should have started Ooze from day One

[mviale]

He is just warming up

[jtate15]

I think, maybe more than anything, the activation of Mbakwe motivated Ooze to play like he should have been. Now knowing that there are other options beside himself can be a motivating factor. In retrospecs that could have been Crean's reasoning for stating Burke over Ooze. To motivate him. Of course that's all speculation. who knows?

[ToddPacker]

I disagree about Mbakwe lighting a fire under Ooze.  He has just gained confidence from that Cinci game.  He should have been starting the entire season.  Big time miscalculation by Crean on that one.  I love, love, love the way Ooze is playing.  While I would still like a back to the basket type player, he was flying around and grabbing everything and blocking or altering shots.  We need Ooze to bring this game every night. I realize he won't always be 6-6 from the floor, but his sudden aggressiveness on the boards is stunning. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

This thread is kind of funny....it would take a search that only goes back about 10 days or so to have people here ripping Barro into shreds. 

Players starts based on how they are playing in practice.  That's always been Crean's rule.  Barro also was getting into foul trouble at times which is why he was riding pine, on top of the fact he looked lost on some occasions.

I never know what we are getting with this guy, but tonight was sure fun to watch.

[mviale]

If I am the senior and I started all games last year, I want to start in my senior year. Barro has taken this better than I would.

[ChicosBailBonds]

If I am the senior and I started all games last year, I want to start in my senior year. Barro has taken this better than I would.

Yes he has, and I think some of the non-starting may have helped him find that killer attitude.  It had a similar impact on Joe Chapman.

These guys should take nothing for granted, senior status should not equal starting time.  You have to earn it.  Right now, Ooze is earning it.

[mviale]

whatever the case, did you see Burke out there - sheesh

[Pardner]

Loved his baby hook and a couple slams.  He took Blair to school tonight on D.  Best thing was his positioning when Blair was backing him up--stayed on his feet with his arms straight up.  What Ooze does well is run the floor and tire big guys like Blair and Harangody out.  I also loved TC's adjustment of sending Ooze hard on the switch.  It didn't always work (a couple of early gimmies) but Pitt was confused and we adjusted on the backside.  Ballsy.

In the BE, we are a better team with Ooze starting. 

[77ncaachamps]

Good to see Ooze get some quality minutes and involved in this game.

Good to see others get the ball to him.

Good to see our confidence is back up.

Good to see I was wrong about today's outcome.

[77fan88warrior]

Loved his baby hook and a couple slams.  He took Blair to school tonight on D.  Best thing was his positioning when Blair was backing him up--stayed on his feet with his arms straight up.  What Ooze does well is run the floor and tire big guys like Blair and Harangody out.  I also loved TC's adjustment of sending Ooze hard on the switch.  It didn't always work (a couple of early gimmies) but Pitt was confused and we adjusted on the backside.  Ballsy.

In the BE, we are a better team with Ooze starting. 

It was really nice that he didn't pick up any cheap fouls on the switch. He has been known to do this.
I really think Barro would have been the best red shirt we could have ever had. The guy didn't even get to play 1 year of high school ball. Keep it up OOOOOOZZZEE!

[mviale]

True that. When he is on, he is special.

[muhoosier260]

good to see ous put in the layups/uncontested dunks

[MUSF]

Yeah, I guess Ooze can keep his scholarship for one more week.   

I guess Pitt should look at dropping to D2 since they got dominated by someone undeserving of a D1 scholarship.

[mu_hilltopper]

I tend to not think "Ooze is doing better".  He's a senior, he's been playing here 3.5 years.  He's not suddenly going to learn new tricks.

Oooze is doing better recently mostly because Crean is putting him in a better position to do so.

[muwarrior87]

I think the best of Ooze's stats from last nights game would have to be ZERO fouls.  The double-double and perfect shooting is great, but part of the reason he was able to do this is because he was in position and played great defense not getting fouls in order to stay in the game and get some of those baskets. Loved seeing him run the floor early though and throw it down instead of trying to lay it in.

[chapman]

Ooze has been the best big man on the floor the past two games.  None of Seton Hall or Pitt's big men were effective against him.  And as the his first three baskets (all dunks) proved, he's getting better at finishing strong instead of avoiding contact and putting up a weak layup.  Plus, the rebounding has been phenominal.  Hopefully this trend continues.

[YoungMUFan4]

Wait...i thought Crean couldn't develop big men?      

[mviale]

peaking at the right time. However, for those fans that are fickle, Ooze could have a flat game in the future given the game situation.  I recommend keeping the faith and enjoy when he plays like last night.

[MUSF]

The bottom line with Ooze is that he is not a classic back to the basket big man, and he never will be.  He is long and athletic, runs the floor well, and plays the baseline well.  When he is forced to bang with guys like Harangody, he is going to get into foul trouble and have a difficult time on offense.

That being said, he is a more than capable D1 player and Crean has done a good job of trying to put him in a position to play to his strengths and hide his weaknesses.  Unfortunately, sometimes those weaknesses get exposed.

