MUScoop

MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: OldWarrior on March 18, 2018, 06:35:11 PM

Title: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: OldWarrior on March 18, 2018, 06:35:11 PM
I'm happy with the way Marquette is continuing to win in the NIT, but it is painfully obvious that we lack serious ball handling skills in our backcourt. It would be really helpful if we could find a point guard who is a grad transfer who can also shoot free throws for those pressure moments at the end of the game. Any thoughts that might be?
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: GGGG on March 18, 2018, 06:37:20 PM
I'm happy with the way Marquette is continuing to win in the NIT, but it is painfully obvious that we lack serious ball handling skills in our backcourt. It would be really helpful if we could find a point guard who is a grad transfer who can also shoot free throws for those pressure moments at the end of the game. Any thoughts that might be?

If you look here, you will find some names.

https://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=55365.0
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: OldWarrior on March 18, 2018, 06:49:59 PM
Thanks.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Class71 on March 18, 2018, 07:08:17 PM
Nothing new just more and more obvious. Some say Howard is going to improve over the summer and become our new improved point guard. Others feel we will need a grad transfer. We have no control over either option so no point debating which it will be.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: connie on March 18, 2018, 07:09:59 PM
Love Marcus, but that's a lot of improvement.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: 79Warrior on March 18, 2018, 07:43:06 PM
Nothing new just more and more obvious. Some say Howard is going to improve over the summer and become our new improved point guard. Others feel we will need a grad transfer. We have no control over either option so no point debating which it will be.

I doubt he gets any taller 😀
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Mr. Sand-Knit on March 18, 2018, 07:46:55 PM
Two ball handlers would be nice grad transfer n a transfer or frosh
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: bilsu on March 18, 2018, 08:09:44 PM
Nothing new just more and more obvious. Some say Howard is going to improve over the summer and become our new improved point guard. Others feel we will need a grad transfer. We have no control over either option so no point debating which it will be.
It is possible that Howard improves significantly in this area. I think over the last 15 games Rowsey is a significantly better point guard than he was the first 19 games. What tells me that Wojo is a good coach is the improvement of our players during the season. Cain, Elliott and John have significantly improved over day 1. Anim has become an offensive threat. I think Heldt and Hauser are playing to the top of their abilities. In essence Wojo is getting the most out of the talent he has. The only one that may be underperforming is Froling.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: GoldenZebra on March 18, 2018, 08:14:12 PM
It is possible that Howard improves significantly in this area. I think over the last 15 games Rowsey is a significantly better point guard than he was the first 19 games. What tells me that Wojo is a good coach is the improvement of our players during the season. Cain, Elliott and John have significantly improved over day 1. Anim has become an offensive threat. I think Heldt and Hauser are playing to the top of their abilities. In essence Wojo is getting the most out of the talent he has. The only one that may be underperforming is Froling.

It might be a "trial of fire" of sorts. Froling has not been asked to do much, from my perspective, and only came in when there was noone else that could sub in for foul trouble. Cain, Elliot and even Theo have had to play big stretches in tight games and that has begun to show their improvement.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: jesmu84 on March 18, 2018, 08:23:00 PM
It is possible that Howard improves significantly in this area. I think over the last 15 games Rowsey is a significantly better point guard than he was the first 19 games. What tells me that Wojo is a good coach is the improvement of our players during the season. Cain, Elliott and John have significantly improved over day 1. Anim has become an offensive threat. I think Heldt and Hauser are playing to the top of their abilities. In essence Wojo is getting the most out of the talent he has. The only one that may be underperforming is Froling.

Blasphemy!

The ones on this board - those who have forgotten more about bball than you'll ever know - will be quickly here to admonish you
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: GooooMarquette on March 18, 2018, 08:24:21 PM
It is possible that Howard improves significantly in this area. I think over the last 15 games Rowsey is a significantly better point guard than he was the first 19 games. What tells me that Wojo is a good coach is the improvement of our players during the season. Cain, Elliott and John have significantly improved over day 1. Anim has become an offensive threat. I think Heldt and Hauser are playing to the top of their abilities. In essence Wojo is getting the most out of the talent he has. The only one that may be underperforming is Froling.

I agree completely that Markus may improve. But even with his improvement, Rowsey struggled against the press when Markus and Sam weren't there as outlets (and even often when they were there). So if we have an improved Markus but no true ballhandler, we might end up right back where we found ourselves in the fourth quarter against Harvard and Oregon.

I look back to our 2009-10 season, when we did far better than most expected. Acker and Cubillan were both excellent ballhandlers, and Butler, DJO and Hayward were all good enough to help out significantly. We would need a TON of improvement by lots of guys to even approach that.

