[Rosiak's Blog] Smith transferring from MU

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Those years he lost coaches, how many took head coaching positions or were promoted at other institutions?

I don't know....how many left because he's an a55hole?

[ChicosBailBonds]

I don't know....how many left because he's an a55hole?

Definitely some.  Others left because of better opportunities and a promotion. What strikes me as odd is that some have left and come back to work with him....or maybe it's not odd.   

[willie warrior]

Like most Marquette fans, it isn't fun to read bad news.  A young, promising freshman transferring is bad news.  After mulling over this news all day, the thought that comes to mind is that transferring "comes with the territory."  That is, when you recruit high level athletes that were the stars of their high school teams and they land at Marquette where they are no longer the star, but have to work their butts off for playing time, it's a rude awakening.  And, what's worse is to find out that maybe you are not as good as you thought; and, the other athletes may be even better.  Kids will transfer to play where they have a better chance to be the star of the team.   

Buzz's aggressive recruiting strategy to load up the team with top talent and let them compete for playing time should pay off with a highly talented competitive team.  But, there will be transfers along the way.  The best will stay and win at MU.





 

yeah--here we go again. Making all kinds of excuses. When are some of you going to start thinking about the way Buzz is handling some of these situations. Wierd starting line ups and wierd rotations.

[tower912]

A freshman averaging less than 10 minutes a game left because someone, him, his step-father, an old coach, somebody, felt he wasn't getting enough playing time.   The same kid who said that the thing he liked about Buzz was that he was the one coach who DIDN'T promise playing time.   If you isolate this one incident, your reaction probably would be something along the lines of "oh, well, young kid, went home, and realized his heart wasn't in returning to the school."    Hell, I almost didn't go back to MU after Christmas break my freshman year.    Adjustments, homesickness, wrong schools happen.   
     The problem is context.    Because of years of arguing the merits of Crean V Buzz, years of criticizing everything about Buzz,  years of letting buckyboard a-holes taunt us because no one ever leaves their school (or graduates, it seems), year after year of somebody leaving the program (BTW, when is the last season we had where no one left), years of not quite reaching expectations, some have become a bit sensitive.    Meltdown mode is in full force not because our 5th guard decided he didn't want to be here, but because it plays into our worst fears and insecurities.   OMG, maybe Buzz cheats, maybe badgerfans are right and we are nothing but a backwater, maybe we have the wrong coach, maybe Crean was better, blahbityblahbity ad infinitum. 
      Sack up.   He left.   Good luck, young man.    May you find whatever it is that is the right fit for you.    Transfers happen.   Some in, some out. Our season continues.   

[TillysDad]

+1 to tower912

He is just 6 months removed from HS.  Being a High Major player at a school like MU is very intense, and some although they think they know what it will be like have no idea.

I thought Reggie was a good kid liked his energy and speed.  But, believe me, they are more Reggie Smiths out there, he is not a make or break player this year for this team.  Good Luck Reggie

[bilsu]

Maybe Buzz played Reggie more than he should have, because he was trying to make him happy. I think it is a mistake to start a freshmen, before he is ready. They do not handle it well when they lose the starting spot.

[jsglow]

I wish Reggie the best.  There's any number of kids that left MU over Christmas and have made the decision not to return.  Why should it be different just because a kid plays basketball?  Whether it be playing time, his relationship with Buzz, or the fact that it is cold in Milwaukee, I'll give Reggie the benefit of the doubt.  Good luck going forward.  For the rest of the team . . . GTST.  And beat Vandy!

[Les Nessman]

A freshman averaging less than 10 minutes a game left because someone, him, his step-father, an old coach, somebody, felt he wasn't getting enough playing time.   The same kid who said that the thing he liked about Buzz was that he was the one coach who DIDN'T promise playing time.   If you isolate this one incident, your reaction probably would be something along the lines of "oh, well, young kid, went home, and realized his heart wasn't in returning to the school."    Hell, I almost didn't go back to MU after Christmas break my freshman year.    Adjustments, homesickness, wrong schools happen.   
     The problem is context.    Because of years of arguing the merits of Crean V Buzz, years of criticizing everything about Buzz,  years of letting buckyboard a-holes taunt us because no one ever leaves their school (or graduates, it seems), year after year of somebody leaving the program (BTW, when is the last season we had where no one left), years of not quite reaching expectations, some have become a bit sensitive.    Meltdown mode is in full force not because our 5th guard decided he didn't want to be here, but because it plays into our worst fears and insecurities.   OMG, maybe Buzz cheats, maybe badgerfans are right and we are nothing but a backwater, maybe we have the wrong coach, maybe Crean was better, blahbityblahbity ad infinitum. 
      Sack up.   He left.   Good luck, young man.    May you find whatever it is that is the right fit for you.    Transfers happen.   Some in, some out. Our season continues.    

