Carter the PG

[nyg]

Tower asked for this earlier.

Went back thru Wisconsin game, which is the last six games.  In those six games:

16 total points  (2.6pg)
17 turnovers     (2.8pg)
20 assists         (3.3pg)
21 fouls            (3.5pg)

5 for 18 from field  (27%)
1 for 6 from three   (16%)

Not very good statistics for the young fella and he has had some serious growing pains in this stretch.  Hope he gets it together, otherwise Wojo be looking elsewhere for next year very soon.  Traci only real option right now.

[tower912]

I could make some Derrick jokes off of those stats, but I won't.    He is a freshman, he will get better.    Right now, Haanif is better, but that could change again. 

[GGGG]

I think he is going to be good. I would write him off just a few games into conference play.

[jesmu84]

I noticed almost the whole game tonight, the Providence defenders were 5-6 feet off Traci. Makes a post entry pass nearly impossible. And, unlike Derrick, he isn't making up for it on the defensive end. I'd like to see him launch a 3 occasionally.

[wadesworld]

Traci played well in the first half.  Pushed tempo a bit, initiated the offense well, put pressure on their defense.  In the 2nd half they sagged off of him and he was much less effective, and to Wojo's credit he saw it, moved Cheatham to PG, and got more scoring options in the game.

[MUfan12]

He's comin' around. I know the numbers aren't great, but the game is starting to slow down for him a bit. Had 5 TOs, but at got at least 3 back with steals.

I love his attitude, though. He'll be a good one here.

[Anti-Dentite]

He's comin' around. I know the numbers aren't great, but the game is starting to slow down for him a bit. Had 5 TOs, but at got at least 3 back with steals.

I love his attitude, though. He'll be a good one here.

I thought he was alright tonight, stayed within the flow and was pretty conservative. The rest of his game will come around a little with more games but I think he is starting to understand his role on this team.

[NotAnAlum]

I said going into the season that we needed Traci to play like a freshman Dominic James or Travis Diener to solve our problems at PG.  He is not nearly at the level of either of those 2.  That does not mean that he can't be a solid PG in a year or 2 once he gets some more experience but he is not up to the high bar that would have solved our problems.  He isn't confident in his 3 Pt shot so he never takes it and that allows his man to sag way off him making the entry pass much more difficult.  He doesn't go hard to the rack (his drive and shot late in the game tonight was very weak).  He isn't currently a great passer in traffic.  We don't have a lot of options at PG and those that we have all have limitations.  I think at this point we just have to hope for the best with Traci but our ceiling this year is certainly limited based on what he can do.  We'll be better off next year with Traci with a year of experience and Rowley eligible.  PG is such an important position I wouldn't hesitate to take a top flight recruit like the kid from Arizona.  If we couldn't get a pretty big time recruit I'd probably just accept the fact that Traci will be better next year.

[tower912]

Tower asked for this earlier.

Went back thru Wisconsin game, which is the last six games.  In those six games:

16 total points  (2.6pg)
17 turnovers     (2.8pg)
20 assists         (3.3pg)
21 fouls            (3.5pg)

5 for 18 from field  (27%)
1 for 6 from three   (16%)

Not very good statistics for the young fella and he has had some serious growing pains in this stretch.  Hope he gets it together, otherwise Wojo be looking elsewhere for next year very soon.  Traci only real option right now.

Do these stats include the Friar game?

[nyg]

Do these stats include the Friar game?

Yes.

[Goose]

No doubt he should be getting minutes at PG but is not ready for this level of competition to be the main guy. The other three options for PG make us better team especially because all three can score as well. No great PG and I hope Wojo just goes with the hot hand on a given night and not getting married to any one guy. None are a long term solution at PG if the program wants to be a top 20 team.

