New Standards for hoops players

[MerrittsMustache]

There seem to be quite a few MUScoopers who couldn't pull off a 3.0 while at Marquette (although, you guys did seem to marry well).

Methinks you should've been Education majors.

*Except for the whole not-make-any-money-after-graduation thing*

Are you sure about that? What's the correlation between a woman's GPA and her attractiveness? 

[Lennys Tap]

Please add Big Daddy to the membership of non-tinfoil hat club.   Hell, he should be president.  

Thanks for the voice of reason and reality.  

Why don't we put Big Daddy in the "Can't Read" club instead? He's astonished that people are suggesting that our basketball players will be held to higher academic standards than our other student athletes. Great, except that nobody is suggesting that. And you call that the voice of reason and reality. In what universe?

[mu_hilltopper]

One of you should email Mike Broeker, and just ask him.  Worst he can say is .. no comment.

[BrewCity83]

Why don't we put Big Daddy in the "Can't Read" club instead? He's astonished that people are suggesting that our basketball players will be held to higher academic standards than our other student athletes. Great, except that nobody is suggesting that. And you call that the voice of reason and reality. In what universe?

Well, in Big Daddy's defense, the topic is titled "New Standards for hoops players", not "New Standards for MU Athletes". 

[Lennys Tap]

Well, in Big Daddy's defense, the topic is titled "New Standards for hoops players", not "New Standards for MU Athletes". 

Fair point. Sorry Big Daddy.

[chren21]

Fair point. Sorry Big Daddy.

That is a good point.  I would assume though it would be for all athletes although my concern is primarily the effect it would have on the hoops team. Right wrong or other...

[hoops12]

From everything I have heard, the administration is going to be making things pretty difficult for Buzz. I think the fans and alumni should become very vocal regarding the basketball program and its future. Buzz is a great young coach. If he cannot bring in the kind of athletes he has built this program with, he will move on. That is a no brainer!

From what I hear (from very connected people) the president and AD want to change things because of the negative press Marquette got last year. Did some of our players make some mistakes? Yes! Does that mean an overhaul of the program is needed. Absolutely not! Buzz is a standup guy. He is taking in kids and teaching them about life. Will some of them make mistakes along the way? Of course. However, it took Crean and Buzz over a decade to put us back into the national spotlight. I sure hope these two new staff members don't come in a try to make huge changes that we could regret for many years to come.

I wrote the AD on this topic and I haven't gotten a response as of yet. If I do, I will let everyone on the board know what is mentioned in his response.

GO MU!

[Benny B]

From everything I have heard, the administration is going to be making things pretty difficult for Buzz. I think the fans and alumni should become very vocal regarding the basketball program and its future. Buzz is a great young coach. If he cannot bring in the kind of athletes he has built this program with, he will move on. That is a no brainer!

From what I hear (from very connected people) the president and AD want to change things because of the negative press Marquette got last year. Did some of our players make some mistakes? Yes! Does that mean an overhaul of the program is needed. Absolutely not! Buzz is a standup guy. He is taking in kids and teaching them about life. Will some of them make mistakes along the way? Of course. However, it took Crean and Buzz over a decade to put us back into the national spotlight. I sure hope these two new staff members don't come in a try to make huge changes that we could regret for many years to come.

I wrote the AD on this topic and I haven't gotten a response as of yet. If I do, I will let everyone on the board know what is mentioned in his response.

GO MU!

Unless you're willing to name your "connected" sources, we'll thank you for your comment that has now put an unfounded rumor into the ad nauseum tier.

[rocky_warrior]

Unless you're willing to name your "connected" sources, we'll thank you for your comment that has now put an unfounded rumor into the ad nauseum tier.

I don't even care about naming connections.  I'd just like to hear how they're planning on making "things pretty difficult for Buzz".    Yes, yes, I know potential retroactive academic requirements (which don't seem likely).  What else, penalties if players don't represent the university in a positive way?  As long as those penalties hold among all sports I'm OK with that.  A ban on sweet tea?  I don't like the stuff, but that one might be unforgivable to buzz. 

