Jeter shuts out Pearl and staff

[Womack]

I have mixed emotions on this issue. I do think it was good that Jeter asserted himself. But seriously guys, we are all PANTHER FANS....Some of us had more interaction and got closer to Bruce than others did, but the fact is he is not here now....HE DID NOT desert us...This is a business people..If any of us would be offered a HUGE big time promotion to get higher up on the totum poll in our respective fields we would do it in a second...Please dont come on here and say he deserted us...He is a HUGE HUGE HUGE reason this program is where it is right now and he did what any other man providing for a family would have done...Accpeted a job higher up for a sh*tload more money

Thank you Bruce for coming to the game last night, it shows a lot of respect and care for those players...He did not make a scene when Jeter turned him down but simply walked away...Nice job Bruce and nice job Rob

Good luck to both programs

[DunneDeal]

Showing up is one thing and I agree Jeter did a god thing. All valid points...and Im a Panther Fan...BP was the coach and Jeter is now...roll with the punches...it was tough game in a tough place. just like Valpo...dont worry lots of ball to be played

[jvaldon]

Kroener is a reliable source. he regularly hangs out with *some* of the players and i'm 100% sure wouldnt post anything like this without being sure about it.

Now everyone can take it however they want to, but no one has the right to ask him to Name Names. we should just thank him for the info and leave it at that.

[PantherLou]

womack said:

IThank you Bruce for coming to the game last night, it shows a lot of respect and care for those players...He did not make a scene when Jeter turned him down but simply walked away...Nice job Bruce and nice job Rob

I agree 100% While some of the players may be upset, I doubt that BP felt slighted at all.

[JimmyLemke]

I'm not dissing a long-standing member or anything, but it seems like people keep trying to stir up the sh*t-storm. I'm not saying that what Kroener posted isn't reliable - from a previous post it sounds as though he has the ears of some of our players, and he gets some of their feedback - but do we really need to question the players' trust in Jeter just 3 games into the season? Yes, we lost to Tennessee Tech. But, how many of you know that their home record is nearly impeccable over the last few years? They've less than 10 games at home in this millenium. Their home, mid-major or not, ranks up there with Cameron Indoor and Chapel Hill. They have an unbelievable presence at home, and the Panthers shouldn't exactly be satisfied, but more of, say proud that they got the experience of playing in one of those crazy away games that makes great teams great. Bad jumble of words, I hope you all got my message.

As for the coaching thing, maybe we should consider leaving Bruce Pearl in Tennessee. He left us for a job with better possibilities. I'm not sure it was the money, because I hear Bud was preparing a very handsome offer, but more the chance to have a perennial tournament team with a higher visibility.

I thought the issue over who our coach was settled the moment Rob Jeter set his signature on a coaching contract for the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

[dylanrocks]

Got close to Bruce Pearl? I went to every home game (and several road games) over the last three years, went to just about every radio show and interacted with a few of the coaches after every home game and I'm not so sure how well I really got to know our former coach. I believe it was a big miscalculation on his part to attend this game and evidently be as visible as he, Tony, Jason, K.J. and Junior were. It was evident from postseason interviews that three members of the team — Mark, Adrian and Joah — were not on board with his departure. This must have been a great distraction for them all. Interestingly, Boo never felt all that attached to Pearl. In fact, it wasn't until he loosened the reins that Boo really began to play about midway through the season.

[Big D]

pantherlou said:

I doubt that BP felt slighted at all.

I'm sure you're right Lou...Pearl probably just went home that night and continued on with his normal life of committing recruiting violations.

[aknowsense]

Perhaps if the game had a different result this wouldn't be an issue, but coach (by coach I'm referring to Coach Jeter he coaches the UWM Panthers) is not obligated to open his doors or his players to opposing team's coaches. I agree w/Lou that I'm sure BP understands and went about his business of running his own program.

All I can think about when they said BP was in the arena was the movie Airplane and BP keeps sticking his head in the locker room a la Leslie Neilson. "I just want to tell you both-- good luck, we're all counting on you."

[Pantherholic]

aknowsense said:

All I can think about when they said BP was in the arena was the movie Airplane and BP keeps sticking his head in the locker room a la Leslie Neilson. "I just want to tell you both-- good luck, we're all counting on you."

Surely you can't be serious?

[ArtVandelay]

Even if we win that game last night I'm not sure it would be appropriate to have Bruce come in and talk to the guys. It was a very nice gesture on his part to come and watch the players he recruited compete, but he is the coach of a different DI program now. We are 3 games into the regular season and its not the right time for Bruce to come catch up with the guys. After this season is over and Joah, Adrian, Chris, Jason, Mark, Derrick, and Boo graduate I'd have no problem with Bruce contacting them and catching up, but this team needs to focus on playing technically sound basketball.

Also I'm sure that there is some resentment from players over Bruce leaving, and that weird situation where Bruce claimed to have never heard of Kaylan Anderson.

The only way I would be upset with Rob is if he was rude about Bruce's request to talk to the team. Bruce has nothing, but good intentions in coming to the game. I hope it was a respectful conversation as I would like to set up a series with Tennessee in the coming years.

[aknowsense]

pantherholic said:

aknowsense said:

All I can think about when they said BP was in the arena was the movie Airplane and BP keeps sticking his head in the locker room a la Leslie Neilson. "I just want to tell you both-- good luck, we're all counting on you."

Surely you can't be serious?

No I'm not and don't call me surely.

[Kroener3535]

But the thing of it is, when Jeter left Madison, he has been back every so often to talk with some of UW's players. Remember this is about the student-athlete, and I think our student-ahtletes deserved to talk to their former coach...Bo Ryan doesnt say no to Jeter to talk with any of the players on UW's roster...whats been lost is what those kids wanted and Jeter took it away from them..its not like they were going to talk x's and o's, they were going to hug and maybe say hello quick before they headed back and Jeter denied them of that...thats the issue I have because the kids developed a bond with Pearl and his staff as well as some maybe seeing him as a father figure...Lets put it this way when I worked at the airport I saw Joah float through there more than on one occasion to O'hare then onto Knoxville...quite funny cause I had to take him to the front of the security line so he wouldnt miss his plane for the second time that day...that went a lil more smooth than my escort of Beth to Joey...

[Hack]

There are reasons why those situations are different:

1. Jeter went back to Madison during the offseason ... not three games into the regular season, not after UW suffered a tough loss.

2. Jeter left as an assistant at UW, not as the head coach. UW is not going through a transition like UWM is going through this year. UW is not trying to find an identity this year separate from Bo Ryan ... UWM is trying to find an identity separate from Bruce Pearl.

[dutchpthr]

thank you Hack.....

HUGE DIFFERENCE HERE....

to my knowledge Jeter has not been to any game this season that UW-Madison has played and tried to talk to any of the players.....and really what did Bruce expect to have happen, Jeter let him in the locker room with open arms?? come on give me a break......

to me this is a pretty low move by Bruce and the former coaching staff, you want to talk to or see your former players, get in contact with them during a period of time when they are not trying to focus on trying to win or play a game......that is just ignorant if he thought it was a good move to show up at the game.

Jeter is in the right here and if people think other wise i am going to start to question their sanity......

[Kroener3535]

u can start my judging mine then