing Hauser. I am becoming more convinced from everything I see and hear that Hauser is going to be a very good player for us.

[Lennys Tap]

Historically all successful coaches have an assistant who is a star at recruiting. So while it is true that Johnson has brought some good recruits in, that is part of his job for which he is well paid to do. Wojo has focused on high quality prospects as well. He did an excellent job of landing Hauser. I am becoming more convinced from everything I see and hear that Hauser is going to be a very good player for us.

Really? I think it would be more accurate to say that successful head coaches are stars at recruiting. Who were Al's, KO's and Buzz's "star recruiters"? Al, KO and Buzz. Assistants come and go. Off the top of my head I can't remember the "star assistants" who made great programs great over the years but I do remember Wooden, Knight, Tark, Dean Smith, Cal and Coach K were their own "closers".

[brewcity77]

For Buzz, Tony Benford and Aki Collins were both excellent recruiters. When they both left, Isaac Chew came in to take that role. It's really not worth hashing out the differences of how things were done 20+ years ago (though I'd suspect O'Neill and Al had plenty of help) but very few programs these days, even elite ones, don't have ace recruiters on staff. That's why guys like Slice Rohrrsen are in demand, and why guys like Steve Wojciechowski and Orlando Antigua are now head coaches and guys like Kurtis Townsend and Dwayne Stephens are retained for so long.

[Jay Bee]

For Buzz, Tony Benford and Aki Collins were both excellent recruiters. When they both left, Isaac Chew came in to take that role. It's really not worth hashing out the differences of how things were done 20+ years ago (though I'd suspect O'Neill and Al had plenty of help) but very few programs these days, even elite ones, don't have ace recruiters on staff. That's why guys like Slice Rohrrsen are in demand, and why guys like Steve Wojciechowski and Orlando Antigua are now head coaches and guys like Kurtis Townsend and Dwayne Stephens are retained for so long.

Agreed..shotout to CC as well, but I don't think MU fans appreciate BN's contributions as much as perhaps they should.

Great assistants can go along way.

[Disco Hippie]

Heisy: If you have some inside knowledge share it. Otherwise, everything you say is based on speculation, and your arguments are worthless.

As for Brad Stevens, why the hell would he want to leave the NBA for Duke? As another Scooper said, even if he got fired for some reason, he would quickly land another NBA job. Why would he want to follow a legend, deal with mommies and daddies again, etc.?

I'd bet on Wojo following K before Stevens, although I don't really think it would be Wojo, either.

I wouldn't bet on Wojo following K either.  That said, nothing would make me happier than to see Wojo back in Durham as head coach by 2022 or perhaps even earlier because the only way that happens is if he does an absolutely incredible job for us over the next 5-6 years.  You can't blame the guy for wanting to go back to his alma mater.   I remember in the immediate aftermath of his hiring, the scoop consensus was this will be short lived because he'll just go back to Duke in 6 yrs.  At the time I thought, we all better hope that's what happens, but I was new to scoop at the time and didn't have the courage to articulate that POV.  With few exceptions, high major D1 head coaches are transient lot and we all just need to accept that.  In MU's case I wouldn't underestimate the climate either.  Buzz didn't leave for a higher paying gig and even if O'Neill did, no one in Knoxville gave a damn about hoops at that time and only care marginally more there today.  Living in a place where it's the dead of winter 8/12 months a year takes its toll eventually (sorry couldn't resist)!  In all seriousness though, if WOJO gets the Duke head coaching job we'll be in excellent shape.

[hdog1017]

People must really be optimistic about Wojo to have him taking over Duke in a few years after his lackluster start coaching Marquette. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I'm kind of with TAMU on this. You have to cut the guy you know won't help before you go after guys who will. Even if you miss on the guys you go after you're no worse off as Wally was looked upon as a non contributor.

Xactly

[ChicosBailBonds]

There are degrees.  There are winning coaches who break NCAA rules, undermine their own university rules, when there are no rules to follow do whatever is best in respect to winning with no thought as to the impact to others.

On the other side, there are winning coaches who bend the rules,  try their best to follow the university's codes, and also have integrity, though may fail, like we all do, from time to time.

Let's not pretend there is no difference between shoplifters and mass murderers and simply say they are all criminals.

p.s. not disagreeing with you Chicos,  just adding

I agree entirely, there are degrees to everything, but using your example....shoplifters and murderers are both breaking the law.  Certainly one is much worse, but both are breaking the law.

[Golden Avalanche]

People must really be optimistic about Wojo to have him taking over Duke in a few years after his lackluster start coaching Marquette.

Seven game turnaround from year one to year two.
Doubled conference wins from year one to year two.
Started three Freshmen in Madison and won.
Swept Providence, a team that had two of the five best players in the conference.
6-3 neutral court record over two seasons.
Put two members of his first recruiting class on the All-Rookie team.
Landed the best in-state recruit in the 2016 class.
Landed a 4-star stud guard who reclassified his graduation so he could immediately play for Wojo.

It's a clown show.

[MuMark]

Brad Stevens will get the Duke job.

http://www.vigilantsports.com/2016/06/01/brad-stevens-inks-contract-extension-with-celtics/

[fjm]

Seven game turnaround from year one to year two.
Doubled conference wins from year one to year two.
Started three Freshmen in Madison and won.
Swept Providence, a team that had two of the five best players in the conference.
6-3 neutral court record over two seasons.
Put two members of his first recruiting class on the All-Rookie team.
Landed the best in-state recruit in the 2016 class.
Landed a 4-star stud guard who reclassified his graduation so he could immediately play for Wojo.

It's a clown show.

This is my favorite post. It's early but I'm excited to see what the silly wojo haters will say.
Let me guess:
"But he made them wear white shirts."
"He cut our 13th best player who averaged 1.9ppg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"He's white!"
"He doesn't cater to sweater vests."
"Wojo didn't personally sell enough season tickets!"
"Henry isn't the #1 over all pick, wojo is trash."

Stupid stupid stupid. Wojo has been great so far.

[bilsu]

I not going to argue about Wojo, but I think if Johnson took another job it could really big hit to Wojo's recruiting.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

I not going to argue about Wojo, but I think if Johnson took another job it could really big hit to Wojo's recruiting.

"I not [sic] going to argue about Wojo, but I'm going to imply all his recruiting success is really due to Stan."

[MuMark]

Wojo managed to get Henry, Cheatham, Carter, Rowsey and Hauser without Stan.

Don't get me wrong. Stan has done a great job but let's be real here.

Ps. Who gets the credit for hiring Stan away from ASU? I mean he didn't just show up here and start landing guys. He was recruited to MU by Wojo and Nelson.