History / McGuire recruiting

[Dawson Rental]

Some thoughts about Al's recruiting:

1) Winning begets winners. Win consistently and the best players find you. That's why in the 1960s and 1970s, the best teams were UCLA, Marquette, North Carolina and even Kentucky. Al was winning and he was colorful about it. Guys would put up with Milwaukee in the winter because they knew Marquette would win and whatever exposure went to college in the 1970s, they'd get it. That's why Duke, North Carolina, Louisville, Kentucky and Michigan State draw 'em in today.

2) I don't know if Al "cheated" or not. I somehow don't think he had to. Again, he won. The track record spoke for itself. Yeah, a coach at Jacksonville, Western Kentucky, East Carolina or Dayton might have to, but I don't think Marquette was one of these small majors, even then.

3) Al was colorful. He was akin that nutty, disorganized professor everyone on campus wanted at least once. We all had them and we all for some reason were drawn to them.

4) Our guys went to the NBA. Chones, Thompson, Lucas, Ellis, Lee, Tatum. Great track record.

Marquette was NOT winning when Al arrived.  That's why he was hired.  Al used his contacts - who would now a days be called street agents - to start a gusher of talent from the New York City area.  Illegal now, but a gray area then.

[Lennys Tap]

Marquette was NOT winning when Al arrived.  That's why he was hired.  Al used his contacts - who would now a days be called street agents - to start a gusher of talent from the New York City area.  Illegal now, but a gray area then.

Correct - Marquette was a dumpster fire, even worse than what KO inherited. He did hit a gusher in New York (Thompson, Meminger, Ric Cobb, Larry McNeil, Earl Tatum, Butch Lee and Bernard Toone) he also struck oil in Illinois (Bob Lackey, Bo Ellis, Marcus Washington, Lloyd Walton, Jerome Whitehead and Robert Byrd), Wisconsin (Jim Chones, Gary Brell, Allie McGuire, Jeff Sewell, Brian Brunkhorst and Gary Rosenberg) and random other spots for Mo Lucas, Jimmy Boylan, Joe Thomas and Ulice Payne.

And one more thing - "street agents" aren't illegal now, they just changed their name to "AAU coaches". Tom Crean saved his gig in Bloomington by cutting a deal with one.

[ChicosBailBonds]

This may be your funniest post ever. The guy who pines for the 50s, the back of the bus and loves him some redskins telling me to turn the calendar. LOL.

Things change, usually for the good - and in most cases (and all of those concerning human rights/dignity) I'm all in. Want to know something that hasn't changed? The overdog, hypocritical NCAA that you so love (and Al hated). Your thoughts on traditionals, Jucos and the alleged devaluation of your precious Marquette degree would have turned Al's stomach. Adolph Rupp would have been more simpatico with your world view.

Glad I unigored this post.

Al and I got along great. 

The NCAA is made up of member schools, of which MU is one.  Al knew this.  Change can be made within, by the members. 

My view on Jucos is they leave a team incredibly unbalanced, especially if they don't pan out.  Having 38.5% of your roster is a recipe for disaster in the long run.

Looks like we aren't going to be that reliant again in the future, which in the long term is a good thing.

Yes, I like guys that can shoot and are high basketball IQ guys, do the traditional things well.  We haven't had good shooters in a while.  Hope we can get back to it soon. 

Your Rupp comments are wrong.  My MU degree doesn't mean a hill of beans in terms of value at this point in my life, but I do get concerned for those that come out of school and need that extra boost before they have made their mark.  It was unfortunate the very negative publicity we received there, especially with all the good publicity on the court...shame so much was wiped away.  Blacksburg is a nice place this time of year.

[rocket surgeon]

  "Xs and O's are sometimes overrated. I still vividly remember sitting in Market Square arena after we lost to Miami of Ohio with an incredible line up of players and our coach who was supposedly the X and O king. I realized then it would not ever be the same."


i am still in therapy because of that game.  it didn't help that whitehead got thrown out for coming down with a rebound and used his elbows to keep the others at bay.  i don't think he even hit anyone.  phantom flagrant foul??  talk about getting no respect-didn't the ref know that al retired the prior year?

