X-Factor for Deep Tournament Run

[NersEllenson]

Going to go out on a limb here and gonna say Joe Fulce is our X-Factor.  Crazy as it sounds, this teams +/- is signficantly in the positive since the Cincinnati game when Fulce has been in the game.  Even crazier is to a degree Fulce has been playing better than Lazar since Cincy.  Granted Zar is probably a little worn down at this point from playing 38 minutes a night and banging with all the Big East bigs, whereas Fulce should be a lot fresher.

2nd X-Factor - probably Cooby.  If Fulce and Cooby and continue to contribute at the recent levels they have, I genuinely believe we could be looking at a possible Sweet 16/Elite 8 run.

I expect fairly consistent performances from Butler, Mo, DJO, Zar, an Buycks to an extent..but the Cooby and Joe are our wildcards.  Thoughts?

[PGsHeroes32]

I still say DJO. He can be such a stud and take any game over, he has just yet to find the complete game. I have a feeling he may have a coming out party soon that will get EVERYONE to notice him. I expect him to be unreal in the next two years, but right now hes an X-Factor.

[NersEllenson]

I still say DJO. He can be such a stud and take any game over, he has just yet to find the complete game. I have a feeling he may have a coming out party soon that will get EVERYONE to notice him. I expect him to be unreal in the next two years, but right now hes an X-Factor.

Very, very good point.  I've been a DJO lover since I first saw him play against Xavier..his talent was very, very evident.  That said:  If you were to frame the debate as:  Which player on MU scares you the most?  I'd say 12 out of 16 Big East coaches would say DJO, the other 4 Lazar.  For this reason, I don't think it would be a big of surprise/shock to see DJO perform at a high level..but Fulce and Cooby...that is big time gravy..which is what MU needs to make a Deep Run. 

[PGsHeroes32]

O yeah no doubt about it. The way Fulce has been playing lately has been awesome. And if Cooby is hitting shots and not turning it over its another plus. I was just going with DJO because while he may not be the "X-Factor" like the other two, hes the guy where if he plays to his level, there isnt many ways we will lose that game. He gives us a 3rd guy who can score 15-25 pts without much difficulty. But yes, i definitly agree that big games/moments from fulce and cooby could carry us.

[Badgerhater]

Our X-factor is getting matchups that don't have talented bigs that can fight through MU double teams or find the open guy.

[Freeport Warrior]

Our X-factor is getting matchups that don't have talented bigs that can fight through MU double teams or find the open guy.

Agree. X-factor is the draw, plain and simple.

[NersEllenson]

Our X-factor is getting matchups that don't have talented bigs that can fight through MU double teams or find the open guy.

Probably true to an extent..a favorable draw is always helps a team make a run..but ultimately..I think MU has shown it can compete with anyone..and the 3 biggest teams we faced..were all on the road:  WVU, Syracuse, UCONN.  I'd say we fared pretty well in those games, and it wasn't exactly as though Fulce or (to an extent) Cooby were playing nearly as well then, as they are now...

[Steve Buscemi]

Besides the "X-factor" of NOT getting an 8 or 9 seed, I would totally agree that Fulce is it.
If we want to win ANY games, DJO, Lazar, Acker and Butler are gonna have to play.  If we're gonna make it deep, we need Fulce to step up like he did Tuesday night.

[Daniel]

Fulce has been a lightening rod lately, an added dimension to the MU game.  We kind of knwo what to expect from the rest of the players, and so Joe adding this new dimension to the squad has been key to the last 4 games - and the better he does, the more will be required to defend him, which might open up more opportunities for the rest of the team ont he floor.  Go Joe!

And . . . let's win the next one!

GO MARQUETTE!!!!!

[lurch91]

Was thinking about this myself last night.  Is Fulce this years Jimmy Butler?

[Benny B]

I always understood an "X-Factor" to be something unexpected that comes into play and ends up making a significant difference in the results.  Others may have a different interpretation, but in my opinion, I don't know that I would call DJO or Cooby (or any other starter on the team for that matter) an X-Factor.  We know that either one is capable of going off for 15-20 points in a game.  The only thing that would be unexpected for them is a Novak-vs-UCONN-esque performance, and that level just can't be sustained throughout the tournament.

Matchups, perhaps.  But eventually you're going to meet a team that is an unfavorable matchup on paper.  And as said, MU has already beaten teams that should have been nightmare matchups... so again, not that unexpected, not much a difference-maker.

An X-Factor has to be an improvement, and MU's (seemingly) only glaring weakness is in the post.  That's where Fulce can be a presence.  If the guy can come in and average something close to a double-double through post-season play, that would be unexpected, it would make a difference, and it's not beyond Joe's capability... he just hasn't done it yet.  Otherwise, the only other unexpected difference-maker in the post would be Mbao coming in and averaging 10 rebounds and 2 blocks a game, and I just don't think he's capable of doing that right now.

Joe Fulce - The Newest X-Man?  Hopefully.

[NersEllenson]

Definitely agree with the fact Joe is this year's version of Jimmy Butler last year..though he might be even a bit more of an energizer/scoring threat than JB last year.  Early in the year when Fulce would hit a jumper..I kind of thought, "fluke," but I think we now have enough evidence to know that he can shoot it pretty well from basline/midrange out to the 3, and is an effective offensive rebounder, and decent free throw shooter.

