MUScoop

Marquette has seemed to make a huge jump from last year to this year. From not making the tournment to be ranked top 10 in the nation. Was curious what you guys thought, on what one change has had the biggest impact on Marquette season.

1. Experience

2. Bigger guards.

Given those 4 choices, I'd choose: Yes. (Although I did like watching Rowsey play.)

It's kind of a but of all.those.

Which at it's core is all do to Wojo's improvement as a coach.

Defensively, Joey Hauser for Andrew Rowsey.   Sophomore year Theo John versus freshman year Theo John.     Only have one undersized player on the floor defensively.

Wojo, Markus, Sam, are one year more experienced.    Sam and Markus are leading as juniors.    They led as sophomores, but it means more coming from upperclassmen.   

If I had to pick one I'd go with the rim protection, because I feel like the improved defense has been the second biggest difference. That said, Joey coming on board and Andrew leaving, added experience, and Wojos persistence on the importance of improved defense are all a big part of that.

Imo the single biggest change has been Markus' elevation to All American status. He's been otherworldly, and it's helped take the team to another level.
To tie it to the first point, he's gotten abused at times defensively but I've also been very impressed by his improvement on the defensive side this yr.

Quote from: ChitownSpaceForRent on February 03, 2019, 03:16:34 PM
Which at it's core is all do to Wojo's improvement as a coach.

Disagree. Wojo was just as good last year. He made a decision to try to outscore as he couldn't out defend with the talent he had.

Key difference is upgrade of talent across the board which allowed him to change his schemes.

1. It's "led."

2. It's probably all of the above.

  D-E-F-E-N-S-E

man if we could diminish our turnovers by 25-30% we would be even more awsom-er!

Wojo's maturation

I dont know if you've been watching but Rowsey pg >>>>>>>>> Howard point guard

I'd say the biggest thing is n
Joey being added, John starting over Matt, and not having to start two 5'9 guards.

Quote from: #UnleashMatt on February 03, 2019, 09:30:12 PM
I dont know if you've been watching but Rowsey pg >>>>>>>>> Howard point guard

If the only thing you look at is court vision then sure.

I'm going to say senior leadership.   College basketball teams seem to take on the persona of their seniors (sometimes leading to a void at the one-n-done factories).

Last year's team was fun, flashy, brash, cocky, yet also mercurial and awful at defense.   Which you could also use to describe Andrew Rowsey.

This year's team: selfless, hardworking, max effort, grinders, that do their job.  In other words, Matt Heldt.

That has lead to accountabilty on both sides of the ball.  It took the team some time to grow into its current form  but we are seeing it come to fruition.

Always thought that many times over the last few years it was our boys versus their men. This team has some men on it.

Markus, Sam and Sacar are much improved. Theo is big improvement over last year's Matt, Ed is a big improvement over last year's Theo. AR was a really good player but Joey is too - and his physical presence is more what we needed. BB is an improvement over last year's Jamal and Matt is an improvement over last year's non existent #3 center.

Bigger, stronger, tougher, more experienced. And Wojo has developed a really good "feel" for this team - he looks comfortable and confident. Great year to be a Warrior fan!!!

Quote from: #UnleashMatt on February 03, 2019, 09:30:12 PM
I dont know if you've been watching but Rowsey pg >>>>>>>>> Howard point guard

Lmao

I think it's how internet forum posters have only been focused on the next game and not looking ahead.

It's twofold. The defense is the obvious first answer, but just as important is that Joey Hauser has emerged as a viable replacement for Rowsey. Obviously a different player and not as much a volume scorer, but capable enough to reliably be a threat and keep our offense top-30 and trending upward.

Watching that stretch at Butler when Joey led the team on offense with Markus & Sam out and Joey actually creating his shot made it apparent how incredibly valuable he is.

Two items should be added:

5. Defensive improvement.  Yes Rim protection has a lot to do with it but is not all of it.

6. A very down Big East. I don't want to be Debbie Downer.  However, this team would not have this win loss record in lat year's Big East.  We are good but I worry we (fans) are letting the team's record go to our heads.