[jsglow]

I think you guys are being too hard on him.  He certainly struggled a bit following the WI game but has played significantly better ball the last two (GTown & Prov.)  Is he a world beater yet? Nope.  But his play had been solid.  Last night he actually gave us more minutes than Du and he accounted for 60% of our assists.  Gotta let the kid grow.  Both Hani and Du are better suited at 2/3.  But sensing the effective combos is something Wojo is getting a handle on.

[Loose Cannon]

I think you guys are being too hard on him.  He certainly struggled a bit following the WI game but has played significantly better ball the last two (GTown & Prov.)  Is he a world beater yet? Nope.  But his play had been solid.  Last night he actually gave us more minutes than Du and he accounted for 60% of our assists.  Gotta let the kid grow.  Both Hani and Du are better suited at 2/3.  But sensing the effective combos is something Wojo is getting a handle on.

Agree, let him develop and I think it pays dividends later in the season.

[tower912]

I'm a fan.   He has met my expectations.    But I expect freshmen to struggle from time to time.  NYG's stats show that.   I haven't given up on him and fully expect him to learn, grow, and improve, like the rest of his teammates. 

[Goose]

His handling of the rock is least of the problem IMO. In 2016 you cannot have a PG that struggles to make more than three points a game. With shorter shot clock you can play 4 on 5 on the offensive side of the ball. He looked fine in transition a couple of times last night but we do not push enough for him to play long stretches of time.

[keefe]

His handling of the rock is least of the problem IMO. In 2016 you cannot have a PG that struggles to make more than three points a game. With shorter shot clock you can play 4 on 5 on the offensive side of the ball. He looked fine in transition a couple of times last night but we do not push enough for him to play long stretches of time.

We watched this movie last year...

[Hubert Davis]

He’s a freshman PG…. the toughest position to play as a freshman. R-E-L-A-X

Just win baby!

[keefe]

He’s a freshman PG…. the toughest position to play as a freshman. R-E-L-A-X

Just win baby!

I thought you were dead, man

[MerrittsMustache]

We watched this movie last year...

The difference is that Derrick was a senior who had maxed out his abilities. Traci is a frosh who's 3 games into his Big East career and has plenty of room to grow.

[keefe]

The difference is that Derrick was a senior who had maxed out his abilities. Traci is a frosh who's 3 games into his Big East career and has plenty of room to grow.

Don't get me wrong - I am a huge fan of Carter. I love his fierceness and passion. He will grow into his skin.

I remember another Jersey PG who started similarly. Mandy Johnson was looking to set up his teammates first but beginning his sophomore year he was also a threat to score. I expect Carter's flight path to be similar.

[esotericmindguy]

He can't dribble with his left hand when pressured. He can't drive with his left.  He can't keep his hands off the defender, his fouls are always 25 feet from the basket. he can't shoot. He has a lot of work to do. It's been way to long since MU has had a dynamic PG.

[forgetful]

He can't dribble with his left hand when pressured. He can't drive with his left.  He can't keep his hands off the defender, his fouls are always 25 feet from the basket. he can't shoot. He has a lot of work to do. It's been way to long since MU has had a dynamic PG.

Well, why don't you tell us what you really think about his play.  Quit hold'en back on us.

[Goose]

Keefe


I love you, but have to question you on the Mandy comparison. Mandy could NOT dribble a lick back in the day. That said, his defense and ability to score made up for it. I love Mandy and have to say he was the WORST dribbler of the ball I ever saw play PG.

[mileskishnish72]

Wojo's on it - there was a prolonged Traci-less spell in the second half last night when we were catching up.

[wadesworld]

Dunn got hot in the 2nd half when Traci was out of the game. Dunn didn't do a ton in the first half with Traci on him.

Traci has a toughness to him that not a lot of our guys have. I think it was the Georgetown game where we were getting smoked and looking horrible when Traci forced the action, got to the rim, and drew the foul. He knows what needs to be done, he just struggles to execute at times, like a freshman oftentimes does.

Don't overlook the fact that in Matty V's post game notes blog he mentions 6 players walked onto the court, 1 being a freshman Traci in redshirt sophomore Duane's ear reminding him what needed to be done coming out of the last timeout.

