New Recruit for Marquette

In a somewhat strange development, it appears that Marquette has received a commitment from another player. The new player is Liam McMorrow, who is a 7', 260lb transfer from Durham College in Canada. But not only has McMorrow committed to Marquette, but he's already on Marquette's campus and checked into Humphrey. In fact, as confirmed by Mark Miller, McMorrow has started practicing with the guys at the AL (link has more info).

So what do we know about Liam McMorrow? He's big and he's a bit of a project. According to Mark Miller, McMorrow will have to sit out a year due to the transfer. He'll end up in the same class as Otule and will have three years of eligibility. In the MUScoop discussion thread, poster MU Chi_IL found a number of links on the internet about McMorrow.

Liam McMorrow, a six-foot-eleven newcomer, will help that defensive goal. Displaying good hands for the basketball and a soft shooting touch around the basket, he shouldn’t be limited to just a defensive role either. from the Durham College Chronicle

In one game, he pulled down 18 rebounds. In another game, he sank the two winning free throws, despite a season average of 55%. Finally, poster Pakuni found a youtube clip of McMorrow that really doesn't show a whole lot.

Color us floored (is that a color?). Not only did this guy fly under the radar, but he made it all the way to campus without so much as a peep. Have to hand it to Buzz for his stealth recruiting.

Personally, I'm a big fan of this signing despite the fact that he's still raw. Frankly, any legitimate big man these days is probably a one and done and they're signing with a school like Duke/UNC/Kansas. It's worthwhile to take 1-2 guys per year that have potential because of the hope that they'll pan out. Some of the best big men in the Big East, such as Aaron Gray and Roy Hibbert, were considered projects that developed. Plus, given that McMorrow will have a transfer year to work with Dale Layer and Tony Benford, there's a better chance of realizing his potential. Both assistant coaches have worked and developed quality big men in the past, unlike the previous coaching staff.

Here is how the classes now look according to the MUScoop Scholarship Table. There is only one spot available, and all belief is that it will go to fill the need of PG. Hopefully, another Canadian named Junior Cadougan, who was on campus visiting this week, will be that final scholarship slot.

Finally, because no Friday is complete without a random topic, please be careful. There are ninja in the woods!

Buzz Williams casts a wide net on the recruiting trail

Marquette needs a point guard for the 2009 class -- this we know. Point guard and center are the remaining priorities for that class, which already boasts a pair of Top 100 forwards in Erik Williams and Jeronne Maymon.

So, who will it be at the point?

For now there's quite a list of players from all over the country who have been mentioned with MU. In the past we've talked about Johnny Lacy as one potential option. Need a few more names? Try A.J. Walton, Darius Morris, Darius Smith, Michael Dixon, Junior Cadougan, Chris Colvin, Sheldon Cooley, Eric Bledsoe, Xavier Thames, Naadir Tharpe, Justin Crosgile, Marshall Henderson, and Nick Russell.

With the summer evaluation sessions kicking off soon -- the annual Rumble in the Bronx is next weekend over at Fordham -- we'll learn soon enough who emerges as The Priority for Buzz Williams. Let's see who actually visits.

2008 Update
Even before we get to the 2009 class, Buzz Williams might not be done with 2008.

With Varez Ward recently committing to the University of Texas, MU is focused on 6'5" guard Donald Williams per Rivals.com. Williams, a shooting guard from Temple Hills (Md.) Progressive Christian Academy, is down to St. John's and Marquette after ruling out UNO and UAB. Williams was recently named the Select MVP at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions event.

Williams' coach is playing the Bully Hurley card, saying he prefers the Johnnies for his player on the basis of playing time. Hey, some coaches have an affinity for programs in the basement (and given the mass exodus from the MU backcourt after next season that can hardly be a long-term concern).

MU has one remaining scholarship available for next year's roster, and expects Williams to visit Milwaukee next weekend. Williams will visit SJU this weekend.

Buzz Williams update, new potential recruit emerges

According to this report from a K-State blog penned by a reporter from the Wichita Eagle, it appears that MU is in pursuit of 6'2" combo guard Varez Ward from the Patterson School in Lenior, NC. Marquette is in good company with Ward -- Texas, Arkansas, K-State and FSU have also offered according to his coach.

