BE Media Poll

[Dr. Blackheart]

MU #5 and DJO 1st team.  Cuse edges out UCONN for #1.  Will the J-S send the new beat writer to Media Day tomorrow?  I am pretty sure the pressers will be pretty newsworthy considering conference shuffling.

http://blog.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2011/10/the_results_of_the_big_east_wr.html

[Tugg Speedman]

No votes for Jamil Wilson for Rookie of the year.  Is he eligible?

[Brewtown Andy]

MU #5 and DJO 1st team.  Cuse edges out UCONN for #1.  Will the J-S send the new beat writer to Media Day tomorrow?  I am pretty sure the pressers will be pretty newsworthy considering conference shuffling.

http://blog.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2011/10/the_results_of_the_big_east_wr.html

Marinatto had a teleconference yesterday where he essentially said "ask now, cuz you're not getting answers tomorrow."

[Brewtown Andy]

No votes for Jamil Wilson for Rookie of the year.  Is he eligible?

I actually don't think he is, for some reason. I want to say that Jae wasn't eligible last year. This makes you wonder why they're bothering to call the award Rookie Of The Year, then.

[brewcity77]

Solid results. DJO is considered one of the best players in the league and a POY candidate, while we're considered a fringe contender for the league.

[Silkk the Shaka]

UConn seems overrated here.  I think Cuse and Louisville are the class of the BEast this year with UConn, Pitt, Cincy, Nova and MU and WVU fighting for the other double byes.  That #3 spot is wide open - if a couple breaks go our way we could take it.

[Marqus Howard]

UConn seems overrated here.  I think Cuse and Louisville are the class of the BEast this year with UConn, Pitt, Cincy, Nova and MU and WVU fighting for the other double byes.  That #3 spot is wide open - if a couple breaks go our way we could take it.

Drummond is a big reason why Uconn is getting a lot of love these days. No pun intended.

[brewcity77]

One thing overlooked in this is that MU is finally getting some respect. The past few years it seemed Buzz's teams didn't get much preseason respect from the BE media and coaches. Glad to see that starting to change. Who knows...a big season from Jamil along with solid contributions from the bench (ie a scorer emerging who could replace DJO) and maybe we'll be getting some first place votes next year.

[Golden Avalanche]

One thing overlooked in this is that MU is finally getting some respect. The past few years it seemed Buzz's teams didn't get much preseason respect from the BE media and coaches. Glad to see that starting to change. Who knows...a big season from Jamil along with solid contributions from the bench (ie a scorer emerging who could replace DJO) and maybe we'll be getting some first place votes next year.

I happened to be listening to the Katz/Gottlieb podcast from last week previewing the season and Katz brought up MU as a possible darkhorse to finish in the top four of the conference.

Gottlieb talked about how MU should revert back to the nickname "Warriors" because they always grind it out and will always show up but that "losing their best player in DJO could really hurt them this year".

That's when I stopped listening.

[brewcity77]

LOL...I heard that too. No idea how we'll manage without DJO   

[Lennys Tap]

I happened to be listening to the Katz/Gottlieb podcast from last week previewing the season and Katz brought up MU as a possible darkhorse to finish in the top four of the conference.

Gottlieb talked about how MU should revert back to the nickname "Warriors" because they always grind it out and will always show up but that "losing their best player in DJO could really hurt them this year".

That's when I stopped listening.

Hope he meant JFB and just misspoke. As much as I can't stand Gottlieb he's usually prepared.

[Dr. Blackheart]

'Cuse started 18-0 and 4-0 in the Big East last season, then finished the year 9-8.  As the year progressed, I think there were some team chemistry issues.  Will they still linger?  Losing Jackson to graduation is a huge loss as he led the BE in rebounding.  The talent is there, but is the team? Will the bigs step up?

