ESPN: MU a "School With Upside"

[MisterJaylenBrownMU]

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/61988/top-10-thursday-everythings-in-place

Top Ten Thursday: Everything's in Place  (Myron Medcalf)

"We all know about the powerhouse programs that sign nationally ranked recruiting classes every year. But the following schools might emerge as options for more high major prospects in the coming years based on their respective investments and growing support for college basketball.

* * *

Marquette: The Golden Eagles have a ton of tradition and play in the Bradley Center, an NBA arena that's the home of the Milwaukee Bucks. They don't fill it up, but its average attendance of 15,138 was ranked 13th in the country last season. They train at the Al McGuire Center, a $31 million practice facility that opened in 2003. The Big East contender, however, rarely signs top-ranked recruits. That's surprising, because Marquette is a small private school (8,387) with big-city attractions. The university is in downtown Milwaukee. It's surrounded by Milwaukee's nightlife and local attractions. And it's also one of the top universities in the country (ranked No. 82 by U.S. News)."

[tower912]

But St Louis is better.....

[Ellenson Guerrero]

I'm not sure why the author thinks we don't sign top name recruits. Granted, we aren't North Carolina or Kentucky, but I have been very pleased with the type of talent we have been bringing in the past 5 seasons and think we do pretty well for the type of school we are. I feel confident that Buzz will be able to take us to the next level in terms of recruiting and is already showing signs of doing so, but I would be pretty happy continuing down our current trajectory.

[🏀]

I'm not sure why the author thinks we don't sign top name recruits. Granted, we aren't North Carolina or Kentucky, but I have been very pleased with the type of talent we have been bringing in the past 5 seasons and think we do pretty well for the type of school we are. I feel confident that Buzz will be able to take us to the next level in terms of recruiting and is already showing signs of doing so, but I would be pretty happy continuing down our current trajectory.

Up until this recruiting class, we haven't been setting the world on fire. Since 2008, you can count the Scout 4-star players on one hand.

For every Dominic James and Vander Blue there's a Matt Mortensen and Brett Roseboro.

Consistency is what Buzz will need to achieve.

[kmwtrucks]

2013 is the 1st time I feel Buzz has only impact players.  If McKay is really 6-10, then all 3 have all Big east potential.   

[Lennys Tap]

Up until this recruiting class, we haven't been setting the world on fire. Since 2008, you can count the Scout 4-star players on one hand.

For every Dominic James and Vander Blue there's a Matt Mortensen and Brett Roseboro.

Consistency is what Buzz will need to achieve.

This ignores the fact that Buzz has coached 4 guys who were 1, 2 or 3 star players into the NBA in the last three years. Going forward (and already starting in 2013) that bodes well for him.

[kmwtrucks]

I think both crowder and DJO would be considered 3 star or better players.  Crowder was Juco player of the year and DJO was a 1st team as a fr. 

[bamamarquettefan]

I'm not sure why the author thinks we don't sign top name recruits. Granted, we aren't North Carolina or Kentucky, but I have been very pleased with the type of talent we have been bringing in the past 5 seasons and think we do pretty well for the type of school we are. I feel confident that Buzz will be able to take us to the next level in terms of recruiting and is already showing signs of doing so, but I would be pretty happy continuing down our current trajectory.

Think he just means no 5 stars, ever except for Vander blue, who was the loweest 5-star (25th) in just one service (rivals) I believe.

I don't take that as a negative - we've built great teams an great players despite not competing with Kentucky, unc and others for the top 25 in the land every year.

Glass half full - think of what we could debit we start getting any 5-stars.

[strotty]

I haven't been around the college game all that long, but I'm going to guess it takes a while to build up the reputation that you can coach before 5-stars start listening, and then once they listen word spreads among recruits about Marquette, and from there you can start bringing them in for visits, etc., etc...

If we're going to be honest, Marquette isn't a selling point alone. The Dwyane Wade angle is fine and all, and even the Jordan sponsorship is very underrated as a selling point, but in the end it it comes down to Buzz selling his philosophies, personality and ability to get these guys to the NBA. That happens through winning games and getting national TV exposure. If he stays long enough, Buzz will get there in Milwaukee.

[Dawson Rental]

Think he just means no 5 stars, ever except for Vander blue, who was the loweest 5-star (25th) in just one service (rivals) I believe.

I don't take that as a negative - we've built great teams an great players despite not competing with Kentucky, unc and others for the top 25 in the land every year.

Glass half full - think of what we could debit we start getting any 5-stars.

I'm be more than happy to settle for a steady stream of 4-star big men.

[Dawson Rental]

But St Louis is better.....

That's not beating a dead horse, that's beating a dead and buried horse.

[77ncaachamps]

That paragraph read like a Google search for "Marquette basketball".

Informative? Hardly.

