Dwyane Wade - ESPN's Homecoming

[rocky_warrior]

Would you like to put a wager on the 4 years?  

Absolutely!  Just to clarify, if Crean is still the coach of the Indiana Men's basketball team on Nov 1, 2012, I'll wear IU gear around for an entire day, and take a few pics to prove it.

Conversely, If I win, I'd expect you to reciprocate with a school whose colors you'd be semi-embarrassed to wear.  I guess I'd start with suggestions of Purdue, Wisconsin, or KSU, but feel free to pick something else if you have a better idea.

A very very poorly talented team in total disarray.  They'll make improvements this year and probably a pretty big jump next year.

I'm glad you still have a lot of faith in the man.  He's partially to blame for the "total disarray" you know?  I think Crean (w/ DJ, Wes, and Rel) surprised a few people in the BE, but I've got a gut feeling the B10 coaches are gonna' clean his clock quite a bit.  

Now, hopefully we know the answer before the world ends in 2012, but I believe that's supposed to be in December  

[Lennys Tap]

T.H., where do you think the markets are going?  I keep meaning to ask you if there is going to be a big pullback or will the bulls continue to dominate?

TC took a risk and it paid off in spades.  Buzz has taken some risks with JUCOs, we'll see if he has the same luck.  As I've said several times here, I'm not against JUCOs but there is a risk reward....character has to be a major part of the computation.  So my outrage would be completely based on what kind of shortcut we are taking and why.

I'd say TC nailed that risk....we'll see if Buzz does with his....hopefully he does.  Incidentally, TC failed on many risks, as well, but he hit it out of the park on this one and it put MU back on the map....some seem really pissed off about that for some reason, I'll never understand why....well we did lose to KU by a lot.

Bob Dukiet....not nice to talk of the dead that way....but more importantly, if it was so easy, as you describe because even Bob Dukiet could do it, why did no one else at MU in the head coaching position bring in talent even REMOTELY close to Wade in the last, oh, 25 years?  Seeing how easy it was and all.   


I encourage you to read Wade's own story and what his prospects were, why he chose MU, what role TC played in it....I'd encourage Hayward to read Wade's own words as well, but it might make his head explode.    There are several sources, including Keith Langlois' article in the Oakland Press in 2005 as well as several books written about Wade that answer it quite well.

MU has a long history with jucos and tranfers - our NCAA championship team had one of each (Whitehead and Boylan) in the starting lineup. I don't recall any of my friends in the MU fanbase as much as blinking an eye when these guys arrived on campus. With Wade MU was in uncharted waters. He is our one and only non qualifier to be admitted as a freshman. Almost every D1 program takes jucos and tranfers, but our competition for Wade was nearly non existant as very few accepted non qualifiers. I was and remain totally okay with Fr. Wild's (not TC's) decision to make a one time exception and lower MU's standards to take Wade. He was that good, dominating Wardle from day one in practice and wowing the pros in pick up games. I just assumed that given your risk averse profile that one prop 48 (non qualifier) would trump an entire roster of jucos and transfers who have proven their academic qualifications elsewhere.

Regarding the market, it's currently in a "thank God the world's not over" phase with each new rally forcing out the shorts and bringing new money in from the sidelines. I'm afraid that the recovery will be short lived and shallow as we grow government and debt to unforeseen levels.

[Norm]

and dont give me that winning Crap.  There is respect and there is vitriolic hatred...Crean received the latter from the opposing fanbases...for a reason

Mr. Hayward,

Except for Louisville's fanbase, which opponent's fanbase had a "vitrolic hatred" of Tom Crean? I can't think of any... ND? Not really...UConn? No. Syracuse? No. Georgetown? No. And so on. Crean is hated more by posters here than probably anywhere in America.

[Lennys Tap]

Mr. Hayward,

Except for Louisville's fanbase, which opponent's fanbase had a "vitrolic hatred" of Tom Crean? I can't think of any... ND? Not really...UConn? No. Syracuse? No. Georgetown? No. And so on. Crean is hated more by posters here than probably anywhere in America.

Wisconsin and to a lesser extent Pitt and Illinois. But to be fair, Louisville fans hated Mike Deane before they heard of Tom Crean and the Kentucky faithful were none too fond of Al McGuire.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Mr. Hayward,

Except for Louisville's fanbase, which opponent's fanbase had a "vitrolic hatred" of Tom Crean?

Marquette's.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Absolutely!  Just to clarify, if Crean is still the coach of the Indiana Men's basketball team on Nov 1, 2012, I'll wear IU gear around for an entire day, and take a few pics to prove it.