Also today, Rosiak files this report on the outlook for Buzz Williams first year on the sidelines at MU -- somewhat of a very early season preview. In addition, Buzz Williams sat down with Todd Rosiak for a thorough overview of the program in this blog entry. Among the most interesting nuggets:

• Regarding the last open scholarship -- Williams indicated it could be used for either the 08 or 09 classes;
• Williams expects Butler and Fulce to be 'ahead of the curve' as compared to true freshmen next season;
• David Cubillan will have surgery on his left shoulder soon. He recently had surgery on his right shoulder and has not had an individual workout yet this off-season.
  
• Williams took the high-road on the Tyshawn Taylor situation. Smart.
• There are no updates on McNeal's NBA process in the report
  
• Varez Ward is not mentioned in the Rosiak update.
  

BTW, here is a YouTube clip of what appears to be Varez Ward from his junior year in high school --against Nick Williams' LeFlore Rattlers, no less.

Marquette in pursuit of 6'9" Darius Morrow

Darius Morrow, a 6'9" 250 pound center/power forward from Georgia, was recently released from his LOI at South Carolina and is now deciding between Marquette, Auburn and ECU. Scout.com lists Morrow as a three-star prospect, and ESPN slots him in as the #30 power forward in the 2008 class.

Morrow, a back to the basket post player, led his Columbia High School (Decatur, GA) squad to the AAAA state title last month.

Check out the details/discussion on Morrow over at MUScoop.

Rubbing salt in the wound

Nick Williams, the former MU commit who received an unconditional release when Crean bolted, signed with Indiana yesterday. A shocker, eh?

Tyshawn Taylor announced he's visiting Kansas on Wednesday. If Taylor signs with Kansas, he'd join a loaded backcourt that should include returning senior starter Mario Chalmers, the tough-minded junior Sherron Collins, incoming freshman four-star recruit Travis Releford, and JUCO all-american guard Tyrone Appleton. This sounds like a less than ideal destination for a player who's high school coach expressed concern over the 'logjam' in the Marquette backcourt.

Catching up with the program

After the remarkable pace of news out of the Marquette program for most of last week, things slowed down just a bit - - - but here are few nuggets from the past several days to get you caught up.

Per this article from the Tyler Morning Telegraph, Buzz Williams hired Scott Monarch as his first assistant coach. Monarch, who until recently was an assistant at Tyler JC where he coached MU commits Joseph Fulce and Jimmy Butler, previously served on Williams' staff at the University of New Orleans.

In addition to Marquette, Tyshawn Taylor is now considering five other universities. Adam Zagoria has the list. It is unclear how interested Taylor remains in MU -- but the truth is, with only role players (Cubillan, Acker) in the program to replace the Three Amigos, MU desperately needs a top notch point guard. John Dodds lays out the case in this thread.

Luka Mirkovic, a 6'11" center from Indiana, announced his intention to sign with Northwestern over Louisville and Marquette.

MUScoop puts fans in the Way Back Marchine for an interview with coach Al McGuire. Great find, MUScoop.

Jimmy Butler commits to Marquette

UPDATED
Over on Scout.com, IWB just confirmed this morning's Des Moines Register report by Rick Brown that 6'5" Jimmy Butler from Tyler Junior College committed to Marquette University.

Butler, originally from Tomball, Texas, is a teammate of current MU recruit Joseph Fulce at Tyler JC. Like Fulce, Butler will have three years of eligibility remaining upon enrolling at Marquette. Butler led Tyler JC in scoring last season, pouring in 18 points per game to go along with 7 rebounds and 3 assists.

With Scott Christopherson's departure (he is headed to Iowa State) adding Butler to the current freshman class will help balance out the roster for Coach Williams. Butler, who can play three positions on the floor, will also offer MU a great deal of flexibility in the backcourt and small forward slots.

Congrats Jimmy, and welcome to Marquette University -- and congrats to Buzz Williams for securing his first recruit as head coach.

