Weren't you already a head coach?

[HarveysWallbangers]

Williams told Dennis Krause that he still speaks to Crean every single day. Does anybody else find this unsettling?

This guy is taking recruits from you, Buzz!!!!

[tower912]

Maybe they talk and say "Man, can you believe that crap they are saying about both of us on the stupid message boards?   Apparently we are the worst two coaches in creation!   Who knew?"

[THEGYMBAR]

Harvey---At least he stopped writing letters to coaches. After hearing his story with Krause it sounds like he worked with some of the best. Summer camp sounds like it coming along nicely.

[nola03]

Williams told Dennis Krause that he still speaks to Crean every single day. Does anybody else find this unsettling?

This guy is taking recruits from you, Buzz!!!!

My guess is he misspoke.

If not, it adds gasoline to the thought that Tom Crean was the impetus behind the Buzz hire.

[The Lens]

It seems odds b/c TC left MU, but TC would talk with Calipari, Sampson and Izzo almost daily.  And TC was recruiting against all those guys (not so much Cal, I guess).

I'd be more concerned if Cottingham, Kleibhan or Fr Wild were talking to TC daily.

[THEGYMBAR]

Nola--I would say that it was almost a certainity that Buzz was hired based on TC/Doc endorsement.

[ATWizJr]

and you know this..... how?

[THEGYMBAR]

ATWiz---From what I heard over the weekend prior to the hiring. On late Sat and Sunday before the hiring I heard there was some debate over the hiring of Buzz and one side was using the TC and Doc endorsement. Before you jump on me, no I was not in the meetings, but do believe what I heard as being accurate.

[HarveysWallbangers]

Nola--I would say that it was almost a certainity that Buzz was hired based on TC/Doc endorsement.

That's was so pathetic about this. Doc Rivers as much as admitted he barely knew Buzz Williams, which means that Williams is basically a hand-picked Crean coach. That's the dirty little secret and precisely why they didn't bother to interview anybody else.

It's stunning how little Marquette thinks of itself. It's almost embarrassing, really. The AD "search" and now this. Are they afraid that outsiders will disrupt things? It's bizarre.

[ATWizJr]

GBar -  you may be right, but it is hearsay, and you may also be incorrect.  To assert that it was almost a certainty that Buzz was hired on the endorsement of TC and Doc, well, it seems like a pretty big step unless you were there to witness the entire search/hiring process.  I think that, as many have already stated, MU had a list, Buzz was on it. When others opted out, MU got it's man whether he was #1 or # 4.  Easy decision, as #1,2,3 were not interested.

For comparison, let's watch how Davis does at PC then decide if MU blew it.

[HarveysWallbangers]

For the record, there are people under the employ of Marquette that think having Crean advise Williams is a great thing.

From the other board:

"Crean may compete for players like Jamil Wilson but would Crean runs out of schollies or does not need a player...or there is not a fit...would Crean rather have a top player go to MU or to Mich or Ill or PU?"

How blessed we are to have Tom Crean passing on his leftovers to Marquette...a major college basketball program, five years removed from the Final Four and competing in a far superior conference. I cannot believe how lucky we are!

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

It's stunning how little Marquette thinks of itself. It's almost embarrassing, really. The AD "search" and now this. Are they afraid that outsiders will disrupt things? It's bizarre.

+1 ... summed up nicely my newly complete collegiate experience.

[ChicosBailBonds]

GBar -  you may be right, but it is hearsay, and you may also be incorrect.  To assert that it was almost a certainty that Buzz was hired on the endorsement of TC and Doc, well, it seems like a pretty big step unless you were there to witness the entire search/hiring process.  I think that, as many have already stated, MU had a list, Buzz was on it. When others opted out, MU got it's man whether he was #1 or # 4.  Easy decision, as #1,2,3 were not interested.

For comparison, let's watch how Davis does at PC then decide if MU blew it.

