MUScoop
MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: CrackedSidewalksSays on June 27, 2008, 11:45:03 AM
-
New Recruit for Marquette
Written by: noreply@blogger.com (Henry Sugar)
In a somewhat strange development, it appears that Marquette has received a commitment from another player. The new player is Liam McMorrow, who is a 7', 260lb transfer from Durham College in Canada. But not only has McMorrow committed to Marquette, but he's already on Marquette's campus and checked into Humphrey (http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=9433.msg81057#msg81057). In fact, as confirmed by Mark Miller, McMorrow has started practicing with the guys at the AL (link has more info) (http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=415&f=2850&t=2622588).
So what do we know about Liam McMorrow? He's big and he's a bit of a project. According to Mark Miller, McMorrow will have to sit out a year due to the transfer. He'll end up in the same class as Otule and will have three years of eligibility. In the MUScoop discussion thread (http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=9433.0), poster MU Chi_IL found a number of links on the internet about McMorrow.
Liam McMorrow, a six-foot-eleven newcomer, will help that defensive goal. Displaying good hands for the basketball and a soft shooting touch around the basket, he shouldn’t be limited to just a defensive role either. from the Durham College Chronicle (http://dca.durhamc.on.ca/chronicle/sports.html?id=36)
In one game, he pulled down 18 rebounds (http://www.ocaa.com/sports/mbasketball/news/?id=6084). In another game, he sank the two winning free throws (http://sirc.ca/news_view.cfm?id=19880&search=&show=&month=2&year=2008&search_where=), despite a season average of 55%. Finally, poster Pakuni found a youtube clip of McMorrow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L_r4wLf0XI&feature=related) that really doesn't show a whole lot.
Color us floored (is that a color?). Not only did this guy fly under the radar, but he made it all the way to campus without so much as a peep. Have to hand it to Buzz for his stealth recruiting.
Personally, I'm a big fan of this signing despite the fact that he's still raw. Frankly, any legitimate big man these days is probably a one and done and they're signing with a school like Duke/UNC/Kansas. It's worthwhile to take 1-2 guys per year that have potential because of the hope that they'll pan out. Some of the best big men in the Big East, such as Aaron Gray and Roy Hibbert, were considered projects that developed. Plus, given that McMorrow will have a transfer year to work with Dale Layer and Tony Benford, there's a better chance of realizing his potential. Both assistant coaches have worked and developed quality big men in the past, unlike the previous coaching staff.
Here is how the classes now look according to the MUScoop Scholarship Table (http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?page=8). There is only one spot available, and all belief is that it will go to fill the need of PG. Hopefully, another Canadian named Junior Cadougan (http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball_recruits/junior_cadougan), who was on campus visiting this week (http://marquette.scout.com/2/764568.html), will be that final scholarship slot.
Finally, because no Friday is complete without a random topic, please be careful. There are ninja in the woods (http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2008/06/25/school_locked_down_after_ninja_sighted_in_woods/)!
http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2008/06/new-recruit-for-marquette.html
-
MU signs Canadian 7-footer
Written by: Todd Rosiak
After weeks and weeks of behind-the-scenes legwork and wrangling, the Marquette Golden Eagles have added a fourth and final player to their 2008-'09 recruiting class -- and he's a big one.
Liam McMorrow, a 7-foot, 260-pound center from Toronto, Ontario joins Joe Fulce, Jimmy Butler and Chris Otule as a member of coach Buzz Williams' first recruiting class at MU.
Unlike those three, McMorrow will sit out this coming season as a redshirt. But considering his lack of organized basketball experience -- one season at Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario -- Williams is hopeful that 15 months' worth of work on the court and in the weight room will help get the big man up to speed in time to make an impact in the 2009-'10 season.
"With one scholarship (for 2008-'09), I think it's important as it relates to our team that we use it for someone that can immediately help us, or something that is going to be able to step in the following year when we lose four seniors, and have the opportunity to help us," said Williams. "In relation to when I took the job, there wasn't really a lot of good players as far as being able to make an immediate impact. So my focus almost shifted to, ‘What can we do?'
