Chicago Coaches Luncheon RecapWritten by: noreply@blogger.com (Henry Sugar)Quote"Whenever the Chicago Luncheon happens you know that basketball is right around the corner."
This was one of the first things that Terri Mitchell said at the Chicago Coaches Luncheon this afternoon, and she happened to repeat it twice. Soon enough, Marquette fans, basketball season will be in full swing. As Coach Mitchell mentioned, one of the first signs of basketball season is the Chicago Coaches Luncheon, and Cracked Sidewalks was there to cover it.
Coach Terri Mitchell
After an introduction and the blessing, Coach Mitchell took the stage. She talked about how last year's team was young, with seven underclassmen on the roster, and how many times the team didn't know how to finish. While not being dismissive of the NCAA, Coach Mitchell was grateful of the opportunity to play (and win) in the NIT. She specifically mentioned how the women's team had a change in mentality in the first game of the NIT against Creighton.
Her team motto for this year is "Winning's fun." Coach Mitchell then spent time talking about the schedule, mentioning a tournament that will happen around Thanksgiving as preparation for the upcoming Big East schedule. Also, as a special bonus.....did-you-know that Krystal Ellis has a chance to be the all-time leading scorer at Marquette for both men and women. Overall, it was nice to hear Coach Mitchell discuss the women's team, because they so often get overlooked (including by us).
Coach Buzz Williams
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wLC1BvCK-88/SNmjIAb3ymI/AAAAAAAAAOE/nONLbvRMmdo/s320/Buzz+Williams+Mug08.jpg)
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wLC1BvCK-88/SNmjIAb3ymI/AAAAAAAAAOE/nONLbvRMmdo/s1600-h/Buzz+Williams+Mug08.jpg)Coach Buzz Williams (http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/buzz_williams) then took the stage. He started off by saying that the team had a bad day of focus yesterday, so he stopped practice after only 17 minutes. Practice resumed this morning, and after thirteen minutes, he stopped it again. He said that he would restart practice later today after study hall. Sounds like Coach Williams is laying down the law with his veteran squad. Then, Buzz mentioned that it's his 168th day on the job. While he admitted that even his wife gets on him for being repetitive, Buzz indicated that he does it as a reminder to focus just on today. This is an area that he mentioned several times throughout his talk, involving performance on the court and in the classroom.
Practice officially starts on Ocotober 17. Buzz mentioned he's heard that many of the papers are saying that four of the top 10 teams in the nation play in the Big East. Although he doesn't read the papers, he believes that six of the top ten teams are in the Big East (http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/big_east). Buzz was very upfront with recognizing that despite the caliber of the three guards, the team still needs two additional players to contribute as well.
In other news, David Cubillan (http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/david_cubillan) was cleared to touch the ball (and shoot) for the first time since Buzz has been coach. Coach Williams also discussed that the new guys have "walked into a hornet's nest", in many areas of their transition. Buzz was complimentary of new big man Liam McMorrow (http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/liam_mcmorrow) and said he would play minutes this year if he was eligible.
The core the team is still going to remain the same. The team will be perimeter focused, with a need to create turnovers and make the game "longer". In a follow-up question later, Buzz mentioned that the team will need to play an unorthodox and unconventional style. I'm honestly not quite sure what he meant by this, but he was specifically referring to the fact that it would be hard for MU to match up with Hasheem Thabeet in a traditional format. Coach Williams also believes that the team will need to create extra shots and speed the game up, but that they can't forfeit rebounding opportunities as a result of faster pace.
Other than that, Buzz was really trying to minimize expectations. He didn't want to discuss any predictions for the season with the team, and said several times that he didn't know how good they would be. His focus was on trying to be better today. Buzz also said that they couldn't talk about recruits.