MEDIA UPDATES

• IWB filed this report on the Butler commit for the Sports Bubbler.
• This article from the Tyler paper offers more detail on Butler.
• Here is the official Marquette announcement.

With props to bma725 over at MUScoop, here's the additional low-down on the talented Mr. Butler, who was an honorable mention JUCO All-American this season. Fulce was a second-team JUCO All-American.

Not much info out there on him because he's a JUCO, but he's a good player. 6'5, somewhat skinny. Truly a combo guard, he's probably more natural as a 2, but has good court vision and can play the 1 as well. Good shot from the perimeter, can score in bunches. Was Tyler's leading scorer this year and just had some absurd games. NJCAA All American Honorable Mention.

No academic issues, full qualifier out of high school, wanted to go to Mississippi State but they ran out of scholarships and he chose to go the JUCO route rather than signing with a low D1 school or going to a Prep School. Currently has offers from Kentucky, Clemson, Mississippi State and Iowa State. He's already made visits to Mississippi State and Iowa State.

Tyshawn Taylor wants out

Adam Zagoria (as always in New Jersey) breaks the news........After meeting with new head coach Buzz Williams last Friday, Tyshawn Taylor still wants his release from Marquette University.

Taylor has not eliminated MU -- but coach Bob Hurley indicated that a dozen other schools have inquired, and Taylor wants to take a few more visits before deciding. Hurley cited Buzz Williams' inexperience as a head coach, and the logjam in the MU backcourt as primary factors in seeking the release.

Hmmmmm. On the backcourt 'logjam' - - the backcourt was much more of a logjam back in October when Taylor verballed to MU, something he acknowledged and was apparently unconcerned with when asked. Since that time, both Nick Williams and Scott Christopherson have exited the program.

Of course, Taylor's profile improved dramatically this past season when he exploded on the national scene as a vital cog on the top team in the country. It's no wonder that many other programs are now fawning over Taylor -- and that he's willing to reciprocate that interest.

As for Buzz Williams' inexperience as a head coach.....well......that sounds like the primary driver here.

Remaking the Marquette roster

Building on our entry from last week about the enviable trajectory of Marquette hoops, today we'll look at recruiting -- and why the 2008 recruiting class offers an indication that Tom Crean is changing his approach to roster building.

The present roster, long on guards and short on skills at every other position, quickly established MU as an upper echelon Big East program. The formula is working but has its limitations, namely, the lack of productivity at non-backcourt positions. The unbalanced roster, while successful in putting a more than competitive team on the floor in the Big East, is not enough to break through to an elite level nationally.

The incoming class of 2008 might just change things for the better. Rather than overloading at one position or signing players with similar skills in the same class, the incoming talent 2008 -- combo guard Tyshawn Taylor, combo forward Joseph Fulce, center Chris Otule, and two-guard/swingman Nick Williams -- collectively can cover every position on the floor, and per scouting reports offer a range of complementary skills.

This group is a solid start on the journey to change the character of the roster which will allow MU to better compete for a Big East title, to get back to the Final Four, and to mitigate the annual cycle of off-season roster attrition (which, this year, could involve James and/or McNeal playing the game for a living next season).

As an aside, each of these players comes from winning programs - an underrated aspect of Crean's recruiting. Nick Williams will arrive on campus as the Alabama 6A player of the year, a two-time Final Four participant and a state champion. 6'10" Chris Otule will arrive as a guy who tripled his scoring average year to year, led his team to 24 wins and a first-ever playoff birth under the tutelage of legendary coach Ronnie Courtney. Tyshawn Taylor emerged as a go-to-guy on the nation's best high school team, the 32-0 St. Anthony's Friars. Finally, Joseph Fulce put up ridiculous numbers down at Tyler JC, leading his team to a national ranking all season long.

Building on the baseline of the balanced 2008 class, the 2009 group becomes the most critical class for Tom Crean since signing the Three Amigos. To date, Crean has not delivered strong recruiting classes in succession. One very good class is typically followed by a group that includes one productive starter and a few role players or worse (ie: Hayward, Acker, Cubillan and Blackledge following the Three Amigos), leaving the program vulnerable in the face of unexpected attrition or injury. To climb to the top of the Big East and beyond, MU needs to refill the stable with so-called studs more regularly.

