MUScoop
MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: ToddRosiakSays on October 17, 2009, 02:15:03 AM
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MU Madness report
After everything he's gone though in the past year or so, Joe Fulce was sitting on top of the world on Friday night.
While his victory in the dunk contest at MU Madness on the surface earned him nothing more than bragging rights on Lazar Hayward, who he soundly beat in the finals, it served as further validation that all the hard work he's put in while recovering from a pair of surgeries on his right kneecap has truly paid off.
Showing no trace of the slight limp with which he had been playing even late into the summer, the 6-foot-7, 205-pound Fulce was back to his springy, active self at the Al McGuire Center, showing glimpses of the player coach Buzz Williams was hoping he'd be after recruiting him out of Tyler Junior College a few seasons ago as a Golden Eagles assistant.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/64660832.html
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Acker had 5 assists in 20 minutes (actually less than 20 minutes because the clock kept running through FTs.)-----did a very good job of getting the ball into the half court against Cubillan pressure. MA will be our PG this year with Cubby backing him up.
Buycks is a #2 guard-----a shoot first guard-----and looks to have a nice stroke. DJO didn't play and from what I read he is a #2 guard as well (averaged 4 TOs/game in JUCO----that's not PG material).
Butler is smooth, athletic, and showed more strength/quickness than a year ago taking it to the hoop. Appears to be close to 6' 8" (he's taller than Fulce)-----was watching him in warmups and appears to have a nice perimeter shot----has a very good shot at an NBA career.
Lazar also stronger, quicker, and more confident on his move to the hoop (both he Jimmy B seem to have taken a page from wes Mathews book of last year------take it to the hoop).
Otule is physically more mature than a year ago and is using a turn around jump shot off the low postup------would much rather see him develop a hook (jump or pivot hook) to clear the defender better-----will get that jump shot slammed back in his face in the BE. More aggressive this year, but still a project----should be our starting #5.
Maymon needs to develp a better shot-----however is a great passer-----not a finesse passer but really zooms the ball to its destination which really helps to set up people-----finished around the hoop a couple times off layoffs from Acker penetration, but at this point just a straight "what you see is what you get player". I see his main contribution this year as the conduit on the high post vs a zone.
Mbao is slow but very agile----- not very athletic at this point (has limited hops), but 7' 2" makes up for some of that. Needs to bulk up. A project. !
I was impressed with the 3 veterans from last years rotation-------provide a good nucleus-----Acker will not be a double digit scorer-----but he'll set guys up and will neutralize pressure by bringing the ball up
successfully and put it into play in the half court. That's the role of a PG------we have other guys who can take it to the hoop and finish.
From what I saw last night the starters this year will be----Acker (#1), Buycks or DJO (#2), Butler (#3), Hayward (#4), and Otule (#5). This lineup should challenge for the upper division of the BE.
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I see Coobey, Butler, Maymon, Lazar and Buycks, Fulce or Otule depending on who we play. While hearing good things about DJO, with him being injured and unable to practice DJO stays a big question mark. Maymon is made for the BEAST. Maymon was Blue Teams leading scorer and went tooth and and nail with Lazar. The Blue would of won except for a last second putback by Lazar. The last 7 seconds Coobey took it the entire distance North to South and could of won the game but missed a very makeable layup. A little more confidence and he won't miss those. I believe Coobey is the most under-rated player on Marquette. His shot is back to form and is getting his swagger back. Maurice while good with the ball in his hands is to big a liability on D. I more than anyone wishes he was 4 inches taller. I still predict Erik Williams will be a stud in time and constantly improve. I believe he swatted one of Joe Fulces or Lazars shots back. Williams is smooth and just needs to get adjusted to D1 ball.
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Acker had 5 assists-----don't recall Cubby having even 1 assist-----too much east/west dribbling by Cubby----the guy you said looked good (Maymon) was set up by Acker 2-3 times at the hoop.
BTW----Acker looked very good to me dogging Cubby all over the floor forcing him east/west rather than toward the hoop.
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Coobey I doubt will start and will likely see his minutes diminish as DJO gets up to speed.
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I know Coobey is the dark horse. DJO may be as good as everyone says, but with him injured with little practice and no one knowing how good he really is to BEAST caliber players is just a question mark now. Maurice we know what we are getting. Unfortunately not enough as evidence by last years last 7 games with DJ being injured. But Coobey played on Venezuela's national team. And while in past years Coobey has been criticized for dribbling to much East and West he took it to the basket at least three times yesterday and penetrated much more with relative ease on Acker. But people will see what they want to see. Murff, I see where you are coming from. Basketball should be played with a true point guard, a true 2, a true 3 and true 4 and a true center. If you win or not with that is not as important as playing the right player at the right position for them. Acker fits a true point because he can't play another position, Otule a true center. I am of the opinion you play to beat your opponent regardless of who it is playing what position.
