Figuring We Ain't Done Yet

[Big Papi]

Markolf was not runoff like MU players are.  He doesn't love the game and is staying at Madison. He has no desire to change schools and/or play basketball anymore. He happens to be 7 feet tall but is a lot smarter than he is a good player. 

Here we have a recruit that signed a LOI that is being reneged on by Marquette.  And Buzz is still actively trying to sign another player so another signed kid will have to go too.

Not sure how the treatment of the Markolf  is comparable.  If Bo ran off players Gavinski would've been gone in August of his freshman summer earlier than Roseboro was sent packing.

Yet here he is is returning for a 5th year gobbling up a scholly.  That would not play at Marquette these days.

You keep those rose colored glasses on butch.  And my guess is you don't know what is going on at MU so your assumptions are only making you look like an a** or however that saying goes.  I am actually surprised that you badger fans are not giddy that there is even a small chance that Blue might be the one who might not make the grade.  Wasn't it your fan base that was all over Blue when he de-committed that he was juco material?  I guess even you guys don't believe the garbage you spew.

[butchbadger]

I can say with 100% certainty that it won't be Blue.  He's too good.

[GOO]

So a UW badger quits and its all good.  MU coach's think a player won't qualify and it's running off a player.  Plus, for all we know a player has told Buzz they won't be playing next year.  Buzz knows what is going on, we don't (and yes, that includes Badger fans).  Buzz is known for being honest and straight forward.  Maybe he and the recruits know what is going on, and we and the Badger fans don't. 

Maybe Gavinski should be given a prize for not giving in to the pressure to voluntarily give up his scholarship. Being left home on a road game where walk-ons traveled.  Maybe it was one of the two and Gavinski didn't give in?  If the rolls were reversed, we know what this Badger fan would say, and it would be worse than this speculation. Keep the Red glasses on and ignore the obvious. 

[Hards Alumni]

Markolf was not runoff like MU players are.  He doesn't love the game and is staying at Madison. He has no desire to change schools and/or play basketball anymore. He happens to be 7 feet tall but is a lot smarter than he is a good player. 


Here we have a recruit that signed a LOI that is being reneged on by Marquette.  And Buzz is still actively trying to sign another player so another signed kid will have to go too.

Not sure how the treatment of the Markolf  is comparable.  If Bo ran off players Gavinski would've been gone in August of his freshman summer earlier than Roseboro was sent packing.

Yet here he is is returning for a 5th year gobbling up a scholly.  That would not play at Marquette these days.

Most of my MU friends have no problem with this philosophy..."it is a business" they say.  I thought we were trying educate kids.

AFAIK, Markolf was not run off the team.  He is a smart kid, and saw the writing on the wall.

As for the rest of your post, it is a bit of a reach.  The LOI of a player isn't being reneged on.  Someone did not qualify academically, which isn't exactly good either.

Buzz SAYING he is actively recruiting another player (wait, where did you read that he was still actively recruiting another player, again?) is different from signing another player.

It must be hard to live up on that isolated hill in Madison looking down on the rest of us, claiming moral high ground when the basketball and football programs have two totally different academic standards.  Bo probably has some reason (see: ego) that won't let him give up on a kid no matter how much of a mistake he was to recruit, but lets not pretend that the ONLY reason can be that he is just a great guy, and is looking out for his kid's best interest.  It really can be spun either way, based on perspective.

[babytownfrolics]

Markolf was not runoff like MU players are.  He doesn't love the game and is staying at Madison. He has no desire to change schools and/or play basketball anymore. He happens to be 7 feet tall but is a lot smarter than he is a good player. 


Here we have a recruit that signed a LOI that is being reneged on by Marquette.  And Buzz is still actively trying to sign another player so another signed kid will have to go too.

Not sure how the treatment of the Markolf  is comparable.  If Bo ran off players Gavinski would've been gone in August of his freshman summer earlier than Roseboro was sent packing.