In the question and answer period, Buzz spent a decent amount of time talking about his coaching staff. He thought there was too much focus on the head coach, and spent a few minutes talking up each coach: Dale Layer (http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/dale_layer) (23 years head coach, several pros), Tony Benford (http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/tony_benford) (hardest worker and effective recruiter), Aki Collins (http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/david_aki_collins) (recruit where you play), Scott Monarch (http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/scott_monarch) (industrious ops guy), Brad Autry (first hire and the guy who has to know everything about the players).
Coach Williams also tackled the Trevor Mbakwe (http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/trevor_mbakwe) question. As has been reported, Buzz found out at 5 pm on a Friday night that Mbakwe wanted out. What was interesting was that Mbakwe told Buzz "his people" thought he should go JuCo. Read into that what you wish, but there was nothing Marquette related associated with the transfer. Buzz felt that he wanted people in the program that wanted to be part of the program. Interesting recruiting note... Buzz doesn't ever mention other programs that might be recruiting a player because he wants players that are interested in Marquette.
One additional question was asked about the turmoil in April and how he managed the transition. Buzz said that his focus was about the eight kids in the program and him. They had twenty-two days for one-on-one time, so the players and Buzz spent a lot of time in the gym and talking in his office. Buzz said that the players were phenomenal in their approach to dealing with the transition.
A Cracked Sidewalks Magnet
Courtesy of an assist from another AD rep (thanks JT), I managed to catch Deputy Athletic Director Mike Broeker and Buzz Williams as they were leaving the event. Mike has been very helpful in previous posts relating to tickets and other items. While it was a little disappointing to find that Coach Williams was unfamiliar with Cracked Sidewalks, it did give me an opportunity to enlighten him. So, Buzz got a special edition Cracked Sidewalks magnet, which I hope made it back to Milwaukee.
Finally, it was a pleasure meeting Stan and his lovely wife... thanks for reading CS and donating to the Al's Run tip jar!
The luncheon was very well put together, and due credit deserves to the Chicago Marquette Alumni Association. As Coach Mitchell said, "basketball is right around the corner".
http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2008/09/chicago-coaches-luncheon-recap.html
Great recap of the Luncheon. I also attended, and was eager to hear Buzz speak and to start getting excited about this new era of MU ball and the upcoming season. Regrettably, I left feeling more upbeat about the immediate future of the women's team (though I have to admit to not really following them much) than the men's team. Buzz did or said nothing to generate excitement about the upcoming season. I was really hoping he would have an aura about him and exude a confidence that would dispel my fears about the program regressing under his direction. Unfortunately, I left feeling completely uninspired and with the feeling that he does not have the presence you would expect from the leader of what I like to think of as a high level DI program.
It was a downer to hear him say over and over how he has no idea how good we'll be as if he has no control over it. I guess I'd prefer to get more of a message that he's in charge and will damn well make sure that we are successful. He didn't inherit a rebuilding program, though admittedly there are the glaring weaknesses inside that will cause some problems.
I'm pulling for him, and am impressed that he has some good talent coming in the next couple years. Frankly, that's more important than how much he can inspire the masses at a luncheon. I suppose he'll get better at that with time. It was striking though how little excitement there was in general at the event. I guess that's not a surprise given that he really comes in as a no name coach, but it was just another reminder of the sizeable task he has ahead of him in terms of establishing himself and generating confidence in the fan base, and more importantly recruits, their coaches and families.
I'd be interested to hear if others who attended had the same reaction. Buzz seems like a good guy and I'd love to see him succeed. Here's hoping!
Quote from: StillWarriors on September 24, 2008, 05:05:44 PM
I didn't go to the luncheon, but I went to the Madison Circles Event where he spoke a few weeks after being hired and I was very impressed with how well he did then. He seemed like he felt he was in control and he definitely talked about how he would be successful and that he didn't plan on ever getting fired from this job. He was inspiring to me and my friend at least. Sucks that you didn't have a similar experience.
