Crean's recruiting since he got here - an RSCI look back

[ChicosBailBonds]

I went back to the RSCI tonight to look at our recruits over the last 8 years.  The RSCI is the source that combines all the recruiting gurus rankings to form an average ranking (averages rivals, scout, gibbons, etc, etc).

Robert Jackson 33rd (Class of 1998...Dick Bennett and Deane didn't recruit him)..transferred to MU
Scott Merritt 85th  Class of 2000
Travis Diener 40th Class of 2001
Steve Novak 57th Class of 2002
Dameon Mason 71st Class of 2003
Dominic James 36th Class of 2005
Jerel McNeal 57th Class of 2005
Wes Matthews 61st Class of 2005
Trevor Mbakwe 98th Class of 2007  (Final RSCI rankings not done)


Guys MU missed out on from the state of Wisconsin

Jerry Smith 45th Class of 2006 (Louisville) - Wauwatosa, WI
Trevon Hughes 88th Class of 2006 (Wisconsin) - Delafield, WI
Greg Stiemsma 37th Class of 2004 (Wisconsin) - Randolph, WI
Brian Butch 7th Class of 2003 (Wisconsin) - Appleton, WI
JR Morris 68th  Class of 2002  (Seton Hall) - Milwaukee, WI
Greg Brown 80th Class of 2002 (???) - Milwaukee, WI
Boo Wade 90th Class of 2002 (Wisconsin) - Milwaukee, WI
-----------------------prior to Crean-------------------
Julian Swartz 92nd Class of 1999 (Wisconsin) - Waukesha, WI
Reese Gaines 39th Class of 1999 (Louisville) - Madison, WI
Marshall Williams 33rd Class of 1999 (NC State) - Milwaukee, WI
Jose Winston 48th Class of 1998 (Colorado) - Milwaukee, WI


Before Crean got here, we hadn't landed a top 100 player in a LONG, LONG, LONG, LONG time.  Crean has certainly missed some, but he's landed a bunch as well.

[MarquetteBallin]

Nobody said he couldn't recruit. I take that back, he is an excellent recruiter of guards he just hasn't gotten a stud big men yet. It is Crean's lack of in-game adjustments and his X's and O's that everyone is sick of. He simply can not coach in a game, no matter what time of big name talent he may bring in.

[ecompt]

fine...fire him and bring in a great game coach like Bo, who will take the same talent and get knocked out in the second round every year.

[Niv Berkowitz]

Boy, Crean must be a really, really lucky coach then to compile all the wins he's gotten, considering he has never gotten a good big man. I guess they should can him.

Come on.

[DAtruth]

i seen where tc just missed a big guy from indianapolis..jujuan johnson...list mu as 3rd school..i seen the kid play a few times this year..he was getting bigger and stronger all the time..last list was 6-11 at hinkle fieldhouse regionals 3 weeks ago...kid has me thinking he is going to be a real force in the paint defensively(would have loved to see him wearing an mu jersey)..you can find a bunch of clips from last yr on the scout sites...

so obviously tc is trying to land the quality big man..they simply just get away..i think its like fishing..all coaches wanna land the big 1's..when it comes down to it..offensively in tc system big men become pick men up around the 3 point line and get the ball on rolls..and most big men dont think they will get enough touches..its not a secret tc runs a guards offense..

would also like to say ive been doing my scouting for a big man and i hope you are all doing the same..seen a kid for the first time named angel garcia..soph in h.s. now..kid can cross you over take you to the rack and poke with authority..great inside outside threat..powerful yet a good stroke from 15-17ft..6-11...i cant find any vids online of him but if anyone finds any please let me know..in indiana state championship he had like 24 on 10-14 ...was impressive to the eye

[NavinRJohnson]

Nobody said he couldn't recruit. I take that back, he is an excellent recruiter of guards he just hasn't gotten a stud big men yet. It is Crean's lack of in-game adjustments and his X's and O's that everyone is sick of. He simply can not coach in a game, no matter what time of big name talent he may bring in.

Well which is it? As I've said before, if you place a Hansbrough, Hibbert, Oden, Noah, etc. on MU's current roster and I guarantee you his X's and O's would be far more acceptable to gus like you. Why do I get the sense that if he should by chance end up at Kentucky that his abilities as a coach will increase dramatically once he gets access to those types of players?

[mu03eng]

I think to a certain extent it is a myth that Crean's offense is guard oriented.  Its really more of a chicken or the egg.  Does the offense run through the guards because we don't have a big man or do we not get a big man because we run through the guards.  Remember during the Final Four run, we have Jackson and Merritt and they seemed to get plenty of touches even with all-world DWade playing on that team.  I think if you were to see a good big man come here, he would get plenty of touches.  Mkwabe I think will prove that, he will get the touches down low.

[DAtruth]

ive seen crean demonstrate his offense several times...guards off screens read the back guy and wing men...kick to wing off screen or take all the way to rim or hit a roll'n big man..in short thats the offense..really from what ive seen its pg's offense..you can change players and where they are setting up-rolling..but the person coming off the screens make the ultimate decision in this offense..which is why i believe we see many turnovers and bad some bad jugement

[Nukem2]

TC has shown that he will use his best options.  If he has quality bigs, he uses them.  If not, things are going to be built around the guards.  Yes, it truly is a chicken and egg thing (but, of course, TC can impact that by recruiting more serviceable bigs ).

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

so obviously tc is trying to land the quality big man..they simply just get away..i think its like fishing..all coaches wanna land the big 1's..when it comes down to it..

I think you are right on. I also think landing a big man has a bit of a luck element. Good centers in college are kind of like starting pitchers in baseball or QB's in football.

It's hard to project who is really going to be good... and most coaches don't even know the player is good until they are already good (if that makes sense).

Look how many great pitchers and QB's have come from nowhere. Almost every team in the big leagues could have had Santana (rule 5 draft if I remember), but they don't. The Twins are obviously smart, and a little lucky. Patriots have Brady, every NFL team had a shot at him and passed. Patriots are smart and a little lucky.

I think college big men are the same. Obviously there are always a handful at the top of every class that look like can't misses, but after that it's almost a crapshoot.

Patrick O'Bryant came from nowhere and wasn't recruited by any school of note.

MU recruited Fazekus, but just couldn't land him.... and look how good he is now.

Hopefully one of the guys TC brings in develops and then this debate will go the way of the doe-doe.

[Mayor McCheese]

if Butch or Stiemsma came to MU... I would have shot myself by now, I can't stand those players... Ill take anyone besides those two players.  Im not saying they are bad (although Stiemsma is pretty awful), but I don't think a player like them would fit our offense... it is hard to find a big man period, not to mention a big man who can run the floor with our guards, some people on here want EVERYTHING, and look past what we have, which next year is a top ten team imho.