Stanford fans don't seem to share the view that Trent Johnson has class.

[Marquette84]

Stanford's fans seem to have far less respect for Trent Johnson than MU fans do.
http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=18&f=1713&sto=pagestart

I can only imagine the attitude here if our former coach says something like this:
And Mitch can't get it, and D.J. [Augustin] catches it in stride," Johnson said. "At that point in time, I said to myself, 'To get to the next level ...'"

He didn't completely finish the thought, but he was saying he didn't think he could consistently get the kind of talent he needed at Stanford to get to the Final Four consistently and win it all.

"I think that's what changed my approach in terms of dream job," Johnson said.

That last comment is in reference to Johnson's oft-repeated remarks that Stanford represented his "dream job."    In one brief remark, Johnson throws his own player under the bus, says the school can't get to the next level, and changes his perception of a "dream job". 


Here's how "classy" Stanford thinks their former coach is:
http://gostanford.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/stan-m-baskbl-mg0708.html
They have removed the coaching section of their 2007-08 media guide from their web site! 

And take a look at the 2007-08 team roster:
http://gostanford.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/stan-m-baskbl-mtt.html
Johnson gone there as well.

Not only does Stanford apparently NOT hold him in high regard, they have erased him from their 2008 accomplishments.

My guess is that Johnson's departure was no "classier" than Crean's, having begun his negotiations AT THE FINAL FOUR, then giving no advance notice to the officials at Stanford or their players until the news was leaked on the 9th and made official on the 10th. 

Meanwhile, Stanford fans are up in arms that it's taking so long to get a coach. 
http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=18&f=1713&t=2368263&sto=pagestart

[ecompt]

I wonder how many people who would have wanted us to wait to see if a coach of this caliber would become available.

[RawdogDX]

Just more proof that everytime a coach leaves people get pissed off and say nothing but bad things about them.  Because there is never a good time to leave, and there isn't a perfect way to do it.  If bill self would have left for osu there would have been the same things said about him.

[77ncaachamps]

I kinda feel sorry for those Stanford fans.

I hope they settle and promote an assistant! 

[Thomas' Danish Delight]

I kinda feel sorry for those Stanford fans.

I hope they settle and promote an assistant! 

Well, their assistant was technically at the helm when they beat us by one!

[downtown85]

I think he has class.  Look at the link below:

http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=2&c=747969

If only Crean would have done something similar with Williams and the others...  I know it is time to move on but our ex-coach is starting to rank right up there with Sampson in the slimeball category. 

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I'm wondering if somebody can explain to me why SJS is still desperately defending Crean?

He's gone...he was a jackass when he was here and, thankfully revealed it quite nicely for everybody in the Marquette community. I pray that he never returns and is booed unmercifully whenever he is in the presence of a Marquette fan.

I'm starting to believe that SJS is actually Joanie Crean.

[77ncaachamps]

I'm wondering if somebody can explain to me why SJS is still desperately defending Crean?

He's gone...he was a jackass when he was here and, thankfully revealed it quite nicely for everybody in the Marquette community. I pray that he never returns and is booed unmercifully whenever he is in the presence of a Marquette fan.

I'm starting to believe that SJS is actually Joanie Crean.

Is SJS a real board ID or an abbreviation?

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Is SJS a real board ID or an abbreviation?

Marquette84 used to be known as SJS1.

[Marquette84]

Marquette84 used to be known as SJS1.

It would be nice, PRN, if someday you show as much class yourself as you think Crean has.  I know that's a pretty low bar--but you should really strive for it.  The board would be much nicer place.

Frankly, I don't think Trent Johnson deserves the credit he's receivng here, and I've said why.  A good part of that is based on the lack of respect he's receiving from Stanford fans.  If THEY don't think Johnson is a class guy, why are there so many here patting him on the back?

My point is not to defend Crean, but to point out blatant hypocracy by those on the board.  If Crean had done exactly what Johnson did, he would not be called a class act--by you or anybody else.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Stanford is a job that shouldn't be made in comparisons to most other jobs.  On so many levels they are so different then any other DI school.  They're more like the military academies in many a sense.  No at risk players, etc.

