Building off confidence, experience and a competitive fierceness, the reigning WNIT champions can be sure that they made some noise when they defeated Michigan State in the WNIT championship 81-66.
The Marquette women’s basketball team is ranked 22 to 25 in a variety of highly regarded national preseason polls also boasting a Sporting News second team All-American in senior guard Krystal Ellis.
Head coach Terri Mitchell believes that the team has benefited tremendously from the Golden Eagles WNIT victory last April, fueling a desire for more. “The hunger that they went into the summer with has been unbelievable and how they’ve come back prepared,” Mitchell said of her team.

But Mitchell also made sure to stress the need for that hunger to stay consistent and be present throughout the entire season.

In a conference as competitive as the Big East, any signs of faltering could be devastating. The Big East is home to Connecticut, Rutgers and Louisville, all teams that rank within the top 10 of several preseason polls.

The Golden Eagles have high expectations for its backcourt to maintain the level of play it has grown so accustom to. The team’s guard play has been their “bread and butter” the past several seasons, especially during the 2007-2008 campaign.

Last season, the aforementioned Krystal Ellis led the team in scoring with 19.4 ppg (second in the Big East), was selected to the All-Big East Team for the second consecutive season, was named WNIT Tournament MVP and put herself within 272 points of the school’s all-time scoring record of 1,818 points set by Abbie Willenborg.

But it seems as though the scoring record is not the highest goal on her priority list. Rather she said she is “more focused on winning a national championship…I just want to win.”

In order for that happen, the Golden Eagles and Ellis will need continued contributions from players who performed well last season, especially throughout the WNIT Tournament.

Returning guards, sophomore Angel Robinson and senior Erin Monfre, will no doubt look to build off last season’s success and take advantage of the continuity a season together has afforded them.

Robinson, in her freshman season, showed much promise for the future by averaging 11.4 ppg and being named to the Big East All Freshman Team. Her play affords the team little drop-off at point guard when Ellis is off the court and compliments Ellis’ game when they are playing side by side.

Another player whose performance may dictate the success of the Golden Eagles is senior guard Erin Monfre. Although entering Marquette as a highly regarded shooter, Monfre has developed into a much more versatile player.

Coach Mitchell has described her as an “excellent zone defender” but more importantly, Monfre describes herself as an “emotional leader” for the team. What she brings each night may not be apparent in the box score, but it is quite clear that the team plays better with her on the floor.

In the biggest game to date in her collegiate career, Monfre led the Golden Eagles to an emotional victory over MSU in the WNIT Championship by burying 5 three pointers and scoring 15 points.

In only losing two players from last season (forward Svetlana Kovalenko to graduation and forward Kelly Lam, a senior this season who decided to forego her final year of eligibility), the Golden Eagles expect a significant amount of stability. But this does not mean that the team will not look to tweak a thing or two.

In the WNIT Tournament, the team found much success when they abandoned their traditional half-court defense for a high-pressured full-court attack. Mitchell iterated the team’s desire to start the season off in the same defensive fashion in which it left it.

Also, Marquette can expect more adjustments when it comes to playing time. Of the team’s four newcomers, all four expect to vie for a role in the rotation.

Returning junior guard Janelle Harris and England native and junior Lauren Thomas-Johnson, a junior college transfer, both figure to fit into the stacked guard rotation.

The departure of Kovalenko, last season’s lone senior and anchor in the frontcourt, leaves the team vulnerable and in the market for players to contribute down low.

“We don’t have the size of other teams in our conference,” Mitchell said when addressing the team’s most glaring weakness. But Mitchell made sure to stress the team’s WNIT success even with a lack of size last season, calling it a mental disadvantage more than anything.

The team may look to employ a forward by committee approach, getting senior Marissa Thrower, junior Breann Hill, another junior college transfer and sophomores Paige Fiedorowicz and Jocelyn Mellen involved in the forward rotation.

Freshmen Georgie Jones and Jessica Pachko are both 6-2 and may force their way into the mix with valued size and post play.