Couldn't have said it better myself. We're a good program, with a young, talented team, that hasn't figured itself out yet. 12 D-1 (3 legit, 9 fluff) games aren't going to turn all these new players into veterans. And 1 Freshman transferring isn't going to bring the program down that much. He wasn't even close to the best freshman we had. Let the situation play itself out. Vander and Davante are much more important to this team than Reggie was and they are still in the system. It may be a tough season but I think we're still going to have a lot to cheer about.

[muarmy81]

I wish Reggie the best in his future endeavors and hope this team responds like last year's team did when Maymon transferred and finish with double digit wins in BEast play and an NCAA tourney bid.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Let's face it, BMA called it a year ago. Reggie was struggling at PG, with the lowest ORtg on the team and a turnover % of 47%--low eFg% and not a great FT shooter after a handful of games. Typical freshman #'s.  He was recruited for his athletic ability which is considerable--to be the change of pace energy guy to Junior--with the hopes he could develop into a baller. He is a in-your-face type of guy with a street fighter mentality--you can see it in the Revealed videos--someone to take on a Kemba Walker defensively. You can also see him challenging Jimmy or Benford at the CBE practice (where his minutes weren't there). He is Artie Green.  

His family and circle apparently saw this PG experiment wasn't working, that he is a 2 guard like in high school. He is sick, his grades cleared so time to move on for all parties. Frankly, a UIC would be a great place for him.    

For Buzz, Chicago/Midwest and its AAU scene, remains a puzzle for him and his staff. We are now dark in Chicago (and I am also counting Gary and Dawson) here for the first time in 40 years. Everyone was worried about his recruits from the South (and now West) in snowy Wisconsin--but these are the guys who are sticking.  I guess the lesson learned also is to never let these Midwest guys go home for break once we land them (Mbwake, Maymon, Smith). Then there is the North East where he has also stumbled as well on the recruiting trail. For a newer, fairly unproven coach, he really needs a great BE season to breakthrough and earn back some street cred in the conference's Motherland.  

[nomorebuycks]

Maybe Buzz played Reggie more than he should have, because he was trying to make him happy. I think it is a mistake to start a freshmen, before he is ready. They do not handle it well when they lose the starting spot.

Buzz's disappointment in Junior's progress led him to desperation and playing Smith when he just wasn't ready.  Buzz had Junior penciled in as the starting PG since last year and his failure to improve at the rate Buzz expected really threw a monkey wrench into the plans.  At first he thought it was just a lack of effort and put him in the doghouse, but then realized that this is the player Junior is and he just has to work with it.  

It makes it very tough on a coach when he isn't thrilled with any of the options at PG.  And I know that it's the coaches responsibility to not misfire in recruiting, but the situation is what it is.

[ChicosBailBonds]

For Buzz, Chicago/Midwest and its AAU scene, remains a puzzle for him and his staff. We are now dark in Chicago (and I am also counting Gary and Dawson) here for the first time in 40 years. Everyone was worried about his recruits from the South (and now West) in snowy Wisconsin--but these are the guys who are sticking.  I guess the lesson learned also is to never let these Midwest guys go home for break once we land them (Mbwake, Maymon, Smith). Then there is the North East where he has also stumbled as well on the recruiting trail. For a newer, fairly unproven coach, he really needs a great BE season to breakthrough and earn back some street cred in the conference's Motherland.  

That's a bit nerve racking...especially long term if Buzz isn't around.  Texas kids aren't going to keep on coming to MU when Buzz is gone (my assumption is that Buzz doesn't coach here 50 years).  Our base is Illinois, Wisconsin, etc and we need to keep those areas fruitful.

[mr.MUskie]

It's that famous Marquette flu!

MU Flu!

[El Duderino]

Let's face it, BMA called it a year ago. Reggie was struggling at PG, with the lowest ORtg on the team and a turnover % of 47%--low eFg% and not a great FT shooter after a handful of games. Typical freshman #'s.  He was recruited for his athletic ability which is considerable--to be the change of pace energy guy to Junior--with the hopes he could develop into a baller. He is a in-your-face type of guy with a street fighter mentality--you can see it in the Revealed videos--someone to take on a Kemba Walker defensively. You can also see him challenging Jimmy or Benford at the CBE practice (where his minutes weren't there). He is Artie Green.  

His family and circle apparently saw this PG experiment wasn't working, that he is a 2 guard like in high school. He is sick, his grades cleared so time to move on for all parties. Frankly, a UIC would be a great place for him.

I expected Smith to be raw coming in to this year, but he was more than raw.

For a guy who can't shoot, doesn't handle the ball well for someone only 6' tall, and is turnover prone, either Smith and/or his family are delusional to think he deserves more playing time at this point in his college career.

This is the Big East, not the Horizon League, just being a great athlete isn't enough to justify a lot of minutes for an 18 year old freshman. I hope for his sake that Reggie largely made this decision by himself and not his stepdad or other family members convincing him that Buzz not playing the kid 30 minutes per game as a freshman is killing his chances to be in the NBA by the end of his sophomore year.