Insert Expletive Here

[Freeport Warrior]

Butler makes half his free throws, this isn't even a game down the stretch. Disappointing but these guys are going to win some games, exciting team. If this is "rebuilding," I like it.

[77ncaachamps]

While it was a nice tournament run, FSU is at best, a middle of the pack Big East team.  It will be a long season if Marquette is that drained at the end of a game.  The only way they compete in the Big East is putting together those first 30 minutes of effort.  Not sure if Marquette is capable of putting together 40 minutes of effort.  

Good point.

Some coaches call timeouts to shorten the game to 5 min periods.
But as the announcers had mentioned, Buzz knew a TV TO was coming up, but FSU put up at least 5 points in that period before the break.

[NersEllenson]

MU has been on the short end of the stick in a lot of close games.  They will get it turned around.  As for Buzz not calling timeouts...good point that he probably should have used a few more to give the guys a breather.  That said, I think he wants his guys to develop the toughness to fight through the adversity of a team making a run..a figure it out on your own philosophy...there is a toughness that comes out of that.  Granted if it costs the team a loss, that is a not worth the lesson.  But, lets not 2nd guess Buzz..i love the direction the program is headed under Buzz.

[Golden Avalanche]

Let's calm down.  How many people on this board thought MU would go this far?  Very few.  They played well throughout the tournament and were undone by bad free throw shooting at the end--which I put on fatigue.  As for me, I enjoyed the tournament, we should have won it, but all in all I'm impressed with this group.

There's enough time for the back-patting over the next six days but for now there should be serious discussion of what will likely be recurrent themes this season: 1) fatigue; 2) poor free throw shooting due to fatigue; 3) careless mistakes when up big (bad inbounds passes; not grabbing the ball with two hands before four guys run out for a break, etc); 4) post defense -- when to double and when to not; more elsewhere.

I just don't understand the deal with Odom. He was feeling it in first half. Why not run more offense through him in second half? It's like they forgot he was on court the first eight minutes of second half. Even stranger when you consider Buzz went to him in the waning seconds of both halves.

In the end, 2-1 out of Orlando is great but there were moments of concern in this game that would've been glossed over if they won but will now be discussed during a long and quiet week.

[PE8983]

I'm not the biggest Acker fan, but he made a great driving layup late that Cubillan would have never made.
Cubillan had a wide open three that he was lucky he hit rim on.  I would rather have Acker running the point than Cubillan.  I'm not sure what Cubillan has over Acker in terms of playing time.  People will claim defense, but waving your arms and running around like a chicken with your head cut off isn't my idea of defense.  Acker is definitely better at driving the ball, and I think is a better shooter.  

[Dienerfor3]

While it was a nice tournament run, FSU is at best, a middle of the pack Big East team.  It will be a long season if Marquette is that drained at the end of a game.  The only way they compete in the Big East is putting together those first 30 minutes of effort.  Not sure if Marquette is capable of putting together 40 minutes of effort.  

So, the games against Michigan and Xavier weren't 40 minutes of effort each...? Explain

[MUFC9295]

Acker has definitely made better use of his time on the court as a starter than Cubillan.  Mo is much better than the off-the-bench version in years past.  We are still, however, at a disadvantage with his diminutive stature.  Height doesn't suffer fatigue, quickness does.

[PE8983]

We played 2 games in 24 hours and look fresh.  Next game is 56 hours later and we're gassed.  Not sure I get it.

[Daniel]

watching that it seemed one thing killed us and that was fatigue.  Buzz needs to find a way to keep this team fresh in tournament times because this will happen again later on in the season.  Overall an ugly game and one we totally blew.

We will NEED to play 10 deep.  Erik and Mbao will have to get minutes starting next game - hopefully they practice their $%^#S off this next week.  NCState will not be an easy game.

[GOMU1104]

We will NEED to play 10 deep.  Erik and Mbao will have to get minutes starting next game - hopefully they practice their $%^#S off this next week.  NCState will not be an easy game.

