Shaw Recruiting

[willie warrior]

Article in Bullseye about which schools made the cut for in-home visits for Shaw: West Va., Depaul, Illinois and MU. Article states that Shaw's uncle and older brother are in control. Link:

http://www.ilprepbullseye.com/page54.html

[bilsu]

It will probably come down to whether he likes coaches who drink or coaches who pray. I could see Buzz starting out the visit with a prayer, which some people will like and others would run from. Buzz could promise him that the whole team will pray for him after he makes his first basket in practice.

[willie warrior]

After the prayer, maybe a Jesuit priest could offer some communion wine.

[damuts222]

 I was amazed at how many top recruits we were in the top 5 last year, and even more impressed this year. Our coaches are earning there paychecks and Shaw would be a huge get, it only takes one and more big men will follow.

[RubyWiscy]

Code Select Expand

it only takes one and more big men will follow.

Sorry, but I've been hearing this refrain for years, over several coaches. IMHO Forget about the next guy who will come, let's get this one.

[damuts222]

Sorry, but I've been hearing this refrain for years, over several coaches. IMHO Forget about the next guy who will come, let's get this one.

I'm just stating a hope, can't a guy dream 

[RubyWiscy]

Dreaming is fine, but it will only take you so far.  At some point dreams need to become reality. If not, they become a waste of time.

I just don't get the logic that if one kid signs, a dozen others will suddenly pick Marquette or any other school. It just seems there is a lot more that needs to go into making a program successful than landing one top recruit.

[nycwarrior]

Dreaming is fine, but it will only take you so far.  At some point dreams need to become reality. If not, they become a waste of time.

I just don't get the logic that if one kid signs, a dozen others will suddenly pick Marquette or any other school. It just seems there is a lot more that needs to go into making a program successful than landing one top recruit.

I think the logic goes, other coaches/recruiters/handlers of 6-9+ kids say "You need to go somewhere that turns big men into Pros."

Right now, MU has a respectable stable of guards who have come here, made a significant name for themselves in college and gone on to get paid to play.

Who was the last big man who got significantly better while playing in our program?

I think it is a cyclical thing for easily influenced high schoolers with hoop dreams.

Ten years ago we were not awash in athletic wing players. Today, you can walk through the AL without tripping over a 6-6 slasher.

Back in the glory days, blue chips begat blue chips for Al. Did he have some sort of a saying about George Thompson cutting his driveway and Butch Lee being the guy who paved it? Don't you think all those guys wanted to play Al's street-wise style?

And you don't have to go all the way back to the glory days for examples of big men who came to MU and became players. In the not-so-distant KO era we had Mac, the A-train, Ron Curry, Damon Key and a little bit later Chris Crawford.

So I guess I do believe that one or two solids bigs who come to MU and then actually produce on the court will inspire kids with similar games to think they can do the same.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I was amazed at how many top recruits we were in the top 5 last year, and even more impressed this year. Our coaches are earning there paychecks and Shaw would be a huge get, it only takes one and more big men will follow.

That hasn't been a problem for most of the decade....we've been with a lot of top guys, but finished bridesmaids most of the time. 

Hopefully he will be the one.

[4everwarriors]

Most of the decade was spent with that former dork of a coach, though.

[TheTasteofGarlic]

Most of the decade was spent with that former dork of a coach, though.

Was he the one sporting a killer tan?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Most of the decade was spent with that former dork of a coach, though.

True....if we go back further than the last decade we weren't even in the conversation for top players unless the coach was named Al McGuire...sans one year where all the stars lined up and SE Wisconsin produced two top big men.

[Marqevans]

I think the logic goes, other coaches/recruiters/handlers of 6-9+ kids say "You need to go somewhere that turns big men into Pros."

Right now, MU has a respectable stable of guards who have come here, made a significant name for themselves in college and gone on to get paid to play.

Who was the last big man who got significantly better while playing in our program?

I think it is a cyclical thing for easily influenced high schoolers with hoop dreams.

Ten years ago we were not awash in athletic wing players. Today, you can walk through the AL without tripping over a 6-6 slasher.

Back in the glory days, blue chips begat blue chips for Al. Did he have some sort of a saying about George Thompson cutting his driveway and Butch Lee being the guy who paved it? Don't you think all those guys wanted to play Al's street-wise style?

And you don't have to go all the way back to the glory days for examples of big men who came to MU and became players. In the not-so-distant KO era we had Mac, the A-train, Ron Curry, Damon Key and a little bit later Chris Crawford.

So I guess I do believe that one or two solids bigs who come to MU and then actually produce on the court will inspire kids with similar games to think they can do the same.

The best bigs were in the early 70's - Chones McNeal and Lucas

[willie warrior]

We did have our share of bigs in the 70's. Chones, Lucas, McNeil, Whitehead, Toone (who played a lot on perimeter), and who can forget Odell Ball?

