If You Heard Buzz's Nova Post Game Talk, Everyone Here Is Wrong ...

[Tugg Speedman]

Buzz said the loss was not about lack of offense.  77 points (in regulation) is enough to win.  Especially considering 77 was scored with only 2 3pt FGs.  The problem was poor defense.

Buzz noted that Nova scored every single possession in OT (expect when Arcidiacono miss, got his own rebound and called a TO).  That was the problem in OT.  Playing more Mayo/Dawson would have made it worse.

Mayo and Dawson will see more playing time when the D plays better.  That is why they were not on the floor as much today.  We did not need them as scoring was not the problem today.

Buzz is right.  We needed more stops, not more offense.  We had enough O today.  The D let us down.

[forgetful]

Buzz said the loss was not about lack of offense.  77 points (in regulation) is enough to win.  Especially considering 77 was scored with only 2 3pt FGs.  The problem was poor defense.

Buzz noted that Nova scored every single possession in OT (expect when Arcidiacono miss, got his own rebound and called a TO).  That was the problem in OT.  Playing more Mayo/Dawson would have made it worse.

Mayo and Dawson will see more playing time when the D plays better.  That is why they were not on the floor as much today.  We did not need them as scoring was not the problem today.

Buzz is right.  We needed more stops, not more offense.  We had enough O today.  The D let us down.

I like this Buzz guy...seems to know his basketball.

[djvern414]

Yeah, the OT was sick.  'Nova was averaging over 2 points per possession, which reminded me of the Butler game.  In all fairness though, bad offense also led to some bad defense in the OT. Ultimately, Buzz is always going to be questioned unless he puts a "W" on the board.

[Wojo'sMojo]

Buzz said the loss was not about lack of offense.  77 points (in regulation) is enough to win.  Especially considering 77 was scored with only 2 3pt FGs.  The problem was poor defense.

Buzz noted that Nova scored every single possession in OT (expect when Arcidiacono miss, got his own rebound and called a TO).  That was the problem in OT.  Playing more Mayo/Dawson would have made it worse.

Mayo and Dawson will see more playing time when the D plays better.  That is why they were not on the floor as much today.  We did not need them as scoring was not the problem today.

Buzz is right.  We needed more stops, not more offense.  We had enough O today.  The D let us down.

This loss wasn't about the offense. It was about Buzz. His stubbornness and loyalty to certain players have doomed this entire season. This is by far his worst coaching job. When this season mercifully ends, hopefully he can reflect and realize what poor decisions he made and the motivation for getting back to the tournament will motivate him to rethink his player management for next season.

[Lennys Tap]

Buzz said the loss was not about lack of offense.  77 points (in regulation) is enough to win.  Especially considering 77 was scored with only 2 3pt FGs.  The problem was poor defense.

Buzz noted that Nova scored every single possession in OT (expect when Arcidiacono miss, got his own rebound and called a TO).  That was the problem in OT.  Playing more Mayo/Dawson would have made it worse.

Mayo and Dawson will see more playing time when the D plays better.  That is why they were not on the floor as much today.  We did not need them as scoring was not the problem today.

Buzz is right.  We needed more stops, not more offense.  We had enough O today.  The D let us down.

Pretty much what I've been saying. Our offensive efficiency was outstanding today, and that's in spite of a ton of missed lay ups (some totally uncontested, are you listening, Steve?). Our defense, though, didn't create enough turnovers,  didn't get  enough 50/50 balls, didn't force enough misses and when Villanova did miss, didn't get enough rebounds (Derrick is our only non big who gets any rebounds).

[Tugg Speedman]

This loss wasn't about the offense. It was about Buzz. His stubbornness and loyalty to certain players have doomed this entire season. This is by far his worst coaching job. When this season mercifully ends, hopefully he can reflect and realize what poor decisions he made and the motivation for getting back to the tournament will motivate him to rethink his player management for next season.

What decisions are you referring to?  This is code for less Jake and Derrick. 

We scored 77 points.  Had we played this offense game against tOSU, we would have won in laugher. 

Derrick and Jake were not the problem.

[Lennys Tap]

What decisions are you referring to?  This is code for less Jake and Derrick. 

We scored 77 points.  Had we played this offense game against tOSU, we would have won in laugher. 