"Liam, in essence, is a member of the 2009 recruiting class. The benefit is he gets to be here for a year, take part in every practice as a redshirt, do all the strength stuff, and then he's going to have three years left."
McMorrow, who's already on campus and will begin attending summer school on Monday, grew up as a hockey fan in his native Canada. One of his older brothers, Sean, was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 2000 and spent most of his career playing for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League.
McMorrow himself played both hockey and lacrosse competitively as a youngster, but basketball only recreationally until his ever-increasing height started gaining him some notice as he headed into college. After averaging 8.4 points and 6.5 rebounds in 20 league games for Durham last season, McMorrow set his sights on bringing his game to the United States.
"Pretty much I was looking to come somewhere in the United States to go to Division I for next year; I just wasn't sure where, really," he said. "I was training at a gym near my house and my personal trainer was helping me out with that, contacting a few schools and seeing if we could go for some workouts or if they could come see me, stuff like that. It just turned out that he called someone at Marquette."
Williams -- who'd specifically asked the few staff members he had in place shortly after his hiring in April to follow any and all leads with regard to prospects -- got the lead on McMorrow from staff member Brad Autry and was understandably intrigued.
He also just so happened to have a former player of his from New Orleans, Jamie McNeilly, living near McMorrow in the Toronto area.
"Obviously, people are interested in a 7-footer, and it was a good coincidence that Coach Buzz had coached someone that lived like pretty much in my neighborhood and was in town at the time, that could actually see what level I was at," said McMorrow. "He was right in my neck of the woods so he took me to a little run he was having with a couple other guys that played in Europe and stuff, and he just reported back to Coach on where I was at, and everything's come from there, pretty much."
The ensuing weeks were spent trying to determine what exactly MU needed to do to get McMorrow transferred and qualified rather than what he'd accomplished as a player, making the recruitment process a strange one for Williams.
"There's really not a way to equate it because it's just completely different," said Williams, who lauded the behind-the-scenes efforts of deputy athletic director Mike Broeker, compliance director Danielle Josetti and academic coordinator Adrienne Trice. "I don't know that it was an extremely long process, but we had to get to the bottom of it, and because he's an international student it makes the situation different. There was a lot of stuff. We were as efficient in the process as we could possibly be.
"So it's not your typical recruitment because we're not having home visits, we're not going to watch him play at his school or an AAU tournament. There was none of that. Our phone conversations weren't, ‘Hey man, you know about Syracuse and UConn and what about AAU.' They were, ‘What about this? What about that?' I talked to his coaches, but they're not excited about losing a 7-footer. They're not going to help."
And while the process was a drawn-out one, time was also of the essence, in order to prevent other interested schools from swooping in and stealing McMorrow away from MU. McMorrow said he'd heard from Purdue, Ohio State, UTEP and Valparaiso while things played out.
"I told (athletic director) Steve Cottingham we have to stay on this every single day," Williams said. "We can't let him go until the fall because if we do, we're opening up a whole new realm in this. We're the ones doing all the work at Marquette, as it relates to him getting in school, getting his visa, all those things. We're not going to do all this work and then have someone else go in there and try to sign him. The timing of it was more important than anything else."
Now that he's in the fold, the challenge for McMorrow will be to catch up as best he can to a group of players that has, quite literally, a lifetime's worth of basketball experience. Keeping that in mind, Williams said he'd be as reasonable as he could be with his expectations for McMorrow.
"I don't know that I'm really patient in any aspect of my life. The key is to just make sure that every single day we exhaust every opportunity that we have as a program and as a staff for Liam as a player, to make sure that he's as good as he can possibly be over the next four years," said Williams. "The other thing I think that's important in this is I think Liam is going to be able to help Dwight Burke and our other post players because now they're going to have to compete every day against a 7-foot kid every day in practice."