A quick look at the MUScoop scholarship table reveals that the upper classmen on the 2009-2010 roster will be predominantly role players. Simply put, the 2009 freshman class is the difference between taking the program to another level, or continuing to cycle up and down as a productive class graduates, leaving behind a modestly talented roster.

At this point, Crean is off to a good start with the 2009 group. By securing a verbal from 6'7" forward Erik Williams (Cy Springs, TX), Marquette has its small forward of the future - always a position of need in the Crean era. Inking a productive big man such as 6'10" Kyle Rowley (Lake Forest Academy, IL) to go along with the highly coveted do-everything 6'7" Jamil Wilson from Racine, and a true point guard like Johnny Lacy (Milwaukee, Bay View) would complete a roster transformation that would create a higher ceiling for the program.

In addition, even though the 2008-2009 roster is already over-subscribed by one scholarship, Crean is still recruiting talent for this fall, fueling speculation that the current roster will undergo a rather substantial amount of additional attrition. Fox Sports is reporting that MU is in the top three (along with Ohio State and UVa) for former Indiana commit, point guard Terrell Holloway. Also, MU is pursuing 6'11" center Luka Mirkovic from La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind. Mirkovic also is considering DePaul and Louisville.

We'll watch this space closely -- more roster churn appears to be on the way.

Nick Williams in the Final Four: Watch it LIVE on the Web

REMINDER
MU signee Nick Williams will lead the defending state champion LeFlore Rattlers against Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa at 1:30pm CST on Thursday in the Alabama high school final four.

If you can't make the drive to Birmingham, do not despair - - - fans can watch the game live on the Web by clicking on this link. Judging by the action streaming this afternoon, the video quality should be tremendous. Additional real-time resources can be found here.

Here's a preview of today's game from Mike Herndon at the Birmingham paper.

The Rattlers roll into the state semifinals with a gaudy 30-2 record. LeFlore is ranked #1 in the state and #12 in the nation. Williams was the MVP of the South Regional Tournament, and his coach could not say enough about the young man:

"What can I say? Nick Williams," said LeFlore coach Otis Hughley, whose Rattlers improved to 30-2 and beat Baldwin County for the fourth time this season. "He's just one of those throwback, old-school fundamental ballplayers."

MU signees continue fine seasons

MU's most balanced recruiting class in years continues to deliver memorable seasons at their respective programs this winter. Of note:

• Chris Otule led the Fort Bend Bush Broncos to a playoff victory over Galveston Ball earlier this week, 58-43. The 6'10" Otule led his squad with a team-high 14 points and 10 blocks in the victory. Bush is now 24-8 on the season and plays Northshore on Friday night in the second round of the playoffs.
  
• Nick Wiliams' LeFlore Rattlers (29-2 overall) are in the midst of a state title defense, and toppped Dothan 67-53 earlier this week. Williams had 11 points in the win. With the victory, Alabama's top-ranked Rattlers earned the right to play Baldwin County in the 6A regional finals on Friday morning where the winner will advance to the state tournament in Birmingham. LeFlore has already beaten Baldwin County three times this season.
• Joseph Fulce continued his dominant play at Tyler JC with a 30 point, 12 rebound effort in the Apaches recent loss to Blinn JC, 76-94. The Apaches fell to 22-2 on the year, losing for the first time in their last nine outings. For a look at Fulce's game by game production on one of the nation's top JUCO teams click here. Despite the loss, the Apaches are off to a record start.
  
• Finally, set your DVRs tonight -- Tyshawn Taylor and the St Anthony's Friars will appear on ESPN against American Christian Academy, led by super guard Tyreke Evans. Tipoff is scheduled for 8pm CT on ESPN. Here's a quick look at Taylor in action:

MU recruits lighting it up

Here's a quick update on MU's 2008 recruits:

Tyshawn Taylor led the nation's best high school team with 21 points and seven boards in an 81-50 win over Neptune last night. With the win, St. Anthony improved to 15-0.