With uncertainty and inexperience plaguing Marquette’s frontcourt, the need for senior leadership becomes all that more important. Luckily for the Golden Eagles, they have stellar leaders in seniors Ellis, Monfre and Thrower.

When Ellis and Monfre were asked to describe their roles on the team for the upcoming season, each responded in sync, describing themselves as players who lead by example.

As last season clearly showed, talent is a definitive component of this team. But given the high level of play within the Big East, getting it to roll on all cylinders every single night becomes the most arduous and questionable task.

But one thing the Marquette women’s basketball does not need to question is its desire for this season. It begins and ends with a trip to the NCAA Tournament. After winning an exhibition game against Winona State Saturday and another exhibition game on November 10, the real season kicks off Saturday, Nov. 15 against Oral Roberts at the Al McGuire Center.

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Ever since April 1, 2008, Marquette Basketball fans have been looking for some positive news. Tom Crean’s exodus early last April set a bad tone throughout campus as many students were skeptical to endure a setback that usually comes with a new head coach.

As Dwayne Wade says in his new Converse commercial, “the best thing about (basketball) is that every season is a new start.” And despite the criticism that the Marquette program received over the hiring of Buzz Williams, the Marquette faithful still owe Williams a fair chance.

The Buzz Williams era begins Saturday, November 8 at 1 p.m. in the form of an exhibition matchup against Colorado State University-Pueblo. Like most college basketball powerhouses, Marquette has stacked their early season schedule with cupcake teams.

With all due respect to CSU Pueblo, this is exactly the type of game Marquette wants. They can afford to go out and try new lineups, plays and sets in a game setting that cannot be replicated in practice. These early season matchups are a nice confidence booster as well.

So who is CSU-Pueblo? First off, the Thunderwolves as they are called, come from the Rocky Mountain Area Conference, out of the NCAA Division II. They are coached by Patrick Eberhart, who is in his fourth year at the helm. As if Eberhart’s crew being from NCAA Division II is not enough, Marquette players must be relishing the opportunity to take on a team that finished with a 10-17 record last season.

Like Marquette has McNeal, James and Matthews, CSU Pueblo still has its share of feature players. Rome Smith, a 6-foot-3-inch 200 pound guard is the man to watch for next Saturday. According to the CSU-Pueblo athletic site, Smith led the team with 13.1 points per game last season. He also shot 40.1 percent from beyond the arc.

In the frontcourt, the Thuderwolves are led by Senior Jake Trahern. According to his player bio on the CSU athletic site, Trahern was former Mr. Basketball in Colorado and State Tournament MVP in 2004. Last season the 6-foor-9-inch forward averaged 11.6 points per contest, while accumulating 34 blocks throughout the season. Along with Smith, Trahern hopes to form a great inside-outside combination that Coach Eberhart can count on.

Despite the talent disparity, this is not a game that Marquette should take lightly. Even though this is just an exhibition matchup, how the team responds will set the tone for the next few games.

True, there is no secret as to who is favored to win the game, but a sloppy showing for Marquette could result in a loss further down the road. For comparisons sake, nobody wants to be the next Michigan and lose to an Appalachian State team in the 2007 NCAA Football season.

Every coach, including Buzz Williams, should assure their teams that an upset cannot and will not happen.

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“Am I going to be a Hall of Fame coach? No. Am I going to write a book? No. What I’m going to do is work hard today, and then wake up and do it again tomorrow.” -Buzz Williams, Head Coach Marquette Men’s Basketball

When Marquette University hired Tom Crean’s assistant coach, Brent “Buzz” Williams, to be the Men’s Basketball head coach, a lot of people thought that the athletic department had taken the easy way out. But little did the Marquette community know that Williams himself does anything but take the easy way out. From the players to the practices, Williams has overhauled the entire men’s basketball program.

“We want to be the hardest-working, most competitive program in the country,” Williams said. And he has been making every effort to make it so, showing that Marquette might have picked the right coach after all.

