1. Start of the second half...oh, THAT Caedin Hamilton.
2. A problem for MU forever is when they hit 3s early, they get lazy and just keep jacking them up. I mean, going back to the Deane era.
3. Two games, two zones. When MU was intentional with their movement, they got good shots.
4. The Southern guards are better than the Albany guards. MU struggled to stay in front of them for much of the game.
5. The run finally came due to stops, rebounds, transition. Weird.
6. With the two freshman guards on the floor.
7. Shaka should have used a time out with 3 to go. I know he didn't want to, but that group wasn't doing the work on either end.
8. This is going to be so much fun. The adventure every night. I wonder how long it will be until there is a consistent rotation.
9. Two down. Lots of upside. Lots to work on at practice.
Beat IU.
This is your best thread title ever.
Phillips has a beautiful jump shot. Wow.
Oh no you ditint
MU has to make an effort to attack the paint early imo. We definitely get 3 happy.
Transition D needs work. Ross was unreal in the second half. Hamilton has really developed and Clark is better than I expected. Lowery is showing signs of stepping up as a scorer. James and Stevens really bring it in D for freshmen. Fun team to watch.
Quote from: Zog from Margo on November 05, 2025, 09:14:25 PMTransition D needs work. Ross was unreal in the second half. Hamilton has really developed and Clark is better than I expected. Lowery is showing signs of stepping up as a scorer. James and Stevens really bring it in D for freshmen. Fun team to watch.
Agreed on all points.
Quote from: Vander Blue Man Group on November 05, 2025, 09:06:58 PMThis is your best thread title ever.
Phillips has a beautiful jump shot. Wow.
Yep. Agreed That's probably why he isn't red shirting. May need him in a handful of games to hit a couple threes when the rest of the team is in a funk. Could be a nice spark off the bench once in a while (hopefully more).
Yes, transition D needs work - there were multiple occasions when Jaguars went coast to coast and scored. We need to think about these lobs - they look great when they work but they didn't look great tonight. The opening came when we came out in the 2nd half and
ATTACKED. Assertive, going to the tin. As for Shaka taking a TO at the 3-min. mark,
fuggedabout it - Shaka may leave this world with the most retained TO's of any coach.
As an aside, I loved the comment by the announcers that the ability to challenge calls would speed up the game. Huh?
10. Didn't cover
I agreed with Brian Butch when he said early in the 2nd half that MU was being more decisive on offense, especially as they attacked the lane. It was evident with Jones, Ross and Hamilton, and kicked in again during the big run in the latter part of the game. I get that the team is not so accustomed to being focused and aggressive against a zone, but it did make a difference tonight.
We need to be better passing the ball once we draw help and are in the paint. I get we faced zone but I'd like to see more cutting off the ball.
Quote from: mug644 on November 05, 2025, 10:31:52 PMI agreed with Brian Butch when he said early in the 2nd half that MU was being more decisive on offense, especially as they attacked the lane. It was evident with Jones, Ross and Hamilton, and kicked in again during the big run in the latter part of the game. I get that the team is not so accustomed to being focused and aggressive against a zone, but it did make a difference tonight.
Agreed on Butch's point. He did annoy me at least three times when he called out an MU player for leaving his feet when he didn't leave his feet at all.
James and Stevens are both ahead of where our freshmen have been the last couple of years, so that's great to see.
Royce really needs to figure out how to be a better basketball player. It's all there talent wise. He needs to slow down and put it together.
Ben's turned into a really good defender and solid rebounder. His fouls and "bad" plays tonight are when his teammates left him on an island.
Caedin and Josh are going to be a solid center duo. Add in Pearson and we're going to have some skill and/or athleticism at the five for awhile.
If one of Ian, Michael, or Nash Walker were a year older and more polished it would really change this team. But I do think there can be enough outside shooting there if the team focuses on taking the right shots. A lot of the threes feel rushed and the guys aren't set. When they actually play inside out, the shots look pretty good.
Wish Tre could shoot even a little bit. He's good at attacking closeouts and finishing, but he doesn't get many closeouts to attack.
