Virginia Tech Fans

[brewcity77]

Question, why did Crean leave when he had a loaded team returning?  Was it about Crean's belief that I4 would be a major upgrade?  (note it was not, Crean was at MU for 9 years and I4 for 9 years and his record was nearly identical.  Crean is what he is, the school doesn't change that.)

He had no way of knowing when he left, but yes. After Shumpert, he expected Indiana to make recruiting easier (it did). Crean left for what Indiana could be, he had no way of knowing what it would be.

I don't see any way Wojo leaves for Va Tech. It's just not that good a job. If he does, so be it, but starting over from another Buzz scrapheap in a place that has no basketball tradition outside the past 3 years seems like a poor choice. He could easily get a better offer in a year or two.

[1SE]

This is actually kind of funny - they really think Wojo is coming don't they....

https://247sports.com/college/virginia-tech/Board/59428/Contents/BREAKING-Buzz-Williams-officially-heading-to-Texas-AM-130833242/

[StillAWarrior]

Then I remembered that Crean bolted for I4 and left behind a top 10 team.

Question, why did Crean leave when he had a loaded team returning?

I know we've made fun of it for years now, but "It's Indiana" wasn't a ridiculous reason to leave.  History has shown it's not really a very good reason, but...it was Indiana.

In a very short time, somebody is going to make a career decision based upon "It's UCLA."  I think there's a pretty good chance it will be a mistake.  But history is a bewitching siren.

[TallTitan34]

This is actually kind of funny - they really think Wojo is coming don't they....

https://247sports.com/college/virginia-tech/Board/59428/Contents/BREAKING-Buzz-Williams-officially-heading-to-Texas-AM-130833242/

[Warrior of Law]

It was surprising when Buzz left for VT, considering the money, support, etc.  With Buzz, you had some actual coaching success that warranted consideration.  I guess I don't see why Wojo would be an attractive candidate, other than MU having hired him 5 years ago.

[Its DJOver]

I like how they act like they're too good for Willard.  Four straight tourney appearances, pre-Buzz VT would have taken that in a heartbeat.

[Herman Cain]

I keep asking why Wojo would leave for VT that needs to be rebuilt (meaning go get paid to suck again) when he has his guys here now, and if everyone returns, he will have another top 10 team and unfinished business at the end of the year.

Now if Wojo's guys are bailing on MU it would make sense, but I've seen nothing on this front.

Then I remembered that Crean bolted for I4 and left behind a top 10 team.

Question, why did Crean leave when he had a loaded team returning?  Was it about Crean's belief that I4 would be a major upgrade?  (note it was not, Crean was at MU for 9 years and I4 for 9 years and his record was nearly identical.  Crean is what he is, the school doesn't change that.)

At the time Crean left, there was still some thought process  out there that Indiana was still a blue blood and just need to adjust to a post Knight era. Obviously time has shown that was not the case.

[TallTitan34]

Rothstein speaks, everyone settle...

"Sources: Seton Hall's Kevin Willard is expected to be a primary target to replace Buzz Williams at Virginia Tech. Hokies' AD Whit Babcock has been prepared for this departure and has had a list of potential candidates for weeks. #shbb"

Especially funny since Seton Hall fans started the Wojo rumor.

However, I would prefer Willard stay in the Big East.  I like him.

[Skip Intro]

He had no way of knowing when he left, but yes. After Shumpert, he expected Indiana to make recruiting easier (it did). Crean left for what Indiana could be, he had no way of knowing what it would be.

I don't see any way Wojo leaves for Va Tech. It's just not that good a job. If he does, so be it, but starting over from another Buzz scrapheap in a place that has no basketball tradition outside the past 3 years seems like a poor choice. He could easily get a better offer in a year or two.

I don't really see Wojo leaving for VT, either.  As you said, he could get a better offer in a year or two, especially if he has a comparable record next year.  If he goes to VT this year, in what will almost assuredly be a down year (with or without Buzz), those offers probably don't come.  I think he ends up at Maryland within two years, assuming Duke doesn't come calling first.