I have faith in Wojo...but I'll feel a lot better about next year if we get a PG.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Marcus92 on March 18, 2018, 08:29:56 PM
The difference between Andrew and Markus as the primary ballhandler was abundantly clear in this game. While Andrew got caught with the double team a couple times, he's far more confident and sure-handed overall. And he's hands-down the superior distributor. This will be perhaps the single biggest issue to address for next season.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Mr. Sand-Knit on March 18, 2018, 08:34:27 PM
Agree Wojo has done well in development but Markus is so far from a competent  ball handler and point guard that there is bo way he can make up that much ground in 6 months.  If he had those talents there would be some indication by now, it clear hes not even close. Hes a solid 2 guard let him play to his talents
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Juan Anderson's Mixtape on March 18, 2018, 08:41:52 PM
Add a pg and keep developing Howard. Joey is also a good ball handler for a 4.  A ball handling 4 helps a lot against the press.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Herman Cain on March 18, 2018, 08:42:56 PM
Nick Noskowiak is waiting for our phone call.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Its DJOver on March 18, 2018, 08:43:02 PM
I find threads like this interesting because ideally you should break a press using very little dribbling.  We couldn't break the Harvard press because we tried to do it by dribbling.  We had the most success breaking the Oregon press by passing.

 How many Big East teams have a press as good as Oregon's was today.  Based on my observations, most Big East teams have a 3/4 press like us, but very few have a solid full court press.

Markus will suffer breaking presses because he can't see over it to make the right pass, that is why Sam is so vital in press breaking.  When we were able to break the press consistently in the first half, we absolutely torched oregon, that's why they went away from it.

Don't get me wrong, we still need a pass first defensive minded PG, but press breaking is successful because of good passing, not great ballhandeling, although that obviously helps.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Marcus92 on March 18, 2018, 08:44:34 PM
Sam even brought the ball up the court once tonight. Pretty slowly, but he's a very good ball handler and excellent passer.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: TAMU, Knower of Ball on March 18, 2018, 08:52:43 PM
Nick Noskowiak is waiting for our phone call.

He will keep waiting
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: TAMU, Knower of Ball on March 18, 2018, 08:55:22 PM
We had two bad possessions against the press in a row in the 4th quarter, but I thought we did a great job of breaking the press most of the night. We punished them for the press in the first half.

I feel like if we have a single turnover against a press in a game this board thinks we are terrible at breaking the press. Teams use press defense because it works.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: rocky_warrior on March 18, 2018, 08:56:45 PM
Sam even brought the ball up the court once tonight. Pretty slowly, but he's a very good ball handler and excellent passer.

Yeah, not that MU couldn't use another guard, but with a healthy Sam, Joey, and Elliott next year, I don't see a problem with the press break.  Markus probably doesn't even need to involved except to help if needed.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: CTWarrior on March 18, 2018, 08:58:10 PM
I find threads like this interesting because ideally you should break a press using very little dribbling.  We couldn't break the Harvard press because we tried to do it by dribbling.  We had the most success breaking the Oregon press by passing.

 How many Big East teams have a press as good as Oregon's was today.  Based on my observations, most Big East teams have a 3/4 press like us, but very few have a solid full court press.

I disagree, against some teams, once the PG gets the ball in his hands the press is over.  We need a guy to just dribble through it like Tony Miller did when destroying Kentucky's press.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: mu_hilltopper on March 18, 2018, 08:59:44 PM
Am I crazy, or .. in his limited moments with the ball, Anim seems pretty solid as a ball handler.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Its DJOver on March 18, 2018, 09:01:00 PM
I disagree, against some teams, once the PG gets the ball in his hands the press is over.  We need a guy to just dribble through it like Tony Miller did when destroying Kentucky's press.
PG like that are very rare.  If we don't get a grad transfer as good a Tony Miller do you think we'd have no chance at press breaking?

If you can get a PG that good you absolutely take him, but having an elite point guard is not the only way to break a press.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Its DJOver on March 18, 2018, 09:03:00 PM
Am I crazy, or .. in his limited moments with the ball, Anim seems pretty solid as a ball handler.
He doesn't seem to turn it over, but he also seems hesitant to put the ball on the floor unless he's driving.

 I still maintain that you should be able to beat a press by a combined 3 or 4 dribbles.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: forgetful on March 18, 2018, 09:05:47 PM
Am I crazy, or .. in his limited moments with the ball, Anim seems pretty solid as a ball handler.

He's just smart about not doing things with the ball that he isn't capable of doing.  His handle isn't terrible, but not strong enough to work against pressure.

