Jae Crowder or Erik Williams or Jamil Jones?

[chren21]

I cant help but think about this Ewill playing time situation...

If he is not going to get any PT barring injury what does it mean for next year?  You have to think that if Buzz had thoughts he could get 20+ min a game next year he would be playing him 8 a game this year.  Right?  If not Vander is the 3 and Crowder is the 4 next year?  Crowders best position is the 3, I think, so I'm at a loss what's going on.  If he brings in a juco 4 man for next year then it solves it.  Then again Vander's best position is the 2 but DJO is obviously there as well.  You have to think Vander will start next year.  This will be an interesting situation to watch play out.

[MU B2002]

...

[GGGG]

I cant help but think about this Ewill playing time situation...

If he is not going to get any PT barring injury what does it mean for next year?  You have to think that if Buzz had thoughts he could get 20+ min a game next year he would be playing him 8 a game this year.  Right?  If not Vander is the 3 and Crowder is the 4 next year?  Crowders best position is the 3, I think, so I'm at a loss what's going on.  If he brings in a juco 4 man for next year then it solves it.  Then again Vander's best position is the 2 but DJO is obviously there as well.  You have to think Vander will start next year.  This will be an interesting situation to watch play out.

Look, Fulce and JFB are gone next year.  Jamil will take most of JFB's minutes in my opinion.  There is then room for Williams to take the 8-10 minutes that Fulce gets next year, and 20-25 of Crowder's the year after...maybe more.  But you are right, if he brings someone like God's Gift here, it's not happening.

[Canadian Dimes]

I cant help but think about this Ewill playing time situation...

If he is not going to get any PT barring injury what does it mean for next year?  You have to think that if Buzz had thoughts he could get 20+ min a game next year he would be playing him 8 a game this year.  Right?  If not Vander is the 3 and Crowder is the 4 next year?  Crowders best position is the 3, I think, so I'm at a loss what's going on.  If he brings in a juco 4 man for next year then it solves it.  Then again Vander's best position is the 2 but DJO is obviously there as well.  You have to think Vander will start next year.  This will be an interesting situation to watch play out.

how many of these guys are playing all 40 minutes.  8-9 guys can get alot of playing time.

[willie warrior]

This is ludicrous.
It is a no brainer that Crowder is a stud and should be playing.
The blame goes to the Coach who continues to play Crowder at the post for 10 plus minutes per game. Otule and Gardner need to get about 35 minutes, and give the rest to Fulce.
But to advocate that Williams or Jones play in place of Crowder is ridiculous.

[chren21]

Never said anything about taking away minutes from Crowder.  If anything I would give Fulce's minutes to Ewill.  I just dont see how next year is going to play out.  I would like to see us get to playing a real 4 and a real 5... IE ewill and Otule/DG at the same time next year (more of Crowder, Butler and Otule/DG at the same time this year). 

[Boone]

Would Erik even want to return next season if he was only going to get 8-10 minutes per game? He's already had 1.5 (soon to be 2) lost seasons here.

[NersEllenson]

Would Erik even want to return next season if he was only going to get 8-10 minutes per game? He's already had 1.5 (soon to be 2) lost seasons here.

If he was good enough at present - he'd be on the floor.  There are A LOT of Top 75-125 players who don't see a lot of court time as freshman and sophomores at the high major level.  What MU fans aren't accustomed to is having so much talent on a team that a Top 100 kid doesn't come in and contribute immediately.  It's a new era for MU basketball, and unless you are s STUD freshman you are not going to come in and get much PT.  This is what happens when you dont' have empty recruiting classes in successive years.

[jsglow]

Would Erik even want to return next season if he was only going to get 8-10 minutes per game? He's already had 1.5 (soon to be 2) lost seasons here.

I don't consider his seasons lost.  He's simply 10th or so on the depth chart.  I agree that he takes Fulce's role as a junior/senior unless he makes a decision to sit a year before playing 2 at a mid major.  I like EWill as a young player and think he will contibute as an upperclassman.  No team in BEast competition is going to go 10 deep regularly.

[bilsu]

I am glad that Fulce is back and hopefully he stays healthy. However, it has occurred to me that his being back takes away playing time from Williams and Jones, which is not a good thing for our future especially if one of them decided to transfer because of playing time.

[chren21]

I am glad that Fulce is back and hopefully he stays healthy. However, it has occurred to me that his being back takes away playing time from Williams and Jones, which is not a good thing for our future especially if one of them decided to transfer because of playing time.

I know some will be bothered by this but I have to ask again a couple questions:

- Is Fulce really that much better than Ewill or Jones?  I dont know the answer on offense, just defense.
- Would playing Jones or Ewill a little really kill us?  It sure would help out our BE in game experience level next year.
- At some point we cannot just hide behind Vander's fantastic defense and above average driving ability.  His shooting is horrid.  He deserves his minutes, cause of his upside, but does Jones deserve basically zero?

[brewcity77]

- Is Fulce really that much better than Ewill or Jones?  I dont know the answer on offense, just defense.
- Would playing Jones or Ewill a little really kill us?  It sure would help out our BE in game experience level next year.
- At some point we cannot just hide behind Vander's fantastic defense and above average driving ability.  His shooting is horrid.  He deserves his minutes, cause of his upside, but does Jones deserve basically zero?

- Fulce is clearly the most polished defender, I think his offense is okay, but it's his energy that sets him apart. I think that's what earns him minutes.
- I think our margin for error is very slim this year. We'll need 11-12 conference wins to make the tourney, and since we always play close, it makes sense to have the more reliable Fulce on the floor.
- I think it's also position. Jones is more a 3 while Blue is used as a 1-2. We're simply deeper up front, while our 4-guard rotation gives VB more chances.

[chren21]

Blue seemed to be playing a good deal of 3 today, no?

[brewcity77]

Blue seemed to be playing a good deal of 3 today, no?

He did...but I think it's different when we go to a 3-guard set with DJO, Blue, and Buycks/Caddy. Blue is out there primarily for defense, and he can D up most 3's. Offensively, as the third guard, he's not much of a drain because he's the 4th-5th option.

I guess I'd look at it like this. Blue is a 1st option defender and 4th option attacker. Jones would be a 4th option on both. That's why Blue will get minutes and Mellow won't, because he is a standout on one end.

[Boone]

Erik's played all of 1 minute in the last 4 games and zero in the last 3. Wouldn't be at all surprised if he takes his game elsewhere next season.

[MU B2002]

Why does evryone always assume eWill is ready to leave?

[brewcity77]

Why does evryone always assume eWill is ready to leave?

Because other top 150 prospects that aren't getting playing time (Maymon, Smith) or rather not getting the playing time they want are leaving. I don't want to see Williams leave, I still think he has plenty of upside and clearly has a lot of talent, but I think it'd be fair to say he probably expected more PT by now when he originally committed.

[Earl Tatum]

Not that I told you so, I think E-Will is dead wood.