Getting close with Howland

[BCHoopster]

Why wouldn't he be able to recruit?  He is already an established coach.  Still has all his AAU and HS connections.  Any coach in the Midwest is already going to be familiar with him and his credibility.  He would have a much easier time than Marshall by far.

I never said I was sold on Marshall, not a hire I am excited about.  Just like the young coaches with lots of enthusiasm.  There are issues at an university that does not have an athletic director and president of the U.  If they were strong, tight with the head coach, believe in the same mission then a coach should last along time at MU.  Buzz had a different agenda, maybe to win at all costs.  To much under the table crap with Buzz that was pushed under the rug.  I would like to hear the real Mayo story, or the Monarch issue (there is more to this than a drive to Chicago), the Vander Blue issues, DJO problems, they all add up.  Time to clean it all up, this is there chance.  Maybe all those issues got to Buzz, the righteous one, who says, "as long as they want me I will stay at MU", well maybe they did not want him any longer.  Maybe Buzz could not sleep at night with all he did under the table at MU.  He did one right thing that is for sure Buzz's Bunch, give him a high 5 for that.  Whomever they hire, take your time and get it right.  MU is a great job with great resources, top 10 in that category.

[T.V. Diener 34]

Michael Hunt ‏@MichaelHuntMJS  2m
#mubb No contact between Marquette and Ben Howland on Sunday.

I don't know what to think of all of this speculation but I'll be disappointed if we don't get Smart, Howland, or Marshall... unless there's some other big name involved that I have no idea about yet.

[GoldenWarrior11]

I don't know what to think of all of this speculation but I'll be disappointed if we don't get Smart, Howland, or Marshall... unless there's some other big name involved that I have no idea about yet.

Agreed.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I don't know what to think of all of this speculation but I'll be disappointed if we don't get Smart, Howland, or Marshall... unless there's some other big name involved that I have no idea about yet.

That's the danger of getting overly excited on all of this.

[Scooter22]

+1 to Chicos - I'm waiting to see

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

Rumor mill likely running faster than reality.

That said, I can't remember too many ESPN-run stories missing by that much... at least not how they were really amping up Howland to MU.

I'm confident ESPN has more robust sources in each camp than anyone on here.

I'll support whoever they bring in, but I'm in Camp Howland!

[Eldon]

Rumor mill likely running faster than reality.

That said, I can't remember too many ESPN-run stories missing by that much... at least not how they were really amping up Howland to MU.

I'm confident ESPN has more robust sources in each camp than anyone on here.

I'll support whoever they bring in, but I'm in Camp Howland!

Same here.  #teamhowland  #teamdawson #teamscoop

[NivTastic]

Rumor mill likely running faster than reality.

That said, I can't remember too many ESPN-run stories missing by that much... at least not how they were really amping up Howland to MU.

I'm confident ESPN has more robust sources in each camp than anyone on here.

I'll support whoever they bring in, but I'm in Camp Howland!

What does Fox Sports have to say?

[MUHoopsFan2]

That SI story about Howland and UCLA have me doubting that he's the right man for the job. Some really disturbing things in there. He does have a great record though...

I don't like the Howland fit. To me it is too safe. If Smart won't talk much less come, I am down for Gregg Marshall, or even Brian Wardle.

[Rockmic87]

I think a lot of people are just being prisoners of the moment with Marshall.  He's had a two year stint with the same guys that play well together.  To me, he is just another version of St. Joes Phil Martelli (04-05 season with Delonte West and Jameer Nelson).  Like Martelli, Marshall will likely be forgotten about this time next year...

[ChicosBailBonds]

I don't like the Howland fit. To me it is too safe. If Smart won't talk much less come, I am down for Gregg Marshall, or even Brian Wardle.

Brian can be had at any time....I like Brian, but I would be extremely disappointed if that is who we ended up with this week.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I think a lot of people are just being prisoners of the moment with Marshall.  He's had a two year stint with the same guys that play well together.  To me, he is just another version of St. Joes Phil Martelli (04-05 season with Delonte West and Jameer Nelson).  Like Martelli, Marshall will likely be forgotten about this time next year...

I don't know, he's been good everywhere he's been. 

Took Winthrop to the NCAAs 7 times in 9 years.

Took over a bad Wichita State team and after losing season in year one, has won 25 or more games in 5 of the last 6 years.

[Avenue Commons]

I think a lot of people are just being prisoners of the moment with Marshall.  He's had a two year stint with the same guys that play well together.  To me, he is just another version of St. Joes Phil Martelli (04-05 season with Delonte West and Jameer Nelson).  Like Martelli, Marshall will likely be forgotten about this time next year...

The interesting this to me is that Marshall is 51 and Howland is 56. I'm very very impressed with what Marshall did the last two years, but he isn't that stereotypical upstart mid-major coach.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

They should have done better with the talent he had and could get.  So why did he get let go from UCLA then, Bill Walton hated his style of play. Of course, what does Bill know about hoops.

On WFAN radio they always play for comedic value an interview clip from Bil Walton where he says "Mike D'Antoni is a genius."

[TJ]

I was told that Shaka declined to speak with Marquette. Looks like he is committed to my current institution. Win-win for me tonight.

This really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone...

[TJ]

I would be floored if this was true. He may not make a move, but he'd talk.

Why?  What in the past three years of every single school looking for a coach failing to get Shaka Smart made you believe that MU was suddenly the one?

[TJ]

I don't like the Howland fit. To me it is too safe. If Smart won't talk much less come, I am down for Gregg Marshall, or even Brian Wardle.

Seriously?  You don't like Howland and you want Brian Wardle instead?  The only possible disappointment for me this week is if they hire Brian Wardle.

[Litehouse]

Seriously?  You don't like Howland and you want Brian Wardle instead?  The only possible disappointment for me this week is if they hire Brian Wardle.

If one were a believer of ESPN conspiracy theories, they pump up the Howland story, only to make MU/Big East look bad when we hire Wardle.

[frozena pizza]

I like Wardle as our next hire 7-10 years from now.  Not now and not if we can get Howland or Smart.

[humanlung]

Just wondering if all the people concerned about Howland at UCLA considered the fact that he is more of a blue-collar, work hard, play defense kind of coach who was then living in a part of the world where style quite often trumped substance?  Better to be flashy and lose than fundamentally sound and win? 

To the best of my memory, there were no issues while at Pitt or Northern Arizona. 

[Aughnanure]

Just wondering if all the people concerned about Howland at UCLA considered the fact that he is more of a blue-collar, work hard, play defense kind of coach who was then living in a part of the world where style quite often trumped substance?  Better to be flashy and lose than fundamentally sound and win? 

To the best of my memory, there were no issues while at Pitt or Northern Arizona. 

I generally like the style of play where we win.

[chapman]

I generally like the style of play where we win.

That is preferable.  Don't have the numbers, but I'll also assume his defensive style isn't one where every team shoots lights out from beyond the arc on him, which would be more exciting than our style the past couple years. 

As far as pace, UCLA was #30 in adjusted tempo last year, MU was #239.  And Howland said to Seth Davis in September, "There's no question, we will run more wherever I'm at a year from now."

[Rockmic87]

If Wardle was not an MU Alum, nobody would be throwing his name out as a candidate...

[melissasmooth]

Jerry Meyer ‏@jerrymeyer247
Getting 2 streams of information on Marquette. One stream is saying Ben Howland. The other stream is saying Shaka Smart.

of course yesterday he tweeted that howland and MU were close to deal

[Skatastrophy]

of course yesterday he tweeted that howland and MU were close to deal

Which wasn't the case because Marquette wasn't in contact with Howland yesterday.