The Everlasting Craptastical Mystery Thread

[SMU20]

He wont go anywhere with the contract we are hearing...

[Lennys Tap]

True, but he didn't get into specifics about New Orleans. Don't forget that.

He left New Orleans because they lied to him. He took a lesser job because he wouldn't put up with New Orleans not keeping their committments. If he leaves MU for a lesser job like SMU I'd say this is New Orleans part deaux.

Given that, expect a freefall for the program. Whether it bottoms out in mediocrity or some post apolyptic nuclear winter - who knows? But it will be bad - real bad.

[NersEllenson]

Blue Chips recruits have NEVER committed to Buzz. Buzz recruited as well as he did because he had MU to recruit them to. Let's see what he does for a bottom feeder CUSA team - its much harder than it looks.

Sorry - we have more Top 100 kids in the program and committed to the program in the future than ever before.  Listen, I love MU basketball, and have for 25 years - but it is NOT the university that is the drawing card for these kids.  It is the coach.  Period.  McGuire, O'Neill, Crean, Buzz.  These guys had/have it...and in my view Al and Buzz are almost comparable...Crean and K.O. comparable.  There have been plenty of other coaches at MU who couldn't get it done.

Buzz will absolutely get it done if he goes to SMU or anywhere else for that matter.  They guy is relentless, hard working, sincere, and a very good basketball coach and recruiter.

[🏀]

Buzz could also sell them on the fact that he took a small, private, urban university and made them into a nationally-recognized program. Honestly, how many 16-year-old ballers in Texas are even remotely familiar with MU's basketball tradition, other than knowing DWade went there?

What 16-year old ballers from Texas were alive when SMU was relevant in anything?

[MUMac]

Hypothetically, because it's coming from the BOT. They saw a problem with S-Cot and Buzz, and knew Wilde was on his way out. So they found replacements that would be okay with making a change at the most visible position at the University, and would be okay with pushing out the most popular coach MU has had since Al McGuire.

Again, I don't know any of this for certain, but I highly doubt that this started with LW. I just can't picture him being foolish enough to try to make his name on Buzz's scalp. If Buzz is truly being pushed out, it's coming from above LW, and it's coming from people who think they can replace Buzz.

The BOT, the one's who gave us "Gold".  I have a lot of faith in them!

[Skatastrophy]

He wont go anywhere with the contract we are hearing...

I think this has less to do with contracts and more to do with politics.  It's a power-play, but what will Buzz do if the MU administration calls his bluff?

[rocky_warrior]

Fyi, buzz had a top 50 recruiting class at uno. He can get it done wherever he goes.

[Golden Avalanche]

He left New Orleans because they lied to him. He took a lesser job because he wouldn't put up with New Orleans not keeping their committments. If he leaves MU for a lesser job like SMU I'd say this is New Orleans part deaux.

Given that, expect a freefall for the program. Whether it bottoms out in mediocrity or some post apolyptic nuclear winter - who knows? But it will be bad - real bad.

Jeff Goodman ripped Kansas State's AD for not putting up a fight with Frank Martin.

I cannot wait for the media drubbing Marquette is going to take for pushing Buzz out considering he's got quite a few friends in the industry and they'll no doubt have an inside tack as to what really happened.

[Warrior_2002]

Buzz has better things to do than to spend time dispelling every rumor that comes up about him.  Just like we have better things to do than overreact about every freakin' rumor that comes up about Buzz.  The Grambling State coaching position is open - should Buzz hold a press conference to say he's not interested?

Um well Grambling State isn't being rumored to be in discussions with Buzz. So try another comparison.

[madtownwarrior]

does not matter - the recruits committ to a coach, recruits love Buzz...    crowder and DJO did not even set foot on campus prior to comitting to Buzz...

Buzz will win anywhere he chooses to be employed...

What 16-year old ballers from Texas were alive when SMU was relevant in anything?

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Hypothetically, because it's coming from the BOT. They saw a problem with S-Cot and Buzz, and knew Wilde was on his way out. So they found replacements that would be okay with making a change at the most visible position at the University, and would be okay with pushing out the most popular coach MU has had since Al McGuire.

Again, I don't know any of this for certain, but I highly doubt that this started with LW. I just can't picture him being foolish enough to try to make his name on Buzz's scalp. If Buzz is truly being pushed out, it's coming from above LW, and it's coming from people who think they can replace Buzz.

This is prob. true.

And again, if the BOT is really interested in getting a new coach, there is something we don't know.

I would never accuse the BOT or MU of being a bunch of rocket scientists, but if they are making a decision like this, it has nothing to do with dancing at WV, or lame articles in the JS. It has to be something bigger than that.

The stuff that has happened (that we know about) is easily cleaned up with a couple of winning years and no issues.

There has to be more.

