Who will replace Dale Layer?

[ChicosBailBonds]

I sure as heck can. Was signing Blackledge lazy recruiting? Abso-freaking-lutely it was. His teammate Stemler turned us down so we threw a scholarship at him because Crean had no other options. Crean gave scholarships to Hurley family guys anytime they smiled at him (two guys on the team this year, plus a third who opted out) and we offered 5'9" Acker a scholarship because he was friends with McNeal. I like Acker, but is he a Big East player? That's certainly questionable. I believe he also signed another ND Prep guy, who opted out? That's just lazy as hell...especially with the budget he was given.

Crean was tireless at self promoting, but he was a SHODDY recruiter.

Question....do you think giving scholarships to other Hurley players was with the intent of getting better recruits from Hurley down the road?  I.e.....Tyshawn Taylor?   I think it was.   Crean took care of a few of Hurley's kids by giving them scholarships that maybe or maybe not were worthy (they were offered by other DI programs) but with the intent to foster a stronger relationship?

I don't disagree with you on Trend, but I do disagree with you on the Hurley kids.  It led to us signing one of the better guards in the country who started as a Freshman on the defending national champion KU squad.

[77ncaachamps]

Question....do you think giving scholarships to other Hurley players was with the intent of getting better recruits from Hurley down the road?  I.e.....Tyshawn Taylor?   I think it was.   Crean took care of a few of Hurley's kids by giving them scholarships that maybe or maybe not were worthy (they were offered by other DI programs) but with the intent to foster a stronger relationship?

I don't disagree with you on Trend, but I do disagree with you on the Hurley kids.  It led to us signing one of the better guards in the country who started as a Freshman on the defending national champion KU squad.

I believe in fostering relationships, but you can't always be taking in more lesser players than the more-talented players.

And not to sell TT short but it was a no-brainer going to KU since he would have had a returning PG and legit C as well as the possibility of a lot of playing time.

He wouldn't have had that here (except for the PG).

[RawdogDX]

5 out of the last 6 posts about crean.  Seriously people, when are you going to stop letting some troll hijack threads like this?
Does anyone not get it?  PRN thinks that crean was a terrible coach and recruiter and he got lucky 20+ times a year.  Why argue with him anymore?  It reminds me of when i bothered to fight with my cousins who thought dinosoars still lived on a hidden island because god wouldn't let any of his creatures die off.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I believe in fostering relationships, but you can't always be taking in more lesser players than the more-talented players.

And not to sell TT short but it was a no-brainer going to KU since he would have had a returning PG and legit C as well as the possibility of a lot of playing time.

He wouldn't have had that here (except for the PG).

I don't disagree with you necessarily, but I don't think any of us know what the parameters were.  Maybe some of these AAU and high school coaches said "before I start recommending any of my best players go from NYC to Milwaukee, I need to see what your program is about, how good of a coach you are, etc.  I have a few other guys here that are going to play DI that need a home".

Let's look back at where we were....Crean took over a NON-NIT program.  In those first number of years you're clawing for any players you can get, trying to build those relationships, taking kids you may not want to take to help down the road for a bigger, better player.  It would not surprise me to see someone take a chance on a kid that is of lesser stature to build up that relationship hoping it leads to something better down the road.

[MUBasketball]

Let's look back at where we were....Crean took over a NON-NIT program.  In those first number of years you're clawing for any players you can get, trying to build those relationships, taking kids you may not want to take to help down the road for a bigger, better player. 

Correct, anybody who hates Crean really needs to get in the DeLorean and go back to 1999. I was in middle school at the time, just getting into college hoops and started going to Marquette games, right around the last year of the Deane era. I loved the program...but they were frankly a bad basketball team. No athletes and little talent (aside from a select few). It was a poor man's Wisconsin roster...let that sink in.

Crean had little to sell. A program that was elite...only problem was that was decades prior. At that time they were in a league that was only a few years old and had very few good teams. And, to top it all off, there was no McGuire Center. Only a dumpy, outdated, small gym.

He did a hell of a lot. But, he left. I support Marquette's coach. Good luck to him...but not too much. 

[Pakuni]

I sure as heck can. Was signing Blackledge lazy recruiting? Abso-freaking-lutely it was. His teammate Stemler turned us down so we threw a scholarship at him because Crean had no other options.

In that instance, Crean was simply following the roadmap laid out by your boy Mike Deane (with Olouma Nnamaka playing the role of Trend Blackledge and Fredrik Jonzen starring as Lance Stemler).

[The Lens]

In that instance, Crean was simply following the roadmap laid out by your boy Mike Deane (with Olouma Nnamaka playing the role of Trend Blackledge and Fredrik Jonzen starring as Lance Stemler).

Great pull Pakuni!

Now I'm going to add the name LeDaryll Billingsley b/c I think he must be brought up in every Mike Deane discussion.

I will say I don't think MU was a big loser when they finished 2nd place in the Swede Derby, they certainly were a big loser in finishing 2nd place in the Stemler Derby.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

PRN thinks that crean was a terrible coach person and recruiter and he got lucky 20+ times a year. 

Corrected for you.

[jaygall31]

why would Stephens leave Mich St.?

[Blackhat]

I don't think I've ever seen a coach take this long to fill an assistant position.   Lord knows Crean didn't in his many hiring endeavors.   Hope it doesn't backfire on Buzz. 

[Brewtown Andy]

I don't think I've ever seen a coach take this long to fill an assistant position.   Lord knows Crean didn't in his many hiring endeavors.   Hope it doesn't backfire on Buzz. 

Considering they're set on recruiting for this fall, and only have 1 spot left for next fall (maybe zero depending on what Vander Blue is thinking), and presuming Buzz wants to fill this spot with in game coaching ability, it's not terrible that Buzz is dragging his feet.

[Tulsa Warrior]

Buzzing is not dragging his feet the man is not wired that way.  He always has a plan. 

[Blackhat]

Buzzing is not dragging his feet the man is not wired that way.  He always has a plan. 

Which makes me theorize Gillispie will join us in the fall after refreshing his pistons. 

[4everwarriors]

Dude is in the ondeck circle.

[BrewCity83]

Dude is livin' it up with the Southern coeds and Mint Juleps all summer so he gets it out of his system for the school year.