JP tokoto and Marquette

[Ari Gold]

http://www.foxsportswisconsin.com/02/03/11/JP-Tokoto-on-possibility-of-Marquette-ge/landing.html?blockID=403733&feedID=5059

“Coach Buzz, he’s an awesome guy. I love coach Buzz,” Tokoto said as he began to chuckle. “He always says what he thinks and that’s a positive because you don’t want a coach telling you lies and just misleading you about anything. He says what’s on his mind and he tells the truth.

“He’s just a great guy. He seems like a great coach in practice. He’s cool, he’s calm and he’s collected. He actually coaches his guys. He doesn’t just yell at them, scream at them and tell them what they’re doing wrong. He’s positive. I love the way he coaches. I just love Coach as a guy.”

So you're saying there's a chance JP?

[MUfan12]

That's why I thought that top 5 list was bunk from the get-go. He, and his family, have spent a lot of time around MU for them to be ruled out.

Love that they were next to Juan at the Syracuse game.

[Ari Gold]

suppose I also owe you a hat tip for the original tweet of that article. Thought it should be shared too

[Tugg Speedman]

You forgot to quote this part ...

In the meantime, Tokoto has attended several Marquette home games this season, including the Jan. 29 win over Syracuse.

The “home vibe” that Marquette provides is just one part of what makes it an enticing possibility when making his decision.

“The pros definitely do stick out,” Tokoto said. “It’s close to home, it’s a great program and they play in one of the toughest conferences in the nation. It’s less than 20 minutes away from where I live at. It still feels like home even when I go down there to play open gym or just go watch practice or go watch a game.”

[snip]

Recently, Tokoto spoke on the phone with the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, John Wall. Wall played one season at Kentucky before exiting for the pros.

The conversation was set up by Trimble, who spoke with Wall during a recent Marquette game. Wall was in town to face the Milwaukee Bucks the next night.

“I was having a little problem with playing down to my competition’s level for a game, wasn’t playing as hard as I should have been, which I’ve fixed,” Tokoto said. “(Wall and I) talked about always just bringing it because you never know who’s watching. You never know if it’s their first time watching or their last time watching. You’ve always got to bring your ‘A’ game no matter who you’re playing.

“That was pretty inspirational,” he said with a laugh.

---

Again can we put to rest the BS on this board that our fans and/or the BC are a disadvantage. JP doesn't think so.  Further I'm guessing he's OK with all the well heeled alum (read "fat old white guys") sitting in the good seats and is not stressed out about how home game fans "look" on TV.

Also, as I have repeatedly said, a Brandon Jennings and/or John Wall counts for way more to a potential recruit than stupid organized chants by the student section.  It seems to matter to JP.

Buzz, want your top recruit next year?  Schedule a home game the day before the Heat plays in Milwaukee and ask D Wade to bring Lebron to the game and sit your recruit between them.

Lastly, I'm sure DJO's relationship with John Wall helped JP get a call into him.  

Your move Roy.

[77ncaachamps]

That Bron...Wade thing...damn. That can SERIOUSLY lure in WHOMEVER MU wants.

Imagine being a prepster and then touring the Al when you see Wade and Bron shooting around. You get to shake hands, talk shop, get signatures, and play a "friendly" game of HORSE.

Priceless.

Back to the Tokoto quote... sounds like a little of Buzz is rubbing off on him: "I just love Coach as a guy.”
Totally something Buzz would say.

[Tugg Speedman]

... and then a followup call from Doc Rivers telling him how great Marquette is, but the recruit has to put him on hold to take Wes' call where he explains how Buzz was a major reason he is the highest paid second year player in the NBA.

[texaswarrior74]

... and then a followup call from Doc Rivers telling him how great Marquette is, but the recruit has to put him on hold to take Wes' call where he explains how Buzz was a major reason he is the highest paid second year player in the NBA.

That would be a major recruiting violation....in case you're not kidding....

[77ncaachamps]

That would be a major recruiting violation....in case you're not kidding....

Well, not if they "happen" to call Buzz while the recruit is in his office. Right?

[BCHoopster]

The biggest bump was meeting Juan Anderson at the game.  I know it is hard in a two hour environment
to get a feel for each other, but this summer, if Juan does come to summer school,  they can figure out
each others game and see if they can have fun playing together.  As Al stated,  players recruit players.
I still see it as a long shot, but you never know.  Mike Shaw seemed to like Buzz as well.  It does not seem
JP has as many handlers as Shaw had.  The other issue that is important to any recruit is playing time.  It
seems that Otule will be around in 2 years at center, with Wilson at one forward, the other forward will be
a wide open race with many hands wanting it.  The best player will win, do you want to compete or be given
the starting spot, that will not happen.  Everybody thought Vander would be starting, the rumor was that Buzz
stated to him, the starting spot was his, not.  Even at the Pro-Am, you could tell Vander was not as good as
Jimmy, DJO or Dwight.

[Tugg Speedman]

That would be a major recruiting violation....in case you're not kidding....

Maybe as I laid it out, but their are ways to make it happen legally (if it is deemed helpful).  You think the John Wall call to JP happened all by itself and the fact that DJO is such god friends with Wall that he came to the DePaul game is merely a coincidence?

[GGGG]

The difference is that Rivers is on the MU Board of Trustees.  John Wall has no connection to the MU program.  My guess is that Wall was talking up Kentucky anyways.

[MerrittsMustache]

Not to mention that North Carolina doesn't have any former players in the same stratosphere as Doc Rivers and Wesley Matthews! 

Let's just calm down on that front.

[Stretchdeltsig]

To AnotherMU84 - loved your comments.  Would love to see JP play for Marquette.  A lot of our problems that we are experiencing this year will go away if we have great players on the team.  It will be a great boost to hear JP say that he is going to Marquette!