Quote from: StillWarriors on September 24, 2008, 05:05:44 PM
Great recap of the Luncheon. I also attended, and was eager to hear Buzz speak and to start getting excited about this new era of MU ball and the upcoming season. Regrettably, I left feeling more upbeat about the immediate future of the women's team (though I have to admit to not really following them much) than the men's team. Buzz did or said nothing to generate excitement about the upcoming season. I was really hoping he would have an aura about him and exude a confidence that would dispel my fears about the program regressing under his direction. Unfortunately, I left feeling completely uninspired and with the feeling that he does not have the presence you would expect from the leader of what I like to think of as a high level DI program.
It was a downer to hear him say over and over how he has no idea how good we'll be as if he has no control over it. I guess I'd prefer to get more of a message that he's in charge and will damn well make sure that we are successful. He didn't inherit a rebuilding program, though admittedly there are the glaring weaknesses inside that will cause some problems.
I'm pulling for him, and am impressed that he has some good talent coming in the next couple years. Frankly, that's more important than how much he can inspire the masses at a luncheon. I suppose he'll get better at that with time. It was striking though how little excitement there was in general at the event. I guess that's not a surprise given that he really comes in as a no name coach, but it was just another reminder of the sizeable task he has ahead of him in terms of establishing himself and generating confidence in the fan base, and more importantly recruits, their coaches and families.
I'd be interested to hear if others who attended had the same reaction. Buzz seems like a good guy and I'd love to see him succeed. Here's hoping!
This is precisely why many on this board were scratching their heads over this hire. Not only did it lack "buzz," but we've now got a very slow talking Texan with a shaved head as the most visible representative of our university. It's mind boggling. Remember, that college basketball is a sport driven by the personalities of coaches.
I read recently on the other board where IWB (a so-called "insider") claims that at least one of T. Bennett, Sean Miller and Mark Few were interested in the job. He seems to think this is proof or validation that Williams was the right choice...that MU was so convinced he was the right choice that they ignored the interest of established guys. If that's the case, we have a bunch of incompetents running the athletic department. All they succeeded in doing is making the Marquette job look at lot less desirable. It only makes us look small time, it means the we ARE small time.
For a team as loaded as we are next year, it's criminal to have hired this guy. Criminal. There is ZERO excitement about the team and the reason is not the players we have returning. They're publicizing appearances by our head coach at UW-Eau Claire on their website? Guys, we're in the Big East! We play in Chicago, New York, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Washington, DC, etc. Are they serious? Does DePaul publicize Jerry Wainwright's appearances at Trinity College?
We're having problems moving tickets, for crissakes!
I've spoken to the AAD at MU. We're not having problems moving tickets. He thought we'd be slightly behind last year's huge average, but that was the highest average in years.
Your other beliefs are .. held by a number of others.
Quote from: RedWebster on September 25, 2008, 06:54:06 AM
This is precisely why many on this board were scratching their heads over this hire. Not only did it lack "buzz," but we've now got a very slow talking Texan with a shaved head as the most visible representative of our university. It's mind boggling. Remember, that college basketball is a sport driven by the personalities of coaches.
I read recently on the other board where IWB (a so-called "insider") claims that at least one of T. Bennett, Sean Miller and Mark Few were interested in the job. He seems to think this is proof or validation that Williams was the right choice...that MU was so convinced he was the right choice that they ignored the interest of established guys. If that's the case, we have a bunch of incompetents running the athletic department. All they succeeded in doing is making the Marquette job look at lot less desirable. It only makes us look small time, it means the we ARE small time.
For a team as loaded as we are next year, it's criminal to have hired this guy. Criminal. There is ZERO excitement about the team and the reason is not the players we have returning. They're publicizing appearances by our head coach at UW-Eau Claire on their website? Guys, we're in the Big East! We play in Chicago, New York, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Washington, DC, etc. Are they serious? Does DePaul publicize Jerry Wainwright's appearances at Trinity College?
We're having problems moving tickets, for crissakes!
We're all entitled to our opinions, I suppose.