[PBRme]

You forgot Bo Ellis,

Later we also had Mac, Key and some servicable bigs in Copa, and Merritt

[bilsu]

Assuming Shaw likes Buzz, I can think of only one reason why he would not choose MU. That would be the fear that he end up playing center vs power forward. Unitl MU establishes that they have capable players at center every power forward candidate is going to avoid going to MU.

[damuts222]

 Buzz and the coaches haven't had the opportunity to coach a skilled/highly sought after big man yet, somebody that gets after it. From what I hear Shaw is that guy. I don't like to put all our eggs in one basket but getting Shaw to commit to MU would be big in multiple facets...beating out other BE/Midwest teams, getting a highly thought of big man..out of Chicago, not allowing DePaul to get the ball rolling in that program again.

[nycwarrior]

I think we all agree the best bigs (and most everthing else MU hoops related) were in the glory days of the 70s.

We all also agree that we had some very good bigger guys in the early 90s. Likely helped along by (but not limited to) two very good players in Mac and Key from SE Wisco.

The question that vexes this board to the tune of thousands of very dramatic messages is: "What's with all the droughts?"

And, can signing a big man like Shaw, along with developing Davante and Otule, help to make MU a more frequent choice for hoop dreaming bigs?

[willie warrior]

You forgot Bo Ellis,

Later we also had Mac, Key and some servicable bigs in Copa, and Merritt

My bad! How could anybody forget Bo Ellis! He definitely was a stud from day 1.

[bilsu]

Buzz and the coaches haven't had the opportunity to coach a skilled/highly sought after big man yet, somebody that gets after it. From what I hear Shaw is that guy. I don't like to put all our eggs in one basket but getting Shaw to commit to MU would be big in multiple facets...beating out other BE/Midwest teams, getting a highly thought of big man..out of Chicago, not allowing DePaul to get the ball rolling in that program again.

I think losing him to DePaul would be a complete disaster. History shows that when DePaul rises MU falls and vice versa.

[goodgreatgrand]

Buzz and the coaches haven't had the opportunity to coach a skilled/highly sought after big man yet, somebody that gets after it. From what I hear Shaw is that guy.

Shaw is the 66th overall player on Scout. Compare that ranking to bigs from previous classes and you get a handful of names you've never heard of. Not sure why there is so much 'hype' for a player outside the top 50.... At a program that gets bigs regularly, Shaw would be more of an insurance policy....

[damuts222]

Shaw is the 66th overall player on Scout. Compare that ranking to bigs from previous classes and you get a handful of names you've never heard of. Not sure why there is so much 'hype' for a player outside the top 50.... At a program that gets bigs regularly, Shaw would be more of an insurance policy....

He's probably top 10 in his position I think, but when it comes to rankings in the top 100/150 look how many guards and shooting forwards there are compared to big men. There are usually a handful of big men in the top 20 and then its a crapshoot. But only so much can be taken from rankings, its not the end all be all as so many people like to believe.

[NersEllenson]

Shaw is the 66th overall player on Scout. Compare that ranking to bigs from previous classes and you get a handful of names you've never heard of. Not sure why there is so much 'hype' for a player outside the top 50.... At a program that gets bigs regularly, Shaw would be more of an insurance policy....

Not every program can be Syracuse - that's why.  Having said that, Boheim is getting older and older - we saw what happened at Indiana after Bob Knight left.  UCLA went down after Wooden left.  Marquette went down after McGuire left.   Most succession plans following legends don't work out.  Enjoy your limited time left with Boheim at the helm.  As for Shaw - we'd be estatic to have him at MU.

[goodgreatgrand]

Not every program can be Syracuse - that's why.  Having said that, Boheim is getting older and older - we saw what happened at Indiana after Bob Knight left.  UCLA went down after Wooden left.  Marquette went down after McGuire left.   Most succession plans following legends don't work out.  Enjoy your limited time left with Boheim at the helm.  As for Shaw - we'd be estatic to have him at MU.

Amusing. Your lack of knowledge about anything BE is on display once again. Mike Hopkins is their current Associate Head Coach; he's had that title for at least 4 years. He has been named the successor and he has brought in virtually every single big name recruit for Boeheim over the past 5-6 years. Former player under Boeheim and likely another 'lifer' head coach for that school. Considering he's the lead recruiter and manages the practices, one could argue that they could be better just as easily as one could argue they will be worse with him as coach.

[Jacks DC]

Not every program can be Syracuse - that's why.  Having said that, Boheim is getting older and older - we saw what happened at Indiana after Bob Knight left.  UCLA went down after Wooden left.  Marquette went down after McGuire left.   Most succession plans following legends don't work out.  Enjoy your limited time left with Boheim at the helm.  As for Shaw - we'd be estatic to have him at MU.

Most interesting will be what happens at UConn after Calhoun is gone.  They crumbled in his absence last year and he has been an outstanding recruiter.