Also, to those who say VT is "closer to home" for Wojo, Blacksburg is about a 5 hour drive to Baltimore.  He can jump on a direct flight from MKE - BWI and be there in two.  I don't think the location will play into any VT decision from Wojo (and might actually hurt their chances).

[Silent Verbal]

Many are saying VT would be a poor choice for Wojo, but I think Wojo would be a poor choice for VT.  To be successful, that program needs a coach with the right stuff, a guy who can (or seems like he could) win anywhere.  Willard might be that guy.  Like Buzz and many other good college coaches, he has just the right combination of sleaze and panache to get it done at a second rate P6 program.  Wojo is having a hard enough time keeping his head above water at MU.

[TallTitan34]

Wojo is having a hard enough time keeping his head above water at MU.

A ranked team for most of the season that returns all major players next season?

His head is above water.

[shoothoops]

It was surprising when Buzz left for VT, considering the money, support, etc.  With Buzz, you had some actual coaching success that warranted consideration.  I guess I don't see why Wojo would be an attractive candidate, other than MU having hired him 5 years ago.

I know this has been discussed often but is it really that difficult to believe?

Long time popular school President (Wild) retires, and long time popular AD (Cords) retires. Williams (AD) and Pilarz (Prez) were bad hires. Babcock (Virginia Tech AD) has a strong people person reputation. MU entering the unknown of a new Big East (which has since worked out fine) .....Buzz had great success early and often over 5 seasons. But there was some Final Four chatter coming off of the elite 8 run. Then Vander left unexpectedly. MU misses tourney and would likely have another down year. So the abrupt nature, and choice of school may have raised an eyebrow or two but leaving didn't.  Buzz knew that getting Virginia Tech to NCAA's would appease fans there as they made it twice in the previous 26 seasons. Buzz makes it 3 times in 5 seasons and makes Sweet 16. He will lose a lot this season. Buzz is gaining a reputation of early success, sustained annually for 5 or so years and then leaving when he may have a down season or two. There is a good chance he will succeed at A&M early and for a while. Then who knows?

[fjm]

I went to their front page. Holy crap. 4 threads about Wojo.

[Herman Cain]

Many are saying VT would be a poor choice for Wojo, but I think Wojo would be a poor choice for VT.  To be successful, that program needs a coach with the right stuff, a guy who can (or seems like he could) win anywhere.  Willard might be that guy.  Like Buzz and many other good college coaches, he has just the right combination of sleaze and panache to get it done at a second rate P6 program.  Wojo is having a hard enough time keeping his head above water at MU.

I agree with this analysis.

[warriorchick]

I went to their front page. Holy crap. 4 threads about Wojo.

So, considerably less insane than Scoop.

[Lighthouse 84]

The cupboard isn't bare if Wojo leaves, but Symir could decide to go elsewhere.  Not sure if it makes sense for anyone else to leave or follow if Wojo left.

But I don't see it.  If Wojo has any chance at all of being the Duke coach after K, does he leave a Marquette job that K had him wait for the "right" job, only to then leave again in a couple years when K steps down?

[TallTitan34]

The cupboard isn't bare if Wojo leaves, but Symir could decide to go elsewhere.  Not sure if it makes sense for anyone else to leave or follow if Wojo left.

But I don't see it.  If Wojo has any chance at all of being the Duke coach after K, does he leave a Marquette job that K had him wait for the "right" job, only to then leave again in a couple years when K steps down?

Right.  Why would Wojo leave without accomplishing anything when he has a decent shot at accomplishing something big next season?  No reason to set himself back five years.

[shoothoops]

Corey Evans weighs in with Virginia Tech coaching candidates.

https://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/news/buzz-williams-leave-virginia-tech-what-s-next-for-hokies-

as does Jon Rothstein

https://twitter.com/jonrothstein/status/1113427549181423616

[SERocks]

So, considerably less insane than Scoop.

So many times I wish there was a like or recommend button on Scoop.  Chick nails it.

