Sound the alarm!

[Pakuni]

If Crean hadn't pushed so hard for Buzz and pushed to all the right people i.e. major donors, we probably would still be going thru the hiring process.

Let me get this straight, the major donors and university that feel such disdain for Crean and feel he was such a jerk also decided to honor Crean's request that Buzz be the hire?

Are we trying to have it both ways again?

I'm scared as hell over this hire, I'm not on the ledge like PRN, but yeah I'm worried.  We could have gotten Buzz next week so I wish MU would have gone harder at coaches that were out there and not made a decision so quickly.  But they didn't and now we hope the powers that be were correct.  But back to your original point, so many people "in the know" say how furious the donors, etc were with Crean and are thrilled he's gone, yet you're saying these same people decided to give Crean one last crack at the goods?  Seems odd don't you think?

This is the second time you've mentioned waiting a week before making the hire.

Does this mean you're OK with missing the final contact period before the spring signing period, essentially leaving MU with very little chance of filling any spots on a soon-to-be depleted roster so that they could have "gone harder" with guys who already declined?

I don't see much upside to that. It appears some of those guys, namely Miller and Bennett, were pretty set against leaving.

Can you provide a list of the major players that Crean was able to lure to Marquette in the spring recruiting period?

Relevance?
And how do you define "major"?

[ChicosBailBonds]

The relevance is that usually the spring signing period is not as talented as the fall signing period, so the rush to get someone in when most of the remaining players are not as talented seems like an overvalued reason to make a hire.  IMO

[Coobeys Oil Depot]

The relevance is that usually the spring signing period is not as talented as the fall signing period, so the rush to get someone in when most of the remaining players are not as talented seems like an overvalued reason to make a hire.  IMO

This seems to sum it up, Pakuni.

Your main point above was that MU needed to act quickly so they could be settled heading into the spring contact periods. I simply don't recall many spring recruits that turned out to be an integral part of our success.

Trend Blackledge?
Mike Kinsella?
Jamil Lott?
Karon Bradley?
Marcus Jackson? (I'll give you this one as I loved MJax)

Others?

[Pakuni]

The relevance is that usually the spring signing period is not as talented as the fall signing period, so the rush to get someone in when most of the remaining players are not as talented seems like an overvalued reason to make a hire.  IMO

Under normal circumstances, you're correct.
These are not normal circumstances.

We're looking at heading into next year with as few as seven returning scholarship players and two newcomers. We'd have only two players over 6'6", one of them a very raw freshman.
That's not a little bit of a concern for you?
I mean, people liked to gripe about how Crean's teams wore down towards the end of the year. Just wait until the team goes seven, maybe eight, deep and only two deep in the post.
MU has to bring in a body or two this spring, especially if the Mbakwe and Hazel rumors are true. Probably if either is true. While the pickings may not be ideal, there are unsigned/JUCO players out there who could help at least provide some support off the bench to a team that has major asiprations, i.e. Ben-Eze, Edgar Garibay, Steve Goins, Maurice Sutton. Do you really think this team has a prayer in the Big East/NCAAs with only Burke and Otule up front?

Also, MU can't bank all those scholies. Supposing only two of the incoming frosh show up and all the transfer rumors are true. That's five unfilled scholarships for next year. Then you've got the three amigos and Burke for four more. That's nine slots to fill for the Class of 2009. Unless the rules have changed when I was napping (it happens) a school can't bring in more than five kids at a time which would leave MU with, at best, nine scholarship players for 2009-10. And even if that rules doesn't exist, do you really want to bring in that many newcomers in one season?

But ignoring all that, you still haven't addressed my other question: Why is it that you think any of MU's other choices would have changed their mind if the administration just waited a week and "pushed harder."
I doubt Tony Bennett is sitting in his office today thinking "I said no to Marquette because they only called three times. If they had made it six, I would have been so there."

[ecompt]

I think in the spring signing period we should go after Butch McRae, Ricky Roe and Leon Bodeaux.

