Still worried about size

[jonny09]

Love the fact that we are trying to get the best players available.  However, (Devil's advocate).   We need size very badly.  If there is anything we have learned since the final 4 run it's that we need size.  Scott Merritt, Robert Jackson, even Terry Sanders.  If you look back that final 4 run makes a lot of sense.  We need some back to the basket players who can score and defend the post.  Until Buzz is able to make that happen I feel we are a perennial tournament team, but anything more would be hard to commit to.  Plain and simple, I love the switchables, but we need some big bodies with skill.  Thoughts??

[brewcity77]

Agreed. That's why I wanted Durley. Even if he redshirted, I like at least having the option of a big, physical 6'11", 270-lb kid to get a few minutes if we were really in a pinch. As if right now, we have one guy 6'9" or bigger for the next two years, and zero experienced size starting in 2014-15.

[strotty]

Devil's advocate again, but we made the Sweet 16 with one player taller than 6-foot-6. It's not the right comment for a discussion/message board, but Buzz knows the roster and what he can do with players more than we do.

[brewcity77]

Devil's advocate again, but we made the Sweet 16 with one player taller than 6-foot-6. It's not the right comment for a discussion/message board, but Buzz knows the roster and what he can do with players more than we do.

Devil's advocate II: we made no progress from the year before, losing in our first BET game and again losing in the Sweet 16. If we're going to go further, we need to get bigger. Did any of the Elite 8 teams have our height deficiency? Is that maybe part of the reason we're only a Sweet 16 team?

[jonny09]

Well said!!  My thoughts exactly

[Rockmic87]

We just can't recruit Bigs.... There is no excuse for us not to be able to land a 3 star recruit 4/5 player every other class at least. I'm sure a lot of Bigs who committed to other schools probably could have had a much better career had they gone to marquette, as they would have played immediately. Look at Brian Butch, Deshonte riley, and Mac Koshwal to name a few.

[warthog-driver]

We need size very badly.  If there is anything we have learned since the final 4 run it's that we need size. 

All the more reason to sign Grandstaff immediately. He provides a significant infusion of size.

[4everwarriors]

And girth

[brewcity77]

We just can't recruit Bigs.... There is no excuse for us not to be able to land a 3 star recruit 4/5 player every other class at least. I'm sure a lot of Bigs who committed to other schools probably could have had a much better career had they gone to marquette, as they would have played immediately. Look at Brian Butch, Deshonte riley, and Mac Koshwal to name a few.

Brian Butch? He was a McDonald's All-American. Not a good example of a 3-star 4/5 player.

[tower912]

Deshonte Riley was no good.   Suton barely played at Villanova.   Roseboro may or may not play at MBC.  I agreed with you Brew all along that losing Otule significantly lowered our ceiling last year.   I, too, wanted Durley to come to MU, red-shirt, and start contributing in 2 years.   I am disappointed he is not coming. 

[brewcity77]

Deshonte Riley was no good.   Suton barely played at Villanova.   Roseboro may or may not play at MBC.  I agreed with you Brew all along that losing Otule significantly lowered our ceiling last year.   I, too, wanted Durley to come to MU, red-shirt, and start contributing in 2 years.   I am disappointed he is not coming. 

Otule barely played as a freshman, then redshirted a year, then contributed as a redshirt sophomore. Why not put Durley on the same plan, but with the redshirt intended before he arrives? So what if he doesn't play for 2 years? We didn't need him to, but we do need some size in 2014-15 when both Otule and Gardner will be gone. I'm not a huge fan of only having freshmen to play the 5 role when we get there. Getting that instant impact big in 2014 isn't a given. If it was, why didn't we get one in any of the past 15 or so years?

[4everwarriors]

Man O' Man, the same cats who are beatin' the Durley drum would be jumpin' all over Durley and Buzz' asses when he took up a schollie and didn't get any pt. 'cause he's out of his league. What do you dudes want? Give up this pollyanna, pie in the sky stance. BE basketball is not the Saturday league at the Y. Huge dollars in play. C'mon Bros, get real.
Buzz hedged his bets. Tied up Durley thinkin' maybe the cat will develop practicin' against Ridley. If so, caught a diamond in the rough. Aaron will get a free college scholarship somewhere, which is more than I can say for virtually all of us.

[wiscwarrior]

Devil's advocate II: we made no progress from the year before, losing in our first BET game and again losing in the Sweet 16. If we're going to go further, we need to get bigger. Did any of the Elite 8 teams have our height deficiency? Is that maybe part of the reason we're only a Sweet 16 team?

Devil's advocate III: I think it was a better than 50% probability that this year's team would have advanced to the Elite 8. Can't have both your senior leaders and stars have a bad night and win. It's been said before: it's all about match ups and on that particular night it wasn't our lack of size that beat us.

[jsglow]

Man O' Man, the same cats who are beatin' the Durley drum would be jumpin' all over Durley and Buzz' asses when he took up a schollie and didn't get any pt. 'cause he's out of his league. What do you dudes want? Give up this pollyanna, pie in the sky stance. BE basketball is not the Saturday league at the Y. Huge dollars in play. C'mon Bros, get real.
Buzz hedged his bets. Tied up Durley thinkin' maybe the cat will develop practicin' against Ridley. If so, caught a diamond in the rough. Aaron will get a free college scholarship somewhere, which is more than I can say for virtually all of us.

