Recruiting as of 3/15/24

[bilsu]

And I think the 6 bigs on the roster right now is too many, and only 1 of them graduates after this year.  No need for a big in 2022.

We have a lot of guards and that seems to be all we are recruiting.

[Newsdreams]

2024 Anthony Gause visited Marquette this weekend:

https://twitter.com/anthonygause_/status/1444383981819113483?s=21

SW Illinois Jets (formerly Bradley Beal Elite), CBC High School.

Went to MM? If so, he gowne!!

[bilsu]

We have a lot of guards and that seems to be all we are recruiting.

Dodd's article with Shaka mentions the possibility that we will start 4 guards this year.

[genious expert]

Update on Kon Knueppel from Wisconsin Lutheran. 2024 SG. Mentions how nice MU's facilities are and also said "Coach Smart seems like a smart guy, no pun intended. Very bright dude."

Also said he grew up a badger fan but that won't play a factor in his recruitment.

Others in the mix: Wisconsin, Iowa, Texas A&M, USC have offered. He has visits lined up to Minnesota and Illinois.

https://247sports.com/college/marquette/Article/Kon-Knueppel-off-to-a-fast-start-with-his-recruitment-breaks-down-recent-visits-172431747/

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Update on Kon Knueppel from Wisconsin Lutheran. 2024 SG. Mentions how nice MU's facilities are and also said "Coach Smart seems like a smart guy, no pun intended. Very bright dude."

Also said he grew up a badger fan but that won't play a factor in his recruitment.

Others in the mix: Wisconsin, Iowa, Texas A&M, USC have offered. He has visits lined up to Minnesota and Illinois.

https://247sports.com/college/marquette/Article/Kon-Knueppel-off-to-a-fast-start-with-his-recruitment-breaks-down-recent-visits-172431747/

I'm really hoping for the Shaka Kon era.

[Newsdreams]

I'm really hoping for the Shaka Kon era.

Nice

[cheebs09]

https://twitter.com/maxfeldman6/status/1444026147520585732?s=21

Dai Dai Ames
[/quote
I am beginning to think we are back at the Crean years, where we had trouble recruiting anyone bigger than 6'6".

I think Shaka’s style is going to be more versatile big men that are athletic enough to play bigger than their height. Based on his success with those types of players, I’m not all that worried about his big man recruiting.

Also, as JTJ3 noted. We have a lot on our roster that fit that mold.

[genious expert]

I think Shaka’s style is going to be more versatile big men that are athletic enough to play bigger than their height. Based on his success with those types of players, I’m not all that worried about his big man recruiting.

Also, as JTJ3 noted. We have a lot on our roster that fit that mold.

6 bigs drafted in 6 years at Texas is no joke. 4 of them were 1st rounders, too.

[Herman Cain]

AJ Casey with officials to Miami and Depaul. Just finished Depaul.

https://mobile.twitter.com/AndreCaseyjr_23/status/1444782130446442498

Is MU still in the mix?

[jfp61]

Get the guards, and the bigs will come. Also... Shaka likes our bigs, and 2/3 of them will be here next year. There is no need for more than 3 actual bigs on a roster.

[JakeBarnes]

AJ Casey with officials to Miami and Depaul. Just finished Depaul.

https://mobile.twitter.com/AndreCaseyjr_23/status/1444782130446442498

Is MU still in the mix?

As of mid-October Bossi thought it would be between us and DePaul. But overall, it's been super quiet in his camp.

[TheTulsaWarrior]

Chicago area recruiting scene dynamics?

[Marquette Fan in WI]

Update on Kon Knueppel from Wisconsin Lutheran. 2024 SG. Mentions how nice MU's facilities are and also said "Coach Smart seems like a smart guy, no pun intended. Very bright dude."

Also said he grew up a badger fan but that won't play a factor in his recruitment.

Others in the mix: Wisconsin, Iowa, Texas A&M, USC have offered. He has visits lined up to Minnesota and Illinois.

https://247sports.com/college/marquette/Article/Kon-Knueppel-off-to-a-fast-start-with-his-recruitment-breaks-down-recent-visits-172431747/

This would play a factor in my decision.

[Skip Intro]

Update on Kon Knueppel from Wisconsin Lutheran. 2024 SG. Mentions how nice MU's facilities are and also said "Coach Smart seems like a smart guy, no pun intended. Very bright dude."

Also said he grew up a badger fan but that won't play a factor in his recruitment.

