Why the Jae Crowder love?

[🏀]

I will not quote you groove since that comment will hopefully be deleted. In response, you do a good job of tip-toeing the line. Between the bashing of Vander, Jae and others on court actions, and your desire for traditionalist why not just come out and say what you want to say?

That or quit the veiled insults.

[Dawson Rental]

Jae's problem this year is simple... no Jimmy Butler.  Last year he had the luxury of playing Robin to Jimmy's Batman.  This year he hasn't taken over the Jimmy role anymore than Jamil Wilson has stepped up to play the supporting role Jae did last year.

No Otule just makes it harder for both.

[We R Final Four]

He's the new Crean.

Honestly, Blue had another solid game.  Helped to spark the comeback (along with Junior).

Honestly?

[CTWarrior]

I have often wondered the same.  He get's a HUGE pass with many.  Very inconsistent, poor defender and really a fundamentally flawed rebounder.  He has some big games, but also some real stinkers.

I

Jae gets a pass because he's a really good player, arguably our most valuable player.  He and DJO are targeted by our opponents as the guys to stop to beat MU and often don't have enough help on offense and consequently take what appear to be some ill-advised shots.  He battles hard as an undersized 4.  So he takes a bad 3 now and then, but he hits a high enough percentage to make them worthwhile.  I can only think of one of his 3s yesterday that was a flat out bad shot.  Sometimes good shots don't go in.

We lost the last two games and 3 of 4, but I get the feeling we're starting to figure out what we are without Otule and are just about ready to turn it back on again.

[tower912]

Crowder and DJO are both good players.   They are struggling to adjust to defenses that are designed specifically to stop them.

[MUBurrow]

We're playing 4 vs 6 when Vander is on the floor as our PG.  he is totally clueless offensively.
In the Vanderbilt game, he got trapped near halfcourt twice, within a minute of each other, by picking up his dribble. Once he got bailed out by a terrible foul call and the other he committed a TO.  Today he had way too many TOs.  He goes up in the air way too often with no idea what he's going to do with the ball and he typically ends up throwing it away which leads to a fast break for the other team.  He has NO shot whatsoever. He missed all four of his free throws today. The box score says he had only 3 TOs today, but I swear if you'd go back and rewatch the game, he should be credited for more than that. 

Damn those inconvenient facts, eh?

[lab_warrior]

I was just struck by the second time in the last few minutes (with the second time just before the 11 minute mark) where Crowder was the only MU that didn't huddle up at the free throw when MU was to throw the ball in under the SU basket.

Jesus, this S*** again?!  High fiving ettiquite, now "huddling" before FTs.  WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CARES?!?!?!!!

[MUBurrow]

deleted to start a new thread about PG, and not threadjack this one about Jae

[GGGG]

Honestly?

Yep.  He had a solid line, much better in the second half, and it is almost unquestionable that he helped to spark the comeback.

[We R Final Four]

Yep.  He had a solid line, much better in the second half, and it is almost unquestionable that he helped to spark the comeback.

You are certainly loyal, I will give you that.  I hope he doesn't decide to go pro!

[MUMac]

You are certainly loyal, I will give you that.  I hope he doesn't decide to go pro!

That just doesn't make sense.  Loyal?  Because he doesn't bash Blue and see's the positives?  He see's the positives outweigh the negatives?

Man, some of you really need to get a grip when it comes to Blue.

[Stretchdeltsig]

Jae plays tough.  He plays hard.  In his defense he usually has to guard the 5 from the other team.  Buzz has simply not recruited 5s and recruits teams that are to not match up well with a lot of teams.  When Crowder is not hitting his 3s, it does hurt.  But he fights and plays hard.  Agree that we need him to take on more of a leadership role to lead the team to scrap out wins.

[ErickJD08]

He have some really solid players. Jae is one of them. The problem is that they all seem to be players that have to have the game come to them. When they play relaxed and in rhythm, they play well. But Jae and others can not make a play to stifle these natural runs that happen in the game and settle the team down.

As for Blue, I think he had a decent game. He still has major issues finishing. There was one drive where he was fouled in the first half. It was during our drought and the foul was really weak and Blue put up a layup that was extremely off the mark. As long as he has problems finishing, he is going to be very ineffective on offense.

There are major issues with this team. Senior leadership is lacking. We don't have shooters. We are leaning on a freshmen to be our third scorer and we are realizing, he is just a freshmen. I think Jae needs to step up. Buzz needs to make him the back up 5. It is so clear that Wilson is a wing player and not a 5. Whatever offense Buzz ran his second year when Lazar was our 5, he needs to run it with Jae when Gardner is on the bench.

[Stretchdeltsig]

Buzz needs to recruit players that can dominate.  That was the key to Al's success.  He recruited players that could dominate games... George Thompson, Dean Memminger, Butch Lee, Bo Ellis, Earl Tatum, Jerome Whitehead, Larry McNeil, etc.  They could dominate the other team.  Al would always dominate/intimidate the other team, coaches and refs.  The Big East is a really tough conference, to win we need to dominate or we will always be playing the role of the underdog and have to fight and scrap for wins.

[🏀]

Jae plays tough.  He plays hard.  In his defense he usually has to guard the 5 from the other team.  Buzz has simply not recruited 5s and recruits teams that are to not match up well with a lot of teams.  When Crowder is not hitting his 3s, it does hurt.  But he fights and plays hard.  Agree that we need him to take on more of a leadership role to lead the team to scrap out wins.

Guarding 5s shouldn't be an excuse because he can't anyone with any quickness. He gets abused on defense everywhere.

