Story on TT's Release from MU

[BrewCity83]

http://dailymail.com/Sports/200903250738

"The kid is recruited by a slick, suave guy that he sees on television all the time,'' Hurley said. "He wins him over, over other slick guys and then he leaves and the kid is left with the uncertainty of what's the next thing that's going to happen.''

[ATWizJr]

as we have always said, classy fans that we are, TT good bye and good luck.

[Marquette Mama]

That whole article leaves me nauseated.  Something I never thought I'd say (as a MU fan and a U of M grad) Go MSU!

[Tulsa Warrior]

I wonder if the author of this piece of journalism bothered to call the Marquette AD to get his take on how things played out?  My guess is it never crossed his mind.  Too much information would have made it tougher to write the story.  The extra cost might have put his newspaper into bankruptcy.

So much for the argument that the disappearance of newspapers will weaken the quality of journalism.

[NYWarrior]

I wonder if the author of this piece of journalism bothered to call the Marquette AD to get his take on how things played out?  My guess is it never crossed his mind.  Too much information would have made it tougher to write the story.  The extra cost might have put his newspaper into bankruptcy.

So much for the argument that the disappearance of newspapers will weaken the quality of journalism.

I believe the author of the piece is MU grad Steve Yanda, formerly of the MUTrib  (unless there's another sports reporter of the same name).   Regardless, Yanda let Hurley off the hook here and made MU look bad, unnecessarily.  The comment about how Hurley petitioned MU to release Taylor but it took two weeks to secure the release was a gratuitous shot at MU's integrity.   As I understand it, only a parent or legal guardian can make such a request.  This is something you'd presume Hurley knew since he's been coaching for decades, and you'd presume the reporters covering this story would realize it as well.  High school coaches are bystanders in situations like this.  Basically, Hurley's frustration over the process was in fact, largely self-inflicted.

Yanda should have treated MU better in this one.

Go MSU.

[MilWarrior]

http://dailymail.com/Sports/200903250738

"The kid is recruited by a slick, suave guy that he sees on television all the time,'' Hurley said. "He wins him over, over other slick guys and then he leaves and the kid is left with the uncertainty of what's the next thing that's going to happen.''

Coaches with commits leave all the time. Does Hurley think he's that special that coaches would stay put just for his St. Anthony's kids? I know this has been rehashed a ton on this board but Hurley just comes off as a self-righteous prick.

[Tulsa Warrior]

Sloppy reporting.  I don't care where he went to school.  He had an ethical obligation as a journalist that he did not live up to.  He didn't have to change a thing Mr. Hurley said or what Mrs. Taylor said.  He needed to pick up the phone and talk with the Marquette AD.  A good editor would have pointed that out.

[NYWarrior]

Yanda

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/email/steve+yanda/

[MU_Warrior44]

I believe the author of the piece is MU grad Steve Yanda, formerly of the MUTrib  (unless there's another sports reporter of the same name).   

yeah it's the same guy

[muwarrior87]

he wrote crap pissing on the bball team and has continued since leaving MU. Some things just don't change.

[NavinRJohnson]

The whole thing is smoke by Taylor and Hurly who saw an opportunity. Chalmers and Rush left Kansas, James and McNeal did not leave MU. Had the situation been reversed, Taylor would have just finished up his first year at MU...regardless of who the coach was. Lots of PT at Kansas this year. Far less at MU. He and Hurly simply are not willing to admit their true motivation.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Shouldn't someone at MU have called the recruits within the first two days to at least let them know things were in process of changing.  I'm sure the family probably saw all this stuff on the news and since no one bothered to call for 48 hours that probably didn't help.

Would it have made a difference?  Highly unlikely, but still seems like something that should have been done.

[bma725]

The whole thing is smoke by Taylor and Hurly who saw an opportunity. Chalmers and Rush left Kansas, James and McNeal did not leave MU. Had the situation been reversed, Taylor would have just finished up his first year at MU...regardless of who the coach was. Lots of PT at Kansas this year. Far less at MU. He and Hurly simply are not willing to admit their true motivation.

Maybe, but I don't know if that was TT's motivation.  KU was his dream school and he committed to MU because the Jayhawks didn't have a spot for him in the fall. 

You'll notice the article mentions Dooley contacting Hurley before Taylor even got his release from MU telling him that KU was interested in Taylor once he got out.  That wasn't a sudden thing.  Rumors were swirling in New Jersey that KU was still recruiting Taylor through Hurley while he was signed with MU, and Taylor may have tried to leave MU even if Crean were still around.

[Marquette65]

emailed the reporter about getting the facts ( parent/ guardian can only ask for release etc.) straight and about a call to MU

Here is a part of what I got back: " MU had no issue with what I reported. They elected not to discuss the matter on the record."  So much for someone at MU having a back bone or are they scared of Hurley for future recruits?

[77ncaachamps]

emailed the reporter about getting the facts ( parent/ guardian can only ask for release etc.) straight and about a call to MU

Here is a part of what I got back: " MU had no issue with what I reported. They elected not to discuss the matter on the record."  So much for someone at MU having a back bone or are they scared of Hurley for future recruits?

Probably not.

I think Buzz just wants it to be water under the bridge and move on to other places. And when his program is climbing and St. Anthony/Hurley kids come calling, he can give'em the finger and say, "Screw you. We're a selective school now."

[NavinRJohnson]

Maybe, but I don't know if that was TT's motivation.  KU was his dream school and he committed to MU because the Jayhawks didn't have a spot for him in the fall. 

