Coach Williams is a great coach because. ..?

[connie]

In prior years, his adaptability has been a major strong suit. He's won fast, slow, and in-between. The job he did in '09 was incredible, given what they lost the year before. He won big last year with a team that couldn't shoot, because they completely outworked their opponents. Good recruiter, great motivator, good game coach.

On the flip side, I'm not crazy about the way MU has defended under Buzz. They are usually poor with their rotations and closeouts, and struggle with basic zone and man principles. I also have my concerns about how HS players have developed at MU.

On the whole, his record here speaks for itself. He's a good basketball coach, and like any of us has strengths and weaknesses.

I am too lazy to check if there were any changes to the amount of practice allowed in the intervening years from 09-14, but wonder if that played a role.  

[tower912]

1. The first 5 years of his tenure at MU hold up in pretty rarified air.  
2.  Winning in the Big East with the shortest team in memory in a high major conference.
3.   Winning despite losing Otule and Gardner.
4.   In game adjustment catching Boeheim flat-footed. (2013)
5.  Showing Brad an end of game defense he had never seen before in Butler II. (2013)
6.  69-39 record in 6 years in the Big East.     The 60-30 prior to this season was the best in conference over that 5 year span.   Some try to diminish the tournament by calling it luck.   You cannot diminish sustained excellence like that stretch.  
7.   Sweet 16, Sweet 16, Elite 8.
8.  Waltzing in West Virginia.
9.   Winning fast, winning slow, winning shooting lots of 3's, winning without making 3's, winning with good defense, winning with bad defense, winning against Boeheim, Pitino, Bo, JT III, Jay, Huggy, Brad, Calhoun...
10.   Showing Xavier a defense they had never thought of in the NCAA tourney.   Nice work, Jimmy.  
11.  Out performing expectations 83% of the time.  

[🏀]

And there's also the New Scoop Challenge.

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=34578.msg424021#msg424021

I forgot about this, so good.

[RushmoreAcademy]

My comments that started this thread are not only reaction to the just-concluded season, in which Marquette finished 17-15, 9-10.

Marquette basketball teams for years have tended to start games slowly, struggle to take control no matter the competition and play to the level of almost every opponent, including much-inferior teams. This was the case under Coach Crean and has continued under Coach Williams.

It is rare that Marquette blasts out of the blocks and controls a game from the start. And this season’s bizarre starting lineups, much-too-frequent substitutions and the obvious decision to not use certain younger players will always be baffling -- not the stuff of excellent coaching.

You're living in a college basketball bubble if you think we're the only good college basketball program with some of the problems you described.   

[Niv Berkowitz]

a) college is a guards game
b) MU lost it's starting PG, and surprisingly to many, their soon-to-be starting #1 and part-time #2
c) MU got in return it's 9th man from last year who got elevated to the starting #2

So yeah....I think he gets a friggin' mulligan.

[Ari Gold]

Can't we all just blame this season on LARRY Williams (and probably Pilarz)?
Now that we've cut him loose, we'll find our groove again next year. No more arbitrary rules Buzz has to follow

[Wojo'sMojo]

a) college is a guards game
b) MU lost it's starting PG, and surprisingly to many, their soon-to-be starting #1 and part-time #2
c) MU got in return it's 9th man from last year who got elevated to the starting #2

So yeah....I think he gets a friggin' mulligan.

The game changer and best defensive player he ever coached was always going to be his starting point guard...just like he will be next year as well.

[ecompt]

The game changer and best defensive player he ever coached was always going to be his starting point guard...just like he will be next year as well.

Buzz gets no mulligan next year if Derrick continues to play 30-plus minutes. Simply cannot happen.

[ChicosBailBonds]

The guy has had one sub par season in his six at MU. Why don't you withold judgement until he strings back to back clunkers? For now, Buzz has a pass in my book. He has an outstanding record in his six seasons at Marquette. This year was a major disappoint for sure, but don't be suprised to see him rebound next year. Nobody is more pissed at this season than the head coach.

A few years ago we had a nice run in the NCAA tournament, but so-so during the regular season. 

I think he's a good coach that does some things great and some things good to very good.  His teams never give up, bring great energy, work hard it seems.  Defense is a core philosophy, even if it doesn't always materialize on the court.  Team seems prepared for most games.  Certainly a motivator, is able to make some in game adjustments....though this year the lineups and such were puzzling.


My bigger concerns have been the development of high school players and the lack of emphasis on the PG or shooting positions.  That is my own personal bias because that style of basketball appeals to me.  Junior was a highly regarded point guard according to the experts, not sure he lived up to that billing.  He was good, at times very good, but not sure he was top 8 PG in his class good as some services had him rated.  Shooting, we just don't have good shooters and haven't by and large for some time.  Great athletes, not necessarily great basketball players.

