Getting Better

[Blackhat]

One thing you've got to give up to Crean is that he was always searching to get better and kept striving to learn from some of the best coaches in sport, not only basketball.   I admired that about him, that he seemed to always have a deep desire to get better.   

With that said, I was wondering if Buzz is going to any coaching seminars this off season.  Not a lot out there about what Buzz has in plan for the summer.   Then again I'd rather not have him tweeting everyday like a girl getting ready for prom.   

[4everwarriors]

Cold, you really believed that stuff about Crean and getting better? Just rhetoric and name dropping to pad his resume'. Even if true, then TC is a slow learner as he repeated the same mistakes over and over and never did get better.

[Blackhat]

Cold, you really believed that stuff about Crean and getting better? Just rhetoric and name dropping to pad his resume'. Even if true, then TC is a slow learner as he repeated the same mistakes over and over and never did get better.

Yeah, I believe it.   I'm sure some of the name dropping is ego but he's got guys like Mike McCarthy, Mike Maddux, Barry Alvarez who he mingled with.   I don't think it was fabricated and he was constantly able to learn from different successful people.   

[MUfan12]

Yeah, I believe it.   I'm sure some of the name dropping is ego but he's got guys like Mike McCarthy

So he learned how to beat a zone in football, but never in basketball?

[Blackhat]

Funny, but motivation is key in all sports, can learn from people in different professions how to get the most out of your personnel. Although I'm sure Crean wanted to get the sled implemented somehow in his practices. 

But Crean was also learning from and getting to know guys like Larry Brown and Doug Collins.   

[mviale]

Recruits love the name dropping

[Nukem2]

Buzz has pretty much the same mantra as do most coaches.  Work hard and get better every day in all facets basketball and academic.  Pretty simple.  Lets stop knocking TC.  Yeah, I don't like how he left and he was not perfect; but, he accomplished a lot in his time at MU.

[shaquilvaine]

If I remember correctly, Buzz met TC at a coaching seminar and wrote TC after hearing him speak.  I'd imagine Buzz will continue to hone his skills and learn from others as he is a young coach.  I wouldn't worry about this aspect of Buzz.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

You're kidding, right? Anybody who thinks Crean was doing anything other than trying to impress ESPN cameras...if you can do that by befriending the Milwaukee Brewers pitching coach because his brother is a Hall of Fame pitcher...is a poor judge of character. Crean absolutely defines phony. He's so small potatoes it's not even funny. The sad thing is that there's a segment of Marquette fans -- mostly Milwaukeeans, who were impressed for some reason.

[77ncaachamps]

You're kidding, right? Anybody who thinks Crean was doing anything other than trying to impress ESPN cameras...if you can do that by befriending the Milwaukee Brewers pitching coach because his brother is a Hall of Fame pitcher...is a poor judge of character. Crean absolutely defines phony. He's so small potatoes it's not even funny. The sad thing is that there's a segment of Marquette fans -- mostly Milwaukeeans, who were impressed for some reason.

There's a fine line between phony and a good salesman. And I think Crean has one leg on each side.

One observation between the Buzz and Crean regimes is the Buzz defers the credit. Maybe that's the way he was raised, but he does it is the most obvious and subtle ways.

We all know that he says "it's about the team" but more subtly, The Homer True show with MU's head coach was changed from "The Tom Crean Show" to "The Marquette Basketball Hour with Buzz Williams."

I think there's more to Buzz and his "vision" of Marquette hoops. Whereas, Crean would drop names and be in the limelight as if he's always wanting to be in the back of your mind.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

There's a fine line between phony and a good salesman. And I think Crean has one leg on each side.

One observation between the Buzz and Crean regimes is the Buzz defers the credit. Maybe that's the way he was raised, but he does it is the most obvious and subtle ways.

We all know that he says "it's about the team" but more subtly, The Homer True show with MU's head coach was changed from "The Tom Crean Show" to "The Marquette Basketball Hour with Buzz Williams."

