Dameon Mason

[AlumKCof93]

I'm curious if anyone has followed LSU and seen how Mason is doing.  While we have had our share of transfers lately, Mason was the highest profile so I'm curious to see how his career pans out.  The only time I saw him was when LSU played UConn and he didn't have much of an impact on the game. In fact, it was hard to believe this MU built so much of its game plan around his abilities.  Has anyone else followed him and know how he's doing?

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I haven't followed him super-closely, but I did see him play the other night against Alabama. People who claim his transfer didn't affect Marquette are delusional. I don't care whether you think Matthews is "better" than Mason (I do not), the fact of the matter is that having one of the two coming off the bench improves Marquette by leaps and bounds.

Add an Amoroso coming of the bench and we're that much stronger. I see a tendency to view transfers on this board only from a starting rotation point of view, when the reality is it goes much deeper. Not only would these guys give us a deeper bench, but it would increase competition in practice and would help guys improve a lot more. When you factor in that we're losing at least one player a year (and sometimes more), I'm willing to bet that it also affects team morale, as players thinking about leaving generally don't keep these things to themselves.

And no matter why they are leaving, I also don't think the 75 percent assistant coaching turnover helps matters, either.

[MarquetteFan94]

I watched the LSU/UConn game also with a particular interest on how Mason played....I don't claim to be an expert but I didn't notice anything different with his game other than he seemed to be a little more vocal.  I did notice the same loose ball handling/turnover tendencies and UConn really got after him whenever he had the dribble...you're right, he had little, if anything, to do with the outcome.

[StillAWarrior]

Through 15 games, he's averaging:

24 minutes
7.5 points
3.5 rebounds
1.3 assists
1.3 turnovers

He's started most of the games for LSU.  He's had 10+ points five times, but not in any of their bigger games.  His performance in biggger games (based upon my somewhat arbitrary definition) is (pts/rebs):

Texas A&M 7/2
Texas 4/4
Oregon St. 1/1
Washington 9/3
UConn 5/1
'Bama 3/6

This surprised me a bit because I recall him stepping up a bit for bigger games.  He was a good player, and I wish he would have stayed.  But, I'm not sure he'd be a starter.  That could be problematic for morale issues.  I'm not suggesting anything specific about any particular player, but I think sometimes transfers might improve morale and team chemistry -- not just hurt them.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=15237

[Wade for President]

KB is averaging 9 points for a good Wichita State squad.  Broke out with 21 against Bradley last week.  Two players that would be awfully nice to have on the court, or coming off the bench for us...even though KB would've graduated last year.

[AlumKCof93]

I know its still early in the season, but I'm surprised by the direction of the careers of these two players.  Bradley made some big shots in the final four run for us, but I was a little disappointed with his sophomore year.  His ballhandling skills weren't as good as I hoped so I wasn't that disappointed when I heard of his transfer.
On the other hand, I thought Mason was going to be good as he seemed to possess the physical skills to be very good.  He clearly needed to learn quite a few things, but now in his 4th year and in his second program, he still has not developed into an impact player.
I'm glad to see Bradley and his team having success. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

I haven't followed him super-closely, but I did see him play the other night against Alabama. People who claim his transfer didn't affect Marquette are delusional. I don't care whether you think Matthews is "better" than Mason (I do not), the fact of the matter is that having one of the two coming off the bench improves Marquette by leaps and bounds.

Add an Amoroso coming of the bench and we're that much stronger. I see a tendency to view transfers on this board only from a starting rotation point of view, when the reality is it goes much deeper. Not only would these guys give us a deeper bench, but it would increase competition in practice and would help guys improve a lot more. When you factor in that we're losing at least one player a year (and sometimes more), I'm willing to bet that it also affects team morale, as players thinking about leaving generally don't keep these things to themselves.

And no matter why they are leaving, I also don't think the 75 percent assistant coaching turnover helps matters, either.

Mason didn't want to be here.  End of story.  Amo didn't want to be here.  End of story.

[StillAWarrior]

Mason didn't want to be here.  End of story.  Amo didn't want to be here.  End of story.

Hard to argue too much with you, but the beginning and middle of the story are often the most interesting parts.   

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Chicos - I didn't start this thread so I'm not sure why you chose to respond to my post with your "they didn't want to be here" response. I'm not sure pointing out that two players who transferred didn't want to be here is any great newsflash. Of course they didn't want to be here. Would they have helped this year's team? You bet they would have.

[Nukem2]

How can they help if they didn't want to be here.  Yes, if they had the proper attitude, they could have helped.  Unfortunately, that was not to be the case.  As such, PR, your thought is really quite irrelevant on this topic.  Not trying to beat upon you at all, but Chicos is right on here.

[bma725]

Would they have helped this year's team? You bet they would have.

