Mbao

[Clam Crowder]

He barely played this year, and got injured, but yet people want him to leave it seems. As much as I understand the bitterness that comes seeing a 7ft 2 player do nothing all year why sacrifice that height and potential for another possible project player. Everyone mentions his name first when discussing a possible transfer. Why does no one seem to think it might be a guard on a team that is loaded with guards?

[ATWizJr]

Please enlighten me...what is the nature of his injury and when did it occur?

[Clam Crowder]

He got injured earlier in the year I thought, but then never came back which just leads to the assumption that he is gonna be possibly red shirted

[Lacrosse218]

Please enlighten me...what is the nature of his injury and when did it occur?

Knee sprain, he was out 4-6 weeks.  Happened in late January I wanna say...

[Canadian Dimes]

People seem to want to have their cake and eat it too.

Bottom line is unless MU starts recruitng bigs that can come in and perform on day 1 we need will need to develop them.  I think Wisconsin has a tremendous system for doing this.  They bring in 1 big every year and possibly red shirt him.  Then they absolutely do not play until they are juniors or seniors and are ready to play.

MU fans want a finished product on day 1.  If Yous or Otule were finished products they would be at Kentucky or UNC.  Problem is the piepline has not been filled, we do not have that Junior or Senior ready to play, so MU fans want the quick fix or want to run Yous out of town.  People also wanted to run Otule out of town at this time last year.  Then they started reading Rosiak's reports about his work ethic and improvement and then saw a vastly improved but not quite ready for prime time player in November.  Now people are counting on him for next year!

That is how it works people.  Buzz's conundrum is the previous coach left absolutely nothing in the form of bigs.  Buzz was left with nothing in the pipeline and it will take another year or two, unfortunately he had some bad luck along the way with McMorrow.  Give him time and dont be so ready to run these guys out on a rail.  

To use the Wisconsin example a guy like Evan Anderson probably wont touch the court next year for Wisconsin, no different than the bigs before him.  He very well may even redshirt, but if the past is any indication he will be a serviceable big at a minimum by his Junior year.  In the meantime Wisconsin fans wont pine for him ar discuss running him out becuase they have guys like Leuer and Nankivil, Gavinski and others who have developing for the last 2-3-4 years ready to play.  Anderson's time will come when he is ready.  Luckily for him he wont be exposed next year and have to have people say he is terrible, or has a terrible basketball IQ, or doesnt even know how defend an inbounds pass, etc. etc.      

[reinko]

He barely played this year, and got injured, but yet people want him to leave it seems. As much as I understand the bitterness that comes seeing a 7ft 2 player do nothing all year why sacrifice that height and potential for another possible project player. Everyone mentions his name first when discussing a possible transfer. Why does no one seem to think it might be a guard on a team that is loaded with guards?

You say people, when it fact only one poster actually called it out that he should transfer.

[MarquetteDano]

People seem to want to have their cake and eat it too.

Bottom line is unless MU starts recruitng bigs that can come in and perform on day 1 we need will need to develop them.  I think Wisconsin has a tremendous system for doing this.  They bring in 1 big every year and possibly red shirt him.  Then they absolutely do not play until they are juniors or seniors and are ready to play.

MU fans want a finished product on day 1.  If Yous or Otule were finished products they would be at Kentucky or UNC.  Problem is the piepline has not been filled, we do not have that Junior or Senior ready to play, so MU fans want the quick fix or want to run Yous out of town.  People also wanted to run Otule out of town at this time last year.  Then they started reading Rosiak's reports about his work ethic and improvement and then saw a vastly improved but not quite ready for prime time player in November.  Now people are counting on him for next year!


That is how it works people.  Buzz's conundrum is the previous coach left absolutely nothing in the form of bigs.  Buzz was left with nothing in the pipeline and it will take another year or two, unfortunately he had some bad luck along the way with McMorrow.  Give him time and dont be so ready to run these guys out on a rail.    

Well said.  Yous may never be a 10ppg 8rpg type of guy but hopefully a capable backup who can block shots.  It isn't his fault we don't have senior bigs who can start right now.

[Boone]

Gavinski will be ready to play? That'll be the day.

[Canadian Dimes]

Gavinski will be ready to play? That'll be the day."

Maybe he will maybe he wont but the bottom line is he will be infinitely more ready to play after a year of redshirting and three total years of practice and weight room work than he would have been as an 18 year old undeveloped inexperienced kid.  Never said every kid turned into a star in that system, simply that they are given time to develop physically and time to develop confidence before they are needed. 