[chren21]

2 very specific items I heard besides the GPA standards.  Hoops players will not be able to live in Humphrey until at least their junior year.  There will be some sort of board that will vote on potential borderline recruits including any junior college possibilities.  How will buzz react to different standards being put on Junior college players when he went to a JC?

[TedBaxter]

2 very specific items I heard besides the GPA standards.  Hoops players will not be able to live in Humphrey until at least their junior year.  There will be some sort of board that will vote on potential borderline recruits including any junior college possibilities.  How will buzz react to different standards being put on Junior college players when he went to a JC?

So if these items are true, this puts Buzz at some disadvantages in recruiting.  The rooms in Humphrey were some of the largest on campus, so now you will be putting them in regular dorm rooms away from the junior and senior players. Buzz loses a housing selling point on a campus that isn't exactly a garden spot to begin with and the team may lose some comraderie by not being closer in proximity?  

If the borderline/JUCO recruit board vote is true, Buzz would have to submit his recruit request to a board before he even offers the student/athlete and how does a board vote on a student/athlete they don't know or have never met personally and don't have final transcripts for?  Let's say you have a kid like Jae Crowder who commits before he ever visited and will he sign and then be told, "no, you don't fit in at Marquette" even if he meets the requirements to get into school and has never been in any sort of trouble?  Let's be honest, the dreadlock look doesn't pass the test for some conservative people, so do looks play into this review process?  This process could become very, very subjective and very judgmental.  Buzz could get to know the kid and think he's a great fit for the university and get denied.

I'll just say this will be very, very interesting going forward if this is true and I'm saying IF it's true.

On another note, if hoops12 is who I think he is, his father played at Marquette.  Good enough connection?

[4everwarriors]

2 very specific items I heard besides the GPA standards.  Hoops players will not be able to live in Humphrey until at least their junior year.  There will be some sort of board that will vote on potential borderline recruits including any junior college possibilities.  How will buzz react to different standards being put on Junior college players when he went to a JC?

By taking a different coaching job.

[4everwarriors]

Nah, hoops is Riley Crean

[rocky_warrior]

On another note, if hoops12 is who I think he is, his father played at Marquette.  Good enough connection?

Won't comment on a specific poster, but we do have several posters who either have player connections, or were players themselves.  I don't know that either one helps them with having better info on Buzz's conversations with his bosses.

[jesmu84]

2 very specific items I heard besides the GPA standards.  Hoops players will not be able to live in Humphrey until at least their junior year.  There will be some sort of board that will vote on potential borderline recruits including any junior college possibilities.  How will buzz react to different standards being put on Junior college players when he went to a JC?

IF true... then yikes. I'm not sure any coach out there wants a "board" to review the recruits they select for their squad. And putting players into "normal" dorms their first few years on campus helps how? I figure keeping them out of the general populace and in one place all together would be better for a lot of reasons... guess that's why I'm not a college administrator.

[Silkk the Shaka]

IF true... then yikes. I'm not sure any coach out there wants a "board" to review the recruits they select for their squad. And putting players into "normal" dorms their first few years on campus helps how? I figure keeping them out of the general populace and in one place all together would be better for a lot of reasons... guess that's why I'm not a college administrator.

Yeah.... if true I don't like this at all.  What JUCO player under Buzz has been a problem anyway?  To go so far as to blanket label all JUCO players as "borderline" and in need of a review before some know-nothing board is patently ridiculous.  I could see Buzz getting pissed at this, and rightfully so.

[GGGG]

Don't overreact to the "board" idea.  Admissions at many universities are decided by a "board," or a committee of admissions people, especially those with complicated academic backgrounds like JUCO transfers.  In fact, this could have been occurring all along but now it is coming to light and getting spun.

[MUfan12]

And putting players into "normal" dorms their first few years on campus helps how? I figure keeping them out of the general populace and in one place all together would be better for a lot of reasons... guess that's why I'm not a college administrator.

You have common sense, and have worked in the real world... that's why you're not a college administrator.

Taking them out of Humphrey is an awful idea.

