You're the coach, divvy up the minutes.

[tower912]

Since everybody is understandably torqued tonight, I thought I would redirect the anger.    So, you're the coach.   With the current roster, having now watched 3/4ths of a season, as smart as you are, allocate the minutes the rest of the way.     Assuming no injuries and a minimum of foul trouble.   9 players.   200 minutes.    Go. 

[rocky_warrior]

Wait.  Tell me who's hot, how many fouls Luke has at half, and if KR has made at least 2 3's by half.

[GGGG]

Yeah it's hard to divy up minutes when there is a lack of consistency.  Duane looks great against Nova, and then lays two eggs.  Markus is being figured out.  JJJ is what he always has been. 

[tower912]

Exactly.   There is no right answer, as every player on this team has had flashes of brilliance and moments of 'throwing-crap-at-the-TV- in-Frustration" stupidity.   KR was the answer last week against Creighton and Nova.    And you can go right down the roster. 

And while you are at it, design a defense.   That these players can excel at.

[Marquette4life]

All im saying is they should probably play Rowsey more, duane a little more, JJJ less, and fischer less

[JD]

Great topic.

I think wojo has done an outstanding job with what he has.  I highly doubt anyone here could have done better.

Is what it is, we have to ride the hot hand on that given day.

[tower912]

If I thought the egos involved could handle it.......
1.  Rowsey, 25 minutes, MH 15.   If the matchup allows, MH some time at the 2.
2.  Duane.  Until foul trouble or his legs limit him.   Which means 25.   JjJ 15.  Or less if the matchups allow MH to play with Rowsey.
3.  HC.  Snakebit, but efforting 30.   KR 10
4.  Sam  28.    KR 12
5.  Luke 30    Matt 10. 

Having said that, JjJ will probably go off for 22, 8, 5 on Saturday and this will all be hokum. 

[GGGG]

Exactly.   There is no right answer, as every player on this team has had flashes of brilliance and moments of 'throwing-crap-at-the-TV- in-Frustration" stupidity.   KR was the answer last week against Creighton and Nova.    And you can go right down the roster. 

And while you are at it, design a defense.   That these players can excel at.

Exactly.  We've now seen the zone that people were clamoring for.  And outside of Nova missing a ton of shots...it isn't any better than man.  It is the softest zone I have seen in a long time.

[nyg]

Great topic.

I think wojo has done an outstanding job with what he has.  I highly doubt anyone here could have done better.

Is what it is, we have to ride the hot hand on that given day.

And that's the problem with the current squad makeup, there are no consistent players.  Each player has a fantastic effort, then next three games, it's not.  Then the cycle repeats itself.  Rarely has a consistent team effort been accomplished and extremely frustrating for the staff. 

[MerrittsMustache]

Can't play Rowsey and Howard together because they're too small.

Can't play Luke and Heldt together because they clog the lane.

Tough to play Cheatham and Heldt together because they provide no offense.

Tough to play KR and JJJ when their shots aren't falling.

When MU's shots are falling, they look great. When the shots aren't falling, they have nothing to fall back on. Not an easy task for Wojo.

[goinUptown]

Since everybody is understandably torqued tonight, I thought I would redirect the anger.    So, you're the coach.   With the current roster, having now watched 3/4ths of a season, as smart as you are, allocate the minutes the rest of the way.     Assuming no injuries and a minimum of foul trouble.   9 players.   200 minutes.    Go.

Wojo built this team more in the mold of an ACC team.  That doesn't match our identity when we've been successful nor does it match the  toughness required to compete in the BEast.  As much as I look forward to your posts Tower, I must say divvying up minutes for our finesse players is irrelevant in this league unfortunately.

[mug644]

I think the long season and physical BEast seems to be catching up with Howard. More minutes seem to be going to Rowsey, who is, fortunately, taking advantage of the opportunity.

[#UnleashSean]

(s) Rowsey - 33
(s) Reinhart - 33
(s) Fischer - 25
(s) Hauser - 30
(s) Howard - 28
Johnson - 20 (Spot minutes, quick plays, etc)
Cheatham - 12
Heldt - 7
Wilson - 17

[#UnleashSean]

(s) Rowsey - 33
(s) Reinhart - 33
(s) Fischer - 25
(s) Hauser - 30
(s) Howard - 28
Johnson - 20 (Spot minutes, quick plays, etc)
Cheatham - 12
Heldt - 7
Wilson - 17

1-3-1 anytime fischer isn't in the game.

Lot of small ball with rein gaurding the center at times.

[#UnleashSean]

If I thought the egos involved could handle it.......
1.  Rowsey, 25 minutes, MH 15.   If the matchup allows, MH some time at the 2.
2.  Duane.  Until foul trouble or his legs limit him.   Which means 25.   JjJ 15.  Or less if the matchups allow MH to play with Rowsey.
3.  HC.  Snakebit, but efforting 30.   KR 10
4.  Sam  28.    KR 12
5.  Luke 30    Matt 10. 

