My thoughts on last night's game

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

My thoughts on last night's trip to the woodshed:

1. James was the best player on the floor. He shot it well, got to the basket with ease and didn't display any of his sometimes sour body language. His best game of the season.
2. Any talk of Marquette having a "Big Three" in the backcourt should include Cubillan.
3. Good to see Christopherson. I saw a couple posters refer to him being slow. I didn't see that. I saw a kid playing in his first college game. I'm sure he was nervous as hell and I thought he did fine. You can see he belongs and listens to his coaches with an obvious willingness to learn.
4. Anybody who doesn't think Marquette purposely ran up the score is blind. We were picking them up full court with about 6 minutes left in the game. At one point, Hazel was pulled after about a 1 minute stint so Crean could get all his starters back on the floor. I'm not casting judgement on the fact that this occurred, but it surely did.
5. Anybody who doesn't believe this was a better game for Marquette than Bethune Cookman, Cardinal Stritch or Hillsdale cannot count. Turners was freaking PACKED at 5:30, the student section was fantastic and the upper deck was about 80 percent full. End of story.
6. McNeal was solid as usual.
7. For something of an under-sized forward, Lazar Hayward sure can get inside for both points and rebounds. I love that guy.
8. Ten minutes for Barro? Are you kidding me? In that blowout? He played fewer minutes than Acker!
9. I don't pretend to know Rob Jeter and have not followed UWM's team, but his team plain quit on him last night. About 10 minutes into the game it was a one point game. I never thought the outcome was in doubt, but they should be ashamed of themselves.
10. In previous years, I never liked the gold uniforms. I like these, though. I am looking forward to seeing the light blues.
11. Good to see the son of pitz wearing his headdress!
12. Regarding Fitz injury. I guess there are some people around here who are real insiders! Good reporting, guys.

Great game. Great crowd. Great win...Go Warriors!!

[romey]

PRN Thanks for the "thoughts".  As an out of stater I don't get to but one game a year and since there was no TV for this one, it's nice to get a fan's take on the game.  Box scores and AP stories don't do the games justice.  Great to hear so many positives came out of this one.  I DO get to see Coppin State though in a few weeks - Woo hooo!  hey it's no MU vs. Georgetown, but I take what I can get when I live 850 miles away!

[pitz]

11. Good to see the son of pitz wearing his headdress!

It will be interesting to see if he gets any grief this year.  I highly doubt it as it was a bad PR move last year.

[MUEng92]

At one point, Hazel was pulled after about a 1 minute stint so Crean could get all his starters back on the floor. I'm not casting judgement on the fact that this occurred, but it surely did.

This is probably being picky but Crean didn't take our Hazel to get the starters back in.  He took him out to because Hazel didn't react to a loose ball the way Crean wants his players too.

I didn't record the game so I must go by my weak memory.  If I remember correctly, there was a loose ball near the basket at Hazel's feet.  I believe he simply bent over and casually tried to pick up the ball, while other players, both MU and UWM players, dove at the ball.  When Hazel got to the bench, lets just say Crean used it as a very loud teaching moment.

- Regarding James, I am not sure which is more frustrating, when he chucks up ill advised shots in games when he has no shooting touch or games like last night when he makes it look so effortless.  I can't help wanting to scream, "Why can't you play like this all of the time?!?!?!"

- Somebody tell Matthews to lay off the weights for a few days.  Those 2 air ball 3 pointers might not have even been good alleyoops had there been a teammate on the other side of the hoop.  Uggghhh.

- I don't know why people think a good basketball game has to be a close game.  I don't mind a Harlem Globetrotter game every once in a while.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

At one point, Hazel was pulled after about a 1 minute stint so Crean could get all his starters back on the floor. I'm not casting judgement on the fact that this occurred, but it surely did.

This is probably being picky but Crean didn't take our Hazel to get the starters back in.  He took him out to because Hazel didn't react to a loose ball the way Crean wants his players too.

That's fine, too...but then put Blackledge in. I like when Crean pulls guys for mistakes...I think he pulled Christopherson in the first half because he passed up a wide open three. I just thought we were a little too eager to embarrass UWM and it doesn't particularly become us. A great game, though. We look really good.

