MU meets with Martin

[keefe]

I am going to, attempt at least, punch is the mouth

I thought the preferred weapons of choice here on Scoop were hatchets and stench

[chapman]

Excellent Recruiter?  No......  He's never had a top 25 recruiting class.  

Top 25 Offensive and Defensive Efficiency - All the teams in this group have won over 30+ games.  Tennessee only won 24.  That's a huuuuuuuuge red flag.  You have a team that is elite, yet is not playing like an elite team.  If I'm not mistaken, I believe former football coach Ray Rhodes had a team that was top 10 in defense and offense in the league, but failed to make the playoffs....  the only coach in NFL history to do that.  Martin, would have been the first coach to be ranked top 20 in offense and defense to not make the tourney..... and FYI - they almost didn't!!!   That is scary!!!  

+1.  Two good recruits does not a reputation make when the rest weren't anything special.  The others with the efficiency distinction: 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 4 seeds.  How does the other go 11-7 in the 7th best conference and limp into a play-in game?

[keefe]

More like an easy grounder, bobbled by the SS.  E6.

He plays for the Mariners?

[GooooMarquette]

What is going on here?  Am I missing something? Martin is not a coach that can bring us to the next level!  I'm not seeing it.  Crean and buzz moved us in a better direction than what we had prior and now we are risking our future with a guy who was about to be booted at ut? Come on people!  I'm perplexed. I know it's politically correct to be positive but this is shouting disaster and too many people aren't seeing it.  I'm sorry and I know I'm going to get killed for it but its my honest feeling and need to vent.

Bingo!

[Litehouse]

While Martin doesn't have a huge track record of great recruiting classes, I've been surprised to see him named with a lot of the big time recruits we've been after lately.  He was a finalist and considered a legitimate option for Looney, and he's been recruiting Stone.  He's certainly getting recruit's attention, the question is if he can start landing more of them.

[Silkk the Shaka]

While Martin doesn't have a huge track record of great recruiting classes, I've been surprised to see him named with a lot of the big time recruits we've been after lately.  He was a finalist and considered a legitimate option for Looney, and he's been recruiting Stone.  He's certainly getting recruit's attention, the question is if he can start landing more of them.

Come to Tennessee! You'll be third in line behind a mediocre SEC football team and our women's basketball team!

vs.

Come to MU! We have a HOFer still playing in the league, several other players in the NBA, a final 4, elite 8, 2 S16's, and a string of tournament appearances since 2000, and a national title banner in the rafters! Oh, BTW, you're by far the biggest show on campus - we don't even have football.

[Windyplayer]

Excellent Recruiter?  No......  He's never had a top 25 recruiting class.  

Top 25 Offensive and Defensive Efficiency - All the teams in this group have won over 30+ games.  Tennessee only won 24.  That's a huuuuuuuuge red flag.  You have a team that is elite, yet is not playing like an elite team.  If I'm not mistaken, I believe former football coach Ray Rhodes had a team that was top 10 in defense and offense in the league, but failed to make the playoffs....  the only coach in NFL history to do that.  Martin, would have been the first coach to be ranked top 20 in offense and defense to not make the tourney..... and FYI - they almost didn't!!!   That is scary!!!  

What's the red flag? I don't get it. Some breaks didn't go their way and they lost some games. Please point out where the losses can be directly attributed to Martin. He put an excellent product on the floor on offense and defense. What more can you ask for.  

[WadeATKBurton]

What's the red flag? I don't get it. Some breaks didn't go their way and they lost some games. Please point out where the losses can be directly attributed to Martin. He put an excellent product on the floor on offense and defense. What more can you ask for.  

Bingo!

[LAZER]

Excellent Recruiter?  No......  He's never had a top 25 recruiting class.  

Top 25 Offensive and Defensive Efficiency - All the teams in this group have won over 30+ games.  Tennessee only won 24.  That's a huuuuuuuuge red flag.  You have a team that is elite, yet is not playing like an elite team.  If I'm not mistaken, I believe former football coach Ray Rhodes had a team that was top 10 in defense and offense in the league, but failed to make the playoffs....  the only coach in NFL history to do that.  Martin, would have been the first coach to be ranked top 20 in offense and defense to not make the tourney..... and FYI - they almost didn't!!!   That is scary!!!  

Does Howland's SI article scare you?  Is that a red flag?

[Windyplayer]

Come to Tennessee! You'll be third in line behind a mediocre SEC football team and our women's basketball team!

vs.

Come to MU! We have a HOFer still playing in the league, several other players in the NBA, a final 4, elite 8, 2 S16's, and a string of tournament appearances since 2000, and a national title banner in the rafters! Oh, BTW, you're by far the biggest show on campus - we don't even have football.

Exactly. Given the tools, I have faith in this guy.

[WadeATKBurton]

Bingo!

They say HELL NO to Martin and just NO to Wojo and Wardle. Kind of rubs me the wrong way.

CUONZO IS A GOOD COACH!!

[Litehouse]

Someone on the Dodds board posted this...
http://tonybasilio.com/index.php?page=tony&b=1854
Not sure it's accurate, but it's an interesting perspective.

I've come to peace with a Cuonzo hire.  Not "impact" or exciting, but sounds like a solid, safe hire, and we could continue moving forward.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Someone on the Dodds board posted this...
http://tonybasilio.com/index.php?page=tony&b=1854
Not sure it's accurate, but it's an interesting perspective.

I've come to peace with a Cuonzo hire.  Not "impact" or exciting, but sounds like a solid, safe hire, and we could continue moving forward.

