Markus Read the Press Clippings

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I am consistently amazed by how maligned Howard is here. I was also amazed by how maligned Rowsey was here. This board's aversion to scoring PGs is quite odd. Kid has an off night and still scores 18 with 4 assists with an eFG% just under 50%. That's a special player.

[wadesworld]

I am consistently amazed by how maligned Howard is here. I was also amazed by how maligned Rowsey was here. This board's aversion to scoring PGs is quite odd. Kid has an off night and still scores 18 with 4 assists with an eFG% just under 50%. That's a special player.

Loved Rowsey offensively.  Always had his head up, very rarely got into a spot on the court where he was trapped with no way out of it, had the ball on a string, always reading the defense.  Howard is the complete opposite.  Constantly has his head down which results in him getting stuck in double (or quadruple) teams with no way out and has anything but a tight handle.  Over half of the time I get the feeling he's already determined what he's going to do with the ball and what move he's going to try to use to do it before he even gets passed half court, no matter what the defense is doing.  Rowsey was constantly manipulating the defense.

We need a point guard, whether it's a scoring point guard (Rowsey, but hopefully one who's taller and interested in defense) or "pure" point guard (hopefully Chartouny).  Howard is neither.  I love Howard...as a shooting guard, because that's what he is.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Loved Rowsey offensively.  Always had his head up, very rarely got into a spot on the court where he was trapped with no way out of it, had the ball on a string, always reading the defense.  Howard is the complete opposite.  Constantly has his head down which results in him getting stuck in double (or quadruple) teams with no way out and has anything but a tight handle.  Over half of the time I get the feeling he's already determined what he's going to do with the ball and what move he's going to try to use to do it before he even gets passed half court, no matter what the defense is doing.  Rowsey was constantly manipulating the defense.

We need a point guard, whether it's a scoring point guard (Rowsey, but hopefully one who's taller and interested in defense) or "pure" point guard (hopefully Chartouny).  Howard is neither.  I love Howard...as a shooting guard, because that's what he is.

Respectfully Wades, I remember you being at the front of the bash Rowsey train. I recall similar posts about shot hunting and hero ball. I'm too lazy to go back and look it up so I apologize if I'm wrong but that's what I'm recalling.

[wadesworld]

Respectfully Wades, I remember you being at the front of the bash Rowsey train. I recall similar posts about shot hunting and hero ball. I'm too lazy to go back and look it up so I apologize if I'm wrong but that's what I'm recalling.

There were absolutely games, and even a streak of games, where I called out Rowsey for playing horribly.  But I believe it was more when he looked disinterested in even being in the arena.  I can't remember which 2 games it was, but in the middle of BE play last year I believe he went an entire game with 0 points and then the first half of the next game without scoring, and I believe had plenty of turnovers.  But that's why I called him out, he had shown what he was capable of doing.  Howard has never shown the ability to manipulate a defense like Rowsey could.  Not even close.

[brewcity77]

I am consistently amazed by how maligned Howard is here. I was also amazed by how maligned Rowsey was here. This board's aversion to scoring PGs is quite odd. Kid has an off night and still scores 18 with 4 assists with an eFG% just under 50%. That's a special player.

I don't think of Markus as a scoring point guard. He's a shooting guard with point guard size. He is a phenomenal talent. He's the best pure scorer I've seen in my years of watching Marquette, and that includes Dwyane Wade. Obviously Wade could do things Markus couldn't dream of, but at Marquette his shooting ability never came close to Markus'.

My issue, and it was the same sometimes with Rowsey, is when those guys aren't finding their teammates. When Matt sets a pick and heads into an open lane yet never gets the ball. When Joey is wide open at the arc and Markus takes a contested three. When Cain is getting to the corner where he's nearly automatic and Markus drives into multiple defenders.

The best points I've watched extensively were Travis Diener & Dominic James. Both could score, but were in control of the offense and knew where their teammates were and when to get them the ball. I occasionally saw that from Rowsey and have yet to see it with any consistency from Howard. If that makes me old school, or out of touch with today's game, so be it, but I've also seen that from guys like Jalen Brunson, Khadeen Carrington, Maurice Watson, and virtually everyone to play the point for Ed Cooley.

A point guard's first job every time down the offensive end is decision making. If calling his own number is the best decision because he's open or sees something others don't, fine. But if he's calling his own number when teammates are wide open while he takes a low percentage shot, that I have a problem with.

[Silent Verbal]

Sam would start for any team in America. He's an absolute stud.

Why limit it to America?  Sam Hauser could start for any basketball team in the world.  And I'm not just talking about 2018.  I'm talking any team ever assembled.  Heck, has anyone ever seen Sam try to tag someone on a baseball field?  I'm willing to bet he's better at it than Javy Baez.