Message from a Jayhawk

[jayhawker]

I am a lifetime Kansas Jayhawk that adopted Marquette as my second team when my daughter started attending school there a couple of years ago.  Though my number one team is in the final four this weekend, you should know that I have been wearing my Marquette gear this week, showing support for a community that I know, from my experience as a Jayhawk fan, is hurting.  Having lived through the Roy to Carolina thing, I also wanted to share the benefit of my experience with you, having been reading this message board these past few days.

First, I totally agree with all of you that Marquette basketball is special, and your hurt just validates that.  It's not the Big East that makes it special (a conference that is more a loose federation of schools with little in common other than that they have no place else to go) or the Bradley Center (too NBA-like for my taste, the school should have built a bigger AL). Marquette basketball is special for the same reason that Kansas basketball is special – because a good school with great kids and a solid, loyal alumni base have selected basketball as their common rallying point.

It became clear to me that Marquette basketball was special when I saw how quickly my daughter, generally an ambivalent sports fan, got wrapped up and swept away by the season her freshman year.  It became even more clear to me when I came up for a game  and saw the fan support and the atmosphere for myself.  But what really drove it home for me was when I learned how your team pulled together this week when Crean announced he was leaving.  That doesn't happen just anywhere and they wouldn't have that attitude unless they learned it at their school.

Both Williams and Crean are good coaches made better by the schools where they've been able to coach.  But both also have a weakness in the way they establish their program: they make themselves bigger than the program.  Actually, I think Crean is a little overrated.  He recruited great kids who played hard, but their offense always was undisciplined and they never could make decent game adjustments.

Bill Self, on the other hand, totally gets it that Kansas basketball is bigger than him.  Jayhawks were hurting when we lost Williams, but hey, it's turned out rather well.  And that's due in no small part to Kansas being a special place for basketball.   If Self decides to go to OSU next week, we'll still turn out okay.   Marquette will turn out okay too so long as its students and alumni continue to love the program, maybe even better. 

Tom Crean wasn't Marquette.  You are. 

[Warriorgal]

Thank you, Jayhawk.  I think after all that we have been through this week, we all have to take a deep breath and realize the truth in what you have been so kind to relate.  WE are Marquette.....not the coach.  WE are the loyal ones.  And thanks for taking note of the strength and maturity of our team members.  They deserve our appreciation and attention right now.  Again, thank you.....and good luck this weekend.

[mwbauer7]

Thanks very much for the kind words.

[classof2k]

Jayhawk - thank you.  You just made me a Kansas fan this weekend.

[CTWarrior]

Thanks for the kind words and good luck against UNC tonight.  I win my company's pool if you guys win the tournament.  I thought you were the best team going in to the tournament, but now I'm not so sure as the other three teams look awfully good as well.

I agree that Crean wasn't the best X's and O's coach (no double team on Brook Lopez on the last play against Stanford when everybody in the building knew where the ball was going since they ran the same play approx 734 times in a row will stand as his last coaching decision at MU), but the enthusiasm your daughter had for the program had a lot to do with him and the way he got the students and the MU community involved.

Self is good, but if I had a basketball program and could pick any coach since Wooden retired to run it, I would take Roy Williams.  Since you're from Kansas, do you think I'm wrong?

[MR.HAYWARD]

well said ...unfortunately many of the younger fans that have only been fans for 10-15 years or less saw Crean as the only one that could get MU to where we are.  Meanwhile the older fans Have seen at least 4 other MU coaches realize the success that Crean realized and therefore know exactly of what you speak.  Thanks for bringign in an outside persprective.  MU made Crean, unfortunately many of the younger fans dont have the perspective to understand that nor do they realize Crean was not all they felt he was.  I actaully beleive MU will take the next step with this change.  

[jayhawker]

I think the jury is out on whether Williams is a better coach than Self.  Remember, Self is only 45.  I recall that Williams had his share of slips on his way to the hall of fame. 

As far as this weekend goes, I think KU probably is the fourth best team, but they're good enough to win two games if they play their best, (and tonight if Hansbrough gets only five fouls instead of twenty like he did against Louisville).

[Norm]

I'm with you there jayhawker - Hansborough got away with murder in the Louisville game. His over the backs and hacks on Padgett were ridiculous. He also was allowed to travel almost every time he touched the ball.

By the way, I had the pleasure of going to a Kansas basketball game in Lawrence several years ago. Great time and the fans were awesome. Rock, chalk, jayhawk!!

[Pakuni]

well said ...unfortunately many of the younger fans that have only been fans for 10-15 years or less saw Crean as the only one that could get MU to where we are.  Meanwhile the older fans Have seen at least 4 other MU coaches realize the success that Crean realized and therefore know exactly of what you speak.  Thanks for bringign in an outside persprective.  MU made Crean, unfortunately many of the younger fans dont have the perspective to understand that nor do they realize Crean was not all they felt he was.  I actaully beleive MU will take the next step with this change.  

