The TOKOTO Sweepstakes--2012

[MrRivals150]

Anybody else go to the Al McGuire Center to go watch JP Tokoto vs. Arrowhead in the WI BBall Shootout??

ROY WILLIAMS of UNC was there scouting/persuading JP.

-The best play was a play that didn't even go in.  Falls had 0.7 left in regulation to try and win the game and they inbounded from midcourt.  They ran an alley0oop to JP and JP reversed the ball under the rim and the ball rimmed out.  I looked over at Roy Williams and heis jaw dropped and he had a huge grin on his face.  Clearly, this play would have been rediculous if it went in.

I did not see Buzz Williams, but if Buzz defeats all the odds and reels in JP, he should instantly go in the MARQ Hall of Fame.

[Markusquette]

I expect to see him at a big name bball school

[warthog-driver]

ROY WILLIAMS of UNC

did Roy have anyone thrown out of the Al?

[Skatastrophy]

did Roy have anyone thrown out of the Al?

Nobody was thrown out, but cause Roy was in attendance there were no Presbyterian fans allowed into the Al.

[warthog-driver]

Nobody was thrown out, but cause Roy was in attendance there were no Presbyterian fans allowed into the Al.

How about Lutherans?

[MrRivals150]

How about Lutherans?

No, b/c Wisconsin Lutheran had plenty of fans there and that would be very hard.

Roy was actually signing auto's and taking pics during any breaks/at half.

[warthog-driver]

No, b/c Wisconsin Lutheran had plenty of fans there and that would be very hard.

Roy was actually signing auto's and taking pics during any breaks/at half.

OK, then I'll bet they said no Mormons

[LON]

OK, then I'll bet they said no Mormons

Mormons were fine, as long as they didn't wear the magic underwear.

[MUEng92]

Why was Roy even let in to the Al?  Isn't that like the QB of the football team coming over to your house to ask out the head cheerleader?  Of course I can't explain why the cheerleader would be over at your house in the first place.  That's where the analogy falls apart.

[🏀]

Why was Roy even let in to the Al?  Isn't that like the QB of the football team coming over to your house to ask out the head cheerleader?  Of course I can't explain why the cheerleader would be over at your house in the first place.  That's where the analogy falls apart.

Probably because the Al was rented out.

[GGGG]

Plus, do you really think MU should be that petty and not let Williams in?  Cmon...that would be like Wisconsin not letting Buzz in the Kohl Center during WIAA tournament time.

[Benny B]

Plus, do you really think MU should be that petty and not let Williams in?

Probably because the Al was rented out.

Granted it's Monday morning and the comment about not letting Roy into the Al wasn't in teal, but even I, who went head-to-head with the Grinch this weekend and lost, realized that Eng92's comment was in jest.

By the way, I can think of two reasons why the cheerleader is at your house, but neither of them help with the analogy much (unless we're in Arkansas, or some compound along the Arizona border):

1) The cheerleader is your sister.
2) The cheerleader is your mom.

[GGGG]

I did not see Buzz Williams, but if Buzz defeats all the odds and reels in JP, he should instantly go in the MARQ Hall of Fame.

Recruiting doesn't get you in the HoF...winning does.  Sometimes I think we mix the two up.

[Hards Alumni]

Granted it's Monday morning and the comment about not letting Roy into the Al wasn't in teal, but even I, who went head-to-head with the Grinch this weekend and lost, realized that Eng92's comment was in jest.

By the way, I can think of two reasons why the cheerleader is at your house, but neither of them help with the analogy much (unless we're in Arkansas, or some compound along the Arizona border):

1) The cheerleader is your sister.
2) The cheerleader is your mom.

I have no reason to believe it was in jest.

[MR.HAYWARD]

Recruiting doesn't get you in the HoF...winning does.  Sometimes I think we mix the two up.

if you feel that way sultan than you have much to learn...90% of winning is recruiitng.  the best tactical coach we have maybe ever had at MU was one of our worst at the end of the day.  Mike Deane was great with KO's players and got fired when he replaced them with his dogs.  The beloved Crean was great with Wade but stunk with Deanes left overs and then was terrible again after DWade left, signing the big 3 and saved his job. 

Sorry junior but it is all about recruiting. look at Kentucky this year versus last year. 

[Chili]

Recruiting doesn't get you in the HoF...winning does.  Sometimes I think we mix the two up.

Recruiting is how you win in college basketball on the national stage.

[tower912]

Great schemes or systems can win you conference championships and games.   Witness Bo Ryan or John Belein.  Bobby Knight won lots of games with inferior personnel and a better system.    The only way to win national championships is with great players.   BK's championships and deep runs came when he had great players playing in his system.   Any system has weaknesses.    You have to have players who can make plays beyond the system when it breaks down.   That's how Bo loses to Davidson with Curry.    When Davidson shredded his system and built a lead, the Badgers still had to run the swing and play the contain m2m because they had no one to make plays beyond the system.   Press?   Zone?   Gimmick D on Curry?    What are those?    Systems win games, players win championships. 

