[Cracked Sidewalks] Answer to MU Scoop Question: All-Time MU Starting 5 and Updated Top 50 Players

[bamamarquettefan]

One thing in Dean's defense is that Al elected to go to the N I T in 1969-1970 instead of the NCAA tournament. They won the NIT championship but Dean most likely would have led them to the final four that year.

I hate to be a wet blanked on the NIT champs, but I just keep coming back to the fact that they did not beat a single ranked team all year.  As good as they were, that puts them in that Murray State category of, "they sure look like they could beat anyone, but how can you tell?"

I have to say Goose is absolutely right.  Travis Diener is ranked higher in the book even after giving Doc Rivers extra credit for a fantastic NBA career, and since Travis was also a true point guard he really should be the 3rd team player.

On Rosenberger, true he gets more shots so he could be a bit higher into the double figures, but I just can't buy him moving from 131st, where I have him now, to 10th.  But, we will never now until we are in Heaven with Al :-)

[Goose]

Blackheart
The 77-78 team was stacked no doubt but think we lost a beat without Bo, who was an unbelievable college player, and about three hundred beats without Al.

As for Dean and Butch debate, apples and oranges to meet. Different positions and different skills. For money it would be awfully difficult having all MU team and not having Butch as starter. I loved the Dream and seeing him hold NIT trophy on his head is in my memory for life. That said, the SI cover of Butch going up for layup was vintage.

Kind of surprised on lack of Brute Force love. If you polled players from that general era George would be really high on their all time list. Best part of all this is we have a great list to debate. Al spoiled us old guys and hopefully in 20 years we are adding Burton to the list of all time greats.

[Goose]

4ever
Right on about Al being the slickest guy in any room he graced. The man was light years ahead of the times and lucky enough to be part of it will talk about him until they die. I got into a three hour conversation with a real MU glory day insider Wednesday night at MU legacy night and everything we talked about always came back to Al. We talked so much glory years he and his wife and my wife and I missed the parents meeting. Fortunately we were able to move from first party into the second party.

By the way the "insider" was a big Connie and Coco fan as well!!!!!

[Lennys Tap]

Here are those glorious weeks:  w/o 1/26/72 through 2/2/72

http://statsheet.com/mcb/rankings/AP?id=1971-01-26

Doc - I think that's 1/26/71 and 2/2/71 (70/71 team) where we're #1. That year we hit #2 in early January and were 1 or 2 the rest of the year (finished #2 even after losing to OSU in the regionals)

[Dr. Blackheart]

Doc - I think that's 1/26/71 and 2/2/71 (70/71 team) where we're #1. That year we hit #2 in early January and were 1 or 2 the rest of the year (finished #2 even after losing to OSU in the regionals)

You of course are correct, sir. I was looking dgies info up and got confused on the dates, which is easy for me. This was Chones's sophomore year, not the year he left early ('72).  Also this exercise reminded me that Chones lost only one game at Marquette.

[4everwarriors]

Goose, that SI cover with Butch on it hangs framed in my office.

[dgies9156]

Goose, that SI cover with Butch on it hangs framed in my office.

And downstairs I still have two copies of the Sentinel and the Journal from THE day in Marquette history.

Those papers need some recent vintage friends. Don't they?????

[bamamarquettefan]

Agreed, and watching the DVD of the title game made me a little nostalgic for NBC sports, and the chance they may be viewing the big east as their way to break back in after their phenomenal olympics.

I know the ESPN coverage on sports center would get non-existent, but it just seems alright to have MU back on NBC like in 1977.