Recruiting as of 3/15/24

[BCHoopster]

I think Doc is correct, either Wojo cannot recruit or he is not a high level coach. IMO, he has done OK in recruiting, but unable to coach at high enough level. While I do not like the talent level he has recruited, I believe a top tier coach could win with the kids he has recruited.
He needs far better talent or needs to up his coaching skill you a wide margin. I still think he might be able to up talent level and that might be his only shot at being a winner that we want him to be.

Wojo was a name that people new when he first stepped into the job.  After 5 years, there are question marks on his recruiting and coaching ability.  I agree, when you can not hit on local kids, since there are so few of them, thats a bigger problem.  Much like Greg Gard, can not keep the
homegrown talent around.  MU became bigtime in the 70's when they got Jimmy Chones, it put them into a different level.  As much as we like
Markus Howard, not sure he can do it alone.   The bigger question, to all you haters, who would you want to be the next head coach at MU?

[jesmu84]

The key to success at a program like MU is to be able to identify recruits who are slightly undervalued and  project for  material improvement. So basically signing a 3 star kid and getting 4 star performance out of him. This requires two things,1)a good eye for talent and 2)an in house operation for building the talent.

There was a great thread  a while back started by TAMU about wanting our Kamar Baldwin. Some people mistook that for saying he wanted Kamar over our guards.  That was not the point of the thread,  the point was getting All Big East level production out of an overlooked recruit.  Davante was a great example of this kind of recruit in our recent history.

One of the reasons I gravitate to the more unsung recruits is they have that upside potential.  MU is an attractive school for those kind of players.

I actually agree with you Herm. Question is though, how many players like this exist? As in, what does the data show is a realistic chance at grabbing these types?

[MuMark]

Today is the first day that coaches can call 2021 recruits so we should be seeing some updates

https://twitter.com/jakeweingarten/status/1139932981911531520?s=21

[Jockey]

Virginia didn't have better players than Duke did, but they did have a better team.

I don't necessarily agree. Each team had 2 1st team All-ACC players. Duke's Big 2 were better than Virginia's Big 2. I think the rest of Virginia's roster was better than Duke's.

Tre Jones? Maybe an end of roster guy in the NBA.

Reddish? Maybe he reaches his potential in the NBA - I am not convinced. But, he was a disaster on the floor for Duke last year. A brutal shooter with pedestrian numbers in other areas. Kyle Guy was a better player and a better rebounder at 6'2" than Reddish at 6'8".

Diakite? Better than any Duke post player.

Duke had the better player Zion, by far. To say they had better players is a bit of a stretch to me.

[esotericmindguy]

The bigger question, to all you haters, who would you want to be the next head coach at MU?

I don’t run an athletic program, but who the hell was wojo? Assistant from a high level school. You’re telling me MU can’t attract other high level assistants? Let alone an accomplished HEAD coach from a mid major? If that’s the case stop spending so much money on basketball. It’s not hating, this has been a bad 5 year run. Not sure how you spin it any other way.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

This hasn’t been a “bad” five year run. It’s been at times disappointing and not up to ultimate expectations, but it’s hardly been bad.

[Dawson Rental]

Wojo was a name that people new when he first stepped into the job.  After 5 years, there are question marks on his recruiting and coaching ability.  I agree, when you can not hit on local kids, since there are so few of them, thats a bigger problem.  Much like Greg Gard, can not keep the
homegrown talent around.  MU became bigtime in the 70's when they got Jimmy Chones, it put them into a different level.  As much as we like
Markus Howard, not sure he can do it alone.   The bigger question, to all you haters, who would you want to be the next head coach at MU?

That's the question.  Expectations were forged during the McGuire years, but much has changed.  No coaches like McGuire waiting to be plucked from a Belmont Abbey where the team had to play all  their games on the road because they had no home arena.  No talented recruits from New York so short on offers that they'd go somewhere like Belmont Abbey because their AAU coach knew McGuire.  No schools like Kentucky refusing to recruit African-American players because their coach was racist.  Marquette refusing to learn the ins and outs of paying players under the table and not getting caught.  McGuire himself saw the writing on the wall and knew when the time to leave was arriving. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Today is the first day that coaches can call 2021 recruits so we should be seeing some updates

https://twitter.com/jakeweingarten/status/1139932981911531520?s=21

Keep that Minnesota pipeline going

[Galway Eagle]

This hasn’t been a “bad” five year run. It’s been at times disappointing and not up to ultimate expectations, but it’s hardly been bad.

This especially if you change it to 4yrs. At the end of the day Belmont and depaul sucked in year 2 but that was a 20 win season which is successful. It was the lack of postseason that disappointed. Year 3 was ok, we made the tournament but we all wanted to at least be respectable. Year 4 was disappointing but 9/10 times we make the tournament with our resume in my opinion. Year 5 was great for almost the whole thing we again just wanted a respectable tournament appearance

[BCHoopster]

That's the question.  Expectations were forged during the McGuire years, but much has changed.  No coaches like McGuire waiting to be plucked from a Belmont Abbey where the team had to play all  their games on the road because they had no home arena.  No talented recruits from New York so short on offers that they'd go somewhere like Belmont Abbey because their AAU coach knew McGuire.  No schools like Kentucky refusing to recruit African-American players because their coach was racist.  Marquette refusing to learn the ins and outs of paying players under the table and not getting caught.  McGuire himself saw the writing on the wall and knew when the time to leave was arriving.