As far as McMorrow's physical tools, Williams said his hockey background should actually serve him well on the basketball court.
"His brother's a professional hockey player; (Liam) spent a lot of time in hockey growing up. He's got great feet just because he's been a skater," he said. "He's a very mobile player for his size. He hasn't lifted a lot of weights but he's got a very good body for his size. I think over those next 15 months his development will be critical.
"So now he steps in and we've got a sophomore who's 7 feet, and we've got Chris Otule, who's a sophomore who's 6-11. That definitely increases our interior depth and it gives us something that I think you have to have in order to win in the Big East."
McMorrow will wear No. 55.
(http://blogs.jsonline.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=281318)
http://blogs.jsonline.com/muhoops/archive/2008/06/27/mu-signs-canadian-7-footer.aspx
-
Seems like a waste of a scholarship that could have been used towards a higher caliber athlete. :o.....I'm not counting on this guy being better then Mike Kinisella!
-
Canadian 7-Footer Liam McMorrow Added To Roster
The Marquette University men's basketball program has announced the addition of Canadian import Liam McMorrow, who has signed a scholarship agreement, head coach Buzz Williams announced.
http://onlyfans.cstv.com/schools/marq/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/062708aaa.html
-
I think it's nice to have a couple bigs around to defend some of these centers in the Big East. Our one glaring weakness last season was a lack of size in out front court. So what if he's "a project", so was Ousmane Barro and I didn't mind how he turned out. We'll see how he turns out. But having a 7 footer on your roster is NEVER a bad thing.
-
Translation: This guy's a stiff.
-
this guy played hockey and lacrosse, two sports where having good foot work are key. He's big, really big, almost hits his head on the elevators, and is put together really well. He's got some pretty good hands from the short 15 second clip that's out there of him and I think that once he is locked in the D1 bball mindset he will prove to be quite an asset for us down low.
-
Look, if he turns out to be a mixture of Mike Kinsella with good feet and Chris Grimm, he will still be able to contribute, and this will still be a decent scholarship. You can always find a use for a 7 footer. 10 minutes a game to spell Otule and Mbakwe is all we need a year from now.
-
Wild, crazy thought on Liam. Couldn't his lack of basketball experience also be a positive?
He hasn't had people kissing his ass telling him how good he is, nor has he had the chance to really develop any bad habits. Two of the things responsible for guys not panning out at the college level.
Just a thought...
-
walking away from the koolaid - I dont feel good about this decision. a rookie mistake possibly or maybe Buzz just doesnt have any real takers.
-
It just seems that with most things in life, experience is a positive. We know Barro struggled some because of his lack of bball experience. But, as many have said, what the heck do we know? Buzz and the coaches are close to the situation, and I am sure want the best team they can field. they must see something in this kid, and I will have to trust thier opinion for now.
-
mods - censoring?
-
Barro struggled because he had no jump shot. You would think in four years the coaches could have taught him to shoot a 10' jumper. I really believe this was more of a reflection on the coaching staff than on Barro. They could not teach Merritt to stop driving with his spin move. He had numerous travels in his senior year, because every defense was ready for him. All he had to do was take a 10' jump shot every now and then to keep the defense honest.
-
just being honest - Buzz has walked on water since coming on board, but this one looks like a crean move.
-
If this was a TC recruit, we would have said he paniced due to his late signing record. Buzz is trying to fill the void of experience for Year 2 obviously. We can see Buzz and crew can recruit...but on this "secret signee" that he kept under wraps, we'll see if he is any good at spotting and developing potential. If he signs Cadougan in the next week or so as rumored, he'll have wrapped up a great start and filled his voids to avoid a drop off. Texas Rangers and the Canadian Mounties meet the Wisconsin State Patrol.
By closing out early, the staff can get a head start on the others by going all out for 2010 for four and five stars--and with the JUCO's and transfers, MU can still offer playing time out into the future. Well played, but McMorrow is a ? mark for me. Obviously, his raw talent was too much to pass on for the Buzzman. He must see something in him not to wait.
