UConn 2005 game

[HoopsMalone]

Our first Big East game was an important game for Marquette's program.  We had just won the Great Alaska Shootout, but no real big wins to hang our hats on, but no one thought much of the team.  The Final Four was becoming a distant memory.  Scot Merrit did not step up his senior year and Diener was hurt the following year for most of his senior season.  Dameon Mason did not become the player he was supposed to be.  The program was respectable, but nothing special.  The team was heading into mediocrity and could have made the transition to the Big East in DePaul fashioin becoming a perrenial bottom feeder.  

Before that game, my buddy typed up an article for the Marquette Trib regarding firing Tom Crean.  We were all sick of watching guards hand the ball off at the top of the key and then jack up a terrible shot as the shot clock expires.  But, Novak had a game and Crean had the boys ready to play.  We beat the #2 team in the country.  My buddy never turned in the 'fire Crean' op-ed.  

It was a statement game then, and this has to be a statement game now.  Someone needs to be the Novak and step up and have a big game.  

[MR.HAYWARD]

When your program is wholly reliant on Scott Merritt and Travis Diener you are asking for trouble.  2-3-4 years of mediocre at best recruitng resulted in two terrible seasons.  Crean then signed his first good class in 4 years and then did not sign another one after that.  Thank god Buzz signed abig time class or you would be looking at 2-3 more years just like the two you referenced.  i have said this from day 1, if Cream did not sign DWADE he would have been fired long ago.  Poor recruiter and a terrible coach all wrapped up in one.  Sort of like Monson going to Minnesota.  Creans 20 loss season has ensured he will have double digitlosses for the 6th straight season and for the 8th out of ten or in other words Tommy naismith has lost double digit games in every single season he has coached except for the 2 her had DWade, i dont see that changing any time soon.  Enjoy the honeymoon tommy

[HoopsMalone]

Crean was not a good game coach and was an average recruiter (though you could always counter that he did not have the Al Maguire Center or the other perks that he had a big hand in getting until later).

But, he was/is one of the best PR guys in the country and is a good motivator.  Most teams with mostly freshman would have been scared to play the bigger team and better team in UConn.  Novak and Joe Chapman's (who I always thought was a solid player and nice guy) leadership had a lot to do with it.  But we have to tip our hats to Crean for motivating the team to play hard and not be scared of UConn.

The game is when this recruiting class made a big splash on the national scene, and it could be the game where we do it again. 

[StillWarriors]

Novak was unbelievable that night. I have to admit I thought we'd be lucky to be within 15 pts going into the game. Instead, MU just took it to them. Awesome game.

[dsfire]

I always felt like Crean was more of a strategist than a tactician.  We weren't supposed to be able to defend UConn's size going into that game, but we executed something of a fouling defense and the Huskies didn't have an answer for it.  They went 17-34 at the stripe while we hit 28-34.

[HoopsMalone]

I always felt like Crean was more of a strategist than a tactician. 

very good way to put it.  Crean made good game plans and had his guys ready to play hard.  lacked the in game tactics