Pro Am Updates

[Mr. Nielsen]

some talking from a few guys, not players in the bleachers, they appear to have known the players and got on Blue and Melo and also on a few other players. I know they were sitting in front of a few UWM players and they seemed to like Dwight.  Especially one guy who was to fat to have played any sport but he did get under Blue's skin  the most and then tried to with Melo. Nothing serious all about bragging rights.

That fat guy is Dwight's boy. None of those guys in the front row/center court were UWM players.

[GGGG]

I think Buzz not giving him a scholarship says all we need to know about Singleton's ability.

[GGGG]

Is jamil going to be ok for the season?

I would think that he wouldn't play in the Pro Am if they were all that concerned.

[bilsu]

Back from today's pro am. Jake thomas is a situational player for MU. He will play when we need outside shooting and then it will depend on how others are shooting. Essentially, if Mayo ,Wilson etc are hitting threes Thomas will not play. However, every player has off days and that will be Thomas's chance to make a difference.

One of the things about the pro-am is that fans tend to not watch full games as they move between games that are going on at the same time. I am a big Gradner fan, so I watched his whole game, which means I watched Anderson's whole game. Gardner and Anderson did the jump ball against each other. Gardner is taller, but not by much. I expected Anderson to beat Gardner on the jump ball, but Gardner easily beat him. Strike one against Anderson. The first quarter it seemed like everything Anderson tried to do went wrong. He was not much better the second quarter. However, the second half he seemed much more confortable and played fairly well. He is not strong enough to play in the Big East, so I expect his freshmen year to equate to Jones' freshmen year. Wilson also played in that game. He really impressed me and he will help this year. The transformation of Gardner's body is amazing. He is noticably quicker. I felt in the first quarter he was less effective offensively because he has not become acustom to playing quicker. However, as the game wore on he became more effective on the offensive end. He did a Jim Chones move. He faked one direction with the ball and then shot a jump turnaround the other direction and made it. The other thing that struck me about Gardner was his personality change. Last year he was so serious and quiet. This year he was out on the court laughing and looking like he was having fun. Both Vander and Jones look significantly stronger than last year. Howeveer, they were not good enough to beat the one man show (Buyckes). Except for the fact that he is stronger, Jones' game has not changed. He still prefers to chuck up threes and frankly(although he can go on streaks) he is not very good at shooting threes. Blue still cannot shoot and spent a lot of time bantering(swearing at) his buddies in the crowd who were razzing him. I watched part of Otule, Cadougan vs J. Wilson game. Just the way Wilson runs (glides) up court gives you the idea of how great he can be. He too shot a lot of threes. However, unlike Jones he can actually make them. Otule and Nankivil were on the same team. What struck me was how much bigger Otule was than Nankivil. I knew he was taller, but Otule's shoulders were immense compared to Nankivil, who just finish a career in the Big 10. I suspect that Otule has also added more muscle to his frame in the off season.

[jeffreyweee]

Back from today's pro am. Jake thomas is a situational player for MU. He will play when we need outside shooting and then it will depend on how others are shooting. Essentially, if Mayo ,Wilson etc are hitting threes Thomas will not play. However, every player has off days and that will be Thomas's chance to make a difference.

One of the things about the pro-am is that fans tend to not watch full games as they move between games that are going on at the same time. I am a big Gradner fan, so I watched his whole game, which means I watched Anderson's whole game. Gardner and Anderson did the jump ball against each other. Gardner is taller, but not by much. I expected Anderson to beat Gardner on the jump ball, but Gardner easily beat him. Strike one against Anderson. The first quarter it seemed like everything Anderson tried to do went wrong. He was not much better the second quarter. However, the second half he seemed much more confortable and played fairly well. He is not strong enough to play in the Big East, so I expect his freshmen year to equate to Jones' freshmen year. Wilson also played in that game. He really impressed me and he will help this year. The transformation of Gardner's body is amazing. He is noticably quicker. I felt in the first quarter he was less effective offensively because he has not become acustom to playing quicker. However, as the game wore on he became more effective on the offensive end. He did a Jim Chones move. He faked one direction with the ball and then shot a jump turnaround the other direction and made it. The other thing that struck me about Gardner was his personality change. Last year he was so serious and quiet. This year he was out on the court laughing and looking like he was having fun. Both Vander and Jones look significantly stronger than last year. Howeveer, they were not good enough to beat the one man show (Buyckes). Except for the fact that he is stronger, Jones' game has not changed. He still prefers to chuck up threes and frankly(although he can go on streaks) he is not very good at shooting threes. Blue still cannot shoot and spent a lot of time bantering(swearing at) his buddies in the crowd who were razzing him. I watched part of Otule, Cadougan vs J. Wilson game. Just the way Wilson runs (glides) up court gives you the idea of how great he can be. He too shot a lot of threes. However, unlike Jones he can actually make them. Otule and Nankivil were on the same team. What struck me was how much bigger Otule was than Nankivil. I knew he was taller, but Otule's shoulders were immense compared to Nankivil, who just finish a career in the Big 10. I suspect that Otule has also added more muscle to his frame in the off season.