But please, tell me why this was such a horrible hire? Because he's from Texas and he's bald? That sure makes a lot of sense. You think he has zero personality just because one person had a bad review about his speech at a tip-off dinner? I've met Buzz and heard him speak on a few different occassions and I think he has plenty of personality. There's absolutely no way he can be as good of a recruiter as he is without having a good personality.
Funny how you mention Bennett, Miller, and Few as being supposed better candidates, which I assume you also seem to believe all three have better personalities. Miller, OK sure. Bennett and Few? No way.
People upset with the hire continue to harp about anything they can come up with to justify this as a bad hire.
Go ahead and keep b*tching for all I care...I'll take our Top 10 recruiting class, Snear visit this weekend, and very bright future and enjoy the hell out of it.
See you at the BC (if you even go to games? Probably the same type of person to boo's college kids for working their asses off in a game but making a simple turnover).
Now I'm all fired up!
Some of you ladies(Red Webster) are being a little dramatic. He may end up a bust but basing your opinion on how he talks or if there is hair on his head just makes you sound like a flamer. I've heard him speak and have been impressed with his command and confidence. There was plenty of excitement this summer as the BBQ was jam packed. I've also heard him say he doesn't make predictions because he's not a prophet. If Buzz has the mind set we're the cat's meow then how will we improve during these critical fall workouts?
Hilarious.
All we've heard for years from some is that the former coach was evil incarnate because he shamelessly promoted himself and the program, was a slick talker, a panderer, an arrogant SOB who told people what they wanted to hear. That he made the program all about himself.
Now, some of those very same gripers, are crying and moaning because the new guy isn't slick enough. He talks too slowly. He lacks bravado. That college basketball programs are driven by the coach's personality.
In some ways, I'm a little jealous of Red because it takes monster juevos to be so unabashedly and unashamedly hypocritical.
By the way, Red ... the number for the Milwaukee County District Attorney is (414) 278-4585. Perhaps they'll agree with you on the criminal nature of this hiring and bring charges against the Marquette administration.
Lastly, it's worth noting that while Still Warrios frets over Buzz's ability to generate confidence in recruits, their coaches and families, MU is on its way to one of its highest-ranked recruiting class in decades, and a top 15 kid showing genuine interest. Apparently they don't share his crisis of confidence.
Quote from: Pakuni on September 25, 2008, 08:28:43 AM
Hilarious.
All we've heard for years from some is that the former coach was evil incarnate because he shamelessly promoted himself and the program, was a slick talker, a panderer, an arrogant SOB who told people what they wanted to hear. That he made the program all about himself.
Now, some of those very same gripers, are crying and moaning because the new guy isn't slick enough. He talks too slowly. He lacks bravado. That college basketball programs are driven by the coach's personality.
In some ways, I'm a little jealous of Red because it takes monster juevos to be so unabashedly and unashamedly hypocritical.
By the way, Red ... the number for the Milwaukee County District Attorney is (414) 278-4585. Perhaps they'll agree with you on the criminal nature of this hiring and bring charges against the Marquette administration.
Lastly, it's worth noting that while Still Warrios frets over Buzz's ability to generate confidence in recruits, their coaches and families, MU is on its way to one of its highest-ranked recruiting class in decades.
I wish I were better with words, like Pakuni, because that post was spot-on. Agreed 100%.
Our program is now led by a guy who is honest, humble, humorous, and treats everybody with respect. That's surely a nice change from Crean. And I really dont think we have to sacrifice wins for having a coach with those qualities. He has done a phoneomenal job recruiting so far.
I really can't understand how people are not excited about the future of this program with our current coaching staff.
If any of you had a friend who boasted of writing more than 400 letters to people he didn't know, insisted on saying precisely how many days it's been since he (got a job, played golf, had their oil changed...anything) you'd think the guy was slightly autistic. In our situation, add to that report of breaking down in tears at press conferences at New Orleans, crawling on hands and knees during games...then bolting after a year...and then, by all means, defend away.