-
well I guess a 7 foot niv berkowitz is better than a 6 foot niv berkowitz.
-
The kid must be somewhat athletic, based on his hockey and lax experience. Short on basketball experience, but long on size and 15 months to get taught by the coaching staff. This will be a litmus test of sorts to see if our coaches can actually develop bigs. Again, if he is Chris Grimm and Mike Kinsella with good feet, this is NOT a wasted schollie. If he develops into Ooze, plus 2 inches, 20 lbs, with a set of hands, this is not a wasted schollie. If he turns into Richard Shaw, this is not a wasted scholarship. If he is better than Rod Grosse and Roman Mueller, this is not a wasted scholarship. If his only skill is defense, rebounding, and running the floor, this is not a wasted scholarship. YOU CAN'T WASTE A SCHOLARSHIP ON A REASONABLY ATHLETIC 7 FOOTER!!!!! He may never be KG, or Shaq, or Ewing. But if he is a 7 ft Copa, that is OK. There is always room for a 7 foot banger.
-
Barro struggled because he had no jump shot. You would think in four years the coaches could have taught him to shoot a 10' jumper. I really believe this was more of a reflection on the coaching staff than on Barro. They could not teach Merritt to stop driving with his spin move. He had numerous travels in his senior year, because every defense was ready for him. All he had to do was take a 10' jump shot every now and then to keep the defense honest.
Merritt's "spin move" wasn't the problem as in most cases it was the right hing to do off the wide post.
However it was the execution of that spin move that needed repair. His biggest mistake is that he didn't get his head around fast enough to get his eyes focused on the target ahead of releasing the ball.
At any rate, you are correct in that it was a coaching problem.
-
Liam needs some wiki love.
http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/liam_mcmorrow
As does Dwight.
http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/dwight_buycks
-
The kid must be somewhat athletic, based on his hockey and lax experience.
If he turns into Richard Shaw, this is not a wasted scholarship.
The saving grace may be his soft hands from playing those sports. Ooze had soccer in his background and that was easy to see with his gallop downcourt and even easier to see when the ball would slip through his hands.
Also, if he turns into another Shaw why do you feel it wouldn't be a wasted scholarship? To me, that would be the epitome of a wasted scholarship. Buzz was being mentioned with a lot of high level prospects for 2009 and he pulled out of those races to pick up a kid who's only played 20 games in his life. It seems a strange move. Granted, he may have just picked up a package deal (his second package along with the Tyler Threesome) in getting Cadougan but the timing seems awfully suspect.
-
The saving grace may be his soft hands from playing those sports. Ooze had soccer in his background and that was easy to see with his gallop downcourt and even easier to see when the ball would slip through his hands.
Also, if he turns into another Shaw why do you feel it wouldn't be a wasted scholarship? To me, that would be the epitome of a wasted scholarship. Buzz was being mentioned with a lot of high level prospects for 2009 and he pulled out of those races to pick up a kid who's only played 20 games in his life. It seems a strange move. Granted, he may have just picked up a package deal (his second package along with the Tyler Threesome) in getting Cadougan but the timing seems awfully suspect.
Yeah I don't know about this either. I thought we were banking this scholarship for the next season. I do like the idea that he's gigantic and that he'll help out at practices, but the fact that he's a project kinda worries me. It will be interesting to see what his work ethic is like and if it pays off next year. I'm still trusting that Buzz is doing the right thing.
Speaking of scholarships....wouldn't that leave us with 2 or 3 available for the '09 class now?
-
You guys are killin' me.
Every team has a last man on the bench; if that is the ONLY thing McMorrow does in the three years he is on the team, then this would still be a very good use of a scholarship.
I would love, to recruit an intelligent, seven foot, young man who has played sports for much of his life even if he has limited basketball knowledge, every year.
Most of the time, that type of player ends up having a situational role at best, but once in a while you can strike gold. And the impact can be far greater with a center than a 6'2'' combo guard.
