Very Thankful Today

[Tom Crean's Tanning Bed]

Although we got our butts handed to us last night, I am a very, very thankful Marquette basketball fan this morning.

-For defying the odds and going 22-11, finishing 5th in the Big East, and playing our way to the semifinals of the BET despite being picked to finish 12th in the league.
-For Mo Acker coming back to play his senior year.  If we played this season without him AND Junior, we'd be posting today about whether we should pay $60K to host CBI games.
-For David Cubillan for powering thru two injury-riddled years to play the best basketball of his career as a senior and hitting clutch shots in big spots (Cincy, St. John's).
-For Lazar Hayward, being what I consider to be one of the guttiest players in Marquette history, playing consistently out of position for all 4 years of his college career and ending up in both the top 5 in points and rebounds, and in my opinion the rock of this program the last 2 seasons.
-For Buzz Williams, digging guys like Jimmy Butler, Darius Johnson-Odom, and Joe Fulce out of the JUCO ranks, and teaching these players about life in a fashion that they have become one cohesive unit in a season where things could have easily collapsed upon themselves due to injuries and transfers.
-For Tom Crean, as much as we relish in some of his struggles at Indiana, for building a sustained pattern of success in his 9 years here and having enough foresight to bring Buzz Williams aboard (and not taking Buzz to I4 with him).

I don't know what I'll have to say about our seed tomorrow. But I'm just gonna be damn happy to see our name called tomorrow, at least for this season.

[tower912]

Well stated.   This team has achieved at a very high level relative to their ability all year.   They have been a true pleasure to watch.   We got rolled over the last 12 minutes last night.   Meh.    Third game in 3 nights.   Nobody got hurt and the team will have a week to rest, to get Buycks back in sync, and to prepare to lay a whuppin on somebody.   

[jsglow]

I've been following MU hoops since the 1960s.  While there have been many teams with more talent, I can't recall one with more guts.  Thanks men.

[Avenue Commons]

Amen. My expectations going into this season were very low. I definitely considered it a transitional rebuilding year. And here we are about to get a slot in the NCAA tournament after finishing 5th in the conference and going to quarterfinals in the Big East tournament. I don't care what else happens from here on out, the season was as successful as a season in relative terms as any season we've had since I started following Marquette in the early 1990's.

Buzz deserves a ton of credit for the coaching job he did. Lazar also deserves extra credit for the leadership he provided this season. He definitely raised his stature this year to now be considered one of the all-time greats at Marquette.

Great job all around Marquette hoopsters. You made us all very, very proud.

[mu_hilltopper]

It's interesting to step back .. so many people laud MU (as do I) for doing more with less .. having guts .. not getting out worked .. making us proud ..

Sometimes I wonder if it's like describing a blind date as someone with "a good personality".  Or .. like a year ago, using the word "articulate" to describe a minority. 

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

+1 I think Lazar gets a lot of the credit for his senior leadership this year. 

[SoCalEagle]

Hilltopper, it's more like an average looking woman doing all she can with her hair, makeup, and clothing.  Next thing you she's looking pretty good!! 

We have gotten the most out of our guys this year.  They are to be commended, no matter what happens the rest of the way. 

SoCal

[Ari Gold]

Hilltopper, it's more like an average looking woman doing all she can with her hair, makeup, and clothing.  Next thing you she's looking pretty good!! 

We have gotten the most out of our guys this year.  They are to be commended, no matter what happens the rest of the way. 

SoCal

So this team is kinda that girl at the bar after 8 beers? sure We've got beer goggles, but once you get her home.... damn

[bilsu]

I really thought we would have a losing year, when we were 11-8. I am very pleased with this team. Perfect year, if we outlast UW in the NCAA tournament.

[Avenue Commons]

So this team is kinda that girl at the bar after 8 beers? sure We've got beer goggles, but once you get her home.... damn

No, it's the girl you see at the bar and she doesn't really seem that hot and she's wearing kind of regular clothes, but you figure what the hell, I'll go home with her. Why not? But then you get her home and realize her body is banging and she doesn't have any make-up on. You end up going on a real date and she's actually really cute.

[Blackhat]

It's like your Acura TSX breaks down on North and Farwell at 1 in the morning and a fat chick who's with a group of smoking hot friends and a couple other uglies offers to drive you to your apartment.   You get home and she reveals she really is doing an assignment for sociology and rips off a fat suit and her yellow stained fake teeth.   And reveals this.  A totally doable good looking ginger.  That's the 2010 team.

[Daniel]

I KNEW we had a good looking team

[AZWarrior]

It's like your Acura TSX breaks down on North and Farwell at 1 in the morning and a fat chick who's with a group of smoking hot friends and a couple other uglies offers to drive you to your apartment.   You get home and she reveals she really is doing an assignment for sociology and rips off a fat suit and her yellow stained fake teeth.   And reveals this.  A totally doable good looking ginger.  That's the 2010 team.

Did that happen to you, too?  I thought I was the only one......