Conversely, If I win, I'd expect you to reciprocate with a school whose colors you'd be semi-embarrassed to wear.  I guess I'd start with suggestions of Purdue, Wisconsin, or KSU, but feel free to pick something else if you have a better idea.

I'm glad you still have a lot of faith in the man.  He's partially to blame for the "total disarray" you know?  I think Crean (w/ DJ, Wes, and Rel) surprised a few people in the BE, but I've got a gut feeling the B10 coaches are gonna' clean his clock quite a bit.  

Now, hopefully we know the answer before the world ends in 2012, but I believe that's supposed to be in December  

Deal.   I refuse to buy Wisconsin-Madison stuff of any kind that would ultimately benefit them in some way, so it will either be Purdue, USC or Misery (Missouri). 

PS  Those pesky Mayans now are backing off the 2012 claim that we're all going down.  Will they make up their damn minds!   

[bma725]

With Wade MU was in uncharted waters. He is our one and only non qualifier to be admitted as a freshman.

Incorrect.  Gerald Posey was the first non-qualifier in Marquette history back in 1987.  Dukiet was able to convince Raynor that Posey was good enough to stay at MU, so they let him.  We all know how that turned out.

[ChicosBailBonds]

MU has a long history with jucos and tranfers - our NCAA championship team had one of each (Whitehead and Boylan) in the starting lineup. I don't recall any of my friends in the MU fanbase as much as blinking an eye when these guys arrived on campus. With Wade MU was in uncharted waters. He is our one and only non qualifier to be admitted as a freshman. Almost every D1 program takes jucos and tranfers, but our competition for Wade was nearly non existant as very few accepted non qualifiers. I was and remain totally okay with Fr. Wild's (not TC's) decision to make a one time exception and lower MU's standards to take Wade. He was that good, dominating Wardle from day one in practice and wowing the pros in pick up games. I just assumed that given your risk averse profile that one prop 48 (non qualifier) would trump an entire roster of jucos and transfers who have proven their academic qualifications elsewhere.

Regarding the market, it's currently in a "thank God the world's not over" phase with each new rally forcing out the shorts and bringing new money in from the sidelines. I'm afraid that the recovery will be short lived and shallow as we grow government and debt to unforeseen levels.

Do you think we have a double dip coming, that is my concern.

Yes, we have had some JUCOs in the past, and again I'm not against them but they have to be high character guys.  I think the 1977 example is not an apples to apples comparison.  JUCOs have changed considerably since 1977 to the 1990's and now onto today.  I'd actually argue they are better today then in the 1990's where it was largely a joke.  There are some standards in place now due to reforms by the NJCAA as well as the NCAA and who they allow in terms of eligibility. 
Incidentally, I'm pretty sure Boylan went to Assumption College before going to MU.  Assumption was Division II, not a JUCO.  They went to the Final Four in DII with Boylan and Grochowalski (they beat Georgetown in the regular season).

If Father Wild made the decision, do you think he took TC's advice on why to do it or did he just make that call all on his own?  I'm guessing TC was a major influencer.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Wisconsin and to a lesser extent Pitt and Illinois. But to be fair, Louisville fans hated Mike Deane before they heard of Tom Crean and the Kentucky faithful were none too fond of Al McGuire.

Read the comments on the Wisconsin boards about Buzz and they aren't exactly wild about him either.  Sleaze is the latest term they are applying to him.

[rocky_warrior]

Deal.   I refuse to buy Wisconsin-Madison stuff of any kind that would ultimately benefit them in some way, so it will either be Purdue, USC or Misery (Missouri). 

Sweet, added to my calendar.

[Lennys Tap]

Read the comments on the Wisconsin boards about Buzz and they aren't exactly wild about him either.  Sleaze is the latest term they are applying to him.

A lot of Wisconsin fans (and Louisville fans, etc.) will look for reasons to dislike anyone who coaches MU. Maybe someday they'll hate Buzz with the same passion they do TC but I doubt it - Buzz just seems harder to hate.

[ChicosBailBonds]

A lot of Wisconsin fans (and Louisville fans, etc.) will look for reasons to dislike anyone who coaches MU. Maybe someday they'll hate Buzz with the same passion they do TC but I doubt it - Buzz just seems harder to hate.

Some of that is tied into winning as well.  Honestly, I want our rivals to hate our head coach, it usually means we're beating them and they don't like it.

