AP does a season preview on pretty much every team. Here is what moved on the wire about our lads:
Slap the floor: New era dawns for Marquette hoops
BY GENARO C. ARMAS
AP Sports Writer
November 5, 2014
MILWAUKEE (AP) — At some point this season while backpedaling on defense, Marquette point guard Derrick Wilson will hunch over and slap the floor with his palms to fire up the Bradley Center crowd.
There is no surer sign that former Duke assistant Steve Wojciechowski is the new head coach for the Golden Eagles.
"I have to. Everybody has been talking about it," a smiling Wilson said about repeating Wojciechowski's signature slap-the-floor stance when the coach was a player at Duke. "I'll do it at least three times this year."
The first chance comes Nov. 14, when the Wojciechowski era at Marquette begins with the season opener against Tennessee-Martin.
Wojciechowski arrives at a program with a background similar to the one he left at Duke as Mike Krzyzewski's lead assistant. A private school that is heavily invested in basketball, Marquette has been an NCAA tournament regular. The 1977 national title team under coach Al McGuire remains the school's blue-and-gold standard.
Of late, it is a program in transition.
Buzz Williams left in the spring to take the coaching job at Virginia Tech. A team picked in 2013-14 to win the Big East instead finished 17-15, snapping its eight-year run to the NCAAs.
Wojciechowski inherits a squad with a lot of turnover, especially in the frontcourt. Mainstays Chris Otule, Jamil Wilson and Davante Gardner must be replaced. In the backcourt, Jake Thomas — a 39-percent 3-point shooter — is also gone, while Todd Mayo opted to leave before his senior season.
That leaves a roster with just one player taller than 6-foot-7 — and 6-11 Luke Fischer isn't eligible until Dec. 14 because he transferred from Indiana.
"Obviously, with post defense, when you're playing other teams with great size at multiple positions, that can prove to be challenging," Wojciechowski said. "With rebounding, that's going to be a real challenge for us."
For the first time in a while, expectations aren't high at Marquette — a school that just two years ago advanced to the NCAA regional finals before losing to Syracuse 55-39. The Golden Eagles were picked to finish in a seventh-place tie with Butler in the preseason poll of the 10 Big East coaches released Oct. 22.
"Our guys don't live in a bubble ... They know that most people who predict these things don't think we'll be very good," Wojciechowski said in early October. "These guys want to get out there and compete."
Some things to watch as Marquette attempts to prove skeptics wrong:
PERIMETER PRESSURE: The Golden Eagles will try to make up for the lack of height by applying pressure in the backcourt, where they do have numbers. Senior Derrick Wilson and redshirt freshman Duane Wilson, who aren't related, give Wojciechowski depth at the point. Matt Carlino, a transfer from BYU, averaged 1.7 steals a game last season.
"It's not going to fall on any one guy's shoulders. It's going to fall on all our shoulders," Wojciechowski said about making up for the lack of height on defense.
3-POINT SHOOTING: If their offseason routine is any indication, the Golden Eagles should be taking a lot more shots from the perimeter this year. It's a sound strategy given the team's limited height.
Marquette was last in the Big East in 3-point shooting last season, hitting 32.1 percent of their 480 attempts. Derrick Wilson said he took about 28,000 3-pointers in the offseason, with many other teammates getting to the 20,000 mark.
CENTER OF ATTENTION: The 245-pound Fischer, a redshirt sophomore, may shoulder a big load in the middle once eligible. A top in-state high school prospect, Fischer will have to guard against foul trouble once he does get on the court.
Until then, 6-foot-7 Steve Taylor, Jr., and 6-foot-6 forwards Juan Anderson and Sandy Cohen will be Marquette's tallest players. Get ready for a lot of four-guard looks.
TRANSFER TIME: Carlino, a senior, should capably fill the void left by Mayo's departure. He averaged 13.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists at BYU, shooting 33.9 percent from 3-point range.
"When you're small, you have to play fast — defensively and offensively," Carlino said.
TOP OPTION: Besides Carlino, swingman Deonte Burton could be Marquette's best scoring option. The 6-foot-4 sophomore has a sturdy 240-pound frame seemingly built to withstand drives into the lane. Among returnees, Burton is Marquette's top scorer at 6.9 points.
I do love reading these season previews, but I'm sick and tired of waiting for the season to start.
So excited to see what kind of team Wojo will mold together this year. Really looking forward to 1st game.
So the team is going to play fast and pressure on the perimeter to prevent easy passes to post. I love it. Hopefully, the defensive rotations will be simpler and more straightforward. I am still not optimistic, but if everyone stays healthy, perhaps I will be proven wrong. Awfully thin margin of error.
