Father Wild & Buzz

[Pakuni]

The majority of possessions in 2008 were still consumed by James, McNeal, Matthews, Hayward, and then even Acker.  There were a lot of constants between the two teams. 

Fine, but what does the majority of possessions have to do with the defensive numbers you cite?
And wouldn't it be correct to assume that the efficiency of those possessions is influenced by, if not somewhat dependent upon, who else is on the court when those possessions occurred? I'm not a numbers guru, but would it not stand to reason that, for example, Mo Williams possessions are going to be more efficient with LeBron James on court alongside him rather than Jamario Moon?
(note: obviously not saying Ooze is LeBron to Burke's Moon, just tossing out an extreme example)

Yes, there were plenty of constants, but it still wasn't the same team.

I believe that the team could achieved similar results, because the team, returning a tremendous amount of experience, was still good the year before.

As I said, you may very well be correct. Probably are correct. But it's really just speculation, either way, and it's not accurate to compare last year's figures with that of the previous year's team because the on-court situations were, while similar, not quite comprable.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Wes himself thanked Buzz for "unleashing" him for his senior year. Ask Wes under whose coaching he played better.

Yup, no question about it (though he also elaborated on that comment about a week later in the press).  Different system, different role, he was able to freelance more. 

I'd still like to know what games we won last year that we wouldn't have under the previous regime.

[Lennys Tap]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that sees that.  To compare the two considering the baseline jump off point is ridiculous.

But it's a tired argument.  I'm glad TC, as horrible a recruiter and coach as he was, left us with Lazar, Wes, McNeal, James, etc so a true coach could take them where they could not have gone.  I'm even more excited, per Lenny, that since our current coach is better at coaching and a better recruiter, we are going to kick some A S S in the next decade even more so than we did.  And for that, I'm a very happy Marquette University basketball fan!!  

Let's recap. We're both glad that TC left us and we're excited about our current coach. Since he is better at both coaching and recruiting we anticipate success even though he doesn't get to play in the minor leagues the first six years like TC did. We're rebuilding this year and next due to the previous regime but after that it will be seashells and ballons. Life is so much more pleasant when we agree.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Let's recap. We're both glad that TC left us and we're excited about our current coach. Since he is better at both coaching and recruiting we anticipate sucess even though he doesn't get to play in the minor leagues the first six years like TC did. We're rebuiding this year and next due to the previous regime but after that it will be seahells and ballons. Life is so much more pleasant when we agree.

Man, did you just go to the Hayward school of spelling in that paragraph?   LOL.  Sucess, rebuiding, seahells (I love the seahells), ballons, etc.  You sure you aren't Hayward in disguise?


I'll pass my judgment in a few more years on Buzz. He's done well with Crean's players.  We'll disagree on whether Crean would have accomplished the same last year.  I've given everyone a link to the results but I haven't seen anyone say GAME Y we would not have won.  I don't see any there that we would not have won last year under the previous regime.  Perhaps I missed it.

[HoopsMalone]

.  I've given everyone a link to the results but I haven't seen anyone say GAME Y we would not have won.  I don't see any there that we would not have won last year under the previous regime.  Perhaps I missed it.

That's a good point because Crean would have played basically the same lineups except Tyshawn Taylor would have had Jimmy's minutes and maybe Cubillan and Acker would have played more.  Maybe we beat Dayton in the beginning of the year since the players would not have been adjusting to a new situation.  I don't know if Crean would have put Acker on McAlernary (sp?) in the ND game.  That was a difference maker. 

The only objective difference is would you rather have Tyshawn Taylor or Jimmy Butler?  I really don't know the answer to that, but I am happy to have a player with a little more size and I like Jimmy.  Maybe I would say the same thing about Taylor.  Who knows. 

[6746jonesr]

wow, and not one mention about the name change to Golden Eagles, or bringing back the Warriors.  Oh, I forgot, both Buzz and Crean coached the Golden Eagles.

[LastWarrior]

Partly my fault but we got way off topic on this thread.

The whole point of my post was to say if you think Buzz was a good hire, tell Father Wild!  

[RawdogDX]

Partly my fault but we got way off topic on this thread.

The whole point of my post was to stay if you think Buzz was a good hire, tell Father Wild! 

