[Enlund's Blog] Blue to start

[GGGG]

Thank you.

Ners post is exactly the problem that I am talking about.  And frankly it is about expectations.  We expected more from Vander, so we are critical of his play.  We didn't expect much from Davante, and we are thrilled with his play.  I'm not saying that one is better or more valuable than the other, just that the adjectives that we use to describe each of them are bizarrely different.  

And they shouldn't be.  Both were freshman with holes in their games.

[GGGG]

Didn't I just explain this, he's a tease. He looks great in practice, pickup games, and against inferior opponents. But to start a 2 guard that can't shoot in college basketball is a huge mistake....

Hyperbolic much?

[79Warrior]

Seriously? Go back and look at Blue's minutes in respect to when the Golden Eagles played well. He started out playing about 27-28 minutes a game against the scrubs and ended up playing about half of those minutes down the stretch. So here we go again dipsh*t. Has nothing to do with the success of the team, and yes I know Buzz knows what he's doing...but Vander is tease.

Why don't you see how he plays this season before you write him off.

[BrewCity83]

The best thing about Freshmen is that they become Sophomores.

[jeffreyweee]

I think Vander and Gardner will shine tonight. Gardner might get every single offensive rebound when he's in the game and Vander is going to be about 1000x too quick for MSM and should get to the rim at will.

[APieperFan3]

The best thing about Freshmen is that they become Sophomores.

Who said that?

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Vander was a freshman...and like most freshman are inconsistant and have parts of their game that need development.

Interesting that Vander can be so derided and called a "tease," yet Davante (whose stats were no better and who rode the bench for most of the BE season) is praised for his "potential."

Davante was inconsistent, but showed flashes of greatness. Vander was very consistent. Consistently bad. Bad shot selection, literally dribbling the ball of his foot. Throwing the ball away. At the end of the season I'm not even sure he was a high major basketball player. Honestly, he reminded me a lot of Brandon Bell last year, but Bell had the good sense to rarely shoot. Hopefully that was a just a confidence issue. Vander's got a clean slate and I hope he gets off to a good start.

[GGGG]

No PRN....Vander could defend.  Basketball is played on both ends of the court you know.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I guess that's why Buzz consistently substituted for Blue on defensive possessions during close games.

[NersEllenson]

Vander had double digit minutes for every BE game except four.  Davante reached that mark in only six BE games (including the tournament) and had a couple DNPs.  By the end of the year, while Davante was more efficient, Vander had more points, rebounds, steals and an equal number of blocks per game.

So statistically they were relatively equal - my point stands and not as "LUDICROUS" as you think.

Furthermore, Vander played those minutes because he could defend.  Davante was more efficient offensively, but could defend as well as the chair I am sitting in right now.

It doesn't matter how many minutes a guy played in the Big East - it is what did he do in those minutes?  Vander was terrible in Big East play.  As you know I am the biggest fanboy on this site - and for me to say a player was terrible...well, they were pretty bad.  I think Vander has great upside, but to argue he and Gardner were playing at a similar level in Big East play is ridiculous.

So Vander scored 35 more points in the season than Gardner - yet he played 407 more minutes than Gardner - this is the equivalent of 10 games!!  I believe Vander scored roughly 33 of his 187 points in the season in Big East play...

Here there stats are head to head:

http://statsheet.com/mcb/players/compare?add=davante-gardner&p1=vander-blue

[nyg]

Everyone has made valid points and arguments regarding Vander's defense, comparison with Gardner, etc.

I believe the reason Buzz is starting Vander is to regain his confidence and to re-energize his ability that he showed as a five/four star player.  Sometimes it is a mental issue as a starter.  Maybe starting over Jamil Wilson is the jump start, along with Buzz's liking to a three guard offense.

As the season progresses and MU starts playing more competitive teams, Vander must improve his shooting over last year which was 39% FG, 16% 3-point and 60% FT.  Defense aside, if he does not improve, his minutes may seriously decrease. 

I wish him the best of luck because he does have the natural ability and seems like a great kid. 

[tower912]

I think DG has a huge upside and agree that he had some games where he was an offensive force.   The reason he didn't play more was his defense.    He could not get around the man he was guarding when the ball got rotated from side to side, leaving him helplessly pinned behind his man.   He couldn't rotate to help on defense.    He had more games where he came in, gave up about 3-4 baskets in two minutes, and left, never to return.    He gave up more than he scored, pure and simple.    When he scored more than he gave up, he stayed in.   I expect he will be better this year, with his new, improved body.  

[GGGG]

It doesn't matter how many minutes a guy played in the Big East - it is what did he do in those minutes?  Vander was terrible in Big East play.  As you know I am the biggest fanboy on this site - and for me to say a player was terrible...well, they were pretty bad.  I think Vander has great upside, but to argue he and Gardner were playing at a similar level in Big East play is ridiculous.

I didn't argue anything about BE play...YOU brought it up.  I said they were statistically similar last year, which is true measured per game.  Furthermore, there is nothing that measures defense that I can tell, which is the reason he played anyway.

[Earl Tatum]

What Happened to Junior? Still think he's the man at the point.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I believe the reason Buzz is starting Vander is to regain his confidence and to re-energize his ability that he showed as a five/four star player. 

I agree with this, but it can also backfire as it did last year (rather spectacularly IMO).

[NersEllenson]

Oh GMAFB.  Vander was a freshman...and like most freshman are inconsistant and have parts of their game that need development.

Interesting that Vander can be so derided and called a "tease," yet Davante (whose stats were no better and who rode the bench for most of the BE season) is praised for his "potential."

What part of this is you NOT bringing up Davante's performance in the Big East??!   You made the above statement, which I commented on, and then made the below statement??  Pardon me for reading your first statement above as Davante not doing much in Big East play since he "rode the bench for most of the BE season."

I didn't argue anything about BE play...YOU brought it up.  I said they were statistically similar last year, which is true measured per game.  Furthermore, there is nothing that measures defense that I can tell, which is the reason he played anyway.

[GGGG]

What part of this is you NOT bringing up Davante's performance in the Big East??!   You made the above statement, which I commented on, and then made the below statement??  Pardon me for reading your first statement above as Davante not doing much in Big East play since he "rode the bench for most of the BE season."

Ah...OK.  I meant those to be seperate statements....

[rocky_warrior]

Just to get back to the original topic...Buzz's post game quote:

As long as I'm here, unless Junior tears his Achilles', that's my boy. And what I should have said on media day is, 'I'm starting Junior and I don't know the other four.' Junior's starting. Nothing against Derrick, I'm telling you just what I said to Tess. Junior and Chris have absolutely absorbed all that there is to absorb from my nuttiness. And I absolutely admire and respect who they are as people and both of those young men, because of the experience at Marquette, their lives are changed. Their lives are not changed when they leave here, their lives are changed now. They've already went through the evolution. There are only two ways to change: evolution and revolution. I'm not going to kill them. Those guys have evolved in ways as 18 years as a Division I coach that I've never seen. And those guys have two years left, I'm just telling you, I'm riding with them two cats. Win or lose, you will never hear me not stick up for those two guys because those dudes show up every single day with me. They show up every single day at class, in study hall, off the court, on the court, wherever they go. You can't find better representation. I'd rather let them talk than me talk because they're better people than I am. Both of them. So junior was starting. I just like playing games with y'all.