I am one of those who is still not sold on Buzz, but at least here I agree with this decision.
-
Even if he is a project, he is a 7ft, 260 lb project. He isn't a 6'8", 160 lb project, he isn't a project picked up in the middle of the school year from Israel. If his career averages at MU are 12-15 minutes a game, 4 pts, 7 boards, and 1.5 blocks, it was still worth it. Was Chris Grimm worth the schollie? Yes! He never turned into Paul Davis Jr, but he was a contributor on occasion, a useful practice player, and taught others on the team how to attack a 7 footer. TC just signed a 7 ft project out of JUCO and is ecstatic. He should be, since he could never do it at MU. Lets accept that sometimes, with your last schollie, you take a flyer on a really big project.
-
Lets accept that sometimes, with your last schollie, you take a flyer on a really big project.
Not intending to be an ass but I don't think that is clear thinking.
We didn't have to use the scholarship. It wasn't a "last" scholarship. It didn't expire by July 1. People were praising the decisions to accept commits from Maymom and Buycks in part because we had the room to do so even though one may not qualify out of high school and one may run into trouble with JC credits transferring to MU. In some sense, Maymon is a flier. In some sense, Buycks is a flier. In the end, both will probably be fine.
But now we have McMorrow who is a true flier. Buzz' 2009 class so far is three fliers and one strong prospect. What happens if Maymon doesn't qualify? What happens if the Indian Hills JC credits don't transfer? What happens if even after a year of practice McMorrow can't play more then five minutes? All of a sudden April 2009 may be a really ugly time to be an MU fan if the doomsday plays out.
There's no question Maymon and Buycks have the talent but they aren't sure fire locks to be at MU. Knowing that possibility exists of not qualifying I'm sure there's a good majority of MU fans who were hoping all of Buzz' hard work to get in with the class of 2009 would pan out with elite prospects who were locks to get in to MU.
Taking a commit from an unknown 4 days before July for the coming season allows for this type of discussion.
-
Buycks in part because we had the room to do so even though one may not qualify out of high school and one may run into trouble with JC credits transferring to MU.
Really? What are you basing this on? When has Marquette ever had trouble getting JUCO credits to transfer, especially out of a program (in this case, Indian Hills) that exists almost solely to qualify former non-qualifiers?
I'm curious as to what Nola believes might have been a better use for the scholarship? Hold out hope for the one or two 2009 big men MU with which was involved (i.e. Shawn Kemp)? Ignore the dire need for a big and pursue a more highly regarded wing or backcourt player?
WWND?
I think we're all willing to admit that McMorrow is a huge project who may never pan out. But there's logic and reasoning behind taking that risk.
Regardless, what would you have done if you were in Buzz's shoes?
-
Nola never would have taken the job if offered if he was in Buzz' shoes. The beauty of College BB is the constant roster turnover and the constant change. Yes, after this year, when the 3 amigos and Burke are gone, if Williams, Otule, MacMorrow, Buycks, Fulce, Mbakwe all fail to pan out as hoped for, we are going to stink. Any team projecting out two years, with the exceptions of the legendary programs, are banking that their recruits are who they thought they were. There are no guarantees. Especially when it comes to MU recruiting big men. NOLA, you think we would have been better and smarter to hold on the schollie and HOPE we actually land one of the 6'9" big men that we were close on. Fair enough. I will take the athletic 7 footers we have and HOPE our coaching staff are as successful developing big men as some of them have been elsewhere.
-
Hey tower I agree with you it has been said that Layer and Benford have both developed bigs in the past. So for Otule, McMorrow, Burke and Mbakwe that's good news. I like the upside of this guy seven foot 260 and a hockey player. It would have been nice to get a point guard like Junior Cadougan, which may still happen. Then a shooting guard like Omari Lawrence, Donte Hill, Donald Williams or Glen Rice. So I guess as much as I think this guy may work out and may develop into a good player. Could MU have waited for a 2010 big man? Then in 2009 went pg and sg with the two scholarships that were left?