One point you are wrong on, Al did pay players to come to MU.

[MUfan12]

This especially if you change it to 4yrs. At the end of the day Belmont and depaul sucked in year 2 but that was a 20 win season which is successful. It was the lack of postseason that disappointed.

I agree on giving year 1 a pass, but that 20 win team played a trash-ass schedule. No way I'd call that season a success.

[Galway Eagle]

I agree on giving year 1 a pass, but that 20 win team played a trash-ass schedule. No way I'd call that season a success.

I'm not saying it was a success but wins over Prov and WI were solid as hell. I think we had 4-5 wins over tournament teams? Just saying there was a decent amount of wins.

[brewcity77]

I agree on giving year 1 a pass, but that 20 win team played a trash-ass schedule. No way I'd call that season a success.

It served its purpose, no more, no less. We got to put the 20-win notch in Wojo's cap, he showed he could get someone to the NBA, but despite some enjoyable wins, it wasn't one for the record books.

I look at that as a foundation for the past three years, and the past three years as a foundation for something better. And if this is as good as it gets, Wojo will be sent packing.

[79Warrior]

I don’t run an athletic program, but who the hell was wojo? Assistant from a high level school. You’re telling me MU can’t attract other high level assistants? Let alone an accomplished HEAD coach from a mid major? If that’s the case stop spending so much money on basketball. It’s not hating, this has been a bad 5 year run. Not sure how you spin it any other way.

Dukiet was a bad run.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

I don’t run an athletic program, but who the hell was wojo? Assistant from a high level school. You’re telling me MU can’t attract other high level assistants? Let alone an accomplished HEAD coach from a mid major? If that’s the case stop spending so much money on basketball. It’s not hating, this has been a bad 5 year run. Not sure how you spin it any other way.

I agree but would say it in a slightly more nuanced way.  Its the worst 5 year run this century - which coincides with the reinvestment behind bball by Fr. Wild.  I don't know why that is controversial.  KenPom can be one source that would support that.

Am I more optimistic than the late 90s with Deane.  Of course.  Wojo is a better recruiter and Marquette has improved the facilities, the conference, and there is more momentum and money behind the program. 

[damuts222]

Marquette offered Kendall Brown SF 2021 from Minnesota.

https://247sports.com/Player/Kendall-Brown-46057211/

[Jay Bee]

Courtney Brown committed to Milwaukee today (‘19 kid). His brother Kendall (‘21) is a top 25 guy.. would like to see us with strong involvement. The brother angle is nice, as is the Baldwin angle. #Pray

His older bro is ballin for Milwaukee

[muguru]

https://twitter.com/jakeweingarten/status/1139990417619992576

[Cheeks]

Wojo was a name that people new when he first stepped into the job.  After 5 years, there are question marks on his recruiting and coaching ability.  I agree, when you can not hit on local kids, since there are so few of them, thats a bigger problem.  Much like Greg Gard, can not keep the
homegrown talent around.  MU became bigtime in the 70's when they got Jimmy Chones, it put them into a different level.  As much as we like
Markus Howard, not sure he can do it alone.   The bigger question, to all you haters, who would you want to be the next head coach at MU?

Per Chones, the only reason MU got him was because MSU’s coach died of a heart attack.

On the local kid stuff, the kids we are missing on are going to the elite of the elites.  MU hasn’t exactly landed a bunch of those guys for many years...with some exceptions.  Henry was one, we got him.  Joey was one, we got him and he left.  Most of the top 40 guys have left the state to go to North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, UCLA....unless their coaches start having heart attacks, that is where they will continue to go.  Better weather, better programs, more coeds, etc, whatever you want to fill in the blanks with

[Cheeks]

One point you are wrong on, Al did pay players to come to MU.

Maybe, maybe even probably...but Jim Chones said he didn’t.  I got to work with Jim several years, felt he was telling the truth.  But one will never know.  I’m sure $100 handshakes with alum were going on.

[Cheeks]

I don’t run an athletic program, but who the hell was wojo? Assistant from a high level school. You’re telling me MU can’t attract other high level assistants? Let alone an accomplished HEAD coach from a mid major? If that’s the case stop spending so much money on basketball. It’s not hating, this has been a bad 5 year run. Not sure how you spin it any other way.

Bad five years?  Lol

He was the number 2 assistant in the country....how do you know how the other assistants would have done?  You simply don’t...no one can know that.

[MuMark]

https://twitter.com/coreyevans_10/status/1140007731794812929?s=21

[MuMark]

https://twitter.com/verbalcommits/status/1140013634439045120?s=21

[BCHoopster]

Maybe, maybe even probably...but Jim Chones said he didn’t.  I got to work with Jim several years, felt he was telling the truth.  But one will never know.  I’m sure $100 handshakes with alum were going on.

The first New York boys got paid, not sure later on

[79Warrior]

The first New York boys got paid, not sure later on

So you were there?