The Morning After....

[Dr. Blackheart]

• Wow...15 points.  What is MU's problem in 1st half of NCAA craptacular games?  Kansas, Bama, MSU and now UNC.  My only solace is Duke blew a tire vs. AZ but in the 2nd.
• Zero assists, 12 TO's, and UNC had 8 steals in the 1st half. Blame MU all we want but UNC is a great defensive team with great athletes and a HOF coach.  Every passing or driving lane was over played, every paint touch intersection mapped out. Roy completely dissected and disrupted MU's offense.
• MU tried mightily to set up the low post. Our plays were too slow to develop and UNC jumped us.  UNC's bigs play above the rim, MU's below. Talent does that....but our bois didn't give up.
• Buzz did a great job with the time-outs and adjustments in game although the final score won't reflect it.  He used his whole toolkit.  The bench really played well, which gives us hope.
• In most games, JFB is our only consistent match-up advantage.  Not against UNC.  Kept waiting all year for him to take over games--but he is just Mr. Consistent.  A 126 ORating vs. a 110 for Barnes.  Oh yeah, he won that stat match-up too.  MU will miss him badly and he is an NBA talent with his make-up.
• Junior turned it on at the end of the season. Much quicker and looking to drive. If he gets a jumper, he could be special.  Had a 136 Orating game yesterday.  I feel much better about the PG position.
• Newark is just a bad event venue.  Always excited to go into a venue with tanks and soldiers with Uzis.  Transportation is a nightmare.
• NCAA has blanched any sort of fan experience out of these games.  The stats weren't even working on the board...and the extended time outs just make for a flat experience.
• Sweet 16, 6 straight, a great core returning.  Bright days ahead.  There are about 350 teams jealous of MU right now.

[jtrash37]

+1,000,000

I think this is well stated.  Would have liked MU to switch to a zone D much sooner, but  I'm liking what I'm seeing going forward.  No one weakness, it's a number of things...all of which I see this team improving on for the future.  Add Wilson and the frosh to a year's seasoning for JC, Blue, Otule, etc....NICE!  Buzz is ever improving, and the Warriors are going to remain a force in the BEast for quite some time!

[brewcity77]

The zone helped alot, but I agree that really it was more UNC simply being better than really anything we did. If we play a perfect game, and they play below their best, we could beat them. But if they're playing like they did last night, it doesn't matter how well we play, we are always going to lose that game. Good luck to them the rest of the way, and I still see a bright future in store for us

[4everwarriors]

Maybe we should all take one of those "morning after" pills or something, aina Pat?

[mileskishnish72]

You nailed it, Brew. When there is that much of a talent differential, the underdog has to have a real good game and the favorite has to have an off night. This one was the other way around and got awfully ugly.

[NickelDimer]

UNC's athleticism and defensive intensity were overwhelming.  We couldn't even make easy passes around the perimeter much less into the post. 

I also thought our guys looked a bit too happy just to have been there.  They played with no edge until Jae fired things up in the second half.  But they're human so...

[ChicosBailBonds]

Maybe we should all take one of those "morning after" pills or something, aina Pat?

Yeah, I'd like to abort last night's game.   

[NersEllenson]

The Carolina D affected MU for sure, and Carolina does have some great athletes.  Unfortunately, we don't have a Zeller - there aren't many of him in the country or game of CBB.  Other than him, our team is similarily talented.

MU just was a little too happy to be there, and got carried away in the moment.  We've never seen a beat down of a Buzz team like we saw in the first half (when not playing the 3rd game in 3 nights).  This game was a complete "outlier" and we've competed with similar caliber of teams throughout the season.  Hats off to North Carolina, for sure, as they were very impressive last night - however, I don't think the chasm between the 2 teams is as great as what last nights game represented.

[Donnybrook]

• Newark is just a bad event venue.  Always excited to go into a venue with tanks and soldiers with Uzis.  Transportation is a nightmare.
• NCAA has blanched any sort of fan experience out of these games.  The stats weren't even working on the board...and the extended time outs just make for a flat experience.

My third time to the Prudential center, an excellent arena, but Newark is Newark. It's been cleaned up a little but still has a lot of work to do.
And no beer at a basketball game just seems so unnatural!

[brewcity77]

The Carolina D affected MU for sure, and Carolina does have some great athletes.  Unfortunately, we don't have a Zeller - there aren't many of him in the country or game of CBB.  Other than him, our team is similarily talented.

MU just was a little too happy to be there, and got carried away in the moment.  We've never seen a beat down of a Buzz team like we saw in the first half (when not playing the 3rd game in 3 nights).  This game was a complete "outlier" and we've competed with similar caliber of teams throughout the season.  Hats off to North Carolina, for sure, as they were very impressive last night - however, I don't think the chasm between the 2 teams is as great as what last nights game represented.

I'd agree with most of that. Zeller abused us the way that Plumlee did for Duke. It seemed he was there for every board, and we simply didn't have anyone to match him physically. But like you said, there aren't many kids like that. I'd love to see one here, but there's maybe only 2-3 that have that kind of potential per year.