Other then Mike Montgomery, they've had a helluva time in the decades prior to him doing very well because of so many obstacles.  I think until Montgomery got there they hadn't won a NCAA game in something like 40 or 50 years.  They're better than Northwestern because stud athletes with a head on their shoulders will consider them, but they still have a much more difficult task in front of them which limits their pool of athletes and coaches.  They have to be highly selective for both, more so then Marquette or about 315 other DI schools.

[Marquette65]

When KO left MU, he said he would not take any MU players or MU comitted recruits w/him to Tenn.  Shame we didn't get thesame out of TC

[ChicosBailBonds]

When KO left MU, he said he would not take any MU players or MU comitted recruits w/him to Tenn.  Shame we didn't get thesame out of TC

The kid wants to play for Tom Crean, not go to Marquette University. 

[downtown85]

The kid wants to play for Tom Crean, not go to Marquette University. 

O.k. Stanford isn't Marquette, but I think Trent Johnson did the classy thing by calling all the recruits and telling them that they should honor their committments to the University that recruited them.  MU is in a much better situation, basketball-wise than IU for the next 2 years.   This clearly shows that, 1) Tanning Cream has no principles, 2) He is interested only in what is good for himself and not looking out for the interest of the players.

Frankly, the Nick Williams recruitment to IU is disgusting.  Not because Nick wanted to play for Tan Tom, but because I do not believe Crean ever made the phone call to tell Nick that his best interests are to honor the committment he signed up to.  I am pretty sure Bobby Knight or other's of his moral character (Trent Johnson included) believe in some old fashion values like, honoring ones committments.  Now if Crean made the call and Williams still wanted out, then there is not much to be done.   

[ChicosBailBonds]

O.k. Stanford isn't Marquette, but I think Trent Johnson did the classy thing by calling all the recruits and telling them that they should honor their committments to the University that recruited them.  MU is in a much better situation, basketball-wise than IU for the next 2 years.   This clearly shows that, 1) Tanning Cream has no principles, 2) He is interested only in what is good for himself and not looking out for the interest of the players.

Frankly, the Nick Williams recruitment to IU is disgusting.  Not because Nick wanted to play for Tan Tom, but because I do not believe Crean ever made the phone call to tell Nick that his best interests are to honor the committment he signed up to.  I am pretty sure Bobby Knight or other's of his moral character (Trent Johnson included) believe in some old fashion values like, honoring ones committments.  Now if Crean made the call and Williams still wanted out, then there is not much to be done.   

I just don't get all hot and bothered over it.  Yeah, it sucks the kid doesn't want to go to MU, but he obviously never did.  He wanted to play for Tom Crean and wherever Tom Crean coaches is where he wants to play. 

I believe in honoring commitments too, but MU is in a tough spot.  If they wanted to hold the kid to the commitment, they could have.  But they didn't, they released him from the scholarship.  Looks like TT wanted to play for Crean too.  For as a bad a recruiter as he's made out to be, it's surprising how many of these kids still want to play for him. 

At any rate, I'd rather have kids that want to play here and not be forced to play here.  One of the ideas behind hiring Buzz was continuity of the players.  That has worked out in some areas and not in others.  We don't know what Crean told them, nor am I going to speculate because I don't think it matters.  For all we know he said come to IU and I'll take you.  Or he said go to MU because he committed there.  Doesn't really matter, the kids chose what they wanted to do....play for Crean.  The kids, point blank, have no desire to play at MU and would like to play for Crean.  That stings a lot of people here, but that is the reality.  Just as the clear reality is going to be that Dwyane Wade is going to still support Crean as will Travis Diener and many others. 

That's the reality of it.  Now it's up to Buzz to find kids that want to play for him / Marquette University.  Let's not think for a second there will not be kids playing at MU that are really there for Buzz only....so what's the difference?  Fulce is one of them.  If Buzz went to IU, do you think Fulce still comes to MU?  I know what has been said, but in truth do you really think he does after he's spent the last 3 years following Buzz around the USA?  No way...he would have gone wherever Buzz was so it's really the same thing.  Players commit to coaches more often then not.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

O.k. Stanford isn't Marquette, but I think Trent Johnson did the classy thing by calling all the recruits and telling them that they should honor their committments to the University that recruited them.  MU is in a much better situation, basketball-wise than IU for the next 2 years.   This clearly shows that, 1) Tanning Cream has no principles, 2) He is interested only in what is good for himself and not looking out for the interest of the players.

