[Cracked Sidewalks] Future looks fantastic as MU subs drub UNC starters for 8+ minutes

[CrackedSidewalksSays]

Future looks fantastic as MU subs drub UNC starters for 8+ minutes

Written by: jpudner@concentricgrasstops.com (bamamarquettefan1)

Since 1994, only five Marquette seniors have finished their careers with a Sweet 16 appearance; Robert Jackson (2003), Jimmy Butler, Dwight Buycks, Joe Fulce and Robert Frozena.  Congrats guys!  We knew it would end at some point, but not only do you leave with this great accomplishment but having successfully passed the baton to set up what could be a deep run next year ...

With 17 minutes to go in the game and UNC cruising to their 20th win in the last 22 tries with a 14-3 edge in turnovers, Buzz went to the bench.

For the next 8:30, Marquette fans got a glimpse of just how good this team will be next year as MU subs (who will all be back next year) dominated the UNC starters:


table.tableizer-table {border: 1px solid #CCC; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;} .tableizer-table td {padding: 4px; margin: 3px; border: 1px solid #ccc;}
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Subs 25-10 runFGFTAst.Reb.Stl.TOPts.[/tr]

Vander Blue, Fr.	0 of 1	2 for 2	0	0	1	0	2
Junior Cadougan, So.	1 of 1	4 of 4	2	1	0	0	6
Jae Crowder, Jr.	3 of 6	0 of 0	0	3	0	1	6
Davante Gardner, Fr.	3 of 3	1 of 1	0	2	0	0	7
Starters	2 of 2	0 of 0	0	2	1	0	4
MU totals for 8 min.+	9 of 13	7 of 7	2	8	2	1	25
UNC totals same 8 min+	3 of 13	4 of 6	0	6	0	3	10

Vander Blue's defense was fantastic, including following a Jimmy Butler score by stealing the ball and going to the hoop to draw a foul.  He swished both free throws to make it a 4-0 run in 5 seconds.

Junior Cadougan simply cut off the turnovers and added two beautiful assists and added a jumper and two drives to the hoop that resulted in four of four from the line.

Davante Gardner, the star of the entire game with a near dominant 16-point performance, hit all three of his shots during the stretch.

MU actually would have started the stretch with a 15-0 run except for two calls against Jae Crowder, first a technical after he pulled consecutive offensive rebounds away from taller UNC players to put in a shot, and another call for a "bump" right after MU stole a pass and had a path for a breakaway.

Seniors end on Sweet 16 and give others key experience
The key to the job Jimmy Butler, Dwight Buycks, Joe Fulce and Robert Frozena (nice trey to end your career!) did with the Sweet 16 run is prepare an MU team that is loaded to go further next year.

Tonight we started to see the huge jump good freshman usually make after one year with he play of Blue, Gardner and Cadougan (I know, technically a sophomore due to those 14 minutes I am really regretting from last year).  With the point guard question looking solved tonight (Cadougan) and the potential to finally have a dominant inside scorer (Gardner) and the incredible leap 5-star sophomores usually take for their second season, the potential for Crowder to be a go-to leader of a very special team next year.

I've said this whole season - this year a bid and a tourney win to get the team experience for next year was the key.  To get a taste of the Sweet 16 is way beyond what was needed to set up a deep run next year.

Now to the four that were so dominant today, MU also returns:

Darius Johnson-Odom (Jr.), who may be a preseason 1st team All-Big East player after going 2nd team this year.

Chris Otule (So.) and Erik Williams (So.), who have finally given MU a true front line that can block and alter shots.

Jamail Jones (Fr.), who is projected to be our best NBA prospect and gives us another 6-foot-6 inside/outside threat.

Dave Singleton (Jr., 6-4 guard) and Jamil Wilson (So., 6-7 4-star) who have been able to practice with the team all year while redshirting, making a smooth transition likely that could prevent some of the inconsistencies this year from not having played together.

And to that MU is going to add:

Going coast-to-coast to get two of the top swing men in the country in Virginia's Jamal Ferguson (6-4) and the top rated small forward in the west in Juan Anderson (recruited at 6-foot-6 but reportedly has grown a few inches since then - wow our line could actually look imposing).

The brother of one of the best players in the NBA in guard Todd Mayo.

Another point guard so tough he had Division 1 football offers as well in Derrick Wilson.

As one of only 12 programs to make the NCAA the past six years in a row, MU has now broken into the second weekend a year before it appeared they would be ready.  Great job, and 2012 could be even more fun.

http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2011/03/future-looks-fantastic-as-mu-subs-drub.html

[Buzz's Tin]

fyi. just an overall observation: Vander Blue was horrible this year. I don't care what others say and how they want to defend him. He had an absolutely horrible, horrible freshman year. I can see the potential, and I really hope he improves..but man o man was he bad this year. Here's to a better sophomore season!! (cheers)

[Marqus Howard]

fyi. just an overall observation: Vander Blue was horrible this year. I don't care what others say and how they want to defend him. He had an absolutely horrible, horrible freshman year. I can see the potential, and I really hope he improves..but man o man was he bad this year. Here's to a better sophomore season!! (cheers)

Disagree that his season was terrible, but since you "don't care what others say and how they want to defend him," I won't waste my time.

As a side note, isn't Jamal Ferguson coming in the year after Mayo, Wilson, Wilson, Singleton, and Anderson? Doesn't change the fact that 2012 (and the future in general) looks bright though.

[burger]

At least know what you are talking about.....

Ferguson is 2012.....

Derrick Wilson (PG) is 2011......

Do you even know who we have recruited in what year?

[Avenue Commons]

Nice to read some optimism.

Sometimes I feel like Marquette fans don't believe this program is as good as it is and let a really bad 10 minutes of basketball against North Carolina color their entire view of the program. Bad stretches happen. Unfortunately it happened on a huge stage so it seems much worse than it really was in reality.