Yesterday Jones was raining 3's. It's all about what kind of day you're having. I expect jamail to slowly learn to drive more this year if he wants to play but it seems like vander was getting on him yesterday for shooting too many 3s. Also, vanders shot was going down a lot more - but it's still ugly.

[avid1010]

I think Buzz not giving him a scholarship says all we need to know about Singleton's ability.

and you know for a fact that he wasn't offered a scholarship based upon the fact that Buzz didn't think he could help the team....and you're saying the same is true for jake

[brewcity77]

Yesterday Jones was raining 3's. It's all about what kind of day you're having. I expect jamail to slowly learn to drive more this year if he wants to play but it seems like vander was getting on him yesterday for shooting too many 3s. Also, vanders shot was going down a lot more - but it's still ugly.

+1

Jones was unconscious from 3 on Friday. For awhile, it seemed like their entire gameplan was to have Vander take it up the court, find Jones, make a three. And it was working. Jones can shoot, maybe he was off today, but he'll have a chance to make an impact in 2011-12. Especially with that physique he's sporting now.

[GGGG]

and you know for a fact that he wasn't offered a scholarship based upon the fact that Buzz didn't think he could help the team....and you're saying the same is true for jake

That seems the most logical reason in my book.

[DomJamesToTheBasket]

Question to BrewCity (in particular)....

What do you think about DJO and Jae for the NBA???

We were both spot on Jimmy for going NBA before the mocks,  so I wonder if we are on the same page with the two star seniors this year.

I don't see it.  They both have the potential IMO...but a steep hill.  Jamil Wilson by measurables looks to have the next best chance.  As crazy as it sounds.....Otule also has a chance.  He really isn't that skilled,  but very solid center size.  Still not great at rebounding,  but a dangerous shotblocker now.......and his x-factor........I LOVE IT......the mathematician.  I don't know if he is still in engineering,  but the mere fact he went into it means he has some serious intelligence.  I thought the intelligence would manifest into all of the intricacies of basketball,  but footwork can be really difficult when you are the biggest of bigs.  How much can intelligence get you in sports?  Otule could very well have an uncomparable size/athleticism/intelligence ratio.  At the least it is very impressive. The scary thing is that Gardner is probably frustrating the hell out of him.......

Time to stop whining about "why MU can't get bigs"...........I think Buzz found some dudes that Big East teams are not looking forward to seeing!

[TedBaxter]

I disagree with bilsu's thought that Juan Anderson's minutes will be similar to Jamail Jones from last year. 

With Crowder and Jamil Wilson logically starting at forward, both Jamail and Juan are going to have to play some minutes this year and they bring different things to the game.  Juan Anderson can defend and he's quick to the ball, so in certain games, they are going to need his defense and ability to get to rebounds and loose balls even though he needs to add strength.  Juan's near 6-8 height will help him overcome some of his weight issue's.  Jamail may be a little stronger than Juan right now and he has a better perimeter shot, so he'll have his place in games as well.

I see a 9-10 man rotation depending on matchups with Otule, Gardner, J. Wilson, Crowder, Jones, Anderson, Johnson-Odom, Cadougan, Blue and Mayo being the rotation.  I see Derrick Wilson getting some minutes against the lower level teams as the 5th guard this year.

[GGGG]

Ted, I would like to agree with you, but I think of the ten you mentioned, Mayo and Juan will get just a handful.  I think Buzz is more likey to go small with Jamail coming in for Jamil or Jae.

How has DWilson looked so far?

[bilsu]

Ted, I would like to agree with you, but I think of the ten you mentioned, Mayo and Juan will get just a handful.  I think Buzz is more likey to go small with Jamail coming in for Jamil or Jae.

How has DWilson looked so far?

