Tyshawn Taylor and Bob Hurley/Buzz

[Avenue Commons]

I am currently reading "The Miracle of St. Anthony's" about the St. Anthony's boys basketball team run by Bob Hurley in Jersey City, NJ. In particular it talks about a team from a few years back and what their season was like. The book also talks a lot about Coach Hurley. I have to say I find him to be very impressive and the dedication and investment he has for his kids is amazing.

I seem to remember that one of the reasons that Tyshawn backed off his committment to MU was because Hurley didn't feel he could trust Buzz or something like that. Can anyone fill me in on any details?

By the way, if you like sports books, I couldn't recommend "The Mirace of St. Anthony's" any higher. It's great. You could probably find it used on Amazon.

[Avenue Commons]

Amazon has "The Miracle of St. Anthony's new for $5 and there are used copies for under $3.

http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-St-Anthony-Basketballs-Improbable/dp/B000PD3MGG/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226090323&sr=8-1

[Blackhat]

Amazon has "The Miracle of St. Anthony's new for $5 and there are used copies for under $3.

http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-St-Anthony-Basketballs-Improbable/dp/B000PD3MGG/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226090323&sr=8-1

High end toilet paper. 

[bma725]

I seem to remember that one of the reasons that Tyshawn backed off his committment to MU was because Hurley didn't feel he could trust Buzz or something like that. Can anyone fill me in on any details?

It wasn't that Hurley couldn't trust Buzz, it was that Hurley didn't know anything about Buzz as a coach and he didn't want to send one of his players to a new guy that the player had not originally committed to.  He'd had the same thing happen to another player before during a coaching change and the kid ended up hating the school he was at because of the new coach.  Further, he was worried about Buzz's inexperience.

Having said all that, the story going around the NJ HS Basketball scene tells a much different story.  Everyone knows that even before MU got involved with Taylor, Kansas was his favorite school.  It was still his favorite school when he committed to MU, but since he didn't have an offer from KU, he didn't want to take a chance and wait until spring only to miss out on Kansas and MU...so he committed to MU.  In the winter, before the season was over and before IU had even dumped Sampson, Kansas assistant Joe Dooley supposedly made it clear through back channels that if Taylor were somehow able to get out of his LOI the Jayhawks would have a spot for him.  At that time, Taylor began to reconsider his commitment to MU and was considering leaving even before there was a hint of Crean going to IU.  When Crean left to go to IU Taylor had the out he needed.  Not wanting his player to look like the bad guy, Hurley willingly played the heavy with MU to get Taylor out of his LOI and into Kansas which had been his dream school all along.

How much of that is true, I don't know.  But I've heard pretty much the same story out of multiple people that are involved in high school and AAU basketball in that area.

[BrewCity83]

Thanks for that story, bma.  Now it all makes sense...Hurley couldn't have been as much of a jag as we all thought in this TT saga.

[Blackhat]

That would work except Ty said he was cool with Buzz and that he would stay if he was hired.  And Hurley Sr. has no problem sending his player to friggin Fred Hill.   Hurley Sr. is full of s___.

[MuMark]

Fred Hill was well known in New Jersey basketball circles even before he became the head coach at Rutgers.

[Avenue Commons]

Thanks for that story, bma.  Now it all makes sense...Hurley couldn't have been as much of a jag as we all thought in this TT saga.

Agreed. Reading this book it is clear that Hurley would do anything if he thought it was in the best interest of one of his kids.

[Dish]

In spite of what you might think of Hurley, I've been praising Miracle of St. Anthony as one of the best sports books I've ever read. It's a fascinating read. I second AC's recommendation.

[rocky_warrior]

Not wanting his player to look like the bad guy, Hurley willingly played the heavy with MU to get Taylor out of his LOI and into Kansas which had been his dream school all along.

Huh - that doesn't work for me either.  Marquette let everyone out of the LOIs if they asked - even the ones that asked nicely.  Hurley could have quietly gone to Marquette/Buzz and said he had concerns, and he wanted TT to look around a little.

Instead, he went to the media several times and make it an ordeal.  That wasn't required.  He may be a great coach, but I don't like the way he operates.