Yet here he is is returning for a 5th year gobbling up a scholly.  That would not play at Marquette these days.

Most of my MU friends have no problem with this philosophy..."it is a business" they say.  I thought we were trying educate kids.

You have no clue what you are talking about, no idea what is really going on, and here you are again, up on your high horse, criticizing Buzz and Marquette for "running players off."  Can you at least acknowledge that you don't REALLY know what's going on, you are just pretending to under the guise of your Badger fandom?

[butchbadger]

I do not know what is going.  Not sure any one does. 

But I do see a pattern developing.   I remember when Saunders suddenly couldn't get into school in summer but was qualified.  There were too many players then too.

[M@RQUETTEW@RRIORS]

In the eys of badger fans there are zero programs that do things the "right way" and have a better program or can beat UW.  Its quite a fantasy land.

[babytownfrolics]

I do not know what is going.  Not sure any one does. 

But I do see a pattern developing.   I remember when Saunders suddenly couldn't get into school in summer but was qualified.  There were too many players then too.

You're right, there's a clear pattern of Marquette coaches recruiting year round, as opposed to Bo who is apparently too busy planning his retirement and golfing to bother with such things.

Things change, even after a LOI is signed.  An obligation is created, but if the parties mutually agree to go their separate ways, I don't see the harm.  You are presuming something nefarious is going on behind the scenes because you are a Badger fan.  Get over yourself.

[GGGG]

Markolf was not runoff like MU players are.  He doesn't love the game and is staying at Madison. He has no desire to change schools and/or play basketball anymore. He happens to be 7 feet tall but is a lot smarter than he is a good player.  

That's just flat out false.  Markholf was given a choice, either accept a full-academic scholarship, quit the team and keep quiet, or we will pull your scholarship.  I have heard this from multiple, unrelated people associated with the program.  You are correct that in the end he decided to just quit basketball, but to say he wasn't run off is simply not true.  Period.

Also, you brought up Gavinski.  There are other reasons that he was kept around, but Bo did learn from that mistake and will not redshirt projects like him again.

[GGGG]

Here we have a recruit that signed a LOI that is being reneged on by Marquette.  And Buzz is still actively trying to sign another player so another signed kid will have to go too.

No one knows enough to know if the LOI is being "reneged" by Marquette, or if a player didn't qualify. 

[Lennys Tap]

I can say with 100% certainty that it won't be Blue.  He's too good.

Better than Dwyane Wade? Insinuating MU will pull a Derrick Rose ala Memphis is incredibly low. Disappointing, as in the past you've made some relatively even handed posts.

[butchbadger]

Sultan, you are one of the few level headed posters here and I respect your opinion.  I have heard differently about Markolf -that he is paying his own way.  He is a Minnesota resident so he would pay  in state tuition.

I am not sure your scenario would even be legal other wise it would happen all the time at the dirty schools.

I know a lot of people close , very close, to the program and have heard zero mention of an academic scholarship.

[Litehouse]

If Bo ran off players Gavinski would've been gone in August of his freshman summer earlier than Roseboro was sent packing.

The difference is Gavinski is the home town kid who always dreamed of being a Badger and is just happy to be there.  It seems pretty plausable to me that Bo and Buzz could each have the exact same conversation with Gavinski and Roseboro "you're not going to get any playing time here, maybe you should consider your options elsewhere", and Gavinski sticks around and Roseboro leaves.

[butchbadger]

I didn't say or insinuate that some other kid would take his ACT for him. Not at all.

But MU, UW, and almost every athletic program in the world gets the kids they want in to  school (if they qualify and it's hard not to).  That is why this and D. Saunders appears so transparent.

[Litehouse]

But if it came down to getting the players in they wanted, why take Hazel over Saunders?  Saunders was clearly the more talented player and more highly regarded recruit.  Getting busted with pot over the summer may not have helped Saunders admission process, it may not have just been his grades, since he obviously qualified under NCAA standards.

