Forecast calls for "BLUE skies"

[MrRivals150]

Rivals #22 ranked baller in the nation makes the trek down to Milwaukee this weekend to visit Marquette.  This guy is legitimate folks.  He's a rising star who can slash the lane and shoot the trey.  Besides his signature baseline alley-oop this guy has some serious hangtime and is rising up the recruiting charts ( a la offers from Florida, UCLA, Arizona, Wis, Minn).  However, recently, rivals updated his school statuses and he seems to now be leaning towards staying in state (http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/schoolspop.asp?pr_key=76953).  Personally, his talent would be be utilized in the Big East at MARQ where he can play his freestyle offense.  I would hate to see another talented player go to UW and become a drone in the Bo Ryan put-me-to-sleep offense (remember Marcus Landry?, Wesley you did the right thing).  

Bottom line, let's show him this weekend why playing on Big Monday and Saturday nights trump playing on 'super Tuesday' and Sunday afternoons.  Lets show him what's it's like to play in an NBA stadium with a coach that lets your talent come to fruition.  And best of all, let's give him a little taste of Water Street and why Marquette's deep-pocket ladies trump Madison's country thunder.  This will be a good chance for Vander to re-unite with Jeronne Maymon his fellow teammate at Mad. Memorial HS, whom he "only talks to about girls."   Either way, this combination can do some damage (both on and off the court).  

So yes, the forcast calls for BLUE skies this weekend...      


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_Lb3mVE4aY

[ChicosBailBonds]

I believe Blue comes to MU or Florida.  I'm going with MU.

[AZWarrior]

I'm an optimist.  Its more fun.

Blue to MU.

[GGGG]

Rivals #22 ranked baller in the nation makes the trek down to Milwaukee this weekend to visit Marquette.  This guy is legitimate folks.  He's a rising star who can slash the lane and shoot the trey.  Besides his signature baseline alley-oop this guy has some serious hangtime and is rising up the recruiting charts ( a la offers from Florida, UCLA, Arizona, Wis, Minn).  However, recently, rivals updated his school statuses and he seems to now be leaning towards staying in state (http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/schoolspop.asp?pr_key=76953).  Personally, his talent would be be utilized in the Big East at MARQ where he can play his freestyle offense.  I would hate to see another talented player go to UW and become a drone in the Bo Ryan put-me-to-sleep offense (remember Marcus Landry?, Wesley you did the right thing).  

I think Brian Butch is a better example.  Ryan did a pretty good job with Landry.

[4everwarriors]

In an illogical business, I'm confident Blue will commit to the Warriors. It makes sense.

[Marq]

Rivals #22 ranked baller in the nation makes the trek down to Milwaukee this weekend to visit Marquette.  This guy is legitimate folks.  He's a rising star who can slash the lane and shoot the trey.  Besides his signature baseline alley-oop this guy has some serious hangtime and is rising up the recruiting charts ( a la offers from Florida, UCLA, Arizona, Wis, Minn).  However, recently, rivals updated his school statuses and he seems to now be leaning towards staying in state (http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/schoolspop.asp?pr_key=76953).  Personally, his talent would be be utilized in the Big East at MARQ where he can play his freestyle offense.  I would hate to see another talented player go to UW and become a drone in the Bo Ryan put-me-to-sleep offense (remember Marcus Landry?, Wesley you did the right thing).  

Bottom line, let's show him this weekend why playing on Big Monday and Saturday nights trump playing on 'super Tuesday' and Sunday afternoons.  Lets show him what's it's like to play in an NBA stadium with a coach that lets your talent come to fruition.  And best of all, let's give him a little taste of Water Street and why Marquette's deep-pocket ladies trump Madison's country thunder.  This will be a good chance for Vander to re-unite with Jeronne Maymon his fellow teammate at Mad. Memorial HS, whom he "only talks to about girls."   Either way, this combination can do some damage (both on and off the court).  

So yes, the forcast calls for BLUE skies this weekend...      


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_Lb3mVE4aY

You could almost say that up until Wes's senior year at Marquette that he made a mistake in coming to MU. His offensive game was more suited for the swing offense because of how well he did at posting up in the paint. A main feature in the Swing Offense. Now that might have had to deal with the lack of bigs on our team but he was virtaully non existant here until Buzz unleashed him.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I haven't bought a jersey in years, but if Blue comes to MU I would buy one. I just like the idea of having "Blue" on the back of a jersey. Of course, I said the same thing about Andy Polka and he ended up at Loyola.

[GGGG]

You could almost say that up until Wes's senior year at Marquette that he made a mistake in coming to MU. His offensive game was more suited for the swing offense because of how well he did at posting up in the paint. A main feature in the Swing Offense. Now that might have had to deal with the lack of bigs on our team but he was virtaully non existant here until Buzz unleashed him.

And conversely, Marcus Landry was almost perfectly suited for the swing.  Not really big enough to play the 4, and not quick enough to play the 3, he thrived in Ryan's offense because of the mismatches it causes.

Landry would not have done as well at Marquette.

