Buzz

[loid walden]

An Amazing win last night. Buzz did a great coaching job. Nice use of Zone in first half. And a near brilliant move to double up on Kemba in the waning moments (won the game). Some will continue to whine and gripe about him, but all of his MU teams have been fundamentally sound, demonstrated spirited hustle and great game work ethic.
His game management is better than average.This weaknesses of this team are:  1. The 3 point defense could stand improvement and   2. They are
undersized most of the time and and under-talented in that we don't have Kemba Walker caliber. Which begs the real question about Buzz....can he recruit?

[cheebs09]

I think the idea of us being undersized is starting to go away now that Otule and Gardner are starting to emerge. In two years, we may be the ones with a bunch of size advantages. Also, our guards are bigger this year than in the past.

As far as Kemba, he is one of the top 5 players in the country. A lot of teams have felt overmatched against Kemba.

[Skatastrophy]

Which begs the real question about Buzz....can he recruit?

You mean besides pulling in the best recruiting classes since the 70s?

[bilsu]

You mean besides pulling in the best recruiting classes since the 70s?

I like Buzz, but at this point his reruiting is overrated.

[Skatastrophy]

I like Buzz, but at this point his reruiting is overrated.

I can see questioning the development of players once they're at MU, but he's consistently pulled down some of the most highly sought-after kids in the nation.

Are you combining those two topics?

[groove]

I can see questioning the development of players once they're at MU, but he's consistently pulled down some of the most highly sought-after kids in the nation.

Are you combining those two topics?

Two parts to evaluation. Yes he is pulling down some great recruiting classes as far as what they are rated coming into college. Whether he correctly evaluated their talent we won't know until they finish their careers. Just like evaluation of a NFL GM. Just because someone was drafted in the first round doesn't mean they actually turn out to have first round caliber careers. That's where the ability to evaluate talent comes in.

[TJ]

This team is not that undersized.  We saw undersized 2 years ago and this team dwarfs that team.

[NersEllenson]

Two parts to evaluation. Yes he is pulling down some great recruiting classes as far as what they are rated coming into college. Whether he correctly evaluated their talent we won't know until they finish their careers. Just like evaluation of a NFL GM. Just because someone was drafted in the first round doesn't mean they actually turn out to have first round caliber careers. That's where the ability to evaluate talent comes in.

Well Groove - just another short sighted post from you..but par for the course.  This isn't the freakin' pros where you hand select your draft choice.  A school like MU has to get on the list of about 25 kids to get 3 or 4 to commit. 

Truthfully - Buzz has done exceptional when recruiting AWAY from the consensus Top 100 lists.  Jimmy Butler, DJO, Jae Crowder, Chris Otule, Davante Gardner, and Buycks.  Funny how our best players are guys very few had rated as exceptional players.

Lastly, let's give it 2 more years to see how Erik Williams, Junior, Vander and Jamail Jones turn out.  I think they will be fine players as seniors (and juniors)

[groove]

Well Groove - just another short sighted post from you..but par for the course.  This isn't the freakin' pros where you hand select your draft choice.  A school like MU has to get on the list of about 25 kids to get 3 or 4 to commit. 

Truthfully - Buzz has done exceptional when recruiting AWAY from the consensus Top 100 lists.  Jimmy Butler, DJO, Jae Crowder, Chris Otule, Davante Gardner, and Buycks.  Funny how our best players are guys very few had rated as exceptional players.

Lastly, let's give it 2 more years to see how Erik Williams, Junior, Vander and Jamail Jones turn out.  I think they will be fine players as seniors (and juniors)

which is what i said when i wrote, "we won't know until they finish their careers."

[willie warrior]

You mean besides pulling in the best recruiting classes since the 70s?

Not sure about that. Which class are you referring to? And how does that stack up against the Wade group, or the three amigos?

[NersEllenson]

which is what i said when i wrote, "we won't know until they finish their careers."

Would you care to address your comparison of Buzz's "selection" of Top 100 recruits to your NFL GM analogy?  Also, would you care to address how the best players thus far on this year's team are all NON Top 100 guys?

[brewcity77]

I agree with most everything here except for game management. Buzz did a great job last night with the zone, but that's still his weakest area. Use of timeouts, in-game adjustments, end-of-game scenarios, this is where Buzz is still hit-or-miss. I still have high hopes for him, as I feel those are skills best learned by experience. His infectious personality, his quality of character, and his ability to motivate are things you either have or don't, and he does.

As far as recruiting, a kid like Vander Blue could have played for probably 99% of the schools in D1. Guys like Williams, Mellow, Cadougan, they probably could get full rides at 95% of the schools. It's a credit to Buzz that he did land them, most any coach would take them.

[JerryWizig]

Some will continue to whine and gripe about him, but all of his MU teams have been fundamentally sound, demonstrated spirited hustle and great game work ethic.
His game management is better than average.

Could not disagree more with this.

This team is not fundamentally sound. Fundamentally sound teams don't have consistent defensive breakdowns. Fundamentally sound teams box out. Fundamentally sound teams do not go 10 minutes stretches without a field goal.

This team really doesn't have much more "spirited hustle" than any other Marquette team in the past decade and if it does, it's all for show. Nobody on this team seems to enjoy diving on the floor for loose balls. How many 50/50 balls did UConn get last night?

And Buzz still has a long way to go on game management, especially use of timeouts as others have said before. He also needs to recognize when those scoring droughts are coming and try something else as a change of pace.

