Donald Williams - Aki's first recruit?

[dwaderoy2004]

I hadn't heard this name for 2008 yet.  Apparantly down to us and St. John's...

http://njmg.typepad.com/zagsblog/2008/06/williams-lookin.html

http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=2&pr_key=45635

[lurch91]

Holy frequent flier miles!!!  Seems that Buzz and Co. are everywhere at once!!!!

[deerchaser]

We were also mentioned with a teamate of his at Progressive Christian.  Don't know whatever happened with that one.

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=9236.0

[MU Chi_IL]

Might want to update the Recruiting WIki...

[MUCrew]

So does this mean were not gonna bank that extra scholie? 

[1990Warrior]

Might want to update the Recruiting WIki...

I was going to add a section in addition to the current sections called Rumored to put names from credible posts like this one.  I have been too busy to do it.  I thought it could contain the link to the thread that identified the recruit as well as all other info people could find.

[esotericmindguy]

My interest in recruiting has been sparked since the coaching change.  I was wondering if Marquette was mentioned with so many highly touted recruits when Crean was here? 

[Mobot]

I don't know that you would consider this a highly touted recruit.  It is really hard to find information on this guy.  Rivals has him as a 3 star and scout has him as a 2 star.  Although, it seems that he would have to be pretty good to be named the most oustanding player in the select division of the Bob Gibbons tourney.

[Mobot]

"New Orleans Jazz wing Donald Williams was named Most Outstanding Player of the Select Division of the 17 and under division. The 6-foot-5 prep school guard averaged a hair under 23 points a game.

“He was the best player we played against all weekend,” said one AAU coach that tried to slow down Williams in North Carolina. “He’s really good. People need to know about him.”

Consider it done. Williams technically is part of the class of 2008, too. Let the phone calls begin to Progressive Christian in Maryland."

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/news?slug=rivals-220093&prov=rivals&type=lgns

[nola03]

I was wondering if Marquette was mentioned with so many highly touted recruits when Crean was here? 

Wonder no more: yes, Marquette was mentioned with highly touted recruits.

[Pakuni]

My interest in recruiting has been sparked since the coaching change.  I was wondering if Marquette was mentioned with so many highly touted recruits when Crean was here? 

The answer to that question probably depends on who you ask.

I'd say Crean definitely got MU among the finalists of many highly touted/top 100 recruits, including at least four McDonald's AAs I can think of off the top of my head (Brian Butch, Shannon Brown, Luke Zeller, Iman Shumpert).
But I'd say he didn't land nearly as many of those players as we all would have liked.

[Mobot]

Williams spoke further about why these two schools are at the top of his list which also includes UAB (offer), East Carolina and New Orleans (offer).

“They are in a good conference. The Big East is strong. I like the way the coaches communicate, and they sound like they would be good coaches to play for.

“With St. John’s I like the atmosphere of New York City, and it would be cool to play in Madison Square Garden.

“And Marquette has a great winning tradition and has produced some great players like Dwayne Wade and Steve Novak.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/news?slug=rivals-220634&prov=rivals&type=lgns

[deerchaser]

Consider it done. Williams technically is part of the class of 2008, too. Let the phone calls begin to Progressive Christian in Maryland."

I'm a little curious as to what that's supposed to mean.

[MR.HAYWARD]

Crean excelled at the all or nothing recruiting approach...that is too invest everything on a highly touted recruit and not land him, only to fill the scholarship with an unheard of lowly recruited 1 star type player in the spring.  

I will give Crean credit for 2 good recruiting classes in 9 years his first and the one with the 3 amigos...the other 7 were well below average.  

Kevin Oneil in the MCC and the Old Gym recruited Creans socks off.  Buzz will too.  

[MR.HAYWARD]

Brian Butch, Shannon Brown, Luke Zeller, Iman Shumpert...

Sorry pakuni but while Mu may have been 'in'n those guys to beleive that Mu had a chance with anyone of them besides Shumpert is to buy into what Crean was selling.  Sure Butch visited and considered Mu but to think Mu had a chance over UW is not realistic, Zeller and Brown were never coming.

[ChicosBailBonds]

My interest in recruiting has been sparked since the coaching change.  I was wondering if Marquette was mentioned with so many highly touted recruits when Crean was here? 

Yes

[ChicosBailBonds]

Crean excelled at the all or nothing recruiting approach...that is too invest everything on a highly touted recruit and not land him, only to fill the scholarship with an unheard of lowly recruited 1 star type player in the spring.  

I will give Crean credit for 2 good recruiting classes in 9 years his first and the one with the 3 amigos...the other 7 were well below average.  

Kevin Oneil in the MCC and the Old Gym recruited Creans socks off.  Buzz will too.  

Well below average....well then I guess he took well below average players and won a ton of games, ton of Big East games and got them into the tournament.  It's amazing how often I've read what a lousy coach and recruiter he was and yet all the success we had.  It must have been a miracle each year.   

[Nukem2]

Of course, Chicos, there are only 1st place and a tie for last place in recruiting. 

[The Lens]

DJ
Jerel
Wes
Novak
Travis
ODB
Wade
Merritt
Dameon Mason
Lazar

All of the above plus others were highly touted.  TC did have his share of 2am booty calls (horrible spring signees) but he definitely brought in some players.  He seemed to excel when he had PT to sell.  I think Crean was over-rated as a recruiter b/c he never got that Top 10 class that guys like Quinn Snyder got but he was so much better of a administrator than Quinn.  To me he was a decent recruiter, an unbelievable prep and plan guy and a woefully over-matched bench coach.  But bench coach can be overrated in college.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Of course, Chicos, there are only 1st place and a tie for last place in recruiting. 

On that, I agree.  I just find it funny how many bad (below average classes) we had, how poor of a coach he was and yet we ended up with the 2nd best run in MU history.  Miracles I tell ya....miracles.      Or an awful lot of CDS (Crean Derangement Syndrome).

[deerchaser]

Are you seriously suggesting MU didn't have a chance with Shumpert....wow, all I can say is wow.  Speaks volumes.  You have no clue what you are talking about on Shumpert.

Please re-read what Mr. Hayward said.  You may find yourself surprised.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Please re-read what Mr. Hayward said.  You may find yourself surprised.

yup...my bad...I'll do what Hayward is incapable of...admit to being wrong.  That being said, all four of those guys had MU as a finalist.  Why?

[Pakuni]

Brian Butch, Shannon Brown, Luke Zeller, Iman Shumpert...

Sorry pakuni but while Mu may have been 'in'n those guys to beleive that Mu had a chance with anyone of them besides Shumpert is to buy into what Crean was selling.  Sure Butch visited and considered Mu but to think Mu had a chance over UW is not realistic, Zeller and Brown were never coming.

Every single one of those guys publicly named Marquette as a finalist.
Perhaps they were in on the ruse with Crean.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

mis-posted 

[Pakuni]

Kevin Oneil in the MCC and the Old Gym recruited Creans socks off.  Buzz will too.  

Is that so?

Crean landed three NBA players in his first three recruiting classes and probably has at least two more on the current roster.
O'Neill landed two NBA players.

O'Neill's top recruit, Jimmy Mac, was a second-round NBA pick with a middling NBA career.
Crean's top recruit was a lottery pick, perennial all-star and one of the best players in the world.

Of MU's top 25 all-time scorers, four were O'Neill recruits.  Five were Crean recruits and Lazar Hayward will make it six before he's done.

Shall I continue?
CDS is sweeping the (Warrior) nation.