But this team didn't quit and rallied. It's strange to say, but there was a point where we got it down to 14 or 15. If we drop a couple of buckets and don't commit those stupid fouls (one being a technical) and that loss is only a single digit loss at worst. A loss is a loss, and in the end a totally embarrassing disaster ended up only being a bad loss. Hey, Duke (who I thought would win the whole tourney) lost to Arizona by 16. These things happen.

Proud of Marquette today. As strange as that may sound after an 18 point loss.

PS: Thanks and congratulations to Rob Frozena for nailing that trey in the last seconds. The final score looks a lot better on first glance and in the history books because of that trey.

[MUDrag]

I am trying to think positively about the season.  However, last night's game has made it impossible.  I don't understand how a Big East team can look so bad.  NC made MU look like they are a DII team.  You can make the argument that MU was an average Big East team and that NC is a top ACC team.  Based on this, you expect a loss BUT NOT a 40-15 halftime score.  I can never recall a major or midmajor team outplayed like MU was last night.  I've watched a ton of basketball over the years and have never seen anything like it.  You would have thought by playing in the top basketball conference MU would be used to playing big games.  Yes, MU had a bad shooting night.  But teams typically find a way to be effective, be it tougher defense/forcing drives to the hoop.  Last night was unacceptable for a high major team (or a mid major team).  It just should not happen, simple as that.  I would have accepted a 10 to 15 pt loss if the team looked like they belonged on the same floor as NC. 

I like Buzz and think he has done a good job and has recruited well.  I think he will do great things at MU.  The program is trending positively.  I think I will feel better about things in a few weeks.  It's just hard to fathom that MU played so poorly on its two biggest nights over the last 30 years - last night and the Final Four game.  Is the answer to recruit better athletes who can be more competitive against a team like NC?  I don't know.  Hard to explain how MU has competed so well in the Big East, and yet look so bad against a highly talented team like NC.     

[bamamarquettefan]

You will feel better in a couple of weeks.  To get those biggest games (Kansas in Final four and last night) you have to pull off the biggest wins during those decades.  Every time you win in the tournament and advance you go up against a better and better team, so the chances of getting blitzed if you have a turnover/cold shooting night increase.

Look at how Duke got destroyed by Arizona, or Notre Dame got destroyed by Florida State.  Those were higher seeds getting run off the court.  Don't forget Duke not belonging on the court with St. John's during the season.  Things happen for a game in hoops - but I know they seem bigger the 24 hours after the game.

I believe the memories of Xavier and Syracuse will come back to the forefront down the road a little.  A Sweet 16 appearance is rare, 329 teams which they could make one every year.  333 teams which they could have made the NCAA tournament every year, because MU is only 12 to make it six years in a row.  Don't be spoiled by success just because every season except one team ends in disappointment, whether it be a heart-breaking ending or getting run off the court because some matchup is exposed for a night.

[turk17]

fyi. just an overall observation: Vander Blue was horrible this year. I don't care what others say and how they want to defend him. He had an absolutely horrible, horrible freshman year. I can see the potential, and I really hope he improves..but man o man was he bad this year. Here's to a better sophomore season!! (cheers)

Did he underperform relative to his hype?  Yes

Was he horrible?  Absolutely not.

Unnecessary use of hyperbole? Yes.

[brewcity77]

Did he underperform relative to his hype?  Yes

Was he horrible?  Absolutely not.

Unnecessary use of hyperbole? Yes.

+1

He has shown himself to be an excellent defender. He can get to the rack consistently. Granted, he desperately needs to add a mid-range jumper and needs to finish better when he drives, but the talent is there. Far from horrible.

I agree that the future is bright. Also noticed that Ferguson was in there, he's definitely a 2012. But we do have one more scholarship for next year, I expect either a point or a power.

This year will be good for everyone that was here. When you look at the graduating players, we have a number of guys (Williams, J. Wilson, Jones, Anderson) who should be able to combine to fill JFB's role. We will be better at point with Junior in there instead of Buycks. We have plenty of depth to replace Fulce. Bottom line, our most talented players are all still here. This is a team primed to keep making runs like this for the next three years.

The future's so bright, I gotta wear 3-goggles...

[marquette99]

On blue - I noted before the year crowder was bound to be much better than blue this year.  Freshman 5-stars rarely play big roles freshman year, and when the couple of times they have, they are in the nba the next year.

[HoopsMalone]

Blue did a nice job.  He just never found his scoring role.  I can see him breaking out next year.  He did show some signs.

As far as Cadougan, I loved what I saw.  His slashes to the hoop got us into the tourney and helped us succeed. 

This summer, Cadougan should somehow find out whatever Derrick Rose did last summer to teach himself how to shoot threes.  If Junior can knock down wide open threes, we will be very, very good with the interior scoring that might come from Gardner and Wilson next year.

[brewcity77]

This summer, Cadougan should somehow find out whatever Derrick Rose did last summer to teach himself how to shoot threes.  If Junior can knock down wide open threes, we will be very, very good with the interior scoring that might come from Gardner and Wilson next year.

It's not that complicated, Rose told SI all he did was shoot over 1,000 per day in the offseason. It's just a matter of him giving absolutely everything he has to improving his game. That's why he should be the NBA MVP this year. If Cadougan (or Blue) was willing to do the same and offer that kind of commitment, I believe either could be All-Big East next year, possibly even first team.

[marquette99]

Yes, remember jerel was not a 3-point shooter at all until a similiar routine before his senior year, and then he and wesley just tore it up from behind the arc.  Word we heard in newark is that juniors strength and speed is finally even better than it was before the achilles tear, so he is showing all the potential we expected when he signed after dusting the top prep point guards in the country.