Let's Hear it For McNeal

[77ncaachamps]

He maybe didn't lose the game for the team, but his 4-16 shooting and out of control style play was ineffective today.

+1

And the blown d and early shot aren't necessarily the proverbial whipped cream and cherry.

[VegasWarrior77]

To play that hard and lose on a blown defensive assignment is gut wrenching!

[MilWarrior]

Watch him play instead of looking just at the stats, because they don't tell the whole story.  His on ball defense has not been the same since his sophomore year, and the last part of this year it's been terrible.  He is routinely getting beat off the bounce, he's getting caught playing too far off his man, he's not coming around screens quickly enough or closing enough to stop open shots.

I've noticed that almost every game this year. A bunch of times today he got owned by Stokes. Disappointing. Here's hoping for a rejuvenated Jerel for the tourney.

[MR.HAYWARD]

Stokes simply owned Jerel, Jerel is not as good a defender as Wesley, Butler or DJ..he is at best the 4th best defender on our team.  Do you people not see the montage they put together of Corey Stokes scoring his 20 points, he absolutely beat jerel like a rented Mule on every single play including jerels retarded and now a once a agme habit of pouling a three point shooter.  One more game and I neve rhave too watch the worst basketball IQ in ther history of Mu basketball again

[nyg]

And to make everyone's day, Jerel named a finalist this afternoon for the National Player of the Year Wooden Award. 

[avid1010]

BUT Mcneal led us for 4 long years and I would trust the game in his hands any day of the week. He's the best defender in the league, arguable the best player in the league untill DJ's injury so Lay off...Great comeback from a horrible half and we still got the tourney!!!! GO MARQUETTE

Lead us for 4 years - NO (I believe we had an NBA caliber senior for his first year)
Trust the game in his hands - Uh, did you just watch the same game I did??
Best defender in the league - Not even close this year
Best player before DJ's injury - The best player in the BE isn't reliant on his point guard to make plays and/or the team better

I have been extremely disappointed in McNeal's play.  He's pressing, not playing team ball and not making good decisions.  I'm not extremely old school, but something as simple as hustling back on defense after he commits a turnover is lacking.  I understand he plays big minutes and is a senior, and it sound elementary, but his on the court attitude stinks.  I was never a huge fan of DJ's play, but he always played defense and hustled no matter how his shot was falling.  I hope he get's his head out of his @$$ and get back to the old Jerel, but he and Wes have struggled, and that's going to make winning any game tough.

[AlumKCof93]

Wes hasn't any shots, but he's been aggressive both on defense and especially rebounding.
McNeal has been anything but a leader.  He's assumed the leadership position, but he's not acting like a leader.

[GGGG]

Well, the lane opened up and he took it. If he wasn't fouled he probably could have made it. The refs didn't call it, but he was fouled.

Oh brother...

He wasn't fouled.  He made two bonehead plays in the last 15 seconds of the game.  More should be expected from a senior.

[muhoops1]

For a really good basketball player McNeal sure has a low basketball iq sometimes.

How true.  The SU game is another example.  A bad three at the end of regulation.  A foul/turnover in OT.  Now today.  I love how he controled the ball like he is Kobe or something. 

Why isn't Buzz reminding them to play smart?

[avid1010]

Why isn't Buzz reminding them to play smart?

And why didn't any of the four Packer coaches during Farve's tenure remind him not to throw interceptions...

[Marquette65]

a couple of days ago, I got blasted for pointing out that when  JM attempts more than 30% of the team total shot MU loses.  Well today he was way over 30% and guess what   YES another heart brreaking loss.  So what do those that blasted me now have  to say?

[77fan88warrior]

Did anyone else notice that Wes looked over to see who got beat on the last basket? He didn't say anything but you know he was pissed.