[keefe]

Keefe


I love you, but have to question you on the Mandy comparison. Mandy could NOT dribble a lick back in the day. That said, his defense and ability to score made up for it. I love Mandy and have to say he was the WORST dribbler of the ball I ever saw play PG.

Goose

You are correct, sir. I was referring to Carter's inability to switch hands.

I think Carter will be a solid PG. We are not yet seeing the final product.

I have often mentioned the great PGs who have gone through our program. Mandy is in that second tier, behind Worthen, Doc, Lucky Lloyd, the Dream...

But, man, wouldn't it be great to have an 18 yo Mandy Johnson on the team?

[Lennys Tap]

Traci and Derrick are actually a pretty good comp. Solid defenders (Traci quicker, Derrick more physical), challenged offensively (both bad shooters - Derrick worse, Traci quicker and more creative, Derrick more solid with the ball). Derrick was a good  back up point guard. Traci may improve greatly, but right now that would also be my best guess for him.

[brandx]

No doubt he should be getting minutes at PG but is not ready for this level of competition to be the main guy. The other three options for PG make us better team especially because all three can score as well. No great PG and I hope Wojo just goes with the hot hand on a given night and not getting married to any one guy. None are a long term solution at PG if the program wants to be a top 20 team.

I agree Traci shouldn't be getting 30 minutes a game. I'd like to see him get around 20 per game in the future. Haanif is a very nice offensive player, but has no idea how to play PG. When at PG, he basically stops 40 feet from the basket and passes to the wing (which is the position where he is a very good player).

It's not quite as big of a problem as it could be because HE comes out high to get the ball a lot. But Traci has to put an end to the unforced turnovers. He had at least three last night.

[bilsu]

Traci and Derrick are actually a pretty good comp. Solid defenders (Traci quicker, Derrick more physical), challenged offensively (both bad shooters - Derrick worse, Traci quicker and more creative, Derrick more solid with the ball). Derrick was a good  back up point guard. Traci may improve greatly, but right now that would also be my best guess for him.

It depends on when you are comparing. Derrick was a worse shooter as a freshmen than Carter. He also could not play without fouling when he was a freshmen. As a senior Derrick was much better than he was as a freshmen. However, he still could not shoot free throws. Carter has a much higher ceiling, but MU would be better if Derrick was still here.

[willie warrior]

Keefe


I love you, but have to question you on the Mandy comparison. Mandy could NOT dribble a lick back in the day. That said, his defense and ability to score made up for it. I love Mandy and have to say he was the WORST dribbler of the ball I ever saw play PG.

Not that bad, Goose. He was adequate. His defense was awesome. One of the best at stealing the ball from a dribble that MU ever had. Agreed that he was no Dick Nixon when it came to dribbling.

[HoopsterBC]

Traci, needs lots of work for sure.  He can get in the lane but does not know what to do once he is there.  To bad, that as MU follower watching Derrick for a few years
and now Traci, we have 2 point guards in a point guard game,  that can not score or finish at the hoop.  I am hoping Marcus Howard can see that playing time is available right now even with Traci back next year, take the challenge.  It would not be to hard to beat him out.  Not often do you see guards getting pick pocketed out
front on the first play on the game, but it has happened twice this year, Cheatham against Iowa and now Traci.

Another point about MU, again another year a team that can not hit three's.   Cohen can but his release is as slow as molasses coming out of a jar, Traci, not, Cheatham
can but does not take it, Ellenson, not and Fisher can only shot from a foot or two, Pat Smith clone.  Can not wait till next year with Rowsey and maybe Hauser, I say maybe because he is as skinny as Cohen was, needs a year to put on some muscle to play small forward.  Not quick enough to play 2 guard.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Traci is much more capable offensively than Derrick ever was. His shot will come around. Let me put it this way, I would much rather have a true Freshman Traci start than a freshman, sophomore or even Junior year Derrick, and it's not even close.

