Duke vs. V.T. tonight

[MU82]

Not a Buzz hater at all.

Buzz is an outstanding coach and I wish he hadn't left.

Buzz did leave a bare cupboard for Wojo, who has recruited well since arriving.

Beating Duke is always wonderful. Still, one home win over a team that was without its best player hardly should result in any conclusion of greatness.

At this stage of their careers, Buzz is a better coach than Wojo. Which should surprise nobody. Buzz is an outstanding, proven, veteran, tested coach who has guided teams to Sweet 16s and beyond; Wojo is a neophyte coach and it's too early to accurately judge him.

I don't know which program was in worse shape 3 years ago - and neither does anybody else. Most of what I have seen so far in this thread are opinions ... including those stated in the preceding five paragraphs of this post.

Opinions are not facts.

[4everwarriors]

Gotta wait 5 years ta judge, hey?

[fjm]

Love how three days ago we were so excited about our players and WOJO's recruiting talent and about how his in
Game coaching has improved.
Now here is thread basically talking about him not being good.

If we lose today, will all you flip floppers start the fire Wojo thread again?

[#UnleashSean]

Love how three days ago we were so excited about our players and WOJO's recruiting talent and about how his in
Game coaching has improved.
Now here is thread basically talking about him not being good.

If we lose today, will all you flip floppers start the fire Wojo thread again?

No that's for the DePaul game.

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

Or "...who will have the higher seed". I am more bullish on MU's chances of getting in. I got to believe.

As far as Buzz/Wojo...Buzz is a great coach and Wojo is headed in the right direction.

+1 Now can we move on? (he asked knowing full well what the answer is)

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

Pretty hard to judge buzz vs wojo after 3 years when buzz was able to take his recruiting class with him and continue to recruit targets he already had n wojo started completely over

[Loose Cannon]

Bed Time.

[bilsu]

I still like Buzz and I believe he left, because the administration was no longer happy with him. I think the situation is very similar to the new Cincy President getting rid of Bob Huggins and somewhat similiar to Indiana getting rid of Bobby Knight. While both of those programs have had some very good success since then, neither of them have achieved the success that they had before they ran off the coach that did not fit the public image the Unverisity administration wanted.

[wadesworld]

I still like Buzz and I believe he left, because the administration was no longer happy with him. I think the situation is very similar to the new Cincy President getting rid of Bob Huggins and somewhat similiar to Indiana getting rid of Bobby Knight. While both of those programs have had some very good success since then, neither of them have achieved the success that they had before they ran off the coach that did not fit the public image the Unverisity administration wanted.

Good comparisons.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

I still like Buzz and I believe he left, because the administration was no longer happy with him. I think the situation is very similar to the new Cincy President getting rid of Bob Huggins and somewhat similiar to Indiana getting rid of Bobby Knight. While both of those programs have had some very good success since then, neither of them have achieved the success that they had before they ran off the coach that did not fit the public image the Unverisity administration wanted.

The question for me is are the desires of the University right or correct.  If Pilarz is pulling the strings I vote no.

We may have not ended up in a different place in the end, but they fooked this up.

[rocket surgeon]

I still like Buzz and I believe he left, because the administration was no longer happy with him. I think the situation is very similar to the new Cincy President getting rid of Bob Huggins and somewhat similiar to Indiana getting rid of Bobby Knight. While both of those programs have had some very good success since then, neither of them have achieved the success that they had before they ran off the coach that did not fit the public image the Unverisity administration wanted.

good points, but i also might add that i don't think cincy appreciated the "huggy happy hour" either

[Billy Hoyle]

Hi, fun fact Bazz has been gone since 2014.

I hate Bazz with the power of 1000 suns but it's over.

He screwed Wojo and Marquette over to infinity but he is long gone.

Whether Wojo is the man to lead Marquette to the promise land or not, Bazz is a wuss of epic proportions because h couldn't handle the slightest bit of pressure.

