Buzz

[Clam Crowder]

I love how some guys say we should fire him after every friggin L have some faith in the program, the players, and the coaches. Show some faith!

[ChicosBailBonds]

I love how some guys say we should fire him after every friggin L have some faith in the program, the players, and the coaches. Show some faith!

Didn't we go through this already...what were there, 3 guys out of 200 or whatever it was?  To use a trademarked Lenny term...the Vast Vast Vast majority of folks don't want Buzz fired.

[MattyWarrior]

I think Buzz is great,learning on the job in a tough conf.and a hard place to recruit to. I really think he needs big time experience on the bench. Look at Lavin this year, sometimes he wasn't even handling his team during TOs.   

[Goose]

Buzz should not be fired but he has to take things to next level ASAP. He appears to be lost these days. Looked extremely tired yesterday and looks like pressure is getting to him. He has to realize million dollar coaches face fan/media pressure and it is part of the business. The days of counting ice cubes are over because fans are counting loses and BE standings.

The school has to have the team to succeed for long term success. College's are facing tougher times ahead and we need Buzz to deliver the goods.

[Tugg Speedman]

He appears to be lost these days. Looked extremely tired yesterday and looks like pressure is getting to him.

So now we are judging Buzz by how he looks in two second cut away in TV.  Then we are applying pop psychological to how he looked on that cut away (is that in HD?).

Wow!

[Goose]

IMO he looked tired. In addition, he looks like a guy in WAY over his head.

[mugrad2006]

IMO he looked tired. In addition, he looks like a guy in WAY over his head.

I thought the same thing towards the end of the Seton Hall game.  For the first time that I can remember since he's been coaching at MU he looked like he didn't have an answer and the spring in his step was gone.  Now, maybe I didn't notice it earlier because he was winning, and because he hadn't ever been blown out, but it was a bit telling.

[tower912]

Buzz wears his emotions on his sleeve.   Maybe he was seeing one of his teams not working as hard as he wanted them to and he was frustrated.     No one here ever gets frustrated, right?

[Goose]

Tower---Buzz has never, never, never been in this type of situation in his professional life so sure he is frustrated. But lets face it, in a conference full of HOF coaches do you think Buzz has a chance? My gut tells me he knows it and might be on first train out of town when season ends.

[tower912]

Take some Mylanta.   It will help that gut.   In your scenario, it requires an OCD type A personality to admit that he needs something easier.   It is unlikely that there are going to be any jobs out there this offseason that are any better than a lateral move at most. 

[mugrad2006]

Tower---Buzz has never, never, never been in this type of situation in his professional life so sure he is frustrated. But lets face it, in a conference full of HOF coaches do you think Buzz has a chance? My gut tells me he knows it and might be on first train out of town when season ends.

I don't think he's out at the end of the season, but a smart coach like a smart manager knows to hire people to hide his weaknesses.  Buzz needs to get an experienced assistant that can push back on him and make the defense better this off season. I don't know who that might be, but you gotta think that Lavin has been helped a ton by having Keady on the bench at St. Johns this year.

[Goose]

MUgrad---It took three years for him to figure out he needs bench help? Lavin cam in with a plan. Buzz came here with his JUCO buddy that no one ever heard of. This is a business, not skins and shirts at The Al. Three years is too long to be outmatched in the coaching category.

One thing about Buzz is he is pretty sly. He will chase, or even trade,dollars after this season. He has two year shelf life left here if he fails and no place he would five years. If he does not play cards right he could end up an assistant making a buck fifty in two years.

[Tugg Speedman]

MUgrad---It took three years for him to figure out he needs bench help? Lavin cam in with a plan. Buzz came here with his JUCO buddy that no one ever heard of. This is a business, not skins and shirts at The Al. Three years is too long to be outmatched in the coaching category.

One thing about Buzz is he is pretty sly. He will chase, or even trade,dollars after this season. He has two year shelf life left here if he fails and no place he would five years. If he does not play cards right he could end up an assistant making a buck fifty in two years.

Wow Goose, do you live in alternative universe?

[mugrad2006]

MUgrad---It took three years for him to figure out he needs bench help? Lavin cam in with a plan. Buzz came here with his JUCO buddy that no one ever heard of. This is a business, not skins and shirts at The Al. Three years is too long to be outmatched in the coaching category.

Not saying he shouldn't have done this in the first place. Kinda frustrating that he didn't, as you pointed out. He's the youngest coach in the BEast, I think, and for better or worse (right now worse) he's going to make mistakes.

But, I'm hoping he can learn from this mistake and maybe see what Lavin did and make a similar move.  