Derrick and Jake were not the problem.

There you go again, letting the facts interfere with people's preferred narrative. Those with the pitchforks are very unhappy with you.

[Stretchdeltsig]

Jake should not play.  He is one dimensional.  And Derrick should play 10 or less minutes.

[Tugg Speedman]

Jake should not play.  He is one dimensional.  And Derrick should play 10 or less minutes.

And Nova scores 100 and their is not OT

[Daniel]

Defense was the problem today. We did a great job scoring inside on Nova even tho we missed some bunnies. Move scored at will - and fortunately missed some.  We had no good interior of exterior D today.

[Nukem2]

What decisions are you referring to?  This is code for less Jake and Derrick. 

We scored 77 points.  Had we played this offense game against tOSU, we would have won in laugher. 

Derrick and Jake were not the problem.

Yes, they were on both ends of the court...

[jesmu84]

Buzz said the loss was not about lack of offense.  77 points (in regulation) is enough to win.  Especially considering 77 was scored with only 2 3pt FGs.  The problem was poor defense.

Buzz noted that Nova scored every single possession in OT (expect when Arcidiacono miss, got his own rebound and called a TO).  That was the problem in OT.  Playing more Mayo/Dawson would have made it worse.

Mayo and Dawson will see more playing time when the D plays better.  That is why they were not on the floor as much today.  We did not need them as scoring was not the problem today.

Buzz is right.  We needed more stops, not more offense.  We had enough O today.  The D let us down.

Weird that I've been saying this in several threads...

[Norm]

Yes, but who was out there playing defense today on the perimeter? Derrick Wilson and Jake Thomas, with Mayo mixed in too. If Buzz was upset with how the D played today, then why didn't he try Dawson more (8 minutes total, almost all in the 1st half)?

It was not the young guys playing bad defense today, it was the veterans.

[NersEllenson]

Buzz said the loss was not about lack of offense.  77 points (in regulation) is enough to win.  Especially considering 77 was scored with only 2 3pt FGs.  The problem was poor defense.

Buzz noted that Nova scored every single possession in OT (expect when Arcidiacono miss, got his own rebound and called a TO).  That was the problem in OT.  Playing more Mayo/Dawson would have made it worse.

Mayo and Dawson will see more playing time when the D plays better.  That is why they were not on the floor as much today.  We did not need them as scoring was not the problem today.

Buzz is right.  We needed more stops, not more offense.  We had enough O today.  The D let us down.

Hey Genius - When the opposition scores on every single possession in OT - how would playing Mayo/Dawson have made it worse?!!  I mean how in the world could the opposition score every possession in overtime with our lockdown defenders Derrick and Jake out there??  Funny, I felt we lost in OT because we couldn't match their offense, and had numerous empty possessions.

At first I thought you were being sarcastic in your post...but reading on subsequent posts...I see you were being serious.

[Eldon]

We lost in OT because they scored more than we did. Two ways to see it--we failed on D for letting that happen. Or we failed on O for not matching VU's baskets.

[Wojo'sMojo]

What decisions are you referring to?  This is code for less Jake and Derrick. 

We scored 77 points.  Had we played this offense game against tOSU, we would have won in laugher. 

Derrick and Jake were not the problem.

Of course they weren't the problem lol...those 2 have played the most minutes this year and we are 11-9. Coincidence?? I think not! I think some on this board are satisfied having a .500 basketball team. I'm not one of them.

[chapman]

Hey Genius - When the opposition scores on every single possession in OT - how would playing Mayo/Dawson have made it worse?!!  I mean how in the world could the opposition score every possession in overtime with our lockdown defenders Derrick and Jake out there??  Funny, I felt we lost in OT because we couldn't match their offense, and had numerous empty possessions.

At first I thought you were being sarcastic in your post...but reading on subsequent posts...I see you were being serious.

Then they certainly would have made two baskets every possession in OT!  And if we gave up more points we would have suffered two losses as well. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Hey Genius - When the opposition scores on every single possession in OT - how would playing Mayo/Dawson have made it worse?!!  I mean how in the world could the opposition score every possession in overtime with our lockdown defenders Derrick and Jake out there??  Funny, I felt we lost in OT because we couldn't match their offense, and had numerous empty possessions.

