MU Starting Lineup 2005-2011

[wojosdojo]

After reading the threads onthe starters for next year and getting into a heated conversation with a buddy, it got me thinking, who would be Marquettes starting lineup for all the rosters over the past six years. It was tough decision and had to leave some guys behind. Heres mine, tell me yours.....

1. Jerel
2. Wes
3. Jimmy
4. Steve
5. Zar

This has no order and I dont know if those would be the correct positions for my "switchables." Even though Steve has four inches on Lazar I wouldnt put him at the five. Some people might have put in DJ in for Jimmy but I think overall JFB is a all around better basketball player.


Also, where do you think this team would stand if they played and entire year against teams with their players from the past six years? I know there would be some serious powerhouses (Pitt, Duke, UNC, OSU, etc.) but this teams has got to be one of the better ones.

[🏀]

Yeah, that lineup would get abused with no point guard and no one over 6'6" down low.

[goldeneagles09]

Steve Novak is 6'10", but he's a shooter, so they'd still lack some interior size. Ironically enough, isn't a lineup such as this the perfect representation of MU over the last 6 years?

[wadesworld]

Yeah, that lineup would get abused with no point guard and no one over 6'6" down low.

Yup.  Jerel running the point?  Would the team even get past half court before a turnover?  Wes would be a much better option at the 1, but he's also much more effective as a slasher off the wing.  The ball would never leave Jerel's hands, so having Novak in there would be pointless.

[robmufan]

Could they bring Marcus Jackson off of the bench to run point center?

[reinko]

Talking cohesive, actual starting 5.

1: Senior year DJ
2: Wes
3: Novak
4: Zar
5: ummm, Barro 

[HoopsMalone]

1- James
2- McNeal
3- Matthews
4- Novak
5- Hayward
Coach-  Buzz

Lazar played great at the 5 last year.  I would have to go with the best 5 players.  A little more length from Barro, Burke, or Otule would not add that much over the smaller lineup.

It was hard to keep Jimmy off because he would give a little more size to the team and interior strength over Wes and Novak. 

[tower912]

1- James
2- McNeal
3- Matthews
4- Novak
5- Hayward
Coach-  Buzz

Lazar played great at the 5 last year.  I would have to go with the best 5 players.  A little more length from Barro, Burke, or Otule would not add that much over the smaller lineup.

It was hard to keep Jimmy off because he would give a little more size to the team and interior strength over Wes and Novak. 

This 5 with Buzz's drive and kick offense would score 100 a game.    Probably give up 90, but an offensive juggernaut.

[wadesworld]

1 Reggie Smith
2 Jeronne Maymon
3 DJ Newbill
4 Brett Rosboro
5 Youssafa Mboa

[mosarsour]

1. Dominic
2. Wes
3. Steve
4. Lazar
5. Ousmane

1st 2 off the bench: Jerel and JFB

[Bocephys]

1 Reggie Smith
2 Jeronne Maymon
3 DJ Newbill
4 Brett Rosboro
5 Youssafa Mboa

Good thing you have Jeronne at the 2, now Tim won't come after you.

[rocky_warrior]

1 Reggie Smith
2 Jeronne Maymon
3 DJ Newbill
4 Brett Rosboro
5 Youssafa Mboa

Off the bench...

Niv Berkowitz
Dameon Mason
Scott Christopherson
Monterale Clark
James Matthews

(OK, I may have cheated a bit with all the 04 guys in there)

[wojosdojo]

Off the bench...

Niv Berkowitz
Dameon Mason
Scott Christopherson
Monterale Clark
James Matthews

(OK, I may have cheated a bit with all the 04 guys in there)

Mbakwe would fit nice.

[mosarsour]

Off the bench...

Niv Berkowitz
Dameon Mason
Scott Christopherson
Monterale Clark
James Matthews

(OK, I may have cheated a bit with all the 04 guys in there)

I'd add Pat Hazel to that group...

[#MUBB]

It boggles my mind how some of you aren't including McNeal in your "best starting lineup"... Marquette's all-time leading scorer doesn't crack the top 5?! Haha you gotta be kidding me. By FAR the superior college player over Wes at SG.

[Pakuni]

I'd add Pat Hazel to that group...

I'm willing to bet Matt Mortensen could find a role in that lineup.

[rocky_warrior]

It boggles my mind how some of you aren't including McNeal in your "best starting lineup"... Marquette's all-time leading scorer doesn't crack the top 5?! Haha you gotta be kidding me. By FAR the superior college player over Wes at SG.

Despite all the scoring he did, he just wasn't that much of a "team" player.  Too much 1-1, and too many bad decisions with the ball.  I like Jerel, don't want to bash him, but there's a reason MU's "all-time leading scorer" - despite still being young - is not playing in the NBA.