Maybe a summer of working on it could get him comfortable. 
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: GGGG on March 18, 2018, 09:06:58 PM
He's just smart about not doing things with the ball that he isn't capable of doing.  His handle isn't terrible, but not strong enough to work against pressure.

Maybe a summer of working on it could get him comfortable. 


You take away his right hand and he can't do much either.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Dawson Rental on March 18, 2018, 09:09:18 PM
I agree completely that Markus may improve. But even with his improvement, Rowsey struggled against the press when Markus and Sam weren't there as outlets (and even often when they were there). So if we have an improved Markus but no true ballhandler, we might end up right back where we found ourselves in the fourth quarter against Harvard and Oregon.

I look back to our 2009-10 season, when we did far better than most expected. Acker and Cubillan were both excellent ballhandlers, and Butler, DJO and Hayward were all good enough to help out significantly. We would need a TON of improvement by lots of guys to even approach that.

I have faith in Wojo...but I'll feel a lot better about next year if we don't get a PG.


??????????????
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: GooooMarquette on March 18, 2018, 09:12:31 PM

??????????????


Oops. Extra word removed...
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Spaniel with a Short Tail on March 18, 2018, 09:16:05 PM

You take away his right hand and he can't do much either.

You can say that about most of us.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Mr. Sand-Knit on March 18, 2018, 10:31:38 PM
We had two bad possessions against the press in a row in the 4th quarter, but I thought we did a great job of breaking the press most of the night. We punished them for the press in the first half.

I feel like if we have a single turnover against a press in a game this board thinks we are terrible at breaking the press. Teams use press defense because it works.

A single turnover?? What game were u watching???
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Its DJOver on March 18, 2018, 10:33:03 PM
A single turnover?? What game were u watching???
I take it you missed the word "if"
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Mr. Sand-Knit on March 18, 2018, 10:36:58 PM
Marcus had 4 really bad turnovers in just 20 minutes.  That calculates to 8 TOs per 40 and played off the ball.   
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Jockey on March 18, 2018, 10:45:19 PM
Nothing new just more and more obvious. Some say Howard is going to improve over the summer and become our new improved point guard. Others feel we will need a grad transfer. We have no control over either option so no point debating which it will be.

cool.

Let's shut down Scoop so we don't have to put up with any  more debates. That is nor what a forum is for.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: MU82 on March 18, 2018, 10:49:35 PM
It is possible that Howard improves significantly in this area. I think over the last 15 games Rowsey is a significantly better point guard than he was the first 19 games. What tells me that Wojo is a good coach is the improvement of our players during the season. Cain, Elliott and John have significantly improved over day 1. Anim has become an offensive threat. I think Heldt and Hauser are playing to the top of their abilities. In essence Wojo is getting the most out of the talent he has. The only one that may be underperforming is Froling.

I agree with the overall thesis of your post. Only those who don't want to see the considerable improvement of our players (except Froling, as you noted), only those who won't give Wojo credit for anything, can disagree with your take on how much players have developed under Wojo and his assistants. I mean, when Oregon was making a big push to get back in the game, which two players confidently stepped up and made clock-beating, backbreaking (for Oregon) hook shots? Theo and Matt.

Having said that, I do seriously question whether Markus can improve enough as a ballhander and distributor to be an adequate PG. For me, this has little to do with the press; I'm not overly concerned with that over the course of a season. I just want our offense to function well.

Admittedly, I absolutely had the same thoughts about Rowsey going into this season: Can he really play PG? Really?

So we'll see. If Markus can be even as good at ballhandling and distributing as Rowsey, he can do the job.

But I hope he doesn't have to most of the time because we've landed a real PG!
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Its DJOver on March 18, 2018, 10:59:45 PM
Assuming that we will only have 1 scholarship to fill, I would prioritize defensive ability over ball handling/ability to beat a press.  Even if Markus doesn't develop into as good of a distributor as Andrew has our offensive will still run smooth, with mtn and big smooth running things.  You offer me a big defensive orientated guard (ala a Lockett 2.0) id take that over a true point any day.

Any grad transfer that we bring in will be experienced, so defensive ability and size should be significantly more important that offensive ability.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: TAMU, Knower of Ball on March 18, 2018, 11:28:48 PM
A single turnover?? What game were u watching???

What post were u reading???  ;)
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: Eldon on March 18, 2018, 11:35:38 PM
"Point guards are born, not made."

-Todd Mayo's brother


I completely agree.  One does not simply become a point guard.
Title: Re: Ball handler needed 2018-19
Post by: forgetful on March 18, 2018, 11:54:31 PM

You take away his right hand and he can't do much either.

This is also true.  It is part of the "not doing things with the ball he is not capable of".  He knows his left hand isn't strong.