Things to love about this team...

[THEbig0]

On a positive note, although I claim very little basketball knowledge, I do know a bit about team sports and here are the top 5 things I like about this team after enough games to notice:

5. They play hard
Give or a take a few minutes here and there (fatigue?) they really play with passion and urgency.  I think that the ability to harness a sense of urgency is one of the most underrated traits of team sports. Some teams are never able to play like that, let alone is somewhat meaningless non-conference games.  This team does it consistently and regularly and it is fun to watch, win or lose.

4. They are unselfish
Lazar is clearly the leader, but even he dishes almost too unselfishly at times. Last year's team was great, but I remember getting frustrated sometimes about some quickly jacked up shots that would kill runs.  This year I am frustrated by too much passing sometimes, but that is a pretty good problem to have it seems.  No one replaces the 3 of last year, but I like watching a team of role players who just want to do their job. Again, it is fun to watch.

3. They are underdogs
Who doesn't love an underdog.  Maybe (and hopefully?) that won't last the whole year, but for now they are fighting to earn respect.  Is there a better story in sports?

2. They play great defense
It is an old cliché about defense but it is pretty much true.  When they are on, these guys can really fluster an opponent. For all of you Coobi haters out there, he seems to relish playing defense and that is enough for me.  Personally I hate it when MU has been harassed by touch pressure teams like Louisville, but it is fun to watch MU harass.  We had great D last year too, but I sense a different approach this year – more intense.

1. They are fun to watch
If it hasn't been clear already from the list above, this team is plain fun to watch.  Win or lose, they give a great effort (which I am happy to say seems to be a hallmark of MU basketball) and as a fan that makes watching any game enjoyable.  So who knows what will happen this year, but I am excited.

[wyoMUfan]

agreed, although i would switch underdogs w/ junk yard dogs

[radome]

It needs to be our new mantra, they won't sit, they won't beg, they're junkyard dogs.

[damuts222]

3. They are underdogs
Who doesn't love an underdog.  Maybe (and hopefully?) that won't last the whole year, but for now they are fighting to earn respect.  Is there a better story in sports?

  Thats why I'm excited this year moreso than in years past. We don't have anything to lose and in the first couple of games of our Big East schedule win or lose we are going to show the Big East that you better bring your best against us because were not going to go away easily.

  It's always exciting to watch young players and to see what the identity of Buzz' guys will be

[chapman]

Lazar is clearly the leader, but even he dishes almost too unselfishly at times.

Agree with most, not with this.  If he's going to take 40% of the team's shots with the inefficient, low field goal percentage "keep taking it to them, eventually some of them will go in" mentality, we're going to lose a lot of games.  Most of it isn't his fault-guys like Buycks can't be taking only 4 shots in 34 minutes, so hopefully some of the other guys step up as scorers, and if they do hopefully Lazar recognizes it.

[GGGG]

It needs to be our new mantra, they won't sit, they won't beg, they're junkyard dogs.

Lame.

[downtown85]

Lame.

+1.  They're warriors!  Not to hijack the thread to a nickname debate so I mean it in a generic sense.  I feel this team goes into battle in a very intense fashion and doesn't get rattled by the other team despite their obvious disadvantages.  Warrior is a perfect description.  "Junkyard dog" to me has the connotation of a cornered animal or a 1970's song about bad Leroy Brown.   

[musarah]

I am impressed with junior college transfers Johnson-Odom and Buycks. They both contribute a lot of points that Marquette wasn't expecting to have which should make them more competitive when the Big East conference play starts.

[El Duderino]

I am impressed with junior college transfers Johnson-Odom and Buycks. They both contribute a lot of points that Marquette wasn't expecting to have which should make them more competitive when the Big East conference play starts.

The even better thing is that Johnson-Odom still has two more years after this season. As good as he's played already, he could end up being a big time player by the time he's a junior or senior.

[MUsoxfan]

+1.  They're warriors!  Not to hijack the thread to a nickname debate so I mean it in a generic sense.  I feel this team goes into battle in a very intense fashion and doesn't get rattled by the other team despite their obvious disadvantages.  Warrior is a perfect description.  "Junkyard dog" to me has the connotation of a cornered animal or a 1970's song about bad Leroy Brown.   

Or bad 80's wrestlers

[CTWarrior]

Agree with most, not with this.  If he's going to take 40% of the team's shots with the inefficient, low field goal percentage "keep taking it to them, eventually some of them will go in" mentality, we're going to lose a lot of games.  Most of it isn't his fault-guys like Buycks can't be taking only 4 shots in 34 minutes, so hopefully some of the other guys step up as scorers, and if they do hopefully Lazar recognizes it.

+1

[wyoMUfan]

Being called a Junk Yard Dog isn't taking away from your current mascot or your previous mascot....It is a term of endearment for a scrappy never say die bunch of kids. I know everyone knows this and I am stating the obvious, but if last weekend went differently they could have been calling us much worse things.....Like lap dogs or french poodles. The closest thing we have to a French Poodle is DB's braids (which i really dig).

[MU B2002]

Or bad 80's wrestlers

Or these guys...

Bears 85-86 Defense.

[GGGG]

Being called a Junk Yard Dog isn't taking away from your current mascot or your previous mascot....It is a term of endearment for a scrappy never say die bunch of kids. I know everyone knows this and I am stating the obvious, but if last weekend went differently they could have been calling us much worse things.....Like lap dogs or french poodles. The closest thing we have to a French Poodle is DB's braids (which i really dig).

Junk Yard Dogs are wild and undisciplined.  Furthermore, it's just lame.

[Freeport Warrior]

Junk Yard Dogs are wild and undisciplined.  Furthermore, it's just lame.

Disagree. I think it fits pretty good. The bulk of our current rotation is made up of jucos and disadvantaged point guards, not highly coifed Top 100 recruits. Although it's early, they've show to be a scrappy, tenacious and unrelenting group who bust their tails. I think it describes them well.

[Thomas' Danish Delight]

Disagree. I think it fits pretty good. The bulk of our current rotation is made up of jucos and disadvantaged point guards, not highly coifed Top 100 recruits. Although it's early, they've show to be a scrappy, tenacious and unrelenting group who bust their tails. I think it describes them well.

+1

We ALL agree our guys are truly Warriors, but being referred to as junkyard dogs isn't that bad.  There are far lamer names...like Golden Eagles, for example.

[Bob "Big Daddy" Wild]

But what if it is a junk yard dog NAMED Warrior?

Also, I don't know what we can claim we play great defense yet, lets wait until conference play before we bust that out.  We hustle on defense, sure...but lets see how we do against penetrating guards or legitimate post players.

How about ball movement?  Our ball movement has been pretty fantastic except for the second half of the FSU game.  I am drinking the Buzz's offense kool-aid after the xavier and michigan games for sure.