Al Gets A Facelift

[ChuckyChip]

The Al that is...

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/goldeneagles/marquettes-al-mcguire-center-gets-a-facelift-b99365518z1-278415131.html

Hard to believe, but Marquette's Al McGuire Center, built for $31 million as a state-of-the-art athletics complex, is almost 11 years old.

Upon his hiring last April, coach Steve Wojciechowski appreciated the building's value as one of college basketball's better training facilities, but he also noted that it had become dated.

Six months later, Wojciechowski's priority to have the Al's all-sports weight room, men's basketball locker room and men's basketball practice gym totally renovated is virtually complete.

The locker room was gutted and fitted with blue leather chairs, top-shelf wooden lockers, blue-and-gold mood lighting and a 90-inch high-definition TV in a large oval-shaped space.

The bathroom's fixtures are straight out of a boutique hotel with frosted-glass, MU-engraved doors for the individual showers.

The Kasten Gym, where the Golden Eagles practice, has a new floor and a cleaner, more modern look.

The weight room has been fitted with all new equipment. Each station is equipped with a computer that registers the players' progress.

The hallways are adorned with Marquette's basketball heritage, from a glass case featuring its jerseys through the years to a mural homage to its All-Americans. The 1977 national championship trophy is in an alcove just inside the locker room.

"The Al has been a tremendous home to our basketball program for a long time," Wojciechowski said. "But like any home that's over a decade old and has been used hard, it needed a facelift.

"It needed to be upgraded, which is what we did. With the upgrades we wanted to celebrate the past and create a great working environment for our current players. We wanted all those things to be simple, classy and sharp."

Wojciechowski said he did not know the cost of the project, which he characterized as a "great investment" for the private school.

"It's quite an upgrade," he said. "The intent of the Al was to be a premier training facility and that was accomplished. But as people are trying to catch up with you and the building is getting a little older, you've got to figure out ways to stay on the cutting edge of what you're doing.

"This summer was a good first step for us remaking the Al into one of the premier training facilities in the United States."

The upgrades are also an important recruiting tool.

"Two areas," Wojciechowski said. "One, we wanted our guys to have a home. They spend more time in the Al than anywhere else. We also wanted to create a situation where when kids we are recruiting come here, they recognize that it's an elite-level training facility, which it is."

Wojciechowski recently had former All-American and current Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers in for a preview. A quote by Rivers — "I came to Marquette University wanting to be a basketball player, and got that and a lot more" — is featured below the neon-lit players entrance to the locker room that Wojciechowski said is much better than the team's dressing quarters at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Whereas the gym once had pennants featuring every Marquette player who had made it to the NBA, it now showcases contemporary stars such as Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler, as well as a mural featuring Rivers when he coached the Boston Celtics to an NBA title.

"There is a ton of history here with our program," Wojciechowski said. "We want that to be celebrated in the classiest, most professional way."

[mu_hilltopper]

Interesting .. and reminds me .. we toured MU's locker room at the Bradley Center last month .. what was odd was the display case of several trophies from the BE .. and the 1977 championship.

I guess I found it odd that they would place these trophies in a spot that only about 30 people would ever see, for a couple dozen dates a year.  

[muhoosier260]

Are there really not duplicates of those trophies in the Al?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Sounds like they did a solid job clearly on our way to becoming SLU

I think the most surprising part of the article was that Wojo has been here for six months. Really hasn't seem like that long. Thank god basketball season is here!

[The Lens]

I love how this is written like this was all Wojo's doing.  I have to believe these plans were in the works for at least a year. 

[JPJ4MU]

I love how this is written like this was all Wojo's doing.  I have to believe these plans were in the works for at least a year. 

You would be wrong. 

[mu03eng]

You would be wrong. 

Amazing how money and vision move things along

[tower912]

Was this another thing that Buzz wanted and Cords wouldn't give him?

[mu03eng]

Was this another thing that Buzz wanted and Cords wouldn't give him?

I never heard that, but I suppose it could be true.  I don't think Buzz was all about traditional* recruiting concepts like high class facilities, he lived on the quirk recruiting methodologies.  Also think you might be right, not because he wanted it for recruits but because it showed he was in charge.

*this is meant as the literal definition of the word, not the Chico's meme use of the word.

[The Lens]

If I'm wrong, that's great but I just have a hard time believing this concept went from idea to done all since April 15th.  If so that is very impressive for the University.  Most organizations of their size cannot maneuver so quickly.

