What Does Crean Think This Morning?

[Tugg Speedman]

This is not intended to be another Crean bashing thread.  So, while it will probably be hijacked into that, I'll give it a try to see if we can have an intelligent conversation ....

I really believe that after the Stanford loss last year, Crean thought he took this team as far as he could.  This was a primary reason he left.  Go read what was written last April .... all the "experts" said Crean did all he could at MU.

However, MU stands a home game win from a potential top 5 ranking.  A home game that they are favored to win (+2 again G-Town this Saturday)

As Crean watched MU beat a team that beat IU by 38 points earlier this year, what was he thinking?  As he watched a team that is poised to break the top 5, a team that could win the hardest conference ever assembled (ask Jay Bilas), did he go to bed thinking he really f**ked this up?  Instead of plotting how to win the NCAA this year with MU, he decided to trade it in for a team that will go winless in the B10.  He will spend the rest of his IU career trying to achieve what MU is achieving this year.

Ok, i bashed him a little.  But from a career standpoint, he made a horrible mistake.  He should have stayed this year and left this April.  That fact that he made this mistake tells us something about him ... maybe he cannot evaluate talent as good as many think.

[willie warrior]

Who cares what that prima donna thinks. All that goes through his mind is "it's Indiana; it's Indiana."

When Izzo moves on, it will be "it's MSU; it's MSU"

GOOD RIDDANCE

[Detfan23]

Honestly, I don't think this team would be playing at the level it is if Crean was still the coach.  I really feel like coach Williams has the kids playing a high level because he has backed off all the set plays and shot clock absorbing sets that we used to run.  He understands we have a small team and speed is the key. 

If Crean were here, I think we would have 4 losses in the Big East right now.  I can't argue with him leaving for Indiana, but I also don't think we are missing him either.  Good coach, but I always thought he makes things more difficult than they ever need to be.

[Nukem2]

TC made the choice he did as he believed the IU job was his career move.  The IU situation was his one chance to get that job.  For better or worse, he made his choice.  I'm sure he'll do well at IU in the long run.  In the meantime, we have discovered that there is life after TC.  My only problem with TC's move was how it came down.  In the meatime, We Are Marquette...!

[jce]

I'm pretty sure that Crean knew exactly what he was leaving and exactly what he was getting in to.  I doubt he has any regrets whatsoever.

[StillAWarrior]

This is not intended to be another Crean bashing thread.  So, while it will probably be hijacked into that, I'll give it a try to see if we can have an intelligent conversation ....

I really believe that after the Stanford loss last year, Crean thought he took this team as far as he could.  This was a primary reason he left.  Go read what was written last April .... all the "experts" said Crean did all he could at MU.

However, MU stands a home game win from a potential top 5 ranking.  A home game that they are favored to win (+2 again G-Town this Saturday)

As Crean watched MU beat a team that beat IU by 38 points earlier this year, what was he thinking?  As he watched a team that is poised to break the top 5, a team that could win the hardest conference ever assembled (ask Jay Bilas), did he go to bed thinking he really f**ked this up?  Instead of plotting how to win the NCAA this year with MU, he decided to trade it in for a team that will go winless in the B10.  He will spend the rest of his IU career trying to achieve what MU is achieving this year.

Ok, i bashed him a little.  But from a career standpoint, he made a horrible mistake.  He should have stayed this year and left this April.  That fact that he made this mistake tells us something about him ... maybe he cannot evaluate talent as good as many think.

I'm sure that Crean realizes that he would have liked to coach this team as seniors, but he left for Indiana.  Although it doesn't look like it now (and maybe never will again), Indiana is (was?) a premier job in college basketball.  Marquette is a great job, but historically, Indiana is a top-five program.  I think Crean has a long term enough view to know that he cannot decide whether he made a horrible decision after just nine months.  Time will tell if it is horrible mistake or not.  If he returns Indiana to its former glory (personally, I have my doubts), then he will be able to look back and say he made a great decision.  If he tanks and gets fired in 3-4 years, the decision won't look so good.

