[Cracked Sidewalks] A look back, Marquette's history with top 100 recruits...Part One, The 1980s

[94Warrior]

Definitely not the same Gerald Posey.  The Gerald Posey at MU is 40 years old now and didn't play in the NBA.

http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/gerald_posey

Damn I'm old! 

I was thinking of James Posey.

[4everwarriors]

That's right! 

Can you believe UNC actually made this banner?!?   

Smacks of something Crean would do.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I remember Posey's first game.  First MU game in the BC.  They turned off the lights to introduce the starting line-ups...and they took a few minutes to come back on.  Kind of symbolic for the Dukiet era.

Yup, the old mercury lights.  Back then those were issues with many arenas....took a long time for the mercs to come back up.  Then they switched to the lights they use now that can come up at a moment's notice.

[ChicosBailBonds]

That's right! 

Can you believe UNC actually made this banner?!?   

Got it.  Actually, I don't see a problem with it.  Making it to the final game is better than the Final Four.  Every school hangs Final Four banners and some hang them for the championship game?   Though most schools say "NCAA Runner-UP" in the ones I've seen, not "2nd place". 

[77fan88warrior]

Dean Smith hadn't won a championship by 77 and that might explain it.

Tom Copa had stone hands and was a huge disappointment for his size and strength. He had off court issues that might have contributed to his lack of development. He seemed like a decent guy but might have been more interested in being a college student than college bball player. He certainly wasn't the only player on his team that had these issues. I'm glad I never had anything but FFP skills in the academic arena because I wouldn't have been able to handle division 1 scholarship responsibilities.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the fact  that one of Walter Downing's legs was longer than the other. He was the only player on the team who didn't wear New Balance shoes because Adidas, Converse or.... made him special shoes.

There was an article on him throwing out all his bball trophies a few years back. He regretted it and moved on. I think he was an assistant coach at Hinsdale South in Illinois I believe.

I remember him as a nice guy whenever he came into McCormick's cafeteria after practice with the team. I also remember him playing the Star Spangled Banner on Senior Night. I can tell you that he was an improvement over what we had back then.

Walter's biggest problem beside physical limitations was his competition in high school. He was overhyped and played against the smaller schools in IL.   http://www.marchmadness.org/records/yearly/1979ba.htm 

[tower912]

Copa seemed like a genuinely nice guy.  I had a couple of classes with him and he was quite normal.  I remember his missed breakaway dunks landing at mid-court at least twice.  I don't remember stone hands but I do remember no touch.   His name became synonymous among my friends and I during pick-up games when someone would throw up a brick.   Someone else would yell "Copa"!    His 'off-court' issues was one very unfortunate event late in his collegiate career that wasn't malicious, just kids being kids with a tragic ending.

[mu-rara]

The Milwaukee Arena was really rocking that weekend.  The UNC loss followed by OT losses to solid Notre Dame and DePaul teams shortlyt thereafter tokk the sails out of MU's season.  Also, I think those diheartening losses along with recruting misses were the reason for the departure that summer of Rick Majerus to the Bucks.

I have never heard a player booed like Joe Wolf that day.  Really surprised and unnerved the Wolf family.

[1990Warrior]

I am thinking that a team could be derived from the non top 100 recruits that would be competitive with the top 100 success stories from this era.  This could be due to a problem with the ranking system and I agree that it will be interesting to see if it improves. It could also reflect the state of the program in the 80s.

Here are four players that I saw play in the late 80s that were successful non-top 100 recruits.  Maybe someone else can round out the list from the early 80s.

Tony Smith
David Boone
Trevor Powell
maybe Pops sims.

[CTWarrior]

"Doc Rivers" was a Chuck Taylor All American in 1982, and an AP All American in 1983.  
http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2009/05/look-back-marquettes-history-with-top.html

Doc Rivers was never an AP All American, not first, second or third team.  While he wasn't a miss by any stretch, he was merely very good, not great.  According to at least one publication, he was the best incoming freshman in the nation, but he was nothing like that.  He was an a very good player for a long time in the NBA, but I'd bet you that most MU fans at the time he left wouldn't have thought that would happen after watching him at MU.

[lurch91]

I am thinking that a team could be derived from the non top 100 recruits that would be competitive with the top 100 success stories from this era.  This could be due to a problem with the ranking system and I agree that it will be interesting to see if it improves. It could also reflect the state of the program in the 80s.

