Crean Loses another player (3rd since November)

[TheBand]

Christian through with MU

Coach laments lack of commitment

By TODD ROSIAK

[email protected]

Posted: June 12, 2004

Marquette University coach Tom Crean had a pretty good sense by the end of last season that Carlton Christian wasn't long for the Golden Eagles, but it wasn't until late Friday afternoon that he learned definitively the freshman forward indeed had plans to transfer.

Christian was quoted Friday in a report as saying that he didn't agree with how he was used and didn't favor the MU style of play. He said he had told Crean he was transferring weeks ago and his intention wasn't taken seriously, statements the fifth-year coach disputes.

Crean said he'd been attempting to reach Christian at his home in Orlando, Fla., since the summer session began at Marquette but none of his messages were returned. The two haven't spoken since the last day of final exams, when each player had individual meetings with the coaching staff.

"My greatest disappointment is that Carlton never officially informed us of his intentions," Crean said. "His recent comments are indicative of what Carlton struggled with the entire season. He never bought into the concepts of dedication, hard work and family all the way across the board with his teammates and his coaches. Those have been and always will be the foundation of this program.

"Frankly, I wish things could have been different for Carlton, but he had trouble grasping that you earn minutes through consistency and work ethic, that you have to interact with your teammates and basically understand the concept of team."

Christian didn't return messages left by the Journal Sentinel, while his mother, Christine, refused to comment when asked about the situation.

A 6-foot-5 swingman, Christian was the fourth of a five-man recruiting class to commit to MU in April 2003. Regarded as an athletic, aggressive player who liked to defend, he figured to be in the mix for playing time at both shooting guard and small forward but ultimately couldn't move up in the rotation.

On the court, his offensive game was raw at best, leaving Crean only limited opportunities in which to play him. He seemed to finally carve a niche out for himself as a defensive stopper by mid-season, but behind the scenes, disciplinary problems and poor conditioning earned him a spot in Crean's doghouse.

He played a total of five minutes in the Golden Eagles' final four games, and didn't even get off the bench in their season finale, a 77-69 loss at Iowa State in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament. Christian wound up playing in 22 games, averaging 1.0 point and 1.2 rebounds.

Crean had a meeting with Christian after the season to discuss his standing on the team, but the player apparently wasn't receptive to the requirements laid out.

"Here's what it basically boiled down to: if he was willing to make the changes that would benefit him with this team, and accepted the foundation that the team is based on, then I would welcome him back and I would look forward to seeing him for the first session of summer school," Crean said. "That didn't happen."

Crean said that while he hasn't closed the door completely on a return to MU by Christian, such a scenario is a long shot at best.

"I would say that the actions leading up to long before now would indicate that it's in his best interests that he continue his education somewhere else," he said. "That's pretty much how we've looked at it for some time, even though we were still waiting to see how it would play out."

Christian's transfer is the third since last November and the seventh since Crean took over at MU. He's also the sixth Crean recruit to leave the program, a number that Crean believes can be traced in some part to players' demands for instant gratification.

"I think it's unfortunately a part of where things are at today in college athletics," he said. "They are all different examples, isolated incidents. But it really does come down to the fact that there are standards and procedures that make up successful programs and really, you're not going to deviate from those if you've got the best interests of the players and the university in mind."

MU doesn't have any immediate plans to use Christian's scholarship, according to Crean.

"Unless it would be something special, we would definitely hold onto it for the next year," he said. "We're actively recruiting."

[TheA_Bomb]

I think Crean showed a lack of class by his comments. If I am the coach and have problems with the player and the player is being a whiner to the media I would try to be the bigger man. Something like, "I am sorry the differences between the program and Mr. Christian couldn't be resolved I wish him luck at another university." Crean allows himself to be drug down to the level of a whiney 19 year old.

[lefty]

Not what I'd call taking the high road.

[billiken_roy]

quickly on the crean star. as i have stated before, it just goes to show how vital that one high impact player (duane wade) can be to a program. two years ago on top of the world and now the world is asking, "what is going on?"

