Favorite Marquette Players

[Golden Avalanche]

I think we had a thread for maybe certain eras but I tried searching it and can't find it. Who are your favorite all time Marquette players? My top 5 are:

1) Wade - pretty easy.
2) Jae - a true Warrior.
3) Diener - see Jae's explanation.
4) Cordell Henry - loved the jersey tug after made 3 pointers.
5) Nnamaka - no idea why but I was pretty young and just loved his game.

Wes, Rowsey, Lazar, Robert Jackson, Novak, Hutchins, and Miller as honorable mentions for me.

Markus Howard.

[DoctorV]

Favorites that I've watched extensively would go back to when I enrolled in 2001. I watched Marquette passively before then, but didn't have the same passion as I did once I attended there.

1) Jae Crowder -- Was he the best player I saw? No, but no one played with more passion, more raw emotion, and more tenacity. He was one of the best players and put in a level of effort that no one else I've seen ever put forth.

2) Dwyane Wade -- He was such an immense talent and gave me so much pride in the program while I was going to school there. I remember thinking when we went to the Final Four that it could always be like that. Of course, it wasn't, but he made young me believe otherwise.

3) Markus Howard -- When he's on, he just makes it look so easy. He has that ability to make it clear that, at least in that moment, he is the best player in the country. He is such a uniquely gifted scorer. We shall never see his like again.

4) Travis Diener -- Need a bucket? He's got you. Need an assist? He's got you. Diener was such a complete offensive player, and played with so much spirit. It's a shame we missed the tourney his last two years, though we likely would've made it had he stayed healthy his senior year.

5) Wes Matthews -- For my money, always the best of the Amigos. Even as a freshman, he was the one who you just knew could translate it to the next level. Watching him develop the way he did was incredibly rewarding.

6) Sam Hauser -- It's hard to include the guy that left, but Sam was so smart out there, always made the right decision, and just got it from the first moment he stepped on the court. The kind of guy you trust completely. I think he's going to be fantastic at UVA.

7) Lazar Hayward -- One of the best collegiate players I've seen. All-around better than some of the names ahead of him in the sense that he did everything. He could be a complimentary scorer or take the game over himself, he was a great rebounder, and he could guard just about anyone despite being 6'5". That the 2010 team made the tourney is a testament to how well he carried that team.

8) Darius Johnson-Odom -- He was Markus before Markus. The guy who could hit shots from anywhere, get to the rim and to the line, drop 20 in a half, and do it all while flashing a grin. I know they were different players, but DJO had that same electric ability to get a bucket. He was also a game-changer for that 2010 team after the Amigos left. Of course, his shot against Syracuse also helped.

9) Vander Blue -- He wasn't what we expected early on, but developed into such a nice player. He always played tenacious defense and could lock guys down on the perimeter. He didn't score a ton early, but when he needed to as a junior, he took that mantle. I still wonder what might have been if he'd come back in 2014.

10) Jimmy Butler -- Hard to put him this low, but I always kind of felt he was in someone's shadow. Whether it was the Amigos as a sophomore, Lazar as a junior, or even Jae and his tenaciousness in his senior year (Jimmy was the leader, but Jae was clearly becoming "that guy"). Dude also had a crazy work ethic and ability to lock up his defensive assignment. Man, everyone was talking about how Tu Holloway was going to run all over us in 2011, then Jimmy just locked him up like Chinese finger cuffs.

Almost famous -- Robert Jackson, Davante Gardner, Dominic James, Steve Novak, Cordell Henry

Excellent summary, well said.

I agree with most things there but couldn't help but notice and be surprised by two things-
1) Jerel McNeal not even being an honorable mention.
2) Novak being lower than expected.

I mentioned recently (before his Orlando outbursts) that I thought Markus would go down as the most underrated- or better phrased under respected- MU player since I became a fan in 2003. I included Vander Blue in the list but I failed to mention Jerel, I think he's definitely on that list too.

That three amigos class was very fun and it always struck me that many people had a different view of the three guards and who was better or more valuable. I was in dental school I would always go to games in the three amigos era with two classmates and we each had one favorite- I loved Dom James (and Wes was my least favorite), my one buddy loved Jerel and my other buddy loved Wes. It's unique to have three guys watching the same team all the time yet having a completely different viewpoint of who is the best of three guards on the same team.

