Has Buzz Come Of Age?

[4everwarriors]

It's all good when you win. But, Buzz has made some coaching decisions over the past 2 games that have yielded very favorable results. Maybe he's turned the corner as a coach? Probably shoulda pissed off the media and kept them waiting back in January, though.

[willie warrior]

Yeah--what about the decision to start Williams over Crowder and then he plays 6 to 9 minutes.

[downtown85]

I agree that he has done a good job, particularly with broadening the rotation, in the past 2 games.  I am not sure he would agree with you that he himself has changed all that much, though.  Maybe the team was letting too many outside influences into their chemistry lately, or as Buzz said it in the post-WVU presser, the team had lost it's "composure" since the "meltdown" at the YUM Colonel-seum.  Maybe they are getting their composure back.  Tonight is time for catharsis.

[GGGG]

I think Williams has actually looked decent and given them some energy to start.  I don't think him starting is much of a problem.

[CTWarrior]

I think Williams has actually looked decent and given them some energy to start.  I don't think him starting is much of a problem.

+1. 

Whether it's to start the game or not Williams getting 5-10 minutes a game is fine by me.  He's got a nose for the ball on the boards and if it helps keep Crowder out of foul trouble, what's not to like?

[Niv Berkowitz]

The two mild criticisms of Buzz that I have are continuations of trends he's set.

1) he's still one possession too late to call a timeout.
2) untimely subs/not riding the hot hand. MU goes on a run last night. Cadougan gets 7 straight points and is playing great. What happens next? Buzz subs him out for Buycks (!!!) and the run ends and we're down again. That just cheeses me of when a guy is hot.

Side note - while I loved the steal he made, Buycks foul 78' from the hoop w/30 seconds left was....so Buycks-like.

[Niv Berkowitz]

Lastly, I think he did a good job w/the rotation overall. Great to see Jr. playing with fire. I really think last night was a wake-up call for him on how effective he can be if he goes for it.

[jtsanto]

One thing I will say about Buzz is that he does a really good job in tournaments, maybe it is because he can not over think the game plan so much. This is a prime example of a game that Crean would have lost. I have said it before and I will say it until I die, Crean sucked at coaching in tournaments, remember losing to Houston in the CUSA? I sometimes think that for as organized and detailed as Buzz is it might hurt him in regular season games because he can watch more tape and overanalyze things.

[Skatastrophy]

Side note - while I loved the steal he made, Buycks foul 78' from the hoop w/30 seconds left was....so Buycks-like.

But if he'd gotten that ball (which he was close to getting) and ran down the court for the dunk I would have been out of my chair cheering for him.

You win some, you lose some.  The young man was pumped up and went for the steal instead of staying back to kill some clock, it happens.

[ChicosBailBonds]

It's all good when you win. But, Buzz has made some coaching decisions over the past 2 games that have yielded very favorable results. Maybe he's turned the corner as a coach? Probably shoulda pissed off the media and kept them waiting back in January, though.

He's been reading the message boards.  Glad we were able to help him...we were here all along.

[NotAnAlum]

One thing I will say about Buzz is that he does a really good job in tournaments, maybe it is because he can not over think the game plan so much. This is a prime example of a game that Crean would have lost. I have said it before and I will say it until I die, Crean sucked at coaching in tournaments, remember losing to Houston in the CUSA? I sometimes think that for as organized and detailed as Buzz is it might hurt him in regular season games because he can watch more tape and overanalyze things.

To be fair TC practically owned the Great Alaska Shootout and there was that final four if you recall.  That said I'm fine with Buzz and think there may be something to the fact that he doesn't have too much time to prepare and does better.  Also he is just getting more experience and that makes almost any coach better at game situations

[Spotcheck Billy]

Yeah--what about the decision to start Williams over Crowder and then he plays 6 to 9 minutes.

E-Will is starting so Crowder doesn't get into early foul trouble

[cheebs09]

One thing I will say about Buzz is that he does a really good job in tournaments, maybe it is because he can not over think the game plan so much. This is a prime example of a game that Crean would have lost. I have said it before and I will say it until I die, Crean sucked at coaching in tournaments, remember losing to Houston in the CUSA? I sometimes think that for as organized and detailed as Buzz is it might hurt him in regular season games because he can watch more tape and overanalyze things.

I don't really remember conference tourneys much but I think we got to the semis his last year here in the Big East. Also, as mentioned above, he was very good in pre-season tournaments. In addition to the GAA, we won the CBE and made it to the finals of Maui. Many thought that since he had awhile to gameplan for those, we were very successful.

[Warrior1]

E-Will is starting so Crowder doesn't get into early foul trouble

Why is it us who don't post much that understand this concept. Crowder is starting so that he doesn't pick up that first few minute foul. Buzz hopes Crowder can see if the game is going to be called tight. Usually he gets three in the first half and has to sit at the end of the half, better to sit in the beginning so the rest of the game we can be more consistent, knowing we (hopefully) don't have to sit him for foul trouble.

[Tugg Speedman]

Why is it us who don't post much that understand this concept. Crowder is starting so that he doesn't pick up that first few minute foul. Buzz hopes Crowder can see if the game is going to be called tight. Usually he gets three in the first half and has to sit at the end of the half, better to sit in the beginning so the rest of the game we can be more consistent, knowing we (hopefully) don't have to sit him for foul trouble.

