Thoughts from Madness

[martyconlonontherun]

Yeah--I read. Point is DJO is a stud, and you don't not start him based on last night's performance alone. What about his performance last year?

IMO He wasn't saying he shouldn't start. He was just saying he wasn't a Top 5 player last night.

[Thomas' Danish Delight]

Gabi Minix is attractive.

[avid1010]

I didn't see Buzz taking much interest in how the players played during the scrimmage...  

To try and take anything from all of this is ridiculous.  If starting spots were on the line it would have looked a heck of a lot different, and a few players probably would have needed to be carried off the court.  Attend one practice and you'll see organization, intensity and focus 100X greater than what you saw last night or at the pro-am.  These kids go hard at each other in practice to compete for PT.  I'm always amazed more injuries don't occur with the physical play that takes place.  Midnight Madness is fun...and the only thing to take from it is that it was...fun.  PT is earned in practice not in a MM scrimmage.

[bilsu]

There was no way starting spots were on the line last night. DJO's is going to start. However, if you just based it on last night's performance DJO forced a lot of shots and in my opinion for last night only was not in my top 5.

[IAmMarquette]

Gabi Minix is attractive.

A comment like this without a pic/link? Rookie mistake. That said, she is prettayyy, prettayyy, pretty cute.

http://www.gomarquette.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/minix_gabi00.html
http://www.photographybyjayme.com/wordpress/2009/11/indiana-photographer-gabrielle-minix-2010-spa-model-finalist/

[Canadian Dimes]

all the projections giving Otule 15-20 minutes a game are way off...and no I did not see last nights scrimmage.  based on what I have seen the last year and a half Otule is still a year away from being able to garner those type of minutes.  gardner too I am sure.  Nice thing is Otule is still only a Junior this time next year.  Expect a ton of three guard...they are our best players and the two front court positions manned by Butler and Crowder backed up by Fulce , Otule, williams and gardner. 

[bilsu]

I think we will start three guards this year. DJO and Cadougan are locks. Does Buzz go with a senior in Buyckes or the most talent with Blue is the question to be answered?


I think Otule starts, because we face big teams in Duke and UW. After UW Crowder replaces Otule.

[GGGG]

Yeah CD, I think you are right....

Starting lineup will be Buycks, Crowder, Butler, Cadougan and DJO.

Fulce and Blue the major back up minutes.

[GGGG]

I think we will start three guards this year. DJO and Cadougan are locks. Does Buzz go with a senior in Buyckes or the most talent with Blue is the question to be answered?


I think Otule starts, because we face big teams in Duke and UW. After UW Crowder replaces Otule.

From what I hear about Crowder's style of play, my guess is that he starts every game this year barring injury.

[StillWarriors]

No way Buycks starts. Overdribbles like crazy and decision making is questionble t best. Nice spark off the bench, but I'd be shocked if he starts.

[MUfan12]

No way Buycks starts. Overdribbles like crazy and decision making is questionble t best. Nice spark off the bench, but I'd be shocked if he starts.

Agreed. You can take the baller out of MPS, but you can't take the MPS out of the baller. His shot selection is still as bad as it was in HS.

[GGGG]

OK...if I were a betting man I would take that action.

But my guess is that barring injury, Buycks starts the majority of games.

[MUfan12]

OK...if I were a betting man I would take that action.

But my guess is that barring injury, Buycks starts the majority of games.

I'm not so sure. I think it'll be Junior, DJO, Jimmy, Crowder, and Fulce initially. Buzz is more comfortable playing small than playing guys he's not comfortable with.

[pbiflyer]

• Great to have Fitz back in the house. Surprisingly while judging the dunk contest he only had two fouls in five minutes

Post of the day! 

[chapman]

I guess nobody on the team now played with Fitz to remember, but a good creative dunk in the contest would have been to have Fitz pointlessly foul them for the and one as they dunked it in.  

[DomJamesToTheBasket]

After watching the scrimmage,  I don't think much can be taken from the performance.  It was sloppy streetball....the guys were jjust having fun out there.

Junior impressed me the most with his penetration and finishing ability at the rim.  He also looked very poised handling the ball.

Jae was very active.  He is a good all around player.

Butler and DJO still look like the stars on the team to me.

The OX is intriguing.  His body looks pretty damn good now......he is not fat.  He just isn't a great athlete right now,  but he will certainly improve a lot while here.  I don't think we want him losing much more weight.  He is almost the exact opposite of Mbao.  On the short side for a post, but THICK.  Very skilled with a good ball IQ.  I love the fact he was the best free throw shooter on his HS team....that is rare for a big.

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

Some other thoughts about Madness (my first):

The silhouetted player entries was a high point of the night.

Men's game doesn't need 2 halves.  One 16 minute game would be better.  Lots of people left at the half.  That couldn't have impressed recruits.  If we're going to keep 2 halves, then need some entertainment for that 3 minute period.

Fan participation by text was a great idea.  I would expand on that.

Why stop at a dunk contest?  What about a baseline-to-baseline footrace?  Strength contest like # of pullups or pushups in a minute?  Relay race with some from the women's team?

The players need to spend more time entertaining and riling the crowd up during the dunk & 3-point contests rather than just milling about among themselves.

[MarkCharles]

My impressions

Dunk contest was very....meh. Fulce's dunks weren't that great, he kind of won by default. If Reggie had connected on his dunks, he would have won going away.

Otule looks like a really good center, but he has a major problem-his ball security. He gets his hands on a lot of balls, but he brings the ball so low that guards have no trouble slapping it away. You'd think it would be an easy fix, but maybe its an ingrained habit that will be tough to break. That being said, I don't see how he doesn't play 20 minutes/game. He gives us something we just don't have anywhere else on the roster. I don't know what Fulce provides at center that Otule's size doesn't more than make up for.

Reggie Smith is electric. He was the most impressive of the newcomers. Hes very close to as athletic as Dominic James, but at least 2 inches taller and has a much better jumpshot. Really excited to see him develop.

Vander is a really good finisher, but his shot is UGLY. He should probably start from scratch with his form.

Gardner has made huge progress with his body, but he still has no lift or quickness.

Really liked what I saw from Cadougan. He has a natural finishing ability.

Jamil Wilson is LONG. He looks at least his listed 6'7. Didn't see a lot from him during the scrimmage though.

I laughed at how even during a scrimmage like this, Frozena hardly got on the floor.

Even though we've heard a lot about how much Fulce and Buycks will contribute this year, I'm not sure I see it. They both looked like exactly the same players as last year. I know it was a scrimmage, but Buycks' shot selection is terrible.