[courtside]

...and...in national news recently... New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer checked off another one on his white collar crimes list...Dick Strong of Strong Funds, Billion dollar mutual funds company based in Milwaukee....Strong was caught doing "timed trades" and stepped down and the company is being sold...He is the Bill Laurie of the Marquette program. Andy Katz said the other day on ESPN radio that if Crean was offered Ohio State(He is their 3rd choice) he would take it. Now Katz has been wrong before on him,(Illinois) and after all that cash Crean makes now he probably isn't going anywhere...why would he....but who knows...Crean has also lost his top assistants each year, hurting recruiting, one to WK head job, one to UWGB head job and one to Michigan State top assistant. I have been told he is "in" on a lot of top underclassmen unlike this past year of transition after Wade leaving early...and the kids who left weren't good players....I do know that if you are making 7 figures, at a private school like that...pressure is on in his next few classes...but a final four buys a few years of time for sure.

[bonwich]

Damn! The stuff you learn on this board! I actually knew Dick when I worked in investor relations -- his funds at one time or another owned about 100,000 shares of our stock. Their headquarters building was pretty remarkable, out in Menominee Falls, kind of a faux-Frank Lloyd Wright-Taliesin, complete with waterfalls. But I never put it together that he was a big Marquette booster.

Thing is, though, first of all, even Dick in his heyday was no Bill Laurie. I'd guesstimate that we're still looking at about a 1/5, or smaller, ratio between their net worths. And Dick's not exactly going to the poor house as a result of all this, since Strong Funds sold out to Wells Fargo for something between $500M and $700M and the total fines to Dick were about $60M of a total of $175M. I'd bet that his largesse to Marquette won't be diminished.

[tseugnekillib]

Crean recently lost another assistant coach to Lewis University (D2) after the Lewis head coach (Jim Whitesell) got the open job at Loyola-Chicago. It's amazing how the assistants at "hot" programs move up the coaching ladder.

[STLBlazer]

What has Bill Laurie done besides spend his wife's money wisely?

Sure, he's made some pretty good investments with what he has been given through marrying into the WEALTHIEST family in the world but if he did it w/o her help and funds it would be something to brag about.

[billiken_roy]

while we dont know the answer to this question, why is it that the nba owners continue to block bill laurie from ownership yet they let kroenke have a team first time out? laurie has a messy closet is my guess.

[DeSmetBilliken]

From what I've heard, Stan Kroenke had money before he ever married into the Wal-Mart money. While that definitely increased his wealth, it is my understanding that the Kroenke family owns a very successful construction company in Columbia, similar to something like Alberici in St. Louis. Apparently the Kroenke's company has built quite a few buildings and parking structures on the Mizzou campus. A lifelong Columbia resident that I know speaks very highly about the Kroenke family and speaks very negatively about the Lauries. From what I've heard about Paige Laurie of Paige Sports Arena fame, she sounds like the Columbia version of Paris Hilton, and I don't mean that in a positive way.

So yes, I do agree that there must be something about Bill Laurie that quite a few people don't like, but Kroenke seems OK to them. The only other way to explain it is if the only reason Laurie kept getting shunned by the other owners was solely that they didn't want him moving a team to St. Louis while they were confident that Kroenke would keep his teams in Denver.

[billiken_roy]

i would have bought the "no move to st louis" bit if we still had the "vancouver grizzlies". but laurie was denied the griz and then memphis took them and moved them. so i dont buy it.

[billiken_roy]

everytime i see paris hilton in the news it amazes me. i am sure her family is real proud.

[Schasz]

I've heard the same thing about Stan Kroenke and my information is first hand as my best buddy knows Stan from having done business deals with him. He was already on track to become a very successful businessman before he tied the knot with one of Walton's daughters.

IMO Laurie really screwed up that Grizzlie deal. To back off like he did he should have gotten something in return from Stern that would have assured him of a NBA team.

What do you mean about Paris on the tube...you haven't seen her internet performance yet...it will really blow your mind, if you know what I mean.

[billiken_roy]

i've seen it. i was amazed. i kept saying to myself as i watched it, "what was she thinking?"

[MUTGR]

I don't think he had the kind of money you're suggesting he had prior to marrying a walmart heir. Kroenke's a real estate developer. He got his start in that business after he married the walmart heir by developing shopping malls in which Walmart was the anchor tenant. So yes, he's clearly has some business talent of his own and didn't sit around and do nothing. On the other hand, when you have a deal with Walmart to build malls in which they are the anchor tenant, it's kind of like shooting fish in a barrell. He certainly has taken it farther than that, and he is now a partner with Michael Staenberg at THF realty, which is involved in all kinds of developments all over St. Louis and elsewhere.

