Countdown

[Dr. Blackheart]

There has been plenty of bad news this offseason between staff churn, player transfers, new administration, NCAA issues and the recruiting trail.

However, Marquette Madness is less than a month away on 10/12. Boot Camp is just around the corner on 9/29. And, MU opens up the season 11/9 on an aircraft carrier in the national spotlight. Let's talk the positive MU hoop gossip from Milwaukee this weekend:  

>>MU has added two walk-ons~~Garrett Swanson, a transfer forward from Idaho State. And Dylan Flood from Benet Academy once official. Flood would be eligible to play this year as he is a current student, however, both are needed practice players.
>>Is Jake Thomas, the star of the Pro Am Championship, up for his fourth year of earning a scholarship?
>>While you wonks are arguing over Nunn for 2013 in an already top rated class, the 2014 class is a major focus of the staff with a lot of holes to fill.  While you are obsessing over losing a shooting guard who may have had five or six ahead of him his freshman year, think about who we will miss three seasons from now. Madness is critical.
>>Turner's will reopen
>>MU will have one of its tallest teams in years. It will also be one of the most experienced in the country.  
>>MU will miss Jae most for his defense, yet with Jamil playing the 4, Lockett the 3, and Otule back at the 5, MU will again have one of the best, if not better, defensive teams in the nation.
>>MU has no depth weaknesses. The team is very close. MU will not have a problem filling up the scoresheet, just from more places. It will have match-up problems.
>>Vander is much stronger, and he and Junior have really improved their shooting touches.  
>>MU will again be underrated, but will come out of the box strong early season. OSU will be MU's toughest November match~up.
>>Steve Taylor will be the top newcomer, and will get minutes because he doesn't make a lot of mistakes. Still stunned that he was the lowest rated top senior coming out of Chicago in decades with that body and ability.
>>Every one is healthy and on the right path to recovery it appears.
>>Naysayers will be wrong on Jake Thomas  

Correct me, dispute me, add to my points.

[Dawson Rental]

Correct me, dispute me, add to my points.

Okay, I'll start.

Staff Churn?
Well, churn does imply constant turnover, and every assistant position turned over this off season, but each position turned over only once.  One good news leaving (Benford moving on up), one bad news leaving (Monarch), and one I'm still not sure about.  Was Aki pushed or did he jump?  Did he pursue Memphis or did they come knocking for him?  Memphis is a school that in the Buzz era has out-recruited MU and yet been outperformed by MU on the court.   So, was this a lateral move?  Up?  Down?  Someone who knows something, help me out here.

Jerry Wainwright, a late off season addition - not too shabby.  Is he here for a while?  Or is he holding a spot for a year so Buzz can have time to track down a dynamite hire?

Isaac Chew was a dynamite hire, and among the best stories from the off season.  Can he - with Wainwright and Autry - get the heavy lifting done for the 2014 class?  Will Wainwright talk to recruits about recruiting Tim Duncan to Wake Forest?  When he does will recruits look at him and think; "Man, this dude is old!"

I can only suppose that everyone connected to MU was too polite to point out to Kendrick that MU was able to snatch an assistant away from Illinois who had only been there six weeks.

Naysaying?
Has Chris Otule merely been unfortunate, or is he overly fragile?

Will coming out of the box strong early in the season matter considering how challenging MU's non-conference schedule will be?

"Steve Taylor will be the top newcomer"
Two words Doctor, Trent Lockett.

Fearless Perdiction
An NCAA investigation will reveal that all the twitter traffic to Kendrick Nunn from Illinois students was faked by an 18 year old computer genius in Belarus paid by an Illini booster.

[77ncaachamps]

Will Nunn's commit fall into line with other 2013 and 2014 recruits as they commit to in-state powers?

As the Big East tries to settle, will that negatively affect Marquette's recruiting classes in the near future?

Forget Top Newcomer...who will have the breakout season: Vander, Junior, Davante, Juan, or _______ ?

What will be the highlight of the non-conference season: beating OSU in a highly televised game (I think), winning Maui, or beating Florida and Wisconsin back-to-back?

New Al McGuire Court design: awesome or atrocious?

[4everwarriors]

Will Crean finally learn how to craft a windsor knot to proper proportions, get his dermatologist off retainer, and find a barber who charges more than $6 to craft his head vagina look?

[MattyWarrior]

In the pictures I saw of the team at Als Run, Steve Taylor looked taller than Ox and Todd Mayo was smiling,  The whole
team showed up, all good signs!   

[MU82]

MU will miss Jae most for his defense.

And offense. And intelligence. And work ethic. And 3-point shooting. And interior passing. And heart.

And hair.

[hairy worthen]

Will Crean finally learn how to craft a windsor knot to proper proportions, get his dermatologist off retainer, and find a barber who charges more than $6 to craft his head vagina look?