At first I thought you were being sarcastic in your post...but reading on subsequent posts...I see you were being serious.

This is the only time you have made this arguement where it is actually true. If they are scoring every possession, then it literally can't get worse.

[Texas Western]

All successful coaches have big egos, unfortunately Buzz is in the phase of his career were he has let it get the best of him. Unfortunately it is hurting this team. The playing rotation is what is killing the team, not the offense or the defense. He is doing a tremendous disservice to some of these kids by putting them in situations that they cannot be successful in. This is a lost season because apparently Buzz is more intent on making some kind of point  than he is in winning games. Probably a sub conscious thing to justify him leaving for another offer at the end of year, which I sincerely hope he takes. It is very clear he doesn't want to be here.

There are plenty of young coaches who could take the kids we have now and in our pipeline and win with them. Marquette is a great institution and bigger than any one coach. I recognize his success to date, but I think he has gone in a far different direction this year. The personnel problems began in the off season and have continued on into the season.  Marquette deserves someone who is mature enough to handle this job. It has become pretty obvious now why Larry Williams( who also was no shrinking violet) jumped ship.

[NersEllenson]

This is the only time you have made this arguement where it is actually true. If they are scoring every possession, then it literally can't get worse.

Well all you staunch Derrick backers want to cite that he's so incredibly valuable defensively, that we can't dare trot out Dawson...as things could get so much worse.  Yet the one game Dawson gets 30 minutes - we win on the road against Georgetown - to date, our best win of the season.

[brandx]

Yes, but who was out there playing defense today on the perimeter? Derrick Wilson and Jake Thomas, with Mayo mixed in too. If Buzz was upset with how the D played today, then why didn't he try Dawson more (8 minutes total, almost all in the 1st half)?

It was not the young guys playing bad defense today, it was the veterans.

Bingo!!!

If our defense was the problem then why are Jake & DW playing?

They were the guys on the floor PLAYING BAD DEFENSE!!!

[brandx]

All successful coaches have big egos, unfortunately Buzz is in the phase of his career were he has let it get the best of him. Unfortunately it is hurting this team. The playing rotation is what is killing the team, not the offense or the defense. He is doing a tremendous disservice to some of these kids by putting them in situations that they cannot be successful in. This is a lost season because apparently Buzz is more intent on making some kind of point  than he is in winning games. Probably a sub conscious thing to justify him leaving for another offer at the end of year, which I sincerely hope he takes. It is very clear he doesn't want to be here.

There are plenty of young coaches who could take the kids we have now and in our pipeline and win with them. Marquette is a great institution and bigger than any one coach. I recognize his success to date, but I think he has gone in a far different direction this year. The personnel problems began in the off season and have continued on into the season.  Marquette deserves someone who is mature enough to handle this job. It has become pretty obvious now why Larry Williams( who also was no shrinking violet) jumped ship.

No offense - but that is a stupid post.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

All successful coaches have big egos, unfortunately Buzz is in the phase of his career were he has let it get the best of him. Unfortunately it is hurting this team. The playing rotation is what is killing the team, not the offense or the defense. He is doing a tremendous disservice to some of these kids by putting them in situations that they cannot be successful in. This is a lost season because apparently Buzz is more intent on making some kind of point  than he is in winning games. Probably a sub conscious thing to justify him leaving for another offer at the end of year, which I sincerely hope he takes. It is very clear he doesn't want to be here.

There are plenty of young coaches who could take the kids we have now and in our pipeline and win with them. Marquette is a great institution and bigger than any one coach. I recognize his success to date, but I think he has gone in a far different direction this year. The personnel problems began in the off season and have continued on into the season.  Marquette deserves someone who is mature enough to handle this job. It has become pretty obvious now why Larry Williams( who also was no shrinking violet) jumped ship.

this could be the dumbest f*ckin thing I've ever read on this G-D forum.  I really hope you are high on meth, otherwise, dang dude.

[NersEllenson]

All successful coaches have big egos, unfortunately Buzz is in the phase of his career were he has let it get the best of him. Unfortunately it is hurting this team. The playing rotation is what is killing the team, not the offense or the defense. He is doing a tremendous disservice to some of these kids by putting them in situations that they cannot be successful in. This is a lost season because apparently Buzz is more intent on making some kind of point  than he is in winning games. Probably a sub conscious thing to justify him leaving for another offer at the end of year, which I sincerely hope he takes. It is very clear he doesn't want to be here.

