If Crean left for Illinois in 2003 ....

[Tugg Speedman]

And MU hired Bruce Pearl ....

Would MU be in a better or worse position than it was on March 31, 2008 (The day before its coach left)?

Would Illinois under Crean be in a better or worse position than it was on March 31, 2008?

Thoughts?

Bonus question, if Crean was the head coach of Illinois on March 31, 2008, does he take the IU job?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Pearl cheats...I don't know why any of you want that sleeze.  He tampered with players in other rosters while at uwm...he's dirty.

[Sir Lawrence]

Pearl would never have lasted until this year, had he been hired by MU in 2003. 

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I don't know if Pearl is dirty or not.

I'm not, nor have I ever been invovled with any of his programs.

However, a friend of mine who is in the local media brought up something interesting:

He said Pearl is so well liked by the media because he's such a character. To that point, he said that Pearl is somewhat insulated and his discretions are ignored by the media because it's better for the media if Bruce is the "popular fun guy" rather than the "creepy, dirty guy".   

So, I guess what I'm saying is, just because we haven't heard anything bad yet, doesn't mean Bruce is a saint. It might just be that the media hasn't really reported on it yet because "fun bruce" is a better story that "cheating, dirty bruce".

Time will tell. Maybe he really is a great guy... but I'm not so sure.

[groove]

He said Pearl is so well liked by the media because he's such a character. To that point, he said that Pearl is somewhat insulated and his discretions are ignored by the media because it's better for the media if Bruce is the "popular fun guy" rather than the "creepy, dirty guy".   

So, I guess what I'm saying is, just because we haven't heard anything bad yet, doesn't mean Bruce is a saint. It might just be that the media hasn't really reported on it yet because "fun bruce" is a better story that "cheating, dirty bruce".

You mean like groping Erin Andrews?

[4everwarriors]

This post is beyond hypothetical because, believe it or not, CREAN WAS NEVER OFFERED THE ILLINOIS JOB.

In terms of Pearl, you couldn't make a better hire for MU. I posed that very question to him when he coached UWM. Now, I know a lot has changed since then, but, at the time he said it wouldn't happen for the following 2 reasons:

1. Coaches just don't cross town and take the same job at a neighboring university.

2. Besides he said, "I worship the Father and not the Son."

You can say and judge Bruce any way you wish, but nobody in college basketball would be better for Marquette at this point in time than Pearl. MU games would be the hottest ticket in town and the Warriors would not only head the top of the Big East, but also contend for a national championship. I really believe that.


On what basis Chicos are you making these degrating remarks? If you don't like him, as I despised Crean, that's fine. However, your accusations without proof should not be made carelessly. Do you really think a man who called out Illinois is dumb enough to run a dirty program himself? Don't you think he's been and continues to be under constant scrutiny, more so than the average program? Bruce is aware of this and knows he has to be above squeaky clean.

[bilsu]

Pearl could very well of won more games than Crean, but I do not believe we would be in the Big East if Crean had jumped ship in 2003.

[SoCalwarrior]

Why does Crean get so much credit for us being in the Big East? With or without him, i think we would have still been included with Depaul, ND, South Florida, Cinci, etc.

[bs4173]

Why does Crean get so much credit for us being in the Big East? With or without him, i think we would have still been included with Depaul, ND, South Florida, Cinci, etc.

Exactly. That was more Cords than Crean. Crean certainly does deserve some credit, but it bugs me when people always list that as an accomplishment of his.

Cords got us into an actual conference (MAC), then to the Great Midwest, then higher to CUSA. It was his foresight and consistent desire to move us into better and better conferences that got us into the top b-ball conference in the country after being at MU for 18 years.

[bilsu]

I think Crean staying help give our program credibility. If he jumped after the final four we wood have looked like a mid-major school. I do not think we are seriously considered for Big East.

[Coobeys Oil Depot]

This post is beyond hypothetical because, believe it or not, CREAN WAS NEVER OFFERED THE ILLINOIS JOB.

In terms of Pearl, you couldn't make a better hire for MU. I posed that very question to him when he coached UWM. Now, I know a lot has changed since then, but, at the time he said it wouldn't happen for the following 2 reasons:

1. Coaches just don't cross town and take the same job at a neighboring university.

2. Besides he said, "I worship the Father and not the Son."

You can say and judge Bruce any way you wish, but nobody in college basketball would be better for Marquette at this point in time than Pearl. MU games would be the hottest ticket in town and the Warriors would not only head the top of the Big East, but also contend for a national championship. I really believe that.