While I understand what you're trying to say and agree with much of it, there are not at least four other coaches in MU history who matched Crean's success. Al, obviously. O'Neill would have, had he stuck around. Raymonds? Borderline, but I'm going to say no. We rip on Crean's tournament record, but Raymonds only won two tourney games
in six seasons. Majerus? No. Dukiet? No. Deane? No.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

God does this guy hit the nail on the head!

1.  Attendance, we've almost always had, even in Dukiet's day.

2.  National rankings? We were nationally ranked under McGuire, Raymonds, O'Neill and Deane.

3.  Atmosphere? Ask ANY non-MU fan who comes to a game. It's not the Bradley Center, it the people!

This is what has bothered me about Crean for YEARS! He was taking credit for things that had been in place since well before he arrived. I will grant you we had some measure of success with him, but it's still out there!!

If we could only do the right thing in regards to our nickname, it'll be like Schlitz being reintroduced into the Chicago market (announced yesterday)!

[Coobeys Oil Depot]

Wow. That was a great message. On a day when his team is playing no less!!! Thank you for the kind words.

[LovinCrowder]

Jayhawker - you are one classy person.  Thank you for those kind words.

[mviale]

UNC is EVIL and MUST BE DESTROYED

I am a kansas fan now!

[jayhawker]

Thanks for all the positive feedback.  A question, though, why not Larry Brown?  You would have to make sure he's never alone with a coed, but as a coach he is The Master.  Get him for two to four years, with someone in the wings, maybe Buzz, as his designated successor.  James and McNeal would be crazy not to learn from Brown for one year.   It would attract positive attention.  And he would get the best out of a team with high potential next year. 

[Avenue Commons]

Why is the best post I've read in months written by a Kansas fan? Talk about irony.

[ecompt]

I was rooting for Kansas anyway (my wife wins the pool if they win) but this really sold me. Thanks, Jayhawk, for the inspiration. Now go kick some butt this weekend.

[Pakuni]

Thanks for all the positive feedback.  A question, though, why not Larry Brown?  You would have to make sure he's never alone with a coed, but as a coach he is The Master.  Get him for two to four years, with someone in the wings, maybe Buzz, as his designated successor.  James and McNeal would be crazy not to learn from Brown for one year.   It would attract positive attention.  And he would get the best out of a team with high potential next year. 

I think many of us drool over the possibility of Larry Brown. If everybody who can come back does come back next year, a guy like Brown could take MU's roster deep into the tournament.
Problem is:

1. Does Brown really want to come to Milwaukee for what, by his standards, would be a pittance?

2. Does the MU administration want to go through another coaching search in a year or two?*

* = could be solved potentially by a Keady-Painter like deal to keep Buzz Williams aboard as heir apparent for a couple of years.

[pbiflyer]

Good luck tonight and hopefully on Monday. After 2003, I really didn't like Kansas much, but this year, they made a fan out of me. Great play this year. Picked them to win it all this year. Although I don't have a prayer in my pools, I still hope they win. It would be great for Bill and the team.

[SCWarrior]

If for some incredible reason we could land someone like Brown for 2 - 4 years, a back up plan wouldn't be the worst thing with Buzz waiting in the wings..........or potentially luring Horn away from South Carolina to come back to Marquette after having spent some time in the SEC.

[Pardner]

Great post Jayhawker....SC should show this to any candidate he is talking to as an outsider doesn't really see the MU b-ball experience until after they are hired.  Everything we offer is more or less presented in a sanitary manner (good school, top notch practice facility, history, salary).  This may help explain why we aren't getting any top tier sniffs (ex Bennett) as they do just view us as a stepping stone (and thus a major risk as winning in the BE is tough). 

[BrewCity83]

MEMPHIS IS EVIL AND MUST BE DESTROYED.

[gopitt]

  It's not the Big East that makes it special (a conference that is more a loose federation of schools with little in common other than that they have no place else to go) 

Although I understand what his overall point is here, there are those in the BE that would take great umbrage with this statement.  A loose federation of schools?  Perhaps the dynamics of the BE are a bit different than the older power conferences, but I would argue that the relationsionship between the schools are anything but "loose" at this point.  IMO yet another elitist opinion from a more "established" conference.

[ecompt]

I think jayhawk might have had a point a few years ago when schools far removed from the "East" (MU, DePau, Cincy) joined. But there have been relationships formed in three years that have made this a strong unified conference. I think Pitt-MU is a perfect example. The games are classic and there is a good healthy rivalry between both schools' fan bases.