+1

And I guess back to back Sweet 16 runs for the first time in more than 30 years ain't good enough.

[BCHoopster]

Durley was not going to even see the court for 2 years.  MU recruiting has picked up and if they sign Wilson, Burton and get Nunn, add Steve Taylor, I am sure they can find a center in 2
years to play with them.  I would not worry to much about that, freshman like to start, here is somebodies opportunity.  JC kid would fit?

[Hards Alumni]

Agreed. That's why I wanted Durley. Even if he redshirted, I like at least having the option of a big, physical 6'11", 270-lb kid to get a few minutes if we were really in a pinch. As if right now, we have one guy 6'9" or bigger for the next two years, and zero experienced size starting in 2014-15.

While I agree we need big guys, you can't just put a big body out there.

They need to be basketball players.

[NersEllenson]

Love the fact that we are trying to get the best players available.  However, (Devil's advocate).   We need size very badly.  If there is anything we have learned since the final 4 run it's that we need size.  Scott Merritt, Robert Jackson, even Terry Sanders.  If you look back that final 4 run makes a lot of sense.  We need some back to the basket players who can score and defend the post.  Until Buzz is able to make that happen I feel we are a perennial tournament team, but anything more would be hard to commit to.  Plain and simple, I love the switchables, but we need some big bodies with skill.  Thoughts??

The bigger missing element on teams of late is a player of Dwyane Wade's caliber.  I'm not sure some understand just how GREAT Wade was...he made everyone so much better.  Such a cerebral player, who saw the court so well, and created so many great looks for teammates.

Lastly, Davante Gardner will be every bit the player Robert Jackson was as a Senior...and likely without the benefit of a guy like Wade getting him point blank looks.  Yes it is great to have a few bigs..but so long as MU has 1 guy like Gardner it can go very far..Final Four far with some really good (not even Wade great) perimeter/switchable talent.

[tower912]

Man O' Man, the same cats who are beatin' the Durley drum would be jumpin' all over Durley and Buzz' asses when he took up a schollie and didn't get any pt. 'cause he's out of his league. What do you dudes want? Give up this pollyanna, pie in the sky stance. BE basketball is not the Saturday league at the Y. Huge dollars in play. C'mon Bros, get real.
Buzz hedged his bets. Tied up Durley thinkin' maybe the cat will develop practicin' against Ridley. If so, caught a diamond in the rough. Aaron will get a free college scholarship somewhere, which is more than I can say for virtually all of us.

Where I live, everyone is up in arms either about Nix getting busted at MSU or three transfers out of UM.   The hardcore are wondering if Beilein can take the Wolverines to the next level, the other hardcore are wondering if Izzo has lost his touch.   Everyone's favorite ex-MU coach has 14 players signed for 13 schollies.   Either someone has to be booted or someone is going to have to pay their own way.    Everyone's favorite Grinch just got pantsed nationally.   There are teams changing conferences for a few shekels and one of our main competitors is ineligible for post season play two years post national championship because they can't get their kids to go to class.   Hell, SLU, the team that our new AD supposedly wants MU to be like had their own sexual impropriety issues not to long ago.     What does this all mean?   LOTS OF PROGRAMS HAVE CRAP LIKE THIS GOING ON RIGHT NOW!     I wish MU could be immune to this, I really do.    But we are not.  

Oh, yeah.   Pitino told a 4th year junior to hit the bricks, there wasn't a scholarship available.   Not saying its right, just saying that MU is not alone and not immune. 

[Rockmic87]

Deshonte Riley was no good.   Suton barely played at Villanova.   Roseboro may or may not play at MBC.  I agreed with you Brew all along that losing Otule significantly lowered our ceiling last year.   I, too, wanted Durley to come to MU, red-shirt, and start contributing in 2 years.   I am disappointed he is not coming. 

I'm saying that a big kid like Riley, Butch, etc. who decided to go somewhere else, would have found more success at Marquette, as they never would have been on the bench like they were in the freshman and sophomore years due to the competition ahead of them.

[Otule's Glass Eye]

Jahlil Okafor has said that wherever Tyus Jones goes it will impact where he goes. If we could get Jones then Okafor would follow him to go along with Looney. Not impossible. That's 3 Mickey D's right there, all relatively local guys.

[4everwarriors]

and maybe Brooklyn Decker and Bar Rafaeli naked on your bed beggin' for a 3 way.

[strotty]

Devil's advocate II: we made no progress from the year before, losing in our first BET game and again losing in the Sweet 16. If we're going to go further, we need to get bigger. Did any of the Elite 8 teams have our height deficiency? Is that maybe part of the reason we're only a Sweet 16 team?

Size also wasn't the reason we lost to Florida.

[Otule's Glass Eye]

and maybe Brooklyn Decker and Bar Rafaeli naked on your bed beggin' for a 3 way.

add in Kate Upton to that mix and you have one hell of a 4 person recruiting class right there.

[NersEllenson]

add in Kate Upton to that mix and you have one hell of a 4 person recruiting class right there.

Kate Upton trumps all. 

[mr.MUskie]

and maybe Brooklyn Decker and Bar Rafaeli naked on your bed beggin' for a 3 way.

Appropriate for the subject of this thread.