This is the most significant program at the university and we're so confident in Buzz Williams -- a college basketball "junkie" who admitted having never heard of Marquette before taking an assistant job -- that we saw fit to reject overtures of these very well-established coaches?
Like it or not, speaking before alumni groups is part of the job. A huge, huge part. Some of you undergraduates may not understand that.
I continue to believe we have a coach that is so far over his skis that the minute he loses his footing one of those cartoon sized snowballs is going to form and take out everything in its path.
Quote from: RedWebster on September 25, 2008, 08:43:04 AM
If any of you had a friend who boasted of writing more than 400 letters to people he didn't know, insisted on saying precisely how many days it's been since he (got a job, played golf, had their oil changed...anything) you'd think the guy was slightly autistic. In our situation, add to that report of breaking down in tears at press conferences at New Orleans, crawling on hands and knees during games...then bolting after a year...and then, by all means, defend away.
This is the most significant program at the university and we're so confident in Buzz Williams -- a college basketball "junkie" who admitted having never heard of Marquette before taking an assistant job -- that we saw fit to reject overtures of these very well-established coaches?
Like it or not, speaking before alumni groups is part of the job. A huge, huge part. Some of you undergraduates may not understand that.
I continue to believe we have a coach that is so far over his skis that the minute he loses his footing one of those cartoon sized snowballs is going to form and take out everything in its path.
Webster, you're the one coming off cognitively dysfunctional. Buzz worked a camp at Marquette with O'Neill as a grad assistant when he was like 22. He got on his hands and knees...good god, oh no, does he sweat too and stomp his feet?
Quote from: RedWebster on September 25, 2008, 08:43:04 AM
If any of you had a friend who boasted of writing more than 400 letters to people he didn't know, insisted on saying precisely how many days it's been since he (got a job, played golf, had their oil changed...anything) you'd think the guy was slightly autistic. In our situation, add to that report of breaking down in tears at press conferences at New Orleans, crawling on hands and knees during games...then bolting after a year...and then, by all means, defend away.
This is the most significant program at the university and we're so confident in Buzz Williams -- a college basketball "junkie" who admitted having never heard of Marquette before taking an assistant job -- that we saw fit to reject overtures of these very well-established coaches?
Like it or not, speaking before alumni groups is part of the job. A huge, huge part. Some of you undergraduates may not understand that.
I continue to believe we have a coach that is so far over his skis that the minute he loses his footing one of those cartoon sized snowballs is going to form and take out everything in its path.
A couple points:
1) Writing all those letters is impressive to me. Shows his work ethic and how commited he was to breaking into the business and forming relationships. You can take any coach and ask about his history and how he broke into the business and you'll get plenty of crazy stories.
2) I'll admit it's a little wacky that he keeps mentioning how many days he's been on the job, but I don't really think it's anything to hate the guy for.
3) Never once have I heard about him crawling on his hands and knees during a game at UNO. Care to clarify? And why are you jumping on him for leaving after a year? I was at his first game as a head coach at UNO. I've seen their campus, seen the destruction of Katrina, and seen how absolutely awful things were for that program. I went to a small high school in central Wisconsin...the gym UNO played in made my high school gym look like Cameron Indoor. He had a better opportunity come when Crean offered him a job, and he took it. Forgive the guy for bolting, but I think if you were in his shoes you would have done the exact same thing. Let's not forget, the coach he replaced at UNO left the year before to take an assistant's job as well. Does that tell you something?
4) B.S. he had never heard of Marquette...that's plain false. He was in Milwaukee, at Marquette, years ago working Kevin O'Neill's basketball camp. All he's said is he wasn't too familiar with the school or the Big East when he took the assistant's job. That's no different than any other coach...all they are familiar with is their own team and their own conference. Coaches don't have much free time to evaluate everything else going on, they have their own team to coach and film of opponents to watch every waking hour. Who cares? He's sure as hell familiar with it now, and selling the school and program like crazy (again...hell of a recruiting class coming in).
