Jake Thomas has RANGE

[Bocephys]

Umm, he is a redshirt transfer this season, so we won't see him until next year.

Well, he's not wrong, he's just not right for the correct reason.

[Hards Alumni]

If Jake Thomas ever plays more than 2 min/game I would be concerned for our recruiting ability.

[BCHoopster]

Disagree, he can play the whole game against Syracuse and kill them!

[brewcity77]

If Jake Thomas ever plays more than 2 min/game I would be concerned for our recruiting ability.

I wouldn't be. I could easily see him getting some minutes, and don't think it'd be a bad thing whatsoever. He'll be a fourth-year junior next year and he can shoot better than anyone we've had since Novak. Whether he's on scholarship at the time or not, that's a valuable asset. I'm not saying he'll be a starter, but if he averages 10 mpg as a fifth-year senior coming off the bench while hitting 40% of his threes (because unlike at USD, he'll never be the defensive focus here), how is that a bad thing?

I'm not saying that will happen, but if Jake Thomas is a good basketball player, good enough to play here, why on earth would that be a bad thing? Because we didn't offer him out of high school?

[GGGG]

Because if Jake Thomas plays 10 mpg, we have completely missed with other recruits at the guard position.

[Hards Alumni]

Because if Jake Thomas plays 10 mpg, we have completely missed with other recruits at the guard position.

Exactly.  Also, no sensible program wants a team that plays every player on the bench.

[bilsu]

Exactly.  Also, no sensible program wants a team that plays every player on the bench.

Louisville basically plays every player. I think Missouri under Anderson did also. Louisville pressed us, but what really beat us was players hitting the three point shot. In Big East tournament a player came off the bench hit 7? threes against us. I do not expect Thomas to shoot well every game, but I do expect there will be games where he is really on. I expect the same thing from Jones. The season after this the one the player with the hot hand will play.

[Mayor McCheese]

Knowing/Watching a ton of basketball games in his high school conference (MCC - St. Cats, Dominican, St. Johns NWMA, BCC, Ra Lu, Brook Academy  ... a ton of good basketball played in this conference) - Jake Thomas is a tremendous player, and is better then a normal walk-on.

With that being said, I don't think he sees much time on the court, love that he is on the team, but his skillset is just not top level Big East play.

[bilsu]

It would be interesting to know which posters have seen him play in pro am. I have a feeling that a lot of posters, who say he will not play did not watch him in pro am. I saw him play several times including games against J. Jones.  He is better than Jones in my opinion.

[wojosdojo]

So basically Jake can be the Kyle Korver of MU?

[Blackhat]

For some reason this board loves to hype walk-ons, lately off of pick up games.

If you didn't know better and popped in here you'd have thought Dave Singleton was going one and done.

[Marqus Howard]

If you didn't know better and popped in here you'd have thought Dave Singleton was going one and done.

The only problem I have with this is that Singleton never actually played for MU, and it was likely due to off court issues, not on court issues. Obviously he wasn't going to be a one and done, and perhaps he was overhyped, but he may have been a decent role player for us; we'll never know.

[rocky_warrior]

Except Jae Crowder of course, that guy was king of swatting at guys while going for a strip but giving up an easy "And 1".

You apparently never saw Dan Fitzgerald play (and foul).  I loved DF's effort, but if JC is the king, DF must have been a supreme emperor.  

Here's a good photo stream of Dan's hallmark defense: http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Dan+Fitzgerald

[brewcity77]

Because if Jake Thomas plays 10 mpg, we have completely missed with other recruits at the guard position.

Not true at all. Good players get missed. It's the nature of recruiting. So if a mid-major scholarship is good enough to play here by his senior year, we've failed with all our other recruits? That's arrogant nearly beyond belief. There are around 1,000 kids that enter the NCAA ranks every year. Probably at least hundreds more that are good enough to play somewhere but don't get discovered. You think if somehow one that didn't get to a high-major is good enough to play at Marquette, our whole recruiting plan sucks?

Jeez, with that mindset, every high-major coach should be fired because Brad Stevens beat them with players that couldn't be good enough to play there. If Shelvin Mack and Gordon Hayward are good enough for the NBA, then there's no reason Jake Thomas couldn't be good enough for Marquette. I'm glad Buzz is willing to give him a chance. He's guaranteed nothing, but there's absolutely no shame or failure if he earns something.