Quote from: Wojo's Whiteboard on February 03, 2019, 11:49:12 PM
Two items should be added:

5. Defensive improvement.  Yes Rim protection has a lot to do with it but is not all of it.

6. A very down Big East. I don't want to be Debbie Downer.  However, this team would not have this win loss record in lat year's Big East.  We are good but I worry we (fans) are letting the team's record go to our heads.

This team could have this record last.year you anti Marquette tyrant

Quote from: Wojo's Whiteboard on February 03, 2019, 11:49:12 PM

6. A very down Big East. I don't want to be Debbie Downer.  However, this team would not have this win loss record in lat year's Big East.  We are good but I worry we (fans) are letting the team's record go to our heads.

I do not discount this one bit.

While we are better the league is certainly the weakest it has been since the divorce.

But timing is everything so let's enjoy it while it lasts.

Quote from: Wojo's Whiteboard on February 03, 2019, 11:49:12 PM

6. A very down Big East. I don't want to be Debbie Downer.  However, this team would not have this win loss record in lat year's Big East.  We are good but I worry we (fans) are letting the team's record go to our heads.

Maybe not a 1 loss team, but this team has won games last years team flat out wouldn't win. Battle back from double digits multiple times in Omaha, besting GT without Markus, the Xavier rock fight, Butler not going away at Hinkle. There is a tenacity and resiliency that is unique to this team, likely due to experience.

There are many reasons besides what you listed which are all very important. Such as improvement at all five positions. Better team defense and better team play among the more important. Turnovers and in some cases lack of speed and ball control hurts us with guard oriented teams. Also I would suggest that Kenpom is a better indicator of improvement  than the AP poll.

By any measure we are greatly improved and continue to improve as shown in the Butler game. The next two games will be another big test. I will be cheering them on but playing a fast  STJ team after their big loss is a concern as is `Nova. Hope we get great home crowds for both games.

Quote from: JWags85 on February 04, 2019, 03:57:12 AM
Maybe not a 1 loss team, but this team has won games last years team flat out wouldn't win. Battle back from double digits multiple times in Omaha, besting GT without Markus, the Xavier rock fight, Butler not going away at Hinkle. There is a tenacity and resiliency that is unique to this team, likely due to experience.

I agree that this team has heart, fight, tenacity and talent.  I am very much enjoying the ride.  I think we have four fantastic players (Markus, Joey, Sam and Theo) and the rest of the team is pretty darn good. 

All that said this team would have lost more than one conference game and would not be ranked 10th if the rest of the conference was not pretty bad this year.  I know y'all will say I am a hater. I'm not. I was just saying it should have been one of the options for what accounts for the success this year.  I did also say defense improvement should have been listed. 

Quote from: Class71 on February 04, 2019, 04:14:10 AM
There are many reasons besides what you listed which are all very important. Such as improvement at all five positions. Better team defense and better team play among the more important. Turnovers and in some cases lack of speed and ball control hurts us with guard oriented teams. Also I would suggest that Kenpom is a better indicator of improvement  than the AP poll.

By any measure we are greatly improved and continue to improve as shown in the Butler game. The next two games will be another big test. I will be cheering them on but playing a fast  STJ team after their big loss is a concern as is `Nova. Hope we get great home crowds for both games.

Yup! The next two games will tell us how good we are and the game at Nova will tell us if we are really a top 10 team.

Quote from: Lennys Tap on February 03, 2019, 10:13:02 PM
Markus, Sam and Sacar are much improved. Theo is big improvement over last year's Matt, Ed is a big improvement over last year's Theo. AR was a really good player but Joey is too - and his physical presence is more what we needed. BB is an improvement over last year's Jamal and Matt is an improvement over last year's non existent #3 center.

Bigger, stronger, tougher, more experienced. And Wojo has developed a really good "feel" for this team - he looks comfortable and confident. Great year to be a Warrior fan!!!