There are plenty of young coaches who could take the kids we have now and in our pipeline and win with them. Marquette is a great institution and bigger than any one coach. I recognize his success to date, but I think he has gone in a far different direction this year. The personnel problems began in the off season and have continued on into the season.  Marquette deserves someone who is mature enough to handle this job. It has become pretty obvious now why Larry Williams( who also was no shrinking violet) jumped ship.

Welcome to MU Scoop Larry Williams.  How's that job search going?  Do you always jump ship without having another gig lined up?  Oh wait, you didn't exactly jump ship...you were politely shown the door.

[tower912]

The defense yesterday was as bad as it has been in years.  Help was late, non-committal, guards were caught watching the ball while their guy was running a back-door lay up drill, poor job by the guards of stopping the dribble, bigs guarding wings out on the perimeter, late to close while the 3 was going up, hesitant and late on close outs.......   I honestly cannot remember anyone who looked good on defense. 

[Silkk the Shaka]

Bingo!!!

If our defense was the problem then why are Jake & DW playing?

They were the guys on the floor PLAYING BAD DEFENSE!!!

Haha yep that's the logical conclusion, 180 degrees from what the OP was trying to prove.

[DaCoach]

Buzz said the loss was not about lack of offense.  77 points (in regulation) is enough to win.  Especially considering 77 was scored with only 2 3pt FGs.  The problem was poor defense.

Buzz noted that Nova scored every single possession in OT (expect when Arcidiacono miss, got his own rebound and called a TO).  That was the problem in OT.  Playing more Mayo/Dawson would have made it worse.

Mayo and Dawson will see more playing time when the D plays better.  That is why they were not on the floor as much today.  We did not need them as scoring was not the problem today.

Buzz is right.  We needed more stops, not more offense.  We had enough O today.  The D let us down.

Please rerun the tape of the game. Mayo scored the last 10 points of the game to put us in OT. Mayo and Dawson scored 21 points in 34 minutes. Derrick and Jake scored 6 in 65 minutes. So tell us who was responsible for the bad defense and who was responsible for the improved offense? Arcidiacono scored 10 in OT. Was Dawson or Mayo the cause? Notice that Buzz didn't call out anyone. He spoke of the team's poor defense. Seems logical that Derrick and Jake contributed more poor D than either of the players you mentioned. Tell us what we're missing?

[Class71]

If Mayo and Dawson played more we would have won in regulation with no need for overtime. Sure better defense by them is very important but two bad passes alone by the starting guard duo where enough to lose the game. Also take a look at Poor free throws , where Derrick excels, lost the game. How about no offense from the starting duo. Was the D that good today from them? Do we need to provide more evidence? Look at the 3-pointer defense. The point is Buzz is a great coach but he needs to focus on more than defense and the hustle factor. In many situations defense alone or shooters who can only hit when they are wide open are not enough. BB, that is Buzz Bias, for only defense, selected stats, select general statistical rules and upper classman has sunk this team. Sometimes we need to get our heads out of these incomplete statistics and also consider factors that are more than one dimensional like 77 points should win the game. Did we ever consider that depends on how good the shooters are on the other team? How often do teams with 2 good 3 point shooting guards loose even against great defenses?  Defense is 50% of the game and 77 points against a team that shoots 3 pointers considerably better than us is simply not enough. Buzz needs to look at all the stats not just the BB or B2 stats identified above. Buzz is a great coach but standard statistical rules that are generally true do not hold in all situations. We once again learned that today. Buzz just needs to make a few tweeks. We are so close it hurts.

[royceda5 9]

Mayo kept us in the game. He got us to OT, anyone saying differently didn't watch the game. We are WORSE without Mayo, PERIOD.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Mayo kept us in the game. He got us to OT, anyone saying differently didn't watch the game. We are WORSE without Mayo, PERIOD.

Today, yes.  Other games, not always.  He was pretty bad against Butler and that's being nice. 