[MU82]

Many are saying VT would be a poor choice for Wojo, but I think Wojo would be a poor choice for VT.  To be successful, that program needs a coach with the right stuff, a guy who can (or seems like he could) win anywhere.  Willard might be that guy.  Like Buzz and many other good college coaches, he has just the right combination of sleaze and panache to get it done at a second rate P6 program.  Wojo is having a hard enough time keeping his head above water at MU.

First, we have extreme MU tunnel vision here. We see warts where others don't. I mean, there is a pretty sizable minority of folks here who regularly rip our All-American guard, for crissakes.

Outsiders say, "Wojo took over a program that was down. In 2 years, they were 20-game winners with a McDonald's All-American playing for them, within 3 they were back in the NCAAs. He landed a few more top recruits, made some role players into good D1 players and nearly won a conference title. Clearly trending up. His players also have no behavioral issues, and his program seems squeaky clean, too."

Many Scoopers might not agree with some of the positives because they believe Wojo is the worst ever, but people see what they want to see, and there is some decent evidence to back up the positives. Many here were extremely negative about Buzz getting our job, but the MU hierarchy at the time saw what they wanted to see in him.

What cracks me up is that many of the same folks dumping on Wojo are singing the praises of Willard. Look up their records. I'm not sure how anybody could claim, based upon results and facts, that Willard has outperformed Wojo as a D1 head coach.

If Wojo had Willard's record after 5 years -- 82-80 overall, 30-60 BE, zero NCAA appearances, even though he went to SH with 3 years of head-coaching experience at Iona, where he also accomplished nothing -- Scoop would be going nuclear! Even after Willard finally recruited a decent class, he underachieved with it.

As for why Wojo would go to VT and leave behind a winning program he rebuilt, he'd either desperately have to want to get back to the ACC or be convinced that Marquette will dick him around on his contract (or both). I don't see it happening at all, but that's all I can come up with on his possible motivation.

[Skip Intro]

Buzz is gaining a reputation of early success, sustained annually for 5 or so years and then leaving when he may have a down season or two. There is a good chance he will succeed at A&M early and for a while. Then who knows?

I actually think he stays at A&M for a long time, barring a call from Kansas, UNC, Kentucky, etc.  He's proven that he can be successful in a tough conference, and I have no doubt he'll have similar success in the SEC.  His personality is 100% oil baron, so he'll play well with the fans and the school's monstrous student body.  This is where he was meant to be.

[MomofMUltiples]

The most insane thing I saw was VPI fans already worrying about Wojo leaving in 5 years to coach Duke.

That approaches Scoop insanity, but still doesn't quite make it...

[mu03eng]

I finally caught up with thread, the page and half of Jesus returning to basketball jokes was outstanding....the rest was a great study in Scoop people not being rational thinkers about the state of the program, the coach, or how all of this works.

Before the VT rumors "heated" up, there was stuff going around about UNLV coming for Wojo including burner twitter accounts popping up to tweet "rumors" at me about UNLV offering and UNLV blog people tweeting me about them "hearing things". That turned out to be nothing and it didn't even really reach Scoop. I think this VT stuff is the exact same thing but it sticks because we've got fragile egos around here and so the "fear" of being VPI's stepping stone or "dad abandoned me, of course my girlfriend is going to leave" syndrome. There is nothing to this story, it makes zero sense.

Best case scenario, VT blogs have a Benny B equivalent (or maybe it was Benny himself trying to top his Myron Metcalf stunt) who has gloriously trolled two fanbases because we are a bunch of insecure babies.

Worst case scenario, Wojo's people are spreading stuff out there in an effort to leverage a more valuable/longer/better extension out of MU.

No matter what, this does not end with Wojo at VPI.

[MU B2002]

If Wojo leaves just give his job to Stan Johnson.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Corey Evans weighs in with Virginia Tech coaching candidates.

https://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/news/buzz-williams-leave-virginia-tech-what-s-next-for-hokies-

as does Jon Rothstein

https://twitter.com/jonrothstein/status/1113427549181423616

Wow, Corey Evans lists Shaka Smart as a candidate but not Wojo.