Now that james is back.....

[What-Would-Wade-Do]

 I say Fitz pays his own tuition.  He's rich enough and we'd be stacked as hell.  Although it'd suck to be Fitz and know your basically paying the tuition of some scrub who will never play.

[slingkong]

WRT James getting an academic scholarship, doesn't any academic money still count against the athletic department for that player? I recall hearing something about that way back when. Maybe it's changed since.

[mosarsour]

My personal opinion is that Blackledge is a goner.  And I'm sorry to say that i won't be sad to see him go.  But this would be IMO the best case scenario.

[ozmetal71]

I think Blackledge will be gone too.  Honestly, if someone can't make grades, I don't want a player like that wasting the school's money.

Crean really needs to stop with the throw-in Juco prospects.  Just because you have an open scholarship doesn't mean that you have to give it away that year.

[MUCrisco]

An option that probably should be on there is "A recruit fails to qualify."

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

An option that probably should be on there is "A recruit fails to qualify."

Man, I hope people/you aren't referring to Mbakwe... we need that kid.

[mosarsour]

An option that probably should be on there is "A recruit fails to qualify."

As sad as that is...It could also be true as well.  What a blow to the team if Trevor fails to qualify.

[spartan3186]

Another possible option is that Fitz does not return to the team. A friend close to the team has told me that Fitz is not sure he wants to stay another year. He has enough credits to graduate and is thinking about moving on to a post-basketball career. It kind of makes sense from his perspective seeing he has no basketball future outside of marquette.

[SoCalwarrior]

Sorry, that seems very far fetched to me.  Fitz has the opportunity to be a major contributor on a preseason top 10-15 team with a better than good chance to make the NCAAs again.  Think he's really going to walk away because the NBA is out of reach?

[Avenue Commons]

I say Fitz pays his own tuition.  He's rich enough and we'd be stacked as hell.  Although it'd suck to be Fitz and know your basically paying the tuition of some scrub who will never play.

How do you know how rich/poor he is? Fitz is an integral part of the team. He will be a scholarship player next year. Just like he deserves.

[77ncaachamps]

I think Coobs might get the idea and bail a la Bradley.

[mviale]

cubillian leaves a top 15 program for what?

[mu03eng]

I think I heard that Crean was going to take this team and defect to UW Plattville winning there.  See I can wildly speculate and make things up too   

[mosarsour]

cubillian leaves a top 15 program for what?

For an opportunity to be a starter somewhere else.

[NYWarrior]

cubillian leaves a top 15 program for what?

For an opportunity to be a starter somewhere else.

Why couldn't Cooby start at MU beginning in the 08-09 season?  If he left now that's the earliest he'd start anywhere else.

You'd have to think that if Cooby was leaving, he'd have already signaled that and moved on by now.......so many other teams have already addressed their needs, and its nearly July.  Seems highly unlikely that a guy who played 20mpg (more in conference play) and had the confidence of his coach in clutch situations would bail now.

[mviale]

agreed - reading too much into this. Some guys are 6th men or role players and I dont see any reason why Cubillion could not be our starter next year. In terms of Karon, he was the man at his HS and cubillion was more of a quality role player on a team full of stars.

[mosarsour]

cubillian leaves a top 15 program for what?

For an opportunity to be a starter somewhere else.

Why couldn't Cooby start at MU beginning in the 08-09 season?  If he left now that's the earliest he'd start anywhere else.

You'd have to think that if Cooby was leaving, he'd have already signaled that and moved on by now.......so many other teams have already addressed their needs, and its nearly July.  Seems highly unlikely that a guy who played 20mpg (more in conference play) and had the confidence of his coach in clutch situations would bail now.

I see your point and agree.

[Coobeys Oil Depot]

cubillian leaves a top 15 program for what?

For an opportunity to be a starter somewhere else.

Why couldn't Cooby start at MU beginning in the 08-09 season?  If he left now that's the earliest he'd start anywhere else.

