Better coaching job?

[tower912]

As this season currently stands, which is a better coaching job by Buzz; 09-10 or 11-12.    09-10, MU had no height, no bench and was 2-5 in the Big East before getting hot.    This year, Buzz has had to coach 3 different teams, has no height, and an only slightly deeper bench.    At least this year, he has normal sized guards.   But the 09-10 team had 6 guys who could shoot the 3 and beat their guy off of the dribble.     Tough call, IMO it was 09-10.

[bilsu]

I do believe this year is a better coaching job. I would expect it to be for two reasons. First, Buzz has more expereince. Second, the team is made up of all of his recruits except for maybe Otule.

[CTWarrior]

On the face of it, I think wringing a 6 seed from the 09-10 bunch after losing 4 starters including 3 iconic ones who between them had the ball in their hand 90% of the time is more impressive than this season, so that's how I voted.  But I love the way he has handled this team, too.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

On the face of it, I think wringing a 6 seed from the 09-10 bunch after losing 4 starters including 3 iconic ones who between them had the ball in their hand 90% of the time is more impressive than this season, so that's how I voted.  But I love the way he has handled this team, too.

Iconic? Iconic! I think James, McNeal and Matthews just "jumped the shark." Iconic! Holy moly. Imagine having three "iconic" Players who never advanced past the second round.

Here's a newsflash for all of you...Jimmy Butler was better than any of those guys. So is DJO. So is Jae Crowder. All of them played together last season. Should we build a statue?

[Silkk the Shaka]

Iconic? Iconic! I think James, McNeal and Matthews just "jumped the shark." Iconic! Holy moly. Imagine having three "iconic" Players who never advanced past the second round.

Here's a newsflash for all of you...Jimmy Butler was better than any of those guys. So is DJO. So is Jae Crowder. All of them played together last season. Should we build a statue?

They all played a ton of minutes for four years and won right out of the gate.  Two tournaments were derailed by injury and another by a behind the backboard buzzer beater.  Those guys put us back on the map after the two dreariest seasons in the past decade.  They also helped to brand us as a place where athletic guards could flourish.  It's not their fault they never had a halfway decent center or any bench help, both of which you need to advance in March.  I doubt we'll see a core group play that many minutes together again.  They are iconic in program history, not so much nationally.  (I agree about Jimmy, DJO, & Jae, btw, but they only played one season together).

[MUCam]

Iconic? Iconic! I think James, McNeal and Matthews just "jumped the shark." Iconic! Holy moly. Imagine having three "iconic" Players who never advanced past the second round.

Here's a newsflash for all of you...Jimmy Butler was better than any of those guys. So is DJO. So is Jae Crowder. All of them played together last season. Should we build a statue?

So, let me guess: You don't have much respect for that class? I couldn't tell from the numerous prior posts you have put forth bashing Wes, Dominic and Jerel.

Well. At least you are always right.

[brewcity77]

Iconic? Iconic! I think James, McNeal and Matthews just "jumped the shark." Iconic! Holy moly. Imagine having three "iconic" Players who never advanced past the second round.

Here's a newsflash for all of you...Jimmy Butler was better than any of those guys. So is DJO. So is Jae Crowder. All of them played together last season. Should we build a statue?

PRN, you sometimes truly dazzle me with your ability to string together words in a way that makes the post seem like the stupidest one I've ever read on all of the Internets.

As of right now, Jerel McNeal, Dominic James, and Wesley Matthews stand at #1, #4, and #9 on the all-time Marquette scoring list. Right there with names like Thompson, Lee, Smith, and Ellis. Seriously, there is no way on God's green earth you can consider the Three Amigos class to be anything but iconic. To date, it is probably the most productive recruiting class in Marquette's history. You may hate Crean, you may have bitterness toward his recruits (though considering how much they meant to MU, I can't conceive why), but don't try to diminish their accomplishments because they didn't make it past the first weekend. I think if we made a top-25 list of Marquette's all-time greats, they would all show up on it. That's pretty damned iconic.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

So, let me guess: You don't have much respect for that class? I couldn't tell from the numerous prior posts you have put forth bashing Wes, Dominic and Jerel.

Well. At least you are always right.

I've never bashed Matthews.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

PRN, you sometimes truly dazzle me with your ability to string together words in a way that makes the post seem like the stupidest one I've ever read on all of the Internets.

Of all the "internets" you read, would you say this Internet contains the most readily available information? Or is there another Internet I should be aware of? Should I go back and look at the World Wide Web for my Internet?

Are you dazzled?

[NotAnAlum]

PRN, you sometimes truly dazzle me with your ability to string together words in a way that makes the post seem like the stupidest one I've ever read on all of the Internets.

As of right now, Jerel McNeal, Dominic James, and Wesley Matthews stand at #1, #4, and #9 on the all-time Marquette scoring list. Right there with names like Thompson, Lee, Smith, and Ellis. Seriously, there is no way on God's green earth you can consider the Three Amigos class to be anything but iconic. To date, it is probably the most productive recruiting class in Marquette's history. You may hate Crean, you may have bitterness toward his recruits (though considering how much they meant to MU, I can't conceive why), but don't try to diminish their accomplishments because they didn't make it past the first weekend. I think if we made a top-25 list of Marquette's all-time greats, they would all show up on it. That's pretty damned iconic.