No, we NEED to play our best players. Playing 10, for the sake of playing 10, doesnt make any damn sense.

[warriorfred]

While it was a nice tournament run, FSU is at best, a middle of the pack Big East team.  It will be a long season if Marquette is that drained at the end of a game.  The only way they compete in the Big East is putting together those first 30 minutes of effort.  Not sure if Marquette is capable of putting together 40 minutes of effort.  


So, the games against Michigan and Xavier weren't 40 minutes of effort each...? Explain


As a follow-up, this was a championship game on one day's rest.  If Marquette cannot put forth a full 40 minutes, that will be a problem later in the season; late February, Big East tournament, and the post-season.

While the Xavier and Michigan games were great, and Marquette showed intensity the entire games, they lacked that intensity against FSU.  Marquette is not deep enough or talented enough to take off a few minutes a game. So, yes, it is a concern that they looked dead tired after 30 minutes.

[MUsoxfan]

Good point.

Some coaches call timeouts to shorten the game to 5 min periods.
But as the announcers had mentioned, Buzz knew a TV TO was coming up, but FSU put up at least 5 points in that period before the break.

Not really a good point at all. They played 4 games in 6 days. Fatigue will happen to a young team in a stretch like that. Thankfully they won't have another stretch like this until the BET.

Relax. Losses will happen, but I don't think it will be nearly as many as most here thought only last week.

[77ncaachamps]

Not really a good point at all. They played 4 games in 6 days. Fatigue will happen to a young team in a stretch like that. Thankfully they won't have another stretch like this until the BET.

Relax. Losses will happen, but I don't think it will be nearly as many as most here thought only last week.

I'm relaxed but MU wasn't drubbed in throughout this game; they were in control.

Just feeling sour as this young club learns to finish TWO halves and maintain a lead.

[MUsoxfan]

They finished in every game previous tonight. Every team blows a lead now and again. It's never pleasant to watch if you're a fan of the team pissing away a lead, but I think if there was ever a time to do it, it's now. I think it was mostly fatigue, and as I've said...there won't be another stretch of games like this for months. By then, there should be no comparison in the level of conditioning.

[GGGG]

While it was a nice tournament run, FSU is at best, a middle of the pack Big East team.  It will be a long season if Marquette is that drained at the end of a game.  The only way they compete in the Big East is putting together those first 30 minutes of effort.  Not sure if Marquette is capable of putting together 40 minutes of effort.  


So, the games against Michigan and Xavier weren't 40 minutes of effort each...? Explain


As a follow-up, this was a championship game on one day's rest.  If Marquette cannot put forth a full 40 minutes, that will be a problem later in the season; late February, Big East tournament, and the post-season.

While the Xavier and Michigan games were great, and Marquette showed intensity the entire games, they lacked that intensity against FSU.  Marquette is not deep enough or talented enough to take off a few minutes a game. So, yes, it is a concern that they looked dead tired after 30 minutes.

They did not lack intensity.  They were tired.  FSU could match up with MU by going small.  That is what depth does for you.  The difference with Xavier and Michigan is that they simply couldn't match.

[goldeneagles09]

No, we NEED to play our best players. Playing 10, for the sake of playing 10, doesnt make any damn sense.

I know Buzz's short rotation last year of 6-7 worked, but we were playing some of the best players in MU's history that played together for 4 years. These guys need to gain experience now for instances of players being gassed, foul trouble, etc. EWill and Mbao will hopefully get more actual playing time early in the season. Late in the season you go with the players that will get you the W, but to get there you need to keep those players fresh.

[4everwarriors]

Until we get some contributing size, no lead is safe and other teams will be able to take advantage.

[GGGG]

I know Buzz's short rotation last year of 6-7 worked, but we were playing some of the best players in MU's history that played together for 4 years. These guys need to gain experience now for instances of players being gassed, foul trouble, etc. EWill and Mbao will hopefully get more actual playing time early in the season. Late in the season you go with the players that will get you the W, but to get there you need to keep those players fresh.

