[Cracked Sidewalks] Marquette Elitism?

[CrackedSidewalksSays]

Marquette Elitism?

Written by: noreply@blogger.com (Tim Blair)

Dr. Blackheart is back for more, this time looking at the concept of Marquette Elitisim

http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2011/03/marquette-elitism.html

[Tugg Speedman]

Good Doctor ....

You forgot one thing.  MU lacks a natural recruiting base.  It does not have a pipeline to Chicago and the State of Wisconsin does not produce enough talent.

Agree or is this idea overblown?

[Dr. Blackheart]

Good Doctor ....

You forgot one thing.  MU lacks a natural recruiting base.  It does not have a pipeline to Chicago and the State of Wisconsin does not produce enough talent.

Agree or is this idea overblown?

I agree...and Chicago is shut down it seems for MU.  However, do Duke, Xavier or Gonzaga have a real natural recruiting base?  X goes against UC, UL, and tOSU for talent.  Does Wisconsin either?  Bo has lost out on top talent within the state.  Does Kansas?  Or even Pittsburgh which goes to NYC?  Times have changed and MU needs to go national like these others to achieve elite, but stay competitive regionally, I believe. BE and ESPN helps this.

Crean saw this after the ODB drama and dealing with the Chicago AAU scene.  At IU, he is staying local now. 

[NYWarrior]

I agree...and Chicago is shut down it seems for MU.  However, do Duke, Xavier or Gonzaga have a real natural recruiting base?  X goes against UC, UL, and tOSU for talent.  Does Wisconsin either?  Bo has lost out on top talent within the state.  Does Kansas?  Or even Pittsburgh which goes to NYC?  Times have changed and MU needs to go national like these others to achieve elite, but stay competitive regionally, I believe. BE and ESPN helps this.

Crean saw this after the ODB drama and dealing with the Chicago AAU scene.  At IU, he is staying local now.  

One thing Buzz has said consistently is that programs have to recruit where they play .... While MU has a strong Texas flavor to the roster -- kids like Gardner, DWilson, Mayo, Ferguson and the WI kids are evidence of that strategy.  I think Buzz does a good job of managing his own personal base (along with those of his assistants) in building a national recruiting footprint.

BTW -- I'm not sure its accurate to say that MU is shut out of Chicago.  Buzz did get Reggie Smith to campus just last year.

[Pakuni]

BTW -- I'm not sure its accurate to say that MU is shut out of Chicago.  Buzz did get Reggie Smith to campus just last year.

And apparently is in good with Abdel Nader.

[Dr. Blackheart]

BTW -- I'm not sure its accurate to say that MU is shut out of Chicago.  Buzz did get Reggie Smith to campus just last year.

I said "shut down" not "shut out".  By that I mean, for the first time since 1969, Marquette has zero Chicago players on the roster.  Can Benford still hook with the Fire after Reggie, Shaw, Dawson?  Nasser is from Wade's team I believe. Last Central/Suburban League (legacy) players were TT, Doc, Whitehead and Lackey IIRC. We'll see but right now we are barren for the first time in two+ scores.  

[Blackhat]

Benford hasn't impressed me.. it's pretty obvious he never established a great relationship with Reggie Smith, the kid bolted when he was getting pt, whereas Aki's recruits have stuck it out like Jamail Jones.


The couple guys Benford has worked on the most have left in Maymon and Reggie Smith.

[NYWarrior]

for the first time since 1969, Marquette has zero Chicago players on the roster.

and with that ... i get your point