WTMJ says MU is down to four

[NYWarrior]

Buzz, McKillop, Brownell and Lowery

http://www.620wtmj.com/sports/17321564.html

[Marquette_g]

My preferene ranking of the candidates:

1.  Brownell
2.  Buzz
3.  Lowery
4.  McKillop

Maybe I'm just convincing myself, but it would seem that Buzz would have the highest potential to actually land a McDonald's All-American for MU.  However, I still think Brownell brings more to the table.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Brownell is tops on that list for me, followed by McKillop to be honest.

[SCWarrior]

We need to really look hard at Lowery.........look at his body of work.  The MVC is an extremely competitive conference -> my only concern is his recruiting.  In his fourth year he had his worst season with presumably all his recruits.

[Daniel]

I am still amazed we can't get Bennett, Miller etc. even interested in a serious discussion about this opening. 

[SCWarrior]

Miller is too expensive with his $2 mill buyout, MU will walk away from that every time.........Bennett is shocking to say the least - with his ties to the state, plus the salary that Crean established MU will pay, Bennett not giving us a good solid look doesn't make sense.

[dwaderoy2004]

haven't you guys learned your lesson with crean.  just because a guy publicly says he's not interested doesn't mean a thing.  not saying these guys are coming here, or maybe they have turned us down, but they very well may still be in play, but are leveraging for more money.  this is a business where the coaches hold all of the power...

[Tugg Speedman]

I am still amazed we can't get Bennett, Miller etc. even interested in a serious discussion about this opening. 

No coach is going to publicly entertain another job.  He does that and he'll never be able to recruit another player again, ever.

We will never know how seriously they thought about MU.

[MUSF]

I am shocked that I am saying this but I am leaning toward Buzz out of those 4. He provides the most continuity, obviously, but probably the highest ceiling as well. It would definitely be a risky higher and he is the most likely of the 4 to fall flat on his face but he could also be great.

Lowery, McKillop, and Brownell just smell a lot like Mike Deane to me.

[Pardner]

Brownell is tops on that list for me, followed by McKillop to be honest.

Does anyone have a recruiting line on this guy?  I have heard he is all x's and o's...a mid minor with a NCCA trip to a mid jump makes me wonder if that is his rap and confirms some chatter.  I am sure MU is looking hard at that with him.  I worry he is another "Piano Man".  If we don't have a decent recruiter in the BE going against Pitino, Dixon, Wright, Calhoun, JT III, etc. we are in deep trouble.  He seems to be the best basketball, school guy of the bunch.

Lowery scares me.  His team was favored to walk away in the MVC this year and fell flat...his recruits are in and out and back in again...and his runs have been with other's recruits.  

The circle still takes me back to Buzz...let's see if a "surprise" pops in at the F4, though.

[91Warrior]

I have no idea what station I was able to pull in (Madison, I think?), and they were talking to the basketball coach from UW-Whitewater.  Now, before you dismiss this, keep reading.    The radio guys were stating their disbelief at how MU had been turned down by the guys they have approached even though we're in the BE, have the Al, basketball is king, etc.  UW-Whitewater coach speculated that Bennett may be holding out for an offer from LSU because his wife is from Baton Rouge.  No comments on the other candidates.

   

[Big Papi]

In baseball terms, Buzz could be homerun or a bad whiff.  The rest on that board are singles with a chance to leg out a double.  With that list, I say swing for the fences.

[Pardner]

I have no idea what station I was able to pull in (Madison, I think?), and they were talking to the basketball coach from UW-Whitewater.  Now, before you dismiss this, keep reading.    The radio guys were stating their disbelief at how MU had been turned down by the guys they have approached even though we're in the BE, have the Al, basketball is king, etc.  UW-Whitewater coach speculated that Bennett may be holding out for an offer from LSU because his wife is from Baton Rouge.  No comments on the other candidates.

The bigger mistake MU made was not hiring his dad when we hired Dukiet.  IMO, I think Bennett is a rare breed...a coach who is a man of his word.  More so, if he wanted LSU, it would be best for him to leverage the MU talk to his advantage.  It sounds like Ford is the guy with his connections to the new LSU AD...but they are really taking their time.