Iis PC and MU on the same level?  MU is preseason top 25, coming off 3 straight NCAAs.  PC hasn't been to the NCAAs since the 2003-04 season.  I'd be curious how you're going to make this comparison since they are clearly starting at different levels.  Barry Switzer could get MU into the NCAAs this season, Barry Switzer could not get Providence into the NCAAs this year (though I actually think Providence should be pretty decent as they are a veteran club next year and shouldn't have to deal with the injuries they had the last two years).

[Pakuni]

Iis PC and MU on the same level?  MU is preseason top 25, coming off 3 straight NCAAs.  PC hasn't been to the NCAAs since the 2003-04 season.  I'd be curious how you're going to make this comparison since they are clearly starting at different levels.  Barry Switzer could get MU into the NCAAs this season, Barry Switzer could not get Providence into the NCAAs this year (though I actually think Providence should be pretty decent as they are a veteran club next year and shouldn't have to deal with the injuries they had the last two years).

Tim Welsh was fired because he couldn't get talented, NCAA-quality teams into the postseason.
With 12 of 13 players returning - including every starter - and Sharraud Curry coming back from injury, PU had better make the tournament this year.
If they don't, what's that say about Keno Davis?

[HarveysWallbangers]

Tim Welsh was fired because he couldn't get talented, NCAA-quality teams into the postseason.
With 12 of 13 players returning - including every starter - and Sharraud Curry coming back from injury, PU had better make the tournament this year.
If they don't, what's that say about Keno Davis?

And obviously, if Providence doesn't get into the NCAA tournament then Marquette made a great hire. What in the Fukodome are you talking about?

Would you have objected if Marquette hired Keno Davis? I doubt it. Of course, you'd praise Marquette up and down if they'd hired Mike McCarter.

[Niv Berkowitz]

Coaches are friends with other coaches. To think or say 'you can't talk to X because they are your enemy' is ludicrous.

Now, there are obviously coaches out there that negative-recruit against other coaches or programs. Just because you may not like Crean talking to Williams everyday, so what? That has no bearing on this program whatsoever. That point people need to get over and stop this rabid fascination with everything Crean's doing/not doing at IU. He's gone. Let him go.

[HarveysWallbangers]

That's precisely the point, Niv. He's gone. He should have nothing to do with Marquette.

I just wonder why MU took recommendations for a coach from the guy who thought "Gold" was a good idea.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Tim Welsh was fired because he couldn't get talented, NCAA-quality teams into the postseason.
With 12 of 13 players returning - including every starter - and Sharraud Curry coming back from injury, PU had better make the tournament this year.
If they don't, what's that say about Keno Davis?

Crap in is crap out.  If you return 12 crappy players it just makes next year's squad still crappy but a year older.    It's a team that didn't even make the NIT last year.  They barely made the Big East tournament as they were the last seeded team at #12.

That being said, I think Davis just might get them in next year, despite having ZERO players on PC's squad that made All Big East 1st or 2nd team, and having one make honorable mention.  I think they will be there potentially to get into the tournament, certainly the NIT.  

Meanwhile, we return three All Big East performers...anything less then a NCAA bid (unless we have injuries) would be a collosal failure, I'm sure you would agree.

[THEGYMBAR]

Anything less than a sweet sixteen would be a failure providing McNeal comes back.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Anything less than a sweet sixteen would be a failure providing McNeal comes back.

I can't go there, not without knowing what the matchups are, where we play, etc.  Just get us in, should be as equal or better seed then this year and hope we get some favorable matchups.

[Pakuni]

Crap in is crap out.  If you return 12 crappy players it just makes next year's squad still crappy but a year older.    It's a team that didn't even make the NIT last year.  They barely made the Big East tournament as they were the last seeded team at #12.

PU was predicted by the league's other coaches to finish 8th in the conference last year, which would have put them in line for an NCAA bid. Geoff McDermott was pre-season All-Big East, meaning other coaches saw him as one of the 11 best players in the league.
Apparently guys who coach in the league didn't think they were so crappy. Neither did the Providence administration.
Obviously with the coach of the year at the helm Providence should be competing for a tournament spot, don't you think.