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I was out of town .. for those of you who attended, did the MM scrimmage change your mind about the # of games MU will win this year? Up or down?
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I was out of town .. for those of you who attended, did the MM scrimmage change your mind about the # of games MU will win this year? Up or down?
I wish I knew how good our opponents will be. We have talent, and if Buzz can find the right combination, I think we can be tough as nails.
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I was out of town .. for those of you who attended, did the MM scrimmage change your mind about the # of games MU will win this year? Up or down?
There was a lot of individual talent on the floor, but it looked like pick-up ball... and Mbao+Otule looked lost under the rim. If we had to start our schedule today I'd move the number of wins we'd get down. Thankfully Buzz et al have a month (plus another month of cupcakes) to mold our raw talent into something serviceable as a team.
The thing I was most impressed by was the Maymon v Haward matchup the whole game. Maymon makes Hayward look spindly by comparison (a little short too). Yeah Maymon's shot looked not so great, but the dude could be a linebacker if basketball doesn't work out for him.
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There was a lot of individual talent on the floor, but it looked like pick-up ball... and Mbao+Otule looked lost under the rim. If we had to start our schedule today I'd move the number of wins we'd get down. Thankfully Buzz et al have a month (plus another month of cupcakes) to mold our raw talent into something serviceable as a team.
The thing I was most impressed by was the Maymon v Haward matchup the whole game. Maymon makes Hayward look spindly by comparison (a little short too). Yeah Maymon's shot looked not so great, but the dude could be a linebacker if basketball doesn't work out for him.
And we might need a linebacker in the BEAST. Maymon couldn't of been two time Mr. Wisconsin Basketball for no reason. His first year might not be pretty in regards to style, but my feeling is at the end of the game he will be a stat stuffer. Would be awesome if Marquette had a two headed monster with Lazar and Maymon to pound the inside and out with Fulce, Erik and Jimmy providing complimenting reinforcement. Maymon is going to be critical on how many W & L Marquette gets.
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Acker had 5 assists in 20 minutes (actually less than 20 minutes because the clock kept running through FTs.)-----did a very good job of getting the ball into the half court against Cubillan pressure. MA will be our PG this year with Cubby backing him up.
Buycks is a #2 guard-----a shoot first guard-----and looks to have a nice stroke. DJO didn't play and from what I read he is a #2 guard as well (averaged 4 TOs/game in JUCO----that's not PG material).
Butler is smooth, athletic, and showed more strength/quickness than a year ago taking it to the hoop. Appears to be close to 6' 8" (he's taller than Fulce)-----was watching him in warmups and appears to have a nice perimeter shot----has a very good shot at an NBA career.
Lazar also stronger, quicker, and more confident on his move to the hoop (both he Jimmy B seem to have taken a page from wes Mathews book of last year------take it to the hoop).
Otule is physically more mature than a year ago and is using a turn around jump shot off the low postup------would much rather see him develop a hook (jump or pivot hook) to clear the defender better-----will get that jump shot slammed back in his face in the BE. More aggressive this year, but still a project----should be our starting #5.
Maymon needs to develp a better shot-----however is a great passer-----not a finesse passer but really zooms the ball to its destination which really helps to set up people-----finished around the hoop a couple times off layoffs from Acker penetration, but at this point just a straight "what you see is what you get player". I see his main contribution this year as the conduit on the high post vs a zone.
Mbao is slow but very agile----- not very athletic at this point (has limited hops), but 7' 2" makes up for some of that. Needs to bulk up. A project. !
I was impressed with the 3 veterans from last years rotation-------provide a good nucleus-----Acker will not be a double digit scorer-----but he'll set guys up and will neutralize pressure by bringing the ball up
successfully and put it into play in the half court. That's the role of a PG------we have other guys who can take it to the hoop and finish.
From what I saw last night the starters this year will be----Acker (#1), Buycks or DJO (#2), Butler (#3), Hayward (#4), and Otule (#5). This lineup should challenge for the upper division of the BE.
I agree with pretty much everything you say here except that Mbao isn't fast. I would say he definitely isn't QUICK, but he is, in my opinion, a lot faster than I would have expected an 18 year old 7'2" player. I thought he ran the floor very hard and got up and down it pretty fast. He ran side to side down the court with Hayward (who's not fast, but he's probably faster than almost anyone Mbao will have to guard in his career). I agree he's definitely not coordinated, and I am by no means impressed by what he brings to the table for this year, I am very excited for what he could be in 2 years. He blocked at least 2 shots, I think 3, and he got quite a few touches on offensive rebounds (although he didn't finish the deal and grab them except on maybe one). He's definitely a project, but if he can add some muscle and grow into his body I think he could be a very strong big man for us in 2 years.