[lohaus]

I think a few players looked over pissed that you get beat on a layup for the win.  A layup?  Come on now.  I just don't understand the decision making and the lack of defense.  Man - ball, man - ball.  The best defender doesn't give up layups for wins.  The best defender doesn't get crossed over, crumpled, and pointed at by Price of UConn for a jumper on ESPN.

[Lennys Tap]

How true.  The SU game is another example.  A bad three at the end of regulation.  A foul/turnover in OT.  Now today.  I love how he controled the ball like he is Kobe or something. 

Why isn't Buzz reminding them to play smart?




You think JM made those bonehead plays because Buzz forgot to tell him to play smart? I would wager coaches have been telling Jerel that since 4th grade. He doesn't get it, never has, never will. Great skills, great work ethic, low bb IQ.

[muarmy81]

Lead us for 4 years - NO (I believe we had an NBA caliber senior for his first year)
Trust the game in his hands - Uh, did you just watch the same game I did??
Best defender in the league - Not even close this year
Best player before DJ's injury - The best player in the BE isn't reliant on his point guard to make plays and/or the team better

I have been extremely disappointed in McNeal's play.  He's pressing, not playing team ball and not making good decisions.  I'm not extremely old school, but something as simple as hustling back on defense after he commits a turnover is lacking.  I understand he plays big minutes and is a senior, and it sound elementary, but his on the court attitude stinks.  I was never a huge fan of DJ's play, but he always played defense and hustled no matter how his shot was falling.  I hope he get's his head out of his @$$ and get back to the old Jerel, but he and Wes have struggled, and that's going to make winning any game tough.

Yes, he's pressing but did you forget the Stanford game last year?  I recall somebody keeping that MU team in the game...could have swore he wore 22.

[Tom Crean's Tanning Bed]

Why isn't Buzz reminding them to play smart?

I'm sure Buzz is.  But let's be realistic, he's a 4 year starting senior.  If he hasn't learned these game situations by now, the odds are he probably will never will, no matter what the coaches tell him.

You can sit him when he's a freshman or sophomore and doing this stuff.  But what do you have to gain at this point by doing it, when he only has a handful of games left in his career?

Buzz and the coaches can only tell them when to shoot on the shot clock or where to be on defense.  Ultimately, it's on the player(s) to execute the coaches strategy and play with the basic fundamentals they have been taught since they were 5.  And Jerel failed to do that today, plain and simple.

We all knew going into this season we were going to live and die at the hands of the seniors.  We've done a lot of living with them.  Unfortunately, we've been dying a little too much lately at crunch time.   

[GGGG]

I'm sure Buzz is.  But let's be realistic, he's a 4 year starting senior.  If he hasn't learned these game situations by now, the odds are he probably will never will, no matter what the coaches tell him.

You can sit him when he's a freshman or sophomore and doing this stuff.  But what do you have to gain at this point by doing it, when he only has a handful of games left in his career?

Buzz and the coaches can only tell them when to shoot on the shot clock or where to be on defense.  Ultimately, it's on the player(s) to execute the coaches strategy and play with the basic fundamentals they have been taught since they were 5.  And Jerel failed to do that today, plain and simple.

We all knew going into this season we were going to live and die at the hands of the seniors.  We've done a lot of living with them.  Unfortunately, we've been dying a little too much lately at crunch time.   

You hit it right on the head here.  Everytime I see the last play I wince because it was *so* fundamentally bad.  I mean, I get pissed at my son's sixth grade team when they do that - you should be able to point to the ball and your man at all times.

[StillWarriors]

a couple of days ago, I got blasted for pointing out that when  JM attempts more than 30% of the team total shot MU loses.  Well today he was way over 30% and guess what   YES another heart brreaking loss.  So what do those that blasted me now have  to say?

You must have paid him off to go in the tank to prove your point. JM has always been a "take the good with the bad" kind of player, with the good usually outweighing the bad. That can't be said of late. That last minute yesterday was about as bad from a decision making standpoint as I've seen, particularly b/c it was multiple mistakes and not just one boneheaded play.