Would Burke get any playing time with IU?

[mug644]

In the spirit of merging ideas of different threads, with both Burke's near absence and IU's absolute weakness, I can't help but wonder this question: if he was on IU's team this year, would he be getting any playing time?

His spin move against UWM aside, he's shown nothing and has not stepped up to the vacancies created by Barro's departure and Otule's injury (and, for that matter, McMorrow's ineligibility).

Here's hoping he either comes around or gets out of the way once Otule is back and the BEast season is upon us.

[chapman]

I'm convinced Acker would play a more effective 5 than Burke.  He's probably right on par with Frozena.  Burke might possibly be worse than he was as a freshman.

[ecompt]

I would guess that if Otule can walk without a limp he would get a majority of the minutes at the 5 once conference play starts. 

[ErickJD08]

Yeah... I think Otule will be starting a couple of weeks into the BE schedule after he gets his feet wet.  Burke has no business playing D1 basketball.  I am happy that Buzz understands that you should always have 2 or 3 centers on the roster at all times.  It makes me so upset to hear Bilas stroking Crean about his recruiting abilities when he couldn't get any talent around our three superstars outside of Hayward.

[nyg]

IU?, would he even play for Texas Southern?  Heck, the Chicago State bigmen were much better than Burke.  Why is everyone mentioning one spin move?  Got to be kidding me. After four games against below average Div I teams:

13 minutes a game
8 total points.  2 ppg  He's only taken 4 shots!
10 total rebounds. 2.5 rpg
15 personal fouls. 3.75 fouls per game.

At this point he will be destroyed by Thabeet and Harangody (what a game he had against a quality team like Texas last night), both of whom are having monster starts to the season.

[MR.HAYWARD]

the issue with burke year to date is we are playing a completely different offense that spreads the floor and is predciated on athleticism.  This favors our team and our group of players but it does not favor Burke.  Give it time he will get better and as the BE slogs on and we are forced into more half court he will be more effective.  We are 4-0.

[avid1010]

Anyone who's ever played a guard position before knows exactly why, when Burke has his guy posted up with fair position, instead of dropping it in the post they choose to swing the ball around.   I always felt like TC took Burke to build a recruiting relationship with that certain high school and coach.

[Kramerica]

So at this point, can we say that Burke might be a bigger stiff than the Grimm Reaper?  Or is that going too far? 

[Blackhat]

We're four games into the season you panty droppers.   Way to rip OUR OWN player to pieces.  Do you eat your young too?   We're going to need Burke's bulk to guard Samuels, etc.  Otule couldn't guard the Houston Baptist dude, lets make fun of him.  Who cares about Burke's offense, we got enough of that.   So lock it up cause we got a lot of game left.

[RedWebster]

I always felt like TC took Burke to build a recruiting relationship with that certain high school and coach.

Somebody is starting to get it around here! Of course that's what happened, although I think Burke can contribute.

The thing about Crean using scholarships to build relationships with coaches wouldn't be so bad if those scholarship players were strictly practice-type bodies. Unfortunately, those are the guys he left us with.

What a great and tireless recruiter he was....not! He was a lazy recruiter. Last year we had 4 guys from 2 high schools Acker/McNeal and Burke/Cubby. We also had Lazar and offered Saunders from ND in Massachusetts. You'd think with all the money we spent on recruiting/charter planes and all the reports about how hard Crean worked at "finding" players, he could do better than throwing 6 scholarships at 3 programs. Oh...and we also basically gave a scholarship to Blackledge -- who wasn't being recruited by ANYBODY -- just because his teammate turned us down. If that's anybody's idea of tireless recruiting, I don't know what to tell you.

[nola03]

Somebody is starting to get it around here! Of course that's what happened, although I think Burke can contribute.

The thing about Crean using scholarships to build relationships with coaches wouldn't be so bad if those scholarship players were strictly practice-type bodies. Unfortunately, those are the guys he left us with.

What a great and tireless recruiter he was....not! He was a lazy recruiter. Last year we had 4 guys from 2 high schools Acker/McNeal and Burke/Cubby. We also had Lazar and offered Saunders from ND in Massachusetts. You'd think with all the money we spent on recruiting/charter planes and all the reports about how hard Crean worked at "finding" players, he could do better than throwing 6 scholarships at 3 programs. Oh...and we also basically gave a scholarship to Blackledge -- who wasn't being recruited by ANYBODY -- just because his teammate turned us down. If that's anybody's idea of tireless recruiting, I don't know what to tell you.

