Marquette Men's Basketball Centennial Hoopla

[Jay Bee]

When Crean was gushing Marquette, my buddy leaned over & ax'D a valid Q... "why'd you leave, then?"

Thought Crean did well, but not gonna leap to conclusions of true regret

[wadesworld]

It's similar to Holtman leaving for OSU. He'll regret that move. Why assume all that pressure when you can make championship games at a basketball only school? I don't understand that.

Well Holtman just had his salary tripled and got an 8 year contract so even if he does fail there he still probably made the right decision.

[Sir Lawrence]

When Crean was gushing Marquette, my buddy leaned over & ax'D a valid Q... "why'd you leave, then?"

Thought Crean did well, but not gonna leap to conclusions of true regret

This is likely accurate.  And as Glow said, he is collecting fresh unemployment benefits. 

I found it a tad odd that TC was prompting KO to tell KO stories--like he didn't have any of his own material....

[4everwarriors]

Y'all believe in Santa Claus too, hey? Or have you convinced yourself that the MU job and our fantastic fanbase is simply superior and unmatched anywhere else? Y'all are delusional if you believe Tommy Crean regrets for a nanosecond his decision to leave or has buyer's remorse. He's quite the snake oil salesman if you're gullible enough to believe he give two chits 'bout Marquette too, hey?

[79Warrior]

Y'all believe in Santa Claus too, hey? Or have you convinced yourself that the MU job and our fantastic fanbase is simply superior and unmatched anywhere else? Y'all are delusional if you believe Tommy Crean regrets for a nanosecond his decision to leave or has buyer's remorse. He's quite the snake oil salesman if you're gullible enough to believe he give two chits 'bout Marquette too, hey?

He enjoyed his years here. He did a good job with the program. He handled himself very well last night. Life is too short to be bitter.

[muguru]

Y'all believe in Santa Claus too, hey? Or have you convinced yourself that the MU job and our fantastic fanbase is simply superior and unmatched anywhere else? Y'all are delusional if you believe Tommy Crean regrets for a nanosecond his decision to leave or has buyer's remorse. He's quite the snake oil salesman if you're gullible enough to believe he give two chits 'bout Marquette too, hey?

Get over it 4never...without TC there is no Big East, there is no Al McGuire center and there is no Dwade, and no Final Four in 2003. He must have pissed in your cheerios or something, or personally shunned you at some point that you continue to be so bitter to this day. Or maybe you talked to him once like you do on this board with your Shtick, unless you don't know how to talk properly..and he thought "who is this moron that talks in slang"?? Whatever your deal with him is..get the hell over it.

[wadesworld]

Get over it 4never...without TC there is no Big East, there is no Al McGuire center and there is no Dwade, and no Final Four in 2003. He must have pissed in your cheerios or something, or personally shunned you at some point that you continue to be so bitter to this day. Or maybe you talked to him once like you do on this board with your Shtick, unless you don't know how to talk properly..and he thought "who is this moron that talks in slang"?? Whatever your deal with him is..get the hell over it.

That is the most overplayed myth on this board. Sure, if you replace Tom Crean with nobody and the program just ceases to exist none of those things happen. But the administration made a commitment to the basketball program and chances are if not Tom Crean, there would've been another candidate that would've had every opportunity to succeed at Marquette.

[Nukem2]

Get over it 4never...without TC there is no Big East, there is no Al McGuire center and there is no Dwade, and no Final Four in 2003. He must have pissed in your cheerios or something, or personally shunned you at some point that you continue to be so bitter to this day. Or maybe you talked to him once like you do on this board with your Shtick, unless you don't know how to talk properly..and he thought "who is this moron that talks in slang"?? Whatever your deal with him is..get the hell over it.

This.  4never has a personal issue.  Maybe TC did not want his teeth cleaned by him.

[GooooMarquette]

That is the most overplayed myth on this board. Sure, if you replace Tom Crean with nobody and the program just ceases to exist none of those things happen. But the administration made a commitment to the basketball program and chances are if not Tom Crean, there would've been another candidate that would've had every opportunity to succeed at Marquette.

Yep.  We'd have hired Quin Snyder, who was hired a week later at Missouri.  Snyder had every opportunity to succeed at Missouri, but never finished better than 5th in the Big 12, and quit in the middle of his seventh season to avoid being fired.

[GooooMarquette]

Get over it 4never...without TC there is no Big East, there is no Al McGuire center and there is no Dwade, and no Final Four in 2003. He must have pissed in your cheerios or something, or personally shunned you at some point that you continue to be so bitter to this day. Or maybe you talked to him once like you do on this board with your Shtick, unless you don't know how to talk properly..and he thought "who is this moron that talks in slang"?? Whatever your deal with him is..get the hell over it.

+1

[MuMark]

Get over it 4never...without TC there is no Big East, there is no Al McGuire center and there is no Dwade, and no Final Four in 2003. He must have pissed in your cheerios or something, or personally shunned you at some point that you continue to be so bitter to this day. Or maybe you talked to him once like you do on this board with your Shtick, unless you don't know how to talk properly..and he thought "who is this moron that talks in slang"?? Whatever your deal with him is..get the hell over it.

+2

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

As someone who is as neutral as it comes with Crean (aka didn't give a sh!t about marquette basketball until I went there)

Just based on his demeanor last night, you could really care he loves the program and time he spent there. You can't fake what he did last night. He left 9 years ago, get the hell over it.

Y'all sound like millenals, and I know that's the worst thing to be compared to for a lot of you.

[Jay Bee]

Chi, I don't think you can understand.

