Wes Matthews

[smellofhotbeeftips]

Any thoughts on how much better MU could have been if Crean had not stifled Wes Matthews? Could we have made some runs in the tourney instead of the humiliation of a series of depressing and disappointing first round defeats? Could we have risen to a more prominent place on the national stage during each of the regular seasons? One has to wonder.

[RawdogDX]

Any thoughts on how much better MU could have been if Crean had not stifled Wes Matthews? Could we have made some runs in the tourney instead of the humiliation of a series of depressing and disappointing first round defeats? Could we have risen to a more prominent place on the national stage during each of the regular seasons? One has to wonder.

You know what would have been really awesome?  If crean wasn't here to recruit him in the first place.  We probably would have won a national championship.

[bilsu]

I think a better question would be is how good Wes would have been, if he played the two guard his whole career? He was a two forced to play the 3.

[tower912]

You know what would have been better?    If Amo had played to his ability.    If Mortenson had stayed eligible.    If Lott/Kinsella/Blackledge would have developed.    If Ooze or Burke had been better.    If JuJuan Johnson would have committed here instead of Purdue.     If Damian Saunders had been able to get in.    If Otule drank more milk and had stronger foot bones.      If every player of the last 5 years had taken more HGH and grown an extra 3 inches.  Yeah, Crean holding Wes back was our biggest problem.         And Wes playing the 3 wasn't the problem.   It was when he had to play the 4.   

[Pakuni]

You know will be really awesome?
When half (or more) the the threads here don't start as/degenerate into a Crean bashfest/lovefest.

[GGGG]

Any thoughts on how much better MU could have been if Crean had not stifled Wes Matthews? Could we have made some runs in the tourney instead of the humiliation of a series of depressing and disappointing first round defeats? Could we have risen to a more prominent place on the national stage during each of the regular seasons? One has to wonder.

I really don't think they would have gotten any further than they did.  I mean, they did the same last year as the year before.

[smellofhotbeeftips]

One has to wonder, don't you think? Let's face it - Wes blossomed under Buzz.

[Eldon]

Grantland writeup on the Blazers.

http://grantland.com/features/portland-trail-blazers-success-damian-lillard-lamarcus-aldridge/

Title contenders indeed

[MarsupialMadness]

Beeftips hasn't been active since 1/29/10.. wonder what happened?  Seemed like a great fan.

[Eldon]

Beeftips hasn't been active since 1/29/10.. wonder what happened?  Seemed like a great fan.

My bad. I searched for the ongoing Matthews thread and this is the first that came up.  I didn't look at the date.

[Lennys Tap]

One has to wonder, don't you think? Let's face it - Wes blossomed under Buzz.

Wesley is on record - he agrees.

[ChicosBailBonds]

One has to wonder, don't you think? Let's face it - Wes blossomed under Buzz.

True, he sucked prior to that....oh, and he was a Senior.  I'm trying to think of some other guys that worked their way into NBA players their senior years that weren't there after their junior year.  I'm sure some names will come to me....oh yeah

Travis Diener
Steve Novak
Chris Crawford
Jimmy Butler
Jae Crowder
Lazar Hayward
Etc, etc

[Badgerhater]

<----wants to see a Portland-Miami NBA finals.

[Coleman]

True, he sucked prior to that....oh, and he was a Senior.  I'm trying to think of some other guys that worked their way into NBA players their senior years that weren't there after their junior year.  I'm sure some names will come to me....oh yeah

Travis Diener
Steve Novak
Chris Crawford
Jimmy Butler
Jae Crowder
Lazar Hayward
Etc, etc

Indeed but Wes has said that he was underutilized under Crean. Buzz made him a much bigger part of the offense and he really was on a completely different level his senior year.

Under Crean, the offense was run through Dominic and Jerel (and of those two, really mostly Dominic). Wes was always the 3rd Amigo. That changed under Buzz.

Not saying one system was better than the other for MU, but Wes definitely benefited from Buzz's arrival. There is no denying that.

[Badgerhater]

<----wants to see a Portland-Miami NBA finals......with Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder traded one to each team by the end of the year.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Wesley is on record - he agrees.

Actually, he is on record saying several things, but I think you may have missed the complete record.  People love to talk about the "unleashed" comment he made on Senior night, then they ignore the articles later in which he stated a number of other things....for some reason.