My initial impressions of the article:
++ Pretty standard preview. Touched on all the obvious notes. Remember, these are written for readers that are not necessarily close followers of the teams, so they focus on what might appear obvious to us. The floor-slapping angle is the one readers in Sheboygan, Baltimore, Seattle or Corpus Christi might be able to appreciate. I actually pulled this article from the San Luis Obispo Tribune site.
++ Get ready for constant slap-the-floor references on TV. We will get as tired of those as we did of mentions about Otule's eye. Again, announcers gravitate to the obvious angle.
++ Of Derrick's promise to slap the court at least three times, a cynic might be tempted to say that represents three times as many 3-pointers as he made all last season. Here's hoping he has as many successful trey attempts as floor slaps in 2014-15!
++ I agree wholeheartedly that great guard play can make up for lack of height. Do we have a single great guard, though? That is a huge question. The Lazar-led team of midgets overachieved in great part because it shot 41% from from 3-point range. Knock that down to 33% or less, and that team probably doesn't make the tournament.
++ I hope we can play as fast as Carlino seems to indicate we will.
++ Every team picked to do poorly has a chip on its shoulder. It becomes a nice story when such a team wins. The sad reality is that the vast majority of teams that are picked to do poorly actually go on to do poorly -- and we never hear about the chips they supposedly had on their shoulders. It would be cool if this year's Warriors can be one of those rare "prove doubters wrong" stories.
Quote from: tower912 on November 06, 2014, 10:33:00 AM
So the team is going to play fast and pressure on the perimeter to prevent easy passes to post. I love it. Hopefully, the defensive rotations will be simpler and more straightforward. I am still not optimistic, but if everyone stays healthy, perhaps I will be proven wrong. Awfully thin margin of error.
Still need to know who will be first to slap the floor. My money is on the Elite One.
Quote from: willie warrior on November 06, 2014, 10:43:06 AM
Still need to know who will be first to slap the floor. My money is on the Elite One.
It doesn't matter. At some point it is going to happen. Whoever does it will probably look over at Wojo and smirk.
They talked about Fischer having to stay out of foul trouble. Perhaps the team having to play several games before he is eligible, will end up being a benefit. They will know how to play without him, if he gets in early foul trouble.
Quote from: MU82 on November 06, 2014, 10:42:35 AM
My initial impressions of the article:
++ Pretty standard preview. Touched on all the obvious notes. Remember, these are written for readers that are not necessarily close followers of the teams, so they focus on what might appear obvious to us. The floor-slapping angle is the one readers in Sheboygan, Baltimore, Seattle or Corpus Christi might be able to appreciate. I actually pulled this article from the San Luis Obispo Tribune site.
++ Get ready for constant slap-the-floor references on TV. We will get as tired of those as we did of mentions about Otule's eye. Again, announcers gravitate to the obvious angle.
++ Of Derrick's promise to slap the court at least three times, a cynic might be tempted to say that represents three times as many 3-pointers as he made all last season. Here's hoping he has as many successful trey attempts as floor slaps in 2014-15!
++ I agree wholeheartedly that great guard play can make up for lack of height. Do we have a single great guard, though? That is a huge question. The Lazar-led team of midgets overachieved in great part because it shot 41% from from 3-point range. Knock that down to 33% or less, and that team probably doesn't make the tournament.
++ I hope we can play as fast as Carlino seems to indicate we will.
++ Every team picked to do poorly has a chip on its shoulder. It becomes a nice story when such a team wins. The sad reality is that the vast majority of teams that are picked to do poorly actually go on to do poorly -- and we never hear about the chips they supposedly had on their shoulders. It would be cool if this year's Warriors can be one of those rare "prove doubters wrong" stories.
I think the standard for annoyance was set with those endless references to Crean's "intense" practices. Gosh, that never got old.
Quote from: MU82 on November 06, 2014, 10:42:35 AM
++ I agree wholeheartedly that great guard play can make up for lack of height. Do we have a single great guard, though? That is a huge question. The Lazar-led team of midgets overachieved in great part because it shot 41% from from 3-point range. Knock that down to 33% or less, and that team probably doesn't make the tournament.
The interesting thing is that Lazar-led time didn't have a single great guard, but they were able to spread the floor with that 3-pt proficiency.
My guess is this year's team doesn't have guards that together hit 41% from 3-point range.
Quote from: mug644 on November 06, 2014, 11:31:24 AM
The interesting thing is that Lazar-led time didn't have a single great guard, but they were able to spread the floor with that 3-pt proficiency.
My guess is this year's team doesn't have guards that together hit 41% from 3-point range.
Excellent point. No great guards in 2009-10, and certainly none (that we know of right now) this season.
That entire 2009-2010 team shot 41% from 3. The guards led the way, but Lazar and Jimmy weren't shabby, either.