Young Men First, Students Second and Players Third

In Williams’ first press conference as the Marquette Men’s Basketball head coach, he stated:
“The players in the program will not be judged always in accordance with their skill set or their talent. They will always be judged as people: as young men first, as students second and as players third. And the priorities in our program, the responsibilities within our program, will always be reflective of those things.”

The academic responsibilities for the basketball players are strictly enforced to ensure that these priorities are met.
Williams is “not going to give you any leeway,” according to Liam McMorrow, the sophomore transfer from Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario, who is redshirted this season due to National Collegiate Athletic Association transfer rules.

Each player has a personal, color-coded schedule from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m. every day of the week detailing class, study hall hours, tutoring, basketball practice and weightlifting among other things. The graduate student coaching assistants and coaching staff escort the players to class to make sure that they are on time and that they do not leave class early.

“He really cares about our academics,” said David Cubillan, one of three juniors on the team. And so far, it has been paying off.
“I think I speak for everyone. Everyone, as far as academically is concerned, is doing much better… he’s definitely a help,” said Robert Frozena, the only walk-on of this year’s team, about the educational push the members of the team have received from Williams.

“They’re always accountable for each facet of their responsibilities,” Williams said, and according to Williams, the reason they can be held accountable is because “their character is very, very high.”

Athletic Hunger

Four man groups, individual practice, team practice, and boot camp are only a few of the strategies that Williams has been using to prepare the team for the coming season. Yes, boot camp.

“Boot camp was seven or eight days. That was the longest seven or eight days of my life. But it was good,” said Lazar Hayward, returning junior forward. Boot camp was a series of intense practices where, Williams said, “our team is formed.” Every drill that was done had to be done correctly by each member of the team. If someone could not finish, everybody had to do it over again. Every single teammate was accountable for every other teammate. As Williams said, “Everyone has to pull their own weight… and [we have to] communicate as a team.”
Somehow, everyone got through it.

“They were blowing it out every day,” Williams said. “It’s the best I’ve ever seen.”

Not only has their stamina and teamwork been tested, but Williams has the team “doing defensive drills day in and day out,” according to Dominic James, returning senior guard. Concerns over the short height of the team have sparked the emphasis put on the defensive side of the ball.

“We are little. We’re short. That’s not going to change… we’re going to have to be extraordinary good rebounders… I don’t think we’re going to struggle offensively. I think we can score enough points to win games. The question will be: How can we prevent our size from being a detriment to us defensively?” Williams said.

Jerel McNeal, returning senior guard, who has always been known as a defensive player, is excited for this change of focus. “We get everybody else to play at a high level defensively, then [that will] make things a lot easier for everybody.”

Williams has confidence that his players will do everything in their power to keep their height from affecting how they perform. “I think they’re hungry. I think they like to play from behind,” he said.

The players also receive personal coaching from Williams as part of his efforts to know his players well.

Wesley Matthews, one-third of Marquette’s “Big 3” along with Dominic James and Jerel McNeal, described how Williams wants him to play. “I’ve got to be a beast. I have to be everywhere. He wants me to basically let loose, just play the way I play, lead the way I lead, and just help.”

Joseph Fulce, a new sophomore recruit from Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas, said, “He’s always trying to find a way to help us get better.”

As an extra impetus to becoming the best, Williams has let them know that their every effort has to be put on the court when the time comes. “If we don’t play hard, they’re not going to play… every single minute counts. Every single minute in a game counts,” Williams said.

All About God and Family

These new academic priorities and athletic strategies would not work if the team did not respect their coach. But they do.
“He’s one of the most hardest workers I’ve met in my life. I don’t think he sleeps,” Fulce said.

His commitment stands out, and not just his commitment to the men’s basketball team.

“He’s dedicated… he’s all about his God and his family,” said Dwight Burke, the only senior forward on the team. And now his family has expanded to include the basketball team.

“The thing that I really pay attention to is those 13 young men… what they’re doing off the court, what they’re doing in the classroom and what they’re doing on the court,” Williams said.

Some of the lessons he has been teaching his players have clearly sunk in.

“The most important thing that Buzz has taught us, is that every day is a work day, and if you’re not going to work every day, then you shouldn’t be here,” said Patrick Hazel, a sophomore forward.

