finally We Pull One out and Did Not Totally Melt down

[tower912]

Willie, are you DukieV from the scout board?

[ZiggysFryBoy]

willy almost makes me miss the "drama on vacation."  almost, but not quite.

[Daniel]

Without Otule we lose today.  Period.  Crowder scored inside so much becuase of Otule.  Nad Crowder even said that.

This was a very solid win and the team hung tough and won.  Credit the team and coaches on this one.   GO MARQUETTE!

[NavinRJohnson]

willie, to use your words, give it up. Based on your assessment above, Buzz should pretty much be playing a 5, maybe 6 man rotation. Do you realize how ridiculous you sound? If all the guys you criticize (Blue, Otoule, Buycks, Gardner, Fulce) were as good as you would like them to be, MU would probably be the number 1 team in the country. It just doesn't work that way. Is that your level of expectation. I'm not suggesting that those guys couldn't stand to improve, but show me a team that doesn't have similar issues and i'll show you a team that will be playing in the Final Four.

Our top 3 were better than their Top 3 today, and we won. Against UConn the opposite was true. Same goes for Pitt, ND2, Duke, etc. When your 4th and 5th guys start making consistent big time contributions, you typically aren't going to lose.

Quite yer bitchin!

[JTBMU7]

i felt like a huge turning point was when DJO went out with his 4th foul. Vander came in his place and turned it over about 3-4 times over the few minutes. Vander's jumper is weak so the zone sagged off, allowing him to drive to the hoop, unfortunately once he got into the trees he just couldnt finish. Once DJO came back around 4:30 left, the zone had to stretch to respect his shot and that opened it up a bit. I think he had a 3, an assist and 2 FT's in the last few min. big swing both when he went out and when he came back in. his athleticism creates a lot of space for other players... anyone see what happened at the end when he pulled up holding his side? lets hope he's ok...

[marquette99]

Willie - I love stats too, but you really need to watch what's going on the court.

Otule has had non-facor games, but how you could watch him keep the opposing big boxed out to allow syracuse get 5 offensive rebounds and then save the game with that incredible block and think he was a non-factor is beyond me. Otule blocks and alters shot.  Look at how easily uconn went to the hoop every time the court once otul was on the bench.

I thought we'd heard the end of the ridiculous criticism of buycks when the couple of posters with anti-buycks names seemed to go away.  Do you watch our guards play defense.  I love junior and djo, but they have trouble stopping penetration.  Buycks and blue are the only two who can square up and stop guys one-on-one.  I'm sorry if you don't like a point guard that hits 45 percent of his 3-pointers and drives to the hoop well enough to be one of the few guards in the country to shoot over 50 percent on all of his shots, but you should also know that 25 percent of mu's baskets come off assists from buycks, virtually the same total as from junior when he is on the floor.

Sometimes I believe a group of our fans are the only ones who believe buzz isn't a good to great coach and that we wouldn't be a tournament team if tomorrow were selection sunday, but at least watch the game if you are going to criticize players.

[MU B2002]

Buycks could have easily had 12 dimes today if we could make our bunnies.

[bamamarquettefan]

Last year we watched Lazar and Jimmy try to box out Syracuse big men and grab the rebounds.  We were outrebounded 43-21 in the game, dropping to 11-8 despite a great effort.

This year with Otule boxing out their big men to free up Jae and Jimmy to grab the rebounds, we actually outrebounded Syracuse 24-22.  Otule was huge.

Our problem right now is that we really only have four very good defensive players: Buycks, Crowder, Otule and Blue, so for defense we really want those four guys and Butler on the floor.  We need to keep Buycks and Crowder on the floor as much as we can, but for offense you'd rather have Otule and Blue on the bench and go with Cadougan, Buycks, DJO, Butler and Gardner.  With the latter line-up Cadougan can be a great distributor to four guys who all know how to score, but while I believe that's our best offensive line-up, we are going to give up a lot of points without Otule altering shots and Blue getting steals and stops.

Fulce is a good guy off the bench in either line-up.

[El Duderino]

Just tell me you're happy. haha, what a great Saturday it is now

There is a strange demographic IMO of certain sports fans out there who tend to almost always try to find the negatives for teams they follow, even when they win. Especially so if a fan doesn't like the GM, coach, or manager of the team.

I've seen it with some Packer fans even with all of their success this year. Instead of being mainly just super excited for the five straight important Packer wins, there is a certain percentage of fans who pick apart any of the wins which were close games. As if it's easy to cruise to big margin wins over good teams.

Syracuse is a damn good basketball team and very tough to beat. In 22 games, only 4 were able to beat them. Fans should mainly just enjoy the win vs picking apart the win because some of the players on MU didn't play perfectly or mistake free while facing a very talented top 10 team.

[TJ]

I took the scenic route home so I haven't been to a computer before now, but I wanted to make sure I put in a happy post game post.

GREAT JOB TEAM!  We desperately needed a win, and you held off their comeback attempt.  I don't understand how every game you can look so good in the first half and then seemingly forget everything at halftime, but a win is a win.  I was pretty numb most of the 2nd half, once they cut it to 2 I just kinda sat there stunned until Jimmy's prayers knocked me out of it.  But I'm very happy they pulled it out and the optimism is starting to come back.  Woo Hoo!

[StillWarriors]

Otule doesn't have to get the board-he finds a body and keeps them off so the quicker guys like Butler and Jae can grab the boards. Otule also helps space the O with the size in the post.