[barfolomew]

Another point about MU, again another year a team that can not hit three's.   

We seem to be the Chicago Cubs of 3-pt shooting.
Wait 'til next year!

[brandx]

We seem to be the Chicago Cubs of 3-pt shooting.
Wait 'til next year!

Hopefully we won't have to keep saying it for over 100 years.

[Herman Cain]

Traci will season over time into a good PG. He is a conventional freshman and I am willing to give him plenty of room to grow. I would prefer a few less minutes and more for Duane, but that is a minor issue.  Additionally,he is making a reasonable free throw percentage .733 which will come in handy down the road. The thing that drove me nuts about Derrick was the sub 50 percent free throws.  With Traci there is a true penalty if you foul him. Eventually he will learn to draw fouls.

 I see Traci getting incrementally better each year.

[Goose]

Keefe

Agree on Mandy being second tier in MU PG history. He was very solid and would take another Mandy big time over the past several years.

[GB Warrior]

Right now, he is Derrick Wilson. He plays good (not Derek level, though) defense, knows better than to shoot, and appears to be a good leader. He's also a freshman, so that as a floor is not bad. He is not a high impact player, but he plays valuable minutes to start the game. More fundamentally, he keeps Duane - by all definitions a volume shooter - in check, as our offense can get into a rhythm before he enters the game. I will say that it is frustrating watching a defense sag off of anyone that much, but our other core players are good enough to compensate on most nights.

Trust the process.

[GGGG]

I like Traci. I think people are being a little too hard on a freshman who missed some time due to injury. A lot of his mistakes are due to going too fast or forcing the action. I'm ok with that.

[Loose Cannon]

I like Traci. I think people are being a little too hard on a freshman who missed some time due to injury. A lot of his mistakes are due to going too fast or forcing the action. I'm ok with that.

Absolutely agree.   When the game slows down for him, I believe his point guard skills as well as his scoring  will show.

[MUfan12]

I like Traci. I think people are being a little too hard on a freshman who missed some time due to injury. A lot of his mistakes are due to going too fast or forcing the action. I'm ok with that.

Yep. I'll take mistakes out of aggression over a guy playing too tentative any day.

[Dawson Rental]

We watched this movie last year...

                                                ....and it didn't get rave reviews, then either.


The difference: Traci is a frosh, Derrick was a senior, so there's hope because the best thing about freshmen is....

[Silkk the Shaka]

Yep. I'll take mistakes out of aggression over a guy playing too tentative any day.

Yes! I was reading an article  about rookie PG's in the NBA. Turns out, a good indicator of future success is a HIGH turnover rate. They're just getting used to the speed and length of the game. But once it slows down for them, they have the mentality needed to run the show. Carter has a point brain. That should be obvious to anyone that has watched him this season. When it comes together for him, he's going to be really good.

[CTWarrior]

                                                ....and it didn't get rave reviews, then either.


The difference: Traci is a frosh, Derrick was a senior, so there's hope because the best thing about freshmen is....

Biggest difference between the two offensively is that Carter has a much more aggressive, attacking mentality while Derrick was mostly content to just not turn the ball over.  Sometimes that is good and sometimes it isn't, but in the long run I think it will be good and Carter will be much the superior player.

[GGGG]

Traci Carter is averaging a turnover about every ten minutes of game time.  Dominic James averaged one every 11.5 minutes or so as a freshman.  Obviously James was a better scorer, but Traci gets an assist every five minutes while DJ got one every six. 

[bilsu]

Traci Carter is averaging a turnover about every ten minutes of game time.  Dominic James averaged one every 11.5 minutes or so as a freshman.  Obviously James was a better scorer, but Traci gets an assist every five minutes while DJ got one every six.

I do not think the assists are comparable. Wojo wants the team to pass the ball and looks for a high assist to basket ratio. Crean wants his guard to dribble the ball and probe the defense with drives, so a score is less likely to come with an assist.