-
It actually helps knowing that the coaching staff has a reputation of developing big men. If that is the case, then I'm on board with this pickup. I would love to take a look at this guy myself and come to my own conclusions about him rather thank bank off of the information I've read about him here so far. Regardless, he'll be a project...one that I hope contributes in a big (no pun intended) way to the program.
-
Hey tower I agree with you it has been said that Layer and Benford have both developed bigs in the past. So for Otule, McMorrow, Burke and Mbakwe that's good news. I like the upside of this guy seven foot 260 and a hockey player. It would have been nice to get a point guard like Junior Cadougan, which may still happen. Then a shooting guard like Omari Lawrence, Donte Hill, Donald Williams or Glen Rice. So I guess as much as I think this guy may work out and may develop into a good player. Could MU have waited for a 2010 big man? Then in 2009 went pg and sg with the two scholarships that were left?
Marquette could have waited for 2010 for a big man, but that would have meant playing the 2009-10 season with only two legit post players (Mbakwe and Otule), one of whom is only 6'7". That would make for some awfully difficult matchups in the Big East, not to mention against Wisconsin. It doesn't seem to be a particularly wise course of action. MU needed a big to play upfront with Mbakwe and Otule, and the coaching staff decided McMorrow was the guy. Whether they're right about that remains to be seen, but it's hard to argue against the need for a true big man.
As for getting a 2 for the '09 class ... why? As it stands, MU's 2009-10 roster already will include at least four guys who could play that spot (Butler, Cubi, Buycks, E. Williams). Roster-wise, they're much more stacked at that position in the '09-10 season than they are up front.
-
Marquette could have waited for 2010 for a big man, but that would have meant playing the 2009-10 season with only two legit post players (Mbakwe and Otule), one of whom is only 6'7". That would make for some awfully difficult matchups in the Big East, not to mention against Wisconsin. It doesn't seem to be a particularly wise course of action. MU needed a big to play upfront with Mbakwe and Otule, and the coaching staff decided McMorrow was the guy. Whether they're right about that remains to be seen, but it's hard to argue against the need for a true big man.
As for getting a 2 for the '09 class ... why? As it stands, MU's 2009-10 roster already will include at least four guys who could play that spot (Butler, Cubi, Buycks, E. Williams). Roster-wise, they're much more stacked at that position in the '09-10 season than they are up front.
Good point Pakuni I was wondering from what I had read if Butler was a big 2, Williams seems logical. I do like Buycks having seen him play in high school. I knew Cubi would be there thought he may fill in at the point depending on how things work out?
-
I think this is a great pick up. If this guy rides the pine the whole time, better him than some short whitey who has no shot. My point is that we are Marquette. We are not some massive program that is going to attract great big men. This doesn't mean we give up. This means that at some point we need to put the weight on the coachs' shoulders and see if they can make a big man into a productive (not necessarily NBA caliber) player.
At the end of the day, you can't teach someone how to be 7'0. You can teach them some fundamentals to help the team.
GO MU!
-
But there are no quality bigs left for 08-09. The coaching staff obviously thinks they can have McMorrow prepared to contribute in the next 16 months. Better a 7 foot project than a 6'5" project.
-
Really? What are you basing this on? When has Marquette ever had trouble getting JUCO credits to transfer, especially out of a program (in this case, Indian Hills) that exists almost solely to qualify former non-qualifiers?
I'm curious as to what Nola believes might have been a better use for the scholarship? Hold out hope for the one or two 2009 big men MU with which was involved (i.e. Shawn Kemp)? Ignore the dire need for a big and pursue a more highly regarded wing or backcourt player?
WWND?
I think we're all willing to admit that McMorrow is a huge project who may never pan out. But there's logic and reasoning behind taking that risk.
Regardless, what would you have done if you were in Buzz's shoes?