[willie warrior]

Last year we watched Lazar and Jimmy try to box out Syracuse big men and grab the rebounds.  We were outrebounded 43-21 in the game, dropping to 11-8 despite a great effort.

This year with Otule boxing out their big men to free up Jae and Jimmy to grab the rebounds, we actually outrebounded Syracuse 24-22.  Otule was huge.

Our problem right now is that we really only have four very good defensive players: Buycks, Crowder, Otule and Blue, so for defense we really want those four guys and Butler on the floor.  We need to keep Buycks and Crowder on the floor as much as we can, but for offense you'd rather have Otule and Blue on the bench and go with Cadougan, Buycks, DJO, Butler and Gardner.  With the latter line-up Cadougan can be a great distributor to four guys who all know how to score, but while I believe that's our best offensive line-up, we are going to give up a lot of points without Otule altering shots and Blue getting steals and stops.

Fulce is a good guy off the bench in either line-up.

Not buying your analysis of our 4 best defensive players. Did you see down the stretch that Otule's block and near block were on Buycks' man who blew right by Buycks? Buycks is average at best. Blue--everybody raves about his defense but he has flaws also. Otule gets schooled planty out there--but he is a very good shot blocker. Crowder is a stud but when he has to play post he gets burned often down low--he does get rebounds when they miss--not his fault, he is not a true post.

[GGGG]

Not buying your analysis of our 4 best defensive players. Did you see down the stretch that Otule's block and near block were on Buycks' man who blew right by Buycks?

They were overplaying the 3.  That's gonna happen.

[LON]

They were overplaying the 3.  That's gonna happen.

Willie has demonstrated absolutely nothing when it comes to basketball acumen and general strategy.  He's only good at making 100s of Rick Pitino jokes, even though they are all basically the same thing worded a little differently.

[Strokin 3s]

I believe Marquette was something like +10 or +11 when O'Tule was in the game.  Enough said.

[MerrittsMustache]

I believe Marquette was something like +10 or +11 when O'Tule was in the game.  Enough said.

+10 in 29 minutes with Otule on the court.

-4 in 11 minutes with Otule on the bench.

[reinko]

Willie has demonstrated absolutely nothing when it comes to basketball acumen and general strategy.  He's only good at making 100s of Rick Pitino jokes, even though they are all basically the same thing worded a little differently.

Acumen, that sounds like semen.  Ask for the Fetuccinni Alfredo, at Slick Rick's favorite restaurant at Porcini's.


BWAAAAAAAAAHHHWHAAHAHHHH!

[willie warrior]

Willie has demonstrated absolutely nothing when it comes to basketball acumen and general strategy.  He's only good at making 100s of Rick Pitino jokes, even though they are all basically the same thing worded a little differently.

And your name Sir demonstrates that you contribute nothing but a wierd post name. By the way, tell us about your extraordinary acumen, lances other nut. I am sure with that monstrous acumen you can impress one and all.

[Benny B]

And your name Sir demonstrates that you contribute nothing but a wierd post name. By the way, tell us about your extraordinary acumen, lances other nut. I am sure with that monstrous acumen you can impress one and all.

At least the guy doesn't fancy himself the second coming of e.e. cummings.

[ATL MU Warrior]

you guys need to lay off Willie before he comes up with a new nickname for you.

Sincerely,

The Urinator

[LON]

And your name Sir demonstrates that you contribute nothing but a wierd post name. By the way, tell us about your extraordinary acumen, lances other nut. I am sure with that monstrous acumen you can impress one and all.

You mean hard hitting facts and analysis like, Player X is a stud.  Player Y is not a stud.  He shouldn't be playing, blah blah blah.

[RawdogDX]

Is anyone else having a hard time shaking the feeling that if we didn't go 3-4 from three as the shot clock expired we would have lost this game. 
Butler's shot fading right and DJO's (i think) with two guys on him were not things we want to rely on to win games.  If we do we'll end up being the unluckiest team in basketball again and again.  This seems to be a common problem for the team late in games.

I really hate to be the guy complaining after a loss, but willie bitching about our center (who allowed us to win the rebounding battle against cuse) and our pg (after a 8 dime night) really opened things up for me.

[radome]

Is anyone else having a hard time shaking the feeling that if we didn't go 3-4 from three as the shot clock expired we would have lost this game. 

I agree, but nevertheless it was good to get one our way.  All 4 or those shots were better than Knowles 3 just grabbing and turning so it is what it is.

[Henry Sugar]

Is anyone else having a hard time shaking the feeling that if we didn't go 3-4 from three as the shot clock expired we would have lost this game. 

co-sign

Not to mention that those shot clock threes were in the final five minutes of the game.  And during a stretch where our defense turned even more porous than typical.

[willie warrior]

Is anyone else having a hard time shaking the feeling that if we didn't go 3-4 from three as the shot clock expired we would have lost this game. 
Butler's shot fading right and DJO's (i think) with two guys on him were not things we want to rely on to win games.  If we do we'll end up being the unluckiest team in basketball again and again.  This seems to be a common problem for the team late in games.

I really hate to be the guy complaining after a loss, but willie bitching about our center (who allowed us to win the rebounding battle against cuse) and our pg (after a 8 dime night) really opened things up for me.

You are likely right on that RawDog, but we did finally pull one out, which is the good thing. Remember, if Knowles wouldn't have gone unconscious against us at Louisville, we would have won that also.