Frankly, the Nick Williams recruitment to IU is disgusting.  Not because Nick wanted to play for Tan Tom, but because I do not believe Crean ever made the phone call to tell Nick that his best interests are to honor the committment he signed up to.  I am pretty sure Bobby Knight or other's of his moral character (Trent Johnson included) believe in some old fashion values like, honoring ones committments.  Now if Crean made the call and Williams still wanted out, then there is not much to be done.   

Crean did look out for his own interest... and Crean did handle the situation poorly.

I'm not sure you can make the jump to "he has no principles". That's a rather large leap.

If he left MU with a bunch of academic problems, wasn't graduating kids, left in the middle of the year, etc. etc. I think then you could make a better claim... but taking a different job and having it leaked early doesn't make him the villain that some people want him to be.

I'm sorry. It just doesn't.

Hate him if you want... but he didn't do anything that hundreds of coaches haven't done before.

[downtown85]

O.k., perhaps i was a bit rash.  Crean may have some principles but honoring committments isn't one of them. 

Chicos, i am only comparing him to what Trent Johnson did (read the link in my post above).  Trent Johnson has principles I admire (like honoring commitments, loyalty to staff, players and recruits). Crean doesn't have those same qualities as far as i can tell.  It's that simple.

What Nick Williams (or any recruit) wants or doesn't want is irrelevent. On the one hand, I do not want anyone to play at MU who doesn't want to.  They will be disruptive to the program and will transfer in a year.  On the other hand, sometimes there are more important things in life than what a 17 year old wants.  If Crean said, "Nick you have trusted me in this relationship for 2 years while I recruited you, I think it is best you stick with MU and honor your committement"  he might have stayed.  I do not think Crean ever did that. Crean sent Bennie and the other guy on the first plane out after he was released.   

From what I read of the two situations:

Trent Johnson=classy exit.
Tom Crean=scumbag exit. 

crean=scumbag

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I just don't get all hot and bothered over it.  Yeah, it sucks the kid doesn't want to go to MU, but he obviously never did.  He wanted to play for Tom Crean and wherever Tom Crean coaches is where he wants to play. 

I believe in honoring commitments too, but MU is in a tough spot.  If they wanted to hold the kid to the commitment, they could have.  But they didn't, they released him from the scholarship.  Looks like TT wanted to play for Crean too.  For as a bad a recruiter as he's made out to be, it's surprising how many of these kids still want to play for him. 

At any rate, I'd rather have kids that want to play here and not be forced to play here.  One of the ideas behind hiring Buzz was continuity of the players.  That has worked out in some areas and not in others.  We don't know what Crean told them, nor am I going to speculate because I don't think it matters.  For all we know he said come to IU and I'll take you.  Or he said go to MU because he committed there.  Doesn't really matter, the kids chose what they wanted to do....play for Crean.  The kids, point blank, have no desire to play at MU and would like to play for Crean.  That stings a lot of people here, but that is the reality.  Just as the clear reality is going to be that Dwyane Wade is going to still support Crean as will Travis Diener and many others. 

That's the reality of it.  Now it's up to Buzz to find kids that want to play for him / Marquette University.  Let's not think for a second there will not be kids playing at MU that are really there for Buzz only....so what's the difference?  Fulce is one of them.  If Buzz went to IU, do you think Fulce still comes to MU?  I know what has been said, but in truth do you really think he does after he's spent the last 3 years following Buzz around the USA?  No way...he would have gone wherever Buzz was so it's really the same thing.  Players commit to coaches more often then not.

You also have to consider that, rather than not wanting to go to Marquette, these two kids were not willing to play at Marquette for Buzz Williams -- a coach that is a gigantic unknown. 

I get the feeling that Williams isn't that great a loss. I was really looking forward to Taylor, however. Taylor seems like the kind of kid who has yet to reach his peak, whereas I see Williams as just the opposite.

Crean is a scum for raiding Marquette's recruits, by the way. A complete scum.