Gary Parrish on our size

[rocky_warrior]

Maybe the bigs we had that were serviceable (Oooze, Grimm, etc) got tired of MU fans blasting them every time on message boards and decided they didn't want to play for MU?   

Any big man that avoids Marquette because of the potential wrath of a few thousand fans with computers would probably cower down in the fetal position once he saw Harangody coming his way. 

I mean, just to keep it real.

[rocky_warrior]

All I'm saying is that this year's height problem would not be nearly what it is right now if Trevor was here and Otule and Fulce were not hurt. 

Fair enough.  Otule would still be the only guy over 6'8" (which I contend is a problem),  but we would have extra length, agreed.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Any big man that avoids Marquette because of the potential wrath of a few thousand fans with computers would probably cower down in the fetal position once he saw Harangody coming his way. 

I mean, just to keep it real.

I should have put that in teal.  My point, however, is that even when we had serviceable big men then our fans would moan constantly about them.  One needs to just go back to last year to see the absolute beat down on Ooze constantly.  It was sad to be honest.  All the kid did was bust tail every game and was mostly an asset for us.

I said in my pre-season write up on CS that the loss of Ooze would be bigger then people think or ever gave him credit for.  I don't think I'm out of line saying that most would love to have Ooze right now.

My belief is that Crean adjusted his offense based on who we had on our team.  When we had RJax and Merritt, we played differently then the last few years.  Good coaches do that.  Just as Crean will land some major bigs at IU and will adjust accordingly.  You adapt to what you have.  There is no doubt in my mind that Crean would have loved to have Nankivil, Steimsma, Butch, etc....that's why he went after them so hard.  He didn't get them.

Hopefully Buzz will.  I don't care if Buzz gets 5 centers out there, as long as we win and do it right, I'll be Buzz's biggest fan.  I just want the results we've had the last 7 years....5 NCAA appearances and about to have a 6th, a super year in the NCAAs, another near miss in OT for another one, kids graduating at more then 90% clip and no NCAA violations.  That's what I want.

[Sir Lawrence]

I didn't realize I was an apologist, I just state both sides of the argument that so many refuse to.  Hell, reading some comments here you would think we went 0-30 each year and Hitler was coaching.  If that's an apologist, well so be it.


But to answer your question on why I could tolerate his act, it's simple.  I attended MU during the Dukiet era.   

On top of that, Crean did this:

Won 20 games or more almost every year
Put my alma mater on the map nationally where people even out here in California knew who we were...I can't begin to tell you how many prior to that asked "where or what is Marquette"
Final Four
Dwyane Wade
CUSA Title
Big East
Graduated all but one player
NCAA berths
20+ wins over AP top 25 teams
Playing on ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, etc all the time
PR, PR, PR, PR
NO NCAA VIOLATIONS


That's why.  I don't give a rat's ass if the coach is a prick, I want him to perform.  That's what he did.  He took a once proud program that had THREE NCAA wins in TWENTY YEARS....THREE NCAA WINS IN TWENTY YEARS....let's say that for a third time....THREE NCAA WINS IN TWENTY YEARS....and he took that once proud program and got more NCAA wins in one year then we had in 20 years previous combined.

He made us competitive again.  He made people ask where Marquette was again.  And he did it the right way.  He graduated kids, he made them go to class, he made them men who had no trouble approaching alumni and presenting themselves as men, he made them graduate, he did it without NCAA violations.


That's why.   We aren't St. John's, Seton Hall, DePaul, or any other Catholic school that had a once proud basketball tradition because in part (not soley, but in large part) of the success Tom Crean brought to MU.

I don't want to go back to the days of sucking ass.  Now, I think Buzz is doing a great job.  And yes, I'm pissed at how Crean left and the fact he did leave, but with all the B.S. he had to put up with from alumni, I don't blame him.  Deane wanted out for the same reasons.  KO did as well.  Our alumni and fans can be pretty incredible, very entitled at times....especially during a two decade era when we were God awful.  I hope Buzz can keep it going.  I pray we don't return to those dog days or become St. John's, DePaul, etc. 


That's why.  If Buzz can do everything that Crean did and be the nice, humble guy he seems to be, then I'll be ecstatic. 

I want results done the right way with kids graduating and no NCAA violations.  I got that from Crean.  I hope I get that from Buzz.

That's why

Well said.