Down in Alabama, LeFlore High School remains the top ranked team in the state with a 26-2 record. Nick Williams had a huge night in the Rattlers' 87-61 win over McGill-Toolen earlier this week. The 6'4" shooting guard led LeFlore with 28 points, five rebounds and six steals. Williams is averaging 20 ppg this season, and like Tyshawn Taylor was recently named a finalist for the McDonald's High School All-American game.

Tyler JC won last night despite losing MU commit Joseph Fulce for the last six minutes of the game due to fouls. Tyler JC is now 17-1 on the season. Fulce was more impressive last week with a 20 point, 11 rebound performance in a win over Panola College. TC was in the house for that effort.

Over to Houston we go for some tidbits on 6'10" Chris Otule. It is difficult to track Fort Bend Bush on a game-by-game basis, but a quick rip through Jim Hicks' RCS Sports site indicates that the big fella is scoring in double figures consistently. Keep in mind that Otule only averaged 5ppg as a junior. One of FB Bush's biggest wins this season came over perennial power Sugarland Willowridge, 63-51. Otule led Bush with 15 points in that game, and had 16 points in a 46-44 win over Travis High School earlier this week. Bush is now 20-7 on the season and ranked #7 in the state by MaxPreps.

Me gusta.

MU recruits in action - UPDATED

During this season's "Cupcake Central/Please Please Please Don't Come Away With a Crippling Injury" portion of the schedule, here's an update on each of MU's four signees from the Class of 2008:

For a kid who only averaged 5 ppg as a high school junior, Chris Otule is positively blowing up as a senior at Fort Bend Bush High School. The 6'10" center had another boffo performance over the weekend, with 21 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots in a 64-52 win. According to the Houston Chronicle, Otule (who is also referred to as "O'Tule" in reports) already has two triple-doubles this season. Rip Van Winkle has official gained consciousness.

Meanwhile, Nick Williams has having a monster season down in Dixie. Averaging 32 ppg, Williams canned 16 to lead LeFlore to another win on Friday night. LeFlore, ranked #15 in the nation by ESPN and 9-0 on the season, travels to a tourney in Hawaii shortly.

Finally, JUCO forward Joseph Fulce had 21 and 10 to lead Tyler JC to an overtime win back on December 1. Big Joe also had 21 in his previous start, a win over Lon Morris. Fulce is having a terrific year in the Lone Star State, where the Apaches are 9-0. Check out this outstanding game log for Fulce from the Dodds board.

Jersey City St Anthony's opened its season with a win on Saturday. Tyshawn Taylor chipped in with six points for the positively loaded Friars, ranked #5 in the nation by USA Today. Taylor followed that up with a 10 point effort in a 72-45 win over the Hun School on Sunday, led by former MU recruit Lance Goulbourne(who had 17 points). The Friars take the court again on Monday night against Cardinal McCarrick.

UPDATE
BTW, here is a worthwhile article on the legendary St. Anthony's Friars - -the article includes a photo of Tyshawn Taylor looking happy in his MU cap. Sweet! This is quite a team - -8 Division One players on the roster this year.......a season that's being chronicled by a documentary filmmaker.

National Signing Period Begins Today

Today is the first day of the National Signing Period when recruits can sign binding letters of intent with the university of their choice. Recruits can sign LOIs between November 14th and November 21st.

Marquette is expected to sign four student-athletes this week -- a class that stands to be one of the more well-balanced groups Tom Crean has signed in several years. With this class, Crean recruited to every position on the floor (in terms of skill) and neatly replaced his outgoing seniors (Barro, Fitzgerald, Blackledge), and signed a talented PG to potentially replace Dominic James or to account for other roster attrition.

Collectively, this group is ranked in the national top 20 by HoopScoop and unranked by other services - -which is not surprising given the late-bloomers in the class. Here's a brief look at MU's expected incoming class of 2008:

Nick Williams, 6'4" SG from Mobile (LeFlore) Alabama: Williams was the first class of 2008 player to commit to Marquette. Williams plays for one of the most successful high school programs in the State of Alabama, and leads his Rattlers in defense of their 2007 State Championship. Williams is a big, strong guard in the Wesley Matthews/Tony Smith mold who should see immediate playing time next winter. Big Nick scored 32 points in LeFlore's season opener earlier this month.

