Overall Impressions Heading into Big East Play?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

IIRC, there were a few positive people around Scoop and a few who predicted a losing record but the general preseason consensus around here seemed to be that this team was likely NIT bound. Has the non-conference season raised those expectations? Lowered them? Pretty much the same?

For me, I think this team is slightly better than what I thought it would be. I'm pleased with the defensive identity. Lewis, Elliott, Cain, John, and McEwen are all better than I thought they would be. Garcia and Carton are off to the start I expected and both have shown promise that they will get better. I didn't expect a ton from Sy, Akanno, and Perez but I excepted more than we've been getting.

Going into the season, I expected to be 4-2 in the non-conference. A-PB was what I expected. I thought EIU would be closer and UWGB would be more of a blowout. I thought we would beat Oklahoma State and lose by about this much to UCLA but I also thought Madison would whoop us so it comes out to about a wash. I think losing to OK State and beating Madison was better for our resume. There were will be precious few marquis non-conference wins this season due to COVID and we have one of the shiniest ones of the year.

I think we finish in the top 5 of a weaker Big East. I also think we make the tournament and while I don't think we will ever be off the bubble, I also don't think we will be particularly nervous on selection Sunday. Maybe 8-10 seed range. I do think this team has the potential to reverse the two year trend of season ending collapses. I think the team is young and still bonding giving it more room for growth and my experience is that is easier for a team's offense to improve than a team's defense.

Finally, as a public service announcement. Things are going to get worse before they get better. Our first 4 games of Big East play feature 3 of the 5 toughest games we will play in the (hopefully) 20 game Big East season. @Creighton and Nova at home are in the top 3 and @Xavier is top 5 in my opinion. If we go 1-3 during this stretch, the season is not over, we are taking our lumps early. If we go 2-2 or better, I will feel very good about the rest of our season.

[Johnny B]

So far seem about exactly how most predicted. bubble team so far. Hope to see improvement.

[5DollarPitcher]

Another year on the bubble it seems. Better than I expected after we graduated like 80% of our production but still not good enough. Lucky for Wojo the Big East does seem to be weak this year so he should get an NCAAT appearance out of this season.

[Silent Verbal]

A little better than I thought.

Carton is a dude, but Garcia isn’t as ready as I thought he’d be.  Was expecting Henry-like production from him, and I don’t think we’ll get that.  Lewis will be a stud.

Big East is down this year and I think we’ll make the tournament.  I haven’t watched Creighton yet, but I’ve seen Seton Hall and Nova and they don’t look particularly impressive.  Think we’ll at least split with them.

[vogue65]

I'm all in.
My wife watches perhaps a few partial games a year and she said, they look very athletic. 
They are the best I have seen in 8 years and that says something. 
You new guys and gals should have seen how far Al took his team from 64/65 to 1976.  It was a very long trip.

[Johnny B]

member when some people said daws is better than hank   

[rocky_warrior]

member when some people said daws is better than hank   

Not one of those people.  But he still has potential to be.  Maybe not after this year, but in a couple years.  I wouldn't bet against him.

[Johnny B]

yeah man ppl were comparing him to frosh hank. he may be better in the long run

[WarriorFan]

Best athletes and probably the most talent in the Wojo era.  Better defense by far than any other Wojo team. 

But they still have the Wojo problems - anyone who has a good game has a stinker the next game.  Always lose the first tough road game.  No/few in game adjustments.  If this were pick-up ball, this team would be top 20.  With the coaching and the system... bubble. 

[Johnny B]

Who the hell is picking "way better". What did you think? bottom BE team?

[rocky_warrior]

If this were pick-up ball, this team would be top 20.  With the coaching and the system... bubble.

So, top #20 with no coach - as in these guys came together themselves.  But bubble with wojo.  You guys and the disconnect with reality cracks me up.

I'm really not sold on Wojo, but the hyperbole (hopefully) is too much.

[muwarrior69]

I guess the real question is will this team beat UCLA at home next year? I think we can; especially with a full house at the Fiserv.

I could only listen to the game and came in mid first half. My question is were the foul calls on Theo and Justin so early in the game just the refs calling a tight game because that took our bigs out of the game?

[brewcity77]

They're different than I thought they'd be, but the overall quality is where I expected. I thought the offense would be a little better, the defense a little worse, and results-wise had about the same expectations. Figured a 4-1 start & last night to be a coin toss, which it pretty much was. We played even for 32 minutes, they won the last 8.

1SE summed it up pretty well in his thread. Wojo is good enough to not get fired. I think we'll probably start 1-3 in Big East play, muddle to within a game of .500, and get in somewhere from the 8-11 lines. If we lose our first, it won't be unexpected, but it seems unlikely we'll be heading for a second weekend.

The one potential positive with this gauntlet start is that it may force Wojo to get the best out of his team late, which has been a problem recently.

[Uncle Rico]

Flashes of brilliance, moments of mundane.  Potential to overachieve, potential to underachieve at times.  The best thing about freshmen is, they become sophomores

[mileskishnish72]

Defense has improved, needs to be sustained. I think people are influenced by the W vs. Bucky.
We have to beat another decent team before I get psyched (don't think Wis. is anywhere as good as #4). We're starting to demonstrate a history of sustained second-half scoring droughts. I am optimistic that this band of newcomers can progress and come together. Not getting a good feeling about Monday, but we really, really need to win Thursday.