[reinko]

To AnotherMU84 - loved your comments.  Would love to see JP play for Marquette.  A lot of our problems that we are experiencing this year will go away if we have great players on the team.  It will be a great boost to hear JP say that he is going to Marquette!

100% disagree.

[Tugg Speedman]

Not to mention that North Carolina doesn't have any former players in the same stratosphere as Doc Rivers and Wesley Matthews! 

Let's just calm down on that front.

I hear what your saying but Wesley is not a former player, unless something happened this morning I missed.

Now I'm not trying to diminish UNC (OK I am) but the hottest player in the NBA is D Wade.  LeBron does what Wade tells him to do.  One of the hottest second year players is Wes.  The hottest coach in the NBA might be Doc.

Now UNC has more bodies in the NBA, but none of them have this kind of start power.  UNC has more old guys that played in the NBA but 18/19 year old kids don't care about old guys.  Larry Brown does not get High School seniors attention like Doc.

Look we have advantage on this front.  Exploit it!

[GGGG]

100% disagree.

Yes.  The problems with have with defense is a coaching issue.  We played much better defense under Crean and O'Neill, and their teams were arguably less talented.

[Tugg Speedman]

Yes.  The problems with have with defense is a coaching issue.  We played much better defense under Crean and O'Neill, and their teams were arguably less talented.

Sure its not fact that we have played more top 10 teams in the last month than we did in the five years combined under O'Neill?

[GGGG]

Sure its not fact that we have played more top 10 teams in the last month than we did in the five years combined under O'Neill?

Positive.  The problems with Buzz and defense have been well documented...furthermore if you compare Crean's BE schedule and Buzz's, they are about the same and Crean's teams played way better defensively.

[Tugg Speedman]

So Crean is a defensive Guru and Buzz is an offensive Guru.  So, if Crean stayed and Buzz was still an assistant, he would have the best of both worlds and MU would number #1 this week, not OSU?

[GGGG]

So Crean is a defensive Guru and Buzz is an offensive Guru.  So, if Crean stayed and Buzz was still an assistant, he would have the best of both worlds and MU would number #1 this week, not OSU?

I have no idea.  I just know that our defense needs to be better and I place most of the blame for the problems at Buzz's feet.  Either he is teaching poor schemes or he is not getting good schemes across to his players.

It isn't a question of player talent.

[kmwtrucks]

James, was a much better defender than anyone we have at the PG, and that kind of sets or D back. I think it has more to do with personal then anything.  Crean's team that was down 20 at half to Kansas was not a great Def team at least that day.  The next year when Travis went down they lost to W Mich and looked like a Div 3 team.  

The one thing I will say is we at times play great D for 25-30 seconds and then allow them to break us down or foul late in the shot clock.  I think this is a problem with most teams.  Its hard to play great d for 35 seconds.   I would say coming out of Timeouts on last possesion plays we have been terrible, and Buzz really needs to work on that.  Against Wash he under played there best player, against Ville he overplayed him.

[GGGG]

The one thing I will say is we at times play great D for 25-30 seconds and then allow them to break us down or foul late in the shot clock.  I think this is a problem with most teams.  Its hard to play great d for 35 seconds.  

This is a cop out.  The shot clock is no longer for MU's defense than it is for any other team in college basketball, yet we are a poor defensive team. 

[babytownfrolics]

James, was a much better defender than anyone we have at the PG, and that kind of sets or D back. I think it has more to do with personal then anything.  Crean's team that was down 20 at half to Kansas was not a great Def team at least that day.  The next year when Travis went down they lost to W Mich and looked like a Div 3 team.  

The one thing I will say is we at times play great D for 25-30 seconds and then allow them to break us down or foul late in the shot clock.  I think this is a problem with most teams.  Its hard to play great d for 35 seconds.   I would say coming out of Timeouts on last possesion plays we have been terrible, and Buzz really needs to work on that.  Against Wash he under played there best player, against Ville he overplayed him.

According to Pomeroy, the 2003 team was #1 in offensive efficiency, and #101 in defensive efficiency.

2004:  42 offense, 159 defense
2005:  73 offense, 129 defense
2006:  31 offense, 54 defense
2007:  49 offense, 31 defense
2008:  24 offense, 10 defense
2009:  9 offense, 51 defense
2010:  22 offense, 57 defense
2011:  6 offense, 83 defense

some pretty good years for Crean but otherwise a mixed bag.  Buzz is clearly better offensively.  Regression this year on defense is concerning but 2009 and 2010 seems was likely due to lack of size.  This year I'd say inexperience on the perimeter is the problem.

[4everwarriors]

I hear what your saying but Wesley is not a former player, unless something happened this morning I missed.

Now I'm not trying to diminish UNC (OK I am) but the hottest player in the NBA is D Wade.  LeBron does what Wade tells him to do.  One of the hottest second year players is Wes.  The hottest coach in the NBA
 might be Doc.

Now UNC has more bodies in the NBA, but none of them have this kind of start power.  UNC has more old guys that played in the NBA but 18/19 year old kids don't care about old guys.  Larry Brown does not get High School seniors attention like Doc.

Look we have advantage on this front.  Exploit it!

Right, and all this doesn't mean stink in recruiting.

[BCHoopster]

MU for sure has defensive issues.  Three big time games in the last years all were lost on lay-ups, why, because MU tries to
double team down low or plays the man so far out on the court, basically in your face D.  Secondly, on the high pick and roll,
Otule and Crowder seem to pick up a cheap foul every game, that is 30 feet from the basket, that is ridiculous. Thirdly, why
not play more zone so the bigs do not get ito foul trouble?