I was really impressed with D. Wilson. The pro am is interesting, because it matches up younger less physically strong players against older stronger players. Without knowing who the players are Wilson looks like one of the older guys. He is very strong. He is built like Cadougan, makes good decision and hit some outside shots. The only downside I see is that he  same type of player as Cadougan.  It would have been nice to still have Reggie Smith on this team. I would think having different types of point guards for the opposing team to have to prepare for would be an advantage. However, having said that, I am now quite comfortable with Wilson handling the backup point guard role.

[bilsu]

+1

Jones was unconscious from 3 on Friday. For awhile, it seemed like their entire gameplan was to have Vander take it up the court, find Jones, make a three. And it was working. Jones can shoot, maybe he was off today, but he'll have a chance to make an impact in 2011-12. Especially with that physique he's sporting now.

The thing about Jones is that he is a streak shooter. Streak shooters will rarely get enough shots on an MU team to get going. Once Buzz puts the reigns on the players the consistant players fare well. The volume shooters do not. Look at Buyckes, he is unstopplable when there is no coach to slow him down. Put him in a structured offense that does not let him shoot freely and he goes from a 40 point a game scorer to an 8 point game scorer. While defense has something to do with it, it is more not being the focus of the offense that stopped Buyckes. It would have been interesting to see how Buyckes would of done, if he could have played on a team like Providence last year.

[Mr. Nielsen]

The one thing about Jones, he needs to man up and get the rebounds. Only the 5 toughest guys will play for Buzz.

[Dr. Blackheart]

The "thing" about this thread vs. last summer, we are not debating who the starting five will be....but who will earn the back-up PT.  That's a good thing.

Thanks to all the guys (Brew, Panther, Ted, Bilsu, Wegs, et al) for the recaps...

[ChicosBailBonds]

The thing about Jones is that he is a streak shooter. Streak shooters will rarely get enough shots on an MU team to get going. Once Buzz puts the reigns on the players the consistant players fare well. The volume shooters do not. Look at Buyckes, he is unstopplable when there is no coach to slow him down. Put him in a structured offense that does not let him shoot freely and he goes from a 40 point a game scorer to an 8 point game scorer. While defense has something to do with it, it is more not being the focus of the offense that stopped Buyckes. It would have been interesting to see how Buyckes would of done, if he could have played on a team like Providence last year.

I'm confused...I thought Buzz was the coach responsible for taking the reigns off other players and letting them blossom?  

[bilsu]

I'm confused...I thought Buzz was the coach responsible for taking the reigns off other players and letting them blossom?  

Buzz does not run restricted plays like Crean. The players are free to take shots within the offense that emphasises getting paint touches. Jones is not going to be able to come down court and throw up three pointers whenever he wants.  He needs to play defense and rebound or he will not get significant playing time.

[avid1010]

I have some hope that Crowder can start at the 4 this year, but as the game progresses, and we get into the final 10 minutes or so that Buzz will have the option to play Gardner and Otule at the same time.  In a couple games last year our inability to rebound late in the game was an issue. Otule was a game changer on the deffensive end last year with his shot blocking ability, and being able to throw it into a big man like Gardner who can finish and hit free throws is a big deal late in games.  If Gardner can hit his mid-range jumper he'll open up the lane as well.  I think the development of those two is huge, and my only worry is that Buzz hasn't brought in another big to develop behind them.

[brewcity77]

Question to BrewCity (in particular)....

What do you think about DJO and Jae for the NBA???

DJO in my opinion is absolutely an NBA player. I'm a Bulls fan, and ever since his sophomore year, DJO has reminded me of Ben Gordon. He's undersized for the two, but is an excellent outside shooter and driver. Just as important, he is a physical specimen. Already has an NBA body. I don't know that he'll ever be a starter, but I think he become one of the best sixth men in the league. Next year's draft won't help him, simply because all the guys who didn't go early-entry this year will push people down, but I think he will definitely be drafted, and out of Hayward, Butler, and DJO, I like DJO's chances best of being an impact player (even if that's a 20 mpg bench guy averaging 12 ppg).

Jae...much tougher to say. He's a hard worker and he is willing to play a role. He can shoot outside, but despite playing the four at Marquette, doesn't really d up the four or have the kind of interior muscle that Lazar had. I haven't seen Jae since last year, but he needs to get more muscle and definition. You look at our past three NBA guys, Wes, Lazar, and Jimmy, they all looked like they were NBA-ready. Strong, defined, they looked the part (like DJO). Crowder isn't there yet, or at least he wasn't as of March. Right now I don't think he gets drafted, but I think he'll get invited to a camp and probably get a chance through the D-League. I could see him getting a few cups of coffee in the NBA, but I'm not sure he's ever a major role player at that level.