UCONN perplexes me. They may be Top 10 at the end, but I think they struggle early in the BE and their OOC schedule is a joke. Lamb is a stud but he will miss Walker creating for him and defenses keying on him as #1 target. Napier is a steady PG, but I don't know that he is a creator. I see Boatright starting by year's end (just won the slam dunk contest over Drummond). They are a very young team still, yet they still showed great poise in winning the NC.  However, when your super stud graduates and isn't there to finish games and create chances for your bigs on dishes or in helping to create rebounding lane space with his dribble drives, his loss has been very underestimated, IMO. Don't forget they did finish 9-9 in BE play before they got hot to make their great post-season run.

Pitt always plays tough defense and Gibbs at PG will have them in every game. They did lose a lot though. I think MU is deeper and will beat them out for third place.

Louisville is the most experienced team, and they are very deep. Not as talented last season as Pitino is used to, but they played very well as a team. I don't know if they have a weakness, although they have had some injuries. I also don't know if they have a star to carry them.  My pick to win the regular season, though.

UC has just about everyone back from a team that had one of the easier BE schedules. Teams will be gunning for them, but Cronin's teams play great defense.  Very experienced which is critical to me for BE play.

[muhs03]

Everyone has forgotten about DeAndre Daniels at UConn....only because they signed Drummond much later. IMO, Daniels will be just as good if not better than Drummond. Also, Rick Jackson was the cause of much of the chemistry issues at Cuse last year. With him gone...plus two All-Americans, I think it will be addiiton by subtraction. Plus, Jackson always disappeared in March. UL is simply loaded. I really think they could surprise and win the conference this year.

[brewcity77]

Everyone has forgotten about DeAndre Daniels at UConn....only because they signed Drummond much later. IMO, Daniels will be just as good if not better than Drummond. Also, Rick Jackson was the cause of much of the chemistry issues at Cuse last year. With him gone...plus two All-Americans, I think it will be addiiton by subtraction. Plus, Jackson always disappeared in March. UL is simply loaded. I really think they could surprise and win the conference this year.

Louisville is my pick to win the conference. They have experience, a great point guard, a great defensive presence in the middle, and solid recruits coming in. Syracuse will be neck-and-neck with them, but I'm not sold enough on Jardine to see them taking the league. I think their game on March 3 could decide the title.

After those two, I see MU, UConn, Cincy, and Pitt all scrapping for 3-6.

[NersEllenson]

The hell with UCONN, and Syracuse being better than MU this year.  MU just beat Cuse 2 for 2 last year, no reason to think MU won't beat Syracuse again this year.  Buzz owns Boeheim now!!

Kemba Walker was to the 2010 UCONN team what D-Wade was to the 2003 MU team - Walker was THAT good.  We know what happened here in 2004 after D-WAde left....even with 2 future NBA players on the roster in Diener and Novak.

Lville could pose a legitimate challenge as usual for MU.  However, think this is the year MU makes the jump into the Top 4 of Big East, and I fully believe MU will challenge for the conference title.

[Freeport Warrior]

Try to take off the "homer" glasses -- UCONN has two of the best players in the conference with Lamb and Oriakhi, plus Napier was pretty damn good down the stretch for freshman. Add a 7 foot, top recruit and Daneils and I think these guys look pretty solid. At the end of the season, I see these guys looking nothing like the Wade-less team of '04.

[GGGG]

And Syracuse has pretty much everyone back from a team that went 12-6 in conference last year.  And I'm not really sure that you can say Buzz "owns" Boeheim - he's 2-2 against him.  Yeah, he won the last two but "owns?"

A top 4 finish is definately reasonable however.

[Brewtown Andy]

Try to take off the "homer" glasses -- UCONN has two of the best players in the conference with Lamb and Oriakhi, plus Napier was pretty damn good down the stretch for freshman. Add a 7 foot, top recruit and Daneils and I think these guys look pretty solid. At the end of the season, I see these guys looking nothing like the Wade-less team of '04.

Did everyone forget UConn in the Bradley Center last year where we mostly contained Kemba but Lamb went bezerk?

[NersEllenson]

Try to take off the "homer" glasses -- UCONN has two of the best players in the conference with Lamb and Oriakhi, plus Napier was pretty damn good down the stretch for freshman. Add a 7 foot, top recruit and Daneils and I think these guys look pretty solid. At the end of the season, I see these guys looking nothing like the Wade-less team of '04.