I have it on good authority from two different sources that Kroenke owned and operated a "head shop" in Columbia back in the good old days. So at least he always showed some entrepreneurial ability. As far as I know, Laurie was simply a high school coach. The only other thing I know he was into prior to buying the Blues was raising quarter-horses at his ranch in Columbia.

[billiken_roy]

my only point is they are both billionaires. and old money vs new money wont keep one out of the "club" aka nba owners. there are plenty of johnny come lately's that own teams. cuban for one.

and like i said yesterday, laurie's want to move a team doesnt swim either. both the grizzlies and the hornets ended up moving. it is my wonder that kroenke has a team and laurie doesnt and their balance sheets are similar enough so why no sale to laurie and kroenke had virtually a loop free ride to get the nuggets?

there are only two explanations. one either the nba is just that dead set against st louis. or two they dont like laurie for some reason.

[MUTGR]

I don't know, but my guess would be number 1. I've never heard any dirt about Laurie other than his driving transgression a year or so ago.

[billiken_roy]

my only problem with it being a "st louis thing" is that all of the st louis sports teams are wildly successful attendancewise. the cardinals are without argument one of the top 3-5 baseball franchises, the blues have been successful for the last 10 years, the rams are a top draw every week as well. why wouldnt the nba want to get in on that? instead they recycle new orleans which has only been a failure at everything that doesnt involve football and the same with memphis. the st louis bias doesnt make sense to me.

[MUTGR]

Actually Roy, I didn't intend to join your discussion on this NBA thing. I was actually trying to respond to another post suggesting that Kroenke had money prior to marrying Walmart money.

I have no idea what the NBA bases its decisions on. I wouldn't mind having the NBA in St. Louis, but I probably would never buy a ticket.

I'm also not a big fan of Laurie, although his tribute to his daughter is coming along nicely: http://ath.missouri.edu/arena/

[Major Majerus]

Here's what I know about Laurie - he was the point guard on that great Memphis State team which got to the NCAA finals in '73 or so and featured 2 of the best individual days any two players ever had in an NCAA final - Finch's unconcious shooting day that was overshadowed by Walton's 21/22 fgs. Whatever success he had in hoops you can lay squarely on his own hard work ethic. Walmart, back then, was a shell of what it is today. Anyone could have bought shares in the 80's and then just held on, and been a millionaire. Laurie would have had no inkling of the tremendous wealth coming down the pike back in the early 70s. I presume he fell in love with a cute chick who liked basketball. If he lived in St. Louis, SLU would be the recipient of his largesse. I think it's time to quit hitting on this guy.

[DeSmetBilliken]

I'm not suggesting that Kroenke was a billionaire. Honestly I don't know how much money he had before he got married. All I'm saying is that he does sound like he had some business success prior to marrying, and that he and his family sound like they are good, classy people from what I've heard from someone who I consider to be a good source on this.

Bill Laurie is a different story. He was a high school basketball coach prior to marrying a Walton(nothing wrong with that, in fact the person I heard this from is also a high school coach). My guess is that Laurie was probably always a jerk, just the billions of dollars gave him a better opportunity to exhibit it.

[STLBlazer]

I read an article that spoke about the competition between Bill Laurie and Stan Kroenke. It said that tension was so bad between the two that they don't even speak at Mizzou games.

Maybe Kroenke has enough influence that he is keeping Laurie from buying an NBA team.

[Major Majerus]

Have you ever met a point guard who wasn't competitive to the point that you'd ask yourself..."What's with him?"

[bonwich]

Some of y'all might remember that we had a discussion along this line awhile back, specifically regarding Laurie's stewardship of the Savvis Center. The Business Journal this week reiterates a point I made back then -- that Laurie appeared to show very questionable business sense (some might call it "irrational exuberance" or even "compulsive gambling") in the Savvis naming-rights deal (which he did for stock, and as a result, made millions less than the stated face value of the deal. I also question the BJ's math, since the deal was $72M for 20 years, or $3.6M per year, and ol' Bill has only netted $6M in four years.)

http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/sto.../21/story3.html

[Major Majerus]

Of course, stock deals can cut both ways. Let's say this happened years ago and the stock was called "Walmart" or "Microsoft." Would that have made Laurie a genius? PS - rush to the Wine and Cheese Shop and buy one of their 100 cases of Columbia Crest 2001 2 Vines Shiraz for $75 - rated 90 by WS - bargain of the year. I bought 2 cases for personal use and a case each for my 2 married daughters.