Abdel Nader: Buzz Miss

[Dr. Blackheart]

Buzz missed a lot on high school players.  Who was his biggest miss? Abdel Nader has been in the NBA four years. Bigger miss than Looney, Ulis, Dekker all who he could of had early to varying degrees?

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/n/naderab01.html

[JWags85]

 Not even close. Nader has turned into a decent pro but he wasn't anything special in college. He was mediocre his first year in Ames and only 12 and 4 in his senior year. Didn't win any all conference honors.

Ulis was SEC POY and a first team AA as a sophomore.  Dekker was also much better as a college player.

Branden Dawson wasn't a great pro, but he was a really good college player who Buzz was really close on.

And don't forget the biggest one...Embiid

[Blackhat]

He missed on Ralph Nader too.

[Jables1604]

And Swen Na(t)der too...

[tower912]

Embiid

[brewcity77]

Embiid

Embiid still pisses me off. Buzz found him and had us in the driver's seat when he was off everyone's radar. That one was because of Luc Mbah a Moute, who was playing for the Bucks at the time. He told Embiid not to come to Milwaukee and instead play for a blue blood.

Nader was a miss, but not that big of one. He was a 13/5 guy as a senior at Iowa State after a couple similar years at NIU. Probably the fifth best guy on a Sweet 16 team. Nader developed more after college.

For me, the biggest miss was Kris Dunn. Dunn called Marquette his dream school, but Buzz didn't pursue because he was all in on Gabe York. By the time York went elsewhere, it was too late to get back on on Dunn and he went to a conference rival.

[4everwarriors]

Buzz was never getting Looney, hey?

[cheebs09]

Buzz was never getting Looney, hey?

I don't think he was ever getting Dekker either.

[tower912]

Jeremy Lamb

[MU82]

Perhaps not technically a "miss," but Jameel McKay definitely was missed.

Every coach has misses. Buzz did great.

[tower912]

Buzz was never getting Looney, hey?

No need.  Buzz was looney to begin with.    Ha!     

[cheebs09]

Jeremy Lamb

Forgot about that one. That was a big one.

[Uncle Rico]

Buzz was never getting Looney, hey?

He was not.  Charles Matthews was a more realistic miss

[Galway Eagle]

Dj newbill

[Dr. Blackheart]

I don't think he was ever getting Dekker either.

Yikes Buzz.

There was not one 'blip' on my radar thinking I was going to play high major ball, and that was OK (in) my eyes," Dekker said. "Heck, a few months before this Marquette told me I 'lacked the athleticism for Big East basketball.'"

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.sheboyganpress.com/amp/3856343001

[Galway Eagle]

Yikes Buzz.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.sheboyganpress.com/amp/3856343001

That was just Big East ball, Buzz wasn't talking Big 10 or NCAA tournament obviously.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

As the boards resident Abdel Nader expert, wasn't a miss. There were a lot of weird things that happened with his recruitment which led him to Northern Illinois.

He had offers from UCLA, Marquette, Ole Miss just time name a few. He was actually planning on going to prep school for a year but he committed to NIU out of the blue super last minute.

I love Ab and it would have been awesome to see him go to Marquette, but to be honest, he was scrawny and extremely lazy at that time. Like, ridiculously lazy. Took him a few years to find the work ethic he needed to make the league.

[Warrior Code]

He was not.  Charles Matthews was a more realistic miss

If I remember correctly, he (along with some other recruits) came to that Ohio State game where we finished with about 19 points and lost by ~25

[Billy Hoyle]

Was Michael Shaer a Buzz or Crean miss?

[cheebs09]

Was Michael Shaer a Buzz or Crean miss?

He was a Buzz recruit, but don't think he was a miss. I think we were all hands on deck for that one and he chose FSU.

I'd call a miss more the ones we didn't pursue hard or at all that were interested in Marquette.

[LAZER]

Embiid still pisses me off. Buzz found him and had us in the driver's seat when he was off everyone's radar. That one was because of Luc Mbah a Moute, who was playing for the Bucks at the time. He told Embiid not to come to Milwaukee and instead play for a blue blood.

Nader was a miss, but not that big of one. He was a 13/5 guy as a senior at Iowa State after a couple similar years at NIU. Probably the fifth best guy on a Sweet 16 team. Nader developed more after college.

For me, the biggest miss was Kris Dunn. Dunn called Marquette his dream school, but Buzz didn't pursue because he was all in on Gabe York. By the time York went elsewhere, it was too late to get back on on Dunn and he went to a conference rival.

I'm with you on this one.  Seemed like you could see it all playing out at the time too.

[avid1010]

I don't think he was ever getting Dekker either.

Buzz said Dekker wasn't athletic enough.  He was wrong about that...but Dekker was soft...certainly by NBA standards.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Buzz said Dekker wasn't athletic enough.  He was wrong about that...but Dekker was soft...certainly by NBA standards.

He did have a head for the game, though.


<never gets old>

[Galway Eagle]

What was Buzz's or the assistants' mentality that they thought telling a local 5 star he wasn't athletic enough was a good idea?

I mean in the very least the guys clearly a ridiculously skilled basketball player that would be worth keeping the door ope with. Did they use some pick up artist "put them down so they want you" concept for recruiting?

[The Sultan]

What was Buzz's or the assistants' mentality that they thought telling a local 5 star he wasn't athletic enough was a good idea?

Here's the story.

https://www.sheboyganpress.com/story/sports/college/2020/12/07/sam-dekker-revisits-wisconsin-recruitment-blog-dekker-post/3856343001/

Buzz was brutally honest, oftentimes to a fault.  He wasn't getting major offers, until UW offered him (and he committed) right after his sophomore year.  Then he blew up.