You'd have to think that if Cooby was leaving, he'd have already signaled that and moved on by now.......so many other teams have already addressed their needs, and its nearly July.  Seems highly unlikely that a guy who played 20mpg (more in conference play) and had the confidence of his coach in clutch situations would bail now.

Joe Harden just announced he is leaving Notre Dame. Granted, Coobey got more run then Harden last year but for the upcoming season the numbers game is very similar for both. Add to it, they both have a home base on either coast (west for Harden; east for Coobey) and it's not a stretch to think that he could be an option to leave.

And, let's not forget, sometimes it's not just about playing time. We have a little bit of a precedent in this particular area (Blankson, Bell, Mason).

[NYWarrior]

Joe Harden just announced he is leaving Notre Dame. Granted, Coobey got more run then Harden last year but for the upcoming season the numbers game is very similar for both. Add to it, they both have a home base on either coast (west for Harden; east for Coobey) and it's not a stretch to think that he could be an option to leave.

And, let's not forget, sometimes it's not just about playing time. We have a little bit of a precedent in this particular area (Blankson, Bell, Mason).

True that other reasons creep up but I'll keep the faith with Cooby on that right now.  Still the Harden compare doesn't fit.  He only played in 14 of ND's 32 games -- averaged 3 mins per game (worse, he played in just 5 of ND's Big East games -- at a minute a pop).  Cooby averaged more than 21 mins per game and played in every single game last season.

[muwarrior87]

I see no way that Coobie wouldn't be back next season. He is a key player on one of the best teams in one of the best conferences in the country.  And that was last year as a freshman.  He'll continue to be a rollplayer for marquette this year and for the rest of his collegiate career I'd say.  I don't know if he'd start 08-09 since that hinges on where we are w/ DJ and Jerel.  I don't think Jerel will leave early and unless DJ has a phenominal year and improves his shot and decision making over the summer, the PG depth will be too much for him next year in the draft for him to make the NBA causing him to play college ball through his sr. year.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I think Crean likes the competition at the spots... it creates competition in practice and pushes players to work on their own personal development.

Some coaches like that... some don't. I think TC is a fan of "let 'em battle for their minutes". I'm not sure if it is the best strategy, but obviously it is one that he believes in and it has served him pretty well.

[mviale]

if we finish in the top 15 next year, James will have the NBA calling

[ozmetal71]

I would tend to agree, although a lot of DJ's position still depends on what other PG's come out next year.  Isn't next year's draft really deep at PG?

Certainly the better Marquette does as a team, the higher DJ's draft stock goes.

[Coobeys Oil Depot]

Joe Harden just announced he is leaving Notre Dame. Granted, Coobey got more run then Harden last year but for the upcoming season the numbers game is very similar for both. Add to it, they both have a home base on either coast (west for Harden; east for Coobey) and it's not a stretch to think that he could be an option to leave.

And, let's not forget, sometimes it's not just about playing time. We have a little bit of a precedent in this particular area (Blankson, Bell, Mason).

True that other reasons creep up but I'll keep the faith with Cooby on that right now.  Still the Harden compare doesn't fit.  He only played in 14 of ND's 32 games -- averaged 3 mins per game (worse, he played in just 5 of ND's Big East games -- at a minute a pop).  Cooby averaged more than 21 mins per game and played in every single game last season.

Keep the faith all you want but the pattern is there. Eventually, faith wears out.

As for Harden and Coobey, I wasn't comparing their games or minutes. I was comparing their situations in the sense that both are non-regional players at a University in which there is a numbers game around their position. Whether they played a lot or a little the year before means nothing. Remember Joe Chapman? By all accounts his past should have equaled a starting spot and heavy rotation time yet he was put on the sidelines for a Freshman in the beginning of the season. Add that mindset to the off-the-court stuff and it's easy to see why a Coobey transfer could happen.

[augoman]

don't know if I agree about the transfer, but Cubillan won't be first sub at point, Acker will..., Cubs might be at 2 guard.  Imagine the speed when he and Acker/James/McNeil are in the game?