[mosarsour]

Despite all the scoring he did, he just wasn't that much of a "team" player.  Too much 1-1, and too many bad decisions with the ball.  I like Jerel, don't want to bash him, but there's a reason MU's "all-time leading scorer" - despite still being young - is not playing in the NBA.

+1

[jeffreyweee]

Despite all the scoring he did, he just wasn't that much of a "team" player.  Too much 1-1, and too many bad decisions with the ball.  I like Jerel, don't want to bash him, but there's a reason MU's "all-time leading scorer" - despite still being young - is not playing in the NBA.

Yeah and that reason is size.

[RawdogDX]

It boggles my mind how some of you aren't including McNeal in your "best starting lineup"... Marquette's all-time leading scorer doesn't crack the top 5?! Haha you gotta be kidding me. By FAR the superior college player over Wes at SG.

YOu made a classic blunder!  Not getting them as a college player.  You get steve walking in today off the spurs.  Wes walking off the Blaizers vs D league McNeal.
Travis (or dj)
Wes
Steve
Lazar
ooooose

Wes is my number one choice, proving himself as a legit NBA player.  I pair TD up with two shooters at the 3 & 4.  And then I need a big man.
We'll be able to stretch teams out.  Get some one on one match ups with Lazar in the post.  Wes is an ok dribble drive guy.   Toughest call was Travis or DJ.  Guy played 5 years in the nba.  DJ is probably still a better defender and has played with all these guys so...

[brewcity77]

First Team
1 - Dominic James
2 - Jerel McNeal
3 - Wesley Matthews
4 - Steve Novak
5 - Lazar Hayward

The Three Amigos were best together, and while we've had some good guys since, I can't put an argument for any of them over our best point of the past six years in James, our all-time leading scorer in McNeal, or the emergence WesMat showed as a senior. Up front, Novak may not be a prototype four, but he was a dynamic scorer and 3-point shooter. Lazar may be short in the post, but who is the competition? Burke? Barro? Otule? Lazar's the best of the bunch.

Second Team
1 - Maurice Acker
2 - Darius Johnson-Odom
3 - Jimmy Butler
4 - Jae Crowder
5 - Chris Otule

The first three names were easy. Acker as a senior was a model of consistency, DJO and Butler are both good on both ends of the court. Crowder was a tough call, but his scoring and heart put him over Barro or Burke. Otule is a very good defender and the best shot-blocker we've had in a long time. He has legitimate center size, as well, so I give him the nod.

Future Team
1 - Junior Cadougan
2 - Vander Blue
3 - Jamil Wilson
4 - Jarnell Stokes
5 - Davante Gardner

I hope this is the team we are all dreaming of five years from now, the hardest name to leave off was Juan Anderson. I think Cadougan in two years has the potential to be the best true point we've seen in awhile, maybe in the Tony Smith mold. Blue has plenty of potential, though will likely have plenty of competition, with guys like Jones, Mayo, and Ferguson in the pipeline. Wilson and Anderson seem to be in position to fight for that 3-spot for a few years, I think Jamil's experience means he will be more ready now. Stokes is a 2012 and hasn't decided on a school yet, but I can dream of a top-25 PF committing, can't I? Finally, I think Davante has a great scoring touch and if he can get his conditioning and defense close to that level, he could be really special. I hope that in the 2014-16 range, we'll be looking just as fondly at these guys.

[flash]

I would go with

1 Dominic James
2 Jerel Mcneal
3 Wesley Matthews
4 Lazar Hayward
5 Steve Novak

[karavotsos]

I think Cadougan in two years has the potential to be the best true point we've seen in awhile, maybe in the Tony Smith mold.

I'd take 24 and 6 from Cadougan his sr. year.

[El Duderino]

I think Cadougan in two years has the potential to be the best true point we've seen in awhile, maybe in the Tony Smith mold.

If you aren't joking here, what do you base this belief on?

Granted, most of Cadougan's freshman year was wasted via injury and in retrospect, i'm sure Buzz would have rather used a redshirt on Junior. That said, he was very erratic most of this season and he can't shoot at all from the perimeter.

That can be ok for some point guards to not be much of a shooter so long as they are way above average as ball handlers and passers in say the Tony Miller mold, but Junior made his share of really brainfart type of turnovers. I did like how as the year went on, Junior got much more aggressive and effective at attacking the rim, but there was still to much overall inconsistency. Play really good one game and follow that up the next night by either playing poorly or being fairly irrelevant in the game.

Hopefully Cadougan build on his improvements this year, develops at least a somewhat decent jumper, and is consistent enough to where he deserves being on the court around 30 minutes per game, not by default because Buzz lacks another reliable option at PG.

[brewcity77]

If you aren't joking here, what do you base this belief on?

My mistake, I was thinking of Tony Miller and typed Tony Smith. Just the wrong Tony