[Aughnanure]

Sorry - we have more Top 100 kids in the program and committed to the program in the future than ever before.  Listen, I love MU basketball, and have for 25 years - but it is NOT the university that is the drawing card for these kids.  It is the coach.  Period.  McGuire, O'Neill, Crean, Buzz.  These guys had/have it...and in my view Al and Buzz are almost comparable...Crean and K.O. comparable.  There have been plenty of other coaches at MU who couldn't get it done.

Buzz will absolutely get it done if he goes to SMU or anywhere else for that matter.  They guy is relentless, hard working, sincere, and a very good basketball coach and recruiter.

Please stop your Buzz crush and realize that A LOT of very good coaches have attempted to jump ship to try to rebuild a program and failed. You act as though he can do it with a snap of his fingers.

[Goose]

I heard about friction going back to last fall. This is not a LW power play in my opinion. The school has determine if the risk is worth the reward, both on and off the court. MU has to protect the brand and obviously any negative from the program makes them nervous. I do get that but unless they are holding back other issues they may be erroring too far on the side of caution.

[mu_hilltopper]

Wardle hasn't done stink yet to command a job of this caliber. I would hope higher profile candidates would emerge.

But they will not.  If this story plays out as it appears to be, Buzz is being given a cold shoulder, jumping off the bus to a mid-major team.  This would be a death blow to Marquette's program.

What major coach would agree to coaching for MU, when a guy didn't get support after massive athletic success who also talks about "character" all the time?

If it wasn't for the 5x raise Wardle would get, he'd turn it down too.

[Norm]

I don't know what is going to happen, and have no inside source whatsoever. But too many people here are assuming if he leaves that he was "forced" out or shown the door by Williams and Pilarz. IF, IF he leaves to take the SMU job, maybe its because he wants to go, despite anything Williams and Pilarz offer him? Maybe he has some new demands that the MU Admin is not willing to meet? And my guess is we'll probably never know the real reason if it turns out he does leave. He left his first job after 1 year, and if he leaves now, he'll leave his second job after 4 years. All I'm saying is while many want to entirely blame Williams and Pilarz, maybe this situation is also due to Buzz as well. But the speculation sure is fun, huh?

[brewcity77]

The BOT, the one's who gave us "Gold".  I have a lot of faith in them!

Not saying their plan is a good one, just saying that I'm confident they have one in place. Past history would indicate there's every possibility it backfires on them.

[dw3dw3dw3]

Wardle hasn't done stink yet to command a job of this caliber. I would hope higher profile candidates would emerge.

Name a head coach in a horizon level or above conference who would come to a program that:
A) Just pushed out Buzz.
B) Will be restricting you to recruit only student-athletes with a certain level ACT score
C) Just pushed out Buzz F'n Williams!!!!

[🏀]

Starting to think Crean's departure was better for me now.

[The Man in Gold]

So I leave for 5 days and I miss 62 pages of comments.  Must be silly season...

Do we have a highlights thread going for those who want to catch up before we start repeat rumor mongering?

I assume it goes like this ...

SMU = #1
Marquette/Milwaukee = Small, Dirty, Cold
Buzz = Dis-heartened/Annoyed
SMU > MU, Texas > WI, Ponies > Golden Eagles (Well they had to get one right)

Did I miss anything?

[MerrittsMustache]

But they will not.  If this story plays out as it appears to be, Buzz is being given a cold shoulder, jumping off the bus to a mid-major team.  This would be a death blow to Marquette's program.

What major coach would agree to coaching for MU, when a guy didn't get support after massive athletic success who also talks about "character" all the time?

If it wasn't for the 5x raise Wardle would get, he'd turn it down too.

One who likes money and having his name associated with a Big East school.

Wasn't Chicos always pushing for Chris Lowery? He's available!

[Freeport Warrior]

If this tumbles, we do have a nice option being currently explored.

[ATWizJr]

Do you know anything deeper than that?

October isn't so far from April and it makes me wonder if the seat was getting itchy in the Autumn why wasn't it itchy enough to take a somewhat attractive job with Oklahoma or A&M? What happened over the summer?

Seemingly, from the outside, it looked like Buzz had handled the transition from Crean and was really setting a foundation last season and this season. He knows what he could do but the feeling of being undermined won't take long to rot that foundation and it seems to have been a matter of months rather than years in that rotting.

I had read reports that the problem was Buzz's buyout when OK and A&M openedup.

[Goose]

If Buzz were to leave, which I do not believe, we would have zero chance of hiring anyone of quality. This situation would be beyond a major blow to the university. I believe the school believes that the vast majority of fans would embrace a Wardle type of coach.

[Warriors10]

The BOT, the one's who gave us "Gold".  I have a lot of faith in them!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcrEl_r8xEE

[Niv Berkowitz]

Please stop your Buzz crush and realize that A LOT of very good coaches have attempted to jump ship to try to rebuild a program and failed. You act as though he can do it with a snap of his fingers.

May not happen at the snap of his fingers, but at least a lot of us are willing to give the guy credit for what he's done. He does have a track record, you know.