Are the Bucks in the playoffs a good thing for MU?

[Wade for President]

I don't remember the last time I heard the Bradley Center as loud as it was in Game 4 against the Hawks...and I live 400 miles from the Bradley Center.  While watching that game, I couldn't help but think how a competitive Bucks team can only be a good thing for Marquette (hear me out on this).  Given how tv & media exposure drives everything in the world of sports, having Milwaukee relevant in the basketball world in the month of May is a bonus (and frankly something that many of us aren't use to).
 
From entertaining potential recruits @ a game (the infamous MUScoop quote, "this will help recruiting"), to scrimmages with Bucks players, to national exposure of Milwaukee & the Bradley Center, to encouraging the youths of Wisconsin to play basketball (kind of a reach I know, but more big picture stuff).  It's obvious that Buzz's national recruiting footprint is hundreds (if not thousands) of miles away from Milwaukee.  Shedding some light on Milwaukee outside of the college basketball season, can only be beneficial in my eyes.
 
Assuming that the Bucks can build around the youth of Brandon Jennings and Bogut, at worst, this might temper those past thoughts/rumors of the Bucks leaving Milwaukee.
 
Am I way off on this...or simply a diehard MU fan who loves seeing the BC rocking at any opportunity possible?
 
 
 

 

 

[TomW1365]

I guess it can't hurt... but it'll take a championship (post Kareem) to make the Bucks relevent to incoming recruits.  How often does MU scrimmage with those guys? 
Either way, I'm happy for my Milwaukee brotheren to have the Bucks back in the playoffs.  When I was up in Milwaukee for the ND game, I told my buddy: "You're gonna love John Salmons.  He's a game changer.  I'm sorry to see him go from the Bulls... You'll enjoy the playoffs this year because of that guy."

[Benny B]

When I asked Rosiak if playing in an NBA arena was a recruiting advantage, he didn't respond with an emphatic "yes."  His response was more along the lines of how suiting up down the hallway from an NBA team may be appealing to some recruits, but cited the yet unknown "Brandon Jennings factor" as possibly being a draw for MU at some point in the future.

Based on Rosiak's opinion (which is not gospel, but definitely credible), I would say that the Bucks' developing a nationally-recognized star player would play to MU's advantage, but not necessarily the Bucks' playoff success.  The Bucks are great if you're recruiting Wisconsin kids who are Bucks fans.  But 99% of the recruits Buzz is chasing aren't Bucks fans.

However, having an elite player kids can look up to will help in the recruiting of anyone who is a fan of the game.  For example, not all of the recruits out there are Lakers fans, but 99% would jump at the opportunity to meet Kobe.  If Jennings could earn even half of Kobe's star power in the next 3-5 years, I'd be willing to bet that the appeal of dressing on the "same side of the velvet rope" as him would catch a few recruits' attention.

[larrym]

Brandon Jennings will only reach those heights with success in the playoffs.  That's when people take notice.  So in that way, Bucks playoff success could pay off some.

Also, I know the Hawks have been practicing at the Al during their time in Milwaukee.  They may do that because they can practice in the gym with no windows, so they may not allow even MU officials in there.  But that would be something that could stick out during a recruiting visit.  "Yeah, I saw the Hawks practicing when I was there."  Or The Magic (Dwight Howard), Cavs (Lebron), etc.

[GOMU1104]

Obviously the Bucks being successful is important, but I'm not sure it really has a big impact on recruiting.

Where the Bucks come in, and the impact they on recruiting, is in the summer time when the players participate in open gyms and other workouts. Being able to workout with NBA players is a nice perk.