Do you think buzz was a good hire would be a very lopsided poll.

[jmayer1]

Man, did you just go to the Hayward school of spelling in that paragraph?   LOL.  Sucess, rebuiding, seahells (I love the seahells), ballons, etc.  You sure you aren't Hayward in disguise?


I'll pass my judgment in a few more years on Buzz. He's done well with Crean's players.  We'll disagree on whether Crean would have accomplished the same last year.  I've given everyone a link to the results but I haven't seen anyone say GAME Y we would not have won.  I don't see any there that we would not have won last year under the previous regime.  Perhaps I missed it.

Nobody has responded because that's one of the stupidest arguements I have ever seen anybody try to make.  How in the hell could you possibly think that MU would have played almost exactly the same in every game?  Would they have played better or worse or about the same? Who knows?  But to try to go through a schedule game by game and then ask what would have been different under a differenct coach (style, system, player rotation, strategy...etc.) is simply asinine.  Your "comparison" could not be less logical.  There are far, far too many variables to compare Buzz to TC on a game by game basis.

[Lennys Tap]

Yup, no question about it (though he also elaborated on that comment about a week later in the press).  Different system, different role, he was able to freelance more.  

I'd still like to know what games we won last year that we wouldn't have under the previous regime.

Since Wes is a starting guard on a Jerry Sloan coached 36-19 NBA team and DJ and Jerel are toiling in obscurity in God knows where do you think it's safe to say that Buzz was correct in "unleashing" Wes? Conversely, think maybe TC missed the boat by making him the proverbial third wheel? Just sayin.

Regarding last year's games TC would have lost, saying that there are none because we won most of our games handily ain't necessarily so. We turned several tight games into seemingly comfortable victories with great stretch play last year - not exactly a common occurance under the previous regime. Add that to the fact that changing one variable changes the entire equation(as jmayer1 points out so well). So I can't tell you which games. Maybe we beat Dayton and S Florida but lose to Villanova (H), at Georgetown, at Providence and at NC State. All I know is based on TC's past history 23-4, 12-2 and #8 with that level of talent was, to say the least, unlikely. You must have thought so too as you had this group at 9-9 and they were 12-2 when DJ went down.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Wondering what the team would do last year under a different coach is futile. I do know that Buzz has yet to have a team quit on him. He's yet to lose a game by 47 points. He's yet to give a non-English speaking Israeli a scholarship -- sight unseen. He's yet to whiff on a JUCO and, when left with an open schollie, hand it to the guy's unrecruited teammate. He's yet to have 100 percent assistant coaching turnover two years in a row and he's yet to lose an entire recruiting class to transfer. He's yet to brag to the media about how much a useless training chamber costs and yet to ride into Midnight Madness on an ATV and wearing a JUDO suit. As far as I know, his wife has yet to berate Bradley Center employees about the food selection in the "green room." He's yet to demand a six figure salary for his father-in-law. He's yet to befriend local "celebrities" and have them sit along the baseline. He's yet to appear in the Brewers clubhouse and squirm his way into a story about the Brewers starting pitcher. He's yet to hold a "significant" press conference to announce a donation to a Marquette athletic project which is nominal compared to donations made by anonymous donors the same week. He's yet to unretire the number of a Marquette legend one year after orchestrating his ouster from the radio booth.

Oh...and he's yet to have a basketball camp and give every camper award to his own son.

So...Father Wild, if you're reading, this let me be one of the first to congratulate you on an inspired hire!!!

[4everwarriors]

Poetry in motion, Bro.

Buzz hasn't tried to shove Marquette Gold down our throats or tried to hang useless, self-serving banners from the rafters, or even had the media throw his name in the ring for countless other gigs.

