better talent

[Marquette65]

Have read lot of posts that Conn and UL have " better" talent as reason we lost.  If so why do they ( among othe BE schools ) have " better" talent?  Inability to recruit? Bad decisions on recruits?

[AZWarrior]

I think its a lack of balance in our talent.  We have talent, but we're a donut in the words of St. Al McGuire.  We don't have an effective inside presence and it limits us.

[Marquette65]

but WHY do we have a lack of balance?

[Final Four or Bust]

inability to close on highly ranked recruits since James & co - most of the other top be schools have better classes and lots have mcds aas.  We can't miss our targets and try to fill them in w jucos or projects- cream eventually rises.

[mwbauer7]

McDonalds All-Americans may make for a good recruiting class, but having them on your team doesn't mean you'll be any good.

[Final Four or Bust]

McDonalds All-Americans may make for a good recruiting class, but having them on your team doesn't mean you'll be any good.

You are right, there are no guarantees- but give me a roster peppered w mcdaa's and you can have a roster of jucos and "diamonds" in the rough and I'll take those odds and go to battle everyday.

[77ncaachamps]

The plethora of guard and forward recruits committing to Crean and his system really drives away the classic big man (6'9"+). Plus, they want to be the center of attention - pun intended. They know they'll get lost in a system that focuses on guard play.

If I was a 7'0" big man in WI, I'd probably commit to Wisconsin because of their track record of utilizing the big man in their playbook.

[Marquette65]

agree that mdaa don't mean you are going to win.  However we don't have one player who can be counted on to get basket or foul shot when needed.  Look at what happened to our 'hoped for" 2008 class. They went to Ga. Tech, Harvard, Vandy not especially big programs.  Heck the Ga. Tech coach, if you believe what is written in Atlanta, is on his way out.  Our middle consists of a kid that was not a starter on his HS team and another who did not play his last 2 years of HS.  That simply in not going to make it in the BE.  We are not getting  the top players and it shows.

[NotAnAlum]

You claim wisconsin has a track record of utilizing big men.  Well I will grant you that they have a lot of tall players on the floor if that's what you mean.  Aside from that they have Butch, a McD's all american and top 10 player in the nation who wasn't even effective until his 3rd year in the program.  Then of course there is Greg Stiemsma a top 50 recruit who is averaging 3 points/game IN HIS 4th SEASON.  Then of course there is the high percentage of these 10 or so >6'9" players that Wisconsin has put in the NBA.  And the answer is .... ZERO.  I don't know why tall kids continue to go to Wisconsin (they have 2 more coming in next year) but the myth that they are developed in that system is worse than a myth (Myths usually have some degree of truth).  Based on track record a 7 foot kid would be better off going ANYWHERE other than Wisconsin.

[CTWarrior]

Have read lot of posts that Conn and UL have " better" talent as reason we lost.  If so why do they ( among othe BE schools ) have " better" talent?  Inability to recruit? Bad decisions on recruits?

We have plenty of talent.  Louisville and UConn have the right kind of talent to beat us.  To give us fits you need to have guards who don't turn the ball over too much and big athletic interior players.  When you can do those things, it eliminates our primary offensive weapons, which are converting turnovers, runouts off the defensive rebounds, putbacks, and drives to the basket. 

I don't know how many times you can watch a team like UConn kick the ball to a guy like Adrien in the low post, and he backs down the defender and either makes a move for a short easy shot or kicks the ball when the double team comes opening up a shooter elsewhere, before you say to yourself, "Why don't we have one of those?"

[downtown85]

agree that mdaa don't mean you are going to win.  However we don't have one player who can be counted on to get basket or foul shot when needed.  Look at what happened to our 'hoped for" 2008 class. They went to Ga. Tech, Harvard, Vandy not especially big programs.  Heck the Ga. Tech coach, if you believe what is written in Atlanta, is on his way out.  Our middle consists of a kid that was not a starter on his HS team and another who did not play his last 2 years of HS.  That simply in not going to make it in the BE.  We are not getting  the top players and it shows.

I agree 100% with your sentiment regarding regarding recruiting recently.  i have posted my dissappointment here many times of really only landing one borderline top-100 recruit each year over the last 3 recruiting classes ('06,'07, and '08).  However, when one talks about balance, I think in 2008 the team will be more balanced if DJ leaves and all 4 recruits come in.  I think NW is a stud and is probably rated too low by the scouting services.  I cannot imagine Otule and Fulce being worse than our current front line talent.  From what I have seen about TT, he seems pretty good, probably also underrated by the scouts.  PLUS, Trevor should help a lot.   So in 2008, we should be fine. 

However, after 2008 worries me when Wes and Jerel leave.  TC needs to land some top recruits for 2009 to keep up.  I wish i could say , "do or die!"

[NavinRJohnson]

The plethora of guard and forward recruits committing to Crean and his system really drives away the classic big man (6'9"+). Plus, they want to be the center of attention - pun intended. They know they'll get lost in a system that focuses on guard play.

If I was a 7'0" big man in WI, I'd probably commit to Wisconsin because of their track record of utilizing the big man in their playbook.

This is complete bunk. If you're good and can play, the ball will find you. MU's play book seemed to work out pretty well for Robert Jackson and Scott Merritt, and I would say they had some pretty good guards on their teams.

[muPARTY]

The plethora of guard and forward recruits committing to Crean and his system really drives away the classic big man (6'9"+). Plus, they want to be the center of attention - pun intended. They know they'll get lost in a system that focuses on guard play.

If I was a 7'0" big man in WI, I'd probably commit to Wisconsin because of their track record of utilizing the big man in their playbook.

This is complete bunk. If you're good and can play, the ball will find you. MU's play book seemed to work out pretty well for Robert Jackson and Scott Merritt, and I would say they had some pretty good guards on their teams.

you named 1 year (and the only yr a post player did anything) in what is Tom Crean's 9th.  Merritt had one decent year and, like you said, it happened with Rob Jackson.  Merritt was never the true back-to-basket "go-to" post player.  Robert Jackson developed his game for 3 years at Miss St in the SEC which knows how to utilize post players.

I completly agree with the first post.  Crean has no history of doing anythig with post players.  if i was a recruit, and Crean approached me, i'd look and say what has he done for the big guys?  nothing.  and that's probably why he can't get them (guessing, but i'd say has some truth if Chris Grimm was the last 6'10+ post player, who actually played in high school, TC actually got to sign with MU straight out of high school)