Amen. Glad that phony, scumbag who embarrassed our proud university with his antics and what he tolerated as a coach is gone. Buzz sucks.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

The question for me is are the desires of the University right or correct.  If Pilarz is pulling the strings I vote no.

We may have not ended up in a different place in the end, but they fooked this up.

Parts were poorly handled on both sides. Pilarz/Larry treated an episodic issue like a systematic one. Buzz could have handled it graciously but he didn't. I'm personally of the belief that when you disagree with your boss, you make your concerns known and then respect the decision that gets handed down and make the best of it. Not sure if that's what happened.

[MU82]

I still like Buzz and I believe he left, because the administration was no longer happy with him. I think the situation is very similar to the new Cincy President getting rid of Bob Huggins and somewhat similiar to Indiana getting rid of Bobby Knight. While both of those programs have had some very good success since then, neither of them have achieved the success that they had before they ran off the coach that did not fit the public image the Unverisity administration wanted.

I'm no insider, but to my knowledge Buzz never choked an athlete at practice or pinned a student up against a wall for calling him "Williams."

Look up Knight's last 6 years at Indiana - no BT titles, 4 NCAA first-round losses, 2 NCAA second-round losses. Fact is, he didn't achieve the success that he had before he very deservedly - and belatedly - was run off by Indiana. Recruits were avoiding him like the plague, and for good reason. There are too many outstanding coaches who don't physically abuse their athletes.

I get your point, though.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Amen. Glad that phony, scumbag who embarrassed our proud university with his antics and what he tolerated as a coach is gone. Buzz sucks.

See I didnt mind that aspect. I dont think is antics were that bad and outside Mayo, his teams were more than fine people. But the way he left and ripped the Big East while doing it was what irked me.

[vogue65]

See I didnt mind that aspect. I dont think is antics were that bad and outside Mayo, his teams were more than fine people. But the way he left and ripped the Big East while doing it was what irked me.

Not easy leaving with dignity after you have been screwed.  The Big East still has a lot of work to do, it is on a tight rope, doing well all things considered.   Without the great tv deal it would be just another mid-major league.  It better shore up its product in all aspects while it has time, the honneymoon is over and the ratings don't lie, Creighton attendance figures notwithstanding.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Not easy leaving with dignity after you have been screwed.  The Big East still has a lot of work to do, it is on a tight rope, doing well all things considered.   Without the great tv deal it would be just another mid-major league.  It better shore up its product in all aspects while it has time, the honneymoon is over and the ratings don't lie, Creighton attendance figures notwithstanding.

You mean a product that sends half of its teams to the tourney every year with the reigning national champion, 4 teams in the top 25 and current number 1 team in the country? Or am I thinking of some other conference?

[vogue65]

You mean a product that sends half of its teams to the tourney every year with the reigning national champion, 4 teams in the top 25 and current number 1 team in the country? Or am I thinking of some other conference?

That's exactly the kind of work the conference needs to continue doing.  The battle is a PR battle and for eyeballs and advertising dollars.   

The problem, as I  see it, and BTW, as Al McGuire saw it, continues to be  the problem of a "Catholic" league, but that is another topic.   We only have one token private non-catholic school, not good for the long term.  Look around, no league looks like the Big East.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

The problem, as I  see it, and BTW, as Al McGuire saw it, continues to be  the problem of a "Catholic" league, but that is another topic.   We only have one token private non-catholic school, not good for the long term.  Look around, no league looks like the Big East.

What does that matter?  I mean, are you arguing that the BE is somehow tarnished due to the religious affiliations of its schools?  It doesn't seem to me like it is even a topic that ever comes up.

The BE was formed primarily because all the schools were/are basketball centric, i.e., football would no longer wag the dog, not due to religious affiliation.

[wadesworld]

See I didnt mind that aspect. I dont think is antics were that bad and outside Mayo, his teams were more than fine people. But the way he left and ripped the Big East while doing it was what irked me.

That's debatable.

