Wally!!

[warriorchick]

"to blow away the competition away by over five inches."

yep. thats pretty darn significant in high jumping.

talk about raising the bar for his competition.

Witnessing world-class athleticism in a "normal" setting is pretty humbling.

As, a youngster, I had an acquaintance who was the best female swimmer in the world while she was still in high school.  Her freshman year, she broke the state high school record in the 500 freestyle by over a minute.  She would be a household name now, but f*cking Jimmy Carter and his boycott of the 1980 Olympics....

[barfolomew]

His second attempt of 7 feet, 1 inch broke the all-time Marquette record and his next attempt solidified Ellenson as the highest jumper in MU history.

Copy editing is fundamental.

[4everwarriors]

Witnessing world-class athleticism in a "normal" setting is pretty humbling.

As, a youngster, I had an acquaintance who was the best female swimmer in the world while she was still in high school.  Her freshman year, she broke the state high school record in the 500 freestyle by over a minute.  She would be a household name now, but f*cking Jimmy Carter and his boycott of the 1980 Olympics....

You knew Esther Williams?

[rmi210]

Witnessing world-class athleticism in a "normal" setting is pretty humbling.

As, a youngster, I had an acquaintance who was the best female swimmer in the world while she was still in high school.  Her freshman year, she broke the state high school record in the 500 freestyle by over a minute.  She would be a household name now, but f*cking Jimmy Carter and his boycott of the 1980 Olympics....

Cynthia Woodhead?

[warriorchick]

Cynthia Woodhead?

Tracy Caulkins.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Coach Allen was a very good man and loved Marquette deeply.  He and his brother Bob are the only two brothers in the Marquette hall of fame.  He coached for 11 years and during that time he was also a full time NML agent.  Coaching at the D1 level is a full time job, but somehow he managed to do both.  Eventually though it was too tough trying to do two full time jobs and that is why his coaching career wasn't longer.  After leaving coaching he still continued to support Marquette athletics and he worked extremely hard helping to raise money for valley fields, of which much of the money was donated by track alumni. 

Appreciate the background

[willie warrior]

You knew Esther Williams?

She was awesome in Day of the Dolphin, Jaws and Free Willie.

[Tugg Speedman]

The new track and field rankings are out and Wally has some competition ...

http://www.ustfccca.org/assets/rankings/div1/2015-itf/DI_2015_indWk1_TF_NationalRankingsByEvent.pdf
(page 11)

1 Wally ELLENSON SO Marquette 2.28m 7-5¾ Jan 17
1 Jacorian DUFFIELD SR Texas Tech 2.28m 7-5¾ Jan 24

3 Christoff BRYAN FR Kansas State 2.25m 7-4½ Jan 17

4 Jonathan WELLS FR Illinois 2.20m 7-2½ Jan 17
4 Kyle LANDON SO Southern Illinois 2.20m 7-2½ Dec 6

6 NaTron GIPSON FR Kansas State 2.19m 7-2¼ Jan 17

7 Avion JONES JR East Carolina 2.18m 7-1¾ Dec 6
7 Bradley ADKINS JR Texas Tech 2.18m 7-1¾ Jan 24
7 Trey MCRAE SR Charlotte 2.18m 7-1¾ Jan 23

10 Deante KEMPER SR Northern Arizona 2.17m 7-1½ Jan 16
10 Taylor SMITH SO Air Force 2.17m 7-1½ Jan 22

The list shows the top 25 jumps so far this track season.

Top make the top 25 you have to have a jump of 2.15m (7' 0.5").    This past weekend MU sophomore jumper Oumaru Abdulahi cleared 2.10m (6' 10.75").  

Note that Abdulahi is 5' 8" so he jumped 14 inches over his height.  Wally jumped 12 inches over his height.

[warriorchick]

Note that Abdulahi is 5' 8" so he jumped 14 inches over his height.  Wally jumped 12 inches over his height.

So, back to basketball.... 

Is it a forgone conclusion that Wally will have the highest vertical reach on the team on the team next year?  In other words, will he be taking the tipoff next year, or will there be another guy whose inferior jumping skill (compared to Wally's) is more than compensated by additional height?

[jficke13]

So, back to basketball.... 

Is it a forgone conclusion that Wally will have the highest vertical reach on the team on the team next year?  In other words, will he be taking the tipoff next year, or will there be another guy whose inferior jumping skill (compared to Wally's) is more than compensated by additional height?

It might be that part of how he can leap so high in a high jump is technique that you can't use in some basketball scenarios. He's obviously a high-flyer, but he might only be world/Olympic-caliber if he can approach and leap in the manner of a high jump.

Anyone have experience as an actual high jumper that might be relevant to how directly transferable the leaping ability is across the two sports?

[brewcity77]

Maybe let him take a running start for the tip?

[warriorchick]

Maybe let him take a running start for the tip?

Check the rule book...does it say that it has two be one of the two guys in the center that has to tap the ball?  Maybe Wally could get a running start ouside the circle, and Henry could slide over to one side at just the right moment.....   

[Tugg Speedman]

Maybe let him take a running start for the tip?

As I understand it, the high jump has three parts

1) horizontal speed
2) Jump/explosive takeoff
3) technique

When you are of Wally's caliber, you are outstanding at all three.  The question for tip-offs is how good is he at #2.  I don't know the answer as I have not seen enough of him.

[Tugg Speedman]

The US Track & Field Coaches Association website had a nice write-up about Wally last week ...

http://www.ustfccca.org/2015/01/featured/didyouseethat-the-college-tf-weekends-best-moments

Marquette Basketball Player, Multiple-Time All-American High Jumper Ellenson Sets Collegiate Lead

The football/track & field dual-sport setup is a fairly common one [we’ll soon publish our week-by-week list of the top football players in college track by event], but the basketball/track & field double is far less common.