My wife has had conversations with both Buzz and Crean. She always disliked Crean, thought he was an arrogant a-hole, a jerk, and a terrible dresser. She had the opportunity to speak with Buzz a couple of times since his hire and absolutely loves the guy. Different people like different things.
My point...some people will like a guy who jumps around like an idiot all the time. And coaches in a maniacal manner. The moment I will never forget and I think is the quintessential defining moment of Creans style was the Louisville game back in 2004 or 2005 when Dameon mason hit the jumper and 1 to win at the buzzer. After the game he was asked the same old reporters questions "was the play designed for youetc" His answer was along th lines of " I dont know, we had a play called and then coach changed the play as we broke the huddle and it was so loaud that no one really knew what was going on, I cut got the ball and made the shot." That was Crean over bearing, maniacal, i think he was so nervous he made his players nervous. when speaking to the public he talked and talked and talked without really saying anything. Some people will like that some will not.
At the end of the day i think fans will think Buzz'z approach to the public will be just fine as long as he is winning basketball games.
Quote from: Pakuni on September 25, 2008, 08:28:43 AM
Hilarious.
All we've heard for years from some is that the former coach was evil incarnate because he shamelessly promoted himself and the program, was a slick talker, a panderer, an arrogant SOB who told people what they wanted to hear. That he made the program all about himself.
Now, some of those very same gripers, are crying and moaning because the new guy isn't slick enough. He talks too slowly. He lacks bravado. That college basketball programs are driven by the coach's personality.
In some ways, I'm a little jealous of Red because it takes monster juevos to be so unabashedly and unashamedly hypocritical.
By the way, Red ... the number for the Milwaukee County District Attorney is (414) 278-4585. Perhaps they'll agree with you on the criminal nature of this hiring and bring charges against the Marquette administration.
Lastly, it's worth noting that while Still Warrios frets over Buzz's ability to generate confidence in recruits, their coaches and families, MU is on its way to one of its highest-ranked recruiting class in decades, and a top 15 kid showing genuine interest. Apparently they don't share his crisis of confidence.
+1
Red, if you are that disappointed with the direction of the program, take your money elsewhere.
Let's face it, at it's core, sports are really just entertainment.
If you don't like the product, don't buy it.
We all feel a strong connection to the product, and the school that produces it... but at the end of the day, if you really hate it this much... walk away. It's simple.
If enough people felt the same way (as you), MU would immediately remove Buzz as the head coach and find somebody else. MU makes $$ on hoops. If you want them to do things differently, don't give them your $.
Simple economics.
Hey, I'm so thrilled Too Tan Tommy is gone it almost doesn't matter who coaches the Warriors to me. However, given the University's commitment to basketball I was surprised Crean and Strong were able to pick our next coach. Maybe we are just a mid-major. It's not Buzz's fault he was hired.
We have a very good team. The trouble is that there are at least 4 teams in our conference that are better than us. Last year Louisville and Connectticut were trouncing us by 20 points. How many of you think we have closed the gap? I said from the start it will be harder for us to make the NCAA tournament than it will be for us to win a game in the tounament. The loss of Mbakwe does not help. I have never heard Buzz speak, but I think he would be cutting his head off bragging how good we are going to be, because this year is going to be tough with the competition in the Big East. I also feel this is one of the reasons Crean left. His recruiting was not keeping up with what was needed to remain in the top half of the Big East. It would not surprise me to see MU finish 9-9. This is not based on Buzz's coaching ability, but based on MU's lack of size. MU has a lot of experience that is offset by the fact that basically every good team in the Big East has a lot of experience. My opinion of Buzz's coaching ability will depend on how the players compete on the floor versus the final win loss record. I do not want to see anymore 20 point embarrassments. If you look at the big three, every year they have finished worse in the big east than the year before. Without looking to verify, I think MU has finished 4th, 5th and 6th. Following that trend we would have finished 7th under Crean. Crean left MU an imperfect team. I am excited about Buzz's recruiting and believe we have a good basis for the future with two actual centers, a good point guard and two highly rated forwards.