That site says Broeker is the acting AD....one wonders how credible it is.

[Dawson Rental]

Of course not. MU is no where close to the top tier. That's what I've been saying...and getting slammed for. It's not negativity...it's reality. MU certainly has some things to sell, but it also has a lot of disadvantages to overcome. Guess that's why MU will soon be introducing Martin as their next coach. Dick Strong's millions don't buy as much as they used to.

Well in this case, Strong's millions would be buying another program's HC instead of another assistant.  Maybe you weren't a Marquette fan during the Crean and Buzz hires.

[MUDPT]

+1.  Two good recruits does not a reputation make when the rest weren't anything special.  The others with the efficiency distinction: 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 4 seeds.  How does the other go 11-7 in the 7th best conference and limp into a play-in game?

Bad luck.  They outscored teams in the SEC by 0.14 points per possession.  Florida outscored teams by 0.21.  Kentucky by 0.08.  So they were way better against a similar schedule then Kentucky was.  As for the play in game, the committee is fueled by biases.  Makes you wonder how the BCS is somehow going to be better this year without computer input.

[Golden Avalanche]

That site says Broeker is the acting AD....one wonders how credible it is.

Also, they're the only site to report publicly the Bennett interest and, subsequently, the Bennett turn down.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Well in this case, Strong's millions would be buying another program's HC instead of another assistant.  Maybe you weren't a Marquette fan during the Crean and Buzz hires.

I have a belief in why and several folks I know at MU concur.  Somewhat about control....when you hire an assistant and you are bankrolling it, you get to mold, influence, mentor that young coach because he isn't established yet. 

[Litehouse]

I don't necessarily believe what he's saying from the MU side, but I thought the UT perspective was interesting, how he really just wasn't a good fit.  Makes it easier to understand why UT is OK letting him go.  Another one of those AD wants to hire his own guy situations.  Also, if Broeker is really the one pushing Cuonzo, I'd probably go with his judgment over Lovell and the others.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

What's the red flag? I don't get it. Some breaks didn't go their way and they lost some games. Please point out where the losses can be directly attributed to Martin. He put an excellent product on the floor on offense and defense. What more can you ask for.  

Martin - Cons

Didn't beat an opponent while they were ranked all year.
Played Florida 3x and could never get within 5 pts.
Couldn't play a close game with Kentucky either, even when Kentucky was dealing with trials and tribulations of freshmen
Lost to Texas A+M twice ... Dear Lord !!!
Tournament Resume - Beat Mercer and Umass.  Whooopdy Dooo

Of all the teams that finished top 20 in defense/offense:
Louisville, Wichita St., Arizona, Florida - all won 30 games or more.  

There are too many holes in his resume and people are attaching Sweet 16 run to guaranteed success.  What I stated above, is not the resume of a good/great coach.

[brandx]

I'm glad I haven't sent my donation in yet.  It's stamped and ready to go.  All I have to do is take the check out once they make this dopey hire.  If he can't recruit in that conference he certainly won't recruit in this one!  Maybe dick strong can put in for me this year!

In a conference where only Florida & Kentucky recruit big-time, he recruited more 5-stars in just 3 years than Buzz and Crean did in 15 years combined - so I would be interested in your opinion on being able to recruit.

[Windyplayer]

Martin - Cons

Didn't beat an opponent while they were ranked all year.
Played Florida 3x and could never get within 5 pts.
Couldn't play a close game with Kentucky either, even when Kentucky was dealing with trials and tribulations of freshmen
Lost to Texas A+M twice ... Dear Lord !!!
Tournament Resume - Beat Mercer and Umass.  Whooopdy Dooo

Of all the teams that finished top 20 in defense/offense:
Louisville, Wichita St., Arizona, Florida - all won 30 games or more.  

There are too many holes in his resume and people are attaching Sweet 16 run to guaranteed success.  What I stated above, is not the resume of a good/great coach.

Really, you're blasting him for losing to two Final Four teams right now. And he had plenty of solid Ws this year to offset some ugly ones--see UVA, @LSU, Mizzou, etc. And let's not forget that he beat Iowa in the tournment as well, a top 25 team for most the season. Again, give me a coach that can establish a top 25 offense and defense and I'll roll with it.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

Really, you're blasting him for losing to two Final Four teams right now. And he had plenty of solid Ws this year to offset some ugly ones--see UVA, @LSU, Mizzou, etc. And let's not forget that he beat Iowa in the tournment as well, a top 25 team for most the season. Again, give me a coach that can establish a top 25 offense and defense and I'll roll with it.

    His top 25 offense/defense is a fluke.  If you're top 25 then you should be ranked in the top 25 and not have to be in the playoff game.  The stats you quote don't justify the outcome.   

[Silkk the Shaka]

    His top 25 offense/defense is a fluke.  If you're top 25 then you should be ranked in the top 25 and not have to be in the playoff game.  The stats you quote don't justify the outcome.   

It seems to me like the less than expected record was more of a fluke, not the other way around.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

It seems to me like the less than expected record was more of a fluke, not the other way around.

Please substantiate your argument.  I'm curious to know why you think the losses they suffered were flukes. 

[Silkk the Shaka]

Please substantiate your argument.  I'm curious to know why you think the losses they suffered were flukes. 

Because that's what the KenPom rankings are supposed to do - provide a predictive performance value separate from W/L record. A team ranked ~25 losing by 1 at home  and by 3 in OT at TAMU as well as by 4 at Vandy & by 5 @ Mizzou is more of an anomaly. Their efficiency ratings are not a fluke, they just are what they are.