Best players of the decade

[Ready2Fly]

The All-Decade team thread got me thinking about MU's best individual players of the decade. I only started following the team in '02-'03, my freshman year. From then until now, these are my nominees for outstanding individual talents (regardless of team fit, meaning I wouldn't just start 1-5), and where I would rank them:

1.) Wade
2.) McNeal
3.) Hayward
4.) Diener
5.) Novak
6.) James
7.) Matthews
8.) Jackson
9.) Butler
10.) DJO

The top 3 and their respective rankings are pretty clear to me. Numbers 3-8 I had a harder time with, and I could see an argument where their order was shuffled amongst those slots. 9 and 10 were pretty clear cut for me as well.

I only saw Henry play once or twice, and never saw Wardle. Maybe some who did can comment on where they would fit in this list.

Thoughts? Anyone I missed in the top 10 from '03 to present?

[dwaderoy2004]

scott merritt deserves a spot on that list.  at this point probably ahead of butler and djo.

[RJax55]

Here's my list:

1. Wade
2. McNeal
3. Hayward
4. Diener
5. Jackson
6. James
7. Novak
8. Wardle
9. Matthews
10. Henry

[Ready2Fly]

Merritt's best season (in my mind) was '02-'03, when he was the 4th option, put up 10 & 7, and shot 47% from the field.  Jimmy is averaging 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds, shooting 51% from the field and drawing a ton of fouls.  He's also the 4th most efficient offensive player in the country.  Butler has for sure already surpassed him, both statistically and just watching the two play.  

I can see an argument for Merritt over DJO at this point, but DJO does one thing SO WELL (shoot threes) that it puts him higher in my mind.  DJO is also talented enough to get his own shot pretty much whenever he needs to.  His defense is also improving by the game.  That's why I think he's a better individual talent already.

[Ready2Fly]

Here's my list:

1. Wade
2. McNeal
3. Hayward
4. Diener
5. Jackson
6. James
7. Novak
8. Wardle
9. Matthews
10. Henry

Wow, Wardle over Matthews?  Sorry I missed him play.  From what I've heard, he played kind of a junior/senior Diener-esque role, in which the offense was run directly through him.

[DJO's Pump Fake]

Am I the only one who thinks Merritt has no place on this list? He was pretty bad his senior year

[Skatastrophy]

Am I the only one who thinks Merritt has no place on this list? He was pretty bad his senior year

11 points 7 rebounds a game is bad?

[DJO's Pump Fake]

His career averages were just that, average. Not top player of decade numbers

[MerrittsMustache]

I always thought Merritt got a bad rap. No, he was never the dominant interior post-player that many thought he was going to be/had the ability to be, but he had a very nice career at MU.

After the FF season, he and Diener were the "big names" on a team that was fairly disappointing. TC just took the team to the FF so he got a pass. Diener (who I always thought was a nice player but overrated) was a fan favorite so he got a pass. That led to Merritt becoming the team's whipping boy despite the fact he was a solid, though unspectacular, player.

[bamamarquettefan]

Jackson is the toughest to rate because of only being here one year after playing the first three at Mississippi State.  I think you could rate him as 4th - the only legit big man of the entire decade, and the one year he played we went Final Four and he was dominant, especially against No. 1 Kentucky, after their center couldn't remember him from Mississippi State.  So do you put him 4th for such an incredible year that meant so much, or leave him off the list entirely because of the other great players that gave more years to the program.  Don't know if there is a right answer.

[GGGG]

Jackson is the toughest to rate because of only being here one year after playing the first three at Mississippi State.  I think you could rate him as 4th - the only legit big man of the entire decade, and the one year he played we went Final Four and he was dominant, especially against No. 1 Kentucky, after their center couldn't remember him from Mississippi State.  So do you put him 4th for such an incredible year that meant so much, or leave him off the list entirely because of the other great players that gave more years to the program.  Don't know if there is a right answer.

There's a right answer.  He was one of the best five MU players of the decade.  He played one year...and DWade played two.

[bma725]

His career averages were just that, average. Not top player of decade numbers

Merritt is the only player in school history to score 1000 points, grab 600 rebounds, block 100 shots and dish out 100 assists.

That deserves consideration on any Top 10 list.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Here's my list:

1. Wade
2. McNeal
3. Hayward
4. Diener
5. Jackson
6. James
7. Novak
8. Wardle
9. Matthews
10. Henry

Diener was so much better than McNeal and Hayward it's not even close. He was CLEARLY the 2nd best player of the last 10 years. For that matter, Steve Novak played on a FF team (earning a place on the all regional team), is the best shooter that will ever play at Marquette, won the CUSA 6th man of the year award and, I believe, was an all BE selection (not sure about that one). He was also drafted by the Rockets and is making a nice livign in the NBA. He is FAR AND AWAY better than Robert Jackson and Lazar Hayward. Although I didn't like him personally, I believe James had the best career of the recently graduated seniors. Glad to see you have Henry on there. I believe he's underappreciated as a Warrior.

[Eye]

I'll take my list through 12, as I think there's a pretty appreciable fall-off after 12.

Wade
Diener
Novak
Matthews
McNeal
James
Hayward
Wardle
Henry (agreed on Henry PRN)
Jackson
Merritt (a player that was a much better complimentary player than a go-to option, some guys are just like that)
Nnamaka (I think he's also underrated, kind of fell into that end of Deane/beginning of Crean period)

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

By the way, if you're talking about his entire career, an argument could be made that Travis Diener was the best player of the last decade at Marquette.

[Hards Alumni]

1.) Wade
2.) Diener
3.) Novak
4.) Hayward
5.) McNeal
6.) James
7.) Matthews
8.) Jackson
9.) Wardle
10.) Butler

I can't see taking anyone off that list to put Scott Merrit on.  The top 7 it isn't even a question.

Robert Jackson got us to New Orleans.  For that alone, he is higher than the others.  Everyone talks about Wade, Diener, and Novak on the FF team... but Rjax was a BIG part of that, and is seriously underappreciated.

Wardle is the second best shooter on that list, and I'd take Jimmy Butler over Scott Merrit any day of the week.

that said, Merrit would be 11.

[🏀]

1.) Wade
2.) Diener
3.) Novak
4.) McNeal
5.) Wardle
6.) Hayward
7.) Matthews
8.) Jackson
9.) Merritt
10.) James

[TallTitan34]

1.) Wade
2.) Diener
3.) Novak
4.) Matthews
5.) Hayward
6.) McNeal
7.) James
8.) Jackson
9.) Wardle
10.) DJO (hey he got a semester in the decade)

[MauraDay]

1) Wade
2) Diener
3) McNeal
4) Matthews
5) James
6) Novak
7) Hayward
8) Jackson  
9) Wardle
10) Henry

Novak's defense, IMHO, wasn't great, which is why I moved him down.

[Rocco]

1. Wade
2. Diener
3. Jackson
4. Hayward
5. Novak
6. Wardle
7. McNeal
8. James
9. Matthews
10. Henry

[Blackhat]

1.Wade
2.Diener
3.McNeal
4.Matthews
5.Hayward
6.Wardle
7.Novak
8.James
9.Butler
10.Jackson

Honorable Mention: Niv Berkowitz

[Chili]

1. Wade
2. Diener
3. Novak
4. James
5. Jackson
6. Matthews
7. McNeal
8. Hayward
9. Merritt
10. Henry