What's that in my cornflakes?

[tower912]

In response to the kool-aid thread, lets start one about what can go wrong.  
1.   Injuries.    Particularly to Junior.
2. PG depth.   See #1.   Could we really go into the BEast with DWilson starting at point?
3.   Blue is how seeing him shoot makes us feel, vs. Blue blows up as a sophomore.   Will Vander make the big leap we need.
4.   Does JWilson turn into JFB?     Or does he coast and not play hard every night?
5.  Can Crowder stay out of foul trouble?
6.    Will JJones step up?    Same questions as 3, just writ smaller.
7.   What if Buzz really CAN'T coach defense?

If all these questions are answered the right way, this will be a big year.    If more than 2 are answered the wrong way,  the countdown to the meltdown on this board commences now.  

[wojosdojo]

I don't get the debate who starts point. Junior will be the man and play around 27mpg.

[tower912]

DWilson only starts if Junior is hurt.    And then we have bigger problems.

[brewcity77]

In response to the kool-aid thread, lets start one about what can go wrong.  
1.   Injuries.    Particularly to Junior.
2. PG depth.   See #1.   Could we really go into the BEast with DWilson starting at point?
3.   Blue is how seeing him shoot makes us feel, vs. Blue blows up as a sophomore.   Will Vander make the big leap we need.
4.   Does JWilson turn into JFB?     Or does he coast and not play hard every night?
5.  Can Crowder stay out of foul trouble?
6.    Will JJones step up?    Same questions as 3, just writ smaller.
7.   What if Buzz really CAN'T coach defense?

If all these questions are answered the right way, this will be a big year.    If more than 2 are answered the wrong way,  the countdown to the meltdown on this board commences now.

I look at all of those questions, and I think that there's one far bigger than any of them.

8. What happens if CO gets injured?

We are far thinner at center than point guard, and the only guy we have behind Otule won't have the cardio to go for more than 15-18 mpg and can't jump. There's also no way he can replace Otule defensively. If CO goes down, my guess is that Wilson becomes the starting center, Gardner continues in his role behind him, and either Blue, Jones, or Anderson would have to take over the JFB role. Honestly, I don't think any of the four guys in question would fill their roles (CO or JFB) adequately.

The player we can least afford to lose is not Junior, it's Chris Otule.

[NersEllenson]

I look at all of those questions, and I think that there's one far bigger than any of them.

8. What happens if CO gets injured?

We are far thinner at center than point guard, and the only guy we have behind Otule won't have the cardio to go for more than 15-18 mpg and can't jump. There's also no way he can replace Otule defensively. If CO goes down, my guess is that Wilson becomes the starting center, Gardner continues in his role behind him, and either Blue, Jones, or Anderson would have to take over the JFB role. Honestly, I don't think any of the four guys in question would fill their roles (CO or JFB) adequately.

The player we can least afford to lose is not Junior, it's Chris Otule.

Gotta disgree here Brew - Cadougan/DJO are the most irreplaceable players we've got for this season.  Buzz showed his teams could compete at an almost elite level in 2008-2009 with Dwight Burke at Center.  We also played fairly well in 2009-2010 with Lazar at Center.  With Jamil's length, Gardner's bulk, Crowder - and more length on the perimeter - I don't see any reason why we couldn't do as well as we did in 2009-2010.

That said, I sure hope all the guys stay healthy and that we don't really have to have this debate/conversation.

[MuMark]

Crowder will see minutes at center before Wilson. Crowder is more like Hayward and Jamil is built like Butler......we know who played the 5 when they were the only options....Lazar.

Lets hope it doesn't come to that.

[brewcity77]

Gotta disgree here Brew - Cadougan/DJO are the most irreplaceable players we've got for this season.  Buzz showed his teams could compete at an almost elite level in 2008-2009 with Dwight Burke at Center.  We also played fairly well in 2009-2010 with Lazar at Center.  With Jamil's length, Gardner's bulk, Crowder - and more length on the perimeter - I don't see any reason why we couldn't do as well as we did in 2009-2010.

That said, I sure hope all the guys stay healthy and that we don't really have to have this debate/conversation.

I expected as much...from pretty much everyone. But from what we've heard about Wilson, he's looked natural at the point and is a great on-ball defender. He's already got a Big East body. DJO is huge, a pure stud, but he's still a switchable, and we've got numerous guys that can fill in. Blue can defend and drive, Mayo sounds like a better than expected defender and pure scorer.