Meanwhile, we return three All Big East performers...anything less then a NCAA bid (unless we have injuries) would be a collosal failure, I'm sure you would agree.

I do agree.

[mu03eng]

And obviously, if Providence doesn't get into the NCAA tournament then Marquette made a great hire. What in the Fukodome are you talking about?

Would you have objected if Marquette hired Keno Davis? I doubt it. Of course, you'd praise Marquette up and down if they'd hired Mike McCarter.

I would have objected to Davis even more than Lowery.  Davis inherited players, and made his deep run this year based solely on his father's players and I haven't seen anything remarkable about the class he would have had coming in had he stayed.  I would argue as well that Drake even underperformed for this years team considering he returned his top 7 players from last season.  You can't just look and say, oh this guy was a head coach(mid-major), and made the NCAAs and say he is a good fit.  I would have lambasted the administration for taking Keno and am willing to bet PC will regret it in the future as well.

People trash Buzz's resume but honestly, the guy got a year of head coaching experience in one of the worst situations possible....doesn't that at least partially prepare him for a high major position?

[THEGYMBAR]

Chico's----Agree on the seeding and believe better seeding should = a sweet sixteen.

[ChicosBailBonds]

PU was predicted by the league's other coaches to finish 8th in the conference last year, which would have put them in line for an NCAA bid. Geoff McDermott was pre-season All-Big East, meaning other coaches saw him as one of the 11 best players in the league.
Apparently guys who coach in the league didn't think they were so crappy. Neither did the Providence administration.
Obviously with the coach of the year at the helm Providence should be competing for a tournament spot, don't you think.

I do agree.

Those same coaches had Notre Dame 9th and West Virginia 10th, right?   And Syracuse 5th. 

By the way, it's PC, not PU.  PU is Purdue.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I would have objected to Davis even more than Lowery.  Davis inherited players, and made his deep run this year based solely on his father's players and I haven't seen anything remarkable about the class he would have had coming in had he stayed.  I would argue as well that Drake even underperformed for this years team considering he returned his top 7 players from last season.  You can't just look and say, oh this guy was a head coach(mid-major), and made the NCAAs and say he is a good fit.  I would have lambasted the administration for taking Keno and am willing to bet PC will regret it in the future as well.

People trash Buzz's resume but honestly, the guy got a year of head coaching experience in one of the worst situations possible....doesn't that at least partially prepare him for a high major position?

Drake was 16-15 the year prior....they then went up to 26-5 under Keno, playing a more difficult schedule (per the RPI).  I don't know how they underperformed at all.  They improved a ton from the year prior.  Drake hadn't been to the NCAAs in decades either.


Their combined 5 losses were by 15 points....including a miracle shot at the end of OT to a Sweet 16 team.  As far as his father's players, if I recall correctly Keno was on the staff assisting in developing, recruiting, etc those players....the same accolades we give Buzz for what he did at Texas A&M and MU...right?   Keno was an assistant at Drake for four years. 

He was also an assistant under Bruce Pearl at Southern Indiana and an assisant at Iowa.  Davis is a good coach, he'll be just fine.  I would have been thrilled to have Davis.


AP National Coach of the Year (2008)
The Sporting News Coach of the Year (2008)
Henry Iba Award Coach of the Year (2008)
Hugh Durham Award Mid-Major Coach of the Year (2008)
Basketball Times Coach of the Year (2008)
MVC Coach of the Year (2008)

[nola03]

People trash Buzz's resume but honestly, the guy got a year of head coaching experience in one of the worst situations possible....doesn't that at least partially prepare him for a high major position?

I fail to see any logic to that connection. How would you answer that question?

[Pakuni]

Davis is a good coach, he'll be just fine.  I would have been thrilled to have Davis.

I wonder what you'd be saying if five weeks after his hire Buzz Williams:

- still hadn't named a single assistant coach
- was spending his weekends not on the road recruiting, not meeting recruits and high school/AAU coaches at various tournaments and not in Providence meeting with current players and alumni/boosters, but at some place 1,300 miles away
- wasn't planning to be on the job full-time until sometime in June

I don't think you'd be singing Buzz's praises if that were the case.