As far as the gap...last night was an outlier, but I still think it's a stark gap. Though I don't think it's so much talent, it's the combination of talent and length. Yes, they are more talented, but the way they blocked shots, intercepted passes, prevented inbounds, it was like watching a perfect storm. Games like last night are where a guy like Jamal Ferguson would really help, 6'4" but with a 6'10" wingspan. It's not just that their frontcourt was tall, but that they had guys all over that seemed to be able to swat balls out of the air, whether a pass or shot. Buzz is getting us longer, and with rumors of Jamil Wilson and Juan Anderson potentially hitting 6'9" we could catch up in that regard, but talent isn't the only gap.

[karavotsos]

I think the great core returning is a key part of this.  DJO, Crowder, Otule, Gardner, Junior, EWill all got to the Sweet 16 and have experienced that there is another level for them to get to.  Buzz and all the assistants as well.  Sure, we're losing Jimmy, but its not like when we lost Wade and Jackson and you lose a huge percentage of your points and your big.  This is a young team that should come back more prepared and ready to continue a new age of MU basketball that started with JFB.

[brewcity77]

I think the great core returning is a key part of this.  DJO, Crowder, Otule, Gardner, Junior, EWill all got to the Sweet 16 and have experienced that there is another level for them to get to.  Buzz and all the assistants as well.  Sure, we're losing Jimmy, but its not like when we lost Wade and Jackson and you lose a huge percentage of your points and your big.  This is a young team that should come back more prepared and ready to continue a new age of MU basketball that started with JFB.

I feel the exact same way. When we went to the Final Four, we were losing our two most important players. This time, we have replacements for everyone who's leaving that will be here for at least two more years. We're set for years to come. Kudos to Buzz for setting us up so well, now we just have to make sure he is here to reap the benefits of that set-up.

[avid1010]

• In most games, JFB is our only consistent match-up advantage.  Not against UNC.  Kept waiting all year for him to take over games--but he is just Mr. Consistent.  A 126 ORating vs. a 110 for Barnes.  Oh yeah, he won that stat match-up too.  MU will miss him badly and he is an NBA talent with his make-up.

I hope you're right, and I've heard Buzz talk up his NBA potential as well, but I have a hard time believing he plays in the league next year.  I can see him being able to guard the 1, 2 or 3, but I think he needs to be able to hit the open 3 before he can play in the league, and right now it seems like he wouldn't keep his defender honest.  Hope I'm wrong, he's one of my favorites to ever come through MU.  Are you thinking he gets drafted?

[Windyplayer]

I think the great core returning is a key part of this.  DJO, Crowder, Otule, Gardner, Junior, EWill all got to the Sweet 16 and have experienced that there is another level for them to get to.  Buzz and all the assistants as well.  Sure, we're losing Jimmy, but its not like when we lost Wade and Jackson and you lose a huge percentage of your points and your big.  This is a young team that should come back more prepared and ready to continue a new age of MU basketball that started with JFB.

Agreed. I'm already excited for next year, but I'm certainly not looking past what we accomplished this year due to one underwhelming performance. We got to the Sweet 16 which was a huge accomplishment. Obviously, you're never OK with losing regardless of how deep your team is, but we have to be happy with what we accomplished this year. I mean, only 2 teams from the BEast were in the Sweet 16--that right there should tell you how special it was to have made it that far. Jimmy F'ING Butler we'll really miss you. You were a stud through and through. Good luck moving forward.

P.S. How am I going to procrastinate now? With the season over, I won't be going to MUScoop nearly as often until next November. That said, I can't wait to spark it up again when that time comes (of course I'll be checking in for recruiting news every now and then). Thanks for all the posts this year--well, almost all of them. 

[NersEllenson]

I hope you're right, and I've heard Buzz talk up his NBA potential as well, but I have a hard time believing he plays in the league next year.  I can see him being able to guard the 1, 2 or 3, but I think he needs to be able to hit the open 3 before he can play in the league, and right now it seems like he wouldn't keep his defender honest.  Hope I'm wrong, he's one of my favorites to ever come through MU.  Are you thinking he gets drafted?

I believe Jimmy B will get drafted in the 2nd round.  Buzz likens him to Wes Matthews as far as overall skill set, basketball IQ.  Jimmy is a better athlete than Wes or Lazar, but doesn't shoot it quite as well from distance.  A big concern for NBA scouts is "can he defend, and what positions?"  Jimmy's versatility and length in that regard are a huge asset as you mention - he can guard the 1, 2 and 3.  With Jimmy's character and work ethic - there is no doubt he'll be able to continue to refine his offensive game/shooting..all of which make him highly desireable as a draft choice.

[muwarrior69]

• Newark is just a bad event venue.  Always excited to go into a venue with tanks and soldiers with Uzis.  Transportation is a nightmare.
• NCAA has blanched any sort of fan experience out of these games.  The stats weren't even working on the board...and the extended time outs just make for a flat experience.

My third time to the Prudential center, an excellent arena, but Newark is Newark. It's been cleaned up a little but still has a lot of work to do.
And no beer at a basketball game just seems so unnatural!

I had at least 4 beers at the Seton Hall game there; must be some NCAA rule for the tornament.

[brewcity77]

I had at least 4 beers at the Seton Hall game there; must be some NCAA rule for the tornament.

There is...I remember we couldn't drink at the Elite 8 game in Minneapolis either.