Message to the Marquette Student Body

Although Williams admits that he has not done a good job connecting with the students, he knows how important the Marquette Fanatics are to the success of his team.

“The teams that have elite success have a major home court advantage, and the teams that have a major home court advantage [have it] because it’s derived from their student population. Our students have to continue what they’ve always been, because that changes what the atmosphere and the ambience is like at the Bradley Center,” Williams said.

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Every now and then, when the sports junkie in me is thirsty for a little more than the daily dose, I find myself perusing various sports outlets. And if I’m lucky, I stumble across a marathon of NFL Films, or a highlight package of Lakers/Celtics from the 1980s.

Last week I was lucky enough to be channel surfing at the right moment, and I came across something that made me more nostalgic than ever. The screen flashed a date: Tuesday, January 3rd, 2006. Marquette Men’s Basketball was making its Big East debut against the #2 Connecticut Huskies.
It took me back to my freshman year, where I saw one of the greatest single game performances in the history of this institution. Steve Novak’s 41 points and 16 rebounds made me believe that we were an NCAA Tournament team. We had a good coach, a trio of freshman who were ready to carry the program, and we were just a few pieces away from being dominant. The possibilities were endless.

Fast forward to October 29th, 2008… We sit on eve of a new era in coaching, and the beginning of the end with the Big Three. The possibilities are certainly there, but no longer are they endless. The Golden Eagles return a team that continues to be extremely athletic, strong defensively and very one-dimensional. But it’s not like this is some big secret.

The pleasure I take in Marquette Basketball is not determined solely by wins and losses. It’s the game day atmosphere on campus. It’s debating match ups with my roommates. It’s about gathering as an entire university to get behind something that we all identify with.

The season will put you through more emotions than a self-conscious teenager on prom night. From trudging to the Bradley Center in sub zero temperatures, to jumping up and down and screaming for two hours in the student section, the basketball season is an experience.

So in order to officially christen this new season of good times and high hopes, we will celebrate “Marquette Madness.” The journey begins Saturday night. Just make sure you have a seat for the ride.

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The newest reports coming out of Bloomington, Indiana may put smiles upon many Marquette basketball fans’ faces. A crippled Hoosiers team, already beaten down by NCAA sanctions, could be facing even further penalties when the NCAA infractions committee makes its decision in the coming weeks.
The forecast for Indiana basketball and former MU head coach Tom Crean could not get any worse. Indiana is returning only two players from last season (with a combined 11 minutes of playing time in 07-08) and is bringing in eight freshmen.

Marquette fans can easily mitigate the loss of Crean, who left for Indiana in early April, with such news. But even more promising news can be found in what college basketball experts are saying about Marquette basketball and the forthcoming season.

The outlook on Coach Buzz and the Golden Eagles is very promising leading up to the regular season opener on November 14th. Sports Illustrated and ESPN both consider the team to be in the upper echelon of the Big East, as well as in college basketball.

It is even circulating that USA Today picked Marquette to win the Big East in its College Basketball Preview.
There is reason for such high expectations to be bestowed upon the Golden Eagles.

For starters, the team returns with most of its core players from a season that was a Brook Lopez miss away from the Sweet 16. That core includes senior guards Dominic James, Wes Matthews, and last season’s standout, Jerel McNeal.

All three have scored at least 1,000 points in their college careers and are no strangers to winning games. For the last three years the trio has won at least 20 games and landed in the NCAA tournament three consecutive times.

With such a solid lineup in place, this season will be rather atypical for a first-year coach. Rather than having to build the program from the ground up, coach Buzz Williams has inherited a talented and experienced squad.

In an interview with ESPN, Jerel McNeal spoke of the team and its new coach. “We didn’t need a coach to come in and revamp and change what we did,’’ McNeal said. “We didn’t need another [outside] coach being here. Coach Buzz had been here a year and understands what our team is about.’’
While current players seem to believe that off-setting the loss of their head coach will not be as difficult a task as perceived, replacing departed players may be another story.