[NersEllenson]

Wondering what the team would do last year under a different coach is futile. I do know that Buzz has yet to have a team quit on him. He's yet to lose a game by 47 points. He's yet to give a non-English speaking Israeli a scholarship -- sight unseen. He's yet to whiff on a JUCO and, when left with an open schollie, hand it to the guy's unrecruited teammate. He's yet to have 100 percent assistant coaching turnover two years in a row and he's yet to lose an entire recruiting class to transfer. He's yet to brag to the media about how much a useless training chamber costs and yet to ride into Midnight Madness on an ATV and wearing a JUDO suit. As far as I know, his wife has yet to berate Bradley Center employees about the food selection in the "green room." He's yet to demand a six figure salary for his father-in-law. He's yet to befriend local "celebrities" and have them sit along the baseline. He's yet to appear in the Brewers clubhouse and squirm his way into a story about the Brewers starting pitcher. He's yet to hold a "significant" press conference to announce a donation to a Marquette athletic project which is nominal compared to donations made by anonymous donors the same week. He's yet to unretire the number of a Marquette legend one year after orchestrating his ouster from the radio booth.

Oh...and he's yet to have a basketball camp and give every camper award to his own son.

So...Father Wild, if you're reading, this let me be one of the first to congratulate you on an inspired hire!!!

  +1 - I think this post effectively ended all other posts trying to defend Tom Crean.  bottom  line..NOBODY expected this years team to be in the NCAA..nobody.  Furthermore, take away DJO and Jimmy - Buzz guys..and this team isn't close to a NCAA bi.  The fact we are competing with Mo Acker and David Cubiallan as starters, at 5'7" and 5'10" in the Big East and being successful is a testament to coach Buzz.  Thanks Crean for what you did, but the best thing you will have done for MU basketball is have left for Indiana, but added Buzzx Williams to your staff before doing so.  Thank you very much.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Partly my fault but we got way off topic on this thread.

The whole point of my post was to say if you think Buzz was a good hire, tell Father Wild!  

I'm ready to do that....in 3 more years.      If we maintain where we have been (or vault to unprecedented heights based on Lenny's comments since he's a better coach and better recruiter), then I'll send a telegram...hell, I'll send a candygram. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

Nobody has responded because that's one of the stupidest arguements I have ever seen anybody try to make.  How in the hell could you possibly think that MU would have played almost exactly the same in every game?  Would they have played better or worse or about the same? Who knows?  But to try to go through a schedule game by game and then ask what would have been different under a differenct coach (style, system, player rotation, strategy...etc.) is simply asinine.  Your "comparison" could not be less logical.  There are far, far too many variables to compare Buzz to TC on a game by game basis.

Well jmayer, I agree that every game is different but are you really telling me that a coach that won 24 and 25 games the previous two years would not have equaled the 25 games that Buzz won last year?

Sorry, but I'm calling B.S. on that one.  That's why I listed the games....which games would we have lost?  Or if you think that's too hard since every game is different, then let's go with an aggregate argument.  We won 24 and 25 games the two previous years with the Big 3 as Sophomores and Juniors, are you really telling me that same coach and staff couldn't get 25 wins again with them as Seniors?

Please

[ChicosBailBonds]

 +1 - I think this post effectively ended all other posts trying to defend Tom Crean.  bottom  line..NOBODY expected this years team to be in the NCAA..nobody.  Furthermore, take away DJO and Jimmy - Buzz guys..and this team isn't close to a NCAA bi.  The fact we are competing with Mo Acker and David Cubiallan as starters, at 5'7" and 5'10" in the Big East and being successful is a testament to coach Buzz.  Thanks Crean for what you did, but the best thing you will have done for MU basketball is have left for Indiana, but added Buzzx Williams to your staff before doing so.  Thank you very much.

Correct, no one did and he's done a great job.  On the other hand, no one expected the ACC to have 1 team ranked in the top 25 going into the last week of February.  No one expected the Pac Ten to be sending one team to the NCAA tournament.  Etc, etc.

We have picked the perfect year to be an above average team (but not a great or even very good team) because no way in hell this team makes the NCAAs practically any other year.  College hoops is pretty bad this year and we have benefited greatly.  I'm not complaining, works out great for us, but let's be realistic, too, that the demise of teams around the country has made this the softest bubble perhaps in a decade or more.

[Lennys Tap]

I'm ready to do that....in 3 more years.      If we maintain where we have been (or vault to unprecedented heights based on Lenny's comments since he's a better coach and better recruiter), then I'll send a telegram...hell, I'll send a candygram. 

Never said unprecedented heights as Al will always be the gold standard. I do predict Buzz will have a better record than TC at MU.