Is Marquette Madness a good recruiting tool?

[GGGG]

I ask this not because of the McDonald commit after we thought he had a good visit, but just in general.  I would think its one thing to have a bunch of local underclassmen on unofficials, but can you give the recruits on their officials the time they deserve?  Or the recruits that travel some distance? I have never been there either so I don't know what's its like.

[T-Bone]

Wait, which McDonald commit?
I may have missed that in between everyone bashing each others heads in? 

[esotericmindguy]

Well put yourself in McDonald's shoes, would you go to MU or OSU? What big man has attended MU in the last 15 years and excelled? Not saying it couldn't happen, but I'm sure how other coaches recruit against us...its a guard/wing school, you won't get the touches, development, coaching you deserve.

I think its a good tool, Blue committed after last year and a couple others as well.

[TallTitan34]

Aside from Buzz's 2 minute speech after the player introductions, I don't think he really took part in Madness.

I'd assume he was with the recruits nearly the entire time.

[foreverwarriors]

The only time I saw him after the speech was during the scrimmage...he was talking with Rosiak the whole time...

[StillWarriors]

Aside from Buzz's 2 minute speech after the player introductions, I don't think he really took part in Madness.

I'd assume he was with the recruits nearly the entire time.

I saw Buzz sitting at the table along side the court for quite a while. If I'm not mistaken he was sitting next to Rosiak.

[TallTitan34]

Oh nice find!  I was looking for him but couldn't spot him.

[RawdogDX]

Well put yourself in McDonald's shoes, would you go to MU or OSU? What big man has attended MU in the last 15 years and excelled? Not saying it couldn't happen, but I'm sure how other coaches recruit against us...its a guard/wing school, you won't get the touches, development, coaching you deserve.

I think its a good tool, Blue committed after last year and a couple others as well.

+1.  OSU has Koofos, Hunter and Oden.  Not that they should get much credit for oden getting to the NBA. 

We aren't going to get an elite big man till we get a good one into the NBA.  We've proved that we can do it with guards and swing men.  We get a 3 star 5 into the league and the 4 and 5 stars will start coming.

And to answer the least disputable subject question ever on this board: Yes.

[cheebs09]

I saw Buzz sitting at the table along side the court for quite a while. If I'm not mistaken he was sitting next to Rosiak.

He also had a headset on and talking to Homer for a good portion the night.

[Ready2Fly]

Didn't Erik Williams commit right after madness a few years back? The one that Wade came to? I think that was when everyone was all obsessed with Shumpert, who was also there. Tyshawn Taylor may have been there too??? Not sure on that last one.

[cheebs09]

Williams did commit right after madness the year Wade came. Taylor I believe was here for the Halloween Scrimmage when he committed. Also, Vander committed after Madness.

[brewcity77]

I certainly think it's a good tool. Look at the number of recruits we had on campus for this. Not just for 2011, but for 2012 and 2013. It increases awareness, it gives us a chance to get them comfortable with our players, and as mentioned, it seems to have been instrumental in helping get guys like Blue and Williams.

I think that the bigger problem with getting bigs is obviously our lack of a pedigree. Who have we had to sell to big men? Robert Jackson's year here? Scott Merritt? Ousmane Barro? Dwight Burke? All of them did a fine job, but none were the type that you hang your program's reputation on.

[RawdogDX]

I think that the bigger problem with getting bigs is obviously our lack of a pedigree. Who have we had to sell to big men? Robert Jackson's year here? Scott Merritt? Ousmane Barro? Dwight Burke? All of them did a fine job, but none were the type that you hang your program's reputation on.

Bigger than what?  I don't see another obstacle posted.  When we get a guy in the NBA we'll be able to start getting the top big men.  Been saying this for years.  Till we do people will blame our system for not making big men look good.

[brewcity77]

Bigger than what?  I don't see another obstacle posted.  When we get a guy in the NBA we'll be able to start getting the top big men.  Been saying this for years.  Till we do people will blame our system for not making big men look good.

Bigger than any problems there might be with Marquette Madness, which is the topic of the thread

[21rooster]

MM can be a good recruiting tool, but I think this year's version was a missed opportunity.  I can't remember a year when we have had so many highly-rated recruits in the building, so this was a chance to make a splash.  However, this year's MM didn't provide much in the way of excitement.  Last year, Jennings and his teammates added some level of excitement, even if the crowd didn't know the level of star that was judging the dunk contest.  This year...different story...guys who the alumni can appreciate, but nobody that's going to get the Al humming.  Last year, the dunk contest ended with a punctuation mark, with Fulce's surprise dunk.  This year...great beginning, but it really fizzled afterwards.  Last year, the scrimmage held my interest more.  Maybe it was because the newness of the team wasn't there, as I had already seem almost all of them play at the Pro Am (certainly not a bad thing).  Maybe it was because the game was a "me first" game for a lot of players, without the good passing I am used to.  Regardless, it was a pretty flat game without any highlights to speak of. 

Now...I'm not asking for Tom Crean to come riding out on his four-wheeler followed by a karate kid impersonation, but we've got to take advantage of opportunities when top-ranked recruits are here.  Remember that these are high school kids, and they want a certain level of hype.  The environment at the Bradley Center has that atmosphere, especially during the Big East season.  When we're making that final push to get a kid to commit, there needs to be some level of excitement.  If I'm a kid giving Marquette a chance but needing to be impressed, I need to see more than I saw last Friday. 