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

I heard some regret in his voice. Now one must remember that Indiana just fired him.  That'll always leave a bad taste.  One thing is for sure though. I think TC really does reflect fondly on his 9 years here.  I wouldn't be surprised that in the course of the last 24 hours he reminded Wojo that MU was a great gig and to appreciate it.  I think we all know that Wojo already believes that but it's nice to hear it from others too.

Dnt think wojo goes anywhere but Duke

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

Get over it 4never...without TC there is no Big East, there is no Al McGuire center and there is no Dwade, and no Final Four in 2003. He must have pissed in your cheerios or something, or personally shunned you at some point that you continue to be so bitter to this day. Or maybe you talked to him once like you do on this board with your Shtick, unless you don't know how to talk properly..and he thought "who is this moron that talks in slang"?? Whatever your deal with him is..get the hell over it.

Guru disagree with u 1000% on crean and the BE.  Final 4, wade sure crean clearly deserves credit, but the BE?! No. MU fit all the criteria the BE was looking for eveb before Crean.  Al deserves credit, not Crean.  Hell Depaul got in!
Doesnt deserve credit on the Al, either that was getting built regardless

[We R Final Four]

Chi, I don't think you can understand.

+1.

[brewcity77]

Get over it 4never...without TC there is no Big East, there is no Al McGuire center and there is no Dwade, and no Final Four in 2003. He must have pissed in your cheerios or something, or personally shunned you at some point that you continue to be so bitter to this day. Or maybe you talked to him once like you do on this board with your Shtick, unless you don't know how to talk properly..and he thought "who is this moron that talks in slang"?? Whatever your deal with him is..get the hell over it.

Your finest post ever. Crean was the right guy at the right time. Sure, he caught some lightning in a bottle, but the program and the university benefited mightily from that jar of electricity.

[We R Final Four]

Dnt think wojo goes anywhere but Duke

And Crean wasn't leaving for anywhere but MSU when Izzo left.......and the only place Buzz was going was Texas.
One MU coach will figure out that Marquette is the destination job--not sure if it's Wojo, but I think it just might be. They way he embraces the history is impressive, but it's easier ultimately to recruit at Duke--since they offer and recruit very little.

[Billy Hoyle]

Your finest post ever. Crean was the right guy at the right time. Sure, he caught some lightning in a bottle, but the program and the university benefited mightily from that jar of electricity.

Caught? He created it. Other than a game against Bucky, when was the last time we had sold out the BC before Crean?

[wadesworld]

Yep.  We'd have hired Quin Snyder, who was hired a week later at Missouri.  Snyder had every opportunity to succeed at Missouri, but never finished better than 5th in the Big 12, and quit in the middle of his seventh season to avoid being fired.

Which means absolutely nothing towards how he might have done at Marquette had he become Marquette's coach instead of Tom Crean.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

That is the most overplayed myth on this board. Sure, if you replace Tom Crean with nobody and the program just ceases to exist none of those things happen. But the administration made a commitment to the basketball program and chances are if not Tom Crean, there would've been another candidate that would've had every opportunity to succeed at Marquette.

I don't think people think Crean was the only one who could have gotten us into the Big East and back to a Final Four. I think people just recognize that while another candidate could have theoretically done it (or possibly done even better), Crean was the one who actually did it and deserves some of the credit. I mean, we could have hired someone different than Al who could have theoretically done as well or even better than Al did.

I enjoyed Crean's remarks at the hoopla. I thought he most clearly articulated what the Marquette program means to him and why it is so unique from others. KO and Deane stole the show but Crean was thoughtful and a great addition to the panel. Though I forgot how much funnier Crean faces are in person.

[dgies9156]

They way he embraces the history is impressive, but it's easier ultimately to recruit at Duke--since they offer and recruit very little.

Excuse me? If Duke wants someone, chances are North Carolina wants him too, as does Kentucky, UCLA, Michigan State, Syracuse, Texas and a host of other name schools.

The message of Tom Crean seems to be don't think the grass is greener "over there." The college basketball landscape is littered with coaches who followed a legend and never could live up to the legend. Or coaches who thought they had reached the palace of college basketball only to find that the fanbase of that team didn't realize the palace was a run-down shell of its former self.

I don't doubt Tom Crean had a great time at Indiana. He got close but Indiana was one of those run-down palaces. No doubt Crean had some recruiting frustrations at MU but, as he found later, recruiting is a challenge no matter where you go.

[real chili 83]

ND sucks.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Marquette has been the high water mark of all the coaches back to Al, with the exception of Rick (and Rick at certain times in his career, wanted to return). Buzz may eventually beat his MU time, but the jury is still out. The history of the program is formidable. We ain't no steppin' stone, ai-na?

[We R Final Four]

Excuse me? If Duke wants someone, chances are North Carolina wants him too, as does Kentucky, UCLA, Michigan State, Syracuse, Texas and a host of other name schools.

The message of Tom Crean seems to be don't think the grass is greener "over there." The college basketball landscape is littered with coaches who followed a legend and never could live up to the legend. Or coaches who thought they had reached the palace of college basketball only to find that the fanbase of that team didn't realize the palace was a run-down shell of its former self.

I don't doubt Tom Crean had a great time at Indiana. He got close but Indiana was one of those run-down palaces. No doubt Crean had some recruiting frustrations at MU but, as he found later, recruiting is a challenge no matter where you go.

I guess I wasn't clear. It is much much much easier to recruit at Duke than at MU. MU could be on a recruit for 3 years, his brother could be on the team, and Duke could come in at the 11th hour and swoop that player up with little to no involvement or effort.