[Galway Eagle]

See I didnt mind that aspect. I dont think is antics were that bad and outside Mayo, his teams were more than fine people. But the way he left and ripped the Big East while doing it was what irked me.

Yeah you weren't here for 2010-2011, you'd feel very differently about the character of some of his players (though certain posters still can't accept that the incidents happened)

[vogue65]

What does that matter?  I mean, are you arguing that the BE is somehow tarnished due to the religious affiliations of its schools?  It doesn't seem to me like it is even a topic that ever comes up.

The BE was formed primarily because all the schools were/are basketball centric, i.e., football would no longer wag the dog, not due to religious affiliation.

Yes, that is exactly what I  mean.  I  understand the basketball centric rationalization.

The subject never comes up because it is a difficult subject.  It came up very often in the late 60's and 70's when Al was runnining the show and Marquette was an independent.  Then the leagues took over, everone had to join a league and now we are in exactly the kind of league that Al wanted to avoid. 

We are lucky to be in the Big East, and the Big East is lucky to have us.

Now let me go to an extreme to make a point, imagine a Big 20, East and West Divisions.

San Francisco,  Gonzaga, Creighton, St. Marys, Marquette, Butler, De Paul, St. Louis, Xavier, Dayton. in the West.

Providence, St. Johns, Seton Hall, Vilanova, Georgetown, St. Bonaventure, St. Josephs, Niagra, Detroit, and Duquesne in the East.     

How does that sound?    To many people the Big East sounds, as currently constituted, similar.

[GGGG]

Yes, that is exactly what I  mean.  I  understand the basketball centric rationalization.

The subject never comes up because it is a difficult subject.  It came up very often in the late 60's and 70's when Al was runnining the show and Marquette was an independent.  Then the leagues took over, everone had to join a league and now we are in exactly the kind of league that Al wanted to avoid. 

We are lucky to be in the Big East, and the Big East is lucky to have us.

Now let me go to an extreme to make a point, imagine a Big 20, East and West Divisions.

San Francisco,  Gonzaga, Creighton, St. Marys, Marquette, Butler, De Paul, St. Louis, Xavier, Dayton. in the West.

Providence, St. Johns, Seton Hall, Vilanova, Georgetown, St. Bonaventure, St. Josephs, Niagra, Detroit, and Duquesne in the East.     

How does that sound?    To many people the Big East sounds, as currently constituted, similar.

Those people are morons.

Look, I love Al and what he did for Marquette.  But using his thoughts from 40+ years ago on our current conference affiliation makes no sense.  He had those thoughts when a school could still be an independent.  When television contracts weren't all that lucrative and tied to conferences. 

Simply put, the landscape has changed too much.  The fact that nine of the ten schools are Catholic is in no way a concern. 

[BM1090]

All of what you say is opinion and not fact.

Here is a fact: Bert has VPI ranked while Wojo's team is not. Bert has his team playing at a higher level than Wojo does.

We will see who is in the Dance this year and who is not.

Virginia Tech is 32 Kenpom, we're 36. His team is playing at a higher level, but barely.

[GoldenWarrior11]

Anyone that thinks the current incarnation of the Big East is a mid-major is either uninformed or pushing an alternative agenda.

Our conference is now widely (again) considered a power basketball conference. Our performance has proven that, our attendance has shown that and our schools' commitment to elite basketball has solidified that.

Buzz, for all of his analytics and insight, actually guessed wrong on the new Big East - as did ESPN, media personalities, as well as other collegiate insiders. It has not only gotten the results, but it has also proven that you don't need P5 football in order to have successful D1 athletics program. Football, in reality, does not drive the proverbial bus.

We were supposed to be left for dead, with no hope of surviving in this new world. Not only did we survive, but we have now become one of the predators - able to take any non-football program we want because we offer more money, exposure and opportunity than any other non-football conference in the country. It's quite the reversal of what the old Big East had become.

Our conference affiliation is a strength of Marquette Athletics for sure.