Charles Matthews chooses UK

[The Equalizer]

Says who?  Cal has proven that if you want to go to the NBA, you play for him.  He puts his bench players in the first round of the NBA draft.  If I were a top 10 recruit, with the dorm they have there on top of that fact, there's nowhere else I would even consider.  Back at UMass when he was an unknown commodity he had to cheat to make it to the top.  At Memphis he had to cheat because he was a known cheater.  Then he got a job at arguably a top 3 basketball program in the country to go along with his ability to put players in the NBA and he doesn't have a need to cheat.  I would be very surprised if Cal was cheating at Kentucky.

What did he do at UMass?  I thought the issue there was Camby taking cash from an agent.

[willie warrior]

What did he do at UMass?  I thought the issue there was Camby taking cash from an agent.

Wherever this guy goes, shady things happen. Even if he did not do it all, he must have known about a lot, and he created the atmosphere.  Wouldn't be surprised if Shady has lots of buffers, just like the Corleone family. And somebody to take the fall for him.

[Dawson Rental]

WE'RE #2

Hey, it's on the road to number 1.

BTW, what are you doing here?  You're needed over at the "How many coaches?....." thread.

[4everwarriors]

Luke, Frazier, Spychalla, and Ostrand were all in "Individual and Dual Sports" with me at MU.

[4everwarriors]

Hey, it's on the road to number 1.

BTW, what are you doing here?  You're needed over at the "How many coaches?....." thread.

I'll get right on it, Boss.

[Eldon]

Not apples to apples comparison....in that Buzz was really short on his guys at the time Maymon and Blue came...not a lot of "program guys" in the program...cupboard was bare after Crean left and Big 3 were gone.

Buzz has said that he prefers playing upperclassmen to freshman recently...or is partial to upperclassmen...wish I could remember where that was said..as I'd link it...but know he said it.

As for Blue's freshman year...can anyone say his on court performance warranted as many minutes as he got...he looked totally overmatched, especially once Big East play rolled around...then again, perhaps there is that notion of Buzz not having a better option..as has been debated here ad nasuem with regard to PG situation.

I remember being frustrated with Blue his freshman year (I had supremely high expectations), but only on the offensive end.  I remember Blue being an outstanding defender from day one and this may be the reason he logged so many minutes.

[GooooMarquette]

Not apples to apples comparison....in that Buzz was really short on his guys at the time Maymon and Blue came...not a lot of "program guys" in the program...cupboard was bare after Crean left and Big 3 were gone.

Maymon perhaps, but not Blue.  In Blue's freshman season, we had Junior, Buycks and DJO.  Still, Buzz managed to find 19 mpg for Vander, in addition to almost 10 mpg for fellow frosh Reggie Smith.  The backcourt was hardly bare that season.

[GGGG]

I remember being frustrated with Blue his freshman year (I had supremely high expectations), but only on the offensive end.  I remember Blue being an outstanding defender from day one and this may be the reason he logged so many minutes.

It was exactly the reason he logged so many minutes. 

Here is what Luke Winn said about Blue when he played for USA basketball before even coming to Marquette.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/luke_winn/07/02/rivers.notes/

There is a reason he played so much.

[tower912]

Charles Matthews to UK?    The sun will come up tomorrow, it will be brutally freakin cold and the MU basketball program will continue.   Thankfully, we have JJJ and Ahmed Hill to soften the blow. 

[Stretchdeltsig]

Thought we had a million dollar per year assistant coach who would lock in the top Chicago recruits.

[GGGG]

Thought we had a million dollar per year assistant coach who would lock in the top Chicago recruits.

If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have been in the top 5, and we wouldn't have landed Ahmed Hill.

[Tugg Speedman]

If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have been in the top 5, and we wouldn't have landed Ahmed Hill.

and Malek Harris

[keefe]

perks

Weed, Money, and Punani?

