Lindy's MU prediction

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Inexcusable? That's just a word choice, and maybe an accurate one. Keeping Burton on the bench certainly was awful coaching, and inexplicable.

And I am not a Buzz-hater. I spent at least half of last season defending him. But his poor decisions wore on me, and not putting Burton back into this game after a couple-minute breather was the creme de la creme of bad coaching.

To this day, I am grateful for the energy and many other positives Buzz brought to the program. (Just as I am grateful for Crean's role in turning around the program.) But Buzz became a bad coach last season.

Just because you want to believe he still was a great coach with few flaws doesn't make it so. One might even argue that thinking along those lines is inexcusable!

To be fair, Buzz has always had a quirky substitution pattern, and we weren't really complaining when it was working.

This past season, it didn't work, and now we all act pissed.

Guess what? Buzz has been acting that way for years, and it always worked. He wasn't going to change last season.

When Buzz was winning, he was eccentric. When he was losing, he was crazy.

[brandx]

I was not flummoxed that he came out.   He needed to.   I was flummoxed that he did not go back in. 

This says it best.

[brandx]

Is he lucky?

Gotta be over 60, huh? I'm guessing most of the young guys didn't get your question.

[MU82]

To be fair, Buzz has always had a quirky substitution pattern, and we weren't really complaining when it was working.

This past season, it didn't work, and now we all act pissed.

Guess what? Buzz has been acting that way for years, and it always worked. He wasn't going to change last season.

When Buzz was winning, he was eccentric. When he was losing, he was crazy.

There is a difference between quirky patterns and foolishness.

Not putting Burton back in that Xavier game really was incredible, and it put an exclamation point on how Buzz coached last season. That, and not even giving Dawson a few consecutive minutes of run-time after Dawson did well against Georgetown. (And I'm not one of those who is certain Dawson will be any good.)

And of course we look at a coach's strategy and behavior differently based upon whether he's winning or losing. That's human nature. Winning, meanwhile, is part of the job description of any coach, let alone one who was making the kind of coin Buzz made.

As that old Vikings fossil Jerry Burns liked to say: We aren't paid to coach and play; we are paid to win.

[mu03eng]

Gotta be over 60, huh? I'm guessing most of the young guys didn't get your question.

No most of us just don't associate with members of the American First Committee.

[Strokin 3s]

Who is Lindy?

The triple lindy is one of the most difficult dives.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

There is a difference between quirky patterns and foolishness.

Not putting Burton back in that Xavier game really was incredible, and it put an exclamation point on how Buzz coached last season. That, and not even giving Dawson a few consecutive minutes of run-time after Dawson did well against Georgetown. (And I'm not one of those who is certain Dawson will be any good.)

And of course we look at a coach's strategy and behavior differently based upon whether he's winning or losing. That's human nature. Winning, meanwhile, is part of the job description of any coach, let alone one who was making the kind of coin Buzz made.

As that old Vikings fossil Jerry Burns liked to say: We aren't paid to coach and play; we are paid to win.

You're not wrong, but remember when "everybody" hated Trent Lockett, but Buzz stuck with him? Remember how that paid off in the tourny?

Sometimes we get pissed about (insert coaching decision), but the reality is that the coach knows way more than we do.

I'm not saying Buzz is infallible, and your gripes realistic. However, some people are act like Buzz is some sort of lunatic that can't coach. Well, he was doing the same things the previous 3 years, and "everybody" thought he was quirky and brilliant. 1 bad season and now the dude was an idiot? I'm not sure it works like that.

[barfolomew]

Someone earlier brought up the unknown of Wojo as a game coach.
Just wondering -- did Wojo ever fill in for Coach K as HC during his time as an assistant?
After a thorough scouring of the interwebs (i.e., 5-min google search), the only games it shows Coach K missing was his back surgery in 94-95.

[tower912]

IIRC, Wojo was a player that year. 

[brandx]

No most of us just don't associate with members of the American First Committee.

So are you going to make everything political now? I really could care less about your views. Don't even know what the hell you'ree babbling about. The nickname came from his aviation exploits - not from his political views.

My question was whether younger people on this board happened to know where the phrase "lucky Lindy" came from.

Maybe you and chicos can just PM each other and snicker together like little girls.

[Dawson Rental]

Probably the first time we lose to a team we were "supposed" to beat.

I don't think that that'll happen, mostly, because - as the Lindy prediction illustrates - Marquette just won't be in that situation very often.

Now if you're talking about teams that Scoopers will think we're supposed to beat, we'll have lots of those.

[bilsu]

I have not followed Carlino's career so I have no idea if he is a clutch player. However, besides him there is no known player on this team that has the ability to hit a clutch shot when the game is on the line. That was one of the problems last year until Mayo came on at the end of the season and of course he is now gone. There is no reason to believe this team will win the majority of close games this year. Maybe someone will step up, but the odds are against it.

[tower912]

I have not followed Carlino's career so I have no idea if he is a clutch player. However, besides him there is no known player on this team that has the ability to hit a clutch shot when the game is on the line. That was one of the problems last year until Mayo came on at the end of the season and of course he is now gone. There is no reason to believe this team will win the majority of close games this year. Maybe someone will step up, but the odds are against it.

Prior to his senior year, Jamil had hit big shots.   MSG.   Davidson game.   

[MU82]

You're not wrong, but remember when "everybody" hated Trent Lockett, but Buzz stuck with him? Remember how that paid off in the tourny?

