5th win over top 15 ranked teams in last one+ seasons?

[Small Orange Soda]

How was Al McGuire's career 5 years in at Belmont Abbey?  What you see is what you get?

Jay Wright, Coach K, Al...I'm not banking on outliers, but feel free.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

I could be wrong on this but isn't that very close to Mike Deane's record when he got axed?

If Wojo ever publicly attempts to lower MU's aspirations to a level comparable to what Deane did, he should also be fired.

This has been discussed many time before on this board, but Deane had low aspirations for Marquette and absolutely no energy for recruiting, something not even Wojo's harshest critics would say of him.  I think Deane was actually a better bench coach than O'Neill, but he was on a sinking path of his own making, and he was OK with that.

[Cheeks]

Jay Wright, Coach K, Al...I'm not banking on outliers, but feel free.

I just think stating what you see is what you get after 5 years is not dealing with human nature or the ability to grow as a person, coach, etc.

[Small Orange Soda]

I just think stating what you see is what you get after 5 years is not dealing with human nature or the ability to grow as a person, coach, etc.

Sure, but I think you're the guy who said 5 years to judge, so I don't get why it's suddenly unfair of me to do so.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

I just think stating what you see is what you get after 5 years is not dealing with human nature or the ability to grow as a person, coach, etc.

What are:  Things a marriage counselor would say Alex

[CTWarrior]

If Wojo ever publicly attempts to lower MU's aspirations to a level comparable to what Deane did, he should also be fired.

This has been discussed many time before on this board, but Deane had low aspirations for Marquette and absolutely no energy for recruiting, something not even Wojo's harshest critics would say of him.  I think Deane was actually a better bench coach than O'Neill, but he was on a sinking path of his own making, and he was OK with that.

This is completely correct.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

This is completely correct.

It's not.  Deane started the recruiting process of Dwayne Wade.  He was fired and Tom Crean kept on him. 

[dinger]

It's not.  Deane started the recruiting process of Dwayne Wade.  He was fired and Tom Crean kept on him.

Dwyane

[CTWarrior]

It's not.  Deane started the recruiting process of Dwayne Wade.  He was fired and Tom Crean kept on him.

I'm sure he started the recruiting process on a lot of good players.  He just didn't do what was necessary to land them.  I think he may very well have been our best sideline coach since Al, but he didn't bring in players.

[Billy Hoyle]

It's not.  Deane started the recruiting process of Dwayne Wade.  He was fired and Tom Crean kept on him.

Deane wouldn't have kept recruiting Wade once he found out he'd be a partial qualifier nor would he have been able to close on him if he had.  After Alton Mason, he was extremely skittish of recruiting guys he saw at academically risky. Plus, it was Crean's persistence in getting Wade in front of Father Wild that got O'Hara Hall to bend and accept a partial qualifier.

[Billy Hoyle]

Deane had just gone .500, had a recruiting class of Krunti Hester coming in, and had said publicly that MU should be content with the NIT mixed with the occasional NCAA bid.   But, yes, thanks to a lot of KO's recruits, along with Hutchins and Wardle and the ability to win 46-44 games, Deane won 100 games.

Hutch was a KO recruit. That class wasn't very good otherwise with McCall (kicked out for two failed drug tests) and Shaw.

Deane's 1998-99 class was his best: Henry, Harris, Nnamaka and Diggs (if only he could have stayed healthy).  His prior class was Wardle, Mueller (WO), Barone (transfer), Clausen and Demarcus Minor (who had a very good career at Baylor). The X factor for Deane would have been Alton Mason in the 1996-97 class, who was reportedly ripping up Hutch in practice. But, Mason couldn't hack it academically and left at midterms.  That scared Deane off from recruiting academically risky kids after that.  Plus, Ledaryl Billingsley reneging on his commitment really hurt Deane too. 

And, maybe if Deane had gone after two guys who wanted to come to MU he would have had more success: Chris Mihm and Wally Szczerbiak. Instead, we got Polo and Clausen.

While Deane (until the 1999-2000 Kruntil Hester class, what the hell happened there???) recruited solid players (and he had some who would have never been D1) he never got that one guy who could carry a team to a title.

[The Lens]

Deane wouldn't have kept recruiting Wade once he found out he'd be a partial qualifier nor would he have been able to close on him if he had.  After Alton Mason, he was extremely skittish of recruiting guys he saw at academically risky. Plus, it was Crean's persistence in getting Wade in front of Father Wild that got O'Hara Hall to bend and accept a partial qualifier.

One of the best decisions to ever come out of the now demolished building.  A truly sliding doors moment.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

Hutch was a KO recruit. That class wasn't very good otherwise with McCall (kicked out for two failed drug tests) and Shaw.

