For people who say "Buzz will learn from this"...

[WarriorGreg1965]

What makes you think he'll play next year's freshman?

What did he learn during THIS season?

How did MU get better during the season due to Buzz "learning" and changing what wasn't working?

He strikes me as very stubborn and not one to easily change any of his coaching philosophies.

And Buzz still hasn't learned how to teach a decent inbounds play, even after all his years at MU.

[77ncaachamps]

The frosh may not have been ready.

Jake and DWil were ridden as long as he felt they can be ridden. Loyalty is important to Buzz, it appears.

But with Deonte starting and the NIT or CBI upon us, I think he'll be playing the youngsters more.

[willie warrior]

The frosh may not have been ready.

Jake and DWil were ridden as long as he felt they can be ridden. Loyalty is important to Buzz, it appears.

But with Deonte starting and the NIT or CBI upon us, I think he'll be playing the youngsters more.

No evidence of that.

[Hards Alumni]

No evidence of that.

lmao  except every time they checked into the games they played in, aside from Deonte.

[KenoshaWarrior]

What makes you think he'll play next year's freshman?

What did he learn during THIS season?

How did MU get better during the season due to Buzz "learning" and changing what wasn't working?

He strikes me as very stubborn and not one to easily change any of his coaching philosophies.

And Buzz still hasn't learned how to teach a decent inbounds play, even after all his years at MU.

So your in the "Team had one bad year, lets fire our coach who has the best track record since McGuire"  Gotcha!!

[MU111]

What makes you think he'll play next year's freshman?

What did he learn during THIS season?

How did MU get better during the season due to Buzz "learning" and changing what wasn't working?

He strikes me as very stubborn and not one to easily change any of his coaching philosophies.

And Buzz still hasn't learned how to teach a decent inbounds play, even after all his years at MU.

First your thread saying we should turn down an NIT invitation, and now this?  Just stop already.  It's been nine years since we last missed the tourney.  Every program is going to have a down year once in awhile, and you're forgetting all of the success Buzz has had up until this point.  In the '80s and '90s, we would have killed for what we have now.

[CTWarrior]

I don't know what specifically Buzz is going to learn from this season, other than it is necessary to recruit threats at every position.  He's a good coach and is still growing.

We have been so spoiled by success that we have trouble dealing with one bad week, let alone one subpar season. 

I don't think he did a good job with this team, but I think this season's troubles fall more on Buzz Williams the GM than Buzz Williams the basketball coach.  Too many incomplete players and tough to puzzle them together into a winning combination.

[NoCheese]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say Buzz learned more (will learn more from this season) than most, if not all, of you will from your experiences at work this past year.

The fan base is spoiled. Delirious. MU sucked - SUCKED - in the late 80's and MU hasn't had a better coach since McGuire. 

He may not have been perfect with the management of the team this year but we had Vander leave, Du Wilson red-shirted, whats-his-face quit before the season start, and J Wilson under perform. We were missing a stud. On the bright side, Burton looks like he's developing into a stud.

I'm an optimist. Love the program, love the coaching staff, love the kids, can't stand this board.

[hairy worthen]

First your thread saying we should turn down an NIT invitation, and now this?  Just stop already.  It's been nine years since we last missed the tourney.  Every program is going to have a down year once in awhile, and you're forgetting all of the success Buzz has had up until this point.  In the '80s and '90s, we would have killed for what we have now.

How ironic that the success Buzz has brought to the program is the reason why some here are spoiled and have unreasonable expectations. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

I don't know what specifically Buzz is going to learn from this season, other than it is necessary to recruit threats at every position.  He's a good coach and is still growing.

We have been so spoiled by success that we have trouble dealing with one bad week, let alone one subpar season. 

I don't think he did a good job with this team, but I think this season's troubles fall more on Buzz Williams the GM than Buzz Williams the basketball coach.  Too many incomplete players and tough to puzzle them together into a winning combination.

Nicely said, though Buzz the coach made some quirky moves, too.


For those upset about the criticism, totally get it.  This is the world we live in.  As Hank Raymonds said back in 2003, a monster is being created and that is both good and bad.  People become used to hitting the same level year in and year out.  For some of us in certain kinds of jobs, same thing....you're as good as your last sale or your last deal or your last quarterly number.  It sucks, it wears you down, it is the world that many live in.

Interesting offseason ahead?

[reinko]

Every time I see this a post from this fellow, can only think about GREGGGGGGGGG Easterbrook

http://deadspin.com/5982224/for-the-final-time-gregg-easterbrook-is-a-haughty-dipshit

http://deadspin.com/5831386/gregggggg-easterbrook-is-5000-years-old

Weirdly, I see some similarities

[keefe]

can't stand this board.

"...he was at once attracted to and repulsed by the very idea of MUScoop..."