Indiana will be fun and interesting. Looking forward to it.
Quote from: BM1090 on November 05, 2025, 10:57:47 PMJames and Stevens are both ahead of where our freshmen have been the last couple of years, so that's great to see.
Royce really needs to figure out how to be a better basketball player. It's all there talent wise. He needs to slow down and put it together.
Ben's turned into a really good defender and solid rebounder. His fouls and "bad" plays tonight are when his teammates left him on an island.
Caedin and Josh are going to be a solid center duo. Add in Pearson and we're going to have some skill and/or athleticism at the five for awhile.
If one of Ian, Michael, or Nash Walker were a year older and more polished it would really change this team. But I do think there can be enough outside shooting there if the team focuses on taking the right shots. A lot of the threes feel rushed and the guys aren't set. When they actually play inside out, the shots look pretty good.
Wish Tre could shoot even a little bit. He's good at attacking closeouts and finishing, but he doesn't get many closeouts to attack.
Indiana will be fun and interesting. Looking forward to it.
Quote from: BM1090 on November 05, 2025, 10:57:47 PMJames and Stevens are both ahead of where our freshmen have been the last couple of years, so that's great to see.
Royce really needs to figure out how to be a better basketball player. It's all there talent wise. He needs to slow down and put it together.
Ben's turned into a really good defender and solid rebounder. His fouls and "bad" plays tonight are when his teammates left him on an island.
Caedin and Josh are going to be a solid center duo. Add in Pearson and we're going to have some skill and/or athleticism at the five for awhile.
If one of Ian, Michael, or Nash Walker were a year older and more polished it would really change this team. But I do think there can be enough outside shooting there if the team focuses on taking the right shots. A lot of the threes feel rushed and the guys aren't set. When they actually play inside out, the shots look pretty good.
Wish Tre could shoot even a little bit. He's good at attacking closeouts and finishing, but he doesn't get many closeouts to attack.
Indiana will be fun and interesting. Looking forward to it.
Ya... I couldn't agree more about RP. We really need him to figure it out. It would also be nice if DO played with less hesitation. Both have the talent.
Nice thread title.
Another enjoyable game to my eyes.
Didn't turn it over much given the frenetic pace of the game. Protecting the ball has been a pleasant surprise to start the year and hopefully it continues.
-Chase showed he can be an alpha in the scoring department. Solid finishing at the rim and more aggressive when they needed him to be.
If his outside shot falls at a decent clip he will get drafted. Athleticism fits the bill, plays within himself, super efficient, solid leadership and defensive presence- has the look of a 3/slash and D type of player in the NBA if he can shoot it.
-Sean Jones showed he can still play. Nigel is more than a fine compliment so the 1 is set. Just make some open 3s to keep the defense honest and give themselves more space in the lane.
-Benny, Caedin, and Clark provide 3 different types of looks at the 5, each with a unique skillset and ability to allow Shaka more options there. Remains to be seen if Ceadin and Clark can be useful for long stretches against better competition, but if they can Shaka will be in decent shape there too.
-Wings have a lot of options, but need guys to step up and grab the bull by the horns.
Chase has one spot of the 3 comfortable.
Zaide looks ready. Parham/Owens/Stevens/Tre group needs a guy or guys to step into a bigger and more effective role by BE play.
Likely Parham and/or Owens taking the next step will be the key. Stevens will be a really good career player at Marquette.
-Great looking shot MikePhiII! Hopefully he finds a way to stay on the court on the defensive end so he can make some more and not be a situational 3P guy for the whole season
-Real nice to not see a massive drop off when Shaka mixes it up. The freshmen are holding their own incredibly well and everyone else is doing their best to get whatever minutes they can and play a valuable role.
We will soon find out who can be effective against the big boys.
-It'll be up and down all year for some of the guys, but if they show that they can hold their own against high major competition, even if not night in and night out, it'll give Shaka a lot of options to play the effective/hot hand while he waits to see who grabs the opportunities he gives
Hopefully Sunday will be fun.
See you all there!
Thought it was interesting in Shakas press conference that they specifically try and pick teams that will play man to man against them. Both teams played zone so far the majority of the games.