[GGGG]

He isn't high division one talent brew.  He wasn't overlooked like Mack or Hayward.  Jake Thomas is who Jake Thomas is - a low level D1 basketball player with one supposedly outstanding skill.  (We will see about that in the end.)  If he is playing that many minutes, it's because Mayo, Ferguson, etc. aren't performing well - not because he has suddenly become a high major player.

Honestly, the love affair with this board and a walk-on transfer from South Dakota is amazing.

[MUMac]

He isn't high division one talent brew.  He wasn't overlooked like Mack or Hayward.  Jake Thomas is who Jake Thomas is - a low level D1 basketball player with one supposedly outstanding skill.  (We will see about that in the end.)  If he is playing that many minutes, it's because Mayo, Ferguson, etc. aren't performing well - not because he has suddenly become a high major player.

Honestly, the love affair with this board and a walk-on transfer from South Dakota is amazing.

You keep mentioning this as if he came from somewhere else.  The "love affair" as you describe it is more tied to the fact he is a local product than he is a transfer from South Dakota.  Many, not including you, have watched Thomas develop for many years.  He is a guy who many saw play live against MU and more than held his own.

Now, do I think he is going to be a difference maker in every game?  No.  His shooting range, though, will likely get him into the game more regularly than most walkon's.  He definitely is not a Frozena.  Much more than that.

You expect nothing out of him, which is fine.  But your chastizing of others and downgrading Thomas is getting a bit tiresome as well.

[NersEllenson]

He isn't high division one talent brew.  He wasn't overlooked like Mack or Hayward.  Jake Thomas is who Jake Thomas is - a low level D1 basketball player with one supposedly outstanding skill.  (We will see about that in the end.)  If he is playing that many minutes, it's because Mayo, Ferguson, etc. aren't performing well - not because he has suddenly become a high major player.

Honestly, the love affair with this board and a walk-on transfer from South Dakota is amazing.

If I were to guess, Steve Novak, was no better of an athlete than Jake Thomas with regard to quickness, strength, etc.  Novak obviously was a Top 100 kid due to his height and shooting ability.  Novak was at best a serviceable defender...yet he saw PLENTY of PT at MU.

Jake Thomas, like Novak, has an ELITE level skill - shooting from long range - that no other MU player currently has (other than DJO) (who will be gone next year.)  His range can spread the floor for the MU switchables, and he will definitely add value to the team.  If he gets more minutes than a Ferguson, Jamail Jones, Mayo - it will only be because he earned more minutes and has proven to be a better player (as a 4th year junior, than Mayo a sophomore and Ferguson a freshman.)  Competition is a great thing - Jamail Jones has far more physical tools than Thomas - but will Jamail maximize his talent without a guy like Thomas possibly pushing him for PT??  Probably not.  Win-win for everybody - Thomas gets a chance to come home and play, Jamail gets some stiff competition in practice, next year's team can have a zone buster/sniper/role player, etc.

[GGGG]

You keep mentioning this as if he came from somewhere else.  The "love affair" as you describe it is more tied to the fact he is a local product than he is a transfer from South Dakota.  Many, not including you, have watched Thomas develop for many years.  He is a guy who many saw play live against MU and more than held his own.

Now, do I think he is going to be a difference maker in every game?  No.  His shooting range, though, will likely get him into the game more regularly than most walkon's.  He definitely is not a Frozena.  Much more than that.

You expect nothing out of him, which is fine.  But your chastizing of others and downgrading Thomas is getting a bit tiresome as well.

You can choose not to read my posts you know.

And he "more than held his own" against MU?  He went 4-13 from the field.  And I don't expect "nothing" out of him.  I expect that he will contribute somewhat.  Not 10 mpg though.  And it is a low risk move since he won't be on scholarship after this year.

[Golden Avalanche]

You keep mentioning this as if he came from somewhere else.  The "love affair" as you describe it is more tied to the fact he is a local product than he is a transfer from South Dakota.  Many, not including you, have watched Thomas develop for many years.  He is a guy who many saw play live against MU and more than held his own.

Now, do I think he is going to be a difference maker in every game?  No.  His shooting range, though, will likely get him into the game more regularly than most walkon's.  He definitely is not a Frozena.  Much more than that.

You expect nothing out of him, which is fine.  But your chastizing of others and downgrading Thomas is getting a bit tiresome as well.

So, is your reasoning that because he's a local kid the hype surrounding him should be tolerated no matter how unreasonable it may be? Didn't we get over that charade last year when a large amount of students ignored some of our own players in their overly enthusiastic, and orgiastic, love for Frozena?