[SqueallyDRyan]

Creighton started their seniors until recently and one of them is god awful and it was incredibly hard to watch. i am glad that Crean has the sense to not follow this model. play who you think should start

[MUCam]

Squeally -

And who do you think should have started over Ooze? It'd be different if we were starting Ooze over Beasely or Harangody, simply by virtue that he is a senior, but those guys are not the other option. The other option, no offense to him, is Burke. While I think Burke is serviceable and while I think a senior Burke will provide us solid minutes next year ala Grimm, Harris, etc., he is not clearly better than Ooze at this time. It made no sense whatsoever to not start Ooze. It was a slap in his face for a kid that has always appeared to have given his all for the program. It may have been a motivational tool. If it was, we can hopefully all agree it failed miserably. As I said earlier this year, Ooze never appeared to be the type of player that would respond well to that challenge. In fact, in an earlier Rosiak article, I remember getting the sense that Ooze was dejected and lacking in confidence based on Crean's decision. You have to know your players and what best motivates each of them. Not starting Ooze his senior year after a year of starting every game was a terrible decision...and it showed.

[CTWarrior]

Agree 100% with inital post.  This is not rocket science.  Play your best guys as much as possible and Ooze is, and has always been, our best big guy.  He's not perfect and he'll throw up a stinker now and again, but he is the class of a less than stellar field in the MU PF-C derby.

[Marquette84]

Agree 100% with inital post.  This is not rocket science.  Play your best guys as much as possible and Ooze is, and has always been, our best big guy.  He's not perfect and he'll throw up a stinker now and again, but he is the class of a less than stellar field in the MU PF-C derby.

I think the issue here isn't whether Ooze is the best player on paper.  The issue is that early in the season he wasn't playing like it, and would Ooze be playing as well now if he got the starting job and minutes by default.  After nine years, it amazes me that some people still haven't caught on that Crean will bench a player for not performing in practice or up to their ability.  You don't get minutes because you're better on paper--you get minutes because you earn them in practice and in games. 

The simple fact is that Ooze saw his minutes cut and lost his starting job because he didn't earn them.  He was too prone to fouling (suggesting laziness in defense), he was dropping too many passes, and missing too many rebounds.   

It just doesn't make sense to say that Ooze was playing well early in the season and he should have played more.  He wasn't playing well.  That opens up the question of how you get him to play better.  Play him anyway?  Or sit him and tell him he has to earn those minutes?  I think in this case, the latter has worked exceedingly well.

[The Lens]

After nine years, it amazes me that some people still haven't caught on that Crean will bench a player for not performing in practice or up to their ability.  You don't get minutes because you're better on paper--you get minutes because you earn them in practice and in games. 

I think what this proves is no one is as smart as you are SJS.  Of course most should be forgiven for not picking up on TC's ways as you considering you are Tom Crean. 

PS Great win vs Pitt coach! it was a fun fun game.

[Big Papi]

Wow there sure is a lot of short term memory around here.  Burke was outplaying Barro at the beginning of the year and his peak performance was against Wisconsin.  Barro was not the same player for much of the year that he has been the last few weeks.  Lets give TC a little credit.  He does see this guys every day.  We don't.

[StillWarriors]

I saw Crean speak at a pre-season luncheon in Chicago, and he clearly seemed to be implying some dissatisfaction with Ooze. Without coming right out and saying it, he seemed to be suggesting that they have a tough time motivating Ooze and that they weren't sure what they would get out of him.  I suspect the apparent early season doghouse may have been related to that.

Frankly, I think they have to ride Ooze. You simply can't compete in the BE or at tourney time with a frontline maxed out at 6'7". Burke and Mbakwe are fine with spot duty, but Ooze brings something they simply can't with his size, ability to block/alter shots and his underappreciated ability to run the floor and jump out on the high screens. Louisville abused us in the first game on the jump out, but that was because no one rotated down low like we did very well on Friday night.

However it happened, Ooze is now playing with confidence, scoring well from the short corners (shades of the WI game) and taking some pressure off the guards to carry us on the boards. Our ceiling is much higher with Ooze in there than without him.

[SqueallyDRyan]

I agree that OOze should be starting now.  But there is no question that earlier in the year Burke was playing much better.  That is all I am saying

[Marquette84]

I think what this proves is no one is as smart as you are SJS.  Of course most should be forgiven for not picking up on TC's ways as you considering you are Tom Crean. 
.

Well, at least I know my limitations.  For example, I don't come on the board suggesting that I know so much more about a player's medical conditions than the doctors who actually examined him that I can state he needs seven more months of rehabilitation.

Seriously, though, I don't understand the reason for your personal insult.  We have people in this thread who posted messages that are based on the assumption that the better player on paper should automatically get playing time.  That would be completely alien to the way Crean has allocated time over the past nine seasons.

In my view, this is a simple matter:  Ooze wasn't playing well early before the the season and through the first half of the Big East season.   I think he's playing better the last few games because he now understands the consequences of his lack of execution.

If you agree, then skip the insults and say so.  If you disagree, then add something useful to the conversation rather than just the lame dig you posted. 

[mviale]

I understand the approach used by Crean and it worked for chapman, but it didnt work for a 10pt/10 reb guy in the BE.  Chapman was never in that class.  The reason why we flailed in rebounding was because Ooze was not starting.  He is a legit 10/10 guy and deserved to start the whole season.  This didnt motivate ooze, ooze is just picking up where he left off last year - he is proven.

[MUSF]

It doesn't matter if Barro starts or comes off the bench.  If he gets into foul trouble, we will struggle against teams with talented big men. 

Crean rewards players that work and play hard every day and IMO he should keep that philosophy.