Perfect example for MU are the years that Cooby and Mo just turned in.  They were not big time recruits.  In fact many, myself, included questioned why they were even offered.  Mo was a 5th years senior and turned in a solid year.  Was he an All-american...No.  Was he ready to play that way as a Fresh or soph.....No.  Same can be said for Cooby.   Now there are more kids that are 6' to 6'5" and Mu has had success recruiting guards so we do not have to follow that plan with our guards.  But the same logic can be applied. 

If Otule or Yous or whoever our bigs are can practice and ride pine until they are juniors or seniors and have the type of serviceable Senior years those two had Mu would be in pretty good shape.

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

I'm people & I don't want to see him leave.  My guess is the silent majority is with me.

[tower912]

7'2, speaks 5 languages, by all accounts a decent kid.   Did not play much as a freshman.    This is EXACTLY the type of player we need to get one of per class, let develop, and have them be major contributors their junior and senior years.   Its what the mid-majors that some are so jealous of did.   The problem is that pipeline was dry the last few years under Crean.    Buzz has signed 2 7ft'ers, is responsible for Otule being here.   Please, in the name of all that is holy, LET THE KIDS DEVELOP!!!    It goes without saying that a competent big, or even a healthy Otule, would have made a huge difference this season.     Gray, Thabeet, Hibbert were not good as freshman either.    Any of them as an upperclassman might have contributed to this year's team a little.   Patience. 

[GGGG]

Gavinski will be ready to play? That'll be the day.

JP Gavinski is a senior next year.  He'll see the floor about as much as he did this year.  (4 games)

[westcoastwarrior]

Buzz will never play 11 deep.  Someone is always going to have to sit on the bench.  I do not mind that this someone happens to be 7'-2".  You cannot teach hight...so let him sit...why replace him with a 6-6 guy?

[rocky_warrior]

but yet people want him to leave it seems

It's already been said, but very few actually want him to leave.  I'd say about 5 posters, out of 3500+. 

Most would just like to *somehow* get another big in the pipe for next year. Don't let the minority speak for the rest.  I guess it would be more apparent if we all jumped in and argued the foolish notion that he should leave, I know I read statements like that and just ignore them because, well, there are so many better things to talk about.

Oh well.  Such is the life of a message board.  Squeaky wheels still stand out.

[MerrittsMustache]

The lack of depth down low has caused "people" to lose all sense of logic.

For the sake of argument, let's say that Marquette had Chris Otule, Trevor Mbakwe and Keaton Nakovil on the roster and contributing this season. No, that's not exactly a who's who of college big men, but it's feasible. Anyway, if that was the case, do you think anyone would be calling for Mbao to leave the program so that a better big guy could take his place and contribute immediately? Of course not! We'd likely be sitting back and looking forward to seeing Mbao's development in the next couple years.

The reality of the situation is that there are no experienced bigs on Marquette's roster...but that doesn't mean that we can't still patiently wait for Mbao to develop.

[Canadian Dimes]

well said Moustache.  I wounder if Eglestetter were here as a Frshman how many people would be ready to run him out on a rail.  I'd take him. Dont blame Otuel and Mboa blame the retard in Bloomington

[Nukem2]

7'2, speaks 5 languages, by all accounts a decent kid.   Did not play much as a freshman.    This is EXACTLY the type of player we need to get one of per class, let develop, and have them be major contributors their junior and senior years.   Its what the mid-majors that some are so jealous of did.   The problem is that pipeline was dry the last few years under Crean.    Buzz has signed 2 7ft'ers, is responsible for Otule being here.   Please, in the name of all that is holy, LET THE KIDS DEVELOP!!!    It goes without saying that a competent big, or even a healthy Otule, would have made a huge difference this season.     Gray, Thabeet, Hibbert were not good as freshman either.    Any of them as an upperclassman might have contributed to this year's team a little.   Patience. 

Agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments.  Though Thabeet did average 6.2 ppg and 3.8 rpg and mucho blocks as a frosh.  His frosh development was also hindered by being on a team with many frosh.

Also, interesting how Pitt stockpiles bigs for development.  This year they are playing McGhee (who sat two years) and Burger Boy Taylor with frosh bigs Miller and Zanna deep on the bench.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

Buzz is doing exactly what he should with Mbao. He will be a future contributor. Teams that stack bigs are doing the same;we just don't have a big that was developed and is playing now. Can't wait for 7'2" on the court

[babytownfrolics]

It's already been said, but very few actually want him to leave.  I'd say about 5 posters, out of 3500+. 

Most would just like to *somehow* get another big in the pipe for next year. Don't let the minority speak for the rest.  I guess it would be more apparent if we all jumped in and argued the foolish notion that he should leave, I know I read statements like that and just ignore them because, well, there are so many better things to talk about.

Oh well.  Such is the life of a message board.  Squeaky wheels still stand out.

or, the moderators could do something about it and delete the offensive posts, instead of letting them linger and potentially damaging the program.  Just a thought