They don't play until Friday.  There is plenty of time to rest.  No need to put players on the floor that don't help you.

[MUfan12]

Those guys played their hearts out.  No shame in that loss

Horsesh*t. They had a top half ACC team down 16 and couldn't step on the throat. Not to mention Buzz got his ass handed to him in the second half by Leonard F-ing Hamilton. It was like watching the second half of Stanford all over again.

This is a bad loss. Won't look like it on paper, but it was.

[warriorfred]

Intensity, fatigue, two sides of the same coin, and a disappointing result.  While I appreciate the posters here telling everyone to relax, and I really do appreciate their long-term perspective, Marquette needs every win it can get to make the tourney.  It was painful to see the win slip away, and unfortunately for Marquette this season every game is important.  Hopefully it will look better tomorrow morning.

[RubyWiscy]

When FSU went small the announcer commented that they were still bigger than MU at every position.

[Doctor V]

They don't play until Friday.  There is plenty of time to rest.  No need to put players on the floor that don't help you.

Better to put players on the floor that are walking around on defense? Yes you put in players that dont help you when u are up 17 to rest the guys that you will need down the stretch. Obviously, it helps a bit if youve used those players more than 5 mins all season

[bamamarquettefan]

I think FSU is a clear NCAA tourney team.  I like seeing how much we can disrupt a big team - the average height of their top 6 scores was 6-foot-8 1/2 to our 6-foot-2 - and teams almost can't leave too many big guys on the floor because they can't cover us.  The big concern is end of games.  I don't think it's a coincidence we lose so many key 1 point games - I think with both sides dead tired at the end of games the height really does kill us.  Opponents put 5-footers over us to win, and it's awefully hard for a guy whose been pressing all day on our side to get up and stick a jumper.  I do think we've got to get more minutes for Maymon, and at least try Mbao and Erik Williams for some stretches to stand around the basket and give us an inside presents just for a few minutes a game when we are too tired to keep pressing.  We'll be fine, still way ahead of where we thought we'd be right now.

[MarquetteDano]

I think FSU is a clear NCAA tourney team.  I like seeing how much we can disrupt a big team - the average height of their top 6 scores was 6-foot-8 1/2 to our 6-foot-2 - and teams almost can't leave too many big guys on the floor because they can't cover us.  The big concern is end of games.  I don't think it's a coincidence we lose so many key 1 point games - I think with both sides dead tired at the end of games the height really does kill us.  Opponents put 5-footers over us to win, and it's awefully hard for a guy whose been pressing all day on our side to get up and stick a jumper.  I do think we've got to get more minutes for Maymon, and at least try Mbao and Erik Williams for some stretches to stand around the basket and give us an inside presents just for a few minutes a game when we are too tired to keep pressing.  We'll be fine, still way ahead of where we thought we'd be right now.

I agree 100%.  Everyone loves the 8 man rotation and it will work fine except when you play a lot of games in a short span.  When you play three games in four days guys get tired when they play 30+ minutes every game.  Especially at the pace we do.  Normally we can get away with 8 men.  However, tourneys and when we have a packed schedule of games we need to play 9-10.

[ChicosBailBonds]

i dont trust him with the ball in his hands. i am scared everytime he has the ball. why can't DJO or buycks play point? in our current offense the point is nothing more than bringing up the ball and then the guards are basically interchangeable. why can't DJO or buycks bring up the ball?

nothing against acker personally, but he is just not D-1 material. its creans fault, not ackers

Mo isn't a great player, but he had 40% of our assists tonight (despite playing fewer minutes than DJO or Dwight) and only 1 turnover.

Dwight had 5 turnovers and two assists.

DJO had zero assists, despite playing about 7 extra minutes....he also had more turnovers, including the crucial one with 4 seconds left.

For the team, we only had 5 assists today, which isn't going to get it done.