[bilsu]

I haven't been around the college game all that long, but I'm going to guess it takes a while to build up the reputation that you can coach before 5-stars start listening, and then once they listen word spreads among recruits about Marquette, and from there you can start bringing them in for visits, etc., etc...

If we're going to be honest, Marquette isn't a selling point alone. The Dwyane Wade angle is fine and all, and even the Jordan sponsorship is very underrated as a selling point, but in the end it it comes down to Buzz selling his philosophies, personality and ability to get these guys to the NBA. That happens through winning games and getting national TV exposure. If he stays long enough, Buzz will get there in Milwaukee.

I would think that D. Wade is not much of a selling point, since he was a Crean player. Buzz can take no credit for Wade.

[Pakuni]

I would think that D. Wade is not much of a selling point, since he was a Crean player. Buzz can take no credit for Wade.

DWade was a Marquette player, though.
I'd venture to guess that Roy Williams isn't shy about showing recruits the #23 hanging from the rafters of the Dean Dome.

[strotty]

DWade was a Marquette player, though.
I'd venture to guess that Roy Williams isn't shy about showing recruits the #23 hanging from the rafters of the Dean Dome.

Yeah, but Roy Williams was the lead recruiter on Jordan as an assistant under Dean Smith.

But still, Wade is most definitely a selling point for Williams. Not only do Williams and Wade have a pretty good relationship, Wade's picture is also everywhere in the AL and a Marquette guy is a Marquette guy. Buzz may not take credit for Wade, but Marquette does and recruits know it.

[brewcity77]

Yeah, but Roy Williams was the lead recruiter on Jordan as an assistant under Dean Smith.

But still, Wade is most definitely a selling point for Williams. Not only do Williams and Wade have a pretty good relationship, Wade's picture is also everywhere in the AL and a Marquette guy is a Marquette guy. Buzz may not take credit for Wade, but Marquette does and recruits know it.

Agreed. Remember, Wade came back for Marquette Madness just a year ago. He's keeping his association with the school. I'm sure Buzz and the recruiters are more than happy to take advantage of having one of the best pro alums in the league.

[4everwarriors]

Wade is as much of a selling point for MU as he allows them to be. IU shorts and the Coppertone poster child tends to send mixed messages.

[bradley center bat]

Marquette doesn't fill up the Bradley Center? What!  MU, is like most sports team college/pro. They fill it up on weekends and it's a bit of a tough time during the week.

[Jay Bee]

Myron is a good kid.  From Milwaukee, but not a MU fan.

[MisterJaylenBrownMU]

Marquette doesn't fill up the Bradley Center? What!  MU, is like most sports team college/pro. They fill it up on weekends and it's a bit of a tough time during the week.

No kidding.  If the only thing that qualifies as "filling the stadium" is sell-outs, then even the Bucks aren't filling it up.  Averaging 80% attendance is pretty impressive given we only draw 12,000-13,000 for games like Mount St. Mary's, Jacksonville and Northern Colorado. 

[real chili 83]

Myron is a good kid.  From Milwaukee, but not a MU fan.

His Linkedin page looks like he is from So. MN.  Not a big deal.  Overall, a positive article.

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/myron-medcalf/1/a84/930

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Marquette doesn't fill up the Bradley Center? What!  MU, is like most sports team college/pro. They fill it up on weekends and it's a bit of a tough time during the week.

I wouldn't take his comment as a slight.

UK has a huge stadium, and you could say they fill it up, Louisville has a big arena, and you could say they fill it up.

MU has a big arena, and I wouldn't say we fill it up. Not a knock on MU, just the truth. It's not a nightly sell-out.

[MisterJaylenBrownMU]

I wouldn't take his comment as a slight.

UK has a huge stadium, and you could say they fill it up, Louisville has a big arena, and you could say they fill it up.

MU has a big arena, and I wouldn't say we fill it up. Not a knock on MU, just the truth. It's not a nightly sell-out.

I think "filling it up" means putting butts in most of the seats, not literally pushing it to capacity.  It's one thing if you've got 55-60% attendance, but 80% average attendance in an NBA-capacity arena is pretty stellar across the country.  

And I can cherry-pick schools, too:  I'm sure Syracuse ((#2) averaged 22,312 in an arena that seats 33,000) and Tennessee ((#5) put 18,952 in a 24,678 arena) would kill for our % attendance.  

[DSEEagle]

You've clearly never been to a Syracuse game. I would kill for an atmosphere like that.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I think "filling it up" means putting butts in most of the seats, not literally pushing it to capacity.  It's one thing if you've got 55-60% attendance, but 80% average attendance in an NBA-capacity arena is pretty stellar across the country.  

And I can cherry-pick schools, too:  I'm sure Syracuse ((#2) averaged 22,312 in an arena that seats 33,000) and Tennessee ((#5) put 18,952 in a 24,678 arena) would kill for our % attendance.  

He stated that MU was 13th in attendance. Honestly, I can't see how his comments were some sort of jab at MU.

We'll just have to agree to disagree.