[MU82]

Keep recruitin', baby!

It's never bad to "over-recruit," and that goes double for the PG position.

Best-case scenario in landing a stud PG: Traci becomes a good backup.

Worst-case scenario in landing a stud PG: Traci leaves ... but that's OK because we have a stud PG!

[macman320]

He can't dribble with his left hand when pressured. He can't drive with his left.  He can't keep his hands off the defender, his fouls are always 25 feet from the basket. he can't shoot. He has a lot of work to do. It's been way to long since MU has had a dynamic PG.

Remember when Junior took us to 2 sweet 16's and an elite 8?

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

He can't dribble with his left hand when pressured. He can't drive with his left.  He can't keep his hands off the defender, his fouls are always 25 feet from the basket. he can't shoot. He has a lot of work to do. It's been way to long since MU has had a dynamic PG.

RELAX. And I disagree with him handling pressure with his left hand. He's better than anyone else we have on the team for that. Also, I will put money down with anybody that his shot will come around.

[brewcity77]

Remember when Junior took us to 2 sweet 16's and an elite 8?

I remember Junior being on teams that went to the Sweet 16 twice and the Elite 8. I don't remember him taking us there. I remember a shooting guard, Dwight Buycks, starting ahead of him at the point on the first Sweet 16 team, I remember Jae Crowder and DJO taking us to the second Sweet 16, and I remember Vander Blue and Jamil Wilson taking us to the Elite 8.

Junior was there, but he wasn't the driving force on any of those teams. He was a below average starter and never close to dynamic. Maurice Acker was closer to being a dynamic PG than Junior. Hell...Junior mustered 3 assists in our 3 wins in the 2013 tournament. I wonder if a starting PG ever provided less to get to the Elite 8.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I remember Junior being on teams that went to the Sweet 16 twice and the Elite 8. I don't remember him taking us there. I remember a shooting guard, Dwight Buycks, starting ahead of him at the point on the first Sweet 16 team, I remember Jae Crowder and DJO taking us to the second Sweet 16, and I remember Vander Blue and Jamil Wilson taking us to the Elite 8.

Junior was there, but he wasn't the driving force on any of those teams. He was a below average starter and never close to dynamic. Maurice Acker was closer to being a dynamic PG than Junior. Hell...Junior mustered 3 assists in our 3 wins in the 2013 tournament. I wonder if a starting PG ever provided less to get to the Elite 8.

Here's the thing though. Junior was just enough of a scoring threat to where defenses couldn't show help with his defender. Also opened things up for Ox. Derrick was such a non factor on offense that his man would always show help on Ox or Fischer. It was brutal. The kid couldn't score.

[bilsu]

Junior understood how to get the ball to the bigmen. Buzz said he not only could get the ball to the bigmen, but he knew where they wanted to receive it. This was a skill that Derrick did not have. All you had to do was watch how Cadougan gave the ball to Gardner vs. how Derrick did to see the difference. When Cadougan passed the ball to Otule he passed it where Otule could see it.

[4everwarriors]

Pretty sure Mandy was first team Street & Smith. Carter ain't that, hey?

[Dr. Blackheart]

Traci and Haanif will have a test today with the press.  Need to keep the turnovers down. 

[Jay Bee]

Traci Carter is averaging a turnover about every ten minutes of game time.  Dominic James averaged one every 11.5 minutes or so as a freshman.  Obviously James was a better scorer, but Traci gets an assist every five minutes while DJ got one every six.

Not a relevant comp. Dom was a 28% usage and %Shots guy and had an 18% turnover rate. Traci is a 13% %shots guy who carries a 30% turnover rate.

[GGGG]

Not a relevant comp. Dom was a 28% usage and %Shots guy and had an 18% turnover rate. Traci is a 13% %shots guy who carries a 30% turnover rate.