Gone from last year are Dan Fitzgerald, Ousmane Barro, and Trevor Mbakwe. Although none of the three posed a truly formidable threat down low, maybe with the exception of Mbakwe, the fact that all three were 6-7 or taller makes the Golden Eagles extremely vulnerable underneath the basket.
Lack of size, especially in the Big East, could potentially derail a season, even for a team with such talent in the backcourt. Senior Dwight Burke, 6-8, figures to enter the season as the starting center.

The team’s two tallest players are 6-10 freshman Chris Otule and 7-0 red-shirt sophomore Liam McMorrow. Otule figures to see extensive playing time, but his lack of experience could limit him and the Golden Eagles.

Sophomores Patrick Hazel (who played sparingly last season) and Joseph Fulce (a Junior College transfer), both 6-7, could also garner some playing time, as they are two of only four active players 6-7 or taller on this year’s roster.

Due to both the lack of size and experience in the frontcourt, Buzz Williams will have to counteract these limitations with a sleeker, faster style of play.
Williams spoke to Sports Illustrated about possibly employing some novel line-up combinations to achieve such a goal. Williams predicted, “There will be times when we have five guards on the floor.”

A smaller, faster game play will most likely translate into more possessions and ultimately more scoring opportunities for Marquette and its guards.
Among those figuring to be in a guard-oriented rotation along with the senior-trio are juniors Maurice Acker and David Cubillan. Another sophomore juco transfer, Jimmy Butler will also see some time at both guard spots as well as small forward.

Perhaps the most underrated player on the Marquette roster is forward Lazar Hayward. Last season he finished third on the team in scoring and first in overall rebounds.

The overachieving Hayward seems to be overshadowed by the triumvirate backcourt. But that could only mean more mismatches with the opposition underestimating the 6-6 junior. Hayward will slide into the starting power forward spot as he did for most of last season.

Hayward has steadily been improving each year and this year does not appear to be any different. Look for him to have a breakout year and possibly end up on a second or even first All-Big East team come season’s end.

College basketball teams can officially begin practicing on October 17th, but fall break has moved the Golden Eagle’s yearly Marquette Madness to Saturday, October 25th at 6 p.m. at the Al McGuire Center.

Per usual, the free event will consist of free giveaways, men and women basketball introductions, a dunk contest, and an intra-squad scrimmage.
The season officially kicks off on November 16th at the Bradley Center against Houston Baptist and the Badgers come into town Saturday, December 6th.
The Big East opener is slated for New Year’s Day against Villanova, also at the Bradley Center.

For seniors James, McNeal, and Matthews, this season is one to be filled with a variety of novelties: a new coach, new teammates, and new expectations.

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Cell phone buzzes at 1:47 a.m. on the morning of August 25, 2008. Text message says: “Mbakwe quit the team.”

Please excuse the radically confused look on my face, but WHAT? None of it makes any sense. So, let’s naturally try to make some sense out of this.

I’ll quickly recap for those of you unaware. Trevor Mbakwe, to be the 6 foot 7 inch power forward, quit the Men’s Basketball team and left Marquette on the eve of the first day of class. A highly touted recruit, Mbakwe was the crown jewel of Tom Crean’s final recruiting class. He demonstrated a tenacity for rebounding that we have not seen here for quite some time.
Missing the majority of his freshman season due to a knee injury, rumors circulated that Mbakwe was terribly homesick, and was considering a transfer back to Minnesota. And once Tom Crean packed his bags for the land of Cream & Crimson, Trevor’s transfer seemed to be a mere formality.

However, much to the surprise and excitement of Marquette Basketball fans everywhere, Mbakwe came out with a statement regarding the potential of his transfer on April 16th, “I just want to let everyone know that isn’t true. That’s never been in my head.”

Whew. Sure glad that was established early on… Whoops.

From my early assessments of the new Head Men’s Basketball coach Buzz Williams, the man is a straight shooter. He will look you in the eye and tell it like it is. So when you read a quote that says, “I was shocked by the news,” it sounds like everyone was caught with their pants down on this one.