[HoopsterBC]

  "Xs and O's are sometimes overrated. I still vividly remember sitting in Market Square arena after we lost to Miami of Ohio with an incredible line up of players and our coach who was supposedly the X and O king. I realized then it would not ever be the same.

That game and the Ohio St. game, are the 2 lowest moments with great teams, both got screwed by the refs.  Even the ref in the Ohio St. admitted years later he hated Al and fouled Dean out, with 3 charging calls.



i am still in therapy because of that game.  it didn't help that whitehead got thrown out for coming down with a rebound and used his elbows to keep the others at bay.  i don't think he even hit anyone.  phantom flagrant foul??  talk about getting no respect-didn't the ref know that al retired the prior year?

[rocket surgeon]

I enjoyed immensely working with Al for several years as the Executive producer of the tv and radio network.  Al was great to me, my wife, etc.

Different times, I'm glad the NCAA put a lot of regs and rules in place as a result of what was going on at many places...UCLA, Louisville, Kentucky, Long Beach State, etc....and yes...MU, too.


Back in those days the rules weren't laid out well, way too many loopholes, low education and enforcement.  That isn't the case today.

i don't care what anyone says, i am facking jealous and truely in facking awe that you got to hang with al, bobby, et. al.  al spoke at my high school athletic banquet and i remember it like it was yesterday. to me, he was a rock star.  rick spoke at our dental white coat ceremony and being a student of al, was 2nd most cool event of my life.  gotta put my marriage and birth of my kids as a really close 3rd -good thing my wife doesn't read these.  i met hank at one of my kids grade school games in brookfield.  those guys were and still are my heroes as i lived/died warrior hoops from grade school up. 

[rocket surgeon]

the refs hated that al was THE SHOW.  when they flipped his switch, oh baby, the gloves came off

[Herman Cain]

Correct - Marquette was a dumpster fire, even worse than what KO inherited. He did hit a gusher in New York (Thompson, Meminger, Ric Cobb, Larry McNeil, Earl Tatum, Butch Lee and Bernard Toone) he also struck oil in Illinois (Bob Lackey, Bo Ellis, Marcus Washington, Lloyd Walton, Jerome Whitehead and Robert Byrd), Wisconsin (Jim Chones, Gary Brell, Allie McGuire, Jeff Sewell, Brian Brunkhorst and Gary Rosenberg) and random other spots for Mo Lucas, Jimmy Boylan, Joe Thomas and Ulice Payne.

And one more thing - "street agents" aren't illegal now, they just changed their name to "AAU coaches". Tom Crean saved his gig in Bloomington by cutting a deal with one.

In those days there was no internet, fax, cable TV and only the three networks. Newspapers had detailed coverage but were not widely accessible beyond local markets. Radio covered High school basketball as well. Street and Smith put out a basketball magazine.So what evolved were a network of scouting "contacts". Honestly most of those "contacts" today would be guys who spend time on sites like this. Of course then they had no where near the data that is available today at their fingertips. Everything was done by the eye ball test. What was amazing was the access  to major head coaches. You could literally pick up the phone and call a guy like Jud Heathcoate,he would answer the phone,  ask lots of questions and depending on how the call went would follow up on the prospect through the high school coach.

The NCAA subsequently made a tighter definition of what a "Representative of the Universitys  Interest" is which knocked out most of the well intentioned  "contacts".

[dgies9156]

Marquette was NOT winning when Al arrived. 

Duh, no kidding. But Al did not recruit the then equivalent of Burger Boys in 1965 either.

He was successful once he turned the program around.

[ChicosBailBonds]

i don't care what anyone says, i am facking jealous and truely in facking awe that you got to hang with al, bobby, et. al.  al spoke at my high school athletic banquet and i remember it like it was yesterday. to me, he was a rock star.  rick spoke at our dental white coat ceremony and being a student of al, was 2nd most cool event of my life.  gotta put my marriage and birth of my kids as a really close 3rd -good thing my wife doesn't read these.  i met hank at one of my kids grade school games in brookfield.  those guys were and still are my heroes as i lived/died warrior hoops from grade school up.

It was pretty cool.  Just like I'm jealous that Keefe got to fly all those years for a living.  You've got digs in Havasu....good times I'm guessing! 
 
