It wasn’t my intention to run Tom Crean out of town. I was just pointing out what I thought were “coaching deficiencies” in the MU Basketball program. Honestly, I didn’t think the guy would take it so hard.
As you may have guessed, I am not all that torn up about Crean leaving. The local sports media really gave this guy a pass over the last 5 years because he once recruited a guy by the name of Wade who led the team to a Final Four. Since then, he’s put up exactly one NCAA tournament win, and that was this season. He’s a good recruiter, a great motivator, and a mediocre coach.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not exactly satisfied with making the tournament and going home the first weekend, if not the first day. With the talent on the roster this year, they should have battled for the Big East title. Instead, we got to watch a team struggle mightily against anyone that played something other than man-to-man defense.
Indiana, he’s all yours. Just make sure you stock up on the Pepsi.
As for next year, who knows. Unless they magically pull a big name coach to replace him, I don’t see the seniors on the team responding to a new guy. On returning talent alone, this team should be in the pre-season top-10 (or at least close). Unless someone can reign in James & McNeal…. we’re in for more of the same - crazy jump shots, ridiculous alley-oops, and another first-round exit.
But watch out Southeastern Coastal Florida Community Technical College, we’ve got your number!
One Comment
Just a follow-up… I failed to mention that Tom Crean didn’t so much recruit Dwayne Wade as much as he was the only coach that took a chance on him. The reason Wade didn’t play until his Sophomore year was that he missed the minimum entry requirements on the ACT by 1 point, so he wasn’t recruited by many schools.
Posted April 3, 2008 at 9:26 am by Bryan Buchs.