[🏀]

I think in the spring signing period we should go after Butch McRae, Ricky Roe and Leon Bodeaux.

Bring the BIG BODEAUX!

[Pakuni]

I think in the spring signing period we should go after Butch McRae, Ricky Roe and Leon Bodeaux.

Who's going to spring for the new tractor?

[rocky_warrior]

Unless the rules have changed when I was napping (it happens) a school can't bring in more than five kids at a time which would leave MU with, at best, nine scholarship players for 2009-10.

That rule is now gone.  You just have to stay under 13 scholies total. 

[DegenerateDish]

Besides the tractor, we need to find a job for Butch's mom, get a gym bag full of cash for Ricky, and find someone to get Leon a car.

[Pakuni]

Unless the rules have changed when I was napping (it happens) a school can't bring in more than five kids at a time which would leave MU with, at best, nine scholarship players for 2009-10.

That rule is now gone.  You just have to stay under 13 scholies total. 

Which means we'd be looking at either a nine-member freshman class for 2009 or banking a few for 2-3 years and playing the '08-'09, '09-'10 and maybe '10-11 seasons with something other than a full roster.

The good news is that a nine-member class would rank high according to Hoop Scoop.

[Litehouse]

But ignoring all that, you still haven't addressed my other question: Why is it that you think any of MU's other choices would have changed their mind if the administration just waited a week and "pushed harder."
I doubt Tony Bennett is sitting in his office today thinking "I said no to Marquette because they only called three times. If they had made it six, I would have been so there."

Maybe Bennett wanted to wait to see what happened with LSU.  Now that they hired someone else, he'd be more serious about MU.  Maybe a different candidate is waiting to see what happens with Kansas, but would come to MU depending on how that plays out.  Just hypotheticals, but that's the argument for waiting.  Was Buzz going to take a different job in the mean time?

[🏀]

Besides the tractor, we need to find a job for Butch's mom, get a gym bag full of cash for Ricky, and find someone to get Leon a car.

Butch's mom also needs a white-picket fence house in the 'Burbs.

Leon needs another Lexus, does Bergstrom do Lexus?

[Pakuni]

Besides the tractor, we need to find a job for Butch's mom, get a gym bag full of cash for Ricky, and find someone to get Leon a car.

Butch's mom also needs a white-picket fence house in the 'Burbs.

Leon needs another Lexus, does Bergstrom do Lexus?

As good as those guys are, I'm not sure they'd offer MU much help in the long-term. Neon and Butch are probably one-and-done, and I have a sneaking suspicion Ricky is going to be injury prone.

[🏀]

Besides the tractor, we need to find a job for Butch's mom, get a gym bag full of cash for Ricky, and find someone to get Leon a car.

Butch's mom also needs a white-picket fence house in the 'Burbs.

Leon needs another Lexus, does Bergstrom do Lexus?

As good as those guys are, I'm not sure they'd offer MU much help in the long-term. Neon and Butch are probably one-and-done, and I have a sneaking suspicion Ricky is going to be injury prone.

Ricky was also impressed with the girls at Western, I hope he likes muffin tops!

[DegenerateDish]

You guys have left me with no choice, I must go home tonight and watch this movie.

[ecompt]

I love Al Bundy as the reporter.

[mugrad99]

But my best friend in high school was Eddie Bird's roommante....so we were able to play on that basketball court...in fact that was the last time I dunked..

I was actually in many of the scenes and Frankfort High School where they filmed may of the scenes....and I was in some of the crowd scenes in Hoosiers....

But it doesn't beat the scene my buddy was in Ferris Buellers day off..he was in the scene where Ferris was at Wrigley and he said if we were in school  they would be in gym class...and they showed guys running the track...he improvised on the track and acted like he was puking...if you watch this look for him.  Funny story is he was 2 rows behind Bartman at the Cubs Game   

I digress......how the hell did Matt Nover become such a wanted player?