OT: Crean to leave MU for Indiana

[skitch815]

Well, I guess I'll give my two cents as a fan and an alum.

I liked Tom Crean but there were always things I didn't like about him. For such a seemingly smart guy, he did a lot of small things that didn't seem all that intelligent, whether it's not doubling down on Brook Lopez at the end of the Stanford game, or not calling a time out at the end of another game to set up a game winning shot (a big east game, I dont remember who it was against). He also came across as the elitist jerk that many assume he was, although I should say that when I met him in Green Bay at an alumni fundraiser, he was very warm. That might have something to do with the fact that it was a fundraiser, though.

I have two major concerns with Crean leaving right now. Number one is the way he left. The AD was on a plane to Colorado for the womens NIT game and when he got off the plane there was a message from Crean saying he was gone. No discussion, no chance for a counterproposal, nothing. His players found of the same way that we did, from the bottom line on ESPN. That shows a complete lack of class on his part. Very Petrino-esqe.

My second concern is the status of the recruits. I think Acker is ready to step in should James leave, and I still hope McNeal would be back, but I have heard now that Nick Williams and Tyshawn Tayler have asked to be released. I almost hope they hire Buzz Williams just under the hope that the recruits stay put.

All in all I have to say that Crean left the MU program better than it was when he got there. I recently found an old program from my freshman year at MU. Anyone else old enough to remember Jay Zouloff, Robb Logtermann, Roney Eford, and Damon Key? They were 4 of the starters that night. The program has come a long way from when we were in the Great Midwest Conference and hopefully we don't take a step backwards with this new hire.

[skitch815]

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Zero chance. He turned down Indiana but he's going to accept a job at Marquette? No.

Bennett's sister was the head women's coach at Indiana and they completely threw her under the bus. I think that had as much to do with him not taking the job there as anything else.

[xTitan]

I can't believe all the Buzz Williams love, he has recruited 2 average at best players out of Texas, and I will give you having his hand in on the kid from St. Anthony's, but that does not qualify him to coach a Big East team. Williams had 1 very sketchy seasom at New Orleans where he inherited some decent kids and did nothing with them, heard they were terrible defensively. I can't believe MU couldn't attract someone who is ready to be a coach now, who can also recruit, Williams will get eaten alive by quality Big East coaches. This is going to be a tough job for anyone, they will have no honeymoon opportunity, one bad year and they will be turned on......I would love for MU to make a run at Scott Drew from Baylor, a midwest kid who performed a bit of a miracle turning the Baylor program around in short time, who can also recruit very well.

[skitch815]

I had completely forgotten about Scott Drew. He would be an excellent hire.

Too bad this hadn't happened last week, they could have made a run at Darren Horn, who has MU connections.

Edit-I agree xTitan that the 2 recruits from Texas are average at best, but wasn't Williams the one that recruited Nick Williams, the guard from Alabama? He's the main one I was worried about losing. Not that I think you should hire a coach based solely on that. I honestly don't know enough about Buzz to speak one way or the other about his ability to do anything other than recruit. From Rosiak's blog the other day, though, it sounds as if Taylor would reconsider his asking out if Buzz were still on staff, whether as an assistant or the head man.

[xTitan]

I had completely forgotten about Scott Drew. He would be an excellent hire.

Too bad this hadn't happened last week, they could have made a run at Darren Horn, who has MU connections.

Edit-I agree xTitan that the 2 recruits from Texas are average at best, but wasn't Williams the one that recruited Nick Williams, the guard from Alabama? He's the main one I was worried about losing. Not that I think you should hire a coach based solely on that. I honestly don't know enough about Buzz to speak one way or the other about his ability to do anything other than recruit. From Rosiak's blog the other day, though, it sounds as if Taylor would reconsider his asking out if Buzz were still on staff, whether as an assistant or the head man.

Actually I believe he has gotten a verbal from a kid named Williams out of Texas who is a Junior and a very good prosspect......the kid from Alabama gave a verbal 2 years ago.....

[El Duderino]

I can't believe all the Buzz Williams love

I'm with you there

If MU can't nab a guy like Sean Williams, i'd hope they'd bring in Anthony Grant from Virgina Commonwealth for an interview. He was a long time assistant at Florida and the last two years at Virginia Commonwealth was 52-14 and he made the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year.

[Bucks_Revenge]

so what is the time limit for them to a hire a new coach, 3 weeks to a month maybe?

[El Duderino]

so what is the time limit for them to a hire a new coach, 3 weeks to a month maybe?

That's way to long, i'd be surprised if MU didn't have a coach in place any longer than 7-10 days from now.