Mbao Is Not A JUCO...

[4everwarriors]

nor is he from Chicago. But, big men can be recruited at Marquette. So, everyone happy?

[JimmyBIToldYa]

yes

[ChicosBailBonds]

nor is he from Chicago. But, big men can be recruited at Marquette. So, everyone happy?

I just wish he wasn't from Stoneridge....it's in the town next to where I grew up.  They've had an interesting reputation the last decade or so....accused of being a diploma mill by some.  At one point they were delisted by the NCAA Clearinghouse a few years ago.  I believe they got that resolved (though many people out here were shocked that Stoneridge wasn't one of the 15 schools officially banned by the NCAA).  If I remember correctly they were audited and cleared months after being delisted.    Articles below from the last few years.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/02/AR2006060201579.html


http://www.simivalleyacorn.com/news/2007/0112/Front_Page/004.html



It is what it is.  An interesting basketball program run by a very interesting persona in Mohoaney. 

[PJDunn]

First the JUCOs and now a diploma factory.  Wonder what the graduation rate will look like in 3 or 4 years?

[Tom Crean's Tanning Bed]

First the JUCOs and now a diploma factory.  Wonder what the graduation rate will look like in 3 or 4 years?

I just don't get why everyone is automatically assuming with these kids because they went to a JUCO or somewhere like Stoneridge that they're dunces that won't graduate (although I don't know enough about the current state of Stoneridge to know if it's really changed).  I'd be a lot more worried about kids with character issues on their resumes coming in not graduating than these guys.

Consider that Lazar went to one of these alleged diploma mills, since I believe that ND Prep is no longer around.  He's one of the most well spoken guys we've had come thru this program in a long time, and doing pretty well in the classroom from what I understand. 

Fulce and Butler were full D1 qualifiers coming out of HS but elected to go the JUCO route for other reasons.  DJO ended up at a JUCO because of NCAA clearninghouse issues.  Buycks and Clark had to go to a JUCO to 2 years to fix up their transcripts due to the ceaspool that is known as the Milwaukee Public Schools.  From all indications otherwise, these are guys who are indeed working in the classroom, but ended up at JUCO to either improve upon their potential offers or mitigating academic circumstances.

If these guys are capable of doing the academic work in the classroom, I don't have a problem with having them at Marquette.  Buzz is also fortunate to have one of the BEST academic support staffs in the country with Adrianne Trice running the show (who Crean wanted BADLY at IU with him), so these guys will have some incredible resources available to guide them thru the academic side.  But I have no doubt at the same time that if they can't hack the books here, they're out the door, no questions asked.

[GOMU1104]

ND Prep is still around. Jonnie Lacy spent this season there.

[dennycrane]

Stoneridge was one of the schools featured in ESPN's Outside the Lines a several years ago dealing with diploma mills. As was the Florida school that was discussed in Chico's second link where the coach from Senagal came from.

[DomJamesToTheBasket]

  Buzz is also fortunate to have one of the BEST academic support staffs in the country with Adrianne Trice running the show (who Crean wanted BADLY at IU with him), so these guys will have some incredible resources available to guide them thru the academic side. 

MU is on these guys like white on rice. An incredible academic staff.

[GregShimonFor2]

Mbao speaks three languages, including English. Stoneridge may have a checkered past, but Mbao is anything but a dumb kid from a "diploma mill."

[Wareagle]

Pretty sure I say him on campus around 10:15 ish in front of Gesu.  Wearing an Adidas sweatshirt and a smile on his face. 

[MUfan2]

I will gladly take a 90% graduation rate if it means we go back to the Final Four again soon. 

[Blackhat]

Pretty sure I say him on campus around 10:15 ish in front of Gesu.  Wearing an Adidas sweatshirt and a smile on his face. 

Go throw a ball at him and see how good his hands/reflexes are. 

[4everwarriors]

Pretty sure I say him on campus around 10:15 ish in front of Gesu.  Wearing an Adidas sweatshirt and a smile on his face. 

What would make you more certain?

[YoungMUFan4]

What would make you more certain?

7'2 guy on campus? 

[Wareagle]

7'2 guy on campus? 

Nice to see we're on the same wavelength.  What made me more sure was the fact I came up to his tricep.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Mbao speaks three languages, including English. Stoneridge may have a checkered past, but Mbao is anything but a dumb kid from a "diploma mill."

Don't think anyone here called the kid dumb or incapable of handling a curriculum at Marquette.  But yes, Stoneridge has been in the spotlight as have other schools.  Fairly or unfairly, they've been in the spotlight on HBO, the Washington Post, ESPN as well as locally here in So. Cal.

I think we all need to be honest here.  I remember not to far in the distant past when Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis were taking kids from these types of programs, it didn't sit well with many people here. 

The kids get caught up in this stuff unfairly which is the unfortunate part.  They may be more than capable academically but for whatever reason decided to attend one of these schools.  Then when folks get under the hood and look at these schools, more than a few curious alarm bells start going off.  35 kids in the entire school, all of them in the basketball program as an example (I'm using this as an illustration only).  Those types of things raise people's eyebrows and end up on HBO as a result.  Fairly or unfairly.

[GGGG]

Don't think anyone here called the kid dumb or incapable of handling a curriculum at Marquette.  But yes, Stoneridge has been in the spotlight as have other schools.  Fairly or unfairly, they've been in the spotlight on HBO, the Washington Post, ESPN as well as locally here in So. Cal.

I think we all need to be honest here.  I remember not to far in the distant past when Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis were taking kids from these types of programs, it didn't sit well with many people here. 

I think if UC and Memphis were graduating their players, we wouldn't care.  Same here.

[Ellenson Guerrero]

In the grand scheme of things does anyone really care about graduation rates? I don't mean to be too cynical but there are plenty of D1 programs that hardly graduate anyone and no one makes a big deal about it. UConn graduates about 33% of its guys, Louisville just 42% and there are some extreme cases like Maryland with just 10% and Arizona with 20%.

Last year we were one of only 7 teams in the tourney with a 100% rate. I think Buzz has some room to take a few "chances".

[PJDunn]

The question remains...can we graduate these kids?  This is not an attack on any of the student athletes that Buzz has recruited, but rather a reflection that taken as a whole, the student athlete population that chooses the diploma mill or juco route tend to be academically suspect.  

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Rather than fly our 100 percent graduation rate from the highest flagpole, maybe some folks should start questioning how it's being accomplished.

[MU B2002]

This may have been discussed before and if so my apologies....

How are we at 100%, as I thought the years included in the study included the time that Wade was at MU?

[Hards Alumni]

Rather than fly our 100 percent graduation rate from the highest flagpole, maybe some folks should start questioning how it's being accomplished.

+1

Additionally, I can tell you that it definitely helps to be a private school.

[MUfan12]

Rather than fly our 100 percent graduation rate from the highest flagpole, maybe some folks should start questioning how it's being accomplished.

Ok PRN, I'll bite- HOW OH HOW HAS IT BEEN ACCOMPLISHED?

I can't wait to see this vague answer, insinuating some sort of Creanian conspiracy theory.

[T-Bone]

...the student athlete population that chooses the diploma mill or juco route tend to be academically suspect.  

It seems that a lot of these kids choose the "diploma mill" not for their academics, but rather for the exposure they will get and their increased chances of getting noticed by a top 100 university and improving their basketball skills.  It's not necessarily a matter of their intelligence being suspect I'd guess for 99% of the kids that go to those schools.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

Who do they play?

What league? I live near there and saw nothing about this guy not have I heard of the school. was pretty involved in youth sports for years