[keefe]

Can't we all just blame this season on LARRY Williams (and probably Pilarz)?
Now that we've cut him loose, we'll find our groove again next year. No more arbitrary rules Buzz has to follow

F uck you guys!

[connie]

A few years ago we had a nice run in the NCAA tournament, but so-so during the regular season. 

I think he's a good coach that does some things great and some things good to very good.  His teams never give up, bring great energy, work hard it seems.  Defense is a core philosophy, even if it doesn't always materialize on the court.  Team seems prepared for most games.  Certainly a motivator, is able to make some in game adjustments....though this year the lineups and such were puzzling.


My bigger concerns have been the development of high school players and the lack of emphasis on the PG or shooting positions.  That is my own personal bias because that style of basketball appeals to me.  Junior was a highly regarded point guard according to the experts, not sure he lived up to that billing.  He was good, at times very good, but not sure he was top 8 PG in his class good as some services had him rated.  Shooting, we just don't have good shooters and haven't by and large for some time.  Great athletes, not necessarily great basketball players.

Are you referring to outside shooters or commenting more on efficiency?  I agree either way, just curious.

[Dawson Rental]

F uck you guys!

Nice job photoshopping his ring finger out of the shot.

[willie warrior]

The guy has had one sub par season in his six at MU. Why don't you withold judgement until he strings back to back clunkers? For now, Buzz has a pass in my book. He has an outstanding record in his six seasons at Marquette. This year was a major disappoint for sure, but don't be suprised to see him rebound next year. Nobody is more pissed at this season than the head coach.

17-15 in his most current effort.

[ChicosBailBonds]

F uck you guys!

We never missed the Sweet 16 or Elite 8 with Larry at the helm.  Coincidence...I think not.   

[ChicosBailBonds]

Are you referring to outside shooters or commenting more on efficiency?  I agree either way, just curious.

Outside shooters primarily.

[Jay Bee]

A few years ago we had a nice run in the NCAA tournament, but so-so during the regular season. 

I think he's a good coach that does some things great and some things good to very good.  His teams never give up, bring great energy, work hard it seems.  Defense is a core philosophy, even if it doesn't always materialize on the court.  Team seems prepared for most games.  Certainly a motivator, is able to make some in game adjustments....though this year the lineups and such were puzzling.

My bigger concerns have been the development of high school players and the lack of emphasis on the PG or shooting positions.  That is my own personal bias because that style of basketball appeals to me.  Junior was a highly regarded point guard according to the experts, not sure he lived up to that billing.  He was good, at times very good, but not sure he was top 8 PG in his class good as some services had him rated.  Shooting, we just don't have good shooters and haven't by and large for some time.  Great athletes, not necessarily great basketball players.

I'll point out that Junior had a major injury in the fall of his freshman year. That certainly impacted his career trajectory. How much? I'm not sure, but I have zero doubts that it did. (Also, he had a season-ending injury [foot] in December of.. 2007.... pretty sure it was the 2007-08 season.. high school.)

Junior also was not known for his shooting when being recruited. I get your personal bias, but I don't think in this case it was a "lack of emphasis on PG", rather Buzz brought in a PG who wasn't going to be a great outside scoring threat.

Duane Wilson on the other hand.. he can score and hit from outside. Noskowiak... he can score and shoot from outside. Derrick? He can't. So, I suppose you can look forward to that.

The lineups this year I can't tell you anything. Bizarre and they hurt the team relative to wins and losses.

Sustained success is difficult - even for the blue bloods. MU had a great run of consecutive tourney appearances. But we should be disappointed with the season overall - this team had plenty of talent and should have been a tourney team.

But years like this do happen. Forward we go.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Agree, forward we go and I'm very much looking forward to seeing some kids on the floor that can stretch the defense.  Be that Mr. Wilson, Mr. Nosiak, or whomever.  It will be a welcome site.

True on Junior as well. 

[El Duderino]

The guy has had one sub par season in his six at MU. Why don't you withold judgement until he strings back to back clunkers? For now, Buzz has a pass in my book. He has an outstanding record in his six seasons at Marquette. This year was a major disappoint for sure, but don't be suprised to see him rebound next year. Nobody is more pissed at this season than the head coach.

Yep

Al Davis of the Raiders lost it as he got older, but his "Just Win Baby" quote pretty much sums up sports, with the caveat though that college coaches also should help develop as many young kids into quality young men as possible by the time they leave a program.

Sure, there have been things over the years that Buzz has done coaching wise which frustrated me at times, but the bottom line is that he's won a lot of games and has had pretty good success in the NCAA Tournament. That overall success is by far what really matters most, not how he goes about winning those games, regardless if some fans disagree with stuff like who he gives minutes to or what players he recruits/doesn't recruit.

