What's the prognosis for McNeal???

[MilTown]

There has been minimal news reported on the McNeal injury in the past week. I guess they are calling it a sprain, but is it more serious?? Also, are we going to have him for round 1?

[ecompt]

I have no real basis for this, but a thumb injury on his shooting hand means he won't be much help in at least the first two rounds of the tourney. I would be shocked if he were able to play.

[79Warrior]

Didn't Crean say in Pitt Post game comments he expects Jerel to return next week? That wouls imply we will see him in the first round.

[Murffieus]

I'll tellyou that I don't miss McNeal's 4-5 TOs per game-----if that's a given each game (pretty much) then he spots the opposition 10 points (the roughly 5 points we'd get from those possessions and the roughly 5 points the other team will get) from the get go.

Also as long as Mathews and DJ are in the game----it's much more important to have a good trey shooter at the other guard position than an aother slasher.

BTW----McNeal's BE per game steal total has plummeted from the 4-5/game he was getting during the cupcake phase of the schedule!

[Nukem2]

Murff, that is an opinion that not many of us share.  MU is not where it is today without Jerel.  Yes, he has TO's just as DJ takes some poor 3's and Fitz's defense is lacking  and so on and so on.  Each of the guys brings something to the table. No one is perfect.

[NavinRJohnson]

I don't miss the TO's either, but I very much missed the ball pressure, as Pitt was able to move the ball and get the ball into Gray at will. With our lack of interior D, if we don't make it happen on the perimeter, we're cooked. Jerel is key to that.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Yes,  but as a former coach you also know the value he brings defensively.  He wasn't named Big East Defensive Player  of the year as a fluke.  He also adds 15 points per game.

I'd rather have teams have to scheme to play him then not have to.

[muwarrior87]

Murf, McNeal's steals per game have dropped off partly because teams are aware of has ability and his defensive matchup does not often keep the ball for very long. He has still been a nucense to other teams and jumped into passing lanes. His quickness is something that this team needs on defense to keep the opponents scoring down.  Even with the turnovers, the opponent won't be getting as many good looks and if he can step up his steals, we'll be even better. You can't say that this team is better with McNeal out of the lineup.

[MilTown]

Obviously we can all do without the turnovers and recless shots, but a healthy Jerel makes us a far superior team on so many levels. I hope he is able to recover in time for the tourney. He is having a great season and it would be a shame to have it end with a thumb injury.

[Murffieus]

Chico----McNeal got a lot of mileage out of being one of the nation's leaders in steals in the first half of the season and stealing the ball against SF to win the game. But actually his steals have fallen off dramatically in BE play (averaging only 1.4 per game)---plus he is just an average one on one position defender (nothing special there).

Do you remember  Cordell Henry shutting down the opposition's stars (e.g. Cincy guard)-----who has McNeal shut down this year?

[NavinRJohnson]

plus he is just an average one on one position defender (nothing special there).

Which makes him better than just about everyone else on the team. He also does a great job of getting in passing lanes and disrupting the opponents ball movement. His absence was very noticable the other night.

[Coobeys Oil Depot]

Taking into account his outfits the last 3 games, I'm pretty sure the prognosis on McNeal is that he's a player in more ways then one.

[NavinRJohnson]

I'll ask again, who's the chick?

[What-Would-Wade-Do]

Murf, you can't seriously believe we're better off without McNeal, he's the most consistent player on our team.  He's carried the team on numerous occasions when other players weren't performing

Average on position defender?

He's big east defender of the year.  He's only the 6th guard in BE history to do that.  It's not just from steals, that guy on Seaton Hall, Gause I believe, has more steals per game than McNeal. 

He is the most intense competitor on our team and has arguably been our most productive player this year.

[77fan88warrior]

I was shocked we beat Pitt at home without McNeal and I felt we really missed him against Pitt in BE tournament. I can't back up his play with numbers, but this guy adds so much to the team. He might not even get credit statwise for some of the turnovers he creates. This guy is a stud that makes our defense work even harder. I certainly feel that McNeal can create more off the dribble than Henry. Henry had one move from the the left side with his right hand dribble that Cinci. knew how to defend in the latter stages of his great career at MU. Our ball handling is leaps and bounds better than our one man show back then. I certainly wasn't disappointed by our loss in BE tournament and my biggest concern is that McNeal is rusty if he is able to make it back. Good luck Jerel and keep leading the Warrior charge. You are a true Warrior!!!!!!!!!

[ChicosBailBonds]

Murff....he won Big East def player of the year...that award was based on his conference play, not on anything done early in the season.  There are 16 teams in this great league with 12 players per team and he was ranked #1.

[chiefbromden]

I read on of those efficiency blog at one point that McNeal was a Net 0 player from the steal/TO perspective.  But that doesn't take into the rest of what he does.  Clearly, MU is better with a healthy McNeal.  No question.