Now what Buzz will not tell you, is that this REALLY hurts. Everyone knows how guard oriented and undersized the team is. Still, it was beginning to appear that with Lazar, Dwight and Trevor, the team could stand up to the giants of the Big East. Now Dwight and Lazar are going to be asked to shoulder the workload.

This is not to say that break out seasons from guys like Patrick Hazel, Chris Otule or Joe Fulce are impossible. But relying on unproven and, for Otule and Fulce, untested talent in key reserve roles is a serious gamble.

It’s hard to believe that the departure of one reserve power forward could be so traumatic, but it puts the rest of the team in a tough spot. If this team wants to eclipse and surpass what it has done the last three years, its stars are going to have to shine brighter than ever.

Dominic, Wes, and Jerel have been the backbone, selling point and marketing tool of Marquette Men’s Basketball for over three years. And we must ask more from them once again. Is it fair? No. Is it our only option? Yes.

If anyone still cares, Trevor Mbakwe enrolled at Miami-Dade Community College earlier this week, where it is rumored he will transfer to Miami University after the school year. Trevor… we hardly knew thee. He left a hole in Milwaukee, and he did it under the cover of darkness, in the middle of the night, without a trace.

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To the Newest Members of the Marquette Student Body,

Welcome to what will be the best four years of your life (perhaps five or six for some of you). It is my pleasure to welcome you to Marquette.
Now, I’m sure you’ve all heard about the friends you are going to make, the lessons you are going to learn, and the beer you are going to drink (trust me, it deserves it’s own category). That stuff is all fine and dandy, but I’m not hear to tell you about any of it. I’m not sentimental…
I’m a sports writer. And as a sports writer, it is my job to quench the one insatiable desire on this campus that never runs dry: Marquette Basketball. With that being said, it is time for you, the Class of 2012, to be acclimated to the proudest athletic tradition we have on campus.
First and foremost, there are no pre-requisites to be a fan of Marquette Basketball. You can be the fourth generation of your family to come to this fine institution, know its history, and know why its basketball program is so treasured. Or, you can still think Marquette is a city in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Either way, we’re all in the same boat.

The next, and second most important step is getting yourself in the building for every home game.
How do we do that Brian?
Easy. Walk into the Al McGuire Center, reach into your wallet, and throw down 85 big ones. That’ll get you one seat to every single home game for the season. Here’s another suggestion to go with that: buy those tickets ASAP!
Before I tell you why, it’s time for a brief history lesson. The last three years have been the most successful stretch in the history of Marquette Basketball since 1980. Come to grips with that. Not one of best, THE best in almost 30 years.
Sixty-nine total victories, averaging 23 wins per season and most importantly, three consecutive births into the NCAA Tournament. On top of that, the returning team was a goofy 7-footer’s miracle shot away from advancing to the Sweet 16. As you can imagine, tickets to these games are a hot commodity to students, faculty, and alums alike.

Now I know the year is just beginning, but do some math with me. There are roughly 4,200 student section seats at the Bradley Center. Our undergraduate enrollment is just over 8,000. Toss in grad students, and that’s 11,500 people who eligible to purchase student season tickets. That means well over half of the student body at Marquette will not have season tickets to basketball games. So if you want to be in the house, make it a priority or trust me, there are plenty that will.

Once you’re in the building, you are entitled to do anything that won’t get you kicked out of the arena (Trust me, I know from experience. Security can get pretty physical). Everyone knows the drill whether you’ve stepped inside the Bradley Center or not. Cheer loud and hard until you are blue in the face. I have no fear that you will struggle with that at all.

It’s the conversation that goes on after the game that forces me to lay down the law on a few issues…
Dominic James is not going to stop shooting threes… Deal with it.
We are a fast-breaking, guard oriented team that loves to play defense… Embrace it.
No, that huge guy at the end of the bench, transfer Liam McMorrow, cannot suit up this year, no matter how bad you want him to.
You are limited to only three uses of the phrase, “If we only had a true center…”
Yes, it is awesome that they sell beer at games, even though the prices are absurd.
And finally, never under any circumstance begin a statement with, “If Tom Crean was here…” (The person that hears you say that gets to punch you in the arm).