Ross, Hamilton, Parham, James and Stevens were on the floor during a dominant stretch that gave us a 19-point lead with 11 minutes left. Great defensive intensity, attacked the basket on offense.
Ross was by far the best player on the floor. Again.
Hamilton used nice post moves to make two baskets he never would have made last season.
Nice games for Jones. More in control, had more purpose to his drives, disruptive on D. I was glad to hear that he was his own biggest critic after the Albany game.
Lowery was on fire in the first half, kinda disappeared in the second.
I don't love that we gave up 82 points to effen Southern.
After Southern's big guy banked in a 3, Jones had a nice stretch to put us back up by 12 - hit a 3, then fed Hamilton for a dunk.
There were 3 or 4 occasions that Gold had the ball in the lane but passed it out. Late in the game, he finally rose up and hit a little 5-foot hook. Don't know whether he lacks confidence or he's too unselfish or both.
Looking forward to see what kind of rotation Shaka uses Sunday and how our team looks against a legit opponent.
We Are Marquette!
Once again, the team responded to coaching and adjustments. Shaka referenced in his post game presser that they spend most of their time on man offense and have now faced 90% zone. Caedin 'hid' against the zone in the first half. I have to believe he was instructed to attack the basket in the second half.
You could hear the entire team yelling at MP to shoot.
Part of the learning curve will be for the young guys to figure out when it is OK to be a little selfish and attack the basket. They are so invested in being good teammates that they forget that sometimes making a move and dunking IS being a good teammate.
There has been a lot of good stuff in the first two games. Absolutely, a lot of stuff needs worked on and improved. I think most of us can see the potential and opportunities.
Through two games, probably due to all of the young guys, all of the energy, all of the depth, the team has felt more like a salad than a soup. You get these little chunks of good at from lots of different people at different times. 12 poi is from Zaide in a hurry, Caedin for 3 minutes, Stevens with back to back 3s, 2 minutes of insane defense from NJ. Chunks. Tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, avocado. Chunks.
They haven't become a soup yet, with one broth making everything a seamless connection where you occasionally notice a good chunk of meat, a bay leaf, a random spice, but usually just soup.
It is way too early to make a definitive judgment, but I don't know if this team ever becomes a soup. I think it has so many usable pieces, and so much youth potentially leading to inconsistent play on a game to game basis, that it may never become seamless.
Ah, well. I like salad better than soup anyway.
Quote from: BM1090 on November 05, 2025, 10:54:16 PMAgreed on Butch's point. He did annoy me at least three times when he called out an MU player for leaving his feet when he didn't leave his feet at all.
'Butchie' will find subtle ways to hack on MU. He's RED's radio color guy. Probably filing a scouting report with Gard this morning.
Is Butch still into dressing in drag?
Quote from: Viper on November 06, 2025, 07:44:32 AM'Butchie' will find subtle ways to hack on MU. He's RED's radio color guy. Probably filing a scouting report with Gard this morning.
He's very good at color. Like when he does Marquette games
I met Brian Butch a long time ago when I worked in TV news. Very nice guy.
I must have jinxed him because he broke his arm a few weeks later. My Badger friends will still bring it up from time to time.
Quote from: Uncle Rico on November 06, 2025, 08:25:06 AMHe's very good at color. Like when he does Marquette games
Agree. I think he does try to be a little too off the wall at times... not as far as Walton went, but I think he tries to entertain in that direction.
Quote from: Hards Alumni on November 06, 2025, 08:45:59 AMAgree. I think he does try to be a little too off the wall at times... not as far as Walton went, but I think he tries to entertain in that direction.
His radio schtick does bleed into his color work but that gig just got cancelled.
(https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTZjMDliOTUyY2xjbXJoODF1cnEzMDA2MTJ0MDR3ZTlwcTJtbGhib3Y3Nnh2amZ2dyZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/j2pOFyuTJqWj9S5qdE/200w.gif)
2nd half was what I was hoping to see from the team out of the gates.
Nice to see Sean, Zaide, Chase, and Ben settle in nicely. Ben hitting 3s, strong defense, solid rebounding, and even a baby hook--he is starting to play with an edge.