Here are four players that I saw play in the late 80s that were successful non-top 100 recruits.  Maybe someone else can round out the list from the early 80s.

Tony Smith
David Boone
Trevor Powell
maybe Pops sims.

I'd add Mark Anglavar to that list.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Whatever, but he simply does not belong on a list with Lloyd Moore. As I alluded to earlier, Walter did have severe knee problems throughout his career whcih limited his development.  I saw him at an all-star tournament at Boston University ( Boston Shootout, which was a real biggee in those days ) after his senior season.  In those games, Walter really struggled to get up and down the court grabbing his knees quite often.  Those knees continued really a problem at DePaul and he finally grew out of that problem in his redshirt season at MU.  That along with his passive personality and DePaul fans being spoiled by the Aguirre/Cummings teams were really his downfall in his Chicago stay.  The severe shoulder separation stymied what was really a VERY promising start to his MU career.  Walter's hype was also over-kill since he played in a small school conference, so the opposition was not always the best.  Once again, he was a defensive player.  17 ppg for a three-time state champion was built mostly on layups and put-backs.

Most of his problems were because one of his legs was significantly shorter than the other.

[Phi Iota Gamma 84]

I am thinking that a team could be derived from the non top 100 recruits that would be competitive with the top 100 success stories from this era.  This could be due to a problem with the ranking system and I agree that it will be interesting to see if it improves. It could also reflect the state of the program in the 80s.

Here are four players that I saw play in the late 80s that were successful non-top 100 recruits.  Maybe someone else can round out the list from the early 80s.

Tony Smith
David Boone
Trevor Powell
maybe Pops sims.

Worthen, Lee, Michaael Wilson

[bma725]

Doc Rivers was never an AP All American, not first, second or third team.  While he wasn't a miss by any stretch, he was merely very good, not great.  According to at least one publication, he was the best incoming freshman in the nation, but he was nothing like that.  He was an a very good player for a long time in the NBA, but I'd bet you that most MU fans at the time he left wouldn't have thought that would happen after watching him at MU.

According to his official MU bio he was a honorable mention AP All American in 1983.

[PJDunn]

Copa seemed like a genuinely nice guy.  I had a couple of classes with him and he was quite normal.  I remember his missed breakaway dunks landing at mid-court at least twice.  I don't remember stone hands but I do remember no touch.   His name became synonymous among my friends and I during pick-up games when someone would throw up a brick.   Someone else would yell "Copa"!    His 'off-court' issues was one very unfortunate event late in his collegiate career that wasn't malicious, just kids being kids with a tragic ending.

Copa was a great guy.  I do agree, however with him not living up to his hype as a bball player.  My favorite in this discussion, though, is Lloyd Moore.  A great guy who had a genuine weakness for the tombstone pizzas from the McCormick Hall dorm store. 

[Nukem2]

Most of his problems were because one of his legs was significantly shorter than the other.

Ah, thanks for the reminder PRN.  It was hard for Walter to run the floor.  When I saw him at the Boston Shootout in the early 80s he really struggled.

[4everwarriors]

Doc Rivers was never an AP All American, not first, second or third team.  While he wasn't a miss by any stretch, he was merely very good, not great.  According to at least one publication, he was the best incoming freshman in the nation, but he was nothing like that.  He was an a very good player for a long time in the NBA, but I'd bet you that most MU fans at the time he left wouldn't have thought that would happen after watching him at MU.

Doc would have been everything and more than advertised if there had been better talent surrounding him. Glenn's problem was that he had to do everything including,  but not limited to jumping center, bring the ball up the court, scoring, and guarding the opponent's best player. Hard to do each facet with All-American results. Truth is Hank surrounded him with talent that sucked ass.

[GGGG]

I am thinking that a team could be derived from the non top 100 recruits that would be competitive with the top 100 success stories from this era.  This could be due to a problem with the ranking system and I agree that it will be interesting to see if it improves. It could also reflect the state of the program in the 80s.

Here are four players that I saw play in the late 80s that were successful non-top 100 recruits.  Maybe someone else can round out the list from the early 80s.

Tony Smith
David Boone
Trevor Powell
maybe Pops sims.

Trevor Powell was an alright guy and a decent player...and had a real hot girlfriend when he was a freshman...but by and large he was a MCC player when we were an MCC team.  Same with Mark Anglavar.  So yeah they were the best players on those teams, but they were terrible teams.