[CTWarrior]

I don't think he's losing any sleep over it.  I'm sure he knew that for the 2008-9 season, Marquette was going to be significantly better than Indiana.  Who's to say what jobs will be available at the end of this season?  Indiana was a decision for the long haul and he judged he'd have a better chance at national championships and the like at Indiana than he would at Marquette, and who outside the most devout MU fan could argue with him?

[mviale]

This is not intended to be another Crean bashing thread.  So, while it will probably be hijacked into that, I'll give it a try to see if we can have an intelligent conversation ....

I really believe that after the Stanford loss last year, Crean thought he took this team as far as he could.  This was a primary reason he left.  Go read what was written last April .... all the "experts" said Crean did all he could at MU.

However, MU stands a home game win from a potential top 5 ranking.  A home game that they are favored to win (+2 again G-Town this Saturday)

As Crean watched MU beat a team that beat IU by 38 points earlier this year, what was he thinking?  As he watched a team that is poised to break the top 5, a team that could win the hardest conference ever assembled (ask Jay Bilas), did he go to bed thinking he really f**ked this up?  Instead of plotting how to win the NCAA this year with MU, he decided to trade it in for a team that will go winless in the B10.  He will spend the rest of his IU career trying to achieve what MU is achieving this year.

Ok, i bashed him a little.  But from a career standpoint, he made a horrible mistake.  He should have stayed this year and left this April.  That fact that he made this mistake tells us something about him ... maybe he cannot evaluate talent as good as many think.

Forget what tommy thinks, imagine Joannie.  "You F'ed up...."

[MDMU04]

Who cares?

[MUinCO]

I'm pretty sure that Crean knew exactly what he was leaving and exactly what he was getting in to.  I doubt he has any regrets whatsoever.

Hmmmm, including the buyout, Crean's compensation will amount to $18.24 million over eight years.  

I'm sure he's loosing all kinds of sleep over his decision.  

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Who gives a crap what Tom Crean thinks?

I wonder what Mike Deane was thinking when MU went to the final 4?

I wonder what KO was thinking when MU won the CUSA championship?

Does not matter.


NEXT TOPIC.

[lurch91]

Forget what tommy thinks, imagine Joannie.  "You F'ed up...."

That made me laugh.

No he's not loosing any sleep over MU this season.  I'm sure he's still telling recruits that he's responsible for what's happening up in Milwaukee.  He's telling them, "Come to IU, see what Marquette's doing.  It's proof I know how to build a team, and I need you to be a part of it."

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

Who gives a crap what Tom Crean thinks?

I wonder what Mike Deane was thinking when MU went to the final 4?

I wonder what KO was thinking when MU won the CUSA championship?

Does not matter.


NEXT TOPIC.

+1

[pbiflyer]

Who?

[79Warrior]

I'm pretty sure that Crean knew exactly what he was leaving and exactly what he was getting in to.  I doubt he has any regrets whatsoever.

Agree. Not to mention next year our rebuild will be as daunting as IU's.

[Skatastrophy]

The Indiana job will most likely be, in the long run, an easier job that being head coach at MU.  A large public school has the entire state's support and a huge alumni base to draw from.  It's easier to raise money and it's easier to recruit in-state kids.

It's an easier job for significantly more money.  If you take emotions and loyalty out of the equation, it was an intelligent career move.

Could he have left with more tact? Sure.  And as the original poster said:

I really believe that after the Stanford loss last year, Crean thought he took this team as far as he could.

Crean did take this team as far as he could.  With the type of offense that Crean runs he was restricting the types of players that we had on our team.  He was holding MU back whether he knew that or not. His move has really turned out best for all parties involved.  If we continue our success this year and we don't have a huge fall-off next year with our new recruits it should go a long way towards healing the wound that TC left around here.