JC credits can have a hard time translating. That's why we've had numbers of our JC transfers in heavy summer school situations, heavy semester situations, or in the case of one player recently being suspended since his credit situation was not up to par. You can paint me as a nut for bringing it up but there are plenty of people who know this is a possibility.
What would nola do? Well, first, I'd tone down the histrionics. Second, if I was to use a scholarship this late in the off-season for the 08-09 season I would do so on a player that can come in eligible immediately and someone who provides a skill that we don't possess. That seemed to be the entire reason behind recruiting Donald Williams.
Really, though, I wouldn't use the scholarship a week before the July 4th holiday for a redshirt. The roster is going to be overhauled by the end of April 2009. I'd rather pick up a player late that will play a bit this season so that we don't have such a large learning curve in 09-10. If Otule picks it up quickly and can be adequate this season we will have the cover for McMorrow though that might be asking too much since Buzz himself has said Otule has a long way to getting it. Then, those bigs you're very excited at having in hand have little experience and no experience but who knows when the light turns on.
Memphis seemed to do fine having only one big man. Hell, that big man was only 6'8''. DeJuan Blair is only 6'8''. Harangody is 6'8''. Adrien is 6'7''. Gransberry was 6'6'' 3/4. These guys were all very effective playing as "big men" in and around the basket. Having Otule and Mbakwe is a good start. Maymon will have a mismatch probably for 20 games, we can use his size in the wide post. If we don't find anyone for 08-09, I'd go out and use my stellar recruiting skills to land guys like Jennings or Rubit in which the former is clearly playing at an elite level with his prep school and the latter is known as a down low banger. Look for pedigree.
In the end, I'd rather stake my claim on first year players who come from high level prep experiences. Even if they are 6'8'' by this point in development they've played against guys their size and guys who are taller. They've learned those nuances. The intricacies. Some of the secrets. Getting a guy at 7'0'' is great but if he knows more about Savard's spin-o-rama then how to use his ass to block a guy out we may be asking too much for him to pick it all up during practice when all the other guys are going half speed to save themselves for the games that count.
-
For all those who wondered if the administration had been clear with Buzz that he was going to be expected to WIN in the 09-10 and 10-11 seasons he certainly is recruiting like he knows. It pretty clear that Buzz doesn’t want to gamble with freshman coming in to replace the big 3. This move and some of the others just scream that he wants to be covered with a number of options if guys like Otule don’t develop quickly. I’m willing to give him some leeway. If Buzz shows that he can win and not just with guys that Crean left him, signing high level talent will get easier. Buzz already has his long term power forward in Mayman. I’m not sure that signing another 6’8” power forward would have helped that much. I don’t see anything wrong with taking a chance on a 7’ guy..
-
New Recruit for Marquette
Written by: noreply@blogger.com (Henry Sugar)
In a somewhat strange development, it appears that Marquette has received a commitment from another player. The new player is Liam McMorrow, who is a 7', 260lb transfer from Durham College in Canada. But not only has McMorrow committed to Marquette, but he's already on Marquette's campus and checked into Humphrey (http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=9433.msg81057#msg81057). In fact, as confirmed by Mark Miller, McMorrow has started practicing with the guys at the AL (link has more info) (http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=415&f=2850&t=2622588).
So what do we know about Liam McMorrow? He's big and he's a bit of a project. According to Mark Miller, McMorrow will have to sit out a year due to the transfer. He'll end up in the same class as Otule and will have three years of eligibility. In the MUScoop discussion thread (http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=9433.0), poster MU Chi_IL found a number of links on the internet about McMorrow.
Liam McMorrow, a six-foot-eleven newcomer, will help that defensive goal. Displaying good hands for the basketball and a soft shooting touch around the basket, he shouldn’t be limited to just a defensive role either. from the Durham College Chronicle (http://dca.durhamc.on.ca/chronicle/sports.html?id=36)
In one game, he pulled down 18 rebounds (http://www.ocaa.com/sports/mbasketball/news/?id=6084). In another game, he sank the two winning free throws (http://sirc.ca/news_view.cfm?id=19880&search=&show=&month=2&year=2008&search_where=), despite a season average of 55%. Finally, poster Pakuni found a youtube clip of McMorrow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L_r4wLf0XI&feature=related) that really doesn't show a whole lot.