[StillAWarrior]

I moved out of state after graduation.  The program fell off the map on a national level around the tie I left (1983).  It was nearly impossible to follow them at that time.  In spite of all the "negatives" that came with Crean's regime, perhaps one of the best things he did for my alma mater, was put them back on the national map (thank you D Wade).  I appreciate that more than anything.  Frankly, until I got on this blog a few years ago, I had no idea of the "hatred" some seem to have for him

Well said.  Love him or hate him (I'm somewhere in between), Crean (along with Cords, Wade and others) got Marquette back on the map.  I really enjoy seeing Marquette on TV more than one game per year, and I give a lot of credit to TC for that.

[Lennys Tap]

Do you think we have a double dip coming, that is my concern.

Yes, we have had some JUCOs in the past, and again I'm not against them but they have to be high character guys.  I think the 1977 example is not an apples to apples comparison.  JUCOs have changed considerably since 1977 to the 1990's and now onto today.  I'd actually argue they are better today then in the 1990's where it was largely a joke.  There are some standards in place now due to reforms by the NJCAA as well as the NCAA and who they allow in terms of eligibility. 
Incidentally, I'm pretty sure Boylan went to Assumption College before going to MU.  Assumption was Division II, not a JUCO.  They went to the Final Four in DII with Boylan and Grochowalski (they beat Georgetown in the regular season).

If Father Wild made the decision, do you think he took TC's advice on why to do it or did he just make that call all on his own?  I'm guessing TC was a major influencer.

Double dips to test old lows? Maybe, but who knows from what level a big downturn will start. Most observers saw the dot com and housing bubbles but they took a long time (and ridiculous prices) before they burst. The market looks too high to me but for the time being has momentum on its side.

Regarding Boylan, I identify him as a transfer in my post.

I'm sure Fr.Wild was greatly influenced by TC to go out on a limb with Wade.

[TomW1365]

FYI: 
If you missed it the first time around, the next airing of Homecoming With Rick Reilly (& Dwyane Wade) will be on ESPN University at 4 PM Tuesday, January 19th. 

[rocky_warrior]

Absolutely!  Just to clarify, if Crean is still the coach of the Indiana Men's basketball team on Nov 1, 2012, I'll wear IU gear around for an entire day, and take a few pics to prove it.

Conversely, If I win, I'd expect you to reciprocate with a school whose colors you'd be semi-embarrassed to wear.  I guess I'd start with suggestions of Purdue, Wisconsin, or KSU, but feel free to pick something else if you have a better idea.

I'm glad you still have a lot of faith in the man.  He's partially to blame for the "total disarray" you know?  I think Crean (w/ DJ, Wes, and Rel) surprised a few people in the BE, but I've got a gut feeling the B10 coaches are gonna' clean his clock quite a bit.  

Now, hopefully we know the answer before the world ends in 2012, but I believe that's supposed to be in December  

To "hoop" a topic, Chicos has officially won the above bet, and I'll be taking some amusing pictures soon, and give him some time back on the board to gloat about it.  Sigh...

[TallTitan34]

Sooo Chicos.... Hoopaloop.... is back?!?!?!  This interests me!

[MUUWUWM]

Rocky, well done to honor the bet...actually looking forward to Chico's coming back for a cameo appearance.

[MUCrew]

Very proud of you, Rocky...and disgusted.

[swoopem]

Damn rocky you have a solid memory. I would have forgotten about that bet later that day.

[rocky_warrior]

To "hoop" a topic, Chicos has officially won the above bet, and I'll be taking some amusing pictures soon, and give him some time back on the board to gloat about it.  Sigh...

Alright, It's an appropriate night to pay up my losing bet for all to see.  Attached are some pics from a weekend of wearing a ridiculous IU shirt and hat around.  Sad to lose my anonymity (though nobody would recognize me in IU gear)

They were actually taken back in November, but I was too lazy to post them until now.  We started the day at Mile High, er Invesco, er Sports Authority field, dropped by Coors field when it started snowing, then had to drown our sorrows at Cheeky Monk in Denver (love Belgium beer...).  Spent the evening up in Vail, and eventually returned home and shot a pic at the local christian school..."Home of the Warriors"

Enjoy...

[ChicosBailBonds]

Alright, It's an appropriate night to pay up my losing bet for all to see.  Attached are some pics from a weekend of wearing a ridiculous IU shirt and hat around.  Sad to lose my anonymity (though nobody would recognize me in IU gear)

They were actually taken back in November, but I was too lazy to post them until now.  We started the day at Mile High, er Invesco, er Sports Authority field, dropped by Coors field when it started snowing, then had to drown our sorrows at Cheeky Monk in Denver (love Belgium beer...).  Spent the evening up in Vail, and eventually returned home and shot a pic at the local christian school..."Home of the Warriors"

Enjoy...

Well done Rocky.  Well done.  Now let's go Warriors on Saturday