I don't think he'll leave, he's loyal to a fault in that MU gave him a head coaching shot in a top tier conference well before he proved he deserved it.  He's too proud to admit he's wrong or in over his head (perhaps evidenced by the fact that he hasn't hired a top tier assistant to act as his foil), and I don't think MU will force him out.  

He'll be here for at least a couple of more years unless we don't make the NCAA tourney for consecutive seasons.

[tower912]

MUgrad---It took three years for him to figure out he needs bench help? Lavin cam in with a plan. Buzz came here with his JUCO buddy that no one ever heard of. This is a business, not skins and shirts at The Al. Three years is too long to be outmatched in the coaching category.

One thing about Buzz is he is pretty sly. He will chase, or even trade,dollars after this season. He has two year shelf life left here if he fails and no place he would five years. If he does not play cards right he could end up an assistant making a buck fifty in two years.

Sorry, last year was the best coaching job I have seen in 30 years.   He wasn't over his head a year ago.   This year's team, IMO, lacked leaders on the floor.    He didn't suddenly get dumber.   Now, if you want to argue that the rest of the league made adjustments to him and now he has to make counter-adjustments, OK, I can buy that.    But the offensive and defensive schemes are the same ones that had everyone signing hosannas the previous two years.  The combination of players and the execution of those schemes is different.  

[Goose]

AnotherMU---If you do not think Buzz was and is over his head in this conference than I must be from different planet. It is a conference of HOF coaches and our guy coached at UNO, for awhile. He won the lottery three years ago and he is street smart. New gig gives him security and money. I thought no chance he was gone two weeks ago and now I think he will be gone. He has been out coached more times than I count. In addition, he was out recruited this year.

[Goose]

Tower---he didn't get dumber, but unfortunately he did not get smarter. I would bet a ton of money that the big boy coaches laugh at his on court decisions.

[tower912]

And I would take it.   Huggins a year ago.   Davis a week ago. (and Brooks)  Calhoun a year ago.    Singing praises about what Buzz got out of his team and adjustments he forced them to make.   

[HoopsMalone]

This team's problem lie squarely on the PG.  Buzz missed on Junior so far, but given that he did not have a 2007 or a true 2008 class, this year has gone very well.

PG's take care of the game down the stretch, not the coach.  

[Stretchdeltsig]

I think Buzz is a good coach.  The Big East is a tough, tough conference.  It's got to be frustrating for Buzz and the players to play in a conference where the competition is so tough.  Very wearing.  My wish list would include that Buzz recruit the most talented players he can; second, hire the most outstanding assistant coaches that he can; and finally, emphasis shooting - threes and free throws more.  It's great to have a lot of good athletes, but, if they can't shoot from the field or the line, we'll lose.  We need shooters badly!!!  Yesterday's game illustrated how it's good to have a good defense, but, if you can't score, it's all for nothing.  You lose.  

[Goose]

What are they supposed tp say we are glad we can run circles around him. I cannot believe anyone can argue that at best we have the 8th or 9th best coach in our own conference. I like Buzz and want him to do well, but I cannot lie to myself about his coaching resume.

[Tugg Speedman]

AnotherMU---If you do not think Buzz was and is over his head in this conference than I must be from different planet. It is a conference of HOF coaches and our guy coached at UNO, for awhile. He won the lottery three years ago and he is street smart. New gig gives him security and money. I thought no chance he was gone two weeks ago and now I think he will be gone. He has been out coached more times than I count. In addition, he was out recruited this year.

Like when he out coached Huggins, Boeheim, Brey and Colhoun in just the last two months?  I'll bet those four guys were laughing their asses off after their beat downs. (and for the record, HC is a tight community ... they are all buddies with each other.  Buzz talks to Crean and Billy G almost everyday and call Cincy's Cronin his closest friend.)

Look Goose, you really have no idea what your talking about.  You're perfect for the scout board.  Go over their and start a thread that Buzz did a good job last year because he was abducted by aliens, that would make more sense then the "analysis" your offering here.

(Sorry to everyone else, I no longer have patience for idiocy like this)

[Goose]

Agreed on PG hoops. Great PG play makes coaches look good.

[Goose]

AnotherMU--If this site was around 30 years we would have same debate over Hank. Going on record that I knew Hank my whole life and really liked him as a person. But his hire single handily ended the greatest era of MU ball. I want Buzz to be great, he is our coach. I simply just do not see the resume to have the job he currently has.

I am not trying to piss you or convince you I am right. The stakes are high in the BE and all I hope is we are up to the challenge, from the top down.

[tower912]

Crean's resume was thinner.   He ended up with 190 wins in 9 years.    Al's was nothing to write home about.   Actually, the only two head coaches we have had in the last 45 years that were successful D1 coaches before they came to MU were Dukiet and Deane.    Keep trying.