Offensively, Cadougan or DJO would hurt if we lost them. But we have other guys that can pass and other guys that can score. We simply do not have another defensive player who can play the 5 the way Otule can. Not even close. It's the difference of being a good offensive team and a great offensive team if we lose one of the starting guards. But if we lose Otule, it's the difference of having an at-times dominating defense and having a sub-par defense. We will quite simply not have a good defense if Otule isn't in there. We lose the threat of blocks, which allows the opposition to drive more easily. And there's nobody that is the defensive player on this team that Lazar or Burke were at that position that can fill in.

Again, I know this won't be the popular opinion, but Otule is the guy we can least afford to lose. Few will agree, but I firmly believe it.

[ATL MU Warrior]

I expected as much...from pretty much everyone. But from what we've heard about Wilson, he's looked natural at the point and is a great on-ball defender. He's already got a Big East body. DJO is huge, a pure stud, but he's still a switchable, and we've got numerous guys that can fill in. Blue can defend and drive, Mayo sounds like a better than expected defender and pure scorer.

Offensively, Cadougan or DJO would hurt if we lost them. But we have other guys that can pass and other guys that can score. We simply do not have another defensive player who can play the 5 the way Otule can. Not even close. It's the difference of being a good offensive team and a great offensive team if we lose one of the starting guards. But if we lose Otule, it's the difference of having an at-times dominating defense and having a sub-par defense. We will quite simply not have a good defense if Otule isn't in there. We lose the threat of blocks, which allows the opposition to drive more easily. And there's nobody that is the defensive player on this team that Lazar or Burke were at that position that can fill in.

Again, I know this won't be the popular opinion, but Otule is the guy we can least afford to lose. Few will agree, but I firmly believe it.

I am a big Otule supporter but to play devil's advocate, wasn't he the starting center last year when our defense was putrid? 

[Dr. Blackheart]

Honestly, we cannot afford to lose anyone to injury--we are due for an injury free span. All the speculation though points out that this is Buzz's switchable year where we will see many varied line-up combos suggested here, depending on match-ups.  Buzz pulled rabbits out of his hat his first three years, and now it is his recruits' time.

Each year has been different, but this year is going to be more reflective of Buzz's philosophy: The Eli Whitney of college coaches (interchangeable parts).

[brewcity77]

I am a big Otule supporter but to play devil's advocate, wasn't he the starting center last year when our defense was putrid?

He was, but going forward, I think he's the type of guy Buzz wants to build our defense around. Much of our problems came from woeful inability to guard the three. I'm not putting that on Otule. And when he's in, it's harder to drive on us, especially if he established himself with an early block or two.

On the defensive end, he is the only player in the lineup that doesn't have a comparable replacement. There is no poor man's Otule on our team. We have Blue, Mayo, Anderson, and Jones to fill the 2-4 on both ends. DW and the other guards can fill in for Caddy on both ends. And DG can fill in offensively for CO. Maybe most of the replacements aren't quite as good as the starters yet, but they have comparable talents and can match the style or production of the starter. CO on the defensive end, it's just not the case. Gardner isn't 1/10th the defender, Jae isn't nearly as good guarding the 5 as Lazar or Burke, and Jamil isn't a natural post defender. CO on defense is irreplaceable 

[ATL MU Warrior]

He was, but going forward, I think he's the type of guy Buzz wants to build our defense around. Much of our problems came from woeful inability to guard the three. I'm not putting that on Otule. And when he's in, it's harder to drive on us, especially if he established himself with an early block or two.

On the defensive end, he is the only player in the lineup that doesn't have a comparable replacement. There is no poor man's Otule on our team. We have Blue, Mayo, Anderson, and Jones to fill the 2-4 on both ends. DW and the other guards can fill in for Caddy on both ends. And DG can fill in offensively for CO. Maybe most of the replacements aren't quite as good as the starters yet, but they have comparable talents and can match the style or production of the starter. CO on the defensive end, it's just not the case. Gardner isn't 1/10th the defender, Jae isn't nearly as good guarding the 5 as Lazar or Burke, and Jamil isn't a natural post defender. CO on defense is irreplaceable 

I'm with you and I agree. 

[NersEllenson]

Definitely agree with you Brew in the sense that Otule brings a defensive dimension no other MU player brings - and that certainly has value.  I recall his HUGE block against Syracuse in MKE - being a game changing play that he made that assured victory.  By no means do I want to discount Otule's value.

Whatever the case, this year's MU team should be a lot of fun to watch with so many styles of play, it can play.