Getting in with the Hurleys is never a bad thing. You have to build slowly and we did that at St. Ben's with Burke/Cubillan. Who knows where that goes if Crean stays. As for St. Anthony's, it seems to me Crean hit a homerun with Tyshawn Taylor so that relationship was working well.

Also, the relationship with ND Prep was working well because Hayward is our only double-double option and most people haven't noticed but Damian Saunders is turning into an outstanding player in his Sophomore season. If Crean doesn't cut ties with Saunders, and Barton stays at ND Prep, MU could have seen some talented kids coming through that pipeline.

Crean deserves criticism for some of his recruiting but considering he was breaking into the east coast market and re-selling the MU brand name he had to take some lumps before it was all seashells and balloons.

[77ncaachamps]

We're four games into the season you panty droppers.   Way to rip OUR OWN player to pieces.  Do you eat your young too?   We're going to need Burke's bulk to guard Samuels, etc.  Otule couldn't guard the Houston Baptist dude, lets make fun of him.  Who cares about Burke's offense, we got enough of that.   So lock it up cause we got a lot of game left.

Ummm...that's a moot point because Burke will foul out in the first 5 minutes.

I think it's fair game to criticize Burke as it is to criticize refs who will call fouls on Burke AUTOMATICALLY when a Thabeet, Samuels, Harangody, etc. bang into him downlow.

I care about Burke's offense because he's the first big we got! Until Otule comes off the injury, that is...

[Blackhat]

Ummm...that's a moot point because Burke will foul out in the first 5 minutes.

I think it's fair game to criticize Burke as it is to criticize refs who will call fouls on Burke AUTOMATICALLY when a Thabeet, Samuels, Harangody, etc. bang into him downlow.

I care about Burke's offense because he's the first big we got! Until Otule comes off the injury, that is...

What did Otule show you that he's ready to guard BE bigs against HBU?  You'll just be ripping on him this year.   Burke's at least shown he can be effective in games like UW,etc.   We're going to need them all.   

[Ready2Fly]

Wow NOLA, I hadn't even thought about Damian Saunders til you posted that... check out what he's done so far this year:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=38213

It's against a bunch of nobodies, but 17 & 7 is nothing to scoff at.

Sorry to interrupt, resume the Burke bashing.

[mosarsour]

So at this point, can we say that Burke might be a bigger stiff than the Grimm Reaper?  Or is that going too far? 

I'd kill for a Chris Grimm on this roster.

[MU B2002]

Just curious, having not seen the games, but what have we asked Burke to do?  In looking at the box scores, he has taken 4 shots and hit 3, and "grabbed" 10 boards.  Now I understand this is by no means a dominating performance, but he is getting no minutes.  I sincerely doubt Burke is the target when any of our guards drive and dish, and we certainly don't run our offense through the post.  Maybe Buzz is asking him to take up some minutes while the young guys get their feet wet.  After all, have we really needed an inside presence in any of these games?  And no, I am of no relation to Burke.

[nyg]

Burke is not getting any minutes because he is averaging almost 4 fouls for the 13 minutes he plays each game.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Getting in with the Hurleys is never a bad thing. You have to build slowly and we did that at St. Ben's with Burke/Cubillan. Who knows where that goes if Crean stays. As for St. Anthony's, it seems to me Crean hit a homerun with Tyshawn Taylor so that relationship was working well.

Also, the relationship with ND Prep was working well because Hayward is our only double-double option and most people haven't noticed but Damian Saunders is turning into an outstanding player in his Sophomore season. If Crean doesn't cut ties with Saunders, and Barton stays at ND Prep, MU could have seen some talented kids coming through that pipeline.

Crean deserves criticism for some of his recruiting but considering he was breaking into the east coast market and re-selling the MU brand name he had to take some lumps before it was all seashells and balloons.

+1

[ChicosBailBonds]

Oh...and we also basically gave a scholarship to Blackledge -- who wasn't being recruited by ANYBODY -- just because his teammate turned us down. If that's anybody's idea of tireless recruiting, I don't know what to tell you.

Not exactly true.  We get the point, but to say ANYBODY just isn't accurate.  Duquesne, Bowling Green, etc.  Smaller schools, but DI nonetheless.  Was he worth signing, probably not unless there was a bigger picture in play.Played some ball in Europe. 

I'll say this, I'd love to have Trend on this team right now with that athleticism.  He wouldn't start, too thin, but he'd get 10 minutes a game.  Could use that shot blocking.