[Schmidtyfactor]

This only happens because of where Wojo came from. He was around premier facilities and deep tradition at Duke and it appears he is trying to get MU to focus even more on it's strengths. Though it sounds like Crean and Buzz connected with alumni too, hopefully Wojo can really turn that tradition into even more of a competitive advantage.

I went to a Duke game last year. I saw the Hall of Fame connected to Cameron where they showcase their trophies in a vibrant and fan thrilling way. I had heard about all the Cameron crazies, the endowment riches the and the top notch training facility stories. Those stories become even bigger when you experience it all in person - for fans and recruits. Go get em coach!

[JPJ4MU]

If I'm wrong, that's great but I just have a hard time believing this concept went from idea to done all since April 15th.  If so that is very impressive for the University.  Most organizations of their size cannot maneuver so quickly.

Even more impressive when you have to have it completed by a specific date........To maybe show it off to somebody?

[NYWarrior]

Interesting .. and reminds me .. we toured MU's locker room at the Bradley Center last month .. what was odd was the display case of several trophies from the BE .. and the 1977 championship.

I guess I found it odd that they would place these trophies in a spot that only about 30 people would ever see, for a couple dozen dates a year.  

Or did MU place the trophies there just for the Open Doors Milwaukee event - - so that more people would see the hardware.

[Spotcheck Billy]

perhaps they were moved from the Al because of the renovation work being done and they would have been in the way

[4everwarriors]

Who was the plastic surgeon?

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

This is nice and all but it would really be nice if they could use some of that money to put the rec center at least into the 20th century.

[warriorchick]

This is nice and all but it would really be nice if they could use some of that money to put the rec center at least into the 20th century.

When the rec center starts generating millions of dollars of revenue, it will get a facelift as well.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

When the rec center starts generating millions of dollars of revenue, it will get a facelift as well.

Yea but for a medium sized university its pretty awful. Bradley University down in Peoria is way nicer than MUs.

[🏀]

This is nice and all but it would really be nice if they could use some of that money to put the rec center at least into the 20th century.

Apples to oranges.

[Coleman]

This is nice and all but it would really be nice if they could use some of that money to put the rec center at least into the 20th century.

I'm pretty sure this is already on the to-do list.

[StillAWarrior]

When the rec center starts generating millions of dollars of revenue, it will get a facelift as well.

Well, I've visited several college campuses over the past year with my son, and other schools seem to be investing pretty heavily in rec centers.  It's an arms race of sorts.  Apparently, they think that there is some good reason to spend that money, even if they don't directly generate millions of dollars of revenue.

Honestly, I'm amazed when I visit campuses and see the dorms and rec centers, and then I realize that Marquette hasn't built a new dorm or rec center since I was there in the late 80s/early 90s.  Marquette is a great school, but some of the facilities have fallen well behind other comparable schools.

[Galway Eagle]

Well, I've visited several college campuses over the past year with my son, and other schools seem to be investing pretty heavily in rec centers.  It's an arms race of sorts.  Apparently, they think that there is some good reason to spend that money, even if they don't directly generate millions of dollars of revenue.

Honestly, I'm amazed when I visit campuses and see the dorms and rec centers, and then I realize that Marquette hasn't built a new dorm or rec center since I was there in the late 80s/early 90s.  Marquette is a great school, but some of the facilities have fallen well behind other comparable schools.

Isn't mccabe new? And Mashuda was converted from a hotel

[warriorchick]

Yea but for a medium sized university its pretty awful. Bradley University down in Peoria is way nicer than MUs.

Not saying it's not necessary.  I am saying that it shouldn't be built with basketball money.

It's the same argument as the people who say the basketball budget should be slashed and that money should be used for need-based scholarships.

And Bradley has to have a nice rec center...because it's Bradley...and it's in Peoria...

[StillAWarrior]

Isn't mccabe new? And Mashuda was converted from a hotel

I lived in Mashuda in 1989.  Yes, McCabe apparently is new.  I wasn't even aware of it.

[Coleman]

Well, I've visited several college campuses over the past year with my son, and other schools seem to be investing pretty heavily in rec centers.  It's an arms race of sorts.  Apparently, they think that there is some good reason to spend that money, even if they don't directly generate millions of dollars of revenue.

Honestly, I'm amazed when I visit campuses and see the dorms and rec centers, and then I realize that Marquette hasn't built a new dorm or rec center since I was there in the late 80s/early 90s.  Marquette is a great school, but some of the facilities have fallen well behind other comparable schools.

Also Abbotsford apartments were renovated and turned into dorms. Straz was renovated in the early 2000s.