MU recruiting stories to fill the break

[jesmu84]

Stealing from Tower here..

Since we've got time to chat between games, does anyone have stories about MU recruits?

Big daddy said he'd tell the story about Grimes recruitment/commitment after he was out of college.

Stuff like that. Anything entertaining that we might not know? Doesn't have to be scandalous or slander.

[MuMark]

Carl Landry wanted to come to MU for his last 2 years after Juco.....we had another JC guy here at the time playing for Crean and the administration didn't want to have more then 1 or wanted to see how it went with the first guy before they would let him bring on another one......something like that.

So he ended up at Purdue......and then played about 10 Years in the NBA.

[tower912]

Who was the recruit who went elsewhere due to stuff written on a message board?

[MuMark]

Carson Desroisers

[Herman Cain]

Who was the recruit who went elsewhere due to stuff written on a message board?

Vander

[Nukem2]

Carson Desroisers

Yup.

[94Warrior]

In 1978 Scooter McCray was all but signed, sealed and delivered to MU.  Rick Majerus popped in at the McCray home for a visit, and being on such good terms with the family, Mrs McCray sent Big Rick up to Scooter's bedroom.  Well, Rick walked right in and found Scooter choking the gopher.  Needless to say, things became awkward, Scooter couldn't look Rick in the eye and had a quick change of heart and committed to Louisville.  It was a huge shock to almost everyone when he chose not to come to Marquette.

Long story, short.  His younger brother Rodney joined him at U of L, and the 2 of them helped Pervis Ellison win the 1980 National Championship.

True Story!

[Herman Cain]

In 1978 Scooter McCray was all but signed, sealed and delivered to MU.  Rick Majerus popped in at the McCray home for a visit, and being on such good terms with the family, Mrs McCray sent Big Rick up to Scooter's bedroom.  Well, Rick walked right in and found Scooter choking the gopher.  Needless to say, things became awkward, Scooter couldn't look Rick in the eye and had a quick change of heart and committed to Louisville.  It was a huge shock to almost everyone when he chose not to come to Marquette.

Long story, short.  His younger brother Rodney joined him at U of L, and the 2 of them helped Pervis Ellison win the 1980 National Championship.

True Story!

The whole picture becomes clear now.

[real chili 83]

In 1978 Scooter McCray was all but signed, sealed and delivered to MU.  Rick Majerus popped in at the McCray home for a visit, and being on such good terms with the family, Mrs McCray sent Big Rick up to Scooter's bedroom.  Well, Rick walked right in and found Scooter choking the gopher.  Needless to say, things became awkward, Scooter couldn't look Rick in the eye and had a quick change of heart and committed to Louisville.  It was a huge shock to almost everyone when he chose not to come to Marquette.

Long story, short.  His younger brother Rodney joined him at U of L, and the 2 of them helped Pervis Ellison win the 1980 National Championship.

True Story!

TMI

[MuMark]

Mike Deane had a teammate during his playing days in Europe. When Deane was coaching MU the teammate told Deane he wanted his son to play for him.........Deane told him we didn't have a spot.



Kid ended up at Miami of Ohio.....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wally_Szczerbiak

[94Warrior]

The point of the story was Rick's bad timing may have cost us another National Title.  The McCray brothers were coveted by every program in the country, and coming off the '77 title we were in the driver's seat for them. 


Package Deal (so to speak).

[MUEng92]

I don't like where this thread is going

[GGGG]

In 1978 Scooter McCray was all but signed, sealed and delivered to MU.  Rick Majerus popped in at the McCray home for a visit, and being on such good terms with the family, Mrs McCray sent Big Rick up to Scooter's bedroom.  Well, Rick walked right in and found Scooter choking the gopher.  Needless to say, things became awkward, Scooter couldn't look Rick in the eye and had a quick change of heart and committed to Louisville.  It was a huge shock to almost everyone when he chose not to come to Marquette.

Long story, short.  His younger brother Rodney joined him at U of L, and the 2 of them helped Pervis Ellison win the 1980 National Championship.

True Story!

Pervis Ellison was not on the 1980 team. He was a freshman on the 1986 team that beat Duke.