Quote from: 4everwarriors on September 25, 2008, 09:53:33 AM
Hey, I'm so thrilled Too Tan Tommy is gone it almost doesn't matter who coaches the Warriors to me. However, given the University's commitment to basketball I was surprised Crean and Strong were able to pick our next coach. Maybe we are just a mid-major. It's not Buzz's fault he was hired.
So gay, you make Richard Simmons blush.
Quote from: bilsu on September 25, 2008, 09:55:40 AM
We have a very good team. The trouble is that there are at least 4 teams in our conference that are better than us. Last year Louisville and Connectticut were trouncing us by 20 points. How many of you think we have closed the gap? I said from the start it will be harder for us to make the NCAA tournament than it will be for us to win a game in the tounament. The loss of Mbakwe does not help. I have never heard Buzz speak, but I think he would be cutting his head off bragging how good we are going to be, because this year is going to be tough with the competition in the Big East. I also feel this is one of the reasons Crean left. His recruiting was not keeping up with what was needed to remain in the top half of the Big East. It would not surprise me to see MU finish 9-9. This is not based on Buzz's coaching ability, but based on MU's lack of size. MU has a lot of experience that is offset by the fact that basically every good team in the Big East has a lot of experience. My opinion of Buzz's coaching ability will depend on how the players compete on the floor versus the final win loss record. I do not want to see anymore 20 point embarrassments. If you look at the big three, every year they have finished worse in the big east than the year before. Without looking to verify, I think MU has finished 4th, 5th and 6th. Following that trend we would have finished 7th under Crean. Crean left MU an imperfect team. I am excited about Buzz's recruiting and believe we have a good basis for the future with two actual centers, a good point guard and two highly rated forwards.
I couldn't agree more. I'm really uneasy about this season...I don't think this team is as good as a lot of people think it is. Our starting 5 will be solid...but we lack depth BIG TIME. Our lack of an interior game is no secret, but what if one of the guards gets hurt? Cooby is recovering from shoulder surgery, hard telling if he'll be able to have much impact this season. I'm excited to see what Fulce and Butler can bring to the table, but I don't want to over-hype them. There isn't much else on this team, so our starting 5 will really have to carry such a huge load for this team to do as well as people expect.
The league is also loaded...I wouldn't be surprised with an 8-10 place finish in the league. I certainly hope that isn't the case, but you never know. Very solid teams in the past few years of this new Big East have finished middle of the pack.
Quote from: StillWarriors on September 24, 2008, 05:05:44 PM
Great recap of the Luncheon. I also attended, and was eager to hear Buzz speak and to start getting excited about this new era of MU ball and the upcoming season. Regrettably, I left feeling more upbeat about the immediate future of the women's team (though I have to admit to not really following them much) than the men's team. Buzz did or said nothing to generate excitement about the upcoming season. I was really hoping he would have an aura about him and exude a confidence that would dispel my fears about the program regressing under his direction. Unfortunately, I left feeling completely uninspired and with the feeling that he does not have the presence you would expect from the leader of what I like to think of as a high level DI program.
It was a downer to hear him say over and over how he has no idea how good we'll be as if he has no control over it. I guess I'd prefer to get more of a message that he's in charge and will damn well make sure that we are successful. He didn't inherit a rebuilding program, though admittedly there are the glaring weaknesses inside that will cause some problems.
I'm pulling for him, and am impressed that he has some good talent coming in the next couple years. Frankly, that's more important than how much he can inspire the masses at a luncheon. I suppose he'll get better at that with time. It was striking though how little excitement there was in general at the event. I guess that's not a surprise given that he really comes in as a no name coach, but it was just another reminder of the sizeable task he has ahead of him in terms of establishing himself and generating confidence in the fan base, and more importantly recruits, their coaches and families.