There's more than just their athletic ability that factors in there.  Would their attitudes have meshed with the guys here?  Would those players that would lose PT because of their presence be able to handle it?  What recruits or playeres wouldn't be here, or wouldn't be considering MU because those guys are on the team?

Its not something that you can look at just purely from a skill standpoint, theres much more involved in each transfer.

[Marquette84]

. Would they have helped this year's team? You bet they would have.

Mason continues to show that he disappears during the big games.  Someone above posted the stats--its night and day.   He's simply not a difference maker.  We don't need a guy who can give us more points in games we'd win anyway.  It would be one thing if we could point to the Providence or Syracuse games and say that Mason could have given us 20 in those games--but he can't.  Matthews is giving us everything that Mason would have--plus he has more upside.

Amo was a distraction to the team down the strecth, and wasn't a contributor through most of the Big East play last year--and we played very well without him contributing.  If he were on this year's team, he would slow us down and hurt our transition game.  And he was a defensive liablity.  If you think we are in trouble against the front lines of Syracuse and Providence and Georgetown now, imagine what it might be like it with Amo.  About the only thing he MIGHT have been able to give us is more outside shooting--but then we'd have Murff complaining to no end.  Simply put, Amo wouldn't have done anything to make this season's team any better.

Finally, if Bradley were such a difference maker, why has Wichita State state lost six of their last seven games?

[bartmiller#1]

I don't think Mason offers us anything we don't already have in spades-- an athletic, slashing guard.  I would rank him behind Matthews, McNeal and James.  Your point about a strong bench is valid, but how wiling to accept a bench role would Mason be?  He would only be a plus off the bench if he was positive about the role. 

Amo would offer us something only if he stepped up and played to his abilities.  I loved his game (when he played it) on the offensive end.  He needed a lot of work on D and rebounding.  Not sure if that played a role in his decision to leave.  At his best (think South Carolina) he would be a great starting 4 on this team-- and at his worst (think the conference season last year) he wouldn't bring anything other than a likely distraction. 

I wish it would have worked out with Amo and that everyone involved (player + staff) would have found a way to make it work, because the guy is talented. 

In retrospect, Bradley may have been the biggest loss.  He would have helped the team a lot 2 and 3 seasons ago. 

I would argue that ODB was a much bigger loss than Mason, too.  That guy could play ball. 

[tower912]

Bradley would have graduated with Grimm, Novak, and Chapman, so he would have done nothing for this year's team.   We miss Amo's potential, but we don't miss Amo.   Having Mason this year would make it easier to sit DJ when he goes into a funk, or would make it easier to press full time, and would have offered senior stability, maybe.   His skill set would have given us nothing new.   

[herboturbo]

Bradley has always been the biggest what-if with me.  If he doesn't blow out his knee at the beggining of his freshman season he would have been a 4 year starter imo. 

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Bradley would have graduated with Grimm, Novak, and Chapman, so he would have done nothing for this year's team.   We miss Amo's potential, but we don't miss Amo.  Having Mason this year would make it easier to sit DJ when he goes into a funk, or would make it easier to press full time, and would have offered senior stability, maybe.   His skill set would have given us nothing new.   

Did you see Diener's last season with Mason trying to run the point?  There was a reason Marcus Jackson brought the ball up the court. 

ODB is the only loss that really hurt us, with Bradley being a distant 2nd.  Mason and Amo didn't want to play through tough times, so be it.

[tower912]

Agreed that Mason should never run the point.  What I meant is that he could be slid in at the 2/3 with Cubillan and Jerel sharing time at the point when DJ goes into one of his funks.  I should have been more specific.

[ChicosBailBonds]

There is a ying and yang to everything.  If Mason was still here, then likely McNeal or Matthews are not playing as many minutes.

Those guys didn't want to be here.  Best of luck in their new situations, I'm cheering for the guys that are here and want to be here.  On that basis ALONE, I wouldn't trade them for anyone that has left.

You're either committed or not.

[bma725]

Agreed that Mason should never run the point.  What I meant is that he could be slid in at the 2/3 with Cubillan and Jerel sharing time at the point when DJ goes into one of his funks.  I should have been more specific.

If Mason was still here, Cubillan probably doesn't come to MU.  With Mason, that leaves the guards last year as James, Mathews, McNeal, Chapman and Mason.  Only losing Chapman, with Christopherson already committed for next year, Crean probably doesn't even go after Cubillan. 

[mviale]

cube could be our version of tony parker

[dwaderoy2004]

besides physical similarities, i don't really think the comparison makes sense.  parker thrives on his speed and driving to the hoop, and he is one of the best finishers in the game.  his biggest weakness is actually his jump shot.  while cubillan is capable of taking it to the hoop, he doesn;t really have blow-by speed, and prefers to play on the perimeter.  he compares more favorably to bruce bowen, lock down defender and pretty much only shoots threes.  cube is a better ball handler though...