From College HoopsNet
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During his tenure in Milwaukee, Crean has shown the ability to recruit highly-ranked high school players, such as Travis Diener, Steve Novak, and his present trio of sophomore guards - Dominic James, Jerel McNeal, and Wesley Matthews, Jr. He’s already landed commitments from other Top 100 players - Trevor Mbakwe and Nick Williams - in the 2007 and 2008 classes, respectively.
He’s also displayed a knack for recognizing some “under-the-radar” players, exemplified in the extreme, of course, by Wade. Marquette’s staff was the only high-major team in the Midwest, let alone the nation, to offer the future all-pro a scholarship early in the recruiting process. Obviously, their vision paid off. Similarly, Crean offered present freshman Lazar Hayward a scholarship long before the former prep school standout became a national recruit who eventually attracted the attention of both Boeheim and Calhoun, among others. And Crean’s latest “steal” may be freshman David Cubillan, who already has national media types mentioning him as the fourth guard when praising MU’s elite backcourt.
However, Marquette is not necessarily the right place for any player as Crean has taken some gambles in recruiting that haven’t panned out. All four of his recruits in the Class of 2003 transferred within two years, for various reasons, as did two players in the Class of 2002 and one in the Class of 2004. Prospective playing time was an issue in some instances, as it often is in transfer situations, but others simply were unwilling to put forth the consistent effort that Crean demands.
Crean has also demonstrated that he can develop talented players to play at the next level. None of the three former MU players now in the NBA was projected as a future pro when he started college, yet Wade is the prevailing public face of the NBA, Diener has made the most of limited minutes with Orlando, and Novak has a chance to become a major contributor down the road at Houston. Present sophomore guard Dominic James will likely be a first-round pick either this year or next.
Besides attracting and developing players, however, Crean has improved as both a practice and game coach. He has earned a reputation as being extremely demanding during practices, but players who have bought into his vision have helped Marquette establish a reputation for physical and mental toughness. Teams facing Marquette both last season and this season know they are in a battle from opening tip to final horn as Crean’s players have become the epitome of the term “warriors,” the school’s former nickname.
Despite its recent upset loss to North Dakota State, Marquette has reestablished itself as a major player on the national scene under Crean’s leadership. If James sticks around for another season, Marquette fans could see their team make another Final Four appearance sooner rather than later.