[Carl Spackler]

PRN Thanks for the "thoughts".  As an out of stater I don't get to but one game a year and since there was no TV for this one, it's nice to get a fan's take on the game. 

ESPN full court had the game and about 10 more games this year.  I live 800 miles from milwaukee and i watched iupui and the UW-MKE smackdown from my easy chair with homer and mac playing from my laptop.

Agree with PRN. 

I loved seeing them keep it going in the second half.  too many times the last few years these "easy games" have been a lot closer than they should be.  a 15 point lead can quickly evaporate with the 3 and there was no reason not to push it to 30 and leave no doubt.

[Virginia Warrior 77]

At one point, Hazel was pulled after about a 1 minute stint so Crean could get all his starters back on the floor. I'm not casting judgement on the fact that this occurred, but it surely did.

This is probably being picky but Crean didn't take our Hazel to get the starters back in.  He took him out to because Hazel didn't react to a loose ball the way Crean wants his players too.

That's fine, too...but then put Blackledge in. I like when Crean pulls guys for mistakes...I think he pulled Christopherson in the first half because he passed up a wide open three. I just thought we were a little too eager to embarrass UWM and it doesn't particularly become us. A great game, though. We look really good.

Yes, TC pulled Hazel for not getting on the floor for a loose ball and trying to bend down to pick it up - got in his face over it.  And I agree that TC was running the score up by putting his starters back in with under 5 to go and a 30 point lead.  The commentators on ESPN 360 noticed and commented that he was risking injury, especially if things got "chippy" with the way the game was going and the emotions that go with a cross-town rivalry.  I had my fingers crossed, hoping no one got hurt until he pulled the starters.  A questionable move on TC's part, IMHO.

[MUCam]

Was there an element of running it up? Maybe. But, it is interesting to see MU questioned for running up the score against an inferior opponent in UWM, when just two weeks ago MU was being questioned for not being able to put away inferior opponents.

Teams will lose and they will lose big. Look at the win by UCLA over Yale (81-47). UCLA's top 6 players played roughly the same amount of minutes that our top 6 played....perhaps a little more. How about the Duke win over Wisconsin? Nelson and Singler over 30 minutes. Paulus with 28 minutes. Running up the score, or just playing ball?

The point is, if you don't want the score run up, then play some ball.

[Tribby]

11. Good to see the son of pitz wearing his headdress!

It will be interesting to see if he gets any grief this year.  I highly doubt it as it was a bad PR move last year.

Good to see we're able to separate the Native American imagery from the Warriors name, eh?

[patso]

foul trouble was what led to Marquette's ability to open up in the first. UWM has some good players but they are a bit undisciplined. The 6'5" chunky guy on UWM could be a weapon.

[HarveysWallbangers]

11. Good to see the son of pitz wearing his headdress!

It will be interesting to see if he gets any grief this year.  I highly doubt it as it was a bad PR move last year.

Good to see we're able to separate the Native American imagery from the Warriors name, eh?

Hmmmm. Maybe if there was another image to associate with Warriors, the Native American imagery would disappear? Do you think?

I am dumbfounded that this concept is so difficult for people to understand. Donning Native American imagery is a protest! Nobody would do it if they brought back Warriors and gave us a new symbol!

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Was there an element of running it up? Maybe. But, it is interesting to see MU questioned for running up the score against an inferior opponent in UWM, when just two weeks ago MU was being questioned for not being able to put away inferior opponents.

Bingo.

Some people say that MU plays down to it's competition, but then when they blow the doors off somebody, people accuse the coach of running it up.

When I watched the game, I thought they were running it up a little bit, but then I looked at the box score and kind of changed my mind.

Only 1 starter played more then 30 minutes... and keep in mind that they haven't played in 10 days. It probably wouldn't be beneficial for a team that hasn't played in a while to only have the starters play 20 mins. They need the reps and the PT before they head to Madison.

