Buzz on D-List ESPN...

http://espnwisconsin.com/page.php?page_id=70

Skip to 6:30...

I listened. Buzz is always entertaining and he was this time. Talked about a coaching retreat, his relationships with Tarkanian and Barkley, JuCos and how he likes them and how he dislikes it when people questions them, Benford's new gig, a little about TJ Taylor, Davante Gardner and Trent Lockett. Hosts could have asked better questions but Buzz made it interesting.

When you say hosts could have asked better questions.....

That is a major issue I have with sports media in Milwaukee. Yes, this is a pro sports town - Brewers, Bucks, Packers - I understand that those teams drive the bus. However, no attention is ever given to college ball by ESPN or WSSP. Look at recruiting - sure, not every fan cares about recruiting, but look at the power of Scout & Rivals - those websites were both bought by Fox and Yahoo for what, a total of $165 million? It is HUGE business, yet no one on the air here knows squat about the ins and out of college basketball, the recruiting etc. Sure, they can tell you pitch by pitch of what the Brewers should be doing, but they can't tell you who an incoming recruiting class is without looking it up.

We have 4 D1 basketball schools in this state. Over 1/2 million people attended Marquette and Wisconsin home games this year. Almost every one of their games were nationally televised. Both teams were in the Sweet 16. Yet local sports radio talk shows would rather talk about what they saw in pre-game batting practice than who Jamal Ferguson or Sam Dekker are.

When it comes to local sports radio, I have always gone by the same philosophy - I give credit where credit is due. I may not agree with some of them, may not like listening to some of them, and I may think some of them arent very good, but in the years that I have covered local teams, I always give credit to those who do the leg work - those that get out there and go to press conferences, media availabilities, games etc. Yes, its radio, so they always have someone there, usually an intern holding a mic, but being there and getting the feel for the quotes is important. Guys like Drew Olsen, Homer, Greg Matzek and Steve Haywood are almost always present. The rest are almost always MIA.

Buzz was so vocal in his defense of Jucos that I have a hard time believing the Admin won't let him do it anymore. I understand the NCAA is putting the hammer down, but I would be surprised if Domer and Pilarz clip his wings in that regard. He said DJO is graduating next week, hard to argue with success.

Remember though, DJO was not a typical Juco and was at MU for three years. That being said, you totally have to hand it to DJO - he could be gone somewhere working towards the NBA draft, but he stayed at MU to finish up his degree - way to go DJ!

IWB - I assume we will get the standard picture of DJO in cap and gown with Buzz? Best free publicity for recruits there is.

He mentioned Jae was also finishing up finals and I know that in a Paint Touches article it mentioned him flying to FL on the weekends, but finishing up classes during the week. I'm guessing that means Jae isn't graduating due to not having enough credits at the moment.

Obviously, I have zero issue with him concentrating on the draft rather than enrolling in a few more classes, just wondering if Jae is close to graduating. With his work ethic, I'm sure it's more a product of JUCO credits not transferring over and needing more than 2 years than anything else.

I listened and was also disappointed with the questions.

How about a player by player run down on where they are now and what they need to improve on? Of the new recruits who will have the biggest impact? How do you decide when to offer a kid and when you offer someone when can they accept the offer? What are you hearing about DJO and Jae's draft prospects? Both 2nd rounders? Any chance that either goes undrafted?

I mean I could think of 10 more. They basically just asked him about Juco's and let him run with it. We all know how Buzz feels about Juco's....it's well known...hearing it again adds nothing.

They ask about Juco' because there is a perception that MU has mostly Jucos and these guys don't know any different or care to understand it. I think only 1 was a true Juco player and that was Buycks.

2 year Juco - grade related was Buycks I think.
2 year Juco - not recruited - Jae but he was a two year Juco so tought to get classes to transfer. Didn't spend summers here.
1 year Juco - DJO because clearing house was slow in clearing him, but did.
1 year Juco - not recruited - Butler.
1 year Juco - Fulce
1 year Juco - TJ Taylor. Transfer from OK, elligible out of high school.

Am I missing any other Juco Buzz brought in?

I do not believe Buycks was really grades, it was not enough core credits.

Wasn't Buycks set to go to Bradley and had to go JUCO because he hadn't take one or two core credit classes he needed?

Yes - A lot of schools held off because they didn't think he would get the grades/ACT he needed. But he did get what he needed and he committed, but upon further review, did not have the number of core classes he needed - I would blame that one on guidance counselor error, but it did lead him to MU.

It was a good appearance for Buzz.

To those complaining about the substance of the interview and the questions they asked...IWBs explanation about the media market here says it all. Those of us here that frequent the message boards, Paint Touches, etc, care about the micro issues of Player X's development or Incoming Player Y's potential impact next year. We are a very small minority as it relates to the demographic of those that listen to 540. Unless it is a local prospect, nobody knows/cares who Buzz is recruiting and I doubt even wants to hear about them until sometime in October when the season starts.

In an interview like this, it is more important to focus on the macro issues/topics...those that the general sports fan in the area have heard about and are interested in. JUCOs, Benford getting the UNT job, the one and done issue are all topics that a casual fan knows something about and probably finds it interesting to hear Buzz' take.

This isn't Lexington, Louisville, Chapel Hill, Durham, Lawrence, etc. Other than a few of us, nobody cares about what Derrick Wilson needs to improve on or what impact Steve Taylor can have as a freshman. And...given the potential turnover that could be coming, talking about current players may not be the best thing to do anyways.

It's a sports station in Milwaukee....the MU flagship no less.....I guarantee you most of the listeners would have enjoyed hearing about the team or other basketball related topics as opposed to hearing Buzz discuss his love for Jucos for the 20th time.