Wade Commercial...Nice but "turned down by 9 div 1 schools"?

[Knight Commission]

I'm not sure what the basis was for saying he was"turned down" by 9 D 1 schools. Perhaps he was hopin UNC, Duke, Kentucky, DePaul (Fat Pat), Illinois etc. would offer him. but I distinctly remember him being the #1 target with Odartey in the fall of his senior year, and he committed shortly thereafter. Not sure how you can be "turned down" when you commit to a school during early signing period. Loved the commercial but perhaps a little distorted?

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'm not sure what the basis was for saying he was"turned down" by 9 D 1 schools. Perhaps he was hopin UNC, Duke, Kentucky, DePaul (Fat Pat), Illinois etc. would offer him. but I distinctly remember him being the #1 target with Odartey in the fall of his senior year, and he committed shortly thereafter. Not sure how you can be "turned down" when you commit to a school during early signing period. Loved the commercial but perhaps a little distorted?

Maybe all of us here on a message board don't know all the details of who offered and who didn't.   

[Knight Commission]

Its a little hyperbole to say that just because you werent offered you were "turned down."  There were probably 9 Div 1 schools that didnt offer OJ Mayo this year as well.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Very true and I don't know the answer either.  It would surprise me, however, if Converse and Wade were going to play fast and loose with the facts in a national commercial.

I don't know what "turned down" means in their definition.

[Henry Sugar]

I kind of hated the commercial.  The message I got from it was, "Marquette has low standards".

Not that I believe it to be the case, but that's what I got from the commercial.  "hey, apply to Marquette.  They'll accept anyone".

[SoCalEagle]

I kind of hated the commercial.  The message I got from it was, "Marquette has low standards".

Not that I believe it to be the case, but that's what I got from the commercial.  "hey, apply to Marquette.  They'll accept anyone".

That's not what I got out of of it Henry.  To me it says "We're Marquette and we think differently than the other guys."  Kind of like we saw something in DW that others didn't, so we gave him a chance to prove himself.  And you know the rest of the story....

[Mayor McCheese]

loved the commercial,Converse was thanking us for their spokes model, absolutely loved it.  What I thought it was saying was something of the "never give up" philosophy.  Try, try, try, as much as you are turned down, something great will come along, and with hard work, it will pay off... what I loved was the end "Thank You Marquette".  Brilliant.

[Henry Sugar]

I know the message that the commercial is /trying/ to send.  All I was saying is that "low standards" was my visceral reaction...

[NCMUFan]

I think the commercial was saying Marquette gave DW a chance to prove himself in the classroom and BB court where others didn't. And hence, let DW drive his own destiny. I believe that is an accurate portrayal of Marquette.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

I kind of hated the commercial.  The message I got from it was, "Marquette has low standards".

Not that I believe it to be the case, but that's what I got from the commercial.  "hey, apply to Marquette.  They'll accept anyone".

I hate to say it but that was kind of my reaction as well. "You're the hapless losers that Wade ended up with for a couple years" or "Wade emerged as a superstar despite who you are."

I mean, if Wade had gone to Illinois would they be making the insinuation that Wade had to go to an awe-shucks second tier school? (ie, "Wade was turned down by UNC" Who would care?)

[TallTitan34]

I wonder what all they will use from last nights game for the new commerical.  I'd assume it will still have the same message of Marquette accepting Dwyane Wade.  Maybe the new commerical will explain more.

[augoman]

agreed, the initial gut feel is that MU is lower standard, lower 'desirability', and that Wade rose above MU's obscurity.

[Marquette84]

I think it's a stretch to think the commercial implied anything to do with lowering standards.

How many times have we heard that Michael Jordan was cut from his HS team?  Does that mean that UNC dropped it's standards? Hardly.

The only message here is that Wade had tremendous potential that 9 other schools overlooked and MU was able to see it. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

agreed, the initial gut feel is that MU is lower standard, lower 'desirability', and that Wade rose above MU's obscurity.

