If Buzz's 5th year is equal to Crean's 5th year...

[bilsu]

I wonder how the decision by the Three Amigos to stay and support their new coach facilitated the success we're having now?  That first year gave Buzz a wonderful opportunity to learn and get his feet wet.  He's continually built from there.  I still believe that the Buzz sweet spot is the sprinkling of upperclassmen into the mix.  Usually that takes the form of a Juco but this year includes a plug-in graduate student.  No doubt Tom benefited from DWade but he has to be credited with bringing MU to 'high major' status once again.  Our only real legitimate complaint the the Colts 'Mayflower' departure.  

What I like about Buzz, besides his eccentricity, is the way he handles players. He does not seem to get in their faces during or after games. Crean on the other hand would get really mad at players after losses.

[The Equalizer]

I don't want to get into another Crean versus Buzz battle...both are great for MU....the reality is, is that Buzz's team in Year 5 will not be playing in C-USA, and it will not be an NIT team.  The fall off from a Final Four team to a first round loser in the NIT with 2 future NBA players was pretty steep.  Crean > Buzz due to Final Four appearance, Buzz>Crean due to 2 Sweet 16s and so far 4 for 4 in NCAA's, and Buzz has 5 NCAA tourney wins in 4 years - which matches Crean's in 9 years at MU.

Sort of like what happened to Butler this year.  Stevens--like Crean--started building a team when he arrived, reached the pinnacle in the 4th year, and year five was a rebuilding year.

The question is whether we define Stevens by his 2nd round CBI loss this year?  Even if he never gets Butler back to the final four?

As for Marquette next year, everyone I know is expecting some sort of dropoff--probaby even you.  Nobody I know is demanding that Buzz "build on" his back-to-back Sweet 16s.  

At best, the great hope is that our dropoff next year won't be as deep as the decline Butler experienced this year or MU in 2004.  

But it could happen.  We're probably going to be picked 5th pre-season, and if a few teams behind us get hot, or we wind up with an upset, we could well drop out of the tourney.

Finally, going in I'm not sure the 2013 Big East is going to be that much stronger than 2004 CUSA.  In 2004, six of our CUSA opponents went to the tournament.  I'd be hard pressed to find more than six other BE teams that I'd pick right now to make the tourney.

[Hoopaloop]

I don't want to get into another Crean versus Buzz battle...both are great for MU....the reality is, is that Buzz's team in Year 5 will not be playing in C-USA, and it will not be an NIT team.  The fall off from a Final Four team to a first round loser in the NIT with 2 future NBA players was pretty steep.  Crean > Buzz due to Final Four appearance, Buzz>Crean due to 2 Sweet 16s and so far 4 for 4 in NCAA's, and Buzz has 5 NCAA tourney wins in 4 years - which matches Crean's in 9 years at MU.

We've talked about this many times.  Buzz has been more consistent.  Crean got us to the Final Four and through the best Big East in history (Jay Bilas says so Lenny).    Buzz has kept us consistently very good, but also the worst finish in the Big East (9th and 11 seed).  No Final Fours from Buzz yet.  Crean had higher highs and lower lows.  Buzz has been more consistently good without the lows but without the same highs.

Both great for Marquette.

[Hoopaloop]

By Andy Katz?!

You may not like it, but a number of preseason prognosticators have IU, UL or UK number 1 next season.  They will not be any worse than preseason top 5.  PRN will now start in with his claims that somehow I am not able to state this because I went to Purdue.  As a Bears fan, I'm not able to admit that I think the Packers are going to the Super Bowl this year?  It is ok to be a fan of a team and recognize how good another team is.

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/03/indiana-louisville-top-our-too-early-2012-13-preseason-top-25/

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/04/30/rothstein-files-updated-preseason-top-25-for-the-2012-13-college-basketball-season/

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/7767401/indiana-hoosiers-continue-moving-2012-13

http://walterfootball.com/collegebasketballtop25.php

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2012/05/09/2042811/preseason-top-25-poll-for-2012.html

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1129499-college-basketball-power-rankings-indiana-hoosiers-are-preseason-1-in-2012-13

[4everwarriors]

Agree completely...well said.

What choice did they have? Plus, they quietly were glad to be rid of the mf'er. Aina, Wes?

[Dawson Rental]

I wonder how the decision by the Three Amigos to stay and support their new coach facilitated the success we're having now?  That first year gave Buzz a wonderful opportunity to learn and get his feet wet.  He's continually built from there.  I still believe that the Buzz sweet spot is the sprinkling of upperclassmen into the mix.  Usually that takes the form of a Juco but this year includes a plug-in graduate student.  No doubt Tom benefited from DWade but he has to be credited with bringing MU to 'high major' status once again.  Our only real legitimate complaint the the Colts 'Mayflower' departure.  

What choice did they have? Plus, they quietly were glad to be rid of the mf'er. Aina, Wes?

I agree completely with 4ever on this.  What the hell were the three amigos going to do?  Pay for their last year of college by themselves?  There is no way the Wes ever sniffs the NBA without that last year playing for Buzz.  Dominic and Jerel (maybe Jerel got a ten day contract) never got there.  Were they in that big a hurry to play in Belgium or Turkey or wherever, and made a brave sacrifice to help Buzz out?

[Hoopaloop]

....this board will completely lose it's collective mind.    NIT (OK, MU is in the BEast now and Crean went from CUSA), a complete bomb of a recruiting class   (Mason, Matthews, Bell, Christian), especially with the citizenship exhibited by a couple of members.     All of that with two future NBA players and the second best big Crean ever had on the team.   
     For all of the unfair criticism and vitriol leveled at Crean since he left, his 5th and 6th seasons at MU seem to get overlooked, and they were not good.   

When does Buzz's ?th year equal to Crean's 4th year?