+1

Trying to Keep Jae from the stupid foul in the first five minutes of the game.  Perfectly understandable and a good move on Buzz's part.

[Tugg Speedman]

I posted this in another thread and it seems to work here ....

Maybe this team is not regressing.

Using Sagarin's numbers ...

This year is the hardest schedule ever played.  The most top 25 and top 50 teams ever played in a season.
The most top 25 wins ever.  Only 2003's final four run had more top 10 wins for a season.

MU fans have seen nothing like this year's schedule.

Marquette
Year                    Rank     SoS     Top 25   Top 50
2011 (a/o Mar 9)  28        9       5-10      5-12
2010                  36        33      3-6       3-10
2009                  20        44      2-7       7-8
2008                  17        35      4-8       5-9
2007                  47        57      4-5       6-8

Year                    Rank     SoS     Top 10   Top 30
2011 (a/o Mar 9)  28        9       2-3      5-11
2006                  35        35      2-2       4-4
2005                  95       115     0-3        1-4
2004                  78       108     0-0        2-3
2003                  10         38     3-2        6-3
2002                  14         92     2-2        3-4
2001                  97         58     0-1        2-2
2000                  82         47     0-2        0-3
1999                  118        96    1-1         1-4

[dgies9156]

I posted this in another thread and it seems to work here ....

Maybe this team is not regressing.

Using Sagarin's numbers ...

This year is the hardest schedule ever played.  The most top 25 and top 50 teams ever played in a season.
The most top 25 wins ever.  Only 2003's final four run had more top 10 wins for a season.

MU fans have seen nothing like this year's schedule.

Boy do I agree with this analysis I have been screaming for years that the early season cupcake diet doesn't help us. I can't help but think playing the likes of Vanderbilt, Duke, Gonzaga and the rodent in red helped us down the road far more than if we'd played Whitewater, Superior, the Sisters of Mercy, UW-M (when do we get them off the schedule for a real team) etc.

Al NEVER had a schedule like this one!

[brewcity77]

The two mild criticisms of Buzz that I have are continuations of trends he's set.

1) he's still one possession too late to call a timeout.
2) untimely subs/not riding the hot hand. MU goes on a run last night. Cadougan gets 7 straight points and is playing great. What happens next? Buzz subs him out for Buycks (!!!) and the run ends and we're down again. That just cheeses me of when a guy is hot.

Side note - while I loved the steal he made, Buycks foul 78' from the hoop w/30 seconds left was....so Buycks-like.

1) Agreed. That late first-half run WVU made, especially when it got to 10-0...I was ready to pull my hair out.

2) Disagree with that one, at least for last night. Cadougan was largely getting those points on long drives, some the length of the court, and finishing in traffic. That's exhausting work. He pulled him out for Buycks around 13:30 or so, gave Cadougan a quick rest, then got him back in after the official timeout at the 12-minute mark. I thought that was an incredibly smart bit of coaching by Buzz. It gave JC a refresher, and when he got back in, he picked up right where he had left off.

And as for the side note...yeah, it was 

[Warrior Forever]

It's amazing how when young players start to mature, ie - play better, Buzz has improved as a coach.

Let's give credit to the coaches and the players for two strong outings.  Let's hope the young guys continue to show improvement.

Here's to Buzz and hoping he's at Marquette for the next 10 years.

Go Warriors.

PS - In the words of our fair alum, Chris Farley, "I've seen a lot of cool things in my life, but Cadougan was . . . AWESOME!"

[MUMac]

The two mild criticisms of Buzz that I have are continuations of trends he's set.

1) he's still one possession too late to call a timeout.
2) untimely subs/not riding the hot hand. MU goes on a run last night. Cadougan gets 7 straight points and is playing great. What happens next? Buzz subs him out for Buycks (!!!) and the run ends and we're down again. That just cheeses me of when a guy is hot.

Side note - while I loved the steal he made, Buycks foul 78' from the hoop w/30 seconds left was....so Buycks-like.

The continued criticims of Time Outs kills me.  It's one too late - in your eyes.  Does that make it wrong?  No, but for you it is wrong.  How many TO's will you allow a team to use?  Frankly, the constant complaints about Time Out's are from people who have never coached. 

Cadougan looked gassed when Buzz substituted him out.  He did not keep him on the bench long, which plays into that being the reason why.  Just before that, as well, Cadougan too a hard fall.  Buzz knows his players better than you or I and I do not have any concerns with why Cadougan got a brief rest.

[hairy worthen]

The continued criticims of Time Outs kills me.  It's one too late - in your eyes.  Does that make it wrong?  No, but for you it is wrong.  How many TO's will you allow a team to use?  Frankly, the constant complaints about Time Out's are from people who have never coached. 

Cadougan looked gassed when Buzz substituted him out.  He did not keep him on the bench long, which plays into that being the reason why.  Just before that, as well, Cadougan too a hard fall.  Buzz knows his players better than you or I and I do not have any concerns with why Cadougan got a brief rest.

totally agree.

I agreed with taking Cadougan out at that point and putting him back in quickly. He was on a roll for sure, but taking him out to give a short rest while he still had high confidence was better than leaving him in to possibly force a bad play and lose his momentum. If he needed a short rest that was the time to do it. Just my opinion, but at any rate like you said the coach should know his players best.