Through all the injuries I think we are forgetting one thing

[Mayor McCheese]

We just beat a team by 31 points.  Granted it was Houston Baptist, but when do we ever blow out the teams we are suppose to.  I think Buzz Williams has done a really good job getting this team focused, and I think these players are hungry and almost feel "rejected" from Crean leaving them (especially the seniors) and want to prove something this year.

I am feeling a late tournament run in the NCAAs(to clear up the confusion)... anyone else want to hop on the bus?

Yes I know, we lack bigs... but we have 3 guards that all can score big numbers, and a versatile 4 who can step out and shoot a 3 if need be.  Teams with bigs like a UCONN and a Notre Dame are going to go to the drawing board on how to defend all 4.  Harangody isn't going to come out and guard DJ, McNeal or Matthews.

I think this board is having a hay day looking at what we lack, and not giving credit to what we have, an experienced team (we star 4 seniors and 1 junior, whens the last time that has happened) or aren't going to lay an egg on teams that we should beat.

[madtownwarrior]

nah, the sky if falling, how can we compete with out a freshman and junior college transfer who have never scored a point in a MU uniform while we return 4 starters back from a team that has been to an NCAA tourney every year they stepped on the court.   

Those saying NIT are really selling these talented seniors plus Hayward very short - plus the injured players will be back by Big East play...

Now if 2 of Wes, DJ or McNeal went dow for a long period, we might be in a little trouble.   Some posters either have very little perspective over all or really underestimate our seniors

[avid1010]

I am feeling a late tournament run in the NCAAs(to clear up the confusion)... anyone else want to hop on the bus?

I don't know what you consider a run, but I do think they get past the opening weekend if Otule and Fulce are able to contribute how each were expected.

I was very impressed at how MU came out of halftime against Houston Baptist. Buzz clearly had the better players, but his halftime adjust was effective and that's a good sign as far as evaluating a coach goes...

[Nukem2]

Even Buzz has concerns listening to his post-game interview and other interviews in the past week.  I'm optimistic as a guy who believes the glass is more than half-full.  But, I too have concerns as we play Northern Iowa and Dayton on a neutral court in Chicago and Tennessee on a very not-so-neutral court in Nashville and  away at NC State and agaisnt a healthy and talented UW-Madison team at the BC not to mention some games at the BC against UW-Milwaukee, Central Michigan and IPFW which are not low-major pushovers.  The lack of size and base-line experience/effectiveness are true concerns.  Will MU prevail?  Yes, but might have a couple WTF losses if viewed on a pre-injury basis.  The other concern is how Chris and Joe come back from their injuries and fit into the rotation once they come back.  Buzz is rightfully concerned and so am I.  But the games will be played and no one outside MU is going to give MU any benefit of the doubt.  Hang on for an interesting ride.

[ErickJD08]

The sky is not falling but I think all of us are frustrated that we are basically the same team we were last year but a little worse.  I think MU can win every game.  It will just come down to how good we shoot.  We shoot over 47% we will most likely win.  We shoot below that, we lose.  Without a low post presence, our team will live and die by the jumper. 

[KonaWarrior]

We just beat a team by 31 points.  Granted it was Houston Baptist, but when do we ever blow out the teams we are suppose to.  I think Buzz Williams has done a really good job getting this team focused, and I think these players are hungry and almost feel "rejected" from Crean leaving them (especially the seniors) and want to prove something this year.

What I think is funny is, when you listen to Buzz on the post game PC, he makes it a point to say that "we need to do thinks perfectly on both sides of the ball and we are no where near that yet."  Now if you think about it, perfect play means scoring on every opportunity and preventing the opposing team from scoring on their possesion.  That would mean the perfect game for Buzz would be for us to win somewhere in the neighborhood of 140-0.  Yeah.....I guess there is reason for some of us to be disappointed.   

[mu_hilltopper]

I find it odd that often when one dude says something, it gets overly magnified.

Poll added.

My assumption is the sentiment of this board, while it may have taken a hit over the past couple weeks, only a fringe 5% will suggest we are most likely heading for the NIT this year. 

Survey says...

[mu_hilltopper]

This just in .. with 47 votes cast, one guy.  ONE GUY thinks we're going to the NIT, and "the sky is falling."

We should totally continue to talk about the one guy's belief.