Thanks.  I knew if I threw something out there, someone would provide more depth.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Get Carter?

http://www.cartermario.com/personal-injury-lawyer/?gclid=CILAlq3yncoCFQEnHwodShIEfA

[MU82]

I remember Junior being on teams that went to the Sweet 16 twice and the Elite 8. I don't remember him taking us there. I remember a shooting guard, Dwight Buycks, starting ahead of him at the point on the first Sweet 16 team, I remember Jae Crowder and DJO taking us to the second Sweet 16, and I remember Vander Blue and Jamil Wilson taking us to the Elite 8.

Junior was there, but he wasn't the driving force on any of those teams. He was a below average starter and never close to dynamic. Maurice Acker was closer to being a dynamic PG than Junior. Hell...Junior mustered 3 assists in our 3 wins in the 2013 tournament. I wonder if a starting PG ever provided less to get to the Elite 8.

Junior did have our second-biggest shot of that season, though, draining that 3 against UConn.

He was competent but nothing special. As I have said many times, his play should be the "floor" for all Marquette PGs. We can't win with anything worse than Junior and we really should be able to attract/develop much better PGs.

It's still way too early to know how Carter will compare.

[brewcity77]

Junior did have our second-biggest shot of that season, though, draining that 3 against UConn.

He was competent but nothing special. As I have said many times, his play should be the "floor" for all Marquette PGs. We can't win with anything worse than Junior and we really should be able to attract/develop much better PGs.

It's still way too early to know how Carter will compare.

Agreed. And that UConn shot was epic. That said, I will always hope for PGs better than Junior. Great kid, good representative, but we more won with him than because of him.

[MarquetteDano]

What is the deal with Marquette fans and point guards?

- a large minority of fans hated on James and he was a fantastic player
- a large minority of fans hated on Cadougan and he had two solid upperclassmen years
- nearly everyone hated on Derrick Wilson but he was the best option among who could play point

Now a group is hating on Carter.  Some things never change I guess.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

What is the deal with Marquette fans and point guards?

- a large minority of fans hated on James and he was a fantastic player
- a large minority of fans hated on Cadougan and he had two solid upperclassmen years
- nearly everyone hated on Derrick Wilson but he was the best option among who could play point

Now a group is hating on Carter.  Some things never change I guess.

I agree that the crap Dom took was puzzling.  I suspect it was because he was SO good his freshman year--to the point of nearly leaving for the NBA draft--and he generally failed to reach that level his next two years, along with the team failing to advance far in the tournament.  By his senior year he was playing fantastically but in a less obvious way, i.e., incredible defense but now the third option on offense.

As for the others, they are victims of comparisons.  MU has been fortunate to have some not good but truly great PGs historically, and Junior and Derrick never sniffed the levels reached by Travis, Tony Miller, Doc, Meminger, Walton, etc.  They didn't even reach the Really Good levels of a Cordell Henry.

[Jay Bee]

What is the deal with Marquette fans and point guards?

- a large minority of fans hated on James and he was a fantastic player
- a large minority of fans hated on Cadougan and he had two solid upperclassmen years
- nearly everyone hated on Derrick Wilson but he was the best option among who could play point

Now a group is hating on Carter.  Some things never change I guess.

Nearly 4 in 10 shots that Dom took were 3-pointers. He was a career 29.1% 3-point shooter. He was a career 46% eFG shooter.

Junior had monster turnover rates ever season. His best year was as a senior when he carried a 26% turnover rate. Ouch. He also was a career 22.1% 3-point shooter and his best eFG% season was a weak 45.8%.

Derrick didn't shoot much, but when he did it was awful (17.7% 3FG, 42.1% 2FG, 45.6% FT). A pass-first PG who wasn't looked to for scoring, he still never had a sub-20% turnover rate in any season.

I think a big issue that fans see is their point guards of the past have been turning it over a lot and are not good (even decent?) scoring options, which takes away from the overall offense.

Wednesday we'll see some point guards who can pass, score, and have good turnover rates, aina?

