[PaintTouches]Amid false report, Durley remains fully committed to Marquette

[MUBurrow]

Have Buzz and staff not earned a bit of latitude when it comes to talent evaluation/player development?  Otule and Gardner are the best 2 big men at MU since Merritt/Jackson, and prior to that, McIlvaine and Key.  Wes Matthews, Lazar, Jimmy Butler, Otule, all made large strides in their games under Buzz and staff.

I hope you go home to find Ousmane patrolling the alley between your house and your street.

[Lennys Tap]

Additionally, too lazy to look but is Ridley committed to a team at this point?  Could be showcasing for High major teams

Signed with Texas

[nyg]

Signed with Texas

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1300034

Didn't sign.  Maybe he has a change of mind. 

[Lennys Tap]

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1300034

Didn't sign.  Maybe he has a change of mind. 

Interesting

[NersEllenson]

Actually I didn't jump to conclusions.  I read the tweets...came here to ask a couple of questions...and looked up additional information.

In fact I specifically said "I don't want to jump to conclusions."

So, again, if you just expect people to post nothing but Buzz-love here, that's fine.  But it would be pretty boring.

My comment was a general commentary on the Marquette fan perception/obsession with "we need a big," and not aimed at you specifically.  I believe the point I made stands on its own merit.  As for people only posting Buzz-love here - I really don't care now that the primary antagonist is gone.  Buzz's results speak for themselves, and there will always be cynics in every fan base.  It's just unfortunate when the cynicism largely is the result of ignorance/ego.  It's like the small faction in the Green Bay fan base who STILL cannot give Ted Thompson credit for doing a marvelous job - it's like really??  What more do you want?  

[NersEllenson]

I hope you go home to find Ousmane patrolling the alley between your house and your street.

Yeah...you could put Ooze in the conversation as well, and he could be on that list with RJax, Merritt, McIlvaine, Key, Otule, Gardner...though I'm not sure if I'd rank Ooze ahead of any of the aforementioned guys...I'd put he and Otule at about the same level...

[GGGG]

The two situations are a little different.  Thompson oversaw a Packers team that won a championship.  Buzz's team has been impressive, but hasn't won anything of note yet.  

But either way, that doesn't make them omnipotent.  I mean, Thompson still drafted Justin Harrell.  And Buzz signed Brett Roseboro.

And no one said anything harsh...just wondering why he isn't playing much despite being a prospect of a high enough stature to earn a scholarship from a BCS level school.

[NersEllenson]

The two situations are a little different.  Thompson oversaw a Packers team that won a championship.  Buzz's team has been impressive, but hasn't won anything of note yet.  

But either way, that doesn't make them omnipotent.  I mean, Thompson still drafted Justin Harrell.  And Buzz signed Brett Roseboro.

I agree...though I'd say last year's Sweet 16 was a pretty good accomplishment.  I'd also say that given what was in the cupboard after the Big 3 were graduating, Buzz and staff did a really good job with the team not taking a big dip after losing 3 of the program's Top 10 scorers of all time.  Obviously, many in the college basketball world see that Buzz has done a great job at MU, or they wouldn't have been pursuing him as a hire at OU, Arkansas, A&M...

That said, yes, there will always be some mistakes made in talent evaluation, but nobody bats 100% in that category as you point out above.  All I've generally argued for on this board was some perspective, context, and for fans to not knee jerk...but I guess that is largely the fan experience - the ability to knee jerk and armchair quarterback.  I just find it offensive at times when it is somewhat misguided.  It's like appreciate what you have, because you are only 1 Bob Dukiet or Mike Deane away from being an afterthought.  Plus we saw even with MU in the Big East - our first round of coaches sought after Crean left turned MU down:  Bennett, Grant, Keno Davis, Sean Miller, etc...

[StillAWarrior]

Have Buzz and staff not earned a bit of latitude when it comes to talent evaluation/player development?  Otule and Gardner are the best 2 big men at MU since Merritt/Jackson, and prior to that, McIlvaine and Key.  Wes Matthews, Lazar, Jimmy Butler, Otule, all made large strides in their games under Buzz and staff.

I think they absolutely have earned some latitude in this area.  But I don't think that means there is anything inappropriate in asking questions like:  why isn't this kid getting playing time in his HS games?  There are some very good answers to that question that we've heard including the fact that he's playing behind a five star center and some injuries that might have held him back a little bit.  There's nothing wrong in asking those questions.  As good as Otule and Gardner are, Roseboro and Mbao were huge misses.  Buzz makes mistakes, and it doesn't make me any less of a fan that I remember that.

That said, I believe that recruiting a kid like Durley presents a situation where a coach can really earn his paycheck.  He's under the radar because he's playing behind the No. 3 Center in the class, so he doesn't get noticed as much as he might at another school.  Finding diamonds in the rough -- as Buzz has done repeatedly -- is important to the continued success of the program.  Buzz's track record makes me optimistic that Durley is a diamond in the rough, but it doesn't erase the fact that he's also missed badly on two "big men."

[WellsstreetWanderer]

With Otule and Durley he can prove that MU develops big men.

[mr.MUskie]

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1300034

Didn't sign.  Maybe he has a change of mind. 

Anyone for a package deal?

[MUMac]

Anyone for a package deal?

No.  There are no available scholarships.