Of course we could always go back to this thread

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=14765.0

[tower912]

You all know that this is a hugely hoopalooped thread, right?    The beef tips guy has been banned since 2010.

[Lennys Tap]

Indeed but Wes has said that he was underutilized under Crean. Buzz made him a much bigger part of the offense and he really was on a completely different level his senior year.

Under Crean, the offense was run through Dominic and Jerel. Wes was always the 3rd Amigo. That changed under Buzz.

Not saying one system was better than the other for MU, but Wes definitely benefited from Buzz's arrival. There is no denying that.

Yeah, lots of Dom's shots went to Wesley. Considering the fact that Wes could shoot and Dominique couldn't that was probably a good change of strategy. LOL

[Coleman]

Yeah, lots of Dom's shots went to Wesley. Considering the fact that Wes could shoot and Dominique couldn't that was probably a good change of strategy. LOL

I'm not gonna put down Dominic, dude was an amazing ballhandler, passer, and knocked down some clutch shots when he had to, the game winner against Valpo comes to mind (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeiMnw05mDA). He was also one of the most athletic players ever to wear the blue and gold. I remember his vertical and some of the dunks he put down. Great, great, MU player.

But overall, I think you're right. Buzz's strategy was probably the right one.

[g0lden3agle]

Actually, he is on record saying several things, but I think you may have missed the complete record.  People love to talk about the "unleashed" comment he made on Senior night, then they ignore the articles later in which he stated a number of other things....for some reason.


Of course we could always go back to this thread

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=14765.0

Sometimes, people on the internet have a different opinion than you.  They could very well be wrong.  It is often a lot easier to just let them be wrong instead of trying to prove them wrong.

[WarriorFan]

Yeah, lots of Dom's shots went to Wesley. Considering the fact that Wes could shoot and Dominique couldn't that was probably a good change of strategy. LOL

Exactly what I was going to say... he developed good rebounding skills because of all of Dominic's misses and then when he got the shots as a senior he really developed.

His development from last year to this year is also nice to see.

[PGsHeroes32]

You know what would have been better?    If Amo had played to his ability.    If Mortenson had stayed eligible.    If Lott/Kinsella/Blackledge would have developed.    If Ooze or Burke had been better.    If JuJuan Johnson would have committed here instead of Purdue.     If Damian Saunders had been able to get in.    If Otule drank more milk and had stronger foot bones.      If every player of the last 5 years had taken more HGH and grown an extra 3 inches.  Yeah, Crean holding Wes back was our biggest problem.         And Wes playing the 3 wasn't the problem.   It was when he had to play the 4.   

Got our JJJ eventually!!!

[ChicosBailBonds]

Sometimes, people on the internet have a different opinion than you.  They could very well be wrong.  It is often a lot easier to just let them be wrong instead of trying to prove them wrong.

Opinions are fine.  It's when facts are wrong or left out that become a different story.  Wes Matthews thanked Buzz for "unleashing" him senior night.  What did he say 3 days later?  A week later, and then a month later in various interviews, articles, etc.  For some reason.....nevermind.

He benefited from both coaches.  He benefited from his senior year and having other seniors around him.  Lots of guys step up their senior year....I left Amal McCaskill off my list...there's another one. 

Was DJ "stifled" his senior year because of Buzz?      Or was only Wes "unleashed"?  Jamil Wilson was picked preseason 2nd team this year...if he doesn't make it, does that mean Buzz didn't unleash him and stifled him? 

[Coleman]

Opinions are fine.  It's when facts are wrong or left out that become a different story.  Wes Matthews thanked Buzz for "unleashing" him senior night.  What did he say 3 days later?  A week later, and then a month later in various interviews, articles, etc.  For some reason.....nevermind.

He benefited from both coaches.  He benefited from his senior year and having other seniors around him.  Lots of guys step up their senior year....I left Amal McCaskill off my list...there's another one. 

Was DJ "stifled" his senior year because of Buzz?      Or was only Wes "unleashed"?  Jamil Wilson was picked preseason 2nd team this year...if he doesn't make it, does that mean Buzz didn't unleash him and stifled him? 

True or false?

Crean ran the offense through DJ.

Buzz ran the offense through Wes.

[Eldon]

<----wants to see a Portland-Miami NBA finals......with Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder traded one to each team by the end of the year.

+1 and Novak traded to Miami