In no sense is Sultan downgrading Thomas. He's simply being truthful in pointing out that Thomas is a walk-on at a program that has aspirations of becoming one of the nationally elite in college basketball. Unless beset by injury, or having caught lightning in a bottle, rare is there an elite program that features a walk-on.

[GGGG]

So, is your reasoning that because he's a local kid the hype surrounding him should be tolerated no matter how unreasonable it may be? Didn't we get over that charade last year when a large amount of students ignored some of our own players in their overly enthusiastic, and orgiastic, love for Frozena?

A better example is David Singleton and the key role that he was going to play on this year's team as a back-up point guard....at least that's what many Scoopers lead me to believe.

[brewcity77]

I'm not saying Thomas will be a huge contributor, just that there's no failure if he's better than expected. My honest expectations are that he gives us a bit more than Frozena. I think he's a better player than Rob with one elite skill that could get him some time. But honestly, I'm not expecting more than 3-5 mpg, mostly in non-conference.

But if after a couple years here he's an average defender and our best 3-shooter, I could see him getting some minutes. I'm not saying he'll be another Mack or Hayward, but I'm also not saying he isn't. If he's better than expected and was an overlooked talent, I won't chastise Buzz's recruiting.

My guess is that his biggest contribution will come in practice. Anything else is gravy. But if he gives us gravy, I won't be upset.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Walk-ons get love because everyone likes an underdog story.  Fro was the ultimate teammate, student-athlete, and friend/peer.  Fans project the underdog to higher levels beyond their abilities. It is a feel good story that the average student fan relates to.  Nothing better than Zar waving his hands on the bench for the Frozen A to jack it up, but instead he throws it to his open teammate on the bench. It is a pity clap.

As I went back and forth with Sultan over the holiday, Thomas has a very unique D1 skill: his range, perhaps best in the BE. In a handful of games, he may get 10 minutes, but otherwise he will get spot or situational BE minutes. However, Thomas has never been a D1 walk-on, and earned a scholie this year. Buzz just does not give these out like candy. The staff is rumored to be very surprised how he has handled himself in open gym in other aspects of the game.  He is the ultimate situational role player, but most likely on a  bridge scholie.

The Novak comparison is offbase. Steve was uniquely tall and could shoot lights out over a defense. Thomas is not athletic, but he is more athletic than Steve. Steve could shoot over defenses within his range. Thomas needs to step further back to extend his range. At MU, teams had to prepare for Steve to stop him. If teams even think about preparing for Thomas like they did at SD, he will have been worth a scholie but that means MU flamed out on recruiting...but I doubt that will be the case which will be a great thing for a situational shooter off the bench as he will be more effective.  Thomas is a Mike Deane recruit, and a role player worth scholie consideration because of that one skill.

[MUMac]

So, is your reasoning that because he's a local kid the hype surrounding him should be tolerated no matter how unreasonable it may be? Didn't we get over that charade last year when a large amount of students ignored some of our own players in their overly enthusiastic, and orgiastic, love for Frozena?

In no sense is Sultan downgrading Thomas. He's simply being truthful in pointing out that Thomas is a walk-on at a program that has aspirations of becoming one of the nationally elite in college basketball. Unless beset by injury, or having caught lightning in a bottle, rare is there an elite program that features a walk-on.

Sultan from day 1 has been taking shots at people who talk positively about Thomas.  So, yes in many senses he is downgrading and no, not just being truthful.  I doubt he has seen him play in person.

As for paragraph one, yikes.  Large leap.  Far too broad a brush stroke to even attempt rationalization of your thought.

[MUMac]

A better example is David Singleton and the key role that he was going to play on this year's team as a back-up point guard....at least that's what many Scoopers lead me to believe.

Talent alone, he may have.  We will never know.  It was not his talent or lack there of that created his departure.

[MUMac]

You can choose not to read my posts you know.

And he "more than held his own" against MU?  He went 4-13 from the field.  And I don't expect "nothing" out of him.  I expect that he will contribute somewhat.  Not 10 mpg though.  And it is a low risk move since he won't be on scholarship after this year.

As you can choose not to read threads that you know will be bothersome to you.  Or, if my responses bother you, you are free to not read my posts as well. 

I realize what the ignore buttons are.  I did not know that you were the power that decided who should read what.  Thanks for clearing that one up.