Having said that, JjJ will probably go off for 22, 8, 5 on Saturday and this will all be hokum.

On mine I would be going with howard running the show at the start. Rowsey's offball screens into pumpfakes are a godsend.

[GoldenDieners32]

(s) Rowsey - 33
(s) Reinhart - 33
(s) Fischer - 25
(s) Hauser - 30
(s) Howard - 28
Johnson - 20 (Spot minutes, quick plays, etc)
Cheatham - 12
Heldt - 7
Wilson - 17

Reinhart isn't going to get 33 minute. Only way to get HC out of his slump is to keep letting him play he will figure it out. But besides that i totally agree with this

[GoldenDieners32]

If I thought the egos involved could handle it.......
1.  Rowsey, 25 minutes, MH 15.   If the matchup allows, MH some time at the 2.
2.  Duane.  Until foul trouble or his legs limit him.   Which means 25.   JjJ 15.  Or less if the matchups allow MH to play with Rowsey.
3.  HC.  Snakebit, but efforting 30.   KR 10
4.  Sam  28.    KR 12
5.  Luke 30    Matt 10. 

Having said that, JjJ will probably go off for 22, 8, 5 on Saturday and this will all be hokum.

15 or less for JJ? Crazy

[#UnleashSean]

15 or less for JJ? Crazy

To be honest, he is a liability out there. He will make an amazing head turning play, then 5 seconds later throw the ball to the other team and foul them.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

1: Howard 28, Rowsey 12
2: Cheatham 20, Rowsey 16, Wilson 2
3: JJJ 20, Wilson 11, Reinhardt 9
4: Hauser 21, Reinhardt 19
5: Fischer 26, Heldt 7, Hauser 7

[wadesworld]

There is no reason for Cheatham to be getting more than 10 minutes. This isn't Bruce Bowen. Cartwright had 18, most of which came in the second half on him. Brunson has 19 on him. Foster had 30 on him. Baldwin had 18 on him. Did a great job on Cain. Rodriguez had 30 on him. Brunson has 16 on him. Did a great job on Rodriguez. Did a great job on Peak. Tonight just his turnovers alone gave up 10 fast break points, so even if he was shutting someone down he gave it back right there alone.

Hate to rag on a kid but he's hurting the team right now. In situations where you need a longer perimeter defender sure, throw him in there and tell him to lock down his man and not dribble the basketball. Otherwise I'll take my chances that Duane or Katin can defend equally as well and have a prayer of scoring while not risking a turnover with every dribble they take. It's bad.

I hope he makes me eat my words.

Like 32, Matt 8
Sam 27, Katin 13
JJJ 15, Katin 15, Cheatham 10
Duane 24, Howard 10, JJJ 6
Rowsey 28, Howard 12

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

People have backup QB syndrome with Duane I think. He had one great game against Nova. Most of the rest of the season has been brutal.

Turnovers were BAD for Haanie tonight. Let Ponds just take it from him more than once. People have been harping on Cheatham, but I'm fine with the role that he settled into. More of a defender, facilitator, and rebounder than a scorer. Plenty of scorers on this team, I'm fine with him not being one. But if he can't hang onto the ball, than my opinion on that will quickly change.

[Dr. Blackheart]

People have backup QB syndrome with Duane I think. He had one great game against Nova. Most of the rest of the season has been brutal.

Turnovers were BAD for Haanie tonight. Let Ponds just take it from him more than once. People have been harping on Cheatham, but I'm fine with the role that he settled into. More of a defender, facilitator, and rebounder than a scorer. Plenty of scorers on this team, I'm fine with him not being one. But if he can't hang onto the ball, than my opinion on that will quickly change.

Duane was an All BE Freshman, leading all newcomers in scoring.  Improved defensive player.  Now, less and less minutes.

Haani was All BE Freshman, now scouted and pressing. When Wojo makes him the primary ball handler like last season and last night, he is a turnover machine.

Why is it unreasonable to see a change might work?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Duane was an All BE Freshman, leading all newcomers in scoring.  Improved defensive player.  Now, less and less minutes.

Haani was All BE Freshman, now scouted and pressing. When Wojo makes him the primary ball handler like last season and last night, he is a turnover machine.

Why is it unreasonable to see a change might work?

Because despite what Duane did 2 seasons ago he has not been good this season. By any statistical measure.

[GGGG]

Statistically Duane and Haanif aren't all that much different.  And Haanif leads the team in total minutes with 650.  Duane has exactly half of that at 325.

The thing that bothers me the most about Haanif lately is that he seems almost overwhelmed mentally.  Was glad to see him be aggressive in the second half, but even that didn't add up to much.

[MUfan12]

People have backup QB syndrome with Duane I think. He had one great game against Nova. Most of the rest of the season has been brutal.

That's harsh on Duane, and frankly, not accurate. He's been fine in the minutes he's played. Shooting numbers are roughly the same as last year, and he's turning the ball over less. Shot selection has been better, as has his defense.

His role changing doesn't mean he's been brutal.