Concise, outstanding synopsis, Lenny. Couldn't have said it better myself.

Quote from: Wojo's Whiteboard on February 03, 2019, 11:49:12 PM
A very down Big East. I don't want to be Debbie Downer.  However, this team would not have this win loss record in lat year's Big East.  We are good but I worry we (fans) are letting the team's record go to our heads.

This certainly is reasonable. I think this team would have done very well last season, too, but it's not outrageous to suggest that maybe we'd be something like 6-3 instead of 8-1.

Then again, the same could be said about Nova. Would this year's Nova team -- especially the one in the first few weeks of the BEast season -- be 9-0 if it had to face last year's BE opponents?

These are always fun talking points, but none of them are provable. All our gallant lads can do is face the opponents in front of them. Plus, they went 11-2 against a pretty darn solid NC slate of opponents. They need not apologize for the other BEast teams, nor for anybody they've played. (Noted: You didn't claim they needed to apologize.)

I don't know that our record is going to my head, but I am enjoying this season immensely. I will continue to enjoy the journey, and I'm cautiously optimistic about the eventual destination, too.

Quote from: Lennys Tap on February 03, 2019, 10:13:02 PM
Markus, Sam and Sacar are much improved. Theo is big improvement over last year's Matt, Ed is a big improvement over last year's Theo. AR was a really good player but Joey is too - and his physical presence is more what we needed. BB is an improvement over last year's Jamal and Matt is an improvement over last year's non existent #3 center.

Bigger, stronger, tougher, more experienced. And Wojo has developed a really good "feel" for this team - he looks comfortable and confident. Great year to be a Warrior fan!!!

This has been the best answer I've seen so far.....all of these things. Player development, depth, experience, upgrade, coaching, etc...several things.

Truthfully, I think many of the reasons noted are a big part of the success this year. In addition, sometimes in life, things just fall your way. It happens in personal life, business life and sports. I think this year MU has made some positive mojo and built on it. They have made the most out of the talent, the schedule and everything associated with the season.

As MU82 noted, I am enjoying the season a great deal and will regardless of what happens during the remainder of the year.I decided a few weeks ago to enjoy the remainder of the season and not worry about the other stuff. Outside of winning NC, there is no outcome that would surprise me this season.

The down Big East has nothing to do with the improvement of this team. Last year's Marquette team would have gone 8-5 or worse in this year's non-conference schedule.

Quote from: TAMU Eagle on February 04, 2019, 11:09:47 AM
The down Big East has nothing to do with the improvement of this team. Last year's Marquette team would have gone 8-5 or worse in this year's non-conference schedule.

But probably would've had a decent record in the conference

It's the new arena.

Quote from: shoothoops on February 04, 2019, 09:30:02 AM
This has been the best answer I've seen so far.....all of these things. Player development, depth, experience, upgrade, coaching, etc...several things.

Noah fence to Lenny or you, but the question was "biggest impact."

We've all seen the wide range of improvements and we understand that it takes a lot of different aspects falling into place to make such a jump.

Picking the most important or biggest one isn't easy, and sometimes there is truly not a single thing that stands out because of the wide range of improvements, but that's the challenge and that's why the question was asked.

I'd stick with Markus as #1 most important and defense as #2, with Theo being the single biggest part of that defensive improvement. This is no way a slight to all those other improvements and the hard/successful work put in by many people involved w the program, it's just my best response to the question asked

More thoughts and prayers than previous years, fewer dumb and dangerous things.

One word : Defense.

The primary factor in our defensive  success this year has been the emergence of Theo as a Big East top tier Center.  Arguably the best in the league. He is staying out of foul trouble and is able to give us 19.9 super hard minutes. We then have Ed giving us 13.7 minutes of  solid defense and rim protection and then our third stringer Matt is highly reliable, contributes  and not a liability . So our combined play at the 5 is far ahead of the league in general and our own experience last year.

