Saw this on Reddit and was curious which early departure for the NBA changed MUBB the most?
Obviously Wade & Chones. If they each finish out their eligibility we're basically a blue blood (kidding...kind of)
Who after that? Justin? Omax? Vander? Henry? Froling? TKO or Oso using their covid year? Someone else from the 70s like McNeil or Lucas?
Blues senior year could have been great.
Quote from: Galway Eagle on December 30, 2025, 03:11:41 PMSaw this on Reddit and was curious which early departure for the NBA changed MUBB the most?
Obviously Wade & Chones. If they each finish out their eligibility we're basically a blue blood (kidding...kind of)
Who after that? Justin? Omax? Vander? Henry? Froling? TKO or Oso using their covid year? Someone else from the 70s like McNeil or Lucas?
Would have liked to see the ceiling of the team with Justin back but they probably couldn't have done much better than 29-7 so I'll say OMax.
We made it to the Sweet 16 and ran out of gas. An NBA level athlete would have helped so much on offense and defense. Probably a Final Four team with him back.
Still rueful about '72 so Chones. That year could have been really something.
If Chones comes back for his Senior season the front line would have been Chones,McNeil and Lucas.If McNeil comes back for his Senior season they may have beat N.C.St.in the finals
1972-1973 Chones left
Frontline would have been: Chones, McNeil, Lucas. Marcus Washington, Allie McGuire and George Frazier at guards.
1973-1974 McNeil left
Frontline would have been: McNeil, Lucas, Ellis. Lloyd Walton and Marcus Washington at guard
1974-1975 Lucas left
Frontline would have been: Lucas, Ellis, Tatum (SF) Add Butch Lee and Lloyd Walton
Three years in a row, Chones, McNeil and Lucas. This, including 1974 Championship game. What could have been if they stayed, in an era that MU was a dominant program. Larry McNeil, still the most unappreciated MU player.
I wasn't around for Chones, and I've never really thought much about what would've happened if Wade had played another year at MU, because that's a pipe dream if ever there was one.
For me, the Vander Blue one was the most damaging. I've heard that his mom begged him to stay in school. The guy declared and didn't even come close to getting drafted. If he'd stayed, he would've been the absolute alpha dog on that team, probably averaging 20 ppg while proving he could run the point on occasion (or trying to). Add a supporting cast of Gardner, Burton, and Jamil Wilson, and that team ain't bad.
Instead, he left, we had an awful season, and Buzz went running for a new job when it ended. It felt like Buzz was blindsided when he went pro - I suppose Deonte and JJJ were the next in line, but JJJ came in really young for his age and was nowhere near ready to contribute. After Vander's departure, it would be ten years before we'd win a tournament game. It always felt like his early exit marked the start of that period.
Tyko and Oso who each had a Covid year left. Glad for them, but what might have been...! Was around for Chones, if only he could have stuck around for even just a few weeks more!
Tyler and Oso leaving with a year of eligibility remaining was odd, because no one expected them to stay so wasn't as big of a deal... but in hindsight, them running it back for another year would have made us a top team nationally and maybe we wouldn't have had our traditional second half nosedive.
Great thing about this year is it can't get much worse. Win a couple of games and most people will be like, 'yeah, that's about what I expected, maybe a bit better'. *sigh*
DO 4 22 tonight.
Legend has it that Blue and Buzz had quite the negative interaction when Buzz found out Vander was leaving.
Quote from: tower912 on December 30, 2025, 05:10:32 PMLegend has it that Blue and Buzz had quite the negative interaction when Buzz found out Vander was leaving.
Was there an altercation?
Since I started at MU...
Wade, blue, omax, tko/oso
In recent memory (fan since '02) probably V.Blue, then Justin Lewis
I do wish a couple players DID go early. Can we start that thread?
Quote from: jesmu84 on December 30, 2025, 05:44:08 PMWas there an altercation?
As I recall per Scoop yes, in the weight room
Quote from: mileskishnish72 on December 30, 2025, 03:30:49 PMStill rueful about '72 so Chones. That year could have been really something.
Absolutely.
Quote from: Biggie Clausen on December 30, 2025, 04:28:47 PMFor me, the Vander Blue one was the most damaging. I've heard that his mom begged him to stay in school. The guy declared and didn't even come close to getting drafted. If he'd stayed, he would've been the absolute alpha dog on that team, probably averaging 20 ppg while proving he could run the point on occasion (or trying to). Add a supporting cast of Gardner, Burton, and Jamil Wilson, and that team ain't bad.
100%. Given his progression to that point, he would have put up 18-20pts with like 5 rebounds and a couple assists, wouldn't have contended for BEPOY cause the arrival of McDermott ended that race before the season began, but would have likely been consensus first team All-BE. With Wilson and Davante, they would have been a borderline preseason top 10 team. That team was missing a star, which made his departure even more brutal.
Quote from: JWags85 on December 31, 2025, 04:04:46 PM100%. Given his progression to that point, he would have put up 18-20pts with like 5 rebounds and a couple assists, wouldn't have contended for BEPOY cause the arrival of McDermott ended that race before the season began, but would have likely been consensus first team All-BE. With Wilson and Davante, they would have been a borderline preseason top 10 team. That team was missing a star, which made his departure even more brutal.
Yep. And I seem to recall there was a highly touted JUCO guy who was supposed to be on that team but left (or got kicked off) shortly before the season started under very confusing circumstances. That was a weird season.
Agree with Blue and I think he could have had a long NBA career with one more year of seasoning at Marquette.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/10922180/former-marquette-star-vander-blue-eight-teams-one-year-espn-magazine
This Eli Saslow story for ESPN the magazine includes that in his first year of pro ball he had 200 teammates, played 49 games in 27 cities for 10 coaches on eight different teams. Had he played for one team and one coach with 12 teammates, his development would have been way greater.
Ha! Scoop assured us that development is much better in the pros. Coaches are way better. College basketball holds kids back because of going to class. Can't spend 24 hours a day dribbling. Ya da Ya da Ya da.
I agree it could have gone differently for Blue if he had stayed. But who knows, he might have ended up in the same place anyway. Just one year later. Would have been nice to delay it one more year just to see what he could do at the point guard position for MU.
Thanks for posting the Blue article. I had never seen it. Very sad and poignant.
Quote from: nyg on December 30, 2025, 04:17:32 PM1972-1973 Chones left
Frontline would have been: Chones, McNeil, Lucas. Marcus Washington, Allie McGuire and George Frazier at guards.
1973-1974 McNeil left
Frontline would have been: McNeil, Lucas, Ellis. Lloyd Walton and Marcus Washington at guard
1974-1975 Lucas left
Frontline would have been: Lucas, Ellis, Tatum (SF) Add Butch Lee and Lloyd Walton
Three years in a row, Chones, McNeil and Lucas. This, including 1974 Championship game. What could have been if they stayed, in an era that MU was a dominant program. Larry McNeil, still the most unappreciated MU player.
I was just in middle school at the time going to every home game with the family's season tickets. I recall how devastating it was as those guys entered the draft early. What I don't recall is how it was three straight years. I haven't seen it laid out like this - wow. What could have been!