If Wade spoke like Ron Dayne or someone like that, I would agree.  But Wade carries himself very well, he's an intelligent young man so I think the commercial works just fine.

[augoman]

fact is, Marquette didn't see it; Odartey Blankson saw it and urged TC to offer Wade.  Remember, he had an injury late and then his partial qualifying made him not only a huge question mark, but almost invisible on recruiters' lists.  If Blankson hadn't pushed and insisted that Wade 'could play', we wouldn't have had him, either.  Our loss would have been So. Ill's gain.

[SoCalEagle]

Remember, he had an injury late and then his partial qualifying made him not only a huge question mark

That's why I give MU/Crean the credit.  Indeed, he was a question mark and we took a chance on him, regardless of how or why we first noticed him. 

On a similar topic, during the year that Wade sat out, I kept hearing (on the chat boards no doubt) that "We have this guy that's tearing it up in practice.  He's going to be great next year."  I was hopeful but, like many, skeptical.  But after seeing DW play a few games all I could say is wow!!

[bma725]

fact is, Marquette didn't see it; Odartey Blankson saw it and urged TC to offer Wade.  Remember, he had an injury late and then his partial qualifying made him not only a huge question mark, but almost invisible on recruiters' lists.  If Blankson hadn't pushed and insisted that Wade 'could play', we wouldn't have had him, either.  Our loss would have been So. Ill's gain.

MU was in on him well before that before the injury, remember Deane had been recruiting him and he'd already been to the campus under the Deane regime. Blankson pushing for him had very little to do it, Crean just continued what Deane(Jeter really) had started.  And I don't know where you are getting Southern Illinois from, they weren't even involved.  His final 3 were MU, DePaul and Illinois State.

[Marquette84]

fact is, Marquette didn't see it; Odartey Blankson saw it and urged TC to offer Wade.  Remember, he had an injury late and then his partial qualifying made him not only a huge question mark, but almost invisible on recruiters' lists.  If Blankson hadn't pushed and insisted that Wade 'could play', we wouldn't have had him, either.  Our loss would have been So. Ill's gain.

So you're saying that Crean gives incoming recruits the ultimate decision on who to offer scholarships?

I'm sure Blankson tried to influence Crean, since Wade was his friend.  But I don't buy for a minute that Crean would have signed a player he didn't think would help the team.     

[CTWarrior]

What that commercial said to me was that there were at least 9 schools Wade would have rather gone to than Marquette.  After they turned him down he settled for his 10th choice, MU.  Backhanded compliment, at best.  Frankly, who really cares?

[Avenue Commons]

I think you guys might be mistaken in that video being the Converse commercial they were talking about. My impression is the "Thank You, Marquette" video was just something from Converse to play at the game. They were getting video clips from the students at the game for the new commercial. I might be wrong, but that was my impression.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

I think you guys might be mistaken in that video being the Converse commercial they were talking about. My impression is the "Thank You, Marquette" video was just something from Converse to play at the game. They were getting video clips from the students at the game for the new commercial. I might be wrong, but that was my impression.

I think you're right -- they are going to shoot/finish an actual full commercial.

Maybe their ad that played at the game will be a theme of it?

[Marquette Gyros]

I think you guys might be mistaken in that video being the Converse commercial they were talking about. My impression is the "Thank You, Marquette" video was just something from Converse to play at the game. They were getting video clips from the students at the game for the new commercial. I might be wrong, but that was my impression.

Maybe it wasn't the final version, but that video aired on national TV right after the first half.

[Daniel]

I had a positive reaction to it - completely.  That Marquette has vision, sees the potential in people, and develops that potential.  It was a great message for all Marquette students, I thought, and for the University as a whole, not just sports.

[tomcrean4pres]

I think they are going to make a new commercial... just my thoughts though... i cant wait to see what its like... does anyone know a timetable for when it will come out?

[Tribby]

I was turned down by more than 300 Division 1 basketball programs ... alas.