So until the day comes that say missing the NCAA Tournament becomes more of norm than aberration and other programs stop trying to hire him away, i'll continue being both very glad he's the Marquette coach and believe that he's clearly an above average overall head coach. Selective antidotes about why some fans don't care for his offensive/defensive systems or not recruiting X type of players won't ever trump the bottom line for me. 

[Lennys Tap]

Agree, forward we go and I'm very much looking forward to seeing some kids on the floor that can stretch the defense.  Be that Mr. Wilson, Mr. Nosiak, or whomever.  It will be a welcome site.

True on Junior as well. 

Mr. Nosiak? Who's he?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Mr. Nosiak? Who's he?

I think he was referring to Nick Noskowiak

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

1. The first 5 years of his tenure at MU hold up in pretty rarified air.  
2.  Winning in the Big East with the shortest team in memory in a high major conference.
3.   Winning despite losing Otule and Gardner.
4.   In game adjustment catching Boeheim flat-footed. (2013)
5.  Showing Brad an end of game defense he had never seen before in Butler II. (2013)
6.  69-39 record in 6 years in the Big East.     The 60-30 prior to this season was the best in conference over that 5 year span.   Some try to diminish the tournament by calling it luck.   You cannot diminish sustained excellence like that stretch.  
7.   Sweet 16, Sweet 16, Elite 8.
8.  Waltzing in West Virginia.
9.   Winning fast, winning slow, winning shooting lots of 3's, winning without making 3's, winning with good defense, winning with bad defense, winning against Boeheim, Pitino, Bo, JT III, Jay, Huggy, Brad, Calhoun...
10.   Showing Xavier a defense they had never thought of in the NCAA tourney.   Nice work, Jimmy.  
11.  Out performing expectations 83% of the time.  

12. Being an excellent representative of the program. The Buzz's bunch stuff is unmatched by any other coach I know.

Excellent list Tower. The bold line is the one that stands out to me the most. He outcoached the likes of Boeheim, Pitino, Wright, Dixon, JT3, etc for 5 years straight. That is pretty damn good.

Buzz absolutely gets a mulligan on this year. Hell, he gets another mulligan after this one. He has earned it. But I doubt he will need it anytime soon.

[mattyv1908]

12. Being an excellent representative of the program. The Buzz's bunch stuff is unmatched by any other coach I know.

Excellent list Tower. The bold line is the one that stands out to me the most. He outcoached the likes of Boeheim, Pitino, Wright, Dixon, JT3, etc for 5 years straight. That is pretty damn good.

Buzz absolutely gets a mulligan on this year. Hell, he gets another mulligan after this one. He has earned it. But I doubt he will need it anytime soon.

I don't like the term mulligan in this reference.  That implies that this year's results are forgotten.  This year's team needs to be taken in context, but in order to do so one must first view his early tenure in context as well.

I have yet to see one poster here think he should be replaced.

In my opinion, I don't think you can give Buzz significant credit for his first season with a talented, senior laden team someone else recruited and developed for three seasons.  The only credit he should get for that year is that he didn't blow it.

His second season he still had Hayward (crean recuit), although his patch work with the rest of the roster was great.  Still, his senior leader was a guy he didn't bring into the program.

Essentially Buzz has now had 4 complete seasons with entirely his team.  His transfers (Butler, Crowder, DJO, Buycks, Jamil, Lockett) have been his most successful players with the exceptions being Vander Blue and Davante Gardner.  All of those transfers are now no longer with the program beginning next season.  There is a difference between coaching a 19 year old out of highschool and a 20-21 year old with another couple years of maturity/development/strength.  It does concern me what is to come the next couple of seasons.

I would think Buzz has earned a six year honest evaluation, but to me that means that six year stretch should run through 2015-16 as he would deserve all the credit and all the blame as those six years would truly be his vision of the program he wants to run.

To anyone who questions this logic here's a question.  Did Tubby Smith win a championship at UK because he's a great coach or because he had great players recruited by Rick Pitino?

[keefe]

I don't like the term mulligan

I read The President's Club by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy. When newly elected Bill Clinton and Jerry Ford first met, the chosen venue was the links. The authors relate how Clinton took a mulligan on every hole, sometimes more than one, and routinely picked up 10' putts as gimmes. The straight-laced Ford was appalled by this behavior and completely disapproved of the man holding his former office.

Of course, the two found their cadence and established a superb relationship but Ford never golfed with Clinton ever again.

[muwarrior69]

He cares about his kids as people first; players second.

[melissasmooth]

he can walk from Milwaukee to Muskegon