Joseph Fulce, 6'7" combo forward from Plano, TX via Tyler (TX) Junior College: Fulce originally signed with Texas A&M thanks to then assistant coach Buzz Williams. However, grades forced Fulce to a prep school where he reopened his recruiting after the coaching change in College Station. Soon after, Fulce signed an LOI to play for the University of New Orleans -- and then head coach Buzz Williams. Now Buzz is at MU, and Fulce is coming to MU. Third time lucky for Marquette? That's what Tom Crean is hoping for. Fulce will have three years of eligibility at Marquette.

Tyshawn Taylor, 6'3" PG from Jersey City St. Anthony's. Taylor, who committed to MU over Georgia Tech, KU and UNC, looks to be the point guard of the future for the Golden Eagles. Because of the load of backcourt talent on his high school team, its doubtful Taylor will begin his career as a classically trained point guard but his strength and size mark a sea-change for the rather undersized stable of point guards currently on the MU roster. With Williams, Christopherson and now Taylor, Marquette should have have one of the bigger, more physical young backcourts in the Big East. Given Taylor's upside and heritage -- St. Anthony's, Bob Hurley -- he could be one of the most vital recruits for MU since Dominic James.

Chris Otule, 6'10" 245 pound PF/C from Fort Bend (TX) Bush. The man in the middle. Finally. Otule was the final piece to the puzzle for the 2008 freshman class, and maybe its most vital component. While Tom Crean aggressively pursued Frank Ben-Eze (who ultimately committed to Harvard), he didn't fall for other bigs who expressed high interest in MU such as Maurice Sutton, Garrett Stutz or Josh Crittle. Crean waited until he found what seems to be a player with better tools, more potential and higher upside. Although Otule only averaged 5 ppg as a high school junior, that does not seem to be an indication of what to expect down the line. Check out this Q/A with Jim Hicks for details.

Tyshawn Taylor commits to Marquette University

Todd Rosiak breaks the news tonight -- very welcome news. 6'3" PG Tyshawn Taylor from Jersey City St. Anthony's looks to be a terrific get for Tom Crean.

UPDATED
After losing out on Iman Shumpert, perhaps Crean landed the player who is ultimately the best fit for the program. Only time will tell, but that's what MU fans realized after Bobby Frasor's trip to Tobacco Road yielded Dominic James. Regardless, this is an important verbal for MU on several fronts:

• As we saw in this video and in this video interview,Taylor brings height and strength to a backcourt laden with undersized point guards;
• Taylor represents the most highly-regarded East Coast recruit to commit to MU under Tom Crean;
• Taylor appears to be a true point guard - an excellent complement to fellow 2008 commit Nick Williams and current freshman Scott Christopherson.

Taylor chose Marquette over VaTech, Georgia Tech, KU and UNC.

Adam Zagoria spoke with Taylor tonight as well -- and Tyshawn had plenty to say about the campus, coaches and his role as a 'recruiter' of other high-ceiling East Coast talent. Very nice (though I'm not holding my breath for a verbal from Dominic Cheek).

Welcome to Marquette, Tyshawn!

Tyshawn Taylor to visit Marquette: UPDATED

With just a few weeks remaining until recruits can sign national letters of intent, Marquette will host PG Tyshawn Taylor this weekend per HighSchoolHoop. According to Jeff Goodman at Fox Sports, Crean visited the St. Anthony's product earlier this week following Big East Media Day.

Taylor, a 6'2" PG from one of the nation's elite high school programs, is also considering Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Kansas. Taylor emerged as a high-major prospect after a terrific summer, particularly after his all-star performance at RBK U.

Check out these video clips of Taylor....he's one tough point guard, wow.

Perhaps Taylor will be in town tonight for MU's annual Fish Fry, followed by the practice and scrimmage at the Al McGuire Center.