Others in the mix: Wisconsin, Iowa, Texas A&M, USC have offered. He has visits lined up to Minnesota and Illinois.

https://247sports.com/college/marquette/Article/Kon-Knueppel-off-to-a-fast-start-with-his-recruitment-breaks-down-recent-visits-172431747/

A Badger fan living in a land of Badger fans getting an early offer from the Badgers?  Unless Gard (or his reputation) blow this one, or blue blood offers eventually roll in, he gowne.   

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

A Badger fan living in a land of Badger fans getting an early offer from the Badgers?  Unless Gard (or his reputation) blow this one, or blue blood offers eventually roll in, he gowne.   

Maybe.  I think we place too much importance on fandom versus fit and how they connect with a coach.

[cheebs09]

Update on Kon Knueppel from Wisconsin Lutheran. 2024 SG. Mentions how nice MU's facilities are and also said "Coach Smart seems like a smart guy, no pun intended. Very bright dude."

Also said he grew up a badger fan but that won't play a factor in his recruitment.

Others in the mix: Wisconsin, Iowa, Texas A&M, USC have offered. He has visits lined up to Minnesota and Illinois.

https://247sports.com/college/marquette/Article/Kon-Knueppel-off-to-a-fast-start-with-his-recruitment-breaks-down-recent-visits-172431747/

I enjoyed the “no pun intended.” Haven’t seen that show up in a recruit interview before.

[bilsu]

A Badger fan living in a land of Badger fans getting an early offer from the Badgers?  Unless Gard (or his reputation) blow this one, or blue blood offers eventually roll in, he gowne.   

A 2024 recruit might not be playing for Gard.

i still bemoan Ricky Olsen changing his mind. He always wanted to play for the Badgers, but was not going to play for Jackson. UW hired a new coach and he quickly changed his mind about playing for Rick Majerus.

[jfp61]

A 2024 recruit might not be playing for Gard.

i still bemoan Ricky Olsen changing his mind. He always wanted to play for the Badgers, but was not going to play for Jackson. UW hired a new coach and he quickly changed his mind about playing for Rick Majerus.

Gard had a mutiny in his coaching staff in 2020, and despite his extension, the AD hasn't made a Football or Basketball coaching hire yet. They should be a bottom half team in the big 10 this year.

[We R Final Four]

They should be a bottom half team in the big 10 this year.

Man, do I wish this to be the case. Unfortunately, I have seen this movie before.

[hoops12]

"i still bemoan Ricky Olsen changing his mind. He always wanted to play for the Badgers, but was not going to play for Jackson. UW hired a new coach and he quickly changed his mind about playing for Rick Majerus."

Bilsu:

This is pure fiction! I literally went with Rick Olson on his visit to Marquette. That was Halloween weekend in 1981. We stayed in Doc Rivers apartment, and he thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of his visit. Both he and his parents loved Majerus! At the end of that weekend, he said that Marquette is were he wants to go. The day prior to signing day, he called Majerus and gave him a verbal commitment. Later that night, Bo Ryan (assistant bb coach at the time), Andy North, Dave McClain and all the local television stations showed up at his house. They told him things like, "He owed it to the city of Madison to attend UW." He felt a great deal of pressure!

He called Majerus and talked to him about the situation, hoping that he would tell him what to do. To Majerus's credit, he didn't pressure him at all and told him that this is the first of many big decisions he would have to make his adult life. He also let him know that he would respect whatever decision he would make. You see, Majerus cared just as much about the success of young people's lives as he did the basketball program. The next day a confused and pressured Olson signed with the Badgers.

Rick Olson had second thoughts about his decision throughout his career at Wisconsin, but still had a Hall of Fame career. As for Jackson? I believe you meant Cofield, because Steve Yoder took over for Cofield and was the coach that Olson played for!

[Lennys Tap]

"i still bemoan Ricky Olsen changing his mind. He always wanted to play for the Badgers, but was not going to play for Jackson. UW hired a new coach and he quickly changed his mind about playing for Rick Majerus."

Bilsu:

This is pure fiction! I literally went with Rick Olson on his visit to Marquette. That was Halloween weekend in 1981. We stayed in Doc Rivers apartment, and he thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of his visit. Both he and his parents loved Majerus! At the end of that weekend, he said that Marquette is were he wants to go. The day prior to signing day, he called Majerus and gave him a verbal commitment. Later that night, Bo Ryan (assistant bb coach at the time), Andy North, Dave McClain and all the local television stations showed up at his house. They told him things like, "He owed it to the city of Madison to attend UW." He felt a great deal of pressure!

