[Cracked Sidewalks] Buzz one of most successful 3rd year coaches ever; reloaded roster gives MU shot tonight at 1st Sweet 16 since 2003

[El Duderino]

Look, I love Lazar Hayward....great player and person. One of my all-time favorite MU players. But I'll guarantee he isn't a 1st round pick last year if it wasn't for Jerry Sichting working for the Timberwolves. Don't underestimate the role he played in Minny taking Lazar. If not for Jerry Sichting and the Timberowolves Lazar is a 2nd round pick and possibly a FA. So let's not act like he was a sure fire first round talent just because he got drafted there.

Pretty much few to no mock drafts had Lazar going first round, but i don't recall any saying he'd go undrafted either. Most pegged Lazar to get picked in the upper half to the middle of the 2nd round.

As for the article itself, i don't know about comparing Buzz to HOF coaches early in their careers, but i do know that without Buzz being so successful at spotting quality JUCO kids who can play and then getting them to sign, odds are extremely high we as fans wouldn't have had a very enjoyable season to watch last year and we wouldn't be sitting here today waiting for a game to start with a Sweet 16 bid on the line.

The success of the last two years also had to help when Buzz went recruiting. Kids have been able to see that Buzz wasn't in over his head, but instead he's been able to reload on the fly and keep Marquette competitive in a very tough conference. It's also allowed for some of our big games to be broadcasted on ESPN instead of sinking to the DePaul/Providence levels where their games never get a national TV audience. For a program like Marquette, keeping our name out their as a winning team is important.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Ha ha ha.  taken to the woodshed....LOL

The phantom third NBA player who has never actually played a single freaking minute in the NBA?  That's your evidence?  LOL.  Give me a break. 

The actual fact, as is usually the case with you, is that you post all sorts of untrue BS in order to make your "points" in defense of our illustrious former coach and to belittle our current coach.  When is this going to stop?  Ever?  I so look forward to the day.

Please tell me what was untrue about my post.  I said 3 NBA players.  Was I accurate?  Yes.   I said nothing that was incorrect.  I've also said 4 top 10 MU scorers in our history...also 100% correct. 

You don't like it, that's fine.  That doesn't make it any less factual. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

The one thing I disagree with is that we "slid" from last year.  Kenpom says we improved from 33rd to 28th, and we beat a 6 seed vs losing to an 11 seed opening round.

True, last year was a bigger surprise as this team haf more potential but much less experience, but the big difference this year was the conference was better and the non-conference foes were tougher.

Very flawed.  You can't compare one year of Ken Pom to another year of Ken Pom.  Doesn't work that way.  If you're ranked 15th this year but were ranked 20th last year, does that mean you are better than last year?  Of course it doesn't. It simply means that THIS year, compared to the competition THIS year, your ranking was better.  It has NOTHING to do with last year, they are totally different data sets based on different years.

Very flawed!

[ChicosBailBonds]

Look, I love Lazar Hayward....great player and person. One of my all-time favorite MU players. But I'll guarantee he isn't a 1st round pick last year if it wasn't for Jerry Sichting working for the Timberwolves. Don't underestimate the role he played in Minny taking Lazar. If not for Jerry Sichting and the Timberowolves Lazar is a 2nd round pick and possibly a FA. So let's not act like he was a sure fire first round talent just because he got drafted there.

Sure fire...nope.  Potential NBA First Rounder?  NBADraft.net had him as a first rounder at one point...later slid to the second round.   http://feetinthepaint.wordpress.com/2009/07/07/lazar-hayward-2010-nba-first-rounder/

I think people here simply made the factual claim that he was a NBA first rounder...is that correct?  Yes it is.

Was I surprised...yup.  I thought he would go in the second round.  Either way, a NBA player and one of the best to suit up for Marquette.

[connie]

Very flawed.  You can't compare one year of Ken Pom to another year of Ken Pom.  Doesn't work that way.  If you're ranked 15th this year but were ranked 20th last year, does that mean you are better than last year?  Of course it doesn't. It simply means that THIS year, compared to the competition THIS year, your ranking was better.  It has NOTHING to do with last year, they are totally different data sets based on different years.

Very flawed!

My logic may be wrong, but if you compare yourself to the group of college programs as a whole, then I think you  can use this as a basis of comparison.  It will not be apples to apples, as all teams experience change, but as a whole, wouldn't it still be comparative?

[El Duderino]

My logic may be wrong, but if you compare yourself to the group of college programs as a whole, then I think you  can use this as a basis of comparison.  It will not be apples to apples, as all teams experience change, but as a whole, wouldn't it still be comparative?

I think the team last year was a little better, mainly because they had more stable PG play, had more experience, and were more consistent defensively.

That said, the by far more important thing for me is just making it into the NCAA Tournament. Sure, it helps a bit to have a higher seed, but last year we were a 6th seed and this year an 11th seed. When you look at most 6/11 matchups in the tournament each year, the 6th seed will only be a slight favorite. This year for example, the 6th and 11th seeds split the four games. Unless you get a 1-2-3-4 seed, i don't think it really matters all that much where else you get seeded so long as you just get in.

Well, we got in and now if we can win tonight, MU has a Sweet 16 berth at worst. So we won't have slid at all because the regular season is mainly only a means for getting to this current point, the NCAA Tournament.

[ChicosBailBonds]

My logic may be wrong, but if you compare yourself to the group of college programs as a whole, then I think you  can use this as a basis of comparison.  It will not be apples to apples, as all teams experience change, but as a whole, wouldn't it still be comparative?

The implication is that basketball in general is the same every year and thus able to compare year to year.  We all know this isn't true.  Hell, just about every expert has said this is the worst year in college basketball maybe ever.  If that is the case, then comparing this year to last year or any other year is already fundamentally flawed.  If we are 28th in the "worst year in college hoops" but 33rd in a better year, is that an improvement that can be stated?  I don't think so.