[Aughnanure]

What makes you think he'll play next year's freshman?

What makes you think we'll NEED to play the freshman? Pierce will get some play cause we'll need his size before Fischer is eligible (and probably just to give him a breather all year) and I think Hill will play if he can shoot like he is expected to. But outside that, the frosh really should just be filling holes and helping players get rest. We should hopefully be playing starting 3 sophomores, 1 junior, and 1 senior.

Taylor|Burton|Mayo|JJJ/Ahmed Hill|Du Wilson OR Fischer|Taylor|Burton|Mayo|Du Wilson

[NersEllenson]

Was an off year for Buzz, yet have no doubt he will reflect and learn from this season.  Things I'd hope he learns:

- Identify your best 9 players, and focus on developing a consistent rotation and substitution pattern.

- That freshman can come in and contribute immediately, and that by virtue of a player being an upperclassmen, that cannot led to him being on the floor more or ahead of a more talented underclassmen.

- Focus on recruiting a lightening quick PG - even if smaller in size than ideal - such as Kiefer Sykes or Jordan Aaron...but a guy that can get low to the ground, break a defense down, and create good looks for a supporting cast that CAN shoot the ball well from distance.

- Reflect on defensive philosophy - the protect the paint at all costs mentality - leads to numerous open 3's for our opposition, and college ball seems to be going the way of teams that can shoot the 3.  Also, pick a defensive philosophy and stick with it - man or zone.  Repetition builds consistency...much like it does with playing time - the more playing time a player gets, the more consistent their performance should be.

[TomW1365]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say Buzz learned more (will learn more from this season) than most, if not all, of you will from your experiences at work this past year.

The fan base is spoiled. Delirious. MU sucked - SUCKED - in the late 80's and MU hasn't had a better coach since McGuire. 

He may not have been perfect with the management of the team this year but we had Vander leave, Du Wilson red-shirted, whats-his-face quit before the season start, and J Wilson under perform. We were missing a stud. On the bright side, Burton looks like he's developing into a stud.

I'm an optimist. Love the program, love the coaching staff, love the kids, can't stand this board.

.  Couldn't have said it better myself.  It's been 7 years since I had to watch the opening round of the NCAA tournament without my Marquette team in the fold.  This was a rough year but we will recover and this team will get better with the leadership of the hardest working coach in America.  

[tower912]

Buzz is the best coach MU has had since Al.   6 years, 139 wins, 69-39 in the Big East, 8 tourney wins.   This year things didn't fall together.    Actually listen to what he says and you can get a pretty good idea why he thinks that is.    Next year is going to be a different adventure altogether with different expectations.    I can't think of 3 coaches that would come to MU that I would prefer to Buzz.   How good it has been at MU under Buzz can be summed up in this quote from last night's post game presser.   "I don't even know how the NIT works."     

[PE8983]

If he didn't learn that DW is not the answer at PG, then we are in for a long year next year as well.  Need to pick Duane or JD to run the point, and give them the minutes.  I can't take another year of triple D (dribbling dribbling Derrick).

Last night was just brutal to watch our starting backcourt.  Attach a man to Jake rendering him ineffective (2 shots in 35 min or whatever).  Don't guard Derrick - no shots nor drives to the hoop in 35 min or whatever.  Essentially means the SF, PF, and C have to move out beyond the 3 pt line to play "pass the ball back and forth" with Derrick.  Stagnant is an understatement.

If this is not corrected in the offseason, I think alot of faith in going to be lost in our coach.

[willie warrior]

Buzz is the best coach MU has had since Al.   6 years, 139 wins, 69-39 in the Big East, 8 tourney wins.   This year things didn't fall together.    Actually listen to what he says and you can get a pretty good idea why he thinks that is.    Next year is going to be a different adventure altogether with different expectations.    I can't think of 3 coaches that would come to MU that I would prefer to Buzz.   How good it has been at MU under Buzz can be summed up in this quote from last night's post game presser.   "I don't even know how the NIT works."     

Can't think of 3? None of them would come but: Boeheim, Pitino, Calipari, Izzo, the Mayor, Mack, K, R. Williams, Wright, Brown, Dixon, Pastner, etc. just a quick snap. You need to put your thinking cap on. Because it will happen one day.

And by the way, if you swallow Buzz's "I don't even know how the NIT works" line, you really are a sucker for the downhome lonesome cowboy image. And if you take everything he says for gospel, how about his repeated statement that "I'm not a very good coach"? It must be tough to decide what to believe and not believe when Buzz speaks.

[Big Papi]

Was an off year for Buzz, yet have no doubt he will reflect and learn from this season.  Things I'd hope he learns:

- Identify your best 9 players, and focus on developing a consistent rotation and substitution pattern.