[tower912]

Defense has improved.  Counting on freshmen is always dicey.   I predicted team bubble watch.   And that Marquette would lose games late. 

[shoothoops]

My expectation every year is for MU to make the NCAA's. I expect MU to be an "Almost annual" NCAA team. Misses happen once every long while. This is my most basic requirement. This is either established right away, or after so many years.

And, as years go by without a win in the NCAA's, pressure increases to perhaps even get to the 2nd weekend some time instead of just one win. Pressure decreases with almost annual NCAA's and winning a game in it, here or there. Then, making the 2nd weekend is once every few years etc..

I'm not going to change the above expectations.

With that said, I expected Lewis to be good, and, he has been just that. Garcia has shown flashes of his talent and potential. In order to help MU be more successful, he needs to be more of an inside out player than outside in player this year than he has been. As long as he can keep getting to the FT line and draw fouls, he will do fine. Both players will do well.

MU has one point guard right now giving quality minutes. (Carton) He is good and talented. He is getting better and better. MU has one off guard or two guard. (McEwen) And, he has done fine as well overall. Getting quality minutes from others at these positions has been an issue. MU needs better guard play overall.

Watching UCLA, and one can't help but think where are the 6'5 switchable players on MU that can play the 2 or 3, or in a pinch the one?  Shooting the ball, handling the ball, passing the ball etc...I'd like to see better guard play.

Theo has better hands and touch this year, a nice improvement. (I see your FT's Theo.)

Greg is still the most aware player on the team, that unfortunately just can't move physically in a way needed. I still prefer to see him get minutes as he can shoot it and knows how to draw fouls.

MU spent a large part of the Oklahoma St. game not adjusting to their zone. MU didn't adjust well when defensive pressure was put on Carton later in the UCLA game. Would like to see better in game adjustments. Game plans have been fine. Would have liked to have won 2/3 or 3/3 of the 3 big games thus far instead of one, because all 3 were winnable. I thought we caught a few of them at a good time, as they will get better. (Ok. St. UCLA)

Sy is probably the thing that stands out the most to me. He is nowhere near where I expected him to be. I expected a big leap forward this year for him.

Cain has been effective in the catch and shoot off of the break corner three Sacar role. Hoping he can provide a little more consistent offense.

Hopefully MU can keep improving flow and rythm. Effort is there, as is defense and rebounding. Scoring the basketball and shooting the basketball hopefully will continue to improve.

If MU can slide in behind Villanova and Creighton in league play, that'd be great. Battling it out for the 3 or 4 spot etc...in league play is where I see them.

[TFlegend]

It's a Wojo team.  Some stretches of good, some stretches of bad.  Lewis has been a revelation, Garcia not as much.  Carton good, Akanno a disaster.  Koby has been better,  Symir is Wilson 2.0.  Cain/Elliot are the perfect Wojo players, equal parts good and bad.  Theo is Theo. 

[HutchwasClutch]

I voted team is a little better. Problem is same coach, same issues.  I see nothing different from him to provide any reason for real optimism this team will make any noise in conference or postseason.  I hope I’ll be wrong.

Lost in euphoria of Badger win is how easily that could have flipped to a loss and we’re sitting 3-3 without a quality win. We were 5 seconds and a really stupid attempt at drawing a charge by Trice to losing that one.  Carton was not going to get a decent shot off there given the time he started his move, how far out he still was, and being pushed by Trice away from the hoop.

That said I’m a firm believer you are what your record says and we found a way against UW. I just don’t see that happening much against quality opponents because of same guy in charge, with the same weaknesses that have led us nowhere in 6 plus seasons.

[IrwinFletcher]

Who the hell is picking "way better". What did you think? bottom BE team?

There were people who were predicting 8th-11th place for sure.  Not many, but there were some.

[mileskishnish72]

Would like to see better in game adjustments.

Hmmm.

[Goose]

I think they are actually a bit better than I expected them to be. The defense is vastly improved, better talent and more athletic players is a positive. Really the only negative I can say is that it seems every year they are a bit better than I expected them to be. The past several years I had lower expectations than most on here and they have always been a bit better than I expected them to be going into the season. One of these years I hope I am giddy going into the season and then surprised on the upside.

[The Big East]

We have demonstrated enough talent and depth to comfortably compete at the middle level of The Big East Conference. There are many teams in the league in a similar circumstance, so everyone's ultimate performance is going to be differentiated by the level of coaching and the extent of key player injuries.

I do like the spirit and cohesiveness of this years group of players.  Our coaching staff needs to build off of those  player attributes. 

[cschor]

This team is way better than expected.  Thankful we were able to play Oklahoma State and UCLA.  These teams appear to be on the rise and despite the losses we will be better from the experience.  Top five wins are hard to come by even if the badgers were over ranked.  The beauty of freshman is that they become sophomores.  As long as they can get coached up not to make stupid fouls and protect the basketball we will be in the dance.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Currently, the team is a little better than I thought although record matches expectations.

I think they have the potential to be significantly better as the year goes on...hope they can get there