UPDATED
Ray Floriani, a long-time basketball reporter currently writing for Hoopville.net and Basketball Times, also officiates high school games on the East Coast. Ray was good enough to read today's blog and to provide his expert opinion on Tyshawn Taylor:

I've officiated Tyshwan Taylor's games for two years now. Over that time I've had his St.Anthony team in some scrimmages, the And1 Classic and several contests at the Hamilton Park Summer League.

About a year ago many thought he would be an Atlantic Ten guard. The thing holding him back was lack of a consistent perimeter shot. This Spring and Summer, though, he really stepped it up and is the target of ACC and Big East schools.

Taylor has worked on his shot but the thing about him is a great basketball sense. He's an outstanding defender (no surprise there because you play D or don't play for Bob Hurley). In several games I worked Taylor would trigger the break and hit a cutting wing player with a gorgeous pass. Taylor could thread the needle with his passing and he can break down a defense and get inside. One game I had, Taylor (at 6'2") dunked, yes dunked, four times in transition.

Overall, Taylor would be a great addition to any high level program. He would be a nice fit at Marquette and I think coach Crean would love having a player of his ability, competitive desire and demeanor on board.

When you play for coach Hurley two things are evident : you are superbly drilled in the fundamentals and, of course, you can accept coaching criticism. Simply, Tyshawn Taylor would be a great catch.

Meet Tyshawn Taylor

With thanks to a commenter below, check out this link to view a terrific video on highly regarded PG Tyshawn Taylor. Taylor, who hails from the legendary St. Anthony's program in New Jersey, is expected to visit Marquette soon.

Got Wade?

MU does.

The All-Star and NBA Champion made a surprise appearance at Marquette Madness tonight, much to the delight of the fan base ....... and perhaps to the amazement of key recruiting targets Iman Shumpert, Jared Swopshire and Nick Willlams. Nice work, TC and DWade.

Details here from Todd Rosiak.

Photos from Marquette Madness here at MUScoop.com

Marquette Madness: catch it online this weekend

Finally.

On Saturday at 7pm CDT, Marquette will host its annual Marquette Madness at the incomparable Al McGuire Center. Thousands of fans will jam the arena -- and if you can't be one of them be sure to catch all the action on-line, live. Click here for details on how to access the MUTV feed as well as that of ESPN Radio in Milwaukee.

With MU's smart, aggressive promotion of the event, expect a packed house. And in the dunk contest and a bushel of key recruits scheduled to attend -- including Nick Williams, Jared Swopshire, Iman Shumpert, Erik Williams and certainly others -- the place will be jumping. FWIW, this will be Iman Shumpert's final official visit before making his decision.

UPDATE
Todd Rosiak updates the entire list of recruits on campus this weekend.....loads of talent, highlighted by the names above. Check it out on Todd's blog here. (and note that Todd's latest updates always appear on the right side of our blog - take a look)

Cracked Sidewalks will be there to cover the event ..... so keep it here for first-person impressions of the festivities.

Iman Shumpert: not rushing to decide

6'4" combo guard Iman Shumpert completed his official visit to Chapel Hill this weekend and despite a full-court press from the UNC program should complete all of his official visits before deciding. According to this report from the Fayetteville Observer "Williams and his staff may have to wait more than a month to hear" Shumpert's decision.

BTW, this is rich.

The article quotes Prep Stars' Rob Harrington as saying that Shumpert could be "a Marcus Ginyard-type for Williams". How fantastic - -comparing Shumpert to a kid who played 19 mins a game as a freshman, was recruited over, and then played just 16 mins per game as a sophomore to go along with just 4ppg - - down from more than 6ppg as a freshman. Its a familiar story in Chapel Hill.

Heck, David Cubillan put up similar (better?) numbers at MU last season! Of course, Ginyard is far more talented than David - - but aren't you supposed to actually play ball to have fun?

Perhaps UNC is looking for a role player to fit into its system . . . . right along side Larry Drew, Jr. I'd expect that Tom Crean sees a much more substantial role for Shumpert in the Golden Eagles program.