What if we had Trevor Mbakwe?

[jmayer1]

Does this mean that RF's scholarship could not be renewed for next year, thereby freeing it up for JW or the big stiff visiting this weekend?

The scholarship table knows all

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?page=8

Frozena is just getting a scholarship this year.  Right now we are at the limit for next year, meaning if Riley, JW, or anybody else signs, MU will have to find room for them (transfer, early graduation..etc).

[Big Papi]

For a team that lacks height this year, Mbakwe would have been a very solid contributor this year with his 6'7" frame, 7 foot wingspan and quick, good hops.  He would have been playing 20 minutes a game and the number of shot blocked on this team would be double.  His long arms would have made it extremely difficult to throw a pass down low especially with the type of pressure DJ and McNeal play on the perimeter.

Last year was a wasted year for him due to his injury but all you have to do is watch what he did against St. John's last year to see that he would have made an impact this year and that his skillset is something we could have used all year long, especially with Fulce and Otule out for much of the year.
 
For what he did to this team, it is appropriate to bash the kid but he did have skills, MU would have benefited on the court with him on it and I personally believe we would be a legit top 10 team this year with him instead of more of a top 20 team.

[bma725]

All I was trying to say is that Mbakwe would be a nice upgrade over Burke. If you deny that then you don't know/realize how poor of a player Dwight Burke really is. I didn't realize everyone was so "hurt" by Mbakwe deciding he didn't want to play for a coach no one had heard of. Why all the hate?

No one is "hurt" by the decision.  People are upset because TM made his decision hours before school started in the fall after he spent the entire summer using Marquette's facilities to rehab his injury on MU's dime, all while practicing and lying to his teammates about how much he wanted to be here. 

If you don't like Buzz and want to transfer to a school with a more well known coach, fine.  But be a f'n man about it. 

[Pakuni]

What if we had Ryan Amoroso? 

[MUWarrior06]

What if we had Ryan Amoroso? 

Haha. Great point. Amoroso is an inch taller and almost 20 lbs heavier.

Here's his 2008-2009 stat line so far at a D1 level:

7.2 ppg
4.4 rpg
21.2 minutes


Back to TM
Speculating how someone performing at the junior college level would transfer to the D1 level, especially the Big East level, is a ridiculous comparison.

Yes, it would be nice to have a 6'7 athlete with a huge armspan at the PF position. Suggesting that he'd start over Burke is perhaps the single most ridiculous statement I've ever heard regarding MU basketball. TM is much lighter than Burke and is not the bruiser Burke can be down low.

Yes, Burke is not much of an offensive athlete at C, and is not the optimal player we'd like at that position. However, he does his job exceptionally well and is vastly unappreciated, as evidenced by the original poster's ludicrous remarks. He is a big body we can use down low to try and clog up the middle. TM cannot and would not allow MU to compete with the towers down low that reside in the Big East. Sure, he's athletic and he's got monkey arms, but he would get man handled down low. Burke at least provides a challenge and does a great job playing the 5 when he'd be most effective as a 4.

Of course, TM would help this team and would give us depth to allow for some spelled minutes, especially for Burke when he's in foul trouble. However, he mentally and physically cannot compete in the Big East. He has potential to be a good player at the college level, however, not everyone with potential lives up to it and perhaps it is best for MU that he left. Better to have a failed recruit leave and allow us to use that scholarship elsewhere than stick around for the free ride and eat up the bench.

This thread is not so much looking at how TM would help this team, but how another 6'7 athlete would provide us depth down low and give us a little more flexibility. Hazel and Fulce are young and not very strong (as compared to Burke and even TM). Sure, ANY 6'7 240 athlete would be helpful. It doesn't necessarily have to be TM. But how helpful would a 7'0 265 player be? Let's speculate about that because it's just as much ridiculous

[lab_warrior]

NOBODY CARES!!!!!

[mosarsour]

Burke was more than solid against Koshwal today...10 points and 6 or 7 boards (on a day where Lazar had 17 rebs). I'll take that effort out of Burke on any given night.