Justin

[WhiteTrash]

I see the potential - Need some significant developmental steps to compete next year.

Hate to see him go, as mentioned before, a massive blow to next years team but I think he made the right choice. While he has the size, his game is not NBA level yet but if he has plateaued, like Dom James, his stock might never be higher. 

Thank you Justin and good luck. I'll be rooting for him.

[Otule's Glass Eye]

I assume Kam and OMax take a jump next year but I feel like a lot rides on if Wrightsil is legit or not or if Joplin takes a big jump.

[CountryRoads]

Good luck to Justin. Always seemed his heart was leaning towards the NBA. I think he’ll represent MU well and have a solid career.

MU will be fine next year. Justin’s departure opens the door for other players to step into more of a leadership role. We have a lot of candidates for guys to show significant improvement and I think they will deliver in a big way. I think Joplin makes the biggest jump next year.

[Herman Cain]

This is fantastic news for Justin and MU. The more talent MU sends to The Association the better .

I am bullish on the prospects for this years team . Everyone poised for solid growth .

Will be interesting to see what the coaching staff does with the empty spot.

[JakeBarnes]

I assume Kam and OMax take a jump next year but I feel like a lot rides on if Wrightsil is legit or not or if Joplin takes a big jump.

X Factors are gonna be Gold and EE. I personally think EE takes a big step next year and could have significant PG minutes by end of year.

[GoldenEagles03]

I assume Kam and OMax take a jump next year but I feel like a lot rides on if Wrightsil is legit or not or if Joplin takes a big jump.

Outside of OMax, Joplin is the guy I'm most confident in taking a jump. Even moreso than Kam.

Kam was pretty good already and outside of volume I don't think we'll see much different from Kam.

Joplin on the other hand has the size and skills to be a star. Just has to get comfortable which will take time.

[NickelDimer]

Best of luck J Lew! Hopefully you stay in MKE

[Tha Hound]

This is fantastic news for Justin and MU. The more talent MU sends to The Association the better

I am bullish on the prospects for this years team . Everyone poised for solid growth .

Will be interesting to see what the coaching staff does with the empty spot.

This is the most eye-roll inducing statement.

[PGsHeroes32]

This is the most eye-roll inducing statement.

Its really not.

Woulda been great to have Justin again. But its also great to get kids to the NBA.

Shaka has been here 1 year and hes had one guy such a huge jump he became a clear cut NBA prospect and he kept every other kid(outside of Greg who I dont count for this) out of the transfer portal.

Continuity and getting guys to the league is how a program like MU builds.

[lawdog77]

Its really not.

Woulda been great to have Justin again. But its also great to get kids to the NBA.

Shaka has been here 1 year and hes had one guy such a huge jump he became a clear cut NBA prospect and he kept every other kid(outside of Greg who I dont count for this) out of the transfer portal.

Continuity and getting guys to the league is how a program like MU builds.

Well, he's not drafted yet. Once hes drafted and plays in the NBA, that might be good news long term for MU, IMO

[CTWarrior]

The MLB was like 40 rounds. NBA should keep it as is.

Mike Piazza was drafted in the 62nd round of the 1988 draft (the 1,390th pick).

[MU82]

A core of Morsell, Kolek, Lewis and Kuath led me to believe we would far surpass the majority of expectations laid out by posters here - We did.

This coming season there are far more question marks. A lot of guys who played second, third fiddle with talent that are all very capable of taking big strides, but the jury is still out how they will handle increased work loads.

I hope to be wrong, but I’m more pessimistic this season than going into last. Without knowing who comes in to replace lewis’ roster spot, I’d guess our ceiling for next year is 17-19 wins.

Going into last season, all we knew about Morsell, Kolek and Kuath was that they had "played second, third fiddle" in their previous programs. Morsell was a non-scorer. Kuath wasn't even that. Kolek was an A-10 kid who was being tasked with playing a new position at a higher-level school. O-Max wasn't even third fiddle at Clemson. Even Lewis ... he didn't average double-figures as an MU frosh. And who knew what kind of college players Kam and Stevie would be? Last year's team was filled with question marks.

Don't get me wrong -- there are plenty of question marks going into next season now, too. Many of those are based on how much better guys like O-Max, Mitchell, Kolek, Kam, Joplin and Oso can be, as well as the newcomers.

I'll hold off on my expectations until I see who replaces Lewis on the roster, but I'd be pretty disappointed with a step backward.

Meanwhile ...

I wish nothing but great fortune to Justin Lewis. He worked hard, played well and was the main reason last year's team surpassed most observers' expectations. I hope he gets drafted and has a great pro career.

While him leaving will not be great for MU this season, it was expected by most (including Shaka no doubt), and overall it's good for a program to show it can be a launching pad to NBA careers.

[rocky_warrior]

I see a lot of roll players on this team and not a lot of studs.

Indeed.  Only 4 of 19 SOTGs returning.

[CTWarrior]

I figured he was gone.  He was a very good player for us and I wish him the best.  Hopefully someone will step up and grab the occasional rebound.  I think we better be using track shoes.

[Viper]

He was All Big East first team last season. That doesn't qualify as great?

a good college player. A great college player would be a Johnny Davis, imo.

[Tha Hound]

Its really not.

Woulda been great to have Justin again. But its also great to get kids to the NBA.