[94Warrior]

Pervis Ellison was not on the 1980 team. He was a freshman on the 1986 team that beat Duke.

I am getting old - the memory is fading.  Insert Darryl 'Dr Dunkenstien' Griffith for Pervis Ellison, and the rest of the story is 'On the Up and Up'.

[GB Warrior]

I don't like where this thread is going

Before you box the jesuit, please think of Rick Majerus

[wadesworld]

I heard Rec Centers across America were coming in hot for Ners's services.

[theBabyDavid]

Sam Bowie was less than impressed with the Old Gym but was cinched the deal was his projected lodging at The Beer Can.

[Goose]

theBabyDavid

And we still almost landed Sam.

[theBabyDavid]

Goose

It was that close with Bowie. Word I heard is that Bowie's girl friend dreaded the thought of Wisconsin winters. Wonder how long he was with her...

Another great story is how Jimmy Boylan came to us via Dean Smith. Different world today.

[The Lens]

Goose

It was that close with Bowie. Word I heard is that Bowie's girl friend dreaded the thought of Wisconsin winters. Wonder how long he was with her...

Another great story is how Jimmy Boylan came to us via Dean Smith. Different world today.

Played golf with Jim a few years ago.  He said he was set to meet Al in a hotel on the east coast.  Goes up to Al's room and there's two cheeseburgers and a 6 pack of beer.  He wasn't sure if he should grab a beer but he felt like his spot on the team depended on the decision.  He decided to grab a beer.

[Goose]

Crash and Lens

Recruiting stories like Boylan were the norm with Al. What you saw was what you got.

Not an MU recruiting story, but a UK story involving a local kid about 20+ years ago. The kid was working at our family biz over the summer and was not committed to a school the month after graduation. Great kid, great player but not best student and a bit immature. Rick Pitino learns that he is working at our place and a family member of mine was contacted by Pitino regarding the kid. Basically Rick said, if the kid comes here tomorrow I will give him a scholly on the spot. If he does not come, no second chance.

Family member asks me where the kid was and says go get him because we need to talk to him. On the way back to the office I told the kid that UK wants him and he needs to get down there tonight. The kid walks into office with big grin on his face and we assumed he was all jacked up about Pitino calling. Once in the office the kid hears the news again and responds with "Can I do it another day? I am going to Great America with my girlfriend tomorrow." When told there was no second day offered he simply blew off UK and went to Great America.

That really is the mindset that coaches have to deal with from time to time. Recruiting is a crazy business and you never know what makes a kid commit or not.

Good news, the kid went onto to an uneventful college career, but followed it with a very long, successful career in Europe. Loved the kid big time, but learned just how hard getting a commit can be for a coach.

[MU82]

In 1978 Scooter McCray was all but signed, sealed and delivered to MU.  Rick Majerus popped in at the McCray home for a visit, and being on such good terms with the family, Mrs McCray sent Big Rick up to Scooter's bedroom.  Well, Rick walked right in and found Scooter choking the gopher.  Needless to say, things became awkward, Scooter couldn't look Rick in the eye and had a quick change of heart and committed to Louisville.  It was a huge shock to almost everyone when he chose not to come to Marquette.

Scooter is lucky that Rick walked in instead of Brad Davison.

[muwarrior69]

Is recruiting like dating?

[94Warrior]

Is recruiting like dating?

Does your girlfriend look like Majerus?  If so, then yes.

[oldwarrior81]

It was that close with Bowie. Word I heard is that Bowie's girl friend dreaded the thought of Wisconsin winters. Wonder how long he was with her...

Bowie's high school girlfriend wanted to stay near home and for Sam to attend Penn State.  They made a run.  Even Joe Pa made a pitch, "If you came to Penn State, you may sacrifice yourself for a while, but you'd be the guy who opened doors for others. And for generations and generations, you'd be one of the all-time heroes."

The girlfriend went to Penn State.  Sam to Kentucky.  Guess the draw to play on NBC, ABC and CBS every week was more important than being an all-time hero.

..and I believe there is no substance to the story that Sam's redshirt was retired and hangs in the rafters in Lexington