[bma725]

You could almost say that up until Wes's senior year at Marquette that he made a mistake in coming to MU. His offensive game was more suited for the swing offense because of how well he did at posting up in the paint. A main feature in the Swing Offense. Now that might have had to deal with the lack of bigs on our team but he was virtaully non existant here until Buzz unleashed him.

Virtually non-existant?  That's a bit much.

Further, it's not that his game wasn't suited for Crean's offense, that couldn't be further from the truth.  His skillset was perfect for MU's offense.  The problem is that Crean's offense was designed to feature two players, one of whom is always the PG, and Wesley wasn't one of the two best players on the team until his senior year so he never got featured. 

In the swing, while he would have succeeded at posting up, you would have lost a lot of the other parts of his game.

[gjreda]

It's like throwing a hot dog down a hallway...

http://myapokalips.com/show/24#comic

[bma725]

And conversely, Marcus Landry was almost perfectly suited for the swing.  Not really big enough to play the 4, and not quick enough to play the 3, he thrived in Ryan's offense because of the mismatches it causes.

Landry would not have done as well at Marquette.

I don't know that you can definitively say that.  

Coming out of high school, Landry was athletic enough that he could have gone either way.  Once he went to Wisconsin he worked on the aspects of his game that fit the swing so it appears that he was perfectly suited for it in the end.  Had he gone somewhere else and worked on his quickness and ball handling, he might have developed into a great true 3.

It's like Hayward at MU.  Coming out of ND prep, a lot of the schools that were recruiting him saw him as a SG/SF.  He needed to be a bit quicker, but many felt that with the shooting skill he showed back then, he could be a very good perimeter player especially in an offense where they do a lot of screening for their outside guys to get shots.  Instead, he bulked up, lost some quickness and became an undersized four man at MU.

At the end of their career, players will almost always look like they made the right choice because they just spent the last four years dumbing down skills that work in other systems and accentuating those that only work in their chosen system.

[ecompt]

4ever has said all along that Vander will be a Warrior. I pray he is correct.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I haven't bought a jersey in years, but if Blue comes to MU I would buy one. I just like the idea of having "Blue" on the back of a jersey. Of course, I said the same thing about Andy Polka and he ended up at Loyola.

What if we sign an American Indian player with the last name Golden Eagle?   

[4everwarriors]

I haven't bought a jersey in years, but if Blue comes to MU I would buy one. I just like the idea of having "Blue" on the back of a jersey. Of course, I said the same thing about Andy Polka and he ended up at Loyola.

I'll join you. But, I'm buying the Baby Blue version.

[4everwarriors]

4ever has said all along that Vander will be a Warrior. I pray he is correct.

EC, keep working your beads.

[Skatastrophy]

What if we sign an American Indian player with the last name Golden Eagle?   

I'd rather have the guy's cousin with the last name Warrior.

[4everwarriors]

And conversely, Marcus Landry was almost perfectly suited for the swing.  Not really big enough to play the 4, and not quick enough to play the 3, he thrived in Ryan's offense because of the mismatches it causes.

Landry would not have done as well at Marquette.

Landry is a good player and would have been regardless of his college selection. Like Wes, he has a shot to stick in the Association with the Knicks.

[Marq]

Virtually nonexistent?  That's a bit much.

Further, it's not that his game wasn't suited for Crean's offense, that couldn't be further from the truth.  His skillset was perfect for MU's offense.  The problem is that Crean's offense was designed to feature two players, one of whom is always the PG, and Wesley wasn't one of the two best players on the team until his senior year so he never got featured. 

In the swing, while he would have succeeded at posting up, you would have lost a lot of the other parts of his game.

Nonexistant is a bit harsh your right but.......

Wes's job, when Crean was here, was to be the consistent outside shot, which he wasn't until his senior year.

BMA how are other parts of his game lost? He gains more in my opinion from being in the swing. But that is just the way I see it. The only thing he would lose would be the statistics in the defensive categories. Offensive numbers would have been the same or even better.

[bma725]

Nonexistant is a bit harsh your right but.......

Wes's job, when Crean was here, was to be the consistent outside shot, which he wasn't until his senior year.

BMA how are other parts of his game lost? He gains more in my opinion from being in the swing. But that is just the way I see it. The only thing he would lose would be the statistics in the defensive categories. Offensive numbers would have been the same or even better.

The best  part of Wesley's game is his ability to create with the ball in his hand.  That's why many of the colleges that recruited him out of high school were thinking of him as a PG at the college level.  Whether that's driving to the lane and trying to score on his own, or setting up an offense and then pulling up for a jumper, or drawing a defender and setting up his teammates, that's the area he excels at more than anything else.  Look at how many points he scored of free throws, most of which came because he was agressively going to the basket and was able to draw contact.

The swing negates that.  Sure, it may put him in the post more often, and I suppose that he's better in the post than he is being a catch and shoot spot up shooter.  But if you're looking only at those two things you're missing the most important factor.  He's a guy that needs to control the ball a lot to be truly effective, and the swing is never going to let him do that. 

Plus, Wes is a guy that is very good in a fast paced open court game where you can run a lot.  The swing won't allow that to happen.