Really like what I've seen from Adrien and Nigel. AS is a monster on defense and Nigel isnt far behind. Josh could be a nice minutes role player--lots of altered shots when he is in (but maybe we hedge less with him?).
Royce and Damarius need a few confidence boosters. Royce nailed a nice rhythm 3 early but not much else. I think that'll come. For Damarius, I thought this speed would really showcase his talents. Still feels like he is finding his footing. Let's hope for a breakout game when the lights shine bright on Sunday.
Tre seems to be the calming force on a young unit. I still think he has a lot to offer, but would love to see him hit a few shots on top of the drives I know he is capable of.
Caeden--liked the 2nd half. Still a little off tempo on defense, but we haven't had an anchor presence in the paint on offense like that in a bit.
Phillips--wow was that pure. Please let the game slow down for you soon so we can give you some nice bench mins.
Lots of good things out of this one. Score doesn't show everything--this team needed a confidence boost, and they did pretty well to keep a zone honest.
Tower, great recap. A lot of potential on the floor for us. A bit surprised we gave up 80 pts to a low D1 team and switched to a zone. Still trying to figure out who can score against a power5 team and what solution shaka worked on in off season....when teams pack the paint and dare us to shoot 3s. Should be great test v Indiana, am sure the boys will play hard.
Quote from: tower912 on November 06, 2025, 07:32:46 AMThrough two games, probably due to all of the young guys, all of the energy, all of the depth, the team has felt more like a salad than a soup. You get these little chunks of good at from lots of different people at different times. 12 poi is from Zaide in a hurry, Caedin for 3 minutes, Stevens with back to back 3s, 2 minutes of insane defense from NJ. Chunks. Tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, avocado. Chunks.
They haven't become a soup yet, with one broth making everything a seamless connection where you occasionally notice a good chunk of meat, a bay leaf, a random spice, but usually just soup.
It is way too early to make a definitive judgment, but I don't know if this team ever becomes a soup. I think it has so many usable pieces, and so much youth potentially leading to inconsistent play on a game to game basis, that it may never become seamless.
Ah, well. I like salad better than soup anyway.
I am a gumbo guy and hope this team gets spicey hot!
Quote from: Uncle Rico on November 06, 2025, 08:25:06 AMHe's very good at color. Like when he does Marquette games
Yeah, same. Hated him as a player. Like when he's calling MU games.
Quote from: Captain Quette on November 06, 2025, 09:25:18 AMTower, great recap. A lot of potential on the floor for us. A bit surprised we gave up 80 pts to a low D1 team and switched to a zone. Still trying to figure out who can score against a power5 team and what solution shaka worked on in off season....when teams pack the paint and dare us to shoot 3s. Should be great test v Indiana, am sure the boys will play hard.
Southern scored 77 points against #14 Arkansas on Monday.
Quote from: wadesworld on November 06, 2025, 09:55:42 AMSouthern scored 77 points against #14 Arkansas on Monday.
And that was without Barnes who scored 17 last night.
Valid points on that score and player. My thought was that man to man D would be a more apparent strength for us and hopefully it will. But the jags aren't the Blue Devils. Perhaps our D is more of a WIP than I thought, which is fine.
The weakness I see compared to previous seasons is help defense. It was referenced elsewhere, but so far this season Ben is being asked to clean up a lot of messes. He has played solid D and rebounded well, but his fouls are generally cleaning up somebody else's missed assignment.
Quote from: wadesworld on November 06, 2025, 09:50:56 AMYeah, same. Hated him as a player. Like when he's calling MU games.
His biggest weakness is his voice sounds like Dan Dakich.
Quote from: cheebs09 on November 06, 2025, 03:00:57 PMHis biggest weakness is his voice sounds like Dan Dakich.
;D I laughed harder than I should at the Dan Dakich comparison.
Quote from: MUbiz on November 06, 2025, 03:02:39 PM;D I laughed harder than I should at the Dan Dakich comparison.
Hopefully, Brian doesn't take the same path as Dakich professionally and personally