He's not that great of a player.

[GGGG]

Buzz needs to recruit players that can dominate.  That was the key to Al's success.  He recruited players that could dominate games... George Thompson, Dean Memminger, Butch Lee, Bo Ellis, Earl Tatum, Jerome Whitehead, Larry McNeil, etc.  They could dominate the other team.  Al would always dominate/intimidate the other team, coaches and refs.  The Big East is a really tough conference, to win we need to dominate or we will always be playing the role of the underdog and have to fight and scrap for wins.

Well, if your solution is "to recruit better players," that's kind of obvious.

[GGGG]

You are certainly loyal, I will give you that.  I hope he doesn't decide to go pro!

I never claimed that he was a pro prospect.  He is a sophomore starting on a BE caliber team who is making a solid, but not spectacular impact.  For all the Gardner love for instance, he had as many TOs as Blue....and Blue outrebounded him. 

[ErickJD08]

I never claimed that he was a pro prospect.  He is a sophomore starting on a BE caliber team who is making a solid, but not spectacular impact.  For all the Gardner love for instance, he had as many TOs as Blue....and Blue outrebounded him. 

Don't twist the numbers. The offensive fouls were very questionable which were the cause of the majority of his turnovers. Blues turnovers were because of poor decisions, some of which resulted in fast break layups. For a 3 star big man prospect, gardner has been a pleasant surprise. Gardner is the only player on the team that really knows how to play with his back to the basket. That is where the "love" comes from. Blue's lack of improvement from last year to this year in finishing around the rim. That is where the fan frustration comes from.

[GGGG]

Don't twist the numbers. The offensive fouls were very questionable which were the cause of the majority of his turnovers. Blues turnovers were because of poor decisions, some of which resulted in fast break layups. For a 3 star big man prospect, gardner has been a pleasant surprise. Gardner is the only player on the team that really knows how to play with his back to the basket. That is where the "love" comes from. Blue's lack of improvement from last year to this year in finishing around the rim. That is where the fan frustration comes from.

How am I "twisting numbers" when I am simply stating what the statistics were.  A turnover is a turnover.  Are we now going to grade the quality of the turnover?

And Blue has improved a number of aspects to his game from last year....as has Gardner...I am going to be pleased to see both of them improve even more over the next two years.

[LA]

Don't twist the numbers. The offensive fouls were very questionable which were the cause of the majority of his turnovers. Blues turnovers were because of poor decisions, some of which resulted in fast break layups. For a 3 star big man prospect, gardner has been a pleasant surprise. Gardner is the only player on the team that really knows how to play with his back to the basket. That is where the "love" comes from. Blue's lack of improvement from last year to this year in finishing around the rim. That is where the fan frustration comes from.

I wasn't able to watch the game but here is Blue's line: 9 pts, 50% from the field, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 to. I would say that is great improvement for a player that most say was non-existent in BE play last year.

I'm with Sultan, I simply don't get all the hate and certainly don't see how he "twisted the facts."

[We R Final Four]

I wasn't able to watch the game but here is Blue's line: 9 pts, 50% from the field, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 to. I would say that is great improvement for a player that most say was non-existent in BE play last year.

I'm with Sultan, I simply don't get all the hate and certainly don't see how he "twisted the facts."

LA--what the box score does not show you the number of times VB jumps into the air, realizes he has no idea what he is going to do, and attempts to make a weak pass that at the last second is tipped out of bounds by Cuse.  Box score=non event.

When VB throws the most deliberate pass that Cuse momentarily steals, bounces off their foot and out of bounds--MU ball.  Box score=non event.

Neither of these plays and the close proximity of missed layups do not show up in the box score.  If you want to defend VB based on box score go ahead.  If you want to see what fans are talikng about, watch him play.  It is far from exceptional.

[MUMac]

LA--what the box score does not show you the number of times VB jumps into the air, realizes he has no idea what he is going to do, and attempts to make a weak pass that at the last second is tipped out of bounds by Cuse.  Box score=non event.

When VB throws the most deliberate pass that Cuse momentarily steals, bounces off their foot and out of bounds--MU ball.  Box score=non event.

Neither of these plays and the close proximity of missed layups do not show up in the box score.  If you want to defend VB based on box score go ahead.  If you want to see what fans are talikng about, watch him play.  It is far from exceptional.

Then help us out.  How many times do those things happen?  Does it happen to anyone else?  Come on, give us the facts. 

[GGGG]

One of VB's turnovers was a pass to DG that went off his hands and out of bounds.  Box score = VB turnover.  It could be argued that DG should have caught that pass.

That knife cuts both ways.

[We R Final Four]

Then help us out.  How many times do those things happen?  Does it happen to anyone else?  Come on, give us the facts. 

Mac--the things I describe happen every single game from VB.

To answer your question, they happen waaaaay too many times for my taste.

[MUMac]

Mac--the things I describe happen every single game from VB.

To answer your question, they happen waaaaay too many times for my taste.

As I said, give me the number of times.  Include proof that it doesn't happen to anyone else. 

I will save you the time.  You don't have anything.  You don't like Blue, so you remember the times he does it.  You like DJO, Mayo, Crowder, JC and Gardner, so you will not remember when they do the same thing.  Blue does the things you describe.  So do all the others.

The funny thing, Mayo is loved by all - and I really like his potential - but watch his game.  Watch the number of times the same things you describe happens to him (or he actually turns it over).  But, that won't matter, because he can score.  That is all that matters to you.  Well, check the box score the past few weeks ...