The more I think about it...

[MUfan12]

... Buzz Williams has to be the guy.

We will lose an entire recruiting class if he bolts, and I can guarantee he won't be here as an assistant. Especially if he interviews and doesn't get it, he's gone.

We saw how damaging losing an entire class was in 03. Bringing in someone else will do unbelievable damage to the program for at least the next 3 years. Talent has become bigger than coaching in the college game, and the guy will bring in talent.

Gotta be Buzz.

[tower912]

Crean had to learn x's and 0's when he got here, and some argue he never did.   The one thing we know for certain about Buzz is that he can recruit his a$$ off.    Half the battle, right there.

[LastWarrior]

i'm on the Buzz bandwagon now.  hell he can't be worst at x's and o's than Crean!

[lab_warrior]

I am on board with Buzz right now.  He fits the profile of a younger guy who would keep our uptempo style in place, we KNOW he can recruit, and CERTAINLY he can at least crack a book or two about 2-3 zones.  It makes alot of sense right NOW, that's for sure.  We're really dealing with trying to make chicken salad from chicken s***.

[Pakuni]

I think MU could do better than Buzz, but we probably could do worse as well. I wouldn't complain if it ends up that way, but I'd also like to see MU inquire about and interview some higher profile guys (e.g. Miller, Kruger, Lowery) first before making a move that for many would appear as if the program were "settling" for the internal candidate.

[lab_warrior]

For all the Miller talk on this board, I just don't see it happening.  I really like Lowery, though.  The SIU teams he has always played tough, he's young, would mesh well with the recruits and players, and I really think he would jump at the job.  Hey, he's got as many NCAA wins as TC over the past five years, if not more.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Good Lord -- You guys are in love with a guy who's been an assistant coach at MU for 9 months? Based on what? That he was allowed to bring in a couple marginal prospects with suspect academic backgrounds because the university bent over backwards to accomodate Crean?

We can do MUCH better than Buzz Williams. He's got ZERO recruiting connections in Wisconsin. How often do you think he's going to be able to go down to Waco to get guys to come to Milwaukee?

[CAINMUTINY]

I think with the money MU shells out to Crean, and factor in our facilities we are poised to get a great coach. While many might consider MU a lesser basketball destination than other programs, it should be considered that people leave for lesser institutions all the time for a better pay day(i.e.- leaving goldman sachs for bear stearns or lehman bros.) and I think that is exactly what it will come down to.

[mosarsour]

Nobody's mentioned Bo Ellis. I always liked him. Now please don't get on me too badly about this suggestion.

[CAINMUTINY]

Perhaps if he spoke fluent english he might be considered; Mumbles Malloy over there

[Pakuni]

Good Lord -- You guys are in love with a guy who's been an assistant coach at MU for 9 months? Based on what? That he was allowed to bring in a couple marginal prospects with suspect academic backgrounds because the university bent over backwards to accomodate Crean?

We can do MUCH better than Buzz Williams. He's got ZERO recruiting connections in Wisconsin. How often do you think he's going to be able to go down to Waco to get guys to come to Milwaukee?

Which players have suspect academic backgrounds?
Oh wait, you spout off about things without ever offering anything to back it up. Never mind.

As for his recruiting connections ... no kidding. He's been in Wisconsin for a year, so obviously he won't have a massive recruiting network built here. But I'm not aware that building recruiting connections in the Southwest is all that different from building recruiting connections in the Midwest. And, that said, there's no reason to believe a guy with a proven recruiting pedigree somehow would be unable to duplicate his success in another part of the country.

But if you insist on someone with Wisconsin ties, maybe Rob Jeter could be pried away from UWM.