[Enlund's Blog] It was a tough season for Durley

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Or buzz will adopt him. Or, more likely, buzz will adopt cadogan.

[Bocephys]

This is 100% speculation that I just thought of, but maybe his parents have money and he is willing to come as a walk-on. His dad had that job in the oil industry in the Saudi Arabia (and maybe still does but in Texas) so there is a chance they are well off financially. Now I don't know a thing about those jobs and how much they pay but if I were to guess I would say quite a bit.

Who knows if this is even possible and that the family is willing to do it, but so many scenarios have been tossed out there...why not this one?

Isn't there some rule about guys not being allowed to walk on if we've spent recruiting dollars on him in the form of official visits and whatnot?

[MU82]

Courtney was a college head coach and has coached NBA players like TJ Ford in high school.  Pretty sure he knows what he is talking about.  Also, very close to Buzz.

I don't know Courtney or his work. I don't know how much coaching Ridley needed. I might have been wrong suggesting Courtney was anything but a fine coach for Ridley, Durley and everybody else.

Doesn't mean he's not a tool for taking out a machete and hacking a high-school kid at the knees. I stand by that evaluation. 

[Hoopaloop]

Durley not ready for MU basketball this coming season?

[GGGG]

I don't know Courtney or his work. I don't know how much coaching Ridley needed. I might have been wrong suggesting Courtney was anything but a fine coach for Ridley, Durley and everybody else.

Doesn't mean he's not a tool for taking out a machete and hacking a high-school kid at the knees. I stand by that evaluation. 

Honestly, I don't think his quotes were that bad. 

[warthog-driver]

Honestly, I don't think his quotes were that bad. 

He sure as sh1t wasn't talking him up. It was worse than damning with faint praise...

[Dawson Rental]

This is 100% speculation that I just thought of, but maybe his parents have money and he is willing to come as a walk-on. His dad had that job in the oil industry in the Saudi Arabia (and maybe still does but in Texas) so there is a chance they are well off financially. Now I don't know a thing about those jobs and how much they pay but if I were to guess I would say quite a bit.

Who knows if this is even possible and that the family is willing to do it, but so many scenarios have been tossed out there...why not this one?

His dad is still in Saudi Arabia.  He lives with his grandparents on his father's side in Houston.

why not this one?

Because college costs a pantload for anybody who has to work.

[GGGG]

He sure as sh1t wasn't talking him up. It was worse than damning with faint praise...

No, but I think he was being honest.

[warthog-driver]

No, but I think he was being honest.

Roger honest. Pretty plain speak for a coach. Doesn't sound good.

[MU82]

Any coach -- or any adult -- who really likes a kid doesn't publicly say that kind of stuff.

Tool.

[mviale]

Coach just threw him under the bus

[GGGG]

You don't know the context of what was said. Buzz has said some things about players that were odd too unless placed in proper context. People are being too quick to judge.

[Hards Alumni]

You don't know the context of what was said. Buzz has said some things about players that were odd too unless placed in proper context. People are being too quick to judge.

If you really believe that Sultan, you aren't as smart as I thought you were.  I have never heard a high school coach talk so negatively about a recruit.  His candor is shocking.

[brewcity77]

If you really believe that Sultan, you aren't as smart as I thought you were.  I have never heard a high school coach talk so negatively about a recruit.  His candor is shocking.

Though in all honesty, it's almost Buzz-like, when you think about some of what he says. Maybe Buzz is in Courtney's ear trying to build that chip on Durley's shoulder. In fact...that wouldn't surprise me at all. What we've heard of this kid is that he's a physical beast, but when he visited college, took it easy because he didn't want to hurt people. Buzz already has a long-standing relationship with Courtney going back to Otule and possibly beyond, and we know Buzz's saying "If you don't have a chip on your shoulder, I'll put one there". It would be incredibly savvy of him to start with the kid's HS coach and continue it when he gets to Marquette.

Just listen to what Buzz has said in the past about guys, Gardner perhaps most prominently. Yet Gardner's also the guy who has called himself lazy. He needs that kind of motivation. If Durley does too, why wait until he gets to campus to start motivating him?

[Hards Alumni]

Though in all honesty, it's almost Buzz-like, when you think about some of what he says. Maybe Buzz is in Courtney's ear trying to build that chip on Durley's shoulder. In fact...that wouldn't surprise me at all. What we've heard of this kid is that he's a physical beast, but when he visited college, took it easy because he didn't want to hurt people. Buzz already has a long-standing relationship with Courtney going back to Otule and possibly beyond, and we know Buzz's saying "If you don't have a chip on your shoulder, I'll put one there". It would be incredibly savvy of him to start with the kid's HS coach and continue it when he gets to Marquette.

Just listen to what Buzz has said in the past about guys, Gardner perhaps most prominently. Yet Gardner's also the guy who has called himself lazy. He needs that kind of motivation. If Durley does too, why wait until he gets to campus to start motivating him?