So, I do think that the play calling stayed aggressive, but I'm not sure it's a clear cut case of running it up. The starters really didn't play that many minutes... especially considering that Fitz is out so somebody has to pick up those minutes (some went to Christopherson)

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

11. Good to see the son of pitz wearing his headdress!

It will be interesting to see if he gets any grief this year.  I highly doubt it as it was a bad PR move last year.

Good to see we're able to separate the Native American imagery from the Warriors name, eh?

Hmmmm. Maybe if there was another image to associate with Warriors, the Native American imagery would disappear? Do you think?

I am dumbfounded that this concept is so difficult for people to understand. Donning Native American imagery is a protest! Nobody would do it if they brought back Warriors and gave us a new symbol!

I really don't want to degenerate into the nickname thing (I'm risking it here), but I think you would still see a lot of native American imagery (even with a new logo to go with the Warrior nickname) because people are always trying to be "different", "more authentic" or even "old school" (such a cliche)

The MU uniforms are "throwbacks" because people love that stuff... you mean to tell me that everybody would throw away all of their Willie Wampum stuff if there was a new logo? I'm just not so sure of that...

[bilsu]

Christopherson looks slow when he tries to cover Acker and James. However, he knows this and plays off them. He is a smart player, who knows his limitations adjusts for them and based on that he will be a very good player for MU. Also, whatever was wrong with his knee may have been slowing him down.

When the outcome of the game is decided the little used players should be playing. They will not have many opportunities once the Big East season starts. Starters should have been done with 10 minutes to go in the game.

[wheresthecake?]

I was pleased just to see SC playing last night.  Great rehabbing and recovery time, definitely shows how bad he wants to play.  I agree he looked a little slow out there.  I fear he may be a defensive liability for the time being, at least until his knee fully recovers.  However, I loved seeing him put up the three.  His shot looks fundamentally sounds and has great rhythm, he will be great against what I think we should start to hope teams play against us: a 2-3 zone, just need Fitz back ASAP.

As for running up the score, I was glad to see the intensity from the team late in the game.  We had been lacking that "killer instinct" up until the OSU game and it was something we needed to correct before UW because I want to see us get a lead early on them and keep after them all game and not allow a comeback of any kind.

[MarquetteVol]

Christopherson looks slow when he tries to cover Acker and James. However, he knows this and plays off them.

That's a really good point. It should also be pointed out that Greg Paulus, the starting point guard for Duke, looks pretty slow compared to Acker and James. It's funny, because I think people perceive Fitz to be slow, but I guarantee he would have been one of the quickest guys on the floor during my MU tenure. This team plays so fast, it makes the guys with average quickness look like plodders.

I don't know how far this team will go this year, but so far we've been very enjoyable to watch.

[Big Papi]

Funny.  I don't seem to recall anyone complaining that we ran up the score against Oklahoma St. and yet  because we blowout UWM it is viewed as running up the score.  I am not saying we did or didn't but that it is very interesting.  Also for a team running up the score it is very interesting that one of the big 3 only played 22 minutes and 2 freshmen who played a grand total of 1 minute for the entire season played a total of 16 minutes last night unlike the Oklahoma State game.

So what is it, do we want to complain about not winning by a larger margin or that we ran up the score?  Just curious what the standard policy is for games like these.

[AZWarrior]

What is the URL this year for radio broadcasts?  I'd like to listen to Homer and Jim M. too......

[bma725]

What is the URL this year for radio broadcasts?  I'd like to listen to Homer and Jim M. too......

There's a few different ways to get it.  The basic way is to go to http://www.espn1510.com/  and click listen live on the right side of the page during the game. 

But there are also direct links that seem to work better for some. 

http://68.142.121.75:80/goodkarma_live?MSWMExt=.asf     
http://goodkarma-live.wm.llnwd.net/goodkarma_live

[tower912]

Great point comparing UWM and OSU.   Win one by 30 and it is a statement and no one complains.   Win one by 35 and you were a big bully running up the score.  Did the Jayhawks with ol' Roy run up the score in the 03 final 4?  UWM can find sympathy in the dictionary between $hit and syphilis.