Lucky and blessed.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Fat Jack Rusnov, RIP

[Lennys Tap]

Fat Jack Rusnov, RIP

Black Spider patron - Pat Devitt, Billy "Lefty" Keeler, Bob and Toots Lehigh and a cast of thousands (well, maybe hundreds). Those were the days, Doc.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Fat Jack Rusnov, RIP

Enjoy

http://www.si.com/vault/1971/01/25/542222/crazy-cat-and-his-curious-warriors

[4everwarriors]

Enjoy

http://www.si.com/vault/1971/01/25/542222/crazy-cat-and-his-curious-warriors

Y'all gotta read dis. I 'member runnin' to da Walgreens on 16th da day it came out. Didn't buy SI. Just read the article in da aisle.  Kilpatrick captured da Warrior culture beautifully. And who can disagree with mugoose? Al had da best tongue ya ever herd, ai na?

[dgies9156]

Enjoy

http://www.si.com/vault/1971/01/25/542222/crazy-cat-and-his-curious-warriors

The attitude in this article reflected the mood at Marquette in the 1970s. It's one reason why I loved the place!

[tower912]

I've read this before.  Two things.  If the players showed this much personality and independent thought today, they would be trashed on message boards.  Second, every time I read Al quotes from the 70's, I realize what a spiritual successor to him that Buzz truly was.

[rocket surgeon]

I've read this before.  Two things.  If the players showed this much personality and independent thought today, they would be trashed on message boards.  Second, every time I read Al quotes from the 70's, I realize what a spiritual successor to him that Buzz truly was.

many of you might already have this one, but the book-"cracked sidewalks and french pastry"  "the wit and wisdom of al mcguire"

    by tom kertscher

it's all pictures and al's sayings-i've got it hard cover and sits within reaching distance at all times

[CTWarrior]

Enjoy

http://www.si.com/vault/1971/01/25/542222/crazy-cat-and-his-curious-warriors

That was a fun read, thanks for posting.

[Lennys Tap]

I've read this before.  Two things.  If the players showed this much personality and independent thought today, they would be trashed on message boards.  Second, every time I read Al quotes from the 70's, I realize what a spiritual successor to him that Buzz truly was.

+1000.

[Herman Cain]

Y'all gotta read dis. I 'member runnin' to da Walgreens on 16th da day it came out. Didn't buy SI. Just read the article in da aisle.  Kilpatrick captured da Warrior culture beautifully. And who can disagree with mugoose? Al had da best tongue ya ever herd, ai na?

So you read it on a Thursday.

[brandx]

If the players showed this much personality and independent thought today, they would be trashed on message boards. 

Not just the players.

There would be many calling for Al's head.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I mean, with all that being said, it still sounds like a wonderful era.

[Herman Cain]

I've read this before.  Two things.  If the players showed this much personality and independent thought today, they would be trashed on message boards.  Second, every time I read Al quotes from the 70's, I realize what a spiritual successor to him that Buzz truly was.

Al would have approved of our one eyed  6 season Aircraft Carrier

[ChicosBailBonds]

This may be your funniest post ever. The guy who pines for the 50s, the back of the bus and loves him some redskins telling me to turn the calendar. LOL.

Things change, usually for the good - and in most cases (and all of those concerning human rights/dignity) I'm all in. Want to know something that hasn't changed? The overdog, hypocritical NCAA that you so love (and Al hated). Your thoughts on traditionals, Jucos and the alleged devaluation of your precious Marquette degree would have turned Al's stomach. Adolph Rupp would have been more simpatico with your world view.

From today

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/new-poll-finds-9-in-10-native-americans-arent-offended-by-redskins-name/2016/05/18/3ea11cfa-161a-11e6-924d-838753295f9a_story.html

[MU62]

i found this about Goose. 

Gary Brell #31

 Position: Forward
Height: 6'6“
Weight: 190 lbs.
Born:
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
High School: Pius XI H.S.
High School Career

University of North Dakota Career

Brell played for the University of North Dakota for one-half season.
In 14 games, he averaged 15.2 points and 13 rebounds per game.
He left the University of North Dakota mid-season and enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee but did not compete in intercollegiate athletics.
Marquette Career

Brell transferred to Marquette from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. As a result, he sat out the 1968-69 season.
Gary averaged 12.2 points per game during the 1969-70 season and 13.4 points per game during the 1970-71 season.