Final Four Team - Where are they now?

[warriorchick]

Nice post by GoMarquette.com

http://www.gomarquette.com/blog/2013/02/where-are-they-now-2003-final-four-team.html

Nice to see that quite a number of them are playing pro ball - even as old men in their late twenties/early thirties.

[🏀]

Terry Sanders gave up on the juice stand?

Also, Jeff Strohm is back in the business at Tulane. Wasn't he regarded at Crean's best recruiter, but hung 'em up to spend time with his family?

[RJax55]

Darrin Horn is currently doing some broadcasting for ESPN.

[MUMonster03]

Did anyone else forget how young this team actually was? Only 3 juniors and 1 senior.

[MerrittsMustache]

Did anyone else forget how young this team actually was? Only 3 juniors and 1 senior.

Yeah, but one of the juniors was a lottery pick and the senior was by far the team's second-most important player. Look at the underclassmen on that team. Novak, Diener and not much else.

[honkytonk]

Kansas had to have been the oldest, most experienced team in the Final Four that year. Syracuse was easily the youngest.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Terry Sanders gave up on the juice stand?

Also, Jeff Strohm is back in the business at Tulane. Wasn't he regarded at Crean's best recruiter, but hung 'em up to spend time with his family?

Smooth Drinxx was actually pretty good

[MUfan12]

Also, Jeff Strohm is back in the business at Tulane. Wasn't he regarded at Crean's best recruiter, but hung 'em up to spend time with his family?

If I remember right, his daughter had some rare illness, and he left coaching for awhile to be with her. Great guy, glad to see he's back coaching again.

[keefe]

Smooth Drinxx was actually pretty good

He was. I thought he was a school teacher in Milwaukee. Sorry he gave that up. Filthy lucre.

[warriorchick]

He was. I thought he was a school teacher in Milwaukee. Sorry he gave that up. Filthy lucre.

We met him a few years back at a Blue & Gold function, and at the time, I believe he said he was still involved with MPS.  But don't I think it was as an actual classroom teacher.  It was more of a mentorship-type thing.  Maybe jsglow's memory is better than mine on this one.

I certainly hope he is involved with at-risk youth in one way or another.  He is certainly a wonderful role model in regards to life after (or even instead of) basketball.

[keefe]

We met him a few years back at a Blue & Gold function, and at the time, I believe he said he was still involved with MPS.  But don't I think it was as an actual classroom teacher.  It was more of a mentorship-type thing.  Maybe jsglow's memory is better than mine on this one.

I certainly hope he is involved with at-risk youth in one way or another.  He is certainly a wonderful role model in regards to life after (or even instead of) basketball.

That was also my thought - what a great role model in every way for disadvantaged kids. I met Sanders in 2000 and he struck me as remarkably mature and articulate young man. Hopefully he remains active in outreach as being successful in business can also send a compelling message to kids thinking of short cuts.

[MUMonster03]

Yeah, but one of the juniors was a lottery pick and the senior was by far the team's second-most important player. Look at the underclassmen on that team. Novak, Diener and not much else.

True.

I've always said that if we don't have Jackson the final four run doesn't happen. Wade was amazing and deserves all the credit he gets but to have a true big man down low helped out so much.

[Lacrosse218]

I count 13 players on that roster and I am pretty sure that Jared Sichting, Andy Freund, and Tony Gries were all walk-ons.  Did our 2003 Final Four team only have 10 scholarship players?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Yeah, but one of the juniors was a lottery pick and the senior was by far the team's second-most important player. Look at the underclassmen on that team. Novak, Diener and not much else.

A good mix of stars and role players.  Chapman, Bradley, Sanders and Townsend were big for that team in terms of intangibles.

Trey Schwab I still hear from once or twice a year.  Doing well.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

A good mix of stars and role players.  Chapman, Bradley, Sanders and Townsend were big for that team in terms of intangibles.

Trey Schwab I still hear from once or twice a year.  Doing well.

Trey is working at UW hospital in their Transplant/Organ Procurement department.  Pretty cool to be working for the place that saved your life, and so many others' lives.

[avid1010]

I believe he said he was still involved with MPS.  But don't I think it was as an actual classroom teacher.  It was more of a mentorship-type thing. 

i hope he's trying to accomplish something for those kids.  with MPS looking for 700 teachers i'm pretty sure he could be a teacher if he wanted to be...God help those kids...i don't believe either political party really gives a damn about them in the end...

[🏀]

Trey Schwab I still hear from once or twice a year.  Doing well.

Trey really, really wants your organs.

[keefe]

Trey really, really wants your organs.

Speaking of organs, anyone hear how Ron Jeremy is doing?

[MU82]

Yeah, but one of the juniors was a lottery pick and the senior was by far the team's second-most important player. Look at the underclassmen on that team. Novak, Diener and not much else.

This is an interesting conversation.

I do agree that Robert Jackson was the missing piece, the big man we so desperately needed. Then again, we don't beat either Holy Cross or Missouri if Travis Diener isn't an absolute cold-blooded assassin.

Point to Wade for season-long excellence and that incredible game against Kentucky. Point to Jackson as the man in the middle who made life easier for everybody else. But there is no Sweet Sixteen -- let alone Final Four -- if Diener didn't bail us out in the first two rounds.

[karavotsos]

Who's got my Goyang Orions tee?

[keefe]

True.

I've always said that if we don't have Jackson the final four run doesn't happen. Wade was amazing and deserves all the credit he gets but to have a true big man down low helped out so much.

We don't beat UK without Jackson's performance. So much is said about Wade's game that R Jax is often overlooked. He scored 24 and pulled down 15 while shutting down that pretty boy Marquis Estill. Estill was asked after the game about playing against R Jax at Miss State and he replied, "I never heard of Robert Jackson." When told of this comment Jackson said, "He's heard of me now!" Great comeback.

Estill declared early that year and went undrafted, the first Kentucky early departure to not get drafted. He never played for any NBA team and disappeared to Europe.

[real chili 83]

We don't beat UK without Jackson's performance. So much is said about Wade's game that R Jax is often overlooked. He scored 24 and pulled down 15 while shutting down that pretty boy Marquis Estill. Estill was asked after the game about playing against R Jax at Miss State and he replied, "I never heard of Robert Jackson." When told of this comment Jackson said, "He's heard of me now!" Great comeback.

Estill declared early that year and went undrafted, the first Kentucky early departure to not get drafted. He never played for any NBA team and disappeared to Europe.

Jackson was huge in the Kentucky game.  Got to see that game in person.  He absolutely
made a fool out of Estill on the court.

I have a MU BBall t shirt autographed by the whole team except for Deiner.  A fellow 83 classmate was the GM of the hotel the team was staying at in MPLS. He hosted a pre game function where the player were present.  Dwade was the last autograph I got that night.....had to run him down in the elevator.  I remember kidding him about how it was the price of fame for him to have to sign autographs in elevators.  He chuckled as he signed the shirt.

Still need to track down Deiner some day for that last autograph.

[Stretchdeltsig]

What is Diener doing now?

[ronald dragon]

What is Diener doing now?

He is playing over in Spain right now.

[LeftyWarrior]

He is playing over in Spain right now.

Nope. He is in Italy playing. He was on a local sports talk show on Thursday. Turned down chance to sit on the bench in the NBA to play in Italy.