One transfer that has yet to be announced...

[GGGG]

Wally Ellenson.

He qualified for the NCAA Track and Field national championships in the high jump that run from June 11-14.  My guess is that he will announce his transfer soon afterwards.

Marquette has been mentioned as a potential spot for him.  If so, what does that mean for Henry? 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Wally Ellenson.

He qualified for the NCAA Track and Field national championships in the high jump that run from June 11-14.  My guess is that he will announce his transfer soon afterwards.

Marquette has been mentioned as a potential spot for him.  If so, what does that mean for Henry? 

It can only help. I'm not sure if young Wally is talented enough to make our roster. He did next to nothing at Minnesota. Plus, I think being a track star he would prefer to end up at a program with a better track team.

[GooooMarquette]

If he did next to nothing, how did he qualify for the high jump national championships?  That sounds pretty good to me.

[leever]

If he did next to nothing, how did he qualify for the high jump national championships?  That sounds pretty good to me.

Good at high jump, not good at basketball.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

If he did next to nothing, how did he qualify for the high jump national championships?  That sounds pretty good to me.

I meant on the basketball court

[Tugg Speedman]

The kid has Olympic potential in the high jump (as in making the US team).  Would he transfer to a school that does not have the track program for him to realize this potential?

I'm asking, not saying

[dw3dw3dw3]

hypothetically, if we were guaranteed to land a top 5 player, wouldn't you take Wally and even hire a national level high-jump coach to ease his concerns?

I would think the value proposition of landing a top 5 player is worth an extra bball roster spot, and a 100k a year track coach.

[wadesworld]

hypothetically, if we were guaranteed to land a top 5 player, wouldn't you take Wally and even hire a national level high-jump coach to ease his concerns?

I would think the value proposition of landing a top 5 player is worth an extra bball roster spot, and a 100k a year track coach.

So now we're going to hire track coaches to satisfy basketball recruits?  Yeesh.

[dw3dw3dw3]

It would be legal and you're getting a legitimate McD bigman. You wouldn't do it if you were Wojo? I'm sure there has been a thread or two on our lack of high-quality big recruits over the past 20 or 30 years.

[GGGG]

Marquette has a track and field program.

[GooooMarquette]

Maybe we should recruit his dad.

Oh, wait....

[MU82]

I say we get Dwight Stone to be his personal high-jump coach and top it off by hiring Carl Lewis to sing the national anthem at all of our home games!

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Marquette has a track and field program.

I don't think Hberg meant that we don't have a track and field program. I think he meant that we don't have a track and field team that would give him a good chance to make the US Olympic team.

I also don't think the track and field program is guaranteed to survive the next 5 years.

[GGGG]

I don't think Hberg meant that we don't have a track and field program. I think he meant that we don't have a track and field team that would give him a good chance to make the US Olympic team.

I also don't think the track and field program is guaranteed to survive the next 5 years.

Well Wally would be in basically an individual sport.  Of course he would need coaching, but if he wants to play basketball he may not have many choices.

[Windyplayer]

So now we're going to hire track coaches to satisfy basketball recruits?  Yeesh.

We do have an excellent "track" record of success. AmmIright????

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

So now we're going to hire track coaches to satisfy basketball recruits?  Yeesh.

I would if it meant getting certain recruits.

[The Lens]

hypothetically, if we were guaranteed to land a top 5 player, wouldn't you take Wally and even hire a national level high-jump coach to ease his concerns?

I would think the value proposition of landing a top 5 player is worth an extra bball roster spot, and a 100k a year track coach.

So now we're going to hire track coaches to satisfy basketball recruits?  Yeesh.

SQUIRMY!

[MU1980]

Marquette has a track and field program.

Yes Marquette does have a track program and actually the men's and women's track and cross country programs have a very rich history, with Olympians, national champions, many all-american's, women's NAIA national championship in cross country, the first ever NCAA D1 all-american for women in any sport, 23 team championships in the Great Midwest and Conference-USA and most recently the men placing a solid 4th and the women 3rd at the Big East outdoor track championships with several individual champions.  In the 10 year history of C-USA the women's cross country team won it 7 times and were 2nd the other 3 years.  They have done this without having an indoor track, having the smallest coaching staff  (3 full time) relative to the number of countable sports and athletes(6 NCAA sports with men's and women's cross country, indoor track and outdoor track and about 90 athletes) and the smallest scholarship budget of all the sports.  