Keno may be a great hire for PC. We won't know either way for a few years.
But to say he's gotten off to a slow start would be a vast understatement.  I too would have been fine with him at Marquette, but I would not be fine if this is how he'd have spent his first five weeks on the job.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I wonder what you'd be saying if five weeks after his hire Buzz Williams:

- still hadn't named a single assistant coach
- was spending his weekends not on the road recruiting, not meeting recruits and high school/AAU coaches at various tournaments and not in Providence meeting with current players and alumni/boosters, but at some place 1,300 miles away
- wasn't planning to be on the job full-time until sometime in June

I don't think you'd be singing Buzz's praises if that were the case.

Keno may be a great hire for PC. We won't know either way for a few years.
But to say he's gotten off to a slow start would be a vast understatement.  I too would have been fine with him at Marquette, but I would not be fine if this is how he'd have spent his first five weeks on the job.

Pat Skerry is going to Davis' staff. 

When I was at MU, we hired Tom Crean on March 30th, he didn't start "full time" until June...nothing shocking about that.

Quite frankly, as I have consistently said here, I'd much rather take longer to get it right (as I stated often in the hiring of the head coach). So if Keno Davis is taking 2 months to hire his staff, so what...he should take his time to get it right.  These rush to hire philosophies are rather interesting by some here. What Davis is doing and the timeline he is on is not unusual at all.  You seem to be one that is interested in having these hires done at breakneck speed, I'm not.  Do it right, do it thoroughly. It's also harder to go from one school to the next, especially half way across the country...these little pesky things called LIFE'S DETAILS are involved that Buzz didn't have to deal with.  Moving, kids in school, buying a new house in the new town, selling your current house in the old town, etc, etc.  Those are everyday realities that people have to deal with in new locations....an unfortunate sidetrack of life, but a reality when you move to a new job, new location.  Buzz has the luxury of moving 2 doors down in the same building, staying at his home, no need to uproot the wife and family, etc.

If Buzz didn't have his staff in place right now, I could not give a squat as you imply (your mind reading probe at it again apparently)... take your time to get it right.  Looks like Buzz did, I'm sure Keno will also.

[ATWizJr]

How can it be OK to give Davis a pass on hiring staff asnd recruitng until  June and criticize Buzz who has hired staff and is out on the trail?

[mu03eng]

I fail to see any logic to that connection. How would you answer that question?

Break any head coaching job into three parts....recruiting, X and Os, and executive responsibilities.  Well Buzz seems to cover recruiting with his resume.  The situation in New Orleans provides a great experience for the executive responsibilities....how to run the business and daily activities etc.  The level of difficult for that sort of stuff at UNO had to be hire than it will be at MU.  That means Buzz has two of the three needs covered, only X and Os, we can't be sure about and won't until we play games.

[Murffieus]

Buzz is picking TC's brain on the psyche of each MU player-----e.g what turns them on and what turns them off. What worked and what didn't work last and why or why not-----that kind of stuff. Also talking about the mechanics of scheduling, office structure, intra office politics, etc.

Nothing wrong with that ------very customary stuff.

[nola03]

Break any head coaching job into three parts....recruiting, X and Os, and executive responsibilities.  Well Buzz seems to cover recruiting with his resume.  The situation in New Orleans provides a great experience for the executive responsibilities....how to run the business and daily activities etc.  The level of difficult for that sort of stuff at UNO had to be hire than it will be at MU.  That means Buzz has two of the three needs covered, only X and Os, we can't be sure about and won't until we play games.

I'll give you the three parts. It makes sense.

I'll give you that Buzz has proven to be a pretty good recruiter for Gillispie and Crean but you have to relinquish we don't know what he can recruit to himself as the head coach.

As far as executive responsibilities, I'd say he probably learned more from A&M and MU then UNO. And, quitting on UNO in July doesn't exactly show that he learned the lesson of how to properly handle yourself under duress.