[We R Final Four]

Jae doesn't really d up the four or have the kind of interior muscle that Lazar had. ?????????????

Are we talking about the same Jae? 

Agree on the defense on the 4, but JC certainly has the muscle---especially when compared to Zar.

[GGGG]

I think you are mixing up bulk with muscle.  While I think brewcity is being a little harsh, I think Crowder needs more definition to his frame than what he had last year.  My guess is that after working out this spring, he will look different than he did last year.

[lurch91]

I think you are mixing up bulk with muscle.  While I think brewcity is being a little harsh, I think Crowder needs more definition to his frame than what he had last year.  My guess is that after working out this spring, he will look different than he did last year.

I think a big difference is the length of Zar's arms.  From what I remember he was able to play much taller then he is because he was so strong (keeping taller guys out of the paint) and his arms are so long.

[Strokin 3s]

I have some hope that Crowder can start at the 4 this year, but as the game progresses, and we get into the final 10 minutes or so that Buzz will have the option to play Gardner and Otule at the same time.  In a couple games last year our inability to rebound late in the game was an issue. Otule was a game changer on the deffensive end last year with his shot blocking ability, and being able to throw it into a big man like Gardner who can finish and hit free throws is a big deal late in games.  If Gardner can hit his mid-range jumper he'll open up the lane as well.  I think the development of those two is huge, and my only worry is that Buzz hasn't brought in another big to develop behind them.

My way to early guess, is you could see a lot of offensive for defensive subbing late in game with Otule coming in on the defensive side and Gardner on the offensive.

[brewcity77]

I disagree with bilsu's thought that Juan Anderson's minutes will be similar to Jamail Jones from last year. 

With Crowder and Jamil Wilson logically starting at forward, both Jamail and Juan are going to have to play some minutes this year and they bring different things to the game.  Juan Anderson can defend and he's quick to the ball, so in certain games, they are going to need his defense and ability to get to rebounds and loose balls even though he needs to add strength.  Juan's near 6-8 height will help him overcome some of his weight issue's.  Jamail may be a little stronger than Juan right now and he has a better perimeter shot, so he'll have his place in games as well.

I see a 9-10 man rotation depending on matchups with Otule, Gardner, J. Wilson, Crowder, Jones, Anderson, Johnson-Odom, Cadougan, Blue and Mayo being the rotation.  I see Derrick Wilson getting some minutes against the lower level teams as the 5th guard this year.

I'm not sure about how much time JA will get, mostly because of the bolded sentence. Unless looks are deceiving, Jamail isn't a little stronger, he's a lot stronger. I can't emphasize how much muscle he added in the offseason. He's wider in the shoulders than Davante Gardner is right now. Not sure where his technique will be defensively, and frankly I don't think the MPA is a great place to analyze that for most players, but there aren't many guys that will be able to push Jones around.

I love Anderson. I'm very, very high on him. But as a freshman, I just don't think he'll be ready for the jump to Big East play. Right now, forwards would toss him around. Give him a year of acclimating and strength-building and I think he could be special, when you look at his athleticism and feel for the game he seems like the kind of kid that could be a flat-out star. But right now he's a little too fancy and not strong enough to really get many minutes. Of our three freshman, while I expect JA to be the most prolific by the time he leaves, I think he'll give us the fewest minutes this year.

I can't stress enough that as much as everyone is talking about Gardner's physical changes, Jamail Jones' physical changes are just as stark. One thing a lot of guys have talked about with our players is having the "NBA body". Well, Jones now has it. He'll have to prove it on the court, but he certainly looks the part.

[brewcity77]

And regarding Jae, what Sultan said I would consider very accurate. It's not that Jae doesn't have strength, it's that he didn't have the cut physique that you see on guys that make it in the league. When you get to that level, it isn't enough to shoot, or to be athletic, or just be a good basketball player, you need to have the body for it. Minimize body fat so you are as quick as you can possibly be, maximize strength because everyone else has just as much or more.

Jae can get there, and having not seen him this offseason, may very well already be there, but last year he had more bulk than he did muscle. Though more than anything, improving his defense is what he needs to get to that next level. But getting drafted next year will be tough. That draft is looking like the best one since 2003.