Also, if Marquette is doubling and shading Lazar in their own scrimmage, I can't wait to see what other teams are going to do. He better get used to that. He seemed to get somewhat frustrated at it and sometimes held the ball for longer than he should have. Once everyone gets used to playing together I am thinking he'll be more than happy to pass it off to someone for an open jumper.
I'm excited about the talent of this team. If Buzz can coach them well enough and we avoid anymore injuries, this team could do some damage in the Big East.
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And we might need a linebacker in the BEAST. Maymon couldn't of been two time Mr. Wisconsin Basketball for no reason. His first year might not be pretty in regards to style, but my feeling is at the end of the game he will be a stat stuffer. Would be awesome if Marquette had a two headed monster with Lazar and Maymon to pound the inside and out with Fulce, Erik and Jimmy providing complimenting reinforcement. Maymon is going to be critical on how many W & L Marquette gets.
I definitely agree. I may have come across as being too critical of Maymon. I had assumed that his having 9 points (2nd highest scoring behind butler) with Hayward in his face all night would speak for itself, so I stuck to being critical of the guy.
On another note: Buycks had some pretty electric moments. He's quick and has quite a bit of flair. He seemed to get lost amongst the trees when he was driving, so his effort didn't translate into many points but I could definitely see the guy having a couple 20 point games once he's playing with the team instead of in a pick-up game.
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Also, if Marquette is doubling and shading Lazar in their own scrimmage, I can't wait to see what other teams are going to do. He better get used to that. He seemed to get somewhat frustrated at it and sometimes held the ball for longer than he should have. Once everyone gets used to playing together I am thinking he'll be more than happy to pass it off to someone for an open jumper.
First off, I want to state I was not present last night. However, this last sentence from "wadesworld" could be one of the keys to this season. With all of the skills of Lazar, one thing I have NOT been impressed with is his passing. He is going to be a focal point of defenses this year unlike years past. He is going to have to create shots at times for others. If he doesn't average at least 2.5 assists a game, we will struggle.
I noticed Athlon in the previews had him as one of the best "inside/out" players in the country, which is true. Given the amount of double teams he will see, I hope he is able to find open teammates.
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Butler is not a complementary player, he is a star. He will be the most improved player in the Big East. Mbao can catch the ball and he can pass it. Moves well for his size. Needs weight, but his legs are so skinny that I do not think he will ever put on much weight. He does not have the body for it. I feel better about MU now, but my expectations were very low. We might win 12 games the whole season
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Questions were abound at the end of last year whether JB would step up.
Though only a scrimmage, it appears he's stepping up to challenge his critics!
GO MU!
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Butler is not a complementary player, he is a star. He will be the most improved player in the Big East. Mbao can catch the ball and he can pass it. Moves well for his size. Needs weight, but his legs are so skinny that I do not think he will ever put on much weight. He does not have the body for it. I feel better about MU now, but my expectations were very low. We might win 12 games the whole season
I hope Jimmy becomes a star. To say he is one now seems to be premature. Jimmy's performance will be critical for Marquette's success this year. We need to replace points from the 3-Amigos and Jimmy needs to be one of the sources. Maymon needs to be another source.
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I don't see how Maymon gets major mpg this year unless he spells Otule at #5 or starts at #5-----this is Lazar's senior year and he wants to showcase himself for the NBA as a perimeter player----could see that last night----meanwhile Butler will be a fixture at #3 in what probably will be a 4 out 1 in offense.
Ironically Maymon's best position is probably #5 even though he is small (6'6"-6'7")----he's best around the hoop.
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I don't see how Maymon gets major mpg this year unless he spells Otule at #5 or starts at #5-----this is Lazar's senior year and he wants to showcase himself for the NBA as a perimeter player----could see that last night----meanwhile Butler will be a fixture at #3 in what probably will be a 4 out 1 in offense.
Ironically Maymon's best position is probably #5 even though he is small (6'6"-6'7")----he's best around the hoop.
I don't get it, thought it was a team sport versus showcasing individual talent. Marquette lost 45 points with the departure of the 3 Amigos. Even if Jimmy is equivalent to one of the Amigos this year, we still are without the production of two of the Amigos. Sorry, just don't see Acker, Otule and Buycks making up that difference. Meaning Maymon is the man!