I understand where you are coming from and I follow your logic.  I just disagree with it.  It makes sense for Buzz to try to light a fire under Durley at this point, but it should have been Courtney's job to do that all of last year, and it doesn't seem to have worked.

[brewcity77]

I understand where you are coming from and I follow your logic.  I just disagree with it.  It makes sense for Buzz to try to light a fire under Durley at this point, but it should have been Courtney's job to do that all of last year, and it doesn't seem to have worked.

Which might be why we're seeing this now. I'd guess that Courtney was being honest when he said Durley was ahead of Otule last year. Look at the kid physically, and he's put up numbers in AAU, there's likely something there. So Courtney said as much in hopes that the positivity would motivate Durley. Quite possibly, it did the opposite, maybe got a sensitive kid thinking that if he's already ahead of Otule, all that will happen at Marquette is he will feel afraid to hurt people. So after watching a non-productive season, Buzz contacted Courtney and said "Hey, this hand-holding isn't working, and I'll be using a different angle when he gets here, so let's start with tough love before he leaves."

Again, this is all speculation, but looking at the near-180 from Courtney and considering Buzz's past, I think this is definitely possible. And while plenty will say this is fueling the "Durley to Prep/JUCO" fire, I actually think this is an even better indicator that Durley will be here in Fall.

[Stretchdeltsig]

It seems that one of Buzz's glaring weaknesses is the failure to recruit good "bigs".  During his time at MU he has recruited Roseboro, Mbao, McMorrow and Durley, while other BE teams continue to recruit talented bigs.  I think Buzz is an up and coming good young coach, but, cannot be considered successful until he consistently recruits good bigs.  MU will continue to fight and scrap, but may not win the big one until they have at least one or two "good big men."

[QuetteHoops]

It seems that one of Buzz's glaring weaknesses is the failure to recruit good "bigs".  During his time at MU he has recruited Roseboro, Mbao, McMorrow and Durley, while other BE teams continue to recruit talented bigs.  I think Buzz is an up and coming good young coach, but, cannot be considered successful until he consistently recruits good bigs.  MU will continue to fight and scrap, but may not win the big one until they have at least one or two "good big men."

Gardner and Otule don't fall under the "good big men" category to you?

[brewcity77]

Gardner and Otule don't fall under the "good big men" category to you?

+1

Buzz won't likely get those quality bigs to MU until he proves he can succeed with quality bigs. It's a chicken/egg issue, but if guys like DG, CO, and Durley succeed, he'll likely start getting those top-notch guys. Yes, you see quality bigs at UConn, Pitt, Syracuse, and Louisville, but they have coaches with a proven track record in that regard.

[🏀]

+1

Buzz won't likely get those quality bigs to MU until he proves he can succeed with quality bigs. It's a chicken/egg issue, but if guys like DG, CO, and Durley succeed, he'll likely start getting those top-notch guys. Yes, you see quality bigs at UConn, Pitt, Syracuse, and Louisville, but they have coaches with a proven track record in that regard.

They are also UConn, Pitt, Syracuse and Louisville. No offense to Marquette, but little higher on the hierarchy of NCAA programs.

[MU82]

You don't know the context of what was said. Buzz has said some things about players that were odd too unless placed in proper context. People are being too quick to judge.

The proper analogy would be Buzz coming out now and saying Crowder was a disappointment who didn't live up to his potential, thereby making him seem unfit for the NBA.

Even if had been the truth (which it isn't, obviously), it still would have been cruel and unnecessary.

Buzz does say things about guys in his program to light a fire under them, but it would be hard to imagine him ripping an ex-player publicly the way Courtney did to Durley. Buzz wouldn't even do it to a guy like Maymon, who left him in the lurch, let alone a kid he supposedly likes.

[Hoopaloop]

This entire article seems odd.

1.  When ever has ENlund ever blogged anything more than a 3 sentence capture of info. from a AP release.

2.  Of the 4 incoming recruits why Durley...or does the JS online only report bad news in regards to Mu now?

You guys got played.  Enlund, if I were to guess, was asked to write this or given information by the coaching staff to write it.  To prepare the fans that Durley wasn't coming.  Someone whispered something to him and he wrote an article out of character for him because he got the lowdown on what to write.  Prepping the masses is all this was.  Buzz using the media to his advantage in this case.  Let the media and his high school coach take him down to soften the blow before the Buzzcut.

[77ncaachamps]

Durley is probably a good kid with a supportive home. Buzz likes those kids. He saw good character in him, I'm sure.

But if the coach (who presumably is updating Buzz with Durley's progress all-season long) says those things about his own player publicly, who has committed to a D-1 university, I think this was a done deal for quite some time.

I would like to see Durley develop greatly in a JuCo setting, and if the opportunity were to arise, contribute to MU's team.

I wish him the best. The expectations are high for incoming recruits at Marquette. It sounded like Durley wasn't going to realistically be able to meet them.

Similar to the Roseboro case, but you have to tip your hat to Buzz and Co.: they learned how to cut ties more cleanly this time.