Changing Recruiting Profile

[Dr. Blackheart]

At this point, with one open schollie to go for 2011-12....MU will:

• Have players from 10 different states or provinces
• 5 players from west of the Mississippi River
• 2 from West Coast states
• 2 from above the 45th parallel
• 7 from the South where JC has roots also
• Only 1 from the traditional BE area of the NE (walk-on) (2 if you count transplanted PG Wilson)
• And only 2 from the Midwest--MU's traditional base (2 WI and 0 from IL)

On the other hand, Crean could have up to 13 (schollies + walk-ons) within a couple hour drive of Btown. Wow, has MU's recruiting profile changed. Likewise you can see that CTC is trying to lock-up his geography--mainly from competing B10 schools. And, the BE originals compete with themselves in their traditional geographies for the same talent pool.

Milwaukee:  The Cosmopolitan Center of NCAA Basketball!

[ChicosBailBonds]

Very interesting.

The talent in Indiana vs Wisconsin is a big contributor this as well.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

This is very encouraging!  I am very happy that we have moved beyond the mindset of "having to lock up Chicago". Really good for the program.

[NersEllenson]

Very interesting.

The talent in Indiana vs Wisconsin is a big contributor this as well.

Which I believe was a BIG reason why TC left for IU - not just due to its history in college basketball, but from the perspective of there being a lot more talent in Indiana than WI.  Plus IU is the flagship school of the state, with a footbal program, etc.  Safer/easier bet to be successful at IU than MU.

[4everwarriors]

Crean can eat sheet. He just couldn't get it done, knew it, and bailed. Myself and a handful of others saw through his transparent, self-promoting rhetoric and celebrate his departure on a daily basis.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Which I believe was a BIG reason why TC left for IU - not just due to its history in college basketball, but from the perspective of there being a lot more talent in Indiana than WI.  Plus IU is the flagship school of the state, with a footbal program, etc.  Safer/easier bet to be successful at IU than MU.

I don't think anyone would argue with you.  Easy decision to make...more money and easier to get talent.

Looking at where MU's players are from currently, that can be a good thing or a bad thing.  On one hand it shows a national reach....on the other hand it may also show how far and deep one has to go to get talent to MU.  It's nice to have a "base" which used to be Illinois and Wisconsin....those seem to note be in the picture of late as much, which could be of concern if a certain coach isn't here for the next decade.  I hope we continue to recruit Wisconsin and Illinois, I suspect we will....hope we land a few of those kids as well....coaches move on but MU is locked in stone in Milwaukee and that will always be home whomever the coach is.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Crean can eat sheet. He just couldn't get it done, knew it, and bailed. Myself and a handful of others saw through his transparent, self-promoting rhetoric and celebrate his departure on a daily basis.

I sure hope our current coach "can't get it done" like he "couldn't get it done"...I'd be thrilled for another repeat of "can't getting it done" Final Four trip, multiple NBA players, etc. 


Here's to CAN'T GETTING IT DONE!!  Go Buzz...Don't Get It Done!!  LOL

[Dr. Blackheart]

As a comparison from basketball-successful private schools, Duke has three from NC on their roster (counting the Plumlees as IN). Georgetown has 8 from the area. Stanford has two from the extended Bay area, 5 from all of Cali. Notre Dame has three from Chicago (couple hour drive). Syracuse had 8 within a similar radius including Joseph from Montreal.

[ATWizJr]

Crean can eat sheet. He just couldn't get it done, knew it, and bailed. Myself and a handful of others saw through his transparent, self-promoting rhetoric and celebrate his departure on a daily basis.

Yeah, just like you saw Bruce as a cheat, eh?

[NersEllenson]

I don't think anyone would argue with you.  Easy decision to make...more money and easier to get talent.

Looking at where MU's players are from currently, that can be a good thing or a bad thing.  On one hand it shows a national reach....on the other hand it may also show how far and deep one has to go to get talent to MU.  It's nice to have a "base" which used to be Illinois and Wisconsin....those seem to note be in the picture of late as much, which could be of concern if a certain coach isn't here for the next decade.  I hope we continue to recruit Wisconsin and Illinois, I suspect we will....hope we land a few of those kids as well....coaches move on but MU is locked in stone in Milwaukee and that will always be home whomever the coach is.

One area we can agree on is that we both realize it is fairly challenging to recruit to Marquette.  Some would like to think it is easy to get talent to MU, but our history suggets otherwise.  MU has more going for it now than it maybe it ever has (save for the influence and draw/reach of Al McGuire), but that still does not make it a slam dunk school to recruit to..

[NCMUFan]

Every coach has to put in his time recruiting.  How much hand holding did did Roy Williams do to get JP Tokoto?  Roy was up in Wisconsin at least four times for Tokoto.  While a relentless hound dog and excellent sales person like Buzz is invaluable in getting top recruits, Marquette is a very good product (tradition, facilities, academics, national exposure, past and current players) making the Buzz salesmanship and Marquette product a winning combination!  (and I do appreciate Crean, but let's move on)

[4everwarriors]

   Yeah, just like you saw Bruce as a cheat, eh?

This just in:
ALL coaches cheat. Some are more blatant than others. Not condoning it, just the plain truth.

[ATWizJr]

This just in:
ALL coaches cheat. Some are more blatant than others. Not condoning it, just the plain truth.

