Golden Eagle Exchange

[GoldenEagleExchange]

Hello fellow scoopers, I have recently created a Marquette men's basketball blog commenting on the Summer Pro-am and much more. I'll post a couple times a week and after each pro-am.  Check it out and feel free to comment.  Thanks.

"We Are Marquette"

http://goldeneagleexchange.wordpress.com/

[wadesworld]

I'm personally not interested in Southern Miss sports.

[UticaBusBarn]

Thank you very much!

[bilsu]

I think we will end up with a 7 or 8 man rotation. At Buzz' BBQ Buzz said Juan was progressing ahead of schedule, which is good to hear. However, what he really needed to do was put on muscle during the summer and his injury cost him that opportunity. Steve Taylor is a borderline top 100 player. I have seen enough top 100 players not get off the bench in the Big East and therefore I am not expecting much out of him. Players like Jones and Eric Williams were ranked higher than Taylor coming out of high school and did not get much opportunity to play as freshmen. TJ Taylor gets playing time, if Mayo does not come back. At the BBQ Buzz talked about how both Cadougan and Derrick Wilson will be better than people expect. he seemed particularily excited about Derick. Thomas's value is shooting,but I just do not see Buzz letting him get enough shots to allow him to be effective. That was the problem with Jones, who was a streak shooter, but except for two games in his career never got the shots to make a difference. I think Thomas is a better shooter than Jones, but Jones had more size and quickness, which allowed him to contribute marginally on defense and rebounding. I think Thomas would have to play significant minutes to be an effective scorer and he just will not see that many. I think Gardner ends up starting, mostly because with Blue, Cadougan and Otule in the line up we will only have Lockett and Wilson to score.

[GoldenEagleExchange]

The difference between this years team and last years team is that there going to have to replace 40 Ppg by scoring by committee. This is a very hard thing to do in itself. I think Buzz switches from trying to win in a shoot out to locking down on defense and with this starting lineup, it's going to be hard to score on MU.

[Dawson Rental]

I think we will end up with a 7 or 8 man rotation. At Buzz' BBQ Buzz said Juan was progressing ahead of schedule, which is good to hear. However, what he really needed to do was put on muscle during the summer and his injury cost him that opportunity. Steve Taylor is a borderline top 100 player. I have seen enough top 100 players not get off the bench in the Big East and therefore I am not expecting much out of him. Players like Jones and Eric Williams were ranked higher than Taylor coming out of high school and did not get much opportunity to play as freshmen. TJ Taylor gets playing time, if Mayo does not come back. At the BBQ Buzz talked about how both Cadougan and Derrick Wilson will be better than people expect. he seemed particularily excited about Derick. Thomas's value is shooting,but I just do not see Buzz letting him get enough shots to allow him to be effective. That was the problem with Jones, who was a streak shooter, but except for two games in his career never got the shots to make a difference. I think Thomas is a better shooter than Jones, but Jones had more size and quickness, which allowed him to contribute marginally on defense and rebounding. I think Thomas would have to play significant minutes to be an effective scorer and he just will not see that many. I think Gardner ends up starting, mostly because with Blue, Cadougan and Otule in the line up we will only have Lockett and Wilson to score.

Players like Jones and Eric Williams were ranked higher than Taylor coming out of high school

I don't believe that this is true.  Off the top of my head, I'm thinking Steve Taylor was in the fifties, Jones in the seventies, and Williams in the nineties.

I don't expect to see TJ get much playing time, unless, as you say, Mayo does not return.

Starting Gardner makes sense for the reasons you state, but I see Buzz starting the best defender.

[Bocephys]

Players like Jones and Eric Williams were ranked higher than Taylor coming out of high school

I don't believe that this is true.  Off the top of my head, I'm thinking Steve Taylor was in the fifties, Jones in the seventies, and Williams in the nineties.

I don't expect to see TJ get much playing time, unless, as you say, Mayo does not return.

Starting Gardner makes sense for the reasons you state, but I see Buzz starting the best defender.

It is true.  RSCI ratings as follows:

Erik Williams: 67th (6 spots higher than Maymon interestingly enough)
Jamail Jones: 74th
Juan Anderson: 81st (Thought I'd throw him in as a comparison given his very up and down year)
Steve Taylor: 82nd

[Sharpie]

These arguments don't really mean a thing. So you're saying Taylor doesn't make a significant impact because of his ranking coming in? So what are your arguments about gardner, mayo, butler, DJO, and crowder?

This is a dumb argument. I hate the speculation about playing time while comparing rankings because we don't know anything until we see them all
Play.

[strotty]

These arguments don't really mean a thing. So you're saying Taylor doesn't make a significant impact because of his ranking coming in? So what are your arguments about gardner, mayo, butler, DJO, and crowder?