[StillWarriors]

Agree. Not to mention next year our rebuild will be as daunting as IU's.

It'll be rough, but the talent level will be higher for MU. IU is playing with several non-scholarship guys.

[Pakuni]

Agree. Not to mention next year our rebuild will be as daunting as IU's.

Not sure I'd go that far. MU still has an all-conference caliber player returning in Hayward, a solid contributor in Acker (but please, Mo, knock down some of those open threes) and a much, much, much better recruiting class arriving than the one IU brought on campus this season.

As for Crean, I'm sure he's happy for the team's success, but isn't losing any sleep over his decision. In fact, I'm sure it's safe to say Marquette (fans) think of Tom Crean a helluva lot more these days than Tom Crean thinks about Marquette.

[NavinRJohnson]

Crean thought he took this team as far as he could. 

I agree with this. Maybe he was right (I believe so), and maybe he was wrong. No matter - if that's the way he felt, it was time to go, and to this point, Buzz certainly has to be considered a breath of fresh air for all involved.

Regardless, I would guess he is thinking very little about MU, and largely about the opportunity and monumental task he has in front of him, and the likelihood that the natives are probably going to begin to get restless a lot sooner than anyone thinks (or should).

All of that said, MU hasn't accomplished anything yet. heck, last place is still a mathematical possibility.

[only a warrior]

As for Crean, I'm sure he's happy for the team's success, but isn't losing any sleep over his decision. In fact, I'm sure it's safe to say Marquette (fans) think of Tom Crean a helluva lot more these days than Tom Crean thinks about Marquette.

+1000  Y'all sound like a bunch of jilted ex-boyfriends.  Probably the type of folks where your ex-girlfriends had to take out restraining orders against you because you wouldn't leave them alone  

[MU in Miami]

In retrospect, I'm now glad he left when he did.  If he had stayed this year, only to ditch us after this year's tourney, recruiting and everything else would have been in shambles.  We were blessed that we had the core of our program intact--Wes, Dom, Jerel, & Lazar.  I don't give him any credit for doing us a favor--I don't think he's that magnanimous or bright of a guy.

[Tugg Speedman]

I'm pretty sure that Crean knew exactly what he was leaving and exactly what he was getting in to.  I doubt he has any regrets whatsoever.

See I disagree with this .... I think Crean thought MU would be 15 and 5 after 20 games, 5 and 3 in the BE.  He thought MU would be a bubble top 25 team all season.  That is why he left.  He left because he thought it was not getting better than the Stanford game.

He was wrong.  Not only is this team on the cusp of a top 5 ranking but Buzz has a better class coming in that IU does.  

He outsmarted himself.  

[StillAWarrior]

See I disagree with this .... I think Crean thought MU would be 15 and 5 after 20 games, 5 and 3 in the BE.  He thought MU would be a bubble top 25 team all season.  That is why he left.  He left because he thought it was not getting better than the Stanford game.

He was wrong.  Not only is this team on the cusp of a top 5 ranking but Buzz has a better class coming in that IU does.  

He outsmarted himself.  

I think for all Crean lacks (and there are plenty of people lining up here to give a list), he does not lack ego or self confidence.  I really doubt he left Marquette because he thought he couldn't win here.  Much to everyone's amusement, he answered the question himself when he said, "It's Indiana."  That's why he left.

For a literal answer to the thread title, I imagine what Crean is thinking today is, "Which of my 150 offensive sets will be most effective against Northwestern tomorrow night?"

[jaybilaswho?]

I just want to say to MU in Miami.... Nice Picture.

[Hards Alumni]

Honestly, he is probably very happy for Buzz and the players he recruited.

He can go back and say that he left them, but he left them in good hands.

Furthermore, he probably regrets the way he left... and he would do it over if he could.

Now, as for 4 BE losses so far, I doubt it... maybe 2.  Providence and ND.

Let it go guys.