Rarely have we had a player play good to very good in every game this year.  Some guys play great, then they take a step back for a game or two.  Certainly frustrating to watch.

[royceda5 9]

Agree with you Chicos, time to cut Mayo loose.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Agree with you Chicos, time to cut Mayo loose.

I don't believe I ever said that....not sure what you are agreeing with....the part about our inconsistent players?

[MU82]

Bingo!!!

If our defense was the problem then why are Jake & DW playing?

They were the guys on the floor PLAYING BAD DEFENSE!!!

I had this exact same thought as I read the OP and posts from others who agreed.

I mean, it wasn't Dawson, JJJ and Burton that Arcidiacono, Hilliard, Bell and Chennault were going around, scoring over and beating to spots all game long.

If Buzz really thought the perimeter defense was the problem, why stick with his two primary perimeter defenders for 65 freakin' minutes? If Mayo was part of the problem, at least we got some offensive return from him. The others? Not so much.

[Wade for President]

Bingo!!!

If our defense was the problem then why are Jake & DW playing?

They were the guys on the floor PLAYING BAD DEFENSE!!!

I feel bad for consistently hammering down one player (I honestly can't remember feeling this negative towards an MU player before), but DWilson was hurting us on both sides of the ball.  He was billed as a strong defender (I don't know if that was due to him being ineffective at the point), but today Derrick was getting burned on D.

I saw countless plays where the opposition got around DWilson (obviously the last play in regulation was the most glaring) with relative ease.  Knowing the upside Dawson showed in the Gtown game, why doesn't Buzz think that Dawson couldn't play as strong a defense as Derrick?!?  Even if John's defense is more suspect than Derrick's, the offensive upside that John brings to the team far outweighs a small drop off in D.

DWilson played tight defense at Madison his frosh year, and I feel like we've given him defensive praise ever since.  

I cringe virtually every time I see Derrick with the ball.

Okay...I need to go to confession for hatin on an MU player.

[avid1010]

i must have missed all of dawson's OT bad defense...

the game shouldn't have gone into overtime...d. wilson let his guy go full court for the game winner, and the refs blew the call.  buzz clearly has more knowledge and insight than i do, but i don't see d. wilson playing great defense, and i don't see jamil wilson sitting on the bench.  it's hard to make the argument that the defense was no good, when the players that don't play defense well aren't on the court.  if you're best defenders are giving up 77 points, then the coach has to take credit for the bad defense. 

[willie warrior]

Defense was the problem today. We did a great job scoring inside on Nova even tho we missed some bunnies. Move scored at will - and fortunately missed some.  We had no good interior of exterior D today.

Today only? We have been piss poor defending the 3 all year. Jamil Wilson is a huge liability on defense--worse on the team, even with his length. Derrick was beaten off the dribble all day causing huge defensive gaps and breakdowns. Otule had ZERO ZERO rebounds--the biggest dude on the floor. Mayo and Ox were the only ones that came to play today. Jake and Derrick as well as Otule should only see about 10 minutes a game. But that isn't happening in Buzz we trust!!!!!

[willie warrior]

i must have missed all of dawson's OT bad defense...

the game shouldn't have gone into overtime...d. wilson let his guy go full court for the game winner, and the refs blew the call.  buzz clearly has more knowledge and insight than i do, but i don't see d. wilson playing great defense, and i don't see jamil wilson sitting on the bench. 

Not only for the game winner--he was repeatedly beaten off the dribble--MR. LOCK DOWN D. Buzz's "game changer" and "best defender he has ever coached" Enough of the BS Buzzspeak. Start earning your $2.5 million

[willie warrior]

Today, yes.  Other games, not always.  He was pretty bad against Butler and that's being nice. 

Rarely have we had a player play good to very good in every game this year.  Some guys play great, then they take a step back for a game or two.  Certainly frustrating to watch.

Yeah Mayo is inconsistent, but so is Jake. Give more of Derrick's and Jakes minutes to Mayo.

[madtownwarrior]

well thank god we stuck with our "Lockdown Defender" or Nova might have scored a 160....

Buzz said the loss was not about lack of offense.  77 points (in regulation) is enough to win.  Especially considering 77 was scored with only 2 3pt FGs.  The problem was poor defense.