Sometimes we get pissed about (insert coaching decision), but the reality is that the coach knows way more than we do.

I'm not saying Buzz is infallible, and your gripes realistic. However, some people are act like Buzz is some sort of lunatic that can't coach. Well, he was doing the same things the previous 3 years, and "everybody" thought he was quirky and brilliant. 1 bad season and now the dude was an idiot? I'm not sure it works like that.

That's a great point about Lockett. I freely admit to being one of those wondering why he was getting so much playing time. BUT ...

By midseason, I really started appreciating Lockett and could see exactly what he brought and why Buzz liked him. Any intelligent fan could see it by then. And we were winning, thanks in great part to Lockett. So in that case, Buzz made a decision, stuck with it because he felt it would be the right thing long-term, stuck with it more because it worked, and the whole team benefited.

Compare that to last season. By midseason, it became obvious that a certain player was at best a 10-15 mpg guy. And we were losing, thanks in great part to the shortcomings of a certain player. So in that case, Buzz made a decision, stuck with it because he felt he had to for some reason, stuck with it more despite it being an unmitigated disaster, and the whole team paid the price.

I have nothing against quirky coaching ... as long as it works. Good coaches have the ability to recognize when something isn't working and try something. Anything. Even change for the sake of change.

OK, I'm done with this now. Don't want to start sounding like another poster or three who beat a subject to death.

[bilsu]

We were 9-6 in the Big East. The wheels came off at the end with two of the games being double overtime losses. The inability to win close games is what did last year's team in.

[brandx]

We were 9-6 in the Big East. The wheels came off at the end with two of the games being double overtime losses. The inability to win close games is what did last year's team in.

I thought the wheels came off early. It was 25 games into the season before we got a 3 game winning streak. And we only had four 2-game winning streaks, each of which included patsies. It was a season where we were never played well and we were never even on the bubble for the NCAAs.

[Johnny B]

We were 9-6 in the Big East. The wheels came off at the end with two of the games being double overtime losses. The inability to win close games is what did last year's team in.

Im not sure the wheels were ever on. Blew it against SDSU arizona st NEWMexico

[NersEllenson]

I was watching that game with my dad. He has coached for close to 30 years now and he was flummoxed when Burton was absent the second half. Called it one of the worst coaching decisions he's ever seen.

Not a terrible coaching decision at all if your objective is to lose the game.  In fact, keeping Burton on the bench was about the best thing Buzz could do to ensure we lost, and essentially hasten his departure from MU.

[NersEllenson]

 

Prior to his senior year, Jamil had hit big shots.   MSG.   Davidson game.   

Funny how that worked when he had serviceable guards around him...

[tower912]

Funny how that worked when he had serviceable guards around him...

So Blue made him better but Gardner didn't?   

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

That's a great point about Lockett. I freely admit to being one of those wondering why he was getting so much playing time. BUT ...

By midseason, I really started appreciating Lockett and could see exactly what he brought and why Buzz liked him. Any intelligent fan could see it by then. And we were winning, thanks in great part to Lockett. So in that case, Buzz made a decision, stuck with it because he felt it would be the right thing long-term, stuck with it more because it worked, and the whole team benefited.

Compare that to last season. By midseason, it became obvious that a certain player was at best a 10-15 mpg guy. And we were losing, thanks in great part to the shortcomings of a certain player. So in that case, Buzz made a decision, stuck with it because he felt he had to for some reason, stuck with it more despite it being an unmitigated disaster, and the whole team paid the price.

I have nothing against quirky coaching ... as long as it works. Good coaches have the ability to recognize when something isn't working and try something. Anything. Even change for the sake of change.

OK, I'm done with this now. Don't want to start sounding like another poster or three who beat a subject to death.

You're not wrong at all.

Buzz isn't infallible, and he needed to figure out how to get more production out of the PG position. I think that's totally fair.

I'm just saying in general, fans liked Buzz's rotations when they were winning (me included), but then certain fans call him an idiot and say he's one of the worst in D1 after 1 bad season. He wasn't doing anything different last season. Same guy. Same theories. Same quirkiness. He didn't forget how to coach. His decisions just didn't work out. It happens.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Im not sure the wheels were ever on. Blew it against SDSU arizona st NEWMexico

We also had key players out or playing through severe illness in two of those three games, and we still barely lost.

If they had played/been 100%, and IF we had won those two games, the season might have turned our far differently.

They didn't, we didn't and the season was what it was.  We weren't that far away from a respectable season...we really weren't.  Despite all the BS about Buzz suddenly becoming stupid/trying to throw games.

[77ncaachamps]

Back to being underdogs.

I accept it!

[GGGG]

Well, unlike last year, you'd presume Coach will have his five best players on the court.

If you mean "most talented per recruting rankings," I will remind you that those are the players that don't have a great deal of experience. 

[NersEllenson]

So Blue made him better but Gardner didn't?   

Anybody would have made Jamil (and Gardner) better last season than Derrick Wilson and Jake Thomas at the Guard position.  Buzz threw away the senior years of our two best players by being a horses a$$ and playing two scrubs more minutes than any other players on the team.  As I've said before - there is a reason Jamil and Davante didn't have 1 word of thanks for Buzz on Senior Day, while thanking every other coach and support staff.  Wouldn't surprise me for a bit if they both went to Buzz and asked him to change the backcourt...and he wouldn't/didn't...and it continued to make it a miserable senior year for them and the team.