IMO, the 09-10 team's ball movement is the standard by which all other teams will be judged. And not just at MU. Just a joy to watch the selflessness lead to yet another lay up or wide open 3.
Is "Duane Wilson and Derrick Wilson, who are not related" the new "he's brother of O.J. Mayo?"
Quote from: tompopsicle on November 06, 2014, 01:41:46 PM
Is "Duane Wilson and Derrick Wilson, who are not related" the new "he's brother of O.J. Mayo?"
"He's not the brother of the other Wilson. Or of Russell Wilson, either!"
Quote from: MU82 on November 06, 2014, 02:10:06 PM
"He's not the brother of the other Wilson. Or of Russell Wilson, either!"
"But Duane is the cousin of former player Jamil Wilson"
Quote from: ODMU238 on November 06, 2014, 02:45:03 PM
"But Duane is the cousin of former player Jamil Wilson"
I know Woodrow Wilson and Mr. Wilson from the Dennis the Menace show are involved somehow.
Quote from: MU82 on November 06, 2014, 10:42:35 AM
My initial impressions of the article:
++ Pretty standard preview. Touched on all the obvious notes. Remember, these are written for readers that are not necessarily close followers of the teams, so they focus on what might appear obvious to us. The floor-slapping angle is the one readers in Sheboygan, Baltimore, Seattle or Corpus Christi might be able to appreciate. I actually pulled this article from the San Luis Obispo Tribune site.
++ Get ready for constant slap-the-floor references on TV. We will get as tired of those as we did of mentions about Otule's eye. Again, announcers gravitate to the obvious angle.
++ Of Derrick's promise to slap the court at least three times, a cynic might be tempted to say that represents three times as many 3-pointers as he made all last season. Here's hoping he has as many successful trey attempts as floor slaps in 2014-15!
++ I agree wholeheartedly that great guard play can make up for lack of height. Do we have a single great guard, though? That is a huge question. The Lazar-led team of midgets overachieved in great part because it shot 41% from from 3-point range. Knock that down to 33% or less, and that team probably doesn't make the tournament.
++ I hope we can play as fast as Carlino seems to indicate we will.
++ Every team picked to do poorly has a chip on its shoulder. It becomes a nice story when such a team wins. The sad reality is that the vast majority of teams that are picked to do poorly actually go on to do poorly -- and we never hear about the chips they supposedly had on their shoulders. It would be cool if this year's Warriors can be one of those rare "prove doubters wrong" stories.
I'm impressed that there is a San Luis Obispo Trib, and that you check it. Who knew?
Quote from: tower912 on November 06, 2014, 01:27:19 PM
IMO, the 09-10 team's ball movement is the standard by which all other teams will be judged. And not just at MU. Just a joy to watch the selflessness lead to yet another lay up or wide open 3.
Basically agree with you but what that team had was not just selflessness but also the confidence to take the shot when open and the ability to make the shot when taken. Its those last 2 that are of greatest concern. Heck Derrick has exhibited more selflessness than any MU player I can remember. But sooner or later someone has to have the confidence to put the ball in the basket.
Quote from: MU82 on November 06, 2014, 03:15:34 PM
I know Woodrow Wilson and Mr. Wilson from the Dennis the Menace show are involved somehow.
I think they are playing the game with the cousin of Wilson from Cast Away
Quote from: mug644 on November 06, 2014, 11:31:24 AM
The interesting thing is that Lazar-led time didn't have a single great guard, but they were able to spread the floor with that 3-pt proficiency.
My guess is this year's team doesn't have guards that together hit 41% from 3-point range.
You never know. Who would have said a Acker/Cubillan guard combo could lead us to the sweet sixteen a year before it happened? Anything is possible.
Quote from: Tommy Brice for Coach on November 06, 2014, 05:52:49 PM
You never know. Who would have said a Acker/Cubillan guard combo could lead us to the sweet sixteen a year before it happened? Anything is possible.
Acker and cubi didn't lead us to the sweet 16... Granted they definitely would've had pondexter not made that layup or we'd hit a shot in the last 5min of the game
Quote from: robertoc on November 06, 2014, 03:28:52 PM
I'm impressed that there is a San Luis Obispo Trib, and that you check it. Who knew?
I subscribe to a clip service and for whatever reason I was sent this. Glad I was.
Quote from: BagpipingBoxer on November 06, 2014, 06:04:04 PM
Acker and cubi didn't lead us to the sweet 16... Granted they definitely would've had pondexter not made that layup or we'd hit a shot in the last 5min of the game
Looks like my memory is getting crappy in my old age. I totally forgot about Quincy Pondexter. Wish I hadn't remembered!