Although I miss Rowsey, it was very difficult to have two midget guards in a Big East setting. We are better off with those minutes going to Sacar who contributes on defense and defers to Markus and The Hausers scoring.

Quote from: Herman Cain on February 04, 2019, 02:02:28 PM
One word : Defense.

The primary factor in our defensive  success this year has been the emergence of Theo as a Big East top tier Center.  Arguably the best in the league. He is staying out of foul trouble and is able to give us 19.9 super hard minutes. We then have Ed giving us 13.7 minutes of  solid defense and rim protection and then our third stringer Matt is highly reliable, contributes  and not a liability . So our combined play at the 5 is far ahead of the league in general and our own experience last year.

Although I miss Rowsey, it was very difficult to have two midget guards in a Big East setting. We are better off with those minutes going to Sacar who contributes on defense and defers to Markus and The Hausers scoring.

I don't think we were better off last year doing that.  Joey Hauser is basically replacing Rowsey, not Sacar.  The offense has suffered some, but more than made up for on the defensive end.  For those who say Markus is a lot better than last year, I don't know if that is true.  He has the ball in his hands most of the time now, which wasn't the case last year.  As a PG, he calls his own number a lot.  He's good enough to make it pay off.

I voted that the biggest difference is Joey Hauser.  I think he has a trickle-down effect on the better defense by allowing the roster to basically guard the positions they're supposed to guard.  There are no wrong asnwers as all of the things listed have been positive changes.

Assistant coaches have stepped up......

I'm pretty sure our turnover situation has gotten significantly worse this season, so I'm not sure that is the most important difference. If it were, we should be doing worse.

That said, clearly the defensive improvement has made the biggest difference and obviously, that came about due to the replacement of Rowsey in the lineup. I'm not saying it's all his fault. The issue was that having the two small guards on the floor, did not make our defense linearly worse (it was not just A + B, it was A x B). Having them both on the court broke the defense. There's only so much you can cover up. We actually saw during the year that the team tended to play better with only one on the floor, but Wojo was not a fan of doing so.

FWIW, our minutes continuity is the highest since the EE 2012-13 season.

In addition, most of the new minutes aren't normal, raw freshmen... RS Fr and star-in-the-making Joey... fourth year guy in Ed.. grad transfer in Joseph.. elderly frosh BB... granted, Ed and Joseph can and hopefully will give us even more than they've shown so far, but from a minutes non-continuity perspective, unique.

Great roster assembly. Some of us were expecting a season like this in 2018-19 and have been for a couple of years.

Quote from: Jay Bee on February 04, 2019, 06:59:36 PM
FWIW, our minutes continuity is the highest since the EE 2012-13 season.

In addition, most of the new minutes aren't normal, raw freshmen... RS Fr and star-in-the-making Joey... fourth year guy in Ed.. grad transfer in Joseph.. elderly frosh BB... granted, Ed and Joseph can and hopefully will give us even more than they've shown so far, but from a minutes non-continuity perspective, unique.

Great roster assembly. Some of us were expecting a season like this in 2018-19 and have been for a couple of years.

Good point, JB. I really like the way Wojo has set his rotation and has distributed minutes.

My unsung hero is Sacar.  Fills in the gaps where needed on this team.  He usually doesn't do a lot of one thing, but a lot of little things.  Seems to have great timing.

I would say the progression of Theo John.  Cat is leading the conference in blocks.  He is altering a ton of shots!  Those are shots that someone like Matt Heldt doesn't even jump at but instead waves his arms in the air as the opponent goes in for a dunk.

I think of Theo John's shot blocking swinging it at least 6 points our way.  That doesn't even count the ones he alters, the ones guys don't drive at and finish or draw fouls.  Plus, Theo is finishing with dunks this year instead of just chucking it up with post moves he was out-muscled on.

Reality though is all of the above.  Substituting 2 smurf chuckers for one smurf and one guy 6'8" that is so fundamentally sound.  I laughed when people were worried about Joey Hauser's athleticism transferring to the BEast.  Just his ball fakes bring so much to the game for Marquette.