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I still think this team is going to surprise a lot of people. This team has as much talent and depth as they have had at MU in quite some time. At least since 2003. Yes, they are young, but they are young AND talented. I will take my chances with that combination any time. Even in the best conference in the country.
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Maymon will get plenty of minutes.
Murff has no clue....again.
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If hayward is going to show case his talents for the next level then he'll spend most of his time as a 2/3 b/c he sure isn't going to be a 4 in the NBA. Butler, Buycks, and DJO should be more worried about fighting Zar for minutes than maymon if this was the case.
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Also, if Marquette is doubling and shading Lazar in their own scrimmage, I can't wait to see what other teams are going to do. He better get used to that. He seemed to get somewhat frustrated at it and sometimes held the ball for longer than he should have. Once everyone gets used to playing together I am thinking he'll be more than happy to pass it off to someone for an open jumper.
I'm excited about the talent of this team. If Buzz can coach them well enough and we avoid anymore injuries, this team could do some damage in the Big East.
Lazar was interviewed after the scrimmage and said that he was more concerned about getting everyone else involved then looking to shoot and score. He said he didn't even want to take a shot so I don't know thing he was frustrated from any double teaming/shading.
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If hayward is going to show case his talents for the next level then he'll spend most of his time as a 2/3 b/c he sure isn't going to be a 4 in the NBA. Butler, Buycks, and DJO should be more worried about fighting Zar for minutes than maymon if this was the case.
Agreed. Perhaps no one on MU's team could help Lazar more than Maymon. If Maymon can handle some minutes at the 4 it allows Lazar to move out and play at the 3, even in some form of a 4 out offense.
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At this stage of preseason, there is no way to assess the team, only speculate. What hasn't been mentioned was the defense. Last year we had quickness, but little inside help. This year it seems we are not as quick or sound defensively but we should have that big man presence that can overcome a lot of mistakes. In the end, Buzz realizes the essentials of a sound team defense. And while we always refer to recruits offensive numbers, it takes time to determine the defensive worth of a newcomer.
I wouldn't even care to speculate on the number of wins right now. However, I can guarantee an incredibly exciting year of change for 2009. It appears Butler is ready for a big step forward, but the point guard position appears to me the Achilles heel for the team this year. Expect inconsistency until late in the season.
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Maymon will get plenty of minutes.
Murff has no clue....again.
Well where is he going to play? Will he beat out Butler at #3-----I doubt it. Will he beat out Lazar at #4?-----I doubt it. Will he beat out Otule at #5?-----maybe. My bet he comes off the bench as the 6th man----subbing more for Otule than anyone else.
Maymon had 9 points Friday night----6 of them were set up by Acker off dishoffs at the hoop.
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Lazar was interviewed after the scrimmage and said that he was more concerned about getting everyone else involved then looking to shoot and score. He said he didn't even want to take a shot so I don't know thing he was frustrated from any double teaming/shading.
Well in the scrimmage he was only concerned about himself getting to the hoop------he put his head down and went there hell or high water-----didn't get anyone involved.
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To me it seemed like Lazar was going to take the rest of the group to school - you know - as the senior leader - that was my impression - that's all I thought of what he was doing. I mean, it's a scrimmage.
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Murff's comments about Lazar are actually one of my biggest concerns about Lazar. Despite his excellence at rebounding and scoring, Lazar is kind of a black hole when he gets the ball. Couple that with the notion of being the "senior leader", and it's easy to envision a scenario where he starts to dominate the possessions a la McNeal and the whole team suffers.
However, it's too early to tell based solely on a scrimmage.
FWIW, I see Maymon as the most productive of the new players this year based on nothing.
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I'm not going to speculate a ton on guys abilities based on 24 minutes of pick up ball but impressions were:
-Buycks looks athletic, good compact body...showed he's got a pretty good handle.
-Maymon just produced, finds a way
-Otule, somewhat better body tone
-Mbao, soft body still but he's all of 7-2
-Erik Williams, not confident during dunk contest, not as explosive as I was expecting/hoping, in the flow of actual basketball i was more impressed
with him. Timid streak in him hopefully goes away as he gets acclimated.
Been following recruiting for a decade now but after watching Vander at the madness two nights ago I remember thinking "this deal might be done". Seemed comfortable and looked good in blue and gold. Was sitting with Jamail, Black and Mrs. Williams during the scrimmage. Sitting behind the prospects for madness it just seemed like Buzz has got MU "plugged in" in regards to recruiting. Good to see all these young prospects there in addition to the big 5(I'm assuming they're prospects)- the longer these relationships we can build the better.