Ever since Tom Crean bolted Marquette for Indiana earlier this year, the question has been whether or not his replacement, little-known assistant Buzz Williams, would be the right man for the job.
So far, so good.
Just like it takes some time to get over a bad breakup and ease into a new relationship, Williams and his Golden Eagles are still feeling each other out, but feeling more and more comfortable with every practice and every game that goes by.
"It's a really good feeling," says junior forward Lazar Hayward. "Buzz is a great guy and we all trust him totally. He trusts us, too.
"It was weird at first with Crean not being here and not seeing him walking around at practice. Buzz does some of that, too. It didn't take a long time to get used to him."
Players respect his workmanlike approach to the game, and his more open style -- compared to the staggering number of set plays favored by Crean -- has earned rave reviews. Most important, though, is Williams' dedication to daily improvement -- not just for the team -- but his desire to improve as a coach.
"I've got a long ways to go to be a mature coach," Williams says.
Nobody can say for sure just how successful Williams will be. He's got just one year of head-coaching experience and spent just one season on Crean's staff before his promotion. Just as his players need to get used to the former assistant calling the shots, he's also getting accustomed to being the guy on top of the heap.
"I work at it every day," Williams says. "I hope that I'm growing more than our players are growing to an extent. Because if I'm not growing at the same rate they're growing, then they're development is being retarded to an extent.
You won't find Williams on TV, glad-handing for the cameras. If he's schmoozing big donors, you probably won't see that, either. That's just how Williams is. While Crean craved the spotlight, Williams would much rather be in the gym, working with his players.
What people should most admire about Williams is his perseverance. This isn't a guy that played at a prestigious program and landed on top-flight staffs on his way up the ladder. Williams' name was never included on the lists of hot, young, up-and-coming future coaches.
He did it the hard way, writing letters to coaches, working camps, taking jobs and doing whatever he can to reach the big show.
What Williams lacks in showmanship, he makes up for in workmanship. He'll never be the salesman that his predecessor was, but he doesn't have to be. Marquette is in much better shape now than it was when Crean inherited a mediocre Conference USA team in 1999.
The program has been to the Final Four. It plays in the Big East. The Golden Eagles have become a regular fixture on national telecasts and are a consensus top-20 pick so far this season.
And most importantly, he's got players to help pick up the slack. In Dominic James, Wesley Matthews and Jerel McNeal, Williams has the luxury of three four-year, senior starters to put on the court. It's a luxury that not many coaches - especially among the upper-levels of Division I - can boast.
"I'm grateful that they're here," Williams says. "It helps my growth when I know I've got three really good, senior players that can cover up some of the things that I mess up on. So it's kind of a balancing act."
Williams may not have been the most glamorous candidate to replace Crean -- who faces his own set of problems in Bloomington -- but very quietly and very effectively, he's proving he is the right man for the job.