He called Majerus and talked to him about the situation, hoping that he would tell him what to do. To Majerus's credit, he didn't pressure him at all and told him that this is the first of many big decisions he would have to make his adult life. He also let him know that he would respect whatever decision he would make. You see, Majerus cared just as much about the success of young people's lives as he did the basketball program. The next day a confused and pressured Olson signed with the Badgers.

Rick Olson had second thoughts about his decision throughout his career at Wisconsin, but still had a Hall of Fame career. As for Jackson? I believe you meant Cofield, because Steve Yoder took over for Cofield and was the coach that Olson played for!

Great story hoops - squares with the Rick Majerus I knew.

[willie warrior]

Rick was a saint in that story. Olson---not much.

[MU82]

I’ve lost count of how many NCAA tourney bids Olson helped Madison land.

[Herman Cain]

"i still bemoan Ricky Olsen changing his mind. He always wanted to play for the Badgers, but was not going to play for Jackson. UW hired a new coach and he quickly changed his mind about playing for Rick Majerus."

Bilsu:

This is pure fiction! I literally went with Rick Olson on his visit to Marquette. That was Halloween weekend in 1981. We stayed in Doc Rivers apartment, and he thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of his visit. Both he and his parents loved Majerus! At the end of that weekend, he said that Marquette is were he wants to go. The day prior to signing day, he called Majerus and gave him a verbal commitment. Later that night, Bo Ryan (assistant bb coach at the time), Andy North, Dave McClain and all the local television stations showed up at his house. They told him things like, "He owed it to the city of Madison to attend UW." He felt a great deal of pressure!

He called Majerus and talked to him about the situation, hoping that he would tell him what to do. To Majerus's credit, he didn't pressure him at all and told him that this is the first of many big decisions he would have to make his adult life. He also let him know that he would respect whatever decision he would make. You see, Majerus cared just as much about the success of young people's lives as he did the basketball program. The next day a confused and pressured Olson signed with the Badgers.

Rick Olson had second thoughts about his decision throughout his career at Wisconsin, but still had a Hall of Fame career. As for Jackson? I believe you meant Cofield, because Steve Yoder took over for Cofield and was the coach that Olson played for!

Hoops12:
Love the historical detail. This is great stuff.

So the big question is, even though Olson did not go to MU, did you go to MU?

[hoops12]

It was my childhood dream to play at Marquette! I followed the program very closely, and was in 7th grade when Marquette won the National Championship. Unfortunately for me, I fell just short on overall DI talent. I could shoot it, but back then they didn't utilize the 3 point line like they do today. I did get a full ride to North Dakota State, but after two years in Fargo I decided to transfer back to the state and play for Bo Ryan at Platteville.

As a high school student, I was fortunate to work at the Medalist Camps and this provided me the opportunity to get to know the Marquette coaching staff very well, especially Rick Majerus. Additionally, I drove to Milwaukee (I lived in the Madison area) on Saturdays in the fall to play ball at Enderis Park each week. Some of the best talent in the state showed up there to play each Saturday. (JJ Weber, Daryl Flowers, Chucky Johnson, etc...) On one particular weekend, I brought Rick Olson with me, and Majerus offered him a full ride after watching him play a couple of games. To say I was jealous is an understatement! 

Olson was a terrific shooter with a very high, quick release. We battled against each other in the Big Eight Conference in high school, we attended the B/C Camp in Georgia together, and just became really good friends. As good of a basketball player that he was, he was even a better friend.

I, of course, was really hoping Olson would play for Marquette. I felt he was exactly what they needed! We had very good talent at that time, but not enough good perimeter shooting at the time. (Doc Rivers, Kerry Trotter, Pop Sims, Walter Downing, Terry Reason, Mandy Johnson, Dwayne Johnson, Marc Marotta, Tom Copa, etc...) Many teams sat back in a zone and Doc really struggled with that. Majerus was a win or two away from a NCAA Tournament birth each of the three years he was there, and he had so many close losses in those years as well.

As it turned out, Majerus had incredible success at Ball State, Utah and St. Louis, and Olson was a Hall of Fame guard at Wisconsin. I guess things worked out for both of them, but it still fun to think about "what could of been" if Olson would of chose Marquette.

Have a great weekend!