[GGGG]

Sultan, you are one of the few level headed posters here and I respect your opinion.  I have heard differently about Markolf -that he is paying his own way.  He is a Minnesota resident so he would pay  in state tuition.

I am not sure your scenario would even be legal other wise it would happen all the time at the dirty schools.

I know a lot of people close , very close, to the program and have heard zero mention of an academic scholarship.

Well, I can't claim you heard wrong.  I just know what I have been told.  Part of the issue from what I understanad is that Bo does not want a repeat of tying up a roster spot like he is with Gavinski.  And Markholf is from Texas isn't he?  

[butchbadger]

His parents moved shortly after he was signed theoretically so they could see him play.

[Lighthouse 84]

You're right, there's a clear pattern of Marquette coaches recruiting year round, as opposed to Bo who is apparently too busy planning his retirement and golfing to bother with such things.

The problem some people don't see is that work gets in the way of golf too often....bash Bo all you want, but not for golfing.

[GGGG]

Butch, I have also heard some negatives coming out about Evan Anderson.  Specifically, whether or not they should "waste" a redshirt year for him or not.

[Lennys Tap]

I didn't say or insinuate that some other kid would take his ACT for him. Not at all.

But MU, UW, and almost every athletic program in the world gets the kids they want in to  school (if they qualify and it's hard not to).  That is why this and D. Saunders appears so transparent.

You're assuming the worse case scenario - that MU will ax a fully qualified and signed recruit in favor of a perceived better one that has come along. Blue, Jones, Crowder and Smith are all rated MUCH higher than Gardner so that leaves only Newbill. If he is "pushed" aside to make room for Gardner you're likely right. ANY other scenario means there's more to it than we know and refutes your assumptions.

[butchbadger]

the news on Evan has been bad since his sophomore year when I believe he was a top 10 in his class.

There is hope he can at least be a defensive player.   Redshirt is doubtful unless he show at least some flashes.

[GOO]

I didn't say or insinuate that some other kid would take his ACT for him. Not at all.

But MU, UW, and almost every athletic program in the world gets the kids they want in to  school (if they qualify and it's hard not to).  That is why this and D. Saunders appears so transparent.

Maybe you should have let Kevin O'Neil and Bob Dukiet know that they could get almost every player they wanted into Marquette.  They could have used that against the administration for the players they couldn't get in.   Crean as well for one WI player.  
As for Saunders, he was a stud who averaged in his high 20's per game as a senior and had a great prep year, as I remember.  He was also a great player.  Hazel was a big reach.  Again, if your going to run off a player, it wasn't going to be Saunders!!!  Ignore the obvious, again Badger and make it into what it isn't.  Maybe the story is he couldn't get admitted, but just maybe his legal problems were the reason that he wasn't admitted as much as grades.  The school is only going to bend so far, regardless if it is UW or MU.  Crean would have liked to have had Saunders.  He couldn't get him in with the baggage.

[GOO]

You're assuming the worse case scenario - that MU will ax a fully qualified and signed recruit in favor of a perceived better one that has come along. Blue, Jones, Crowder and Smith are all rated MUCH higher than Gardner so that leaves only Newbill. If he is "pushed" aside to make room for Gardner you're likely right. ANY other scenario means there's more to it than we know and refutes your assumptions.

It had been speculated in the past that "what if" a player is allowed to sign a LOI, but knows that he will have to prep for a year.  Is it wrong for the player or for MU?

[Boone]

Markolf got BONED.

[GGGG]

It had been speculated in the past that "what if" a player is allowed to sign a LOI, but knows that he will have to prep for a year.  Is it wrong for the player or for MU?

Well, they are both sacrificing the known.  If the player tanks or gets injured in prep school, MU is not beholden to offer a scholarship.  OTOH, if the player "blows up" in prep school, he may go to UK instead of MU.

If I were a player like that, I would rather sign the LOI and get the scholarship while I could.