And for the person that said we may not have a track program much longer, Marquette is currently one above the number of required sports to be a DI school, so if you dropped the 6 programs that make up men's and women's cross country and track you would need to add two new women's sports and two new men's sports; so 4 new teams with four different coaching staffs, locker rooms, etc.  No way could Marquette afford to get rid of track and cross country.  I guess they could drop track and keep cross country and therefore would only need to add one new men's and women's sport, but it still would not make a lot of financial sense.  

And the current coaching staff could certainly work with a high jumper the caliber of Ellenson, especially considering he is concentrating mostly on basketball and is doing his high jumping in a relatively short period of time in the outdoor season.  

[wadesworld]

I would if it meant getting certain recruits.

First if all it wouldn't, and second of all I wouldn't. A basketball program is bigger than one potential recruit. You don't overpay a new track coach so that a track athlete who could also join your basketball team might think about transferring into your school, just so that his younger brother might commit to play for your basketball program. This is right up there with suggesting that Doc Rivers would leave his job as one of the top 5 coaches in the NBA just to take a giant paycut to become the AD of MU simply to convince his "friend" Shaka Smart to come coach at MU, or Dick Bennett would come out of retirement just to become an AD to convince his son to leave his ACC Chsmpion and #1 NCAA Tournament seed in order to coach at the school that was his in-state rival when he was coaching UW to a FF. Some Scoop posters come up with some really good ideas.

MU has proven to be big enough to not allow a basketball coach to pick the AD he works with, let alone hire someone with absolutely no experience in a athletic department/front office position just to sway a coach 1 way or another, thankfully. They sure as heck shouldn't hire an athletic coach just to convince an athlete (from another sport, no less) to come to MU.

Henry isn't coming to MU, regardless of whether his brother is or not. And MU will be just fine despite that. Wait, nevermind, Coach K flew all the way to Rice Lake just to tell Henry how great Wojo is, he's in! 

[chapman]

We aren't very good at D1 track, he isn't very good at D1 basketball.  Match made in heaven...or at a Shakey's.

[Dawson Rental]

hypothetically, if we were guaranteed to land a top 5 player, wouldn't you take Wally and even hire a national level high-jump coach to ease his concerns?

I would think the value proposition of landing a top 5 player is worth an extra bball roster spot, and a 100k a year track coach.

 1) What does getting Wally Ellenson have to do with getting Diamond Stone?

 2) "I only want guys at Marquette who want to be at Marquette. If I have to twist your arm or promise you stuff to want to put that jersey on, I don't think that's the right fit."

                                                                                              -Wojo

[MuMark]

 1) What does getting Wally Ellenson have to do with getting Diamond Stone?

 2) "I only want guys at Marquette who want to be at Marquette. If I have to twist your arm or promise you stuff to want to put that jersey on, I don't think that's the right fit."

                                                                                              -Wojo

The top 5 player he was referring to is Henry Ellenson...he is ranked 5th in the new ESPN rankings.....

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Henry isn't coming to MU, regardless of whether his brother is or not. And MU will be just fine despite that. Wait, nevermind, Coach K flew all the way to Rice Lake just to tell Henry how great Wojo is, he's in! 

Again, you have no information to back this. Henry is a long way from making his college decision and Marquette is legitimately inside his top 5. Do I think he's coming here? No. But don't make definitive statements unless you know something.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

And for the person that said we may not have a track program much longer, Marquette is currently one above the number of required sports to be a DI school, so if you dropped the 6 programs that make up men's and women's cross country and track you would need to add two new women's sports and two new men's sports; so 4 new teams with four different coaching staffs, locker rooms, etc.  No way could Marquette afford to get rid of track and cross country.  I guess they could drop track and keep cross country and therefore would only need to add one new men's and women's sport, but it still would not make a lot of financial sense.  

My apologies. I misspoke. Cross country is in danger of getting cut. Not track and field.

[GGGG]

Cross country is a pretty low cost program.  They don't require a great deal of scholarships and they hardly travel.  Not saying you are wrong, but if the athletic department is having financial issues, this to me seems like a rather odd solution.