I think there's more to Buzz and his "vision" of Marquette hoops. Whereas, Crean would drop names and be in the limelight as if he's always wanting to be in the back of your mind.

I agree with this. For all the credit Buzz has given Crean, he's made quite a few veiled references to his predecessors' self promotion.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I agree with this. For all the credit Buzz has given Crean, he's made quite a few veiled references to his predecessors' self promotion.

All true because when you're in siberia like Milwaukee and have gone 20+ years with one Sweet 16 before your arrival, well you have to drum up business.  That predecessor also gave Buzz his job as an assistant and ultimately as the head coach.

[mviale]

You're kidding, right? Anybody who thinks Crean was doing anything other than trying to impress ESPN cameras...if you can do that by befriending the Milwaukee Brewers pitching coach because his brother is a Hall of Fame pitcher...is a poor judge of character. Crean absolutely defines phony. He's so small potatoes it's not even funny. The sad thing is that there's a segment of Marquette fans -- mostly Milwaukeeans, who were impressed for some reason.

Big Tan Fish, Small Pond

[DaCoach]

All true because when you're in siberia like Milwaukee and have gone 20+ years with one Sweet 16 before your arrival, well you have to drum up business.  That predecessor also gave Buzz his job as an assistant and ultimately as the head coach.

I wasn't aware that Crean hired Buzz as head coach after he left for Indiana. Can you cite some evidence? And I believe TC added him as an assistant more for his recruiting skills rather than Xs and Os.

[avid1010]

Funny, but motivation is key in all sports, can learn from people in different professions how to get the most out of your personnel. Although I'm sure Crean wanted to get the sled implemented somehow in his practices. 

But Crean was also learning from and getting to know guys like Larry Brown and Doug Collins.   

So TC continues to love Huggy Bear after finding he and his staff hiding in a box watching Wade and team at the morning shoot around.  He kisses up to anyone and everyone with a "name" no matter what they've done to get that name, and then people were surprised he left MU.  I was always more than satisfied (and continue to be) with the overall job TC did at MU, but this was really the crap that made me realize TC was on his way out for a "big time" job at the first chance he had.  Motivation may be key, but it's obvious that application is ultimately what counts, and I never felt TC was adequate at applying what he said he had learned.  I see a lot of college grads. with 4.0's that can't apply it to the workplace, and a lot of employees with 3.0's that fly right by them.  When you find that 4.0 with the application, work ethic and other higher level thinking skills look out. 

[MR.HAYWARD]

TC was all about image.  Always was always has been.  he came from nothing and had no basketball background so what better way to seem like a big shot than to suck up to big shots?

Now i will give Crean credit from trying to learn from the guru's of the different sports.  However, his biggest problem was his egomania never allowed him to change.  Watch MU over the last 3 years...they played the exact same stupid offense.  Now with three different assistant coaching staff's in those 3 years and all these coaches he hangs with dont you think if he were possibly receptive to listening to them we might have seen a wrinkle in the game?  Absolutely not!  that is why he has such turnover in his coaching ranks, becuase the coaches are pure minions.  he signs them becuase of the name he has built for himself but then they leave becuase working for him is so degrading.  Anyone that works for him anymore is simply biding time trying to parlay it into abetter opportunity.  He will not listen to anyone but himself.  Bob Huggins mocking him with the nickname of "Tommy Naismith" says it all.  I am no basketball savant but even I screamed for a motion offense the last 3 years.  You dont think any off the people Cream surrounds himself with could see this teams make up screamed for amotion offense.  But no....motion puts some of the decion making in the hands of the players...decison making by assistants or players is not a good thing when you are a ego maniac control freak...no one can make a deciosn but Tommy Naismith in this Program!!

Buzz williams steps in and implements motion on day 1. talk about picking low hanging fruit.  Same players , actually less losing our only good 5, and we becoime significant ly better.