Ditto!  If you don't remember that class fondly and judge them totally based on two games they lost you've got Happiness Issues

[Golden Avalanche]

Iconic? Iconic! I think James, McNeal and Matthews just "jumped the shark." Iconic! Holy moly. Imagine having three "iconic" Players who never advanced past the second round.

Here's a newsflash for all of you...Jimmy Butler was better than any of those guys. So is DJO. So is Jae Crowder. All of them played together last season. Should we build a statue?

Humbly, that is just stupid.

And, if you truly believe that, why was last season such a unnatural carnal knowledgeing mess 90% of the time?

[brewcity77]

Of all the "internets" you read, would you say this Internet contains the most readily available information? Or is there another Internet I should be aware of? Should I go back and look at the World Wide Web for my Internet?

Are you dazzled?

If you didn't pick up on my sarcasm there without teal, I really don't know what to say. Hardly the first time the term "all of the Internets" was used  

Would it have been better if I had used "teh Internets", would you have picked up on it then?

Welcome to the world of online communication

[ErickJD08]

Great question Tower.  I think 09-10.  This year is great and it shows some great signs that Buzz is the real deal.  But I remember 09-10 really well and we weren't just short, we were one of the shortest teams in the NCAA.  Furthermore, the Big East was one of the biggest conferences in the country.  Also, the Big East was SO strong that year.  At one point, I think they had 3 teams in the top 5.  I think over half the league was in the top 25.  

Forgetting about the state of the Big East in 09-10, as a fan, I was expecting a down year.  I was ok with a down year.  And Buzz over-delivered in a big way.   That's my vote.

[Ellenson Guerrero]

Let's not let PRN sidetrack this interesting topic.

I have to say that I think the 09-10 season was much more of a shocker to me. I expected us to finish in the bottom four of the Big East, especially without Otule's size. I still don't understand how we won any games with two guards under 5'10 playing 30+ minutes.

This year we knew we would have two solid scoring options and some incoming talent. The injuries have hurt and the record is better, but the expectations coming in were much higher.

[hairy worthen]

Humbly, that is just stupid.

And, if you truly believe that, why was last season such a fracking mess 90% of the time?

Fracking mess 90% of the time? Really?

[Skatastrophy]

09-10

Losing Maymon combined with platooning Acker, Cubillan as PG with Buycks over DJO at SG?  We shouldn't have won any games that year except Buzz found a way and Jimmy Butler willed it to happen.

This year we're doing really well, but I think it's easier to coach a functioning offense when you have elite guards that're missing bigs.  In 09-10 I'm not sure how we even got the ball across half court most of the time.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Humbly, that is just stupid.

And, if you truly believe that, why was last season such a fracking mess 90% of the time?

I'll take a "mess 90% of the time" if it helps us advance past the second round of the tournament.

[ringout]

If you didn't pick up on my sarcasm there without teal, I really don't know what to say. Hardly the first time the term "all of the Internets" was used  

Would it have been better if I had used "teh Internets", would you have picked up on it then?

Welcome to the world of online communication

Interwebs.  He would have understood that.

[MarquetteDano]

That year: lose your center Otule early and your power forward (sorry Jeronne, that is what you are) mid-season.

This year: lose your center Otule early and your power foward Gardner mid-season.

Similarities are striking.  Very close call.

[T-Bone]

Interwebs.  He would have understood that.

The system of tubes.

[ErickJD08]

09-10

Losing Maymon combined with platooning Acker, Cubillan as PG with Buycks over DJO at SG?  We shouldn't have won any games that year except Buzz found a way and Jimmy Butler willed it to happen.

This year we're doing really well, but I think it's easier to coach a functioning offense when you have elite guards that're missing bigs.  In 09-10 I'm not sure how we even got the ball across half court most of the time.

I thought it was more Lazar than Jimmy.

[brewcity77]

I'll take a "mess 90% of the time" if it helps us advance past the second round of the tournament.

So we could go 0-31, have a miraculous 5 wins in 5 days at MSG, and win 2 games in the NCAAs and it'd be a successful season? Because apparently to you, everything that ever happens in a player's four year career is defined by how far he gets in the NCAA tournament.

Which means, by your logic, that Dwight Buycks, Chris Otule, and Todd Townsend, all starters on teams that played deeper in the NCAA tournament than the Three Amigos ever did, are more iconic in Marquette's lengthy history than Dominic James, Jerel McNeal, and Wes Matthews. Wow

[Skatastrophy]

I thought it was more Lazar than Jimmy.

I guess you're right.  Wasn't that the year where Jimmy kept hitting last-second shots to win games?  I can't believe my memory is so foggy already

[dwaderoy2004]

The three amigos were iconic, in that they basically defined our program for 4 consecutive years.  Whether or not you believe they were great individual players is, in a way, irrelevant.  Nationally, Wes, Dominic and Jerel were synonymous with MU basketball.

[MUMac]

I guess you're right.  Wasn't that the year where Jimmy kept hitting last-second shots to win games?  I can't believe my memory is so foggy already

You both are correct.  Lazar carried us, Jimmy put the nail in several coffins.