Shaka has been here 1 year and hes had one guy such a huge jump he became a clear cut NBA prospect and he kept every other kid(outside of Greg who I dont count for this) out of the transfer portal.

Continuity and getting guys to the league is how a program like MU builds.

It's great news for MU that MU lost a potential All-American

[panda]

Going into last season, all we knew about Morsell, Kolek and Kuath was that they had "played second, third fiddle" in their previous programs. Morsell was a non-scorer. Kuath wasn't even that. Kolek was an A-10 kid who was being tasked with playing a new position at a higher-level school. O-Max wasn't even third fiddle at Clemson. Even Lewis ... he didn't average double-figures as an MU frosh. And who knew what kind of college players Kam and Stevie would be? Last year's team was filled with question marks.

Don't get me wrong -- there are plenty of question marks going into next season now, too. Many of those are based on how much better guys like O-Max, Mitchell, Kolek, Kam, Joplin and Oso can be, as well as the newcomers.

I'll hold off on my expectations until I see who replaces Lewis on the roster, but I'd be pretty disappointed with a step backward.

Meanwhile ...

I wish nothing but great fortune to Justin Lewis. He worked hard, played well and was the main reason last year's team surpassed most observers' expectations. I hope he gets drafted and has a great pro career.

While him leaving will not be great for MU this season, it was expected by most (including Shaka no doubt), and overall it's good for a program to show it can be a launching pad to NBA careers.

I watched each of them play numerous times for their previous programs (Kuath and Morsell many more times than Kolek). I was very confident with them coming into the program with their experience/skill set and making immediate impacts. I don't have that feeling yet with any of the guys returning this season.

Morsell always had scoring skills. Maryland chose not to utilize them hence why he transferred.
Kuath was stuck behind Manek and didn't get as much run as his talent merits.
Kolek was A10 freshman player of the year.

All three proved themselves on the college level as more than capable players but not great fits within their respective programs. A change of scenery did all three of them wonders. I was very confident with my predictions last season and most of my predictions were quite accurate.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Welp.

Best of luck to Justin.  Easily one of my favorites to don the blue and gold since the Buzz era ended. 

[MuggsyB]

We need an impact transfer big.  Huge loss.

[We R Final Four]

Congrats and good luck Mr. Lewis. Will nice to have another Marquette grad in the Association.

Add me to the group that's still optimistic about next season. If Lewis had returned, I'd be thinking a top 15 team, now I'm thinking we will be slightly better than last season, somewhere in the 6-8 seed range, hopefully without getting falcon punched in the first round.

Did JLew graduate?

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

We need an impact transfer big.  Huge loss.

Yep.  The talk that this team without Justin is better than last is absolute fantasyland.  Lose by far our best two players and 3 of top 4 scorers, and bring in no top 100 recruits and no impact transfers.  Woof.  Long term upside is there, but I don't see next season being a tournament team. 

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Yep.  The talk that this team without Justin is better than last is absolute fantasyland.  Lose by far our best two players and 3 of top 4 scorers, and bring in no top 100 recruits and no impact transfers.  Woof.  Long term upside is there, but I don't see next season being a tournament team. 

How many times have we looked over at UW and said "this is the year they drop off," but they end up developing the players on their roster, and bring in a group of seemingly lowly rated prospects who have a greater impact than we think they will.

Sure, Justin is better than anyone coming in.  No doubt about that.  But I think you will see strong development from more than one player next year - and that will make up for the loss.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Yep.  The talk that this team without Justin is better than last is absolute fantasyland.  Lose by far our best two players and 3 of top 4 scorers, and bring in no top 100 recruits and no impact transfers.  Woof.  Long term upside is there, but I don't see next season being a tournament team.

If your prediction for this upcoming season is as accurate as your prediction for last season we should be in really good shape. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

a good college player. A great college player would be a Johnny Davis, imo.

The standard for "great" in college basketball is consensus first team All-American? I personally think that deserves an adjective above great.

[MU82]

I watched each of them play numerous times for their previous programs (Kuath and Morsell many more times than Kolek). I was very confident with them coming into the program with their experience/skill set and making immediate impacts. I don't have that feeling yet with any of the guys returning this season.

Morsell always had scoring skills. Maryland chose not to utilize them hence why he transferred.
Kuath was stuck behind Manek and didn't get as much run as his talent merits.
Kolek was A10 freshman player of the year.

All three proved themselves on the college level as more than capable players but not great fits within their respective programs. A change of scenery did all three of them wonders. I was very confident with my predictions last season and most of my predictions were quite accurate.

Cool. For most they were relative unknowns.

Kuath, overall, was a disappointment. Had numerous games where he couldn't even accidentally grab a rebound, seemed to have endurance issues, missed a bunch of dunks. I'd have rather had Manek, that's for sure.

Kolek was fine. Couldn't shoot most of the season and struggled with the ball once opponents took away the pick-and-roll game, but he has nice court awareness and is a willing playmaker. We need him (or another PG) to be better if we're to have a good season.

So Morsell stayed around Maryland for 4 years even though he felt they misused him? You knew he was gonna have a bunch of 20-point games early, then struggle to even hit double-digits for a couple months, then come on again, sprinkled in with having to be benched a few times by Shaka? You really ARE a great predictor!

We had a ton of question marks last season, which is why Big East coaches picked us to finish 9th. I'm glad we did better than that, and I hope we can answer next season's question marks at least as well.