MUScoop
MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: pittisit98 on April 08, 2008, 06:40:36 AM
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I've been monitoring this site since Crean bolted. Being a PITT fan, I was curious as to who would take over this THORN IN OUR SIDE PROGRAM. Needless to say, while I TOTALLY LOATHED TOM CREAN, ever since he and MR WADE knocked PITT out of the dance way back when, I respected him as a coach. I cannot say that I'm disappointed to see him go.
That being said, and after a week of reading the speculations and wishes of the MU FAITHFUL, let me toss this out for you all to ponder.
When Ben Howland left PITT for UCLA, there was widespread speculation about who would be the next head coach. Skip Prosser, Calipari, were amongst the names reported to have been contacted.
The Administration decided to promote an assistant with NO HEADCOACHING experience in Jamie Dixon.
I would say that worked out kinda well for them.
Continuity is more important than most people realize.
Give the guy a chance.....
(so long as MU tanks against PITT) ;)
GOOD LUCK
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Thanks PittSit... you have a great point and thanks for helping bring some sanity back to the board here. I think most of the folks wanted a known commodity but it seems as if there were no known commodities that were interested in coming. I personally would have preferred Chris Lowery of SIU but alas we must deal with the hand we were dealt. If Buzz turns out to be another Jamie Dixon, I think we will be all very excited.
We'll be very tough next year as I suspect most of our team will be back. The true test for this program will be in 2009. Hopefully by then Buzz will be able to have settled in and turn some of success in some stud national recruits. Some folks forget that Crean was never really able to turn our Final Four run into any stud national recruits.
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Barry Rohrson, who was PITT's UBER-RECRUITER in NYC stayed on with Dixon when he was named Head Coach. (Rohrsen is now HC at MANHATTAN) So the Pipeline from NYC to PITT was maintained for a couple seasons. But the last couple years, DIXON has made inroads into other basketball hotbeds to find recruits.
All things being equal, PITT and MU are in similar positions. While they're experiencing great recent success, they are NOT going to land every McDonald's All American who comes down the road. Pitt has had great success taking the overlooked kids with great athleticism and a blue collar work ethic and selling them on a concept of strong defense, and passing the ball, and then passing it one more time for the shot.
Maybe that's why I shudder when the MU/PITT game is played
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I agree pittisit98,
Mr. Dixon has done alright for himself out East...I take it the initial reaction was pretty much the same after Big Ben's departure...
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Looking at this hire from the outside, Buzz would never get a look. Like Dixon or Cowher or McGuire or when Collins was fired in the middle of the build up to the Bulls run and replaced by Phil Jackson. Three reasons for this hire, for better or worse:
1. National Recruiting pipeline....Al opened up NY for MU. This is Milwaukee people. We have two Wisconsin players with scholarships on the roster. This is the only data on Buzz we can hang our hat on. Let's see if he can deliver.
2. Continuity--we could have a ranked team and we had a top 20 recruiting class. Let's see what we can salvage. Buzz wanted to be here in a big way. Let's see where it takes us. I cannot believe the six year deal, but the BoT obviously approved it. Great for recruiting.
3. Loyalty and ethics. For better or worse, Fr. Wild always goes with what he knows and rewards loyalty. I don't see MU running around like IU under covert operations to steal a coach or pay huge $$ for buy-outs. Previous head coaches that we hired came from Catholic schools. The #1 priority for him is to win the right way (academics, ethics). MU is all about a objective morality, have you noticed? Not subjectivism.
Let's see where this takes us. Something tells me this is a good hire.
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Buzz wanted to be here in a big way.
Reports that he threatened to leave if he didn't get the HC job would imply otherwise.
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The Administration decided to promote an assistant with NO HEADCOACHING experience in Jamie Dixon.
I would say that worked out kinda well for them.
Continuity is more important than most people realize.
I think Dixon was at Pitt for more than 9 or 10 months before he became HC. I'm not sure that hiring Williams says "continuity" with much conviction.
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Buzz wanted to be here in a big way.
Reports that he threatened to leave if he didn't get the HC job would imply otherwise.
I am referring to the fact that Bennett, Miller et al didn't even want to talk to us and TC took a powder without allowing for a counter. And, why would he want to be here with a new coach who knows he was the second choice and would be a threat to him if he took it? Of course he would move on.
Of all our choices, only two had upside for the MU job: Buzz and Lowery. Mu stayed with the guy who was here and has high potential upside...anyone else, and we have a three year or more for sure (if the wrong choice) hangover. MU rolled the dice with Buzz..and yes, he wanted to be here in that HC job. That tells me we should give the guy and his family our support. P&Ming here isn't going to help us with our recruiting or making the guy feel he is welcome. All indications are he will give us his all. To me, that is what MU is all about.