Fair point in bold - but in my view MU also has two of the best players in the conference in DJO and Crowder.  Believe Cadougan and Napier might be a wash.  We saw how good the Top 5 Big Fab Melo was for Syracuse last year.  I've not seen Drummond play - don't know if he is Shaq good, or will he be Feb Melo?

Otule can hold his own defensively.  Who does UCONN matchup against Gardner?  Jamil Wilson, at least athletically, is the best we've had at MU since Wade.  How good will he play?  I do tend to think a Top 40 kid like Wilson, who is now coming into his 3rd year of college ball - should be able to neutralize a Lamb/McDaniels - at least defensively.

I have high expectations for this year's team, and don't think they are of the homer variety.  I'll be disappointed if the team doesn't contend for the Big East title.

[GGGG]

I think Fab Melo is going to be a much different player than the one we saw last year.  He apparently has really gotten in shape and has looked real good in practice.  He needs to develop more on the mental toughness side though.

[Freeport Warrior]

I have high expectations for this year's team, and don't think they are of the homer variety.  I'll be disappointed if the team doesn't contend for the Big East title.

I think this is certainly our "blow our wad year" with DJO and Crowder leading the way, and quite frankly, probably as good as it's going to get for awhile for us. Start dismantling our conference and watering it down with crap and I think the recruiting takes a huge hit. MU looks so much different to a recruit when we are riding the conference coattails of Cuse, UConn, Pitt, WVA. Add some East Carolinas, Army, Navy stuff and the shine thins. Definitely not to the 80s, 90s level, but not the same. We were starting to be seen as a Big East mainstay and it may not be long before we are returning to our "boutique" status of old.

Love the Catholic/Jesuit league idea, but feel like our time is now.  With our experience, growth and recruits, this is definitely our year. But I could also see UCONN winning it all again, they are that good IMO.

[GGGG]

As long as we are with other Catholic schools of the same variety, and away from schools like ECU and Army, I think recruiting will be fine.  Buzz has recruited well no matter where he has been.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I found a few interesting quotes from yesterday's BE media day.

Others like Marquette coach Buzz Williams wanted nothing to do with figuring out what to do with the Big East Tournament.

"That's why we pay so much money to (commissioner) Marinatto," Williams joked. "Whatever the league says, we'll do."


Marinatto was asked if basketball played any role in expansion, given the conference's history as a basketball power. He said officials are cognizant of the Big East's legacy as a basketball conference.

"We've still got a pretty strong men's basketball conference, even without [Syracuse and Pittsburgh]. ... We also fully recognize that this conference was built initially around basketball. So I won't close the door for further expansion specifically to enhance the basketball prowess of our league. That's certainly something we will talk about at some point."

[muhs03]

Marinatto is the lowest paid commissioner of all the BCS commissioners by a long shot. He makes less than 500k per year....as he should....as a commissioner of a conference that always gets raided of its best teams.

[ken8406]

Fair point in bold - but in my view MU also has two of the best players in the conference in DJO and Crowder.  Believe Cadougan and Napier might be a wash.  We saw how good the Top 5 Big Fab Melo was for Syracuse last year.  I've not seen Drummond play - don't know if he is Shaq good, or will he be Feb Melo?

Otule can hold his own defensively.  Who does UCONN matchup against Gardner?  Jamil Wilson, at least athletically, is the best we've had at MU since Wade.  How good will he play?  I do tend to think a Top 40 kid like Wilson, who is now coming into his 3rd year of college ball - should be able to neutralize a Lamb/McDaniels - at least defensively.

I have high expectations for this year's team, and don't think they are of the homer variety.  I'll be disappointed if the team doesn't contend for the Big East title.

Drummond is a BEAST defensively. The question is which team can stop the low post options that UCONN has. Also you are forgetting Roscoe Smith who is a defensive force with his length.

I feel like MU is in the Top 4 for the Big East this year with UCONN the best team.