[GGGG]

and Malek Harris

And Jajuan Johnson

[ecompt]

Says who?  Cal has proven that if you want to go to the NBA, you play for him.  He puts his bench players in the first round of the NBA draft.  If I were a top 10 recruit, with the dorm they have there on top of that fact, there's nowhere else I would even consider.  Back at UMass when he was an unknown commodity he had to cheat to make it to the top.  At Memphis he had to cheat because he was a known cheater.  Then he got a job at arguably a top 3 basketball program in the country to go along with his ability to put players in the NBA and he doesn't have a need to cheat.  I would be very surprised if Cal was cheating at Kentucky.

Cal cheats everywhere he goes. From buying players cars (DeJuan Wagner at Memphis) to having people take his players' ACTs, he is the scum of the coaching profession. A complete and utter sleazebag.

[KenoshaWarrior]

Sounds like Cals players love him, he loves his players, and he keeps them out of trouble.  Doesnt sound like a bad guy to me.

[swoopem]

Thought we had a million dollar per year assistant coach who would lock in the top Chicago recruits.

I'm really glad that Chew is on our staff and he's already paid dividends with the recruits that others have mentioned, but wasn't he supposed to have ties to St. Louis and KC? There's some good ball players down there and I haven't seen us being mentioned with any of them.

If that means we get the Ahmed Hill's of the world over a guy from the Lou than I'm all for it but geographically I thought that was his strong spot (plus Chicago).

[GGGG]

No Chew is from Chicago.  He was at Murray State for a number of years where he is credited for recruiting much of the players that they had on that team that MU knocked out a couple years ago.  He spent on year at Missouri, and then joined Illinois' staff briefly before coming to Marquette.

[brandx]

Cal cheats everywhere he goes. From buying players cars (DeJuan Wagner at Memphis) to having people take his players' ACTs, he is the scum of the coaching profession. A complete and utter sleazebag.

And you have proof? Or something close to it?
I don't believe he was ever accused of either of these except by fans from other schools. But if you have some proof, I would gladly change my mind.

Not disputing that he is a sleazebag.

[Lennys Tap]

And you have proof? Or something close to it?
I don't believe he was ever accused of either of these except by fans from other schools. But if you have some proof, I would gladly change my mind.

Not disputing that he is a sleazebag.

He has plausible deniability for his vacated Final Four at UMASS - it's certainly possible he was unaware that Marcus Camby took money from an agent. Hard to imagine he didn't know about the arrangement to have someone take Derrick Rose's ACT for him, though, so the vacated season/FF at Memphis is more problematic. Put those in a blender with his close ties to World Wide Wes and his employment at a university where winning at all costs is accepted and you have a pretty powerful and suspicious cocktail. His brand is so powerful now he may not have to cheat anymore - but believing he arrived there honestly requires a great deal of naïveté. When Chicos asserts that Cal goes to Mass daily it brings to mind the scene from The Godfather II where one of Michael's kids is baptized while his soldiers (assistant coaches?) are assassinating his competition.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I'm really glad that Chew is on our staff and he's already paid dividends with the recruits that others have mentioned, but wasn't he supposed to have ties to St. Louis and KC? There's some good ball players down there and I haven't seen us being mentioned with any of them.

We have offered and are in on Jayson Tatum. A concensus top 10 2016 SF recruit.

[Wojo'sMojo]

We have offered and are in on Jayson Tatum. A concensus top 10 2016 SF recruit.

Is Kentucky in on him as well? Hopefully not! I wonder if we were having a great season this year if it would have impacted Matthews decision at all?

[GGGG]

It didn't impact Kentucky's 2013 class.

[keefe]

It didn't impact Kentucky's 2013 class.

Yea, but Cal plays Freshmen!

[Sunbelt15]

Cal cheats everywhere he goes. From buying players cars (DeJuan Wagner at Memphis) to having people take his players' ACTs, he is the scum of the coaching profession. A complete and utter sleazebag.

I'm for players getting paid so I have no problem with players receiving cars, but not having to do the school work doesn't sit well for some reason.