Marquette high jumper Wally Ellenson is a prime example of how it can work, though. When last we saw Ellenson, he was wearing a Minnesota uniform and leaping to an NCAA Outdoors runner-up finish in the high jump. The 6-6 guard – who cites basketball as his main sport –  transferred to Marquette (in his home state of Wisconsin) this past year, and is currently sitting out the basketball season by NCAA rule.

That opens up much more time for him to compete on the indoor track circuit, at least this year. He made the most of his Marquette debut – just his third indoor track meet in three years – with a collegiate-leading and career-best leap of 7-5¾ (2.28m) on his first attempt at the Wisconsin Open. He missed his three attempts at 7-7 (2.31m).

Watch the clearance here:

http://youtu.be/6SdHc4gH_h4

How do his high-jumping abilities translate to the basketball court? Here’s a couple of examples:

http://youtu.be/VMpXmkhuXks

[barfolomew]

So, back to basketball.... 

Is it a forgone conclusion that Wally will have the highest vertical reach on the team on the team next year?  In other words, will he be taking the tipoff next year, or will there be another guy whose inferior jumping skill (compared to Wally's) is more than compensated by additional height?

It's a good question; I think he could dominate the tip if he worked at it a little bit.
The question will be whether Wojo feels winning the opening tip would be enough advantage to have him out there for the first few possessions. That assumes, of course, Wojo won't consider Wally one of his best five next year.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

It might be that part of how he can leap so high in a high jump is technique that you can't use in some basketball scenarios. He's obviously a high-flyer, but he might only be world/Olympic-caliber if he can approach and leap in the manner of a high jump.

Anyone have experience as an actual high jumper that might be relevant to how directly transferable the leaping ability is across the two sports?

My wife was a high jumper for Marquette, but her vertical is terrible.  Passed it on to my daughter, who has the highest high jump in her grade at her school but can't jump vertically a lick.

[warriorchick]

My wife was a high jumper for Marquette, but her vertical is terrible.  Passed it on to my daughter, who has the highest high jump in her grade at her school but can't jump vertically a lick.

Can't make sick dunks like this if you have no vertical:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x-cA9cCZps&x-yt-ts=1421914688&x-yt-cl=84503534

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

All about technique. I had a pretty good vertical from my volleyball days but couldnt high jump worth a damn just because I couldnt contort my body that way.

[barfolomew]

Can't make sick dunks like this if you have no vertical:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x-cA9cCZps&x-yt-ts=1421914688&x-yt-cl=84503534

I keep wondering how he didn't hit his head on the backboard on that one...

[mikekinsellaMVP]

All about technique. I had a pretty good vertical from my volleyball days but couldnt high jump worth a damn just because I couldnt contort my body that way.

And that's what really gets some of the guys to ridiculous heights.  As keefe and other aviators like to say, flying is a war against gravity and high jumping is no different.  The reason those guys bend like a noodle over the bar is to keep their center of gravity low -- as your butt passes over the bar, your center of gravity is passing under it, because at that instant, your head and your feet may be a foot or two below the bar.  So in the physics sense, the guy who "bends" less going over the bar has to do more work -- and expend more energy -- because his center of gravity has to be lifted higher in the air.  That's also why most high jumpers are in the tall, svelte mold of Wally -- it helps when your center of gravity is already high off the ground.

But Heisenberg is right - explosiveness is huge.  I'd love to see Wally's standing vert.

[Tugg Speedman]

Thinking out loud ....

It is similar to world class sprinters (100m/200m).  You would not believe how "slow" their 40 times are ... Usain Bolt's 40 time is supposedly in the 4.3 to 4.4 range (I say supposedly because he rarely does this distance for time).  Justin Galtin is supposedly around 4.5 (Galtin is the top US sprinter and the 2004 Olympic gold medalist).

While these times would get a WR or D-back to laugh at how slow they are, WR and D-back cannot comprehend how high these sprinters top end speed is.  Bolt is approaching 28 MPH and his second hundred 100m in the 200m sprint is run around 8.8 seconds.  His 40 equivalent at that top end speed is around 3.6 to 3.8.   He is literally running at the limits of the human body and if you watch enough track (like I do) you can see some horrific crashes in the 200 when these guys exceed the limit of their body in the second 200.

Sprinting is not about explosive quick speed (like the 40) but about unbelievable top end speeds at the end of the race.

Likewise short jumpers (MU's 5' 8" Oumaru Abdulahi) and jumpers with average standing verticals can do extraordinarily well if they are good at the other aspects of high jumping (horizontal speed and technique).

This is a long winded way of saying Wally could be outstanding or very average at the tip-off ... and still be a world class high jumper either way.

[We R Final Four]

You knew Esther Williams?

This made me laugh.

[MeghanMU]

I am confused as to why Wally can compete in track, yet has to sit out for basketball? Are transfer rules different for track? If he is already competing in track, does that mean his last year here he would be playing basketball but could not be playing track since he has used up his eligibility?

[MU1980]

I am confused as to why Wally can compete in track, yet has to sit out for basketball? Are transfer rules different for track? If he is already competing in track, does that mean his last year here he would be playing basketball but could not be playing track since he has used up his eligibility?

In most of the sports, you can have a one time transfer exception and be eligible to compete right away if the school you transferred from gives you a release, which most schools do.  Basketball and football you have to sit out a year no matter what. 

[We R Final Four]

Im sure this has been investigated prior, but if MU could give Wally a full ride in Track (not sure if they can) couldn't he have walked on in basketball and played this year---essentially skating the transfer sit out rule?  This obviously did not happen, so I think I know the answer.