[Pakuni]

Even Buzz has concerns listening to his post-game interview and other interviews in the past week.  I'm optimistic as a guy who believes the glass is more than half-full.  But, I too have concerns as we play Northern Iowa and Dayton on a neutral court in Chicago

These games should be looking less and less fearsome by the moment.
Northern Iowa squeaked past Denver at home on Saturday (61-56) after putting up only 44 points last week in a exhibition win over D-II Wayne State.
Dayton beat Wofford by just three at home this weekend and was challenged in an exhibition game by D-II Gannon University (Dayton won by eight).
Obviously anything can happen if our shooters are having a bad night, but no one should lose sleep over these opponents.

I understand the concern some have, but I think maybe too much is being made of it. Fulce sounds like a nice player, but Lazar and Jimmy Butler can hold down the fort through the non-conference schedule. Not having Otule could hurt against Tennessee - at least he'd be another body to foul Chism - but NC State doesn't have a ton of talent up front and he should be back, knock on wood, for Wisconsin.

[MR.HAYWARD]

The sky is not falling but I think all of us are frustrated that we are basically the same team we were last year but a little worse.  I think MU can win every game.  It will just come down to how good we shoot.  We shoot over 47% we will most likely win.  We shoot below that, we lose.  Without a low post presence, our team will live and die by the jumper. 


I think the first sentence in that statement is simply and unequivocally flat out wrong by a large margin. 

[jmayer1]

The sky is not falling but I think all of us are frustrated that we are basically the same team we were last year but a little worse.  I think MU can win every game.  It will just come down to how good we shoot.  We shoot over 47% we will most likely win.  We shoot below that, we lose.  Without a low post presence, our team will live and die by the jumper. 


I think the first sentence in that statement is simply and unequivocally flat out wrong by a large margin. 

How so?

[spartan3186]

How is he going to be back for Wisconsin?? Wisconsins the first of the 3 games...

[Dry White Toast]

One other thing that hasn't been mentioned in all the talk of the injuries...it gives Pat Hazel more minutes and more opportunity to develop.  And he may need the development more than the others.  Yes - Glass half full.

[avid1010]

I would agree I'm more mad at TC right now than ever before.  They have one year where they're short of guards so he overcompensates and now we have no big men.  It's a shame for the 3 senior guards that their coach not only left them, but failed to follow their class with other solid recruiting classes. 

As for those 3 guards not getting us to the NCAA tourney this year...I think not!

[tower912]

I am more angry at Trevor Mbakwe than I am Tom Crean.   Granted, TC's chronic inability to recruit talented bigs hurts, but if Mbakwe had stayed and played this year, none of us would be having this conversation.

[muwarrior87]

One other thing that hasn't been mentioned in all the talk of the injuries...it gives Pat Hazel more minutes and more opportunity to develop.  And he may need the development more than the others.  Yes - Glass half full.

+1 Pat needs these minutes now so he can contribute at least a little when BE season rolls around.

[Pakuni]

The sky is not falling but I think all of us are frustrated that we are basically the same team we were last year but a little worse.  I think MU can win every game.  It will just come down to how good we shoot.  We shoot over 47% we will most likely win.  We shoot below that, we lose.  Without a low post presence, our team will live and die by the jumper. 

If MU needs to shoot over 47 percent to win, then get ready for a 20-loss season. Last year they shot over 47 percent just 10 times. On the other hand, they won 15 games while shooting under 47 percent, including nine Big East games (tourney included).

I agree this team's success will depend largely on their shooting, but how's that any different from a year ago? What low-post scoring threat did MU have then they don't have now? Ooze? C'mon. Loved the guy, but his the vast majority of his points were the result of him trailing a cutter and getting a dump-off pass, beating his man downcourt in transition or the occasional putback. It's not like he was beating anyone with a wide array of post moves. They'll miss Ooze's defense and rebounding, but not his offense.

Whether they're "a little worse" remains to be seen.

[MuMark]

Otule will not be back for Wisconsin. Buzz said today that he expects both Fulce and CO back for the Presbyterian game(12/28).

[Pakuni]

Otule will not be back for Wisconsin. Buzz said today that he expects both Fulce and CO back for the Presbyterian game(12/28).

My bad. I had the dates of the NC State and UW games mixed up.

[ErickJD08]

I will never say Barro was amazing but he did what we needed, rebound and play D against the big.  I will watch Burke closely tonight but I feel like he can't even do the simple stuff.