Here's to hoping Joe can build on the solid string of performances he's put together over the last 4-5 games!

[Big Papi]

Joe's problem for much of this year has been his subpar defense and committing way too many silly fouls.  His injuries have set him back for the most part.  Now he is finally healthy and has been getting a lot of experience via games and practice and his skills are finally on display.  He has improved his defense to the point that he can play a lot more minutes and actually make an impact.  His rebounding has always been great so having him on the floor on a small team is huge.  Giving Hayward a few extra minutes of rest is huge.  Having someone come in and produce when Hayward is in foul trouble is huge.  Having Jimmy slide over to the 3 spot at times where he can use his length to his advantage is huge.  Fulce is the X-factor.  This team is so much better now than it was in early January when we were still feeling the effects of Maymon leaving and getting nothing from our bench.

On a side note, I was also very impressed with EWill against Louisville.  He was solid and played productively in a very meaningful game.  That might be a first this year. 

[Skatastrophy]

On a side note, I was also very impressed with EWill against Louisville.  He was solid and played productively in a very meaningful game.  That might be a first this year. 

EWill did foul 3 times (one of those being a sweet block that they called contact on... EWill has some hops!), but man did he eat up a ton of minutes with Hayward and Butler on the bench!  And he only messed up on defense a couple of times.  He has work to do, but it was refreshing to see him bring so much energy off the bench when we needed him the most!

[Lighthouse 84]

Junior has been in the last four games for 6, 4, 4 and 6 minutes respectively to spell Mo and Coobie, with 2 turnovers and 2 assists for the 4 games.  Any time he can give is a plus provided he's not turning the ball over, he dishes the ball and doesn't hurt us a ton defensively.  My question is, at what point can we expect him to shoot?  Is he not able to create his own shot?  I realize he's a "young, first year, freshman rookie" who has only played in 7 games, but he's only taken one shot in the last four games. 

Can we expect him to be more of a scorer next year?

[Tulsa Warrior]

Watch for teams to lay off Junior on defense.  He will get some open looks.  Once that happens we will have some answers.  So far I haven't seen him lefft open.

[MU111]

Fulce is absolutely our major X-factor.  We can use the extra points off of the bench and his defense has improved to a point to where he can help "hold down the fort" when we have situations like the UL game with Butler and Lazar on the bench at the same time.

[NersEllenson]

Junior has been in the last four games for 6, 4, 4 and 6 minutes respectively to spell Mo and Coobie, with 2 turnovers and 2 assists for the 4 games.  Any time he can give is a plus provided he's not turning the ball over, he dishes the ball and doesn't hurt us a ton defensively.  My question is, at what point can we expect him to shoot?  Is he not able to create his own shot?  I realize he's a "young, first year, freshman rookie" who has only played in 7 games, but he's only taken one shot in the last four games. 

Can we expect him to be more of a scorer next year?

Junior is held in high regard by BMA and some other in the know types here, so I expect he will be a better player next year - and let's not forget he is coming off a ruptured achilles and has a lot of catch up to do with regard to basketball conditioning, etc.  Additionally, he was thought to be the Levance Fields type of point guard when he was recruited - Fields was a very, very good point, though not great at creating his own shot.  I think Junior will be the same type of player.  Reggie Smith on the other hand - think he definitely can create off the bounce a la Dominic James.

[Benny B]

Junior is held in high regard by BMA and some other in the know types here, so I expect he will be a better player next year - and let's not forget he is coming off a ruptured achilles and has a lot of catch up to do with regard to basketball conditioning, etc.  Additionally, he was thought to be the Levance Fields type of point guard when he was recruited - Fields was a very, very good point, though not great at creating his own shot.  I think Junior will be the same type of player.  Reggie Smith on the other hand - think he definitely can create off the bounce a la Dominic James.

Exactly... search Junior on YouTube and you'll see that his game is dribbling and movement (and thus, creating for others).  Perhaps his Achilles has just healed enough to allow him to play without danger of re-injury, in which case he may not have his agility and speed back at 100%.  So I would assume he is going to be off his game, likely for the rest of the year; nevertheless, I don't think he'll ever be a Diener-type PG who can bury the 3 on command.  With the shooters we already have, that's not a bad thing.

[Big Papi]

Junior's strength is creating for others and running an offense.  His shot needs work.  Unless it is a layup, I don't want him taking any shots.  Much like how Butler last year primarily scored off of rebound putbacks, we have better scoring options on the court. 

Its obvious that Junior is no where near where he will be next year.  He just doesn't have the confidence or experience running this offense and frankly who can blame him with the bad injury that he had.

[ATWizJr]

Was thinking about this myself last night.  Is Fulce this years Jimmy Butler?

Is JB this year's Lazar?

[Maryland Warrior]

Any word on Buycks Availability?










 "I just picked it up and let it go."    Jimmy Butler   2/24/2010

[PGsHeroes32]

I know we still have this year to key in on but i just wanted to say that if Fulce can even improve 1/2 the way Butler did from 1 year to the next.......we will be a scary team next year. Not that we werent going to be good already.