Since Buzz signing last week a number of things have occured lets first put them down on paper
-Nick Williams left
-Fulce and Otule recommit
-Scott Christopherson transfers
-Butler signed
-Erik Williams confirms Verbal Agreement
-Mbakwe recommits to MU
Wow thats a mouth full
So looking at the entire picture of it all - and hoping that is all the drama for a while - it is easy to say we could have been alot worse off.
When MU signed Buzz last week i groaned and thought this may be the end of MU as a top 25 program for the next few years. After seeing everything pan out I would like to get a early bird special on the Buzz Williams band wagon.
First the ugly. I won't pretend losing Williams and Taylor didn't hurt because they did. But honestly putting it in perspective they were our top two commits of a rather weak recruiting class. After all they are both three stars in most people's eyes. I really saw Nick as a good pick for the team but Taylor seems to me to be the product of a really good team. Now while both of these losses hurt I think Buzz did a few other things to patch up the open wound left by Tanning Crean.
First Buzz got recommits from Fulce and Otule. Honestly if i had my pick between these two and the other two we all know which i am choosing but to get back two is a decent job by Buzz.
Another good move was releasing Scott C. He never appeared confident in the Big East or anyone for that matter and he really just took up a spot on the team.
Next the Butler signing. He appears to be a fairly good player by the looks of things and I think the role he could play off the bench that disrupts people is the big three point shooter. Last year we desperately needed a sniper down the stretch and both Cube and Fitz choked last year leaving us up a creak without a paddle. Hopefully Butler can help fill that void.
Although recommiting Erik Williams seems trivial I believe it sets a precendent for all those looking at MU. Erik's stock is rising with Scout now ranking him as the #7 SF in the country and a four star prospect. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come.
Lastly, getting Mbakwe back is huge. He helps to stregnthen a really weak front court. I really believed he was as good as gone so you may as well consider him a Junior college transfer considering we havent seen him play at all yet. For Buzz to get Mbakwe back after Tanning Cream hanged him out to dry is a good get. Lets not forget this kid's potential, he was a four star after all.
So looking at the picture as a whole i think we ended up much better than i originally thought. We got rid of someone who had to go, brought back a potential key player that seemed out of here, and stopped the bleeding by getting two recruits back, bringing in a new one, and recommiting one for the future. All in all, while i wish we could have kept one of the two, Buzz did a decent job at preserving our future.
You forgot to write down TT left and Mbakwe (as he stated) never left so how do you get credit for recommitting?
Quote from: bleedbluegold03 on April 17, 2008, 12:08:48 AM
I won't pretend losing Williams and Taylor didn't hurt because they did. But honestly putting it in perspective they were our top two commits of a rather weak recruiting class. After all they are both three stars in most people's eyes.
This is a classic sour grapes argument. I think we were generally were considered to have had a top 25 recruiting class. That is not my definition of a weak class.
it was not a top 25 recruiting class. Don't kid yourself.
If you are going to make the claim, back it up.
Quote from: Hards_Alumni on April 17, 2008, 08:14:50 AM
it was not a top 25 recruiting class. Don't kid yourself.
If you are going to make the claim, back it up.
HoopMasters ranked the class 20th in the country, HoopScoop ranked it 24th.
Taylor was listed in 5 different recruiting services top 100 rankings. Williams was listed in 3 different rankings.
You can downplay them all you want now that they are gone, but both those kids are top 100 guys, and it would have been Crean's 3rd best recruiting class in his time at MU.