Buzz noted that Nova scored every single possession in OT (expect when Arcidiacono miss, got his own rebound and called a TO).  That was the problem in OT.  Playing more Mayo/Dawson would have made it worse.

Mayo and Dawson will see more playing time when the D plays better.  That is why they were not on the floor as much today.  We did not need them as scoring was not the problem today.

Buzz is right.  We needed more stops, not more offense.  We had enough O today.  The D let us down.

[MU_LOL]

I don't believe I ever said that....not sure what you are agreeing with....the part about our inconsistent players?

I think he was being sarcastic, but I could be wrong

[willie warrior]

you should be on the board of trustee's...and get an economics degree. 

Yeah, but it would have t be from MU--the only degree that matters.

[injuryBug]

Buzz is completely confused this year.  Today was a prime example.  What other shooting guard in the world takes 2 shots with the first being with 1 minute left in the game and then gives up 30 on the other end of the floor?
Derrick had 6 but gave up 20+. I still have never seen that Derrick and Jake are defensive stoppers.  

The only reason we were close in this game is cause Nova refused to double DG in the post and for some reason guarded Derrick on the outside.
Very hard to enjoy this season

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Some of you guys are so intent on criticizing Derrick, who I admit played poorly, that you fail to see that our other guard probably could have stayed home and been just as effective.

[Big Papi]

Some of you guys are so intent on criticizing Derrick, who I admit played poorly, that you fail to see that our other guard probably could have stayed home and been just as effective.

+1

I think Buzz has earned the right to know who might give him the best chance on the floor to win.  Yes DWil and Thomas got smoked on the defense end and were not scoring.  I think the reason they played extensively in overtime and the game was because over the course of entire season, games and practices(which none of us see), Buzz felt the most comfortable with them on the floor for defensive purposes. 

I love Dawson's potential and Burton's potential but the game plan today was get the ball to Gardner and Otule down low.  Guess what?  It worked over and over again.  What we didn't need was Dawson and Burton jacking up shots today because what I remember was Burton spinning into a double team and turning the ball over and Dawson taking a quick shot on offense when he didn't even look to get the ball down low.  Buzz's message "PLAY TO THE GAMEPLAN!!!"  If you don't you are on the bench.

What I don't get is why Dawson was not in the game at the end of second half when we were down points and we needed another offensive option but we did end up tying the game, the first time around.

The next game, the opponent might be doubling down on the post and sagging off of DWilson, in which case I am going to guess that Buzz will play Dawson and Burton and others a lot more.  This game was about getting the ball down low on offense while playing our best defenders.  By the way, Bell went off with wide open looks for three against multiple defenders including Mayo and Dawson wasn't stopping anyone when he was in the game either.

[esotericmindguy]

And Nova scores 100 and their is not OT

Oh really? That's interesting because their guards scored 70 points on 21-42 shooting, including 10-24 from 3. Bell carried a ORat of 129, Arcidiacono 152 & Hilliard 145. The defense could not have been worse.

The point is, this isn't working, just play the Dawson & Mayo and let them grow. There is NO future with Wilson and Thomas, so whats the point.

[willie warrior]

+1

I think Buzz has earned the right to know who might give him the best chance on the floor to win.  Yes DWil and Thomas got smoked on the defense end and were not scoring.  I think the reason they played extensively in overtime and the game was because over the course of entire season, games and practices(which none of us see), Buzz felt the most comfortable with them on the floor for defensive purposes. 

I love Dawson's potential and Burton's potential but the game plan today was get the ball to Gardner and Otule down low.  Guess what?  It worked over and over again.  What we didn't need was Dawson and Burton jacking up shots today because what I remember was Burton spinning into a double team and turning the ball over and Dawson taking a quick shot on offense when he didn't even look to get the ball down low.  Buzz's message "PLAY TO THE GAMEPLAN!!!"  If you don't you are on the bench.

What I don't get is why Dawson was not in the game at the end of second half when we were down points and we needed another offensive option but we did end up tying the game, the first time around.

The next game, the opponent might be doubling down on the post and sagging off of DWilson, in which case I am going to guess that Buzz will play Dawson and Burton and others a lot more.  This game was about getting the ball down low on offense while playing our best defenders.  By the way, Bell went off with wide open looks for three against multiple defenders including Mayo and Dawson wasn't stopping anyone when he was in the game either.

