Jabari Craig is NOT walking through that door

[Dawson Rental]

And when we do recruit "bigs" MU lists their heights several inches smaller on the roster.  Who's responsible for the MU roster and specifically the listed player heights.  Please update the heights for this year's team.

LOL  I guess that that's one way to "get" a big.

[Aughnanure]

I can think of three reasons currently.

  1) No recent history of a MU big making it in the NBA.  Was McCaskill (recruited by O'Neill) the last one?

  2) Negative recruiting, i.e. the Buzz is going to Texas rumor promulgated by certain other schools.

  3) Buzz's unwillingness to take just anyone based on size and reputation.  (Lammers? O'Mara?)

Nah, Buzz is just recruiting them all to Texas.

[willie warrior]

Yeah, you should probably just ask it every other post for the next couple of months.  It is a new and relevant topic that hasn't been discussed ad nauseum here.  Willie is our resident Captain Obvious.

Yeah HardsHead, except I am not raising the question--others are. I guess they are also Captain Obvious.

[Benny B]

Is that Davante on the left??? Somebody better feed that Guy!

Looks like he wants to take a bite out of Raferty.

[Hards Alumni]

Yeah HardsHead, except I am not raising the question--others are. I guess they are also Captain Obvious.

Didn't you chime in with a snarky comment?  And it is somehow surprising that an equally snarky comment was returned?

[LAZER]

I can think of three reasons currently.

  1) No recent history of a MU big making it in the NBA.  Was McCaskill (recruited by O'Neill) the last one?

  2) Negative recruiting, i.e. the Buzz is going to Texas rumor promulgated by certain other schools.

  3) Buzz's unwillingness to take just anyone based on size and reputation.  (Lammers? O'Mara?)

I think 1 and 3 are most likely.  #2 would apply to all recruits and that hasn't slowed Buzz down at all at other positions.

Honestly, I'm shocked the available playing time hasn't lured a top 150 C.

[tower912]

Unless the 2014 big men all know that Stone is coming in 15, which will impact their playing time.     IMO, JUCO big signed in the spring. 

[GGGG]

I think 1 and 3 are most likely.  #2 would apply to all recruits and that hasn't slowed Buzz down at all at other positions.

Honestly, I'm shocked the available playing time hasn't lured a top 150 C.

Another thought....

A lot of the quality bigs lately are not from the midwest.  If you notice, Buzz's recruiting has really started to center on the midwest with a few exceptions here and there.  A lot of the guys we are in on are not from around here.  They are bitching about some of the same things on the UW boards - they haven't brought any height in both last class and so far this one.

Now this is changing in 2015, but that could be a factor.

[jsglow]

Another thought....

A lot of the quality bigs lately are not from the midwest.  If you notice, Buzz's recruiting has really started to center on the midwest with a few exceptions here and there.  A lot of the guys we are in on are not from around here.  They are bitching about some of the same things on the UW boards - they haven't brought any height in both last class and so far this one.

Now this is changing in 2015, but that could be a factor.

Except Sultan that Buzz has demonstrated the ability to go coast to coast.  Heck, he'll go to Alaska or rural New Mexico.  I think that might simply be a coincidence.  I'm not particularly worried.  He'll have a plan.

[4everwarriors]

Any word on Jabari Parker, then?

[GGGG]

Except Sultan that Buzz has demonstrated the ability to go coast to coast.  Heck, he'll go to Alaska or rural New Mexico.  I think that might simply be a coincidence.  I'm not particularly worried.  He'll have a plan.

Not highly rated players.  With one exception (JJJ - who probably would have played for Memphis had not he got caught in a numbers game with Nick King) almost all of Buzz's higher rated players have come from the midwest.  The guys coming here from across the country are either under-the-radar guys or fringe top 100 type guys.

(I guess we could include Jamail Jones and Erik Williams too...)

Look, I think we are going to be fine.  Buzz finds people.  He is on more than just Tori Miller.  They may be more under-the-radar than we have hoped, but Buzz has proven that he can take those guys and make them serviceable big men.

[willie warrior]

Didn't you chime in with a snarky comment?  And it is somehow surprising that an equally snarky comment was returned?

Just like your own snark, eh? The pot calling the kettle black. Get real--you just object to anybody questioning our ability to recruit stud bigs, and use your own snark when that occurs. I do not question it anymore--you know, the law of averages, says sooner or later. I did remind the poster that his question was not really appropriate for some on this board.

[jsglow]

You make a good point sultan.  I concur that Buzz' blue chip kids (non JUCO) have been Midwestern with the exception of Juan and JJJ.  Guess I'd put that list as Vander, Deonte, Duane, Jeronne and Steve.  Certainly it seems true going forward as well.

[Hards Alumni]

Just like your own snark, eh? The pot calling the kettle black. Get real--you just object to anybody questioning our ability to recruit stud bigs, and use your own snark when that occurs. I do not question it anymore--you know, the law of averages, says sooner or later. I did remind the poster that his question was not really appropriate for some on this board.

