On Rivals.com today

[77ncaachamps]

Fast starter
Which new coach do you think will have the best season?

— Carlos from Houston
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I think you have to go with Buzz Williams at Marquette. Williams is unproven – his only head-coaching experience is a 14-17 season at New Orleans – but he's stepping into a dream scenario.

The Golden Eagles return four double-digit scorers from a team that won 25 games and was a basket away from reaching the Sweet 16. That includes three senior guards – Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews – who will make up one of the nation's top backcourts.

The third or fourth assistant on any staff could take over that team and get them back to the NCAA Tournament – barring significant injuries. I'm guessing Williams will take them to the second weekend of the Big Dance.

http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1146&CID=839868

[Mayor McCheese]

couldn't agree more.  Lets face it, I think the best coaching situation in all the land this offseason that was vacant was Marquette.  You have leadership in the players to help you through your first year, plus a great team to get your reputation off to a great start.

[NCMUFan]

Let's hope that that type of assuranceness is echoed every year in regards to Marquette getting back to the Big Dance. Go Marquette!

[RedWebster]

This is precisely why hiring Buzz Wiliams was such a head-scratcher. We've now got a hugely inexperienced head coach leading one of the most experienced teams in the country. It made ZERO sense to hire this guy.

And because his hiring was met with such a large amount of skepticism by most intelligent MU fans, we seem to have suddenly lowered our admission standards for incoming recruits. At what cost? That is the question that has yet to be answered.

[dennycrane]

Fast starter
Which new coach do you think will have the best season?

— Carlos from Houston
-----


I think you have to go with Buzz Williams at Marquette. Williams is unproven – his only head-coaching experience is a 14-17 season at New Orleans – but he's stepping into a dream scenario.

The Golden Eagles return four double-digit scorers from a team that won 25 games and was a basket away from reaching the Sweet 16. That includes three senior guards – Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews – who will make up one of the nation's top backcourts.

The third or fourth assistant on any staff could take over that team and get them back to the NCAA Tournament – barring significant injuries. I'm guessing Williams will take them to the second weekend of the Big Dance.

http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1146&CID=839868

Absolutely true. Buzz has been set up nicely. It is true that he will have to deal with high expectations. They are honest expectations.

[4everwarriors]

And Bennett, Miller, Hewitt, and others were not interested?

[kmwtrucks]

Without regard to who was offered the job and who was or was not interested?  Recruiting is key for college basketball.  Just look at Depaul which was in a similar situation a few years ago when Leito left the hired a established coach but he has been unable to recruit.  They are terrible and will continue to be. Buzz was probably the best recruiter that had interest in the Job.  About lowering the Standards?  how is Blackledge any different than Buycks?  How is Trevor's situation any different than Maymons? 

[jmayer1]

And Bennett, Miller, Hewitt, and others were not interested?

Maybe they were, maybe they weren't.  MU will be pretty good this year, but realistically has almost no chance to get to the Final Four becauase of the lack of big men.  In addition, after this year the only other high-level talent on the roster is Lazar (maybe Trevor, we'll see).  So yes, MU looked good for this year, but any guy looking at the position also knew he better get a top recruiting class in here the next year or the team was NIT bound. 

I didn't think Buzz was the best hire because he wasn't a big name coach, but I'm not a guy who separates the "process" from the "results."  If the guy does good, it was a good hire and I don't care how many people MU interviewed.  If he fails, it was a bad hire.  However, it is going to take at least two years to judge the hire (unless he misses the tourney this year).

[detroitwarrior]

Unquestionably pretty much any coach coming into this year's team is in a good position to do well this year because of the players returning. However, that coach will also be faced with the lack of a post up threat that Crean would have been faced with. After this year, whatever coach inherited the program pretty much succeeds or fails on his own merit in my opinion since with the three amigos leaving and the lack of talent to replace them at the underclass level along with the understandable loss of  2008 committments due to a coaching change places a great deal of pressure on any new coach in 2010.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Without regard to who was offered the job and who was or was not interested?  Recruiting is key for college basketball.  Just look at Depaul which was in a similar situation a few years ago when Leito left the hired a established coach but he has been unable to recruit.  They are terrible and will continue to be. Buzz was probably the best recruiter that had interest in the Job.  About lowering the Standards?  how is Blackledge any different than Buycks?  How is Trevor's situation any different than Maymons? 

Then again, DePaul also had Mr. Kennedy at one point, a great recruiter who landed tremendous talent but couldn't coach a CYO team.  I'd prefer someone who could handle both duties well.   

[RedWebster]

Just look at Depaul which was in a similar situation a few years ago when Leito left the hired a established coach but he has been unable to recruit.  They are terrible and will continue to be. Buzz was probably the best recruiter that had interest in the Job.  About lowering the Standards?  how is Blackledge any different than Buycks?  How is Trevor's situation any different than Maymons? 

I don't think MU has ever landed a recruit as highly rated as DePaul's Mac Koshwal. The beat out Louisville and Tennesseee to land him. Dar Tucker was considering Duke, among others. If anything, Wainwright is a recruiter...not an "established coach."

I actually thought last season DePaul was more talented than Marquette. If they had ANY senior leadership...like a Novak when James, et. al were freshman, they would have been good.

DePaul has gone the way of lenient admissions, by the way.

[bma725]

I don't think MU has ever landed a recruit as highly rated as DePaul's Mac Koshwal. The beat out Louisville and Tennesseee to land him.

Koshwal was ranked 45th in the RSCI.  That's lower than both Dominic James(36th) and Travis Diener(40th). 

And that's just in the last couple years.  If you look at the Raymonds and McGuire years, MU has had many players that were more highly thought of Koshwal.

[nola03]

I don't think MU has ever landed a recruit as highly rated as DePaul's Mac Koshwal. The beat out Louisville and Tennesseee to land him. Dar Tucker was considering Duke, among others. If anything, Wainwright is a recruiter...not an "established coach."

I actually thought last season DePaul was more talented than Marquette. If they had ANY senior leadership...like a Novak when James, et. al were freshman, they would have been good.

DePaul has gone the way of lenient admissions, by the way.

But DePaul had Draelon Burns last season.  

Koshwal was a hot prospect but many were scared off due to the Boys to Men diploma mill and his older age because some coaches feel if a kid hits a certain age without skill development the potential may not be reached properly. Also, don't rule out the fact that the kid didn't move far from Chicago. Hint hint hint.

You mention Duke with Tucker as if that's proof enough. K's talent evaluation has been severely questioned the last 2-3 recruiting classes. Besides, Tucker had a different "favorite" every two weeks (Marquette at one point) and it's an open secret in the Chicago area he only landed at DePaul because it's an Adidas school and his AAU coach got a nice kickback.

Finally, if you truly believe Wainwright is a better recruiter then coach you should visit some DPU forums on the internet or pop in a bar in Lincoln Park and ask questions. I think the answers would surprise you.

[RawdogDX]

duh.

[RedWebster]

...many were scared off due to the Boys to Men diploma mill

Kind of like Notre Dame in Fitchburg, Massachusetts?

[4everwarriors]

Bingo!!!

[nola03]

Kind of like Notre Dame in Fitchburg, Massachusetts?

Indeed. But at least ND Prep has been running for years whereas BoyzIIMen was open for 9 months and 35 games. DePaul might be the only school that benefited from that setup with Koshwal and Kelly.

And thank you for agreeing with my other points. 

[bilsu]

We may have lost more than Christhoperson, Williams and Taylor if someone else was hired. I doubt if anyone would have recruited better than Williams has.