In terms of Xs and Os, it is a blank slate except for his sub .500 record. Surely even with a dire situation in terms of administrative support, an experienced Xs and Os coach would be able to win more then 50% of his games. I'm not saying 25-6 is necessary but at the least a flip of the 14-17 record.

UNO will be a black eye for Buzz for most MU fans that look into the situation. I hope it's merely a case of a young buck hitting the bull a little too early and he's better for it now.

[Pakuni]

In terms of Xs and Os, it is a blank slate except for his sub .500 record. Surely even with a dire situation in terms of administrative support, an experienced Xs and Os coach would be able to win more then 50% of his games. I'm not saying 25-6 is necessary but at the least a flip of the 14-17 record.

I think, though, you have to consider all the circumstances of that 14-17 record.

Buzz took over a team that had gone 10-19 the previous season and 13-17 the year before that. The team he took over had lost its second, fourth, sixth and seventh -leading scorers from the previous season, guys who, combined, averaged about 40.5 of the Privateers' 65.9 points per game in 2005-06.
Also gone were the team's top three rebounders and top two shot-blockers.
In other words, he took over a bad team.
Nonetheless, he managed to coach them to four more wins than the previous season, including three more conference wins, under very difficult circumstances.
Given the situation he walked into, both in terms of facilities and roster, I don't think one can question too harshly the job he did down there. The story behind his departure certainly is concerning, but I don't worry too much about the coaching job he did.

[ChicosBailBonds]

How can it be OK to give Davis a pass on hiring staff asnd recruitng until  June and criticize Buzz who has hired staff and is out on the trail?

I'd like to know how Davis isn't out on the recruiting trail.  He just offered several kids just in the last few weeks.


"It's house shopping, recruiting, staff, fundraising and player relationships," Davis said. "It's just a whole slew of things that come on your plate every day."


He's also added the #1 Mid major assistant in the country to his staff, just hasn't been announced officially yet. 

[NCMUFan]

I think Buzz will do everything in his power to continue to make Marquette a winner.  Whether he can do it in the Big East will be seen.  If not, it will become obvious that the hire by Cottingham was a bust and the recommendations by Crean weren't sincere.  Cottingham had his list and Buzz was #4.  It will be seen if Cottingham listing of Buzz was way off or on the mark.

[rocky_warrior]

I'll give you that Buzz has proven to be a pretty good recruiter for Gillispie and Crean but you have to relinquish we don't know what he can recruit to himself as the head coach.

Not really, he had a top 50 rated class coming into UNO.  Granted - no 5 stars or anything, but very respectable recruiting for UNO!

Kyndall Dykes - 2 star
Joseph Fulce - 3 star
Jairo Mendoza - 2 star
Troy Mathis - 3 star
Kechan Myers - no ranking
Tristan Worrell - no ranking (? couldn't find anything)

[tonyreeder]

Pat Skerry is going to Davis' staff. 

When I was at MU, we hired Tom Crean on March 30th, he didn't start "full time" until June...nothing shocking about that.



WE hired Tom Crean.  Please enlighten us on your role in the hiring of Tom Crean.   Did you get bagels the morning of the interview?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Pat Skerry is going to Davis' staff. 

When I was at MU, we hired Tom Crean on March 30th, he didn't start "full time" until June...nothing shocking about that.



WE hired Tom Crean.  Please enlighten us on your role in the hiring of Tom Crean.   Did you get bagels the morning of the interview?

Wow, your pettiness continues.  The term "we" is used in terms of Marquette University and the athletic department.


PS  The bagels were great, he really enjoyed them.

[tonyreeder]

as does your Napoleonic complex

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'll make a suggestion for you, choose the ignore button.  I've just implemented it for your stuff, that way you can get on and enjoy life again.

[tonyreeder]

I'll make a suggestion for you, choose the ignore button.  I've just implemented it for your stuff, that way you can get on and enjoy life again.

Does enjoying life include a weekend getaway with my wife and posting on a Internet message board all weekend?