Wisdom is not what you know but realizing what you do not know.  Crean will continue to have massive turnover ( although possibly less becuase of the cache of Indiana) and will continue to underacheive because of his personality.  I am simply glad he will continue to do it somewhere else. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

I wasn't aware that Crean hired Buzz as head coach after he left for Indiana. Can you cite some evidence? And I believe TC added him as an assistant more for his recruiting skills rather than Xs and Os.

Talk to Mr. Wild, Cottingham, Strong and a few others.  After the "exhaustive" 56 hour search, Buzz was the guy they focused on and pushed hard by Crean as his replacement.   After the correct "meetings" with a few deep pockets, the hiring was approved.  But my comments were more related to the fact that if Crean doesn't leave, Buzz isn't the HC at MU.

And yes, Buzz was hired for his recruiting skills.

[Big Papi]

There was nothing wrong with the coaching search from a year ago.  It was mentioned by quite a few individuals BEFORE TC left that Buzz had the makings to be a very good coach in the present and not some distant future.  He was at Marquette for almost a year and the decision makers at Marquette were all impressed by Buzz.  In a way, he had a lot of the good qualities of TC without the bad. 

Again, there is nothing wrong with hiring him within the timeframe he was hired.  MU had more then enough time to look into the hot names that were out there and sift through the names of other coaches who were suppossedly interested.  I actually applaud the administration for not allowing itself to be used by other coaches who really only wanted a raise or an extension at their current jobs.  If you know who you want why wait.  Its not like Roy Williams or Bill Self or even Mark Few were knocking on our doors on April 1st and we shooed them away. 

But hey, I guess this will always be a divisive topic until we find out just how successful Buzz is on the court.

[detroitwarrior]

I agree with this. For all the credit Buzz has given Crean, he's made quite a few veiled references to his predecessors' self promotion.

Care to provide some specific examples of the "veiled references " you allude to by Buzz about Crean's self-promotion?
Count me in the camp of many MU alums who appreciated what Crean did for the University after years in the wilderness ( I was there in the early 80s) but didn't like many aspects of his persona/coaching but I can't recall any shots or references that Buzz has taken at Crean's self -promotion.
My one suggestion to Buzz to work on would be to promote MU a bit more and become a bit more media savvy ( I am confident he will as time goes on) while still emphasizing that it is about the players.

[Blackhat]

Talk to Mr. Wild, Cottingham, Strong and a few others.  After the "exhaustive" 56 hour search, Buzz was the guy they focused on and pushed hard by Crean as his replacement.   After the correct "meetings" with a few deep pockets, the hiring was approved.  But my comments were more related to the fact that if Crean doesn't leave, Buzz isn't the HC at MU.

And yes, Buzz was hired for his recruiting skills.

I think it was two fold.   Because of recruiting first and foremost but his strong work ethic I'm sure played a big part.   I'd take a shot at a guy who can recruit and works hard every time. 

[drewm88]

Care to provide some specific examples of the "veiled references " you allude to by Buzz about Crean's self-promotion?

I think he's referring (at least in part) to all of Buzz's comments along the lines of "this program's not about me."
If I remember right, at his introductory press conference he had a comment that was like that but also made a more direct reference to the previous coach.

[detroitwarrior]

I think he's referring (at least in part) to all of Buzz's comments along the lines of "this program's not about me."
If I remember right, at his introductory press conference he had a comment that was like that but also made a more direct reference to the previous coach.

I am aware of that comment. Some can project that the comment was a veiled reference to TC ( one can speculate ad nauseum) and I can understand that point of view. However, I just took it to mean that he was explaining the type of coach he was ( particularly as a coach who has just been hired by a program in the Big East without any discernible track record to project as the type of coach he might be like a Pitino or Calipari who when hired the program knows you are getting a flamboyant personality) , not a slap either at TC or any coach for that matter who may project themselves to be bigger than players or the University. And for the record, I do believe that TC was a huge self promoter but that along with that self promotion came rewards for MU.

[SaintPaulWarrior]

 

But Crean was also learning from and getting to know guys like Larry Brown and Doug Collins.   

Doug Collins?  Now that is funny.