I’m not going to try and explain it in detail, but you are going to have a blast this year. This team will put you through more emotional highs and lows than Brett Favre’s off-season (It still stings, doesn’t it Packers fans?). Enjoy your time down at the Bradley Center and love your time here at Marquette.

Sincerely,
Brian Henry
Class of 2009

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With the resignation of Tom Crean last week, the buzz around Marquette’s campus had recently been a downer. But with the promotion of Brent “Buzz” Williams to head coach, there is a reason to look up. While Williams does not have a great wealth of experience as a head coach, he is known as a great recruiter. Shooting guard Tyshawn Taylor, Marquette’s top recruit this year, had recently asked Marquette to release him from his letter of intent, but said that he would stay with the school if Williams was hired.

“I think the only way I end up at Marquette is if Coach Williams gets the head-coaching job, or if Coach Williams and another one of the assistants is still there,” said Taylor recently. “Coach Williams recruited me and I really want to play for him. I think that’s probably the only way.” His hiring may help save this past year’s recruiting class, which looked as if it would disappear after Crean left. Williams played a pivotal role in getting forward Joseph Fulce and center Chris Otule to commit to Marquette.

Williams has already started on next year’s recruiting class. He recently landed an oral commitment from top recruit Erik Williams, a forward who is a junior in high school. Williams had been the head coach of New Orleans University during the 2006-2007 season, in which he lead the team to a 14-17 record, and had been an assistant coach at Texas A&M, Colorado State, Northwestern State, Texas A&M Kingsville, and The University of Texas at Arlington before joining Marquette’s staff last year.

William’s ability to recruit probably was a huge factor for the school’s choice to hire him. Marquette wanted to hire a coach that would bring continuity to the program and continue the success that was seen under Crean.

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Buzz Williams will be promoted from assistant coach Marquette’s head coach, according to sources. Williams is known as one of the better recruiters in the nation.

He was the head coach for New Orleans University during the 2006-2007 season (14-17 record) and has been an assistant coach at Texas A&M, Colorado State, Northwestern State, Texas A&M Kingsville and The University of Texas at Arlington before joining Marquette’s staff.

Developing…

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By Robert Fafinski III and Joe Beres

Following this afternoon’s press conference about Marquette’s reaction to the departure of nine-year Head Coach Tom Crean, Warrior reporters spoke with Lazar Hayward and Dominic James, both of whom expressed residual troubles surrounding Crean’s departure on April 1.

“It hurts when the team is losing its leader,” James said in the Al McGuire Center lobby. “But we have to move on.”

Hayward said the difficulties he was having stemmed from the fact that the team seemed to be gelling and falling into place as one of the top five teams in the Big East.

“It’s tough to deal with, especially when we played so well last year,” Hayward said.

In terms of the team’s future, Hayward said his goals have not changed.

“It’s the same goals as last year,” Hayward said. “I’m always trying to get better and improve. No matter what happens I’m always working to improve on last year.”

James, though, went one step further.

“It increases goals,” James said.

When asked whether or not Crean’s departure would affect his decision to leave Marquette early for the NBA draft, James indicated that it would.

“It’s definitely a factor, but it is going to take time. I need to talk to my teammates before I make a decision,” James said. “It’s going to take time.”

But to further muddy the waters about his already clouded future at Marquette, James seemed to signal that reprisal was in the front of his mind.

“It increases goals.” James went on, “If someone leaves us, we just want to rub it in.”

In spite of recruits asking for release from their obligations to Marquette and rumors surrounding any future coach – names that include Tony Bennett of Washington State, Bobby Knight formerly of Army, Indiana and Texas Tech, Bruce Weber of Illinois and Sean Miller of Xavier – Hayward’s criteria for a future coach is simple:

“We want someone who’s a hard-worker, allows us to play freely and loves winning,” said Hayward.

Photo Credit: Mike Rudzinski

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