[cheebs09]

I don't think that Burke's offense is the reason he is getting criticized. Heck if he didn't attempt a shot all game I would be fine. We have four other guys to score, and the guys off the bench can hit some shots too. At the 5 position all i want is someone who can defend and keep the big guy off the boards so our guards can pull down some loose boards. He hasn't been able to do that because he has been getting ticky tack fouls. I don't think 3/4ths of his fouls have been fighting for position which i dont have much of a problem with. Most have been over the backs on balls he has no chance at, reaching when hes far from the basket, and just other dumb fouls.

[THEGYMBAR]

He wouldn't get playing time Wauwatosa East let alone a top 100 D1 program.

[Blackhat]

He wouldn't get playing time Wauwatosa East let alone a top 100 D1 program.

[Nukem2]

I don't think that Burke's offense is the reason he is getting criticized. Heck if he didn't attempt a shot all game I would be fine. We have four other guys to score, and the guys off the bench can hit some shots too. At the 5 position all i want is someone who can defend and keep the big guy off the boards so our guards can pull down some loose boards. He hasn't been able to do that because he has been getting ticky tack fouls. I don't think 3/4ths of his fouls have been fighting for position which i dont have much of a problem with. Most have been over the backs on balls he has no chance at, reaching when hes far from the basket, and just other dumb fouls.

  Agreed.  Dwight just needs to rebound and play solid defense while staying out of foul trouble.  Has not happened so far this season and DB seems to be regressing.  Hopefully he can break out of his funk.

[MUSF]

He wouldn't get playing time Wauwatosa East let alone a top 100 D1 program.

This is absolutely ridiculous.  Burke would get playing time in plenty of top 100 D1 programs.  Let's not forget that we have never really seen Burke play his natural position.  Are we really tearing Burke down for busting his ass in a position he has no buisness playing just to help our team win.

I said a while ago that I wasn't sold on Hazel and got killed for it, but it is okay to say Buke couldn't play for a high school team and that Acker would be a better option in the post.  It's a long year and the BEast is a grind.  We are going to have to rely on Burke at some point in this season.  Thankfully we know that he will always give max effort and has proved himself against big time opponents in the past.

[Murffieus]

If O'Tule isn't back until January 1----he'll be useless the rest of the way much like Mbakwe last year.

Can't understand why Burke hasn't improved since Soph year-----I mean the guy has some talent, has shown some flashes, and reportedly works very hard-----so what's the problem here? He's not the second coming of Oden or anything like that, but I would have expected some consistent improvement by this time----but nothing----he's actually worse so far this year!

[MUSF]

If O'Tule isn't back until January 1----he'll be useless the rest of the way much like Mbakwe last year.

Can't understand why Burke hasn't improved since Soph year-----I mean the guy has some talent, has shown some flashes, and reportedly works very hard-----so what's the problem here? He's not the second coming of Oden or anything like that, but I would have expected some consistent improvement by this time----but nothing----he's actually worse so far this year!

HE'S 6'7 PLAYING CENTER IN THE BIG EAST!  I don't understand why people keep ignoring the fact that he is out of position ever single night.  Look, Burke isn't Jason Maxiell.  Threr aren't a lot of people with Burke's size and skill that can succeed at the 5 in the Big East.  I imagine that defending opponents 5 every night takes its toll and it has to be frustrating.  As for this year specifically, I am hoping that it is just a slump and his hard work will bring him back to a solid contributor.

[thanooj]

\As for this year specifically, I am hoping that it is just a slump and his hard work will bring him back to a solid contributor.
[/quote]

OH PLEASE BE A SLUMP!!!!!!  Just a big slump against inferior talent.  I Hope so too!

[JSwarriors08]

This is absolutely ridiculous.  Burke would get playing time in plenty of top 100 D1 programs.  Let's not forget that we have never really seen Burke play his natural position.  Are we really tearing Burke down for busting his ass in a position he has no buisness playing just to help our team win.

I agree.  I think this thread is really out of line.  I agree that he hasn't played well, but come one.  I get reprimanded for speculating that someone might leave next year because it's not respectful to the individual player, but then a thread like this enjoys widespread discussion?  This is disgusting.  Way to build up your team.  Seriously.  These guys don't owe you anything, and it's because of the work they've done already that we get to watch a top 25 team.  Yet we sit here and rip them and kick them while they're down.  That's the Marquette spirit through and through.

It's a GAME.  It's a blessing that we have such a competitive team to watch each year.  We get to compete against the best talent in the NCAA and I think we take it for granted.  I am sincerely disgusted that this thread continues to thrive.

I love this board and I thoroughly enjoy following Marquette B-Ball.  It brings me a lot of joy.  When I read threads like this, however, I am more than a little saddened.