In Buzz we slurp.

[Wade for President]

The point is, this isn't working, just play the Dawson & Mayo and let them grow. There is NO future with Wilson and Thomas, so whats the point.

+100

The LAST thing in the world I want to do, is go into next year having to deal with Derrick running the point.  Role player, yes.  Starting of for next season, god help us.

[Eldon]

Oh really? That's interesting because their guards scored 70 points on 21-42 shooting, including 10-24 from 3. Bell carried a ORat of 129, Arcidiacono 152 & Hilliard 145. The defense could not have been worse.

The point is, this isn't working, just play the Dawson & Mayo and let them grow. There is NO future with Wilson and Thomas, so whats the point.

I was just going to start a thread on this.  Let Dawson and Mayo take the helm for the next ten games.  That way Dawson is at least somewhat seasoned to give us a shot at the BE tourney.  IMO Dawson +10 more games gives us a better chance at winning the BE Tourney than DWil or JWil at the point.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I think he was being sarcastic, but I could be wrong

Or he may have meant cut him loose meaning let him play more, who knows. 

[brandx]

The defense yesterday was as bad as it has been in years.  Help was late, non-committal, guards were caught watching the ball while their guy was running a back-door lay up drill, poor job by the guards of stopping the dribble, bigs guarding wings out on the perimeter, late to close while the 3 was going up, hesitant and late on close outs.......   I honestly cannot remember anyone who looked good on defense. 

Which makes me wonder about your defense of DW. His only value is defense and yet you defend 36 minutes for a guy you are saying played bad defense.

[77ncaachamps]

Buzz is right; the defense was a large issue why the game was lost.

But that means he and the coaching staff are responsible for not creating effective defensive schemes.

Because of their lack of d, I guess that's why we'll see constant subbing in and out.

I just want Buzz to say, "We suck. We can't score. We can't stop the opposing team."
But I know that'd hurt The team's fragile psyche.

Yet I still want him to be brutally honest as he was before.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Which makes me wonder about your defense of DW. His only value is defense and yet you defend 36 minutes for a guy you are saying played bad defense.

This is the kind of comment that just drives me bonkers.

His 6 points don't have value?  His 7 assists don't have value? 

Did anybody play good defense yesterday?  No.

It's not always all about Derrick Wilson, as much as you seem to want it to be. 

[tower912]

Which makes me wonder about your defense of DW. His only value is defense and yet you defend 36 minutes for a guy you are saying played bad defense.

I am saying the team played bad defense.   Every single one.   The bigs were late and weak on the hedge.   Watching either Otule or Gardner having to guard a versatile wing on the perimeter is my personal pet peeve and biggest criticism of Buzz this year.   Jake and Todd kept doing their best Jerel-in-MSG imitation.   Not a single player had a good day defensively.   It was the worst I have seen Derrick play defensively all year.
             My defense of Derrick Wilson comes from watching John Dawson against the December cupcakes and concluding he wasn't ready.    Dawson has come far in the last 4 weeks, but one solid game does not a season make.   If Buzz truly believes this season is lost, he should start Dawson.   If he thinks this season can be salvaged, he should start Dawson, give him a little run, if he is playing well leave him in (like Georgetown), if he is playing poorly (like Butler or yesterday) sit him.   

[jesmu84]

+1

I think Buzz has earned the right to know who might give him the best chance on the floor to win.  Yes DWil and Thomas got smoked on the defense end and were not scoring.  I think the reason they played extensively in overtime and the game was because over the course of entire season, games and practices(which none of us see), Buzz felt the most comfortable with them on the floor for defensive purposes. 

I love Dawson's potential and Burton's potential but the game plan today was get the ball to Gardner and Otule down low.  Guess what?  It worked over and over again.  What we didn't need was Dawson and Burton jacking up shots today because what I remember was Burton spinning into a double team and turning the ball over and Dawson taking a quick shot on offense when he didn't even look to get the ball down low.  Buzz's message "PLAY TO THE GAMEPLAN!!!"  If you don't you are on the bench.

What I don't get is why Dawson was not in the game at the end of second half when we were down points and we needed another offensive option but we did end up tying the game, the first time around.