[MUMac]

Don't overreact to the "board" idea.  Admissions at many universities are decided by a "board," or a committee of admissions people, especially those with complicated academic backgrounds like JUCO transfers.  In fact, this could have been occurring all along but now it is coming to light and getting spun.

Agreed.  Many, if not most, universities have a board/panel/group (whatever you want to name it) that decides on athletes that do not get admitted on their own academic merits.  I suspect this was the case at MU, as it had been in the past.  We often hear that coaches have only so many passes to get players admitted.

Until we see more on this, one cannot simply assume the worst.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Until we see more on this, one cannot simply assume the worst.

I disagree.

/makes tinfoil cowboy hat (fashionable and practical)
/heads to bunker with canned food, porn, ELO.

[GGGG]

You have common sense, and have worked in the real world... that's why you're not a college administrator.

Try hard not to be a wiener OK?  College administrators work as much in the "real world" as a lot of people and have to balance many issues.  I know that a lot of schools have dropped "athletic dorms" for many reasons...I know that a few have brought them back.  I think it is the height of ignorance to simply say it is an "awful idea" without understanding the reasoning behind the idea...or even if it occurring at all.

[mu03eng]

Don't buy into the "board" statement.  Admissions of athletes were previously handled by a single person, that person has left the university and they are now using multiple people to vet the students but its not some draconian board that meets in an underground layer.  And this ties into JCs only because of the Crowder situation which required him to bust his ass to get eligible because of his first year of JC not being accredited.  By all accounts this is intended to make sure those types of things are determined early giving everyone a clear picture instead of a panicked mess late in the process.  No offense Chren but I think your source heard the board strokes and inferred the worst.  Count me part of the LW is the devil crowd but this isn't one of things to be concerned about.

As far as the freshmen and sophomores not living in Humphrey, that is so stupid.  Lose out on a lot of camaraderie opportunities, plus it ultimately doesn't solve anything because the players can go visit without any issue.  Kind of like letting your daughter go visit her boyfriend at college but only during the day.....cause yeah that's going to prevent any issues.

Again, appreciate Chren's info but I suspect the source is hearing some things, filtering them through their bias and then reporting things out as fact.

[Hamostradamus]

18-year old palyer returns to his dorm room to find his roommate smoking weed or mixing cocktails with half the guys on the floor. Hijinx ensues. How often would this happen in the athletic dorms? How often will this happen in the regular dorms? At least inthe athlete dorms, the coaching staff can keep an eye on every player. I don't see Buzz chasing all over the dorms to see how a new freshman is getting along with his new schoolyard chums.

[Pakuni]

Don't overreact to the "board" idea.  Admissions at many universities are decided by a "board," or a committee of admissions people, especially those with complicated academic backgrounds like JUCO transfers.  In fact, this could have been occurring all along but now it is coming to light and getting spun.

Correct. Most universities have admissions boards/committees that review borderline students, athletes and non-athletes alike. The fact that Marquette has or is creating one should concern no one.

[madtownwarrior]

come on " the administration is going to be making things pretty difficult for Buzz."


this is laughable...  you think their goal is make things difficult for Buzz?

- do you not think the BOT or Pilarz or Williams understand the importance of a strong BBall program at MU and it's positive effect of the university

- also do you not think there is a desire (and need) to make sure MU does not make newspaper headlines with alleged sexual assaults and bar fights  (I think Buzz would even agree with this)

- is there likely changes coming  - yes

- are some changes likely needed - yes

- is there a way to make this happen and keep Buzz on board - yes


For those that say "MU is messing with Buzz's happy"   -  are you happy with winning at a Sweet 16 level yet have sexual assault allegations, bar fight headlines, large % of transfers and players not meeting basic academic standards?   That might be Buzz's happy but I am not sure that is MU's happy"


I think changes are coming, some are needed and but the extent or impacts are no where near the level of the tin-foil hat club are saying (nor the "I have sources" crowd)

I disagree.

/makes tinfoil cowboy hat (fashionable and practical)
/heads to bunker with canned food, porn, ELO.