We'll see.  When are the F4 games?

[Daniel]

There was a great write-up on McKillop - sounds like a great coach - but do't know about his recruiting capabilities.

This is such a tough decision.  This is not like when we hired Crean.  Marquette was nothing when we hired him - that's why, I think, he likes the IU job - whit eknight rides in to save the day.  But now Marquette IS in the national spotlight, IS a competitive team, IS in the top third of one of the best conferences in the country - so can we "take a chance" with an assistant again?  I don't know.  There is more at rick today than ever I think.  We need to make a great choice here and recruit our fannies off for a great coach, whoever that is.  If it's Buzz, then we run with it.  But we need to give MU the best chance at continuing our success.

[4everwarriors]

You hit it right on. Tony isn't considering MU since we wouldn't give his father an interview when he was at UWGB.

[bma725]

You hit it right on. Tony isn't considering MU since we wouldn't give his father an interview when he was at UWGB.

That wasn't the case at all.  MU tried to gauge his interest after O'Neill left and Bennett declined. 

[4everwarriors]

bm, check the record, I think you'll find Dick Bennett excited himself over coaching at MU around the time Hank fell in love with Dukiet.

[MarkMiller]

4everwarriors: Do you know the Bennett family? Do you really think they would hold a grudge against Marquette for more than 20 years? I have spoken to Dick, Tony, Jack and Nick many times. They all have good things to say about Marquette as a school and its tradition in basketball. Sorry, but you're wrong on this one.

[Pakuni]

haven't you guys learned your lesson with crean.  just because a guy publicly says he's not interested doesn't mean a thing.  not saying these guys are coming here, or maybe they have turned us down, but they very well may still be in play, but are leveraging for more money.  this is a business where the coaches hold all of the power...

Crean never publicly denied interest in the Indiana job. Or any job, for that matter. His standard line was that he won't discuss other jobs.

[RawdogDX]

Brownell would be great, Mickillop just convinced a lottery pick to star around another year so he'd be a liar if he left, and the ink isn't dry on Lowery's 7 year extension, if he took another job he'd be a bad person.  

out of those four Brownell is a considerable step above the rest.

[Pakuni]

bm, check the record, I think you'll find Dick Bennett excited himself over coaching at MU around the time Hank fell in love with Dukiet.

Why would MU have given Bennett an interview in 1986? Was his 5-23 record in his first season as a Division I coasch (1985-86) so overwhelmingly remarkable that Raymonds was a fool not to snap him up immediately?

Nobody knows how Bennett might have fared, but there was absolutely nothing at that time to indicate he would have been a successful coach at Marquette or even deserved an interview. His only season at a lower D-I level had been a disaster and he had almost no experience coaching or recruiting, even as an assistant, at a D-I level and zero at a high D-I level level.

If Steve Cottingham hired a candidate today with the qualifications and experience Dick Bennett possessed in 1986, you and I would both be part of a mob gathering outside the Al with torches and pitchforks.

And, FWIW, Cords did make a run at Bennett when O'Neill left. Bennett declined.

[79Warrior]

Miller is too expensive with his $2 mill buyout, MU will walk away from that every time.........Bennett is shocking to say the least - with his ties to the state, plus the salary that Crean established MU will pay, Bennett not giving us a good solid look doesn't make sense.

I do not think Benne's lack of interest is shocking at all. MUs a good program, but not one a coach who is happy where he is will leave for. Bennett is in the PAC 10 and likes WSU. He passed on IU also. Hardly a shock at all. Same can be said for Miller, the buyout has nothing to do with it. miller never expressed interest.

[Tugg Speedman]

Good point. 

For all those hyperventilating about Miller, Benett and Grant saying no.  They all said no to IU as well; with Bennett the most public.  So why is it such a black eye that they also say no to MU?  And if none of them go to LSU or Okla State, does that mean those programs suck?

So, I guess the defintion of a sucessful program is determined by these three coaches.

[mwbauer7]

It is not all over the National Media, so I'd say it's not really a black eye.

[mwbauer7]

Thinking more about this I am REALLY underwhelmed if this is truly our "final four"

I'd like to see us reach out to Scott Drew as well...