Todd Rosiak complements today's hard copy article with a detailed blog. Tons of great info there from a candid Tom Crean. Among the highlights:
- Expect to see turnover with his assistant coaches.
- TC threw his baseline under the bus for the MSU game - - "Especially our upperclassmen on the front line did not do what we had to do defensively to help make this game go in our favor, and I’m disappointed in that" That is accurate -- of course it is also proof that TC's ability to sign high-ceiling big men is questionable.
- Communication: the need for his team to communicate on the floor came up consistently with Rosiak. Sounds like some players needed to get with the program and failed to do so.
- TC talks of lessons learned in recruiting with a star in the program -- namely getting Acker in case James bails (something he did not do with Wade). Smart move.
- McNeal is healing nicely and was playing his best ball of the season prior to the injury.
- Crean essentially calls the Blackledge signing a mistake. TC states that Blackledge "came at the wrong time for this team because we certainly could have used another perimeter player. That was obvious." No kidding -- either a shooter or a bull of a big man. And who recruited Blackledge? That signing was a reach for TC -- now it is hurting MU's ability to transform its roster. To think that Crean might have to redshirt Blackledge -- imagine.......Blackledge could eat up a scholarship for three years just to have one year of productivity.
9 comments:
Reading Rosiak's blog and Crean's comments about his bench points and lack of toughness down low, again, I look at the one big factor that severly hurt MU this year and last year - MU's horrific recruiting class of 2003.
Out of five players MU signed that year, not one of them played more than two years for Maruette. Brandon Bell, Carlton Christian, Dameon Mason, James Matthews and Marcus Jackson. Christian and Jackson both signed with Marquette AFTER the final four run and after (I believe) Wade declared. Jackson was the lone JUCO player, so the other four guys had four years of eligibility. And the result? Only Mason stayed on through his sophomore year.
The reason I bring these up is because you can afford a year of subpar recruiting in college football. There are so many positions to fill and so many subs, that as long as you don't leave the QB cupboard empty, you can survive. In hoops, you're going to pay eventually if you don't get at least one starter and one bench contributor per class. MU got nothing from that class and subsequently, our bench this year consisted of Mike Kinsella and Jamil Lott, two JUCO transfers that never panned out.
Hopefully, Mbakwe steps in and contributes next season, and in the off season, Burke improves. For the fans' sake, we'll need them too if we want to expand on the success of this last campaign.
This is a point that has been lost on Marquette fans. We essentially lost an ENTIRE recruiting class, which is almost unheard of.
There are posters on the MU message boards that will defend the amount of our departures by pointing out the transfers from other schools.
But an entire class?
Furthermore, Crean's acknowledgement of changes in the coaching staff should not be a surprise. This has become a spring ritual in Milwaukee.
TC never said that signing Blackledge was a mistake. You took the quote out of context. The whole quote reads:
What is Lawrence Blackledge’s status at this point?
“It’s a long haul in a situation like that for him right now. He just needs to continue to work on his academics and get better with our team, and we’ll see how it all shakes out. But there’s no question that came at the wrong time for this team because we certainly could have used another perimeter player. That was obvious.”
He isn't saying that Blackledge came to the team at the wrong time, he is saying that the loss of Blackledge to academics came at the wrong time for the team. The question was about his status, not the value of recruiting him in the first place.
Honestly, I've read that quote about Trend 5 times and I still don't know what it means.
But there’s no question that came at the wrong time for this team because we certainly could have used another perimeter player.
.. Trend wasn't a perimeter player, so if "wrong time" meant February, it makes no sense. If "wrong time" meant last summer when he was signed, then it makes a tiny bit of sense, i.e., we should have signed a perimeter player last summer .. although last summer, no one would have thunk we'd have poor shooting permiter players, and thus, need another one.
So I have no idea. Maybe there's a word wrong in there.
Read the blog after the MSU debacle, and the only reaction is: "What a jerk Crean is." He goes to great lenghts, Mike Deane type lengths, to point out the shortcomings of his players. But never acknowledge what the rest of us saw: clearly out-coached. Crean never made adjustments, and never had a plan to solve the zone. I sat through alot of Mike Deane games, and he was an awful recruiter, but he could and did game coach. Crean leaves it all on the practice floor.
I've had problems with things Crean's done in the past, but I don't know what he could have done vs. MSU once the game got out of control when you consider that 1)his one lone inside-scoring threat was out w/foul trouble (barro), 2) his previously hot outside shooter (Fitz) was out w/foul trouble, 3)the team was shooting 20% from the field, their interior defense was abysmal, 4)they were missing their best player, 5) their starting point guard was struggling getting anything going on the offensive end and 6) their third best player was turning the ball over every trip down the court (six for the game).
As the says have gone on, MU just got beat by the hungrier team. MU still had more talent I think, but it doesn't always win.
Getting his guys too wired to start the post-season, holding rough practices (which is total conjecture on our part unless someone out there has been allowed to watch a practice), making occassionally questionable substitutions he can be criticized for, and making poor judgements on talent for recruiting big men are criticisms that I think could be valid.
But again, with all the factors mentioned in paragraph one, AND the fact that it was the 34th game of the year, I don't know what else Crean could have done with the personnel he had on the floor.
Two last things:
1) I'm not sure what Crean was saying about Blackledge either. To me, it sounds like his getting booted off the team came at a bad time. I didn't take it as though he was saying Blackledge was a bad choice to recruit in general.
2) Calling out players for the way they played isn't that odd or bad if you don't go specifically after one guy. Saying the big men and seniors didn't play well? I don't see that as a big deal. Also, I've heard Crean time and time again say to "put it on me" for not having the team ready.
Give me a break! Someone needed to be the fall guy for the lack in recruiting class numbers due to DJ not going to the NBA. I was just waiting to hear how Crean would explain that one. Word verification is mjqquqs!!!!!
U never redshirt a guy who isn't any good!!
Post a Comment