[BuzzSucksSucks]

bma's explanation has a ring of truth to it. It makes sense.

[Blackhat]

A career assistant, in his first head job Fred Hill has gone 21-39 in two seasons.    You're telling me it seems on the up and up that Hurley has no reservations with sending his kid to Hill but does to Buzz?   It's all a joke, it's about who Hurley is tight with and who gives him more clout out in Jersey. 

[nola03]

A career assistant, in his first head job Fred Hill has gone 21-39 in two seasons.    You're telling me it seems on the up and up that Hurley has no reservations with sending his kid to Hill but does to Buzz?   It's all a joke, it's about who Hurley is tight with and who gives him more clout out in Jersey. 

As MuMark wrote, Fred Hill has been well known in Jersey for years. Hurley never needed time to figure out who Hill was like he does with Buzz. I'm sure some sort of comfort level will be built in time so long as Buzz is still at MU.

Add to it, that Fred Hill's father was a successful baseball coach at Rutgers and Fred Hill's brother Brian is a well known NBA coach as well as the state University being only a 20 minute ride away and it's very, very clear to see that Hurley would find Hill/Rutgers a much more comfortable situation then Buzz/Marquette.

[bilsu]

That would work except Ty said he was cool with Buzz and that he would stay if he was hired.  And Hurley Sr. has no problem sending his player to friggin Fred Hill.   Hurley Sr. is full of s___.

I have no idea what went down. But I noticed in recruiting that Taylor always talked glowingly about whatever school he visited. Seemed like a very nice positive kid. Snaer seems to be the same kind of person. every school he visited he talks positively about.

[Tulsa Warrior]

Hurley played the heavy to get Taylor what he wanted.  The teenager couldn't say no if Buzz was in the room.  Taylor just couldn't do that.  It took a grown up like Hurley.  At the same time Hurley did not need to publicly smear Marquette and Buzz to get the release.   

[Pardner]

Hurley played the heavy to get Taylor what he wanted.  The teenager couldn't say no if Buzz was in the room.  Taylor just couldn't do that.  It took a grown up like Hurley.  At the same time Hurley did not need to publicly smear Marquette and Buzz to get the release.   

Hurley:  "And he (TT) really liked the assistant coaches, particularly the coach that came up from New Orleans - he was really comfortable with him."

Clearly, the kid and his handlers wanted out.  Hurley has his NJ b-ball mafia connections and Buzz hadn't been blessed at the alter yet by the King (see above quote).  While he has done a lot of great things for a lot of kids, he was and is way overbearing, IMO.  When kids don't make their own decisions, bad things happen (TT, Trevor).  He made this all about him and a statement he wanted to make-- when the proper exit was easy --and  instead he raked MU and Buzz across the coals.  Let's see if Buzz EVER plays in Hurley's backyard again.

[nola03]

Let's see if Buzz EVER plays in Hurley's backyard again.

If Buzz takes his ball and goes home from Hurley, he won't last long in the Big East. He knows that. Their relationship is fine.

Btw, I don't think Taylor made a bad decision in attending Kansas like you seem to. For me, it's a great decision.

[Nukem2]

If Buzz takes his ball and goes home from Hurley, he won't last long in the Big East. He knows that. Their relationship is fine.

Btw, I don't think Taylor made a bad decision in attending Kansas like you seem to. For me, it's a great decision.

Hard to criticize his decision.

[Pardner]

If Buzz takes his ball and goes home from Hurley, he won't last long in the Big East. He knows that. Their relationship is fine.

Btw, I don't think Taylor made a bad decision in attending Kansas like you seem to. For me, it's a great decision.

I never said anything about bad decision by TT to go to Kansas...I said it wasn't his decision which sets it up as bad decision.  I also didn't say that Buzz took his ball and went home.  In fact, he played it nicely.  What I said is let's see if he plays in that backyard that unnamed others do to bow down to pick up Hurley's scraps.  Fact is, our NY star connection dried up 20 years ago.  Buzz has other networks lined up--not just Hurley (which he would love us to believe).  There are other ways to recruit in the BE and win.

[Tulsa Warrior]

Bottom line it was TT's decision to make.  That's cool.  How it was done was not cool.