Wow. This one surprised me.
http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3671212
At least he's taken five minutes to know who the best player on the team is, unlike the other guy.
Quote from: chapman on November 12, 2008, 12:28:53 PM
At least he's taken five minutes to know who the best player on the team is, unlike the other guy.
hey you never know maybe james and mcneal will both be great
Quote from: Gwaki on November 12, 2008, 12:45:05 PM
hey you never know maybe james and mcneal will both be great
McNeal is the leader and heart and soul of this team. He IS the best all around player on the team as well. But I'd also throw Hayward's name out there if you're going to include James. Next to Jerel, I'd say Hayward has the best shot at the NBA.
I like Jerel and think he's a fine player, but where can I get in on some of this action? Besides I thought Katz hates MU.
Quote from: 4everwarriors on November 12, 2008, 02:11:17 PM
I like Jerel and think he's a fine player, but where can I get in on some of this action? Besides I thought Katz hates MU.
I thought Katz was a mouthpiece for Tom Crean.
agreed. anyone that doesn't think McNeal IS the best player on this team I dont really know who's they're watching.
Hayward is the best player on the team. period.
McNeal was the best player obviously at the end of the year, but I agree with dwaderoy- Hayward will be the best player on this team this year... and James will be a 3rd or 4th option behind possibly even Matthews. The way the offense is set up, McNeal and Hayward will be battling it out for 1st team all conference.
The most important player on the team is James. His success is far more likely to account for Marquette's success than any other player.
Generally, if he doesn't play well, we don't win. The same cannot be said of Hayward or McNeal.
Best player is not the same as most important.
This may be a bit blunt, but I still feel like James and McNeal have to prove they can play smart for an entire game. I've always had issues with their choices (shot selection and timing more than anything). All three mentioned have a lot of work to do before they're NBA ready.
Quote from: Henry Sugar on November 12, 2008, 07:23:22 PM
The most important player on the team is James. His success is far more likely to account for Marquette's success than any other player.
Generally, if he doesn't play well, we don't win. The same cannot be said of Hayward or McNeal.
Best player is not the same as most important.
I'm not convinced that will play out this year with McNeal coming on strong at the end of last year, Acker (hopefully) improving and the lack of big men. I would agree that was the case last year, and his inconsistency was rough on this fan ;D Not that we could afford to loose James, McNeal or Hayward...but if we loose another player with any size we're in trouble. I think Hayward's ability to play down low will be more important than ever. He almost becomes most important by default. My two cents...
"Acker (hopefully) improving"
oh not this again. He's not big enough or fast enough. I think the ceiling for his drive, see a tall guy, throw up a circus shot is pretty low so don't expect much improvement.
Quote from: RawdogDX on November 12, 2008, 10:47:28 PM
"Acker (hopefully) improving"
oh not this again. He's not big enough or fast enough. I think the ceiling for his drive, see a tall guy, throw up a circus shot is pretty low so don't expect much improvement.
In comparison to DJ having guys play 3 steps off of him because he can't hit an open jumper? I'll still take Acker, McNeal, Wes, Hayward and Burke over James, McNeal, Wes, ??? and Burke any day with the injury to Fulce.
Jerel and Lazar will battle all season as leading scorers on the team. I think Jerel will lead the team, but Lazar will be right behind him. I don't necessarily agree with Katz's statement, but I can see why he might say that (if 'rel plays all season long like he did to close last year).
Dom is no longer, or should no longer be seen as the poster boy of this team.
Quote from: avid1010 on November 13, 2008, 08:15:12 AM
In comparison to DJ having guys play 3 steps off of him because he can't hit an open jumper? I'll still take Acker, McNeal, Wes, Hayward and Burke over James, McNeal, Wes, ??? and Burke any day with the injury to Fulce.
You would rather have Acker over James? I like Acker, but he's half the player James is. There is no comparison.
Quote from: jaybilaswho? on November 13, 2008, 09:32:15 AM
Dom is no longer, or should no longer be seen as the poster boy of this team.