You are a true visionary and way on the inside.  I am in awe.

[NCMUFan]

And back to "Changing Recruiting Profile"

[leever]

The vast majority of posters think this has a high probability of becoming yet another Buzz vs. Crean thread in the very near future.

[Dr. Blackheart]

The vast majority of posters think this has a high probability of becoming yet another Buzz vs. Crean thread in the very near future.

Actually, to me, this is one of the few times where this is relevant--but not in a right or wrong way, just pholiosophically. Buzz has gone way more national than Crean did here. And, Crean now sits on a goldmine of highly rated local talent that he needs to close on to be successful, which he now is after he ash-canned McLeod, his lead recruiter. Funny thing is, it has been the local kids who have transferred out under Buzz for various reasons (Maymon, Smith, Christopherson, Mbwake). I mentioned this before, but the last time MU went dark in Chicago with recruits was the NIT championship team (1969-70)--over 30 seasons now. Pretty interesting to compare (to some anyway).

[SaintPaulWarrior]

• 2 from above the 45th parallel

Who are these 2?

[🏀]

Who are these 2?

Junior is the only one.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Junior is the only one.

Derrick Wilson - Anchorage, Alaska

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/54699/derrick-wilson

[SaintPaulWarrior]

Junior is the only one.

Toronto is about 43 degrees...below the 45th.

Forgot Derrick was from Alaska.

So we do have 1.

[🏀]

Toronto is about 43 degrees...below the 45th.

Forgot Derrick was from Alaska.

So we do have 1.

Nice! Good catch.

[SaintPaulWarrior]

Nice! Good catch.

Well I live about 25 feet, literally, south of the 45th parallel and I know I live farther north than Toronto.

[🏀]

Well I live about 25 feet, literally, south of the 45th parallel and I know I live farther north than Toronto.

You got a little marker out in the backyard? Any North Koreans invading?

[brewcity77]

Actually, to me, this is one of the few times where this is relevant--but not in a right or wrong way, just pholiosophically. Buzz has gone way more national than Crean did here. And, Crean now sits on a goldmine of highly rated local talent that he needs to close on to be successful, which he now is after he ash-canned McLeod, his lead recruiter. Funny thing is, it has been the local kids who have transferred out under Buzz for various reasons (Maymon, Smith, Christopherson, Mbwake). I mentioned this before, but the last time MU went dark in Chicago with recruits was the NIT championship team (1969-70)--over 30 seasons now. Pretty interesting to compare (to some anyway).

Agreed completely, and while it's clearly a different route to success (Crean usually stays local, Buzz travels), if Buzz can match Crean's biggest accomplishment on the court, it could transform us into the type of program we all dream of being.

I think one of the reasons Crean never was able to capitalize on his Final Four run was because of his myopic recruiting focus. Look at most of his best players at the time, Wade was from Chicago, Jackson from Milwaukee, Diener and Novak were both Wisconsin kids. Mason, Merritt, Townsend, Sanders, Chapman, most of our recruits were either Milwaukee and Chicago, and we filled out the roster with guys from Minnesota (Fitzgerald) and Michigan (Grimm), still Midwesterners. When TC did go outside his area, it usually didn't end well (Carlton Christian, Karon Bradley). Even the Three Amigos were all Midwest players, it seems like Lazar was the first really successful Crean recruit from outside his normal area at Marquette.

I DO NOT MEAN THIS AS A CONDEMNATION OF CREAN!

Just wanted to say that before I continued. Crean does a good job at locking up his local area. He brought in a lot of guys here from our region, and he seems to be doing a good job of putting a giant "closed" sign on the Indiana borders when it comes to opposing coaches coming in. However, when the talent well runs dry in the area, it's hard to capitalize on that type of recruiting strategy. Somewhere like Indiana, where you have a talent-rich state sandwiched between the likes of Ohio, Kentucky, and Illinois, you will probably be okay. But in Wisconsin, that strategy can kill you if you miss out on a few Chicago kids and Wisconsin isn't producing.

What this new recruiting profile could mean is that Buzz could turn us into a powerhouse because he doesn't restrict himself locally. If we go on a Final Four run in 2 years, it will be on the backs of not only Wisconsinites (Blue and Wilson) but also guys from California (Anderson), Texas (Otule and Williams), Canada (Cadougan), Georgia (Jones), Virginia (Gardner), West Virginia (Mayo), and Alaska (Wilson). Buzz has opened doors across the country, and if we can walk into a California gym, or a Texas gym, or a Georgia gym, and say "I have a Final Four with a guy just like you" I have to imagine it will help recruiting and will keep us from running into a situation where we are closed out of recruits because we don't have a broad enough base.

When you look at the truly elite programs, they have a national recruiting base regardless of their location. UNC, Duke, Kansas, UCLA, when they walk into a gym, they have a chance regardless of whether they're in Florida, Wisconsin, Washington (State or DC), or Nevada. If there's a high-major prospect, they can garner interest. Buzz's ability to travel shows that if he has the success behind him, he should be able to do the same thing here at Marquette.

[SaintPaulWarrior]

You got a little marker out in the backyard? Any North Koreans invading?

Actually there are markers all over the country....one is around the corner from me.

http://www.wurlington-bros.com/Museum/45th/RosevilleMN.html

http://www.wurlington-bros.com/Museum/45th/NAmer.html