The string below discussing how good a job Crean has actually done at Mu and the discussion of our front court in the last few days brings me back to what I was stating before the season started. During that time I said "yes" we have a great group of guards but we have unequivocally the worst front court collection of talent in the entire Big East. That schools like South Fla., Depaul, Providence and other Non- Big East powers that lack our long or short term tradition or facilities has far superior front courts. How can it be our best front court player never even played high school basketball ...does that put it into perspective? And if he is our best what does that say about the rest? OMFG!!! I was told things like Wilson Chandler sucks and of course heard from Chicos ad nauseum that it's a guards game. Yes it is but when your front line collection of talent is so pathetic that a 6'6" g/f freshman is arguably your best interior player despite playing guard in HS, it's pretty sad. Lazar was 1-9 against Prov. because most of his shots were rejected mercilessly by average Big East big men. Year #8 for Crean and his recruitment of big men is absolutely pathetic. Given his highly highly questionable decision making in offering scholarships to big men the incoming calss has to be a huge question mark. Absolute blunders such as Kinsella, Blackledge, J. Matthews, and the general lack of quality is concerning. Will we all get the " i will never get caught with out big men again" speech like we did after we endured a season without a point guard? Wake up Tom your need both and it should not take a season or more of getting absolutely dismantled at a position to figure it out. As, I said 3 months ago....worst talent in the Big East up front. And with that the 12-4 11-5 type predicition many made are not going to happen. I will stick with my 8-8. yesterdays win by VT over Duke is only the beginning in what will shorter be seen of how shallow and over blown beating Duke was, they are not very good.
Let me first say that we all knew this and it is not a surprise. It is what it is. Lets get over the obvious and try to do what Villanova did with their version of small ball. I still believe we have a great deal of talent and they can surprise. I think a road game in the big east is a tough test and we may see a different team tonight.
You actually heard quotes from me from about 20 of the top basketball coaches in the country all saying its a guards game. I guess they're all wrong too.
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These comments are quite interesting. I recall years ago when Crean was first hired and during his first couple years, there were some who commented that MU should have gone in a different direction when it hired TC, who had no head coaching experience. Things were said like "Can MU afford to train on the job the coaching ability" It is obvious that TC is a better recruiter than his predecessor, however, his coaching ability is still suspect.
Our record this year is certainly good right now, however, it has been made primarily while playing cupcake city, aside from Duke and Wisconsin. What will the record be after the BE schedule is over. Without talent in the middle, 8-8 conference record appears at this point to be extremely optimistic. I hope I am wrong, but the play over the last few weeks has been lackluster, and Crean does not have the players prepared for this conference. Playing mostly cupcakes does not help.
Without an inside game, we are in big trouble. And we do not have much coming in next year. Mbakwe should help, but we need more than him. And we do not have any scolies available.
there Chicos goes again as bad as Murff in absolutely unwavering from a statement. Well then according to Chicos interior play does not matter at all. Since it is a guards game waht we should really do is forget about the interior spots and start 5 guards...being a guards game and all.
Herbert Hill thanks Tom Crean and the fact that we do to have a big man that was rated in the Top 250 sans Ooze who never played HS ball. We made him look like an All-American. Funny thing for Chico they lost their starting PG and supposedly best player on the team. yet destroyed Mu with career games across their front court. Suprised Danny Ainge did not say "it's a guards game" when asked about the dismantling in fact he said Providences front court is destroying MU!! I guess it's all or nothing with Crean and Chicos, we fail to recruit a backup fpoint guard until we have none left and then we will never get caught without guards again. So then we dont sign big men year after year. Lifetime contracts all around!