[NotAnAlum]

In the same game 7'1" Mills from Arrowhead goes off for 19 points and 16 boards including a clutch rebound and basket to win.
And here we sit with a raw 7'2" guy who doesn't appear to know the basics of basketball and a 6'10" guy who will be coming off his second major injury in as many years.
Got to wonder why Mills didn't get a look from MU.  So he's not a grayhound, he's still 7 foot and appearently knows how to play against decent competition. 

[bma725]

In the same game 7'1" Mills from Arrowhead goes off for 19 points and 16 boards including a clutch rebound and basket to win.
And here we sit with a raw 7'2" guy who doesn't appear to know the basics of basketball and a 6'10" guy who will be coming off his second major injury in as many years.
Got to wonder why Mills didn't get a look from MU.  So he's not a grayhound, he's still 7 foot and appearently knows how to play against decent competition. 

Mills did get a look.  He was at camps and visited the school a few times. 

There's a reason the kid is going to Boise State and not a single major or even high mid-major school offered him a scholarship.

[chapman]

Mills did get a look.  He was at camps and visited the school a few times. 

There's a reason the kid is going to Boise State and not a single major or even high mid-major school offered him a scholarship.

But why can just about every low major school get players 6'8" and above who at least know what sport they're playing and we can't?  Boise State's current roster has four of them.  Sure they're all juniors and seniors, but they're all contributing.  The "worst" averages 4.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 10 minutes.  The way Mbao is going he might not score 4.7 points in his entire career.  And Dwight Burke as a senior couldn't even get as many points and had about the same number of rebounds in twice as much time (comparing to BSU's FOURTH best big), and Burke didn't fare any better during cupcake season when we play competition that might be worse than what BSU plays against.

[NotAnAlum]

Bma I trust your evaluation.
Would a kid like Mills be significantly worse than Mbao or Otule?
Why?

[bma725]

Bma I trust your evaluation.
Would a kid like Mills be significantly worse than Mbao or Otule?
Why?

Otule is already better than Mills and has been all along.  People are forgetting the kind of numbers he put up in perhaps the toughest place to play high school basketball in the country.  Suddenly Mills has a few good games and every forgets that he hasn't done much for 4 years play against smaller and inferior players and no high major in the country thought enough of him to offer him a scoharship or even sniff around more than minimally.

Mbao has the potential to be a lot better than Mills simply because of his athletic ability.  Mills for the most part is what he is and doesn't have much room for growth other than adding weight.  Mbao has better footspeed and better hand eye coordination, and he's been very good at picking things up quickly.  That gives him far more room for growth than a guy like Mills.

[MrRivals150]

In the same game 7'1" Mills from Arrowhead goes off for 19 points and 16 boards including a clutch rebound and basket to win.
And here we sit with a raw 7'2" guy who doesn't appear to know the basics of basketball and a 6'10" guy who will be coming off his second major injury in as many years.
Got to wonder why Mills didn't get a look from MU.  So he's not a grayhound, he's still 7 foot and appearently knows how to play against decent competition. 

BEN MILLS' stat line is the biggest mistaken line ever.  He played terrible and he looks very bad.  He is uncoordinated and missed several close shots and never dunked.  There's a reason why a guy that tall is heading that far Northwest to Idaho.  This white boy did not impress me at all.  I was very disapointed, I thought he would be better.

[bma725]

But why can just about every low major school get players 6'8" and above who at least know what sport they're playing and we can't?  Boise State's current roster has four of them.  Sure they're all juniors and seniors, but they're all contributing.  The "worst" averages 4.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 10 minutes.  The way Mbao is going he might not score 4.7 points in his entire career.  And Dwight Burke as a senior couldn't even get as many points and had about the same number of rebounds in twice as much time (comparing to BSU's FOURTH best big), and Burke didn't fare any better during cupcake season when we play competition that might be worse than what BSU plays against.

The reason they are all contributing, is because they are all seniors and have had time to develop.  Why don't you read some of their biographies and see what they were like as freshman.  Better yet, why don't you take a look at some of the recent players who've been considered among the best big men in the country coming out of high school and see how little they did as freshman.  Experience makes a world of difference for big men.  You can't just dismiss it as "yeah I know they're all juniors and seniors" the fact that they are juniors and seniors is incredibly important.

Secondly, take a look at the offense BSU runs and compare how big men are utilized in that offense to how MU has used big men since Merritt graduated.  You think Dwight Burke ever came close to getting that many touches or was ever counted on to score on his own like those players are?  Of course not.  In a similar situation, with similar usage, he'd provide similar results.  But he was playing in an offense where he was never going see any of that, so to compare the numbers without any context is useless.

[GGGG]

if you feel that way sultan than you have much to learn...90% of winning is recruiitng.  the best tactical coach we have maybe ever had at MU was one of our worst at the end of the day.  Mike Deane was great with KO's players and got fired when he replaced them with his dogs.  The beloved Crean was great with Wade but stunk with Deanes left overs and then was terrible again after DWade left, signing the big 3 and saved his job. 

Sorry junior but it is all about recruiting. look at Kentucky this year versus last year. 

But no one is going to put you in the Hall of Fame for recruiting well.  I have no problem with the idea that it is 90% of the game, but unless you can coach, the other 10% is going to be a failure.