I'm always amazed how Marquette does fairly well on the court.......

[muguru]

You realize you're holding Wojo to an impossible standard.  Both Crean and Buzz got players admitted to Marquette that would never be offered a scholarship by the current powers that be due to grades.  Is it right? I think Wade and Crowder are great spokesmen for the University and Marquette Community, but the powers that be have decided to make sure that all student athletes are very much students before being athletes.  Take away Wade, take away Crowder, is Wojo equal to Crean and Buzz?   I'd argue Wojo's result would be ahead of Crean and on par or better than Buzz.

Now, I'm not saying admit anyone and everyone, but doesn't this speak at least somewhat to the lack of desire the admin has for wanting to be elite?? Why handcuff your Coache(s) like that if you have a true desire to have an exceptional basketball team?? This is one of the many reasons I have stated that I feel like the admin doesn't have the level of commitment it takes to get to the top. They say they do, but their actions don't show it. With what MU spends on their program, they need to be more supportive IMO.

Almost every school in the country, admits some athletes that they maybe shouldn't. Why should MU be any different and have this holier than thou attitude??

[Uncle Rico]

Now, I'm not saying admit anyone and everyone, but doesn't this speak at least somewhat to the lack of desire the admin has for wanting to be elite?? Why handcuff your Coache(s) like that if you have a true desire to have an exceptional basketball team?? This is one of the many reasons I have stated that I feel like the admin doesn't have the level of commitment it takes to get to the top. They say they do, but their actions don't show it. With what MU spends on their program, they need to be more supportive IMO.

Almost every school in the country, admits some athletes that they maybe shouldn't. Why should MU be any different and have this holier than thou attitude??

Because the core statement and goal of the university doesn’t revolve around shoots ball?

[jesmu84]

Because the core statement and goal of the university doesn’t revolve around shoots ball?

In case you didn't know, guru didn't go to Marquette. And he has said multiple times he doesn't care about the university in any regard outside the men's bball program. So, yea

[Uncle Rico]

In case you didn't know, guru didn't go to Marquette. And he has said multiple times he doesn't care about the university in any regard outside the men's bball program. So, yea

Did not know that.  I didn’t go, either.  I’m a local interloper.  As an outsider with no skin in the game as an alum, it’s easy to say “just win, baby”. 

[Silent Verbal]

You know who recruited student-first athletes?  Mike Deane.  I remember hearing a story about how he redshirted John Polonowski because Polo wanted to pursue a graduate degree and redshirting would give him a free year of school.  I have no idea if that’s true, but considering where the program was headed at that point, I’d believe it.

This is, supposedly, big time college sports.  Recruit dummies who can play ball and provide an academic support staff to keep them eligible.  Nothing wrong with that, hey?

[Billy Hoyle]

You realize you're holding Wojo to an impossible standard.  Both Crean and Buzz got players admitted to Marquette that would never be offered a scholarship by the current powers that be due to grades.  Is it right? I think Wade and Crowder are great spokesmen for the University and Marquette Community, but the powers that be have decided to make sure that all student athletes are very much students before being athletes.  Take away Wade, take away Crowder, is Wojo equal to Crean and Buzz?   I'd argue Wojo's result would be ahead of Crean and on par or better than Buzz.

Not necessarily.  Buzz was able to get guys like Crowder because of the success both on the court and in the classroom of Wade and other guys Crean brought in who were considered "risky." Crean was only allowed one JUCO at a time to start (Kinsella was not considered a JUCO since he had started at Rice) and Lott had to show he could get the job done in the classroom before Crean could recruit another.  Crowder (and others) didn't take care of business in the classroom and that caused the MU administration to pull back on the extreme leeway they gave Buzz due to the results off the court.

Still, let's not pretend the same standards for all incoming students are being applied to men's hoops and that Wojo can only take guys that fit the Bart Miller or David Diggs profile. Even Ivy schools give leeway to athletes (and it doesn't even require six-figure bribes to get it).

[Billy Hoyle]

You know who recruited student-first athletes?  Mike Deane.  I remember hearing a story about how he redshirted John Polonowski because Polo wanted to pursue a graduate degree and redshirting would give him a free year of school.  I have no idea if that’s true, but considering where the program was headed at that point, I’d believe it.

This is, supposedly, big time college sports.  Recruit dummies who can play ball and provide an academic support staff to keep them eligible.  Nothing wrong with that, hey?

Deane got burned by Alton Mason, who had to leave at fall break because he couldn't cut it academically. After that he was scared off of "at risk" kids and so he recruited guys like John Mueller, Bart Miller and David Diggs - great representatives of the university, hard workers but not who will lead you to the NCAA tournament (though Diggs' 5-5 from 3 in the GAS title game will always have him view favorably for me).

One can find solid students and excellent players.  Wes Matthews was recruited by Stanford back when Stanford wasn't bending academic standards.  The problem was Buzz recruited guys who needed summer school to get eligible every year (one year eight guys needed summer credits to get eligible, summer is supposed to be for getting guys ahead so they can take a lower course load during the year) and stretched academic support thin.