Please point to evidence supporting your claim that I object to anyone questioning our ability to recruit stud bigs.  I just think it is a discussion that has been done to death on the board.  Maybe next you will bring up the "Chicos is hoopaloop" theory; haven't heard that in a while.

The point is that all you do is point out that we can't recruit bigs.  No kidding.  Everyone knows it.  Have some analysis?  That's fine.  Have an idea what we need to do to correct it?  Great.  Just don't sit back and cry about it every chance you get. 

[Lennys Tap]

You make a good point sultan.  I concur that Buzz' blue chip kids (non JUCO) have been Midwestern with the exception of Juan and JJJ.  Guess I'd put that list as Vander, Deonte, Duane, Jeronne and Steve.  Certainly it seems true going forward as well.

Junior Cadougan (Texas out of Canada), Jamail Jones (Florida out of, I think, Georgia) and Erik Williams (Texas) were all "blue chippers" rated in the top 75 in their class.

[Lennys Tap]

Please point to evidence supporting your claim that I object to anyone questioning our ability to recruit stud bigs.  I just think it is a discussion that has been done to death on the board.  Maybe next you will bring up the "Chicos is hoopaloop" theory; haven't heard that in a while.

The point is that all you do is point out that we can't recruit bigs.  No kidding.  Everyone knows it.  Have some analysis?  That's fine.  Have an idea what we need to do to correct it?  Great.  Just don't sit back and cry about it every chance you get. 

His "analysis" is that it's unacceptable. The consequence of this "unacceptable" shortcoming should be nothing. Hope he's not anyone's father.

[willie warrior]

Please point to evidence supporting your claim that I object to anyone questioning our ability to recruit stud bigs.  I just think it is a discussion that has been done to death on the board.  Maybe next you will bring up the "Chicos is hoopaloop" theory; haven't heard that in a while.

The point is that all you do is point out that we can't recruit bigs.  No kidding.  Everyone knows it.  Have some analysis?  That's fine.  Have an idea what we need to do to correct it?  Great.  Just don't sit back and cry about it every chance you get. 

More snark--snark, snark. Not crying about it--you seem to be crying about my comment about somebody else bringing it up. I'm not raising it anymore--law of averages. Pick on that person for bringing it up--or perhaps you like "beating a dead horse"

[jsglow]

Junior Cadougan (Texas out of Canada), Jamail Jones (Florida out of, I think, Georgia) and Erik Williams (Texas) were all "blue chippers" rated in the top 75 in their class.

True 'nuff.

[Dawson Rental]

Junior Cadougan (Texas out of Canada), Jamail Jones (Florida out of, I think, Georgia) and Erik Williams (Texas) were all "blue chippers" rated in the top 75 in their class.

Erik Williams was top 100, but not top 75.

[brewcity77]

Junior Cadougan (Texas out of Canada), Jamail Jones (Florida out of, I think, Georgia) and Erik Williams (Texas) were all "blue chippers" rated in the top 75 in their class.

Those were also 3 guys from Buzz's first two classes. In recent years, he has definitely made a shift to recruiting locally. Whether that's a product or more highly rated available players in Wisconsin and close to the borders or a planned shift I don't know, but in the past couple years and going forward, recruits like Taylor, Burton, Wilson, McKay, Harris, Cohen, Noskowiak, and Flory show a strong movement to recruit local.

Clearly we are still mining for diamonds in the rough outside this area, and recruiting guys like JJJ and Hill shows we will still try to recruit nationally, but we've put a premium on closing some of our borders and saying "These are OUR guys."

[bilsu]

Crean had no success with Bigs as well!

Depending on how you define bigs.
Merritt
Jackson
Jackson
Novak
Kinsella
Barro
Grimm

[NYWarrior]

Erik Williams was top 100, but not top 75.

EWill was #70 for the class of 2009 per the RSCI consensus index

http://www.rscihoops.com/

[Lennys Tap]

Erik Williams was top 100, but not top 75.

Erik Williams was #67 in the 2009 final RSCI.

[Lennys Tap]

EWill was #70 for the class of 2009 per the RSCI consensus index

http://www.rscihoops.com/

Sorry I missed this or would not have replied.

[Lennys Tap]

Those were also 3 guys from Buzz's first two classes. In recent years, he has definitely made a shift to recruiting locally. Whether that's a product or more highly rated available players in Wisconsin and close to the borders or a planned shift I don't know, but in the past couple years and going forward, recruits like Taylor, Burton, Wilson, McKay, Harris, Cohen, Noskowiak, and Flory show a strong movement to recruit local.

Clearly we are still mining for diamonds in the rough outside this area, and recruiting guys like JJJ and Hill shows we will still try to recruit nationally, but we've put a premium on closing some of our borders and saying "These are OUR guys."

No disagreements.