Sam is pretty good

[Herman Cain]

So would anyone care to address the question of whether Sam could be a 20/8 guy or better as the primary option on a mid-major team, or is the "McDermott is better, I'll dodge the actual question" going to be the stock answer?

Gabe Levin and Ryan Welage are good mid major comps.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

So would anyone care to address the question of whether Sam could be a 20/8 guy or better as the primary option on a mid-major team, or is the "McDermott is better, I'll dodge the actual question" going to be the stock answer?

McDermott almost singlehandedly turned a mid-major team into a top 20 team. Sam has better talent around him but hasn't led Marquette to top 20 status yet. If you put Sam on those Creighton teams, he might put up 20/8 but they wouldn't have been as good as they were.

Also, when McDermott won NPOY Creighton was in the Big East. They were a high major team.

[brewcity77]

McDermott almost singlehandedly turned a mid-major team into a top 20 team. Sam has better talent around him but hasn't led Marquette to top 20 status yet. If you put Sam on those Creighton teams, he might put up 20/8 but they wouldn't have been as good as they were.

Also, when McDermott won NPOY Creighton was in the Big East. They were a high major team.

And he was a senior, while Sam has only played through his sophomore year. Look at how good those first two Creighton teams were. His freshman year they entered one of the pay to play tournaments, his sophomore year they were the 8-seed auto bid from a 2-bid league (which is a likely bubble team if they don't get the auto).

Also, worth looking at their schedule to see what Creighton was doing in non-conference play during McDermott's first two years. He didn't instantly turn them into world beaters.

Look at the advanced numbers and tell me where he doesn't match up. Usage, for sure, but Sam's advanced numbers improved as a sophomore with higher usage.

Sam's no Larry Bird. But McDermott wasn't either, despite what Sports Illustrated tried to tell us.

[GGGG]

We will see if his advanced numbers hold up as his usage increases.

And I have no idea why you’re bringing up Larry Bird.

[Silkk the Shaka]

It Jimmy and Sam are not really comparable players on the court.

Jimmy was/is an athletic slasher who got to the free throw line a lot  and was a great defender. Didn't shoot many 3s.....tough as nails.

Sam is just not that guy.....both very good college players but very different in what they brought to the table.

They are comparable mentality/efficiency-wise, which is all I was saying. Both are/were hyper-aware of the value of the basketball, what a good shot is/isn't, and where they fit within the context of the overall team. They both were also not afraid to shoot it once that shot presented itself, and they convert at a very high rate.

[Lennys Tap]

So would anyone care to address the question of whether Sam could be a 20/8 guy or better as the primary option on a mid-major team, or is the "McDermott is better, I'll dodge the actual question" going to be the stock answer?

Sure, that's easy. Sam could average 20/8 or better as the primary option on a mid major team. I don't think anyone would dispute that. And Morrow could easily average 18 and 11 as the primary option on a mid major team. Would that make them 3 time Americans or National Player of the year or the #11 pick in the draft? No - because they're not nearly as good at playing basketball as Doug McDermott.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Rebotes fáciles

I just want to say that this reply was underappreciated by the board.  Well done.

[Lennys Tap]

Look at the advanced numbers and tell me where he doesn't match up. Usage, for sure, but Sam's advanced numbers improved as a sophomore with higher usage.

Six (6) players on Marquette's current roster have combined for 81 games where their usage was > 25%. Sam has had zero (0). If he's a comp to Doug McDermott, Wojo should be fired immediately. I'll take that back - he should have been fired after Sam's freshman year.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Six (6) players on Marquette's current roster have combined for 81 games where their usage was > 25%. Sam has had zero (0). If he's a comp to Doug McDermott, Wojo should be fired immediately. I'll take that back - he should have been fired after Sam's freshman year.

As a Freshman, Sam lead the team in minutes.  He just doesn't take many low percentage shots.

[WarriorFan]

I definitely agree that Sam is pretty good.  Can be great.  I think this year will be a bit up and down as he comes back from injury, but as he comes back I hope to see some quickness on O and D... a little bit of JFB type play.  I think the injury means he stays as a senior and by then he's absolutely a "go-to" guy.  Probably still much lower usage than McD or even JFB but excellent efficiency and sets himself up to enter the league as a D and 3 guy.