You'll notice the article mentions Dooley contacting Hurley before Taylor even got his release from MU telling him that KU was interested in Taylor once he got out.  That wasn't a sudden thing.  Rumors were swirling in New Jersey that KU was still recruiting Taylor through Hurley while he was signed with MU, and Taylor may have tried to leave MU even if Crean were still around.

Exactly my point...this had everything to do with PT available, etc., not if phone calls were made in two hours or two days. Crean leaving is just a convenient excuse, so lets go ahead and call it what it is. Who cares? If he's not with us, he's against us.

[NYWarrior]

emailed the reporter about getting the facts ( parent/ guardian can only ask for release etc.) straight and about a call to MU

Here is a part of what I got back: " MU had no issue with what I reported. They elected not to discuss the matter on the record."  So much for someone at MU having a back bone or are they scared of Hurley for future recruits?

There's no upside for MU to speak here.....Taylor was never enrolled and the story is old news.  If MU went on the record, it would just extend the life of this garbage with Hurley -- there's no need to get into a urinary Olympics.   Still, the reporter blew it here by not questioning Hurley on that point and passing it off as cause & effect.

[avid1010]

Coaches with commits leave all the time. Does Hurley think he's that special that coaches would stay put just for his St. Anthony's kids? I know this has been rehashed a ton on this board but Hurley just comes off as a self-righteous prick.

I'm guessing Hurley has done more for kids in one year than you have in your entire life.  Anyone who knows his story understands that he does a ton of good for kids, both bball players and non-bball players.  That being said, no one has any clue what TC promised this kid. My guess is he told the kid he'd be at MU and then left MU without ever letting Taylor or Hurley know.  I don't think anyone was too thrilled with the manner in which he left, and while I was always a TC supporter, I don't think you're calling out the right person when you say "self-righteous prick."

[MU_Warrior44]

Still, the reporter blew it here by not questioning Hurley on that point and passing it off as cause & effect.

I don't really think he "blew it" because I don't think that questioning Hurley on that would have really fit into the point of the article. Sure, from an MU perspective we'd like to get to the bottom of this, but this article reads like a feel-good story about TT, basically just a fluff piece for the newspaper. I don't think he was trying to do any investigative reporting, which frankly not many people outside the MU community would care about.

[Brewtown Andy]

Shouldn't someone at MU have called the recruits within the first two days to at least let them know things were in process of changing.  I'm sure the family probably saw all this stuff on the news and since no one bothered to call for 48 hours that probably didn't help.

Would it have made a difference?  Highly unlikely, but still seems like something that should have been done.

Based on what the players were saying about the coaching change, it sounded like MU got caught flat footed on the whole deal and at that point, moving quickly to find a new coach was more important than making sure TT's feelings weren't hurt.

[AlumKCof93]

This is just a fluff piece for everyone to understand all that Taylor "went through".  What crap.  Coaches leave all the time, I feel bad for the kids who go somewhere based on the coach and then the kid is stuck when the coach moves on.  I don't feel bad for Taylor and the "weeks" of misery he went through to end up at the school he and his coach wanted him to go to.  I don't see why Marquette should come off poorly in this situation. 

[T-Bone]

Yanda saying: "MU had no issue with what I reported. They elected not to discuss the matter on the record."

1. MU had no issue with what he reported, fine.  He reported the fact that Hurley requested TT's release.  Yanda neglects to state that a parent/guardian needs to do this.  It's shoddy work on his part.  (we could start a neverending thread on all the weak questions and basic follow up that is missed by "journalists"). 

2. MU shouldn't discuss it.  The kid isn't with MU, and never was. 

[The Lens]

Buzz has said on his radio show that he probably had the best relationship with Taylor of all the recruits.  
Which is something considering he found Otoule and Fulce follows him where ever he goes.  I believe he also said he still talks to TT.

I have heard from someone very close...to the program that TT looked bored to death at Midnight Madness and TC said he stuck Buzz on him and his demeanor changed and TT signed.  Plus toss in that Buzz and Bill Self are close and you have reasons why Buzz didn't feel the need to spin his side.  I think you'll see a St Anthony's player at MU before you see one at IU.  

Funny how TC recruited St Benedict's almost as a favor to the Hurley's and what did it get him?  A couple of mid-major players and the label of "Slick, Suave and on TV a lot".

[ecompt]

Hurley is a high school phys ed teacher. Pompous jerk who longs for his 15 minutes of fame with each of his kids. 

[MUfan12]

Buzz has said on his radio show that he probably had the best relationship with Taylor of all the recruits.  
Which is something considering he found Otoule and Fulce follows him where ever he goes.  I believe he also said he still talks to TT.

I have heard from someone very close...to the program that TT looked bored to death at Midnight Madness and TC said he stuck Buzz on him and his demeanor changed and TT signed.  Plus toss in that Buzz and Bill Self are close and you have reasons why Buzz didn't feel the need to spin his side.  I think you'll see a St Anthony's player at MU before you see one at IU.

That was at the Haunted Hoops scrimmage, I remember it well. Buzz also said on TC's radio show last year that he talked to their signed recruits every day, and never really about basketball. If the kid wasn't there, he talked with parents or siblings. He said that it was especially important with kids coming in from outside the Midwest to build trust and let the recruits and their families know that the MU staff would always look after them. I'm guessing that's where those relationships were cultivated.

When I heard this, I instantly became a huge Buzz Williams fan. I think if he can keep MU at a high level, Don Hurley will send a player our way again.