I have said it before and will say it again

[MU Avenue]

This young Marquette team looks pretty good and would have given last year's MU team some trouble.

I know some of you disagreed with me nine days ago when I wrote that while this team is young and must develop in many areas, it is already showing stuff rarely seen in Marquette teams of recent, including last season's squad.

I saw this while watching Marquette's victories over the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Grambling State, and even more so in MU's wins over South Dakota and especially Xavier.

In each game, Marquette has improved its ball movement and passing, shot better and played pretty well near the hoop, even when outsized.

This team is poised for significant gains and growth. That being so, I am already seeing a group of players who would have posed a real challenge to last year's star-studded team.

[HoopDreams]

Nice win today, but this team will still lose plenty of games. They are getting better as team with each game though. They have a long way to go before big east play

[Jam Chowder]

This team is poised for significant gains and growth. That being so, I am already seeing a group of players who would have posed a real challenge to last year's star-studded team.

I hope that this was supposed to be in teal. If not, I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that the triptufan has simply gone to your head.

Good team, great win, but not a great team. Last year's team would tear this one to shreds.

[Jay Bee]

I hope that this was supposed to be in teal. If not, I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that the triptufan has simply gone to your head.

Good team, great win, but not a great team. Last year's team would tear this one to shreds.

  Hard to question MUAvenue.  He possesses foresight and basketball knowledge rivaled by few.  Soon we'll all acknowledge Cubillan + DJO + Fulce > DJ + Rel + Wes.

  Oh no!  We gonna rock on to.. MUAvenue.. and then we take it higher

[MR.HAYWARD]

i like this team too in fact i said as is documented that we would beat XU I also think we can beat UM.  However, last years team would kill this team, love does not do what he did with Burke out there and the 3 amigos are simply better than cubi/acker and DJO and Buycks.

[MU Avenue]

I hope that this was supposed to be in teal. If not, I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that the triptufan has simply gone to your head.

Good team, great win, but not a great team. Last year's team would tear this one to shreds.

As I sit here digesting my tryptophan-laden Thanksgiving dinner, I could not be more serious that this season's Marquette team would do well against last season's MU squad, which struggled often against lesser opponents.

BirkieWarrior writes, "Last year's team would tear this one to shreds."

I think not. In fact, I think this season's team, while young and with much potential for development, already moves the ball, passes, shoots and defends quite well.

I am more enthused about this Marquette team than I have been about any MU team in years.

Let's see what this season brings.

[96warrior]

As far as "rebuilding seasons" go, I feel very good about this team. Until the Xavier game today, I watched every game so far thinking "GOD I miss the trio". After today, I feel really optimistic about them. In another post someone said something about watching a team that Buzz built, as opposed to one he inherited, and I think there is a lot of truth to that...he has gotten some amazing recruits to sign on and seeing how "his" team performed today...I am prepared for some heartbreak but I am also now thinking I am going to be very pleasantly surprised at how many great wins there are this season.

Marquette is still a serious contender, I think...forget the NIT, I could see us getting a berth to the NCAA.

[Rockmic87]

Don't get ahead of yourselves, as soon as we face bigger teams or teams with descent and solid big men. We will get our salads tossed! From watching the Gonzaga/Cincinnatti game the other day, a team like that would punish us inside.

[esotericmindguy]

Don't get ahead of yourselves, as soon as we face bigger teams or teams with descent and solid big men. We will get our salads tossed! From watching the Gonzaga/Cincinnatti game the other day, a team like that would punish us inside.

Umm, Rock we just beat a team with quality bigs...did you not watch the game?

[NersEllenson]

Don't get ahead of yourselves, as soon as we face bigger teams or teams with descent and solid big men. We will get our salads tossed! From watching the Gonzaga/Cincinnatti game the other day, a team like that would punish us inside.

We probably will get manhandled inside by a team like Cincy - just like Xavier dominated us today.  Xavier killed us with 2nd chance points, points in the paint..just dominated us...but look at the result..we won the game.  I am on board as saying this MU team very well could make the NCAA tournament.  Many said we'd find out what kind of coach Buzz Williams is once he lost the Big 3...and that we'd find out against Xavier...so far it looks like Buzz is exceptional.  

[jaygall31]

All We should be talking about is the great win today...anything comparing to last year is just stupid.
As far as I know the games still start with the score 0-0, and I'm quite excited, but let's not get ahead of ourselves, and come out and play well tomorrow.

Let's come out and steal one tomorrow, Michigan is better than either 2 teams we would (knock on wood) play in the 'ship.

[Markusquette]

If Lazar wasn't on last years team also then maybe it's a better game 

[MUrugger]

MU Avenue...and then we'll take it higher.

I love a first guesser.  2nd guessing is easy, comes cheap, with a mob mentality, and is quickly forgotten.

MU Avenue stuck his neck out post XU upset, and succinctly and accurately pointed out how this Marquette team had the quickness, ball movement and hoops savvy to give many a top team fits...noting as well that they would have given the infinitely more heralded 08-09 Golden Eagles a hard time.

Now all the media experts, and the same second guessing experts on this blog (who were quick to chop my man's neck off when he made such a daring assessment) are all echoing what the omniscient MU Avenue was telling us Thursday night.  Props too, to the J-B dude who had his back.

I don't know who either of those Scoopers are...and it's probably the best that it stays that way...but I did agree with MUAve's comments originally and was amused by those who thought he should have been using teal.  Youth and inexperience rears it's head with great frequency here...and the old farts seem to me to be far less arrogant and self-assured than their youthful counterparts.  Coach Ditka would say, "It's kinda like life..."and for this old fart that is a big part of the fun of this thing in the first place. 

[4everwarriors]

Ah, MUAvenue is actually Buzz.

[mu_hilltopper]

What's with the ego stroking these days?  Let's keep it to one thread per ego.  Merged.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Ah, MUAvenue is actually Buzz.

No no, to play the game correctly as we have in the last 5 years, it has to be Buzz's wife.

[Sheriff]

Soon we'll all acknowledge Cubillan + DJO + Fulce > DJ + Rel + Wes.

I wouldn't go that far, but at this point would it be reasonable to suggest that Acker + DJO + Butler = DJ + Rel + Wes?

[wadesworld]

Soon we'll all acknowledge Cubillan + DJO + Fulce > DJ + Rel + Wes.

I wouldn't go that far, but at this point would it be reasonable to suggest that Acker + DJO + Butler = DJ + Rel + Wes?

...no

I love these guys and they have been underrated and overlooked from day 1, but this is 1 (great) week in the season.  If we finish top 5 in the Big East again (a weaker Big East than last year, I might add), then we can talk about that.  Those 3 were 3 of the best players ever to come through Marquette.  We will see what happens.  I am hopeful, but if we take top 5 in the Big East this year I would be absolutely beside myself.  I would actually be worried Buzz would be moving on to a SEC team with a deal 3x as big as his is with Marquette right now if we do that.

[AlienWarrior]

I think this year's team is more unselfish than last years . The egos of the Big 3 sometimes got in their way eg. Jerel trying to imitate DWade at the end of some of the contests.