Deane's 1998-99 class was his best: Henry, Harris, Nnamaka and Diggs (if only he could have stayed healthy).  His prior class was Wardle, Mueller (WO), Barone (transfer), Clausen and Demarcus Minor (who had a very good career at Baylor). The X factor for Deane would have been Alton Mason in the 1996-97 class, who was reportedly ripping up Hutch in practice. But, Mason couldn't hack it academically and left at midterms.  That scared Deane off from recruiting academically risky kids after that.  Plus, Ledaryl Billingsley reneging on his commitment really hurt Deane too. 

And, maybe if Deane had gone after two guys who wanted to come to MU he would have had more success: Chris Mihm and Wally Szczerbiak. Instead, we got Polo and Clausen.

While Deane (until the 1999-2000 Kruntil Hester class, what the hell happened there???) recruited solid players (and he had some who would have never been D1) he never got that one guy who could carry a team to a title.

Nice context.  I never knew this before.

Yeah, I was never a fan of Deane's recruiting.  He was a good X's and O's coach and got a lot out of his players.  Had he been able to recruit another quality starter or two he might have not been fired.   Either way, it worked out for the better.  Deane is on record saying he should have never left Sienna.  Kevin O'neill on the record as well saying he should have never left MU.  Crean didn't flat out say it but alluded to the fact that MU treated him well - much better than Indiana ever did.

[Dr. Blackheart]

One of the best decisions to ever come out of the now demolished building.  A truly sliding doors moment.

That decision singlehandedly brought down MU's USNWR ranking 20 slots. Recruits should only be accepted who will protect MU's elite academic status, and MU should exclude those at risk kids who have historically been a part of MU's mission but bring down the freshmen ACT scores.

To think, this happened on Checks' watch.

[Cheeks]

It's not.  Deane started the recruiting process of Dwayne Wade.  He was fired and Tom Crean kept on him.

This has been said by you multiple times over the years and is complete bull crap.  Wade, himself, said so in his book.  I pointed this out the last time you made this incorrect statement and here you are again.

[Cheeks]

That decision singlehandedly brought down MU's USNWR ranking 20 slots. Recruits should only be accepted who will protect MU's elite academic status, and MU should exclude those at risk kids who have historically been a part of MU's mission but bring down the freshmen ACT scores.

To think, this happened on Checks' watch.

LOL.  Incorrect, but it made me laugh. 

[Daniel]

MU is 11-0 in games it was favored this year.

I thought we were 5.5 point favorites vs Providence?

[rocky_warrior]

I thought we were 5.5 point favorites vs Providence?

Note the date of the post you replied to.

[Elonsmusk]

Hutch was a KO recruit. That class wasn't very good otherwise with McCall (kicked out for two failed drug tests) and Shaw.

Deane's 1998-99 class was his best: Henry, Harris, Nnamaka and Diggs (if only he could have stayed healthy).  His prior class was Wardle, Mueller (WO), Barone (transfer), Clausen and Demarcus Minor (who had a very good career at Baylor). The X factor for Deane would have been Alton Mason in the 1996-97 class, who was reportedly ripping up Hutch in practice. But, Mason couldn't hack it academically and left at midterms.  That scared Deane off from recruiting academically risky kids after that.  Plus, Ledaryl Billingsley reneging on his commitment really hurt Deane too. 

And, maybe if Deane had gone after two guys who wanted to come to MU he would have had more success: Chris Mihm and Wally Szczerbiak. Instead, we got Polo and Clausen.

While Deane (until the 1999-2000 Kruntil Hester class, what the hell happened there???) recruited solid players (and he had some who would have never been D1) he never got that one guy who could carry a team to a title.

Wow.  You'd almost think a guy with this level of knowledge and detail was closely involved in the program during those years.  And Billy Hoyle aint Cheeks.  C'mon man.

Nice recap though.

[lurch91]

Deane had just gone .500, had a recruiting class of Krunti Hester coming in, and had said publicly that MU should be content with the NIT mixed with the occasional NCAA bid.   But, yes, thanks to a lot of KO's recruits, along with Hutchins and Wardle and the ability to win 46-44 games, Deane won 100 games.

This.  Deane could coach, but he hated recruiting, which is why over time the talent on his teams diminished. He wanted MU to change their expectations of him - NITs being the goal, not NCAAs. NCAAs were a bonus, but not to be expected.

Everything I've heard, Wojo expects to go to the NCAAs. That is his goal, which aligns with MU.

[Billy Hoyle]

Wow.  You'd almost think a guy with this level of knowledge and detail was closely involved in the program during those years.  And Billy Hoyle aint Cheeks.  C'mon man.

Nice recap though.

Nope, not Cheeks. However, those were the years I was a student at MU and after graduation, I had a coworker who had been a manager under Deane and he shared a lot of info about those years (that's how I learned about Mason. We always wondered why he just disappeared during the first semester).

[GoldenDieners32]

Top 15 wins are good, but the losses to teams we shouldn't lose to even it out