I'd be interested to hear if others who attended had the same reaction. Buzz seems like a good guy and I'd love to see him succeed. Here's hoping!
Here's to hoping for a great senior season for EM, and the rest of the team also.
Quote from: MUBasketball on September 25, 2008, 10:25:41 AM
I couldn't agree more. I'm really uneasy about this season...I don't think this team is as good as a lot of people think it is. Our starting 5 will be solid...but we lack depth BIG TIME. Our lack of an interior game is no secret, but what if one of the guards gets hurt? Cooby is recovering from shoulder surgery, hard telling if he'll be able to have much impact this season. I'm excited to see what Fulce and Butler can bring to the table, but I don't want to over-hype them. There isn't much else on this team, so our starting 5 will really have to carry such a huge load for this team to do as well as people expect.
I'm surprised that there hasn't been more discussion about our lack of depth. We've been fortunate the last couple years that we could play our starters around 30 minutes per game. Last year James and McNeal lead the team with 30.3 and 30.2 respectively. We may need to play them around 35 minutes per game this year.
Assuming Burke is the fifth starter, the only bench players who have seen significant minutes are Cubillan and Acker. (and Cubillan is coming off a serious injury) The only other player who's seen ANY minutes is Hazel.
Someone (Otule, Fulce, Butler) is going to really need to step up and surprise us this year or we'll lose a couple games down the stretch that we shouldn't.
I agree that we lack depth. Our starting 5 can hang with just about any team in the country...especially when playing an up-tempo game. I have the same hopes that one (or more) of our new players will make some significant contributions...I've got a good feeling about Fulce for some reason and if Otule/Hazel give us some serviceable minutes that would be huge. I don't see a problem with our starters averaging 33 min a game...these are 20-22 y/o guys playing in their last season (except Hayward obviously)...we absolutely need their experience on the floor.
I'm not worried at all.
They'll have a bye in the BET. No question about it.
Next year, they'll struggle. But I'll take a top 10 class any day.
Quote from: Stone Cold on September 25, 2008, 08:21:20 AM
Some of you ladies(Red Webster) are being a little dramatic. He may end up a bust but basing your opinion on how he talks or if there is hair on his head just makes you sound like a flamer. I've heard him speak and have been impressed with his command and confidence. There was plenty of excitement this summer as the BBQ was jam packed. I've also heard him say he doesn't make predictions because he's not a prophet. If Buzz has the mind set we're the cat's meow then how will we improve during these critical fall workouts?
Why the shot at women? Are they not just as capable as men?
Good recap of the luncheon, but why the big picture of Buzz and none of Terri Mitchell. I think you mentioned that Cracked Sidewalks doesn't give the Women's program enough attention and this seems like just one more example of what you recognize as a deficiency in the Blog.
How's Mrs. Buzz's interior decorator skills?
"Buzz was complimentary of new big man Liam McMorrow and said he would play minutes this year if he was eligible."
Did I miss something? I thought Liam was a full year redshirt.
Quote from: Dry White Toast on September 26, 2008, 08:35:38 AM
"he would play minutes this year if he was eligible."
Did I miss something? I thought Liam was a full year redshirt.
Probably read over it too quickly
My question was about the "if he was eligible" part. I didn't think there was a chance that he would be eligible this season.
Quote from: Dry White Toast on September 26, 2008, 10:12:07 AM
My question was about the "if he was eligible" part. I didn't think there was a chance that he would be eligible this season.
I think you are just getting into semantics here. He is not eligble this year because he is redshirt due to the transfer rules.
Quote from: Dry White Toast on September 26, 2008, 10:12:07 AM
My question was about the "if he was eligible" part. I didn't think there was a chance that he would be eligible this season.
There's not, I would interpret as if the rules didn't force him to redshirt he would be seeing minutes.
In the voice of the Bob's from Office Space...
'And believe me, this is purely Hy-Pa-Thet-I-Cal'
Ahhhhh. Forgive the poor reading skills and waste of a few posts.