As for Jerel, if I'm not mistaken he won BE defensive POY, which is extremely rare as a guard, and then broke the all time scoring record. He had a lot of huge clutch games as well. Remembering back I think many really disliked his "erratic" play as he was prone to turnovers (much like Markus can be) and many thought he wasn't a fundamentally sound player. To that I'll say that although some of it is true, when you have the ball in your hands a lot and much is expected you will have more of those mistakes that can look really bad.

As for Novak, dude just had the most pure shot I've ever seen and it wasn't even close. I used to love watching the guy drain a shot, it was as automatic as you could ever imagine. Of course in the last few years we've seen some amazing pure shooters but it hasn't always been the case

[brewcity77]

As for Jerel, if I'm not mistaken he won BE defensive POY, which is extremely rare as a guard, and then broke the all time scoring record. He had a lot of huge clutch games as well. Remembering back I think many really disliked his "erratic" play as he was prone to turnovers (much like Markus can be) and many thought he wasn't a fundamentally sound player. To that I'll say that although some of it is true, when you have the ball in your hands a lot and much is expected you will have more of those mistakes that can look really bad.

As for Novak, dude just had the most pure shot I've ever seen and it wasn't even close. I used to love watching the guy drain a shot, it was as automatic as you could ever imagine. Of course in the last few years we've seen some amazing pure shooters but it hasn't always been the case

Jerel was a good player, but I always felt like he was the clear third of the Amigos. He won DPOY, but was never close to the defender James was. I think it was that erratic nature, which was on both ends. His DPOY was because of his steal rate, and gambling for steals often took him out of position and hurt the team when he didn't force the turnover. If it was simply best college player, I would probably have to include him, but as far as favorite to watch, he just didn't get there for me.

I really liked Novak, but I think the 2 years of NIT hurt his case, and while he ended things well, he didn't have the kind of emotional drive of a player like Diener. I also think having guys like Howard, Rowsey, and Sam in recent years who were such excellent three point shooters have diminished some of that novelty for me. The game against UConn and the shot against Notre Dame will always resonate as favorite moments, but not enough to crack my top-10. Some of it may also be his size. Having a guy who is 6'10" but plays like a wing just doesn't have the same allure to me as more tenacious, undersized guys like Jae and 'Zar.

[MU82]

I like your list, brewski, and your whole post was very well written.

[Coleman]

Jerel was a good player, but I always felt like he was the clear third of the Amigos. He won DPOY, but was never close to the defender James was. I think it was that erratic nature, which was on both ends. His DPOY was because of his steal rate, and gambling for steals often took him out of position and hurt the team when he didn't force the turnover. If it was simply best college player, I would probably have to include him, but as far as favorite to watch, he just didn't get there for me.

I really liked Novak, but I think the 2 years of NIT hurt his case, and while he ended things well, he didn't have the kind of emotional drive of a player like Diener. I also think having guys like Howard, Rowsey, and Sam in recent years who were such excellent three point shooters have diminished some of that novelty for me. The game against UConn and the shot against Notre Dame will always resonate as favorite moments, but not enough to crack my top-10. Some of it may also be his size. Having a guy who is 6'10" but plays like a wing just doesn't have the same allure to me as more tenacious, undersized guys like Jae and 'Zar.

You are 100% right about Jerel, but god damn his steals and fast breaks were fun to watch. Especially that USF game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4kRaPtKUmc

[Galway Eagle]

You are 100% right about Jerel, but god damn his steals and fast breaks were fun to watch. Especially that USF game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4kRaPtKUmc

I forgot how pixelated life was back then

[Goose]

jefffla

Love your list, especially Brunkhorst being on there. Guy could sure make free throws.

[shoothoops]

All Marquette players have been my favorites. With that said, Tony Miller and Ousmane Barro are two examples of those I greatly enjoyed.

[Coleman]

Different category...Not the "best" Marquette players...but some that were just fun to watch...

Ousmane Barro
Davante Gardner
DJO

[hdog1017]

Oluoma Nnamaka

[Cheeks]

Different category...Not the "best" Marquette players...but some that were just fun to watch...

Ousmane Barro
Davante Gardner
DJO

Jamal Cain
Mo Acker
Reinhardt
Rowsey

[Coleman]

Jamal Cain
Mo Acker
Reinhardt
Rowsey

Good call on Mo Acker. Loved that guy