[MarquetteDano]

Nearly 4 in 10 shots that Dom took were 3-pointers. He was a career 29.1% 3-point shooter. He was a career 46% eFG shooter.

Junior had monster turnover rates ever season. His best year was as a senior when he carried a 26% turnover rate. Ouch. He also was a career 22.1% 3-point shooter and his best eFG% season was a weak 45.8%.

Derrick didn't shoot much, but when he did it was awful (17.7% 3FG, 42.1% 2FG, 45.6% FT). A pass-first PG who wasn't looked to for scoring, he still never had a sub-20% turnover rate in any season.

I think a big issue that fans see is their point guards of the past have been turning it over a lot and are not good (even decent?) scoring options, which takes away from the overall offense.

Wednesday we'll see some point guards who can pass, score, and have good turnover rates, right?

I imagine you could use stats to find faults in just about any player Marquette has had in the last fifteen years sans maybe a Crowder or a Wade.  My point is it seems the point guard position seems to get some pretty tough fault finding compared to others.

[Jay Bee]

I imagine you could use stats to find faults in just about any player Marquette has had in the last fifteen years sans maybe a Crowder or a Wade.  My point is it seems the point guard position seems to get some pretty tough fault finding compared to others.

My point is the PG's you brought up were especially deficient in their offense

[MU82]

I imagine you could use stats to find faults in just about any player Marquette has had in the last fifteen years sans maybe a Crowder or a Wade.  My point is it seems the point guard position seems to get some pretty tough fault finding compared to others.

This ... except why should DWade and Jae get a free pass, either?

I mean, Wade was 4-for-11 and had 5 TOs against Holy Cross in the first NCAA tourney game of 2003. There is no triple-double vs Kentucky if Diener doesn't save Wade and the Warriors. Ipso fatso, Wade wasn't good enough.

Crowder didn't even average 12 points or 7 rebounds as a junior. He shot 62% from the free-throw line. He had 11 pts, 4 TO and 4 fouls when we got creamed by North Carolina in the NCAAs. Obviously, Crowder had too many faults.

[Stretchdeltsig]

I love how hard Carter plays.  He really earns the nickname "the engine."

[Lennys Tap]

Agreed. And that UConn shot was epic. That said, I will always hope for PGs better than Junior. Great kid, good representative, but we more won with him than because of him.

Sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The Elite 8, Big East regular season championship team had essentially 6 starters - Junior, Blue, Lockett, Jamil and Ox/Tule. Each had elements of deficiency and each spent some serious time in the Scoop Penalty Box. Yet they gave us our second best season in 4 decades.

[MarquetteDano]

Sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The Elite 8, Big East regular season championship team had essentially 6 starters - Junior, Blue, Lockett, Jamil and Ox/Tule. Each had elements of deficiency and each spent some serious time in the Scoop Penalty Box. Yet they gave us our second best season in 4 decades.

And I would argue the prior season team was the best team since the 2003 team.  Having the MVP of the old Big East, and getting to the Sweet Sixteen was pretty good.  We just ran into a fantastic Florida team otherwise that team was Final Four caliber.

[JWags85]

Dominic James completely suffered from expectations tied to an incredible freshman year.  And cause he wasn't a great jump shooter, when he was off, he was OFF.  Especially at the FT line, thus he became unfairly maligned even though he was the best defender by far on the team, even better than Jerel.

I was thinking during the SJ game, Traci hit a 3 and I was pleasantly surprised, and then I thought how it had been awhile since MU had a PG you expected to score with regularity.  I think Traci will be a good player but still.

Markus Howard, your table is ready!

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

And I would argue the prior season team was the best team since the 2003 team.  Having the MVP of the old Big East, and getting to the Sweet Sixteen was pretty good.  We just ran into a fantastic Florida team otherwise that team was Final Four caliber.

Agree. That 2012 team was really, really good. The Otule injury really hurt. Could have used a good interior defender that season.