More interesting Donavan

[Marquette84]

After Donavan made his first final four as coach at Florida in 1999, he failed to make it past the first weekend for the next five seasons--
2001: Lost by 21 to Temple (2nd round)
2002: Lost to Creighton (1st round)by 1 in overtime
2003: Lost by 22 to Michigan State 2nd round game
2004: Lost by 15 to Manhanttan in the first round
2005: Lost by 11 to Villanova  in the 2nd round.

I would guess that 20+ point blowouts to MSU and Temple, or losing at all to the likes of Manhattan would be considered at least as upsetting as a 12 point loss to Michigan state.

I wonder if Donovan was criticized in 2005 as much as Crean has been this year? 

[The Lens]

So we can expect Coach Crean to sign Joakim Noah & Al Horford in the next year or two?

[NateDoggMarq]

Unless Mbakwe becomes Horford lets not try to make that comparison

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I think the comparison is apt.

It takes years to build a program. UF and MU both had great runs in 2000 and 2003 respectively, but I think the numbers show that it takes some time to reload and build up the program again. Obviously MU has had a couple of NITs where UF had 1st round exits, but I think the overall comparison still works.

Very few teams and coaches can make deep tourney runs every year, and it’s usually teams with well established coaches and traditions of winning.

Billy is dynamite at what he does and has built a monster team in the past 3 years.

Let’s see what Crean can do in the next 3 years at MU.

[ozmetal71]

Good comparison.  Also, with Florida being a football school, I think that Donovan got more of a pass as well.  I think that most of the problems that the small minority of our fan base has with Crean are due to the fact that those "fans" are stuck in the McGuire era and fail to understand the reality of MU hoops and college basketball in 2007.

Crean should be criticized, but he's the best thing we've had in a coach since McGuire, and the Marquette program needs coaching stability to continue to entrench itself as a contender in the Big East.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Considering we've had two big "studs" in the last 25 years with 5 different coaches, I'd say it's unlikely we will recruit anyone like Noah, etc.

This is also why the push by some here to move Crean out is so incredibly stupid.  It takes stability, but as 5 coaches in 25 years have proven...getting a stud big man to come to MU isn't exactly as easy as some here on this board make it out to be.

[augoman]

interesting comparison.   most telling that Florida at least won a game in the tourney now and then..., have we? 

[The Lens]

Considering we've had two big "studs" in the last 25 years with 5 different coaches, I'd say it's unlikely we will recruit anyone like Noah, etc.

Well KO recruited at least 4 studs...RC, Mac, Key & Amal.  Deane-o recruited Lovette.  TC has RJax (1year) & Merrit and Merritt peaked as a junior and regressed as a senior.  You make it like b/c we're MU we physically can't recruit a stud.  But George Mason can have Jai Lewis?  Bradley can have Patrick Bryant?  Purdue-Carl Landry? Northwestern-Evan Eshmeyer?  I don't think those schools are any better than MU?  Why can we recruit great guards but not big men? Heck I'd take Andy Polka from Loyola.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Considering we've had two big "studs" in the last 25 years with 5 different coaches, I'd say it's unlikely we will recruit anyone like Noah, etc.

Well KO recruited at least 4 studs...RC, Mac, Key & Amal.  Deane-o recruited Lovette.  TC has RJax (1year) & Merrit and Merritt peaked as a junior and regressed as a senior.  You make it like b/c we're MU we physically can't recruit a stud.  But George Mason can have Jai Lewis?  Bradley can have Patrick Bryant?  Purdue-Carl Landry? Northwestern-Evan Eshmeyer?  I don't think those schools are any better than MU?  Why can we recruit great guards but not big men? Heck I'd take Andy Polka from Loyola.

RC was a transfer and not recruited by MU. RJax was also a transfer, I don't count him either.

Amal was a throw-in recruit if you will recall that developed very late and played well his senior season, but was not a "stud" when we recruited him.  He was a project, much like many players we have gone after. Some develop into "studs", but no way in hell was Amal a stud.  He barely even played in high school.

By the way, we offered Polka a scholarship to Marquette.  Of course, if we had landed him people here would have bitched a fit.  Look at the schools that offered him.  http://www.chicagosports.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?sport=2&pr_key=42002

Lehigh, UWM, Loyola, Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois, Illinois State

We also offered Landry a scholarship.  They chose to go elsewhere.

We have recruited plenty of bigs, haven't gotten them.

How did Northwestern get Evan...he wanted to go to one of the top 25 academic schools in the country.  MU didn't make the grade.  It happens.

Patrick Bryant....check out his recruiting rankings in high school...if we had recruited him at Marquette the nay-sayers here would have said "another project" because that's what he was.  Some kids take the next step.  According to his bio..."Patrick was lighted recruited"

Jai-Lewis....here is who Jai-Lewis was down to for his decision on schools....St. Bonaventure, East Carolina, Drexel, Central Connecticuit State, Robert Morris, Towson. 

http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?sport=2&pr_key=4252

Now I can just hear the experts on this board if we landed Jai Lewis over those schools...you guys would be pissing on Crean 24/7 and don't even pretend you wouldn't.  You guys would scream bloody murder that we landed a "big" over Towson and Robert Morris.


So yes, I understand your frustration, but you can't have it both ways.  We are recruiting bigs and have been for a long time.  The guys you mentioned, people would hang Crean on a lampost for signing some of those guys out of high school.

Last I checked we have 3 bigs coming this year, with one a "stud" per the high school rankings. We'll see how he pans out.

My "stud" recruiting rankings over the last 20-25 years at MU (yes, more than 2 players..I concede) would be as follows

Damon Key
Jim Mac
Merritt (though only ranked 85th in the RSCI)
Blankson (I'd argue he was a 3 more than a 4)
Powell
Grosse (yes, if you can believe it he was a top 75 recruit...what a BUST)
A few more potentially under Majerus

Not exactly Big Central.  Fortunately some guys came on while others never lived up to their billing.  The college basketball landscape is littered with them.  Ron Curry a classic example of someone that Arizona thought was not living up to their standards.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I would be nervous if Donovan doesn't take UK, which I don't think he will.

[mu_hilltopper]

BUT .. would Crean (or any tier 1 coach) want to be UK's second (or third, or fourth) choice?

[ChicosBailBonds]

BUT .. would Crean (or any tier 1 coach) want to be UK's second (or third, or fourth) choice?

Yes.

[TallTitan34]

I noticed 4everwarroiors sat this thread out.