I think this year really shows what a great job Buzz did with last year's team. Last year's team was not as talented as this year's team, but was everything you described this team as being. It was fundamentally sound, although that was helped by the fact that Buzz could put three players on the floor with four years of Division I college experience. The team was mentally strong. It dove on the floor for loose balls.

Right now, this team is missing some of those characteristics, at least in my opinion.

[NoCheese]

Buzz is THE MAN.

I cringe at the thought of what we would have he wasn't the coach (Note: I was at MU in the late 80's when Bob Dukiet was the coach. For those of you who are to young to understand - he sucked! We sucked! That era sucked!)

[willie warrior]

But Dukiet was a good piano player.

I will never forget that Dukiet era--his last year I must have sent Cords two or three notes that a change had to be made. He actually sent me one back when the change was announced.

The Piano man.

[BrewCity83]

Fundamentally sound teams do not go 10 minutes stretches without a field goal.

Hmmm....so you're saying that Bo Ryan's Wisconsin team is not fundamentally sound?

[groove]

Would you care to address your comparison of Buzz's "selection" of Top 100 recruits to your NFL GM analogy?  Also, would you care to address how the best players thus far on this year's team are all NON Top 100 guys?

Yes, you are right he can't hand pick someone like a NFL GM can with the draft and mandate someone to come to MU, but he still can direct his attention towards, like you said,  25 guys to land 3-4. You still have to evalute the talent of those 25 to pick. And as far as the top 100, I said he has done a good job of recruiting as far as high school ratings are concerned and you are right some of his best so far have been out of top 100. So kudos to Buzz on that. I was saying that there are two parts to evaluation and one part is no where near finish line, yet. It was in response to someone claiming he is a great recruiter. Let's see how the classes turn out.

[Clarence]

Could not disagree more with this.

This team is not fundamentally sound. Fundamentally sound teams don't have consistent defensive breakdowns. Fundamentally sound teams box out. Fundamentally sound teams do not go 10 minutes stretches without a field goal.

This team really doesn't have much more "spirited hustle" than any other Marquette team in the past decade and if it does, it's all for show. Nobody on this team seems to enjoy diving on the floor for loose balls. How many 50/50 balls did UConn get last night?

And Buzz still has a long way to go on game management, especially use of timeouts as others have said before. He also needs to recognize when those scoring droughts are coming and try something else as a change of pace.

I think this year really shows what a great job Buzz did with last year's team. Last year's team was not as talented as this year's team, but was everything you described this team as being. It was fundamentally sound, although that was helped by the fact that Buzz could put three players on the floor with four years of Division I college experience. The team was mentally strong. It dove on the floor for loose balls.

Right now, this team is missing some of those characteristics, at least in my opinion.

+1

[Marquette84]

Truthfully - Buzz has done exceptional when recruiting AWAY from the consensus Top 100 lists.  Jimmy Butler, DJO, Jae Crowder, Chris Otule, Davante Gardner, and Buycks.  Funny how our best players are guys very few had rated as exceptional players.

Truthfully, Crowder, Butler, DJO, Buyks WERE rated as exceptional players, as evidenced by their selection as JUCO All-Americans (and in Crowder's case JUCO POY).

[NersEllenson]

Truthfully, Crowder, Butler, DJO, Buyks WERE rated as exceptional players, as evidenced by their selection as JUCO All-Americans (and in Crowder's case JUCO POY).

I guess you could look at it that with regard to the above players - certainly not Otule or Gardner, however.  Additionally, the original poster was being critical of Buzz's recruiting - or suggesting it hasn't been that good.  I'm glad you feel for once Buzz has done something exceptional.

[Dawson Rental]

This team is not that undersized.  We saw undersized 2 years ago and this team dwarfs that team.

And the team from two years ago dwarfed last year's team.

[Stretchdeltsig]

Buzz had done a great job recruiting talent.  The real key will be if he can recruit a couple of good bigs for next year.  We need good bigs and good shooters.  He has excelled at recruiting highly talented switchables.

[Lennys Tap]

Truthfully, Crowder, Butler, DJO, Buyks WERE rated as exceptional players, as evidenced by their selection as JUCO All-Americans (and in Crowder's case JUCO POY).

Butler was a juco "honorable mention" AA. That's not even rated as high as a Kinsella or Lott.

[Marquette84]

Butler was a juco "honorable mention" AA. That's not even rated as high as a Kinsella or Lott.

As I said, Butler was an JUCO AA.

And I don't think its reasonable to compare a D2 JUCO like Kinsella with D1 players.

[wyzgy]

Two parts to evaluation. Yes he is pulling down some great recruiting classes as far as what they are rated coming into college. Whether he correctly evaluated their talent we won't know until they finish their careers. Just like evaluation of a NFL GM. Just because someone was drafted in the first round doesn't mean they actually turn out to have first round caliber careers. That's where the ability to evaluate talent comes in.

wait a second here, "pulling down some great recruiting classes as far as what they are rated coming into college"  rated by who? buzz or all the other "goooroooos"?  if they were concensus dudes and we can't win or they don't pan out, then it could be a problem with the teacher.  if they were rated and recruited by buzz and don't work out, then buzz needs to re-think his recruiting or method of grading talent or he's no good at realizing talent which i don't think is a problem for buzz.  i truely believe buzz sometimes tries to jam a square hole over a round peg...with a hammer