I don't believe you need to be the leading scorer to be the "poster boy". I still think James brings a lot to the table for this team.
Quote from: MU_B2002 on November 13, 2008, 09:35:23 AM
I don't believe you need to be the leading scorer to be the "poster boy". I still think James brings a lot to the table for this team.
I think by the time we get into Big East play, Jerel McNeal will be the first name mentioned by any announcer when they introduce Marquette.
Quote from: jmayer1 on November 13, 2008, 09:34:06 AM
You would rather have Acker over James? I like Acker, but he's half the player James is. There is no comparison.
No way would I rather have Acker over James...simply put I'd rather have Hayward over James because I feel we have better bench players to fill in for James than we do for Hayward...which is why I said I think Hayward becomes the most important player to MU this year.
Quote from: avid1010 on November 13, 2008, 10:17:57 AM
No way would I rather have Acker over James...simply put I'd rather have Hayward over James because I feel we have better bench players to fill in for James than we do for Hayward...which is why I said I think Hayward becomes the most important player to MU this year.
ahhh, ic; and i agree
More from Katz:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3700153&name=katz_andy
• Marquette (No. 19 in my poll; No. 16 in AP; No. 17 in ESPN/USA Today).
Five points to look at as the season approaches, according to assistant coach Tony Benford.
1. Leadership is solid. The starting guards of Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews made Buzz Williams' transition to head coach a smooth one. "They know how to win, how to play," Benford said.
2. Scoring from the perimeter isn't going to be an issue. All three are fully capable of putting up close to 20 a game on a given night.
3. Rebounding and getting key stops will be an ongoing issue.
4. Freshman center Chris Otule has been a big surprise. He has learned quickly how hard he needs to play and he's "blessed with natural talent. He continues to get tougher for us," Benford said.
5. James has embraced running the team and making sure he's getting the big men involved. The staff is pleased with the progress of junior forward Lazar Hayward, who needs to produce inside for the Eagles to have balance.
Marquette opens the season against Houston Baptist Friday night.
I love the fact that Hayward doesn't get too much national attention when it comes to MU. All the focus is still on the 3 seniors and he could just as easily put up the 20 on a given night.
i hate it when people bash DJ. Acker instead of DJ? please that is the stupidest thing ive heard. Dont forget, this guy may vary likely be Marquette's all time leading scorer if im not mistaken. I know it was 4 full years but still very impressive and a huge part of the schools history
one more thing- to his credit DJ has tried doing what he has been told to do- be a pg. its hard when u are rookie of the year in the BE, no matter how much u struggle the next year, to take a back seat to other guys. Individually, he was on the doorstep of the NBA and his shot and height just wont let him get there easily. He deserves tons of credit for taking a back seat and trying to be the pg. Also, his defense has been sick- hes was almost as good as jerel in many games that i saw last year
give the guy some slack- he may not be a fan favorite but without him the past 3 yrs would have been much, much worse
Quote from: mudimitri on November 13, 2008, 04:56:48 PM
i hate it when people bash DJ. Acker instead of DJ? please that is the stupidest thing ive heard.
I hate people who don't know how to read or follow a conversation, yet find it suitable to call others ideas stupid ;D
No one said they'd prefer Acker over DJ. You stated yourself DJ doesn't have the shot or height (plenty of players his size and less athletic are in the NBA) then you mention he's not a true PG. You've just ripped on DJ more than any of us...
saying a guy doesnt have NBA height or a jumper and isnt a true PG is ripping a guy? hardly. He cant help his height and hes obviously worked on his jumper but it hasnt gotten much better. I just feel he gets disrespected way too much at times around here.
his leadership, passing ability, ability to get to the basket, defense (esp for his size) are all unmatched by many players. His success determines this teams success, and to say that acker can even come close is ridiculous.
this team is DJ's team. Lazar and Jerel may be better scorers and shooters, but james needs to be the leader of this team