[brewcity77]

I'd love Madness at the BC, but how many will we draw? Remember this is a free event, and won't draw many if people have to start paying to attend. Which means MU will have to pay the bill to run the Bradley Center that night. Then you have attendance. Which is better, a packed-to-the-gills AL with a few thousand people or what would probably be a half-full at best Bradley Center? My guess is the place would look empty if we staged MM there.

I agree that the atmosphere is created there during Big East season, and if we can get more official visits to the top uncommitted players after the turn of the year, especially during significant rivalry games, I'm all for it. But before the early signing period, when probably 70-80% of the top recruits sign, this is the biggest event we can stage.

[21rooster]

Ah...left wrong impression.  I love having it at the Al.  The reference to the BC was simply to point out that our game-day atmosphere is terrific, as I didn't want to discount that in my post.  You definitely want to show off the practice facility, which is second to none.  I simply think they need to re-energize the program for MM - somewhere between last week's event and pre-Buzz. 

[brewcity77]

Ah...left wrong impression.  I love having it at the Al.  The reference to the BC was simply to point out that our game-day atmosphere is terrific, as I didn't want to discount that in my post.  You definitely want to show off the practice facility, which is second to none.  I simply think they need to re-energize the program for MM - somewhere between last week's event and pre-Buzz. 

Ahh, gotcha. Misunderstanding on my part

I think that Buzz has to build his own legacy at Marquette to really improve things. Crean had a Final Four and D-Wade in his pocket, Buzz doesn't yet have anything close to that. And before it happens...I'm not trying to make this a Buzz/Crean thread. Just saying that once Buzz can call on guys like Wes Matthews, Lazar Hayward, and other (hopefully) NBA players like Jimmy F'n Butler and Darius Johnson-Odom and bring them back as dunk contest refs or special guests, it will be hard to match the kind of atmosphere Crean was able to instill.

[ChicosBailBonds]

MM can be a good recruiting tool, but I think this year's version was a missed opportunity.  I can't remember a year when we have had so many highly-rated recruits in the building, so this was a chance to make a splash.  However, this year's MM didn't provide much in the way of excitement.  Last year, Jennings and his teammates added some level of excitement, even if the crowd didn't know the level of star that was judging the dunk contest.  This year...different story...guys who the alumni can appreciate, but nobody that's going to get the Al humming.  Last year, the dunk contest ended with a punctuation mark, with Fulce's surprise dunk.  This year...great beginning, but it really fizzled afterwards.  Last year, the scrimmage held my interest more.  Maybe it was because the newness of the team wasn't there, as I had already seem almost all of them play at the Pro Am (certainly not a bad thing).  Maybe it was because the game was a "me first" game for a lot of players, without the good passing I am used to.  Regardless, it was a pretty flat game without any highlights to speak of. 

Now...I'm not asking for Tom Crean to come riding out on his four-wheeler followed by a karate kid impersonation, but we've got to take advantage of opportunities when top-ranked recruits are here.  Remember that these are high school kids, and they want a certain level of hype.  The environment at the Bradley Center has that atmosphere, especially during the Big East season.  When we're making that final push to get a kid to commit, there needs to be some level of excitement.  If I'm a kid giving Marquette a chance but needing to be impressed, I need to see more than I saw last Friday. 

Interesting comments.  I only watched online and it did seem a little flat. I don't know what kids are looking for today, I just know comments on message boards scare them away.  I don't know if guys on ATVs and a Karate outfit do the trick, or Kevin O'Neill in a gorilla suit.....who knows these days.

Here's what Tom Izzo did the other night



He also shot Becky which earned points from me.  He came in on this starfighter video thing and blew up the Becky the Badger at the end.  That will get the place rocking....about 3:30 into the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL-5afk9ZJU

They also had Gerard Butler, the star of 300 come out and speak.  That had the place going

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpr6BOR2LZc

[NYWarrior]

Kevin O'Neill in a gorilla suit

....that was not at Midnight Madness.  That was KO showing up at the airport to greet a kid for his official visit to Tucson.  Crazy (but effective)

[chapman]

It would be a waste of money to have it at the BC.  Is anyone not attending because it's at the AL and would attend if it was at the BC?  I don't think attendance changes at all, but even if it's 1000 more people playing in front of a 1/4 full BC would be a terrible waste (and you cannot charge admission).  They do need to try to add some gimmicks to make things more exciting (and not have them backfire and turn out to be lame).  For example, the students start leaving at the start of the scrimmage and by the middle they're almost all gone.  Can't they have a raffle or do something at the end to keep them from leaving?  Maybe do what the Packers do at their family night and raffle off the jerseys at the end, or maybe say hell with trying to get everyone to wear their new shirt and give them to the people who stay until the scrimmage is almost over instead of students who get in line twice before it starts, pick up two shirts, and don't ever actually make it in the AL.  Also, do things that make it fun and loud in the place.  It's nice they tried to involve the alumni watching online with the dunk contest, but it just isn't worth the awkward two minute lull to tally up text-in votes.  If they want to involve the fans measure the decibel level in the place instead.

[ChicosBailBonds]

....that was not at Midnight Madness.  That was KO showing up at the airport to greet a kid for his official visit to Tucson.  Crazy (but effective)

I know...sorry if I implied that.  My point was that some coaches will get a bit crazy to be a showman...ATV and Karate suits, Gorilla costumes, Astronaut suits,....