Crean's offense was only a problem because of the other personnel on the team.  If there was no McNeal, Wes would have played that position from the very beginning, and we likely wouldn't be talking about his explosion as a senior because he would have been building to that all along just like McNeal did.  He just happened to come to MU at a time where there was someone better playing the position that he is best at.

[wyoMUfan]

Hot Dogs.....Indians.....I guess I'm not the only one who went out and had a few too many last night.

If vander loves ridiculously funny message boards (although he doesn't read them......) this would seal the deal.

p.s. SOOOOO pumped for mm tonight!@

[Marq]

The best  part of Wesley's game is his ability to create with the ball in his hand.  That's why many of the colleges that recruited him out of high school were thinking of him as a PG at the college level.  Whether that's driving to the lane and trying to score on his own, or setting up an offense and then pulling up for a jumper, or drawing a defender and setting up his teammates, that's the area he excels at more than anything else.  Look at how many points he scored of free throws, most of which came because he was agressively going to the basket and was able to draw contact.

The swing negates that.  Sure, it may put him in the post more often, and I suppose that he's better in the post than he is being a catch and shoot spot up shooter.  But if you're looking only at those two things you're missing the most important factor.  He's a guy that needs to control the ball a lot to be truly effective, and the swing is never going to let him do that. 

Plus, Wes is a guy that is very good in a fast paced open court game where you can run a lot.  The swing won't allow that to happen.

Crean's offense was only a problem because of the other personnel on the team.  If there was no McNeal, Wes would have played that position from the very beginning, and we likely wouldn't be talking about his explosion as a senior because he would have been building to that all along just like McNeal did.  He just happened to come to MU at a time where there was someone better playing the position that he is best at.

BMA- I agree with almost everything you say here. You make a lot of good points.  My last question or point will be this..... How can you say that the swing doesn't allow you to control the ball? Alando Tucker is a prime example of someone who was able to control the ball every time down the court in the swing. Almost every possession went through his hands his junior and senior years. It also allowed him to set up all of his teammates as well.

[79Warrior]

Flattering comments on MU woman.  I hate to say it, but we are about 0 for 100 on the fan base predicting correctly a player will committ to MU.  Its more like a curse.  I am getting ready for us to swing and miss again.  I get the feeling the fan base has zero positive influence on a recruit committing to MU and if anything works the opposite way.

Agreed. Every schools fan base make a potential star recruit feel important. Outside of the coaching staff, its how he feels about the other players that matter. Does he like the guys, does he feel a part of it. Chemistry is huge. Blue has to feel comfortable with his teamates.

[bma725]

BMA- I agree with almost everything you say here. You make a lot of good points.  My last question or point will be this..... How can you say that the swing doesn't allow you to control the ball? Alando Tucker is a prime example of someone who was able to control the ball every time down the court in the swing. Almost every possession went through his hands his junior and senior years. It also allowed him to set up all of his teammates as well.

I don't mean that the swing doesn't allow ball control, it does.  But it only allows players at certain positions to control the ball, and Matthews would not have been playing one of those positions.  The off guard position in Bo Ryan's swing at Wisconsin has with one brief exception been a guy that works on the perimeter as a spot up shooter.  Look at the guys that have played their historically...Kirk Penney, Boo Wade, Sharif Chambliss, Clayton Hansen, Michael Flowers, Jason Bohannon.  Matthews isn't like any of those guys in terms of skillset.

Honestly, when you look at the schools that Matthews chose from at the end, the swing was probably the worst offense for him.  Crean's offense may not have always utilized him to the fullest, but it did more than the swing would have.  In fact, if you want to say he made a mistake coming because of the offense, you'd have a better argument for his third finalist, Georgia Tech.  They at least run a 4-out 1-in Motion that would utilize him better than the swing.

Also, there's a difference between getting a lot of touches and controlling the ball.  Tucker got a lot of touches, but he never really controlled it.  It's the difference between someone running the offense, and someone having the offense run through them.  

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'd rather have the guy's cousin with the last name Warrior.

I'd take that, too. 

[MrRivals150]

The swing offense is a system offense for system players who are disciplined and sound fundamentally.  Wisconsin will never be exciting nor ever have aspirations beyond winning the Big Ten.  Then again, everyone here in Madison loves the Badgers.  I could only imagine how much they would love basketball if they had an exciting team playing tough teams on a regular basis.

Marquette has 3 top100 recruits this year.  Wisconsin has 0 top150 recruits.  All Wisconsin has is Evan Anderson for next year.  Folks, haste to say it, but he is literally the next Brian Butch.

If Buzz Williams really wants to make a splash and go down as an outstanding recruiter, then he must sign J.P. Tokoto from Mem. Falls (soph. in HS), ranked #4 on Rivals with offers from everywhere imaginable. 

Buzz Williams >> Bo Ryan
Hate to say it, but recruiting is huge.  Look at Brett Bielema, he is a terrible recruit.  That's why the Badgers have Ogelsby(5 star), Clay(4), and Phillips (4) as the ONLY top star players.  Bielema if you don't win tomorrow vs. Iowa, you will go down as someone who can never beat a good team.


just like the Dodgers, let's "THINK BLUE"