Acker + Cubillan = better than Xavier's backcourt today

[lab_warrior]

To all the Mo and Cubes haters...we won!  And Acker and Cubes looked pretty damn good.  Didn't turn the ball over and hit open shots.  It's gonna get harder for you guys to keep posting negative stuff if we keep winning.

[wadesworld]

I was about to post this.  I'm not saying Acker and Cubillan will be First Team All Big East, but they also aren't the 2 worst players in the Big East, like most on here seem to think.  Give these 2 guys a chance.  They certainly were better than Buycks and DJO in terms of playing the PG.  You can tell those 2 are young and inexperienced.  They turn the ball over and have a pretty bad shot selection at this point.  I fully expect that to improve throughout the season, but right now Cubillan and Acker are easily our 2 best options at the PG spot, and they are fairly good options at that.

[VegasWarrior77]

I'm thankful today we had THREE seniors returning this year!

[muarmy81]

DJO and Buycks played well.  DJO missed a few layups but you can see that he's close to be coming a key performer.

[LA]

+1000 MU Vegas

[jenningstoMU]

i'll admit... acker really stepped it up in the second half and played very well

[NersEllenson]

DJO and Buycks played well.  DJO missed a few layups but you can see that he's close to be coming a key performer.

+1000 - If DJO were a stock, I'd be buying all kinds of it, because his game is only going to rise.  I think he will be our most dynamic player by the start of the Big East season...I love Lazar, but think DJO could almost equal him this year.  As Buzz has said, if we get in a situation where we need to get one, DJO is the best option this team has for creating/making his own shot.  LOVE HIS GAME. 

The best word I'd use for Buycks would be SOLID - not spectacular at this point and I don't see a lot of spectacular in his game, but see him being very solid, very good.

[ATWizJr]

Whaddya' say now, Boone?

[avid1010]

I've stuck up plenty for Mo and Coobie, but I didn't think they played well today.  Coobie's off the ball defense was poor, they both allowed too much dribble penetration and Acker was floating passes all over the court.  They both had as many turnovers as assists.  It's not that I didn't notice things they did well, or that I don't appreciate their efforts, I was just thinking to myself that they shouldn't be on the court at the same time, but Buzz obviously saw much more of what you guys are thinking than what I was.

[Tom Crean's Tanning Bed]

Mo and Cooby each have 3 basic responsibilities: don't turn the ball over, make open shots, and play decent defense. 

Today, though, wasn't their best game for either of them IMO.  Both of them had trouble keeping Xavier's guards out of the lane.  Also, Acker and Cooby combined for a 1:1 turnover:assist ratio; not horrible, but optimally we'd want 1.5+:1 out of both of them.  However, Acker was a nice spark on the fast break (sans the one turnover he had trying to dish to Butler), and both hit open 3s at critical junctures of the ballgame. 

Overall, so far this season, I am happy with what I have seen out of the two of them. Moreso than anything, I think as seniors that have been in the program for 3+ years each now, both of them bring leadership and a calming presence to our rookies on the floor.  I do expect Acker's minutes to decrease as Big East play approaches, since I think Buycks and DJO will eventually fully eclipse Mo on the depth chart, but our guards are definitely as not as much as a liability as we expected them to be.