[brewcity77]

And I have no idea why you’re bringing up Larry Bird.

Because those were the comps thrown around constantly when McDermott was at Creighton. SI did a magazine cover that mirrored one of Bird's college covers.

As much as I think people here are undervaluing Sam, people also overvalued McDermott. Was McD efficient? Yes. But he was an All-American as a sophomore because of the usage and because Creighton had no one else. And because he was an All-American as a sophomore, he continued to get the marketing that came with that.

Had he played on deeper teams that didn't run everything through him (say the past two MU teams) or in a tougher league early on, he probably never gets those early accolades or the comparisons to Bird, a legit all timer.

The reason I think the comparison is closer than many here think is because McDermott wasn't as great as people like to think, and his post-college career has reinforced that.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Because those were the comps thrown around constantly when McDermott was at Creighton. SI did a magazine cover that mirrored one of Bird's college covers.

As much as I think people here are undervaluing Sam, people also overvalued McDermott. Was McD efficient? Yes. But he was an All-American as a sophomore because of the usage and because Creighton had no one else. And because he was an All-American as a sophomore, he continued to get the marketing that came with that.

Had he played on deeper teams that didn't run everything through him (say the past two MU teams) or in a tougher league early on, he probably never gets those early accolades or the comparisons to Bird, a legit all timer.

The reason I think the comparison is closer than many here think is because McDermott wasn't as great as people like to think, and his post-college career has reinforced that.

It's both. His high level of efficiency and high usage is what made him an All American. You can't just dismiss McDermott because he had high usage. The fact that he was that efficient with zero help on his team makes him more impressive, not less.

[brewcity77]

It's both. His high level of efficiency and high usage is what made him an All American. You can't just dismiss McDermott because he had high usage. The fact that he was that efficient with zero help on his team makes him more impressive, not less.

But I'm talking the difference between him and Sam. If instead of two guys hunting their own shots like AR and Howard, Sam had two guys dedicated to getting him the ball like Gibbs and Young, I think he could've very closely mirrored McDermott's sophomore year.

[Lennys Tap]

As a Freshman, Sam lead the team in minutes.  He just doesn't take many low percentage shots.

This is true, but in nearly every game there are low percentage plays/shots that a team is forced to make/take. Until Sam asserts himself in those situations his ceiling is "really really good" instead of great.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

But I'm talking the difference between him and Sam. If instead of two guys hunting their own shots like AR and Howard, Sam had two guys dedicated to getting him the ball like Gibbs and Young, I think he could've very closely mirrored McDermott's sophomore year.

I really don't think it had anything to do with MH and AR shot hunting. Sam is who is. He's an ultra efficient player who only makes a play when its the right one. His low usage isn't because he didn't get the ball enough its because he is more likely make a pass then take a less than ideal shot. If he didn't play that way, his usage would have gone up but his efficiency down. Don't get me wrong, Sam is a great player and I do think he is one of the most undervalued in the league but I don't think he's been as good as Dougie McBuckets was.....which is fine. Only one guy gets to be National Player of the Year every year. Maybe Sam grows into that, we will see.

[Lennys Tap]

Because those were the comps thrown around constantly when McDermott was at Creighton. SI did a magazine cover that mirrored one of Bird's college covers.

Your magazine cover (mirroring one of McDermott's college covers for Sam) is as off base as SI's was. McDermott was efficient in spite of the D knowing he was the go to guy and doing everything they could to stop him. Sam was efficient as the third option in the offense and the third guy opponent's game planned for. Huge difference.

[MU82]

This is true, but in nearly every game there are low percentage plays/shots that a team is forced to make/take. Until Sam asserts himself in those situations his ceiling is "really really good" instead of great.

I agree with this.

Your magazine cover (mirroring one of McDermott's college covers for Sam) is as off base as SI's was. McDermott was efficient in spite of the D knowing he was the go to guy and doing everything they could to stop him. Sam was efficient as the third option in the offense and the third guy opponent's game planned for. Huge difference.

And this.

2-for-2, Lenny. Very efficient usage.

[wadesworld]

A number of coaches in the BE talked about how Sam was the #1 focus on their scouting report.

But Sam isn’t Doug.