The vagina look works for him fits his personality to a tee.

[Lennys Tap]

Will Crean finally learn how to craft a windsor knot to proper proportions, get his dermatologist off retainer, and find a barber who charges more than $6 to craft his head vagina look?

Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap.

[bilsu]

MU will miss Jae most for his defense.

And offense. And intelligence. And work ethic. And 3-point shooting. And interior passing. And heart.

And hair.

I think we will miss Jae's motor the most. Wilson can do most of what Jae did, but Wilson is a laid back player, while Jae last year played hard on every possession.

[Benny B]

While OSU may be the "toughest" November match-up, a potential championship game vs. UNC Illinois in Maui would be the most "significant."

Corrected.

[ringout]

Will Crean finally learn how to craft a windsor knot to proper proportions, get his dermatologist off retainer, and find a barber who charges more than $6 to craft his head vagina look?

Now that will get you going on a Monday morning.

[NersEllenson]

I think we will miss Jae's motor the most. Wilson can do most of what Jae did, but Wilson is a laid back player, while Jae last year played hard on every possession.

+1 - Jae's intangibles were off the charts.  High basketball IQ.  Motor.  Toughness.  A true Warrior.  Hopefully Jamil can assert himself the same way.

We could be VERY good this year - if Vander, Davante, and Todd can all take a nice step up in their games.  This team oozes potential.  I believe Junior will be a much improved player this year as well.  If Jake Thomas can actually provide 5-10 meaningful minutes with some good 3 ball shooting- which I think he can -the team has a lot about it to like.  Size, shooting, athleticism, depth.  Can it all gel together?

[nyg]

Blackheart had no mention of Mayo.  I still believe he will be the breakout player this year and hope I am not wrong.  

Otule has gotten hurt every year and will be surprised if it doesn't happen again.

Lockett is the newcomer of the year.

Beating OSU to start the season would be the highlight and revenge on Florida would be nice. 

[frozena pizza]

>>MU has no depth weaknesses. The team is very close. MU will not have a problem filling up the scoresheet, just from more places. It will have match-up problems.

I'm not sure yet how good our depth is.  I think we have 7 players who will be relied upon heavily.  This is good balance, but the flip side of that is that we probably won't have the go-to scorers we had last year.

My concern is that Otule, Gardner and Cadougan have all had injury issues in the past and if we lose any of them it could be crushing.  If anyone outside that top 7 has a breakout season that will help - ideally Anderson, Taylor, or D. Wilson.

[NersEllenson]

Blackheart had no mention of Mayo.  I still believe he will be the breakout player this year and hope I am not wrong.  

Agree - Think he will be darn good this year...and should really help diminish the loss of DJO.

[bilsu]

Blackheart had no mention of Mayo.  I still believe he will be the breakout player this year and hope I am not wrong.  

Otule has gotten hurt every year and will be surprised if it doesn't happen again.Lockett is the newcomer of the year.

Beating OSU to start the season would be the highlight and revenge on Florida would be nice. 

Otule only been hurt 3 out of 4 years.

[Dawson Rental]

Will Crean finally learn how to craft a windsor knot to proper proportions, get his dermatologist off retainer, and find a barber who charges more than $6 to craft his head vagina look?

Proof positive that you have a hard on for Crean.

[77ncaachamps]

Jae was also a menacing player; dudes were afraid to deal with him.

I'm not so sure we have that this year.

Unless Davante starts to stare people down, wave the Mutumbo finger, and talk scary smack like "I'm gonna gobble you up like last night's yard long cheese steak."

[real chili 83]

Jae was also a menacing player; dudes were afraid to deal with him.

I'm not so sure we have that this year.

Unless Davante starts to stare people down, wave the Mutumbo finger, and talk scary smack like "I'm gonna gobble you up like last night's yard long cheese steak."

He needs to add that he has an appetite like Lloyd Moore.  Mass panic will ensue.

[Dawson Rental]

He needs to add that he has an appetite like Lloyd Moore Rick Majerus.  Mass panic will ensue.

FIFY

[LloydMooresLegs]

He needs to add that he has an appetite like Lloyd Moore.  Mass panic will ensue.

We take that as a compliment. 

[Dr. Blackheart]

Blackheart had no mention of Mayo.  I still believe he will be the breakout player this year and hope I am not wrong.  

Otule has gotten hurt every year and will be surprised if it doesn't happen again.

Lockett is the newcomer of the year.

Beating OSU to start the season would be the highlight and revenge on Florida would be nice. 

If Mayo is happy on and off the court he will be very good.  So far so good. Lockett will be steady and solid.  Not to diminish him.  Taylor has strong upside come BE.  I stand by the fact that there are no MU depth weaknesses.  MU is 10 deep.

[real chili 83]

We take that as a compliment. 

You were an eating legend back in the day!  A freak of nature.  Hide the children. Run for your lives.