On what basis Chicos are you making these degrating remarks? If you don't like him, as I despised Crean, that's fine. However, your accusations without proof should not be made carelessly. Do you really think a man who called out Illinois is dumb enough to run a dirty program himself? Don't you think he's been and continues to be under constant scrutiny, more so than the average program? Bruce is aware of this and knows he has to be above squeaky clean.

You are blinded by your worship of Pearl to have any of this taken seriously.

No one would be better for MU then Pearl?

Contending for National Championships by Pearl?

Pearl would MU the hottest ticket in town?

Crazy talk. There are plenty of candidates that would be good for MU. Have you not seen his system fall flat in the NCAAs the last 3 years? It's fun to watch in February but it's nowhere near a Division I National Title winning system. Hottest ticket in town? Didn't Marquette outdraw the Milwaukee Bucks this season? Aren't we going to end up with an average of 17,000?

The pieces of success are in place due to the man you hate with a passion. We simply need someone to maintain that level and put their twist on things.

[ChicosBailBonds]

What am I making those "remarks" from....from many people in college athletics I call friends.

It makes me laugh that you crap on Crean but are ready to blow Pearl.  If you only knew.

Besides the one major little tidbit you are missing...MU is a catholic school and Pearl's actions on so many levels would not be accepted by MU (just like they were not very happy with KO or Deane's)...Pearl tampered with players at Bradley and other universities to come to uwm.

This is a known fact which you can deny if you wish

[ChicosBailBonds]

Cords has told me point blank it was a perfect storm...MU doesn't get into the Big East without Crean and vice versa.

He's right.  Would we have gotten in without Crean...maybe, but Crean and thr direction Mu was going in removed all doubt.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Cords has told me point blank it was a perfect storm...MU doesn't get into the Big East without Crean and vice versa.

He's right.  Would we have gotten in without Crean...maybe, but Crean and thr direction Mu was going in removed all doubt.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Cords has told me point blank it was a perfect storm...MU doesn't get into the Big East without Crean and vice versa.

He's right.  Would we have gotten in without Crean...maybe, but Crean and thr direction Mu was going in removed all doubt.

Makes perfect sense.

Crean, Wade, Cords, Wild, and some others were all key players.

The dominoes fell right and MU's program rose quickly.

I'm nervous that it could fall just as quick if MU doesn't keep making the right decisions.

[Avenue Commons]

Cords has told me point blank it was a perfect storm...MU doesn't get into the Big East without Crean and vice versa.

He's right.  Would we have gotten in without Crean...maybe, but Crean and thr direction Mu was going in removed all doubt.

Makes perfect sense.

Crean, Wade, Cords, Wild, and some others were all key players.

The dominoes fell right and MU's program rose quickly.

I'm nervous that it could fall just as quick if MU doesn't keep making the right decisions.

Perfect storm is the exact right way of looking at it. We were fresh off of a Final 4 run, had a player going at the top of the NBA draft, the hottest young coach in the country, and the AL was getting built. Believe it or not, but Crean had a lot to do with all of those things that led to us getting in the Big East. I'm mad at him for leaving when he said he wouldn't, but I will never deny that Tom Crean did great things for Marquette basketball. I just wish he never left.

[bma725]

Why does Crean get so much credit for us being in the Big East? With or without him, i think we would have still been included with Depaul, ND, South Florida, Cinci, etc.

Because Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said that one of the reasons that MU got the offer to join is because he is friends with Crean.  His quote from at article at the time ""That, to me, was one of the great appeals, to get Tommy as well as Marquette into the league." Tranghese has had a strange man love for Crean since he was at Pitt.

[The Lens]

TC didn't hurt us, but as long as we were a NCAA team, we would have been included.  DePaul gets a pass b/c of Chicago & USF has football.

[The Lens]

Also to orig point...MU doesn't go to NIT w/ Pearl.  U of I doesn't got to Nat'l champ game w/ TC BUT no way does TC have the bump season Weber just had.  He would have recruited like a mutha f-er for day 1 at Illini