Color us floored (is that a color?). Not only did this guy fly under the radar, but he made it all the way to campus without so much as a peep. Have to hand it to Buzz for his stealth recruiting.
Personally, I'm a big fan of this signing despite the fact that he's still raw. Frankly, any legitimate big man these days is probably a one and done and they're signing with a school like Duke/UNC/Kansas. It's worthwhile to take 1-2 guys per year that have potential because of the hope that they'll pan out. Some of the best big men in the Big East, such as Aaron Gray and Roy Hibbert, were considered projects that developed. Plus, given that McMorrow will have a transfer year to work with Dale Layer and Tony Benford, there's a better chance of realizing his potential. Both assistant coaches have worked and developed quality big men in the past, unlike the previous coaching staff.
Here is how the classes now look according to the MUScoop Scholarship Table (http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?page=8). There is only one spot available, and all belief is that it will go to fill the need of PG. Hopefully, another Canadian named Junior Cadougan (http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball_recruits/junior_cadougan), who was on campus visiting this week (http://marquette.scout.com/2/764568.html), will be that final scholarship slot.
Finally, because no Friday is complete without a random topic, please be careful. There are ninja in the woods (http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2008/06/25/school_locked_down_after_ninja_sighted_in_woods/)!
http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2008/06/new-recruit-for-marquette.html
-
Then, those bigs you're very excited at having in hand have little experience and no experience but who knows when the light turns on.
Yes, when I wrote of McMorrow "Whether McMorrow was MU's best option for a big remains to be seen " my excessive excitement over the commitment was on display. ::)
Memphis seemed to do fine having only one big man. Hell, that big man was only 6'8''.
Watch much basketball?
Joey Dorsey: 6'9"
Shawn Taggart: 6'10"
Pierre Niles: 6'8"
Robert Dozier: 6'9" (though more of a wing)
DeJuan Blair is only 6'8''.
Actually, Blair is 6'7", but also 265 pounds and plays far bigger than his height.
Pitt also had 6'8" Tyrell Biggs.
Harangody is 6'8''.
Notre Dame also had:
Rob Kurz: 6'9"
Zach Hillesland: 6'9"
Luke Zeller: 6'10"
Adrien is 6'7''.
Hasheem Thabeet: 7'3"
Stanley Robinson: 6'9"
Gavin Edwards: 6'9"
While the players you mention are indeed solid in the post, they're not the only size on their teams. Even if Mbakwe turns out as good as the guys above - far from a sure thing or even a likelihood - he can't play 40 minutes a night as the team's only low-post presence while guarding the other team's bigs.
Really, I'm not sure what your point is here. Are you making the case that MU could consistently compete in the Big East in '09-10 with Mbakwe and Otule as the only post players on the roster? If so, it's a bad argument you're making.
Regarding your JUCO issue ... again, please name the last time MU failed to get a recruit's junior college credits to transfer or otherwise could not get him enrolled. I honestly cannot think of one time in the last 2+ decades, but maybe you remember one I do not.
-
This is a smart low risk decision. If he develops into a solid post he definitely helps and would show that mu can develop big men. If he doesn't, he will still be serviceable as a defender for other teams bigs and in the middle of zones. We have to take risks on bigs at MU bc there just aren't that many around and we don't have a great chance of getting the marquee ones.
-
One good/bad thing about our current scholarship situation and the result of signing a couple transfers is that we get to start it all over again for the '10 and '11 recruiting classes anyway. There are 8! spots to fill by '11 (3 in '10 and 5 in '11). So let's all hope that once Buzz gets a PG for '09 in the fold he starts working those two classes hard. Or, more likely, he's probably already started that process.