I think he did identify his best 9 players but it was not the 9 players you wanted.  His substitution pattern for the most part was fairly consistent, especially the second half of the year. 

- That freshman can come in and contribute immediately, and that by virtue of a player being an upperclassmen, that cannot led to him being on the floor more or ahead of a more talented underclassmen.

I know this comment is about Derrick, Jake and Juan but to your first point above this, Buzz identified that Derrick was better than Dawson and that Jake was better than JJJ.  Juan's minutes were mostly limited the second half of the year and he provided the defense and energy that Buzz wanted.  If there is one thing I take away from last night's game is that Burton should have played more minutes the second half of the year and those minutes needed to come from Jamil Wilson but that is an extremely tough decision to make

- Focus on recruiting a lightening quick PG - even if smaller in size than ideal - such as Kiefer Sykes or Jordan Aaron...but a guy that can get low to the ground, break a defense down, and create good looks for a supporting cast that CAN shoot the ball well from distance. 

I would rather have a Duane Wilson.  You don't need a small lightening quick PG. You can have a good shooting point guard that defenses have to play tightly and that allows for more driving opportunities.  We really missed Duane's abilities this year as he would have offset Derrick's weaknesses

- Reflect on defensive philosophy - the protect the paint at all costs mentality - leads to numerous open 3's for our opposition, and college ball seems to be going the way of teams that can shoot the 3.  Also, pick a defensive philosophy and stick with it - man or zone.  Repetition builds consistency...much like it does with playing time - the more playing time a player gets, the more consistent their performance should be.

I don't like Buzz's defensive philosophy.  We get beat way too easy off the dribble and that is everybody on the team.  Furthermore, I don't like switching as often as we do.  You do it enough times and there will be mismatches to exploit.  Having said that, they do stick with man a majority of the time so he does have a defensive philosophy and there is repetition.  I have no problems with throwing in a different defense as a change of pace and if it works, sticking with it for a longer period.

[Class71]

What is the  difference between successful people and everyone else?  They learn from their mistakes and never give up. We know Buzz never gives up. I expect he will learn from his mistakes. Time will tell.  Yes, he is stubborn. That quality is what got a poor kid from Texas this far.  I vote for Buzz succeeding. Doubters beware, that same doubt can easily creep into our own lives. Fight it my friends, the struggle is what life is about. Fight the good fight in your lives.

[PE8983]

We get beat off the dribble all the time because everyone is taught they will have help.  How about a little accountability for staying in front of your man.  We play lazy defense as a result.

[79Warrior]

No evidence of that.

Really? well, Deonte sure has been getting playing time. Dawson was in for 7 minutes and threw up a ill timed three, got called for a charge on an out of control drive and had Zero points. JJJ, who knows but my guess is he is just not ready. Hard for you to accept, but sometimes the truth hurts.

[Wojo'sMojo]

If he didn't learn that DW is not the answer at PG, then we are in for a long year next year as well.  Need to pick Duane or JD to run the point, and give them the minutes.  I can't take another year of triple D (dribbling dribbling Derrick).

Last night was just brutal to watch our starting backcourt.  Attach a man to Jake rendering him ineffective (2 shots in 35 min or whatever).  Don't guard Derrick - no shots nor drives to the hoop in 35 min or whatever.  Essentially means the SF, PF, and C have to move out beyond the 3 pt line to play "pass the ball back and forth" with Derrick.  Stagnant is an understatement.

If this is not corrected in the offseason, I think alot of faith in going to be lost in our coach.

Agree, just terrible backcourt play. In the last 5 games Derrick has played 168 minutes. He is 3-16 on fg's, 4-14 on ft's, and a whopping 10 points. It is no wonder why we lost 4 out of 5 down the stretch. With numbers like that, Buzz must really dislike Dawson's game and if I was him I would look into getting the hell out of town. There are obviously more issues than just Derrick, but he is a huge part of our struggle this year.

[Boone]

If, 32 games into the season, top 40 recruit JJJ is any less ready than our one dimensional, limited walk-on, then something is horribly wrong in the way we're either developing talent or evaluating it.

[willie warrior]

Really? well, Deonte sure has been getting playing time. Dawson was in for 7 minutes and threw up a ill timed three, got called for a charge on an out of control drive and had Zero points. JJJ, who knows but my guess is he is just not ready. Hard for you to accept, but sometimes the truth hurts.

Really!!!!!!Last night is the only game where both saw significant minutes, if you want to call 7 minutes for Dawson significant. Otherwise Burton is the only one lately. Throughout the year, there were strtetches where he was barely used. JJJ goes from starting a couple games, I believe, to riding the pines. Duane Wilson was shut down when season began. Steve Taylor, a soph has played sparingly this year. Really. Hard for you to accept-but the truth hurts, yesiree.