The next game, the opponent might be doubling down on the post and sagging off of DWilson, in which case I am going to guess that Buzz will play Dawson and Burton and others a lot more.  This game was about getting the ball down low on offense while playing our best defenders.  By the way, Bell went off with wide open looks for three against multiple defenders including Mayo and Dawson wasn't stopping anyone when he was in the game either.

As I've pointed out elsewhere, this is pretty spot-on. When you have Nova not doubling gardner in the post, Jake doesn't NEED to shoot more than he did. Derrick doesn't need to get more than 6 points. Why would they? Davante is playing ridiculously well and making everything. It's the same reason Nova didn't need to go inside - they were scoring very well from the perimeter. I don't understand why people don't see this. We didn't need to score 40 from our backcourt today because our frontcourt was so good and Nova wasn't doing anything to change our approach. Baffling.

[PGsHeroes32]

Buzz said the loss was not about lack of offense.  77 points (in regulation) is enough to win.  Especially considering 77 was scored with only 2 3pt FGs.  The problem was poor defense.

Buzz noted that Nova scored every single possession in OT (expect when Arcidiacono miss, got his own rebound and called a TO).  That was the problem in OT.  Playing more Mayo/Dawson would have made it worse.

Mayo and Dawson will see more playing time when the D plays better.  That is why they were not on the floor as much today.  We did not need them as scoring was not the problem today.

Buzz is right.  We needed more stops, not more offense.  We had enough O today.  The D let us down.

wait, wait, wait...

You say the problem was defense

And then point out that our so called defensive 'liabilities" didn't see the floor much

But defense was the problem?

Ok.

[BallBoy]

Please rerun the tape of the game. Mayo scored the last 10 points of the game to put us in OT. Mayo and Dawson scored 21 points in 34 minutes. Derrick and Jake scored 6 in 65 minutes. So tell us who was responsible for the bad defense and who was responsible for the improved offense? Arcidiacono scored 10 in OT. Was Dawson or Mayo the cause? Notice that Buzz didn't call out anyone. He spoke of the team's poor defense. Seems logical that Derrick and Jake contributed more poor D than either of the players you mentioned. Tell us what we're missing?

This is so illogical because Wilson played with Mayo and guess what Mayo scored the last ten points which Derrick assisted on one and got him a hand off when Mayo was fouled (both accounted for six points).  With Wilson and Mayo playing there was 24 points and 7 assists while Dawson and Thomas were 3 pts and no assists.  See what I did there. 

The game plan was not a Jake Thomas game plan, it was to feed the Ox in the middle.  The game plan worked which is why we kept it close to a Top 10 team in the country and had a high offensive output; however; that Top 10 team out did us in in OT. 

Who was guarding Archiancono in OT? Mayo for all but two free throws.  So please explain to me why Wilson or Thomas would be more at fault than Mayo.  Based only on who scored, the fault would be Mayo's but I believe all five players were equally at fault as it is a team game. 

[slingkong]

And Nova scores 100 and their is not OT

Does this L not really count as an L since it was in OT? No?

[Texas Western]

All successful coaches have big egos, unfortunately Buzz is in the phase of his career were he has let it get the best of him. Unfortunately it is hurting this team. The playing rotation is what is killing the team, not the offense or the defense. He is doing a tremendous disservice to some of these kids by putting them in situations that they cannot be successful in. This is a lost season because apparently Buzz is more intent on making some kind of point  than he is in winning games. Probably a sub conscious thing to justify him leaving for another offer at the end of year, which I sincerely hope he takes. It is very clear he doesn't want to be here.

There are plenty of young coaches who could take the kids we have now and in our pipeline and win with them. Marquette is a great institution and bigger than any one coach. I recognize his success to date, but I think he has gone in a far different direction this year. The personnel problems began in the off season and have continued on into the season.  Marquette deserves someone who is mature enough to handle this job.

Thought this then and now...

[Logi4three]

Wow.  Sounds like Buzz isn't the only one who is good at reading people. Did you have any inside scoop about the situation or was your hunch just a guess?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Thought this then and now...

Dr. Freud....well done

[WesleyPipes]

Thought this then and now...

I logged in for the first time in a long time just to say... wow! Do you do palm readings?