This is a dumb argument. I hate the speculation about playing time while comparing rankings because we don't know anything until we see them all
Play.

Thank you. Maybe the 2009 class was weaker than the 2012 class. Maybe Taylor was overshadowed by some kid named Jabari at Simeon. Maybe it depends on how much playing time is available in each kid's freshman year.

[Bocephys]

These arguments don't really mean a thing. So you're saying Taylor doesn't make a significant impact because of his ranking coming in? So what are your arguments about gardner, mayo, butler, DJO, and crowder?

This is a dumb argument. I hate the speculation about playing time while comparing rankings because we don't know anything until we see them all
Play.

Just trying to temper enthusiasm a bit. No one is saying rankings are the perfect argument, but they're all we have to go on at this point. They are created by people who have seen them play.

That being said, Gardner was/is fat, Mayo had been to 4 or 5 high schools in 5 years, and the rest were Juco All Americans and Crowder was player of the year, so I'd say their rankings were just fine.

[GGGG]

I don't expect to see TJ get much playing time, unless, as you say, Mayo does not return.

I think TJ Taylor will get pretty good minutes regardless of Mayo's situation.  He has high level JUCO experience so it is not like he is coming right out of high school.  He basically has DJO's experience level coming in, plus one full year of exposure to D1 basketball when he sat out at Oklahoma.

[Dawson Rental]

It is true.  RSCI ratings as follows:

Erik Williams: 67th (6 spots higher than Maymon interestingly enough)
Jamail Jones: 74th
Juan Anderson: 81st (Thought I'd throw him in as a comparison given his very up and down year)
Steve Taylor: 82nd

Thanks for setting the record straight which I didn't have the time to look into thoroughly.  I do think that my memory is correct as to one set of rankings, probably ESPN, but the RSCI ratings are definitely the way to go since they are based on a composite of ratings.

First, Schadenfreude, now this.  School me all you want Bocephys, just be warned no tuition payments are on the way.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I don't think exact recruiting rankings make much of a difference, but I think we do have to temper frosh. expectations because even some highly recruited guys don't make an impact.

Last summer, a lot of people were sporting wood about Juan Anderson. I like Juan a lot, but he didn't have a big impact last year.

A realistic view/hope for most frosh. is for them to be spot contributors who experience growing pains (Wilson, Mayo). 

Elite frosh. will obviously have big impacts (UK), but guys in the 50-100 range, I'm just hoping for a role player.

[Bocephys]

Thanks for setting the record straight which I didn't have the time to look into thoroughly.  I do think that my memory is correct as to one set of rankings, probably ESPN, but the RSCI ratings are definitely the way to go since they are based on a composite of ratings.

First, Schadenfreude, now this.  School me all you want Bocephys, just be warned no tuition payments are on the way.

You couldn't afford me anyway.

[Hards Alumni]

I don't think exact recruiting rankings make much of a difference, but I think we do have to temper frosh. expectations because even some highly recruited guys don't make an impact.

Last summer, a lot of people were sporting wood about Juan Anderson. I like Juan a lot, but he didn't have a big impact last year.

A realistic view/hope for most frosh. is for them to be spot contributors who experience growing pains (Wilson, Mayo). 

Elite frosh. will obviously have big impacts (UK), but guys in the 50-100 range, I'm just hoping for a role player.

I think Juan is a poor example.  He was injured and missed a bunch of time, and also served the suspension for the Brewers ticket.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I think Juan is a poor example.  He was injured and missed a bunch of time, and also served the suspension for the Brewers ticket.

Fair.

How about Jamail Jones? He didn't play as a frosh. and people loved him 2 summers ago as well.

Fans love "new", but the expectations for "new" need to be realistic.

Most frosh. at MU are going to be role players or ride the pine. Occasionally you get a McNeal, Matthews, James... but most of the time they aren't going to have huge impacts.

If Steve Taylor can get 10min. and be somewhat effective, that's awesome. I'd be thrilled.

[Bocephys]

Fair.

How about Jamail Jones? He didn't play as a frosh. and people loved him 2 summers ago as well.

Fans love "new", but the expectations for "new" need to be realistic.

Most frosh. at MU are going to be role players or ride the pine. Occasionally you get a McNeal, Matthews, James... but most of the time they aren't going to have huge impacts.

If Steve Taylor can get 10min. and be somewhat effective, that's awesome. I'd be thrilled.

Agree completely.  Every year we get all excited over the new freshman class, but it's usually the unsung guys that have any real role on the team because they do one specific thing well (Davante and Todd: Scoring, Vander: Defense) and are able to showcase that in spurts.  The rest are very minor role players because their overall game hasn't progressed to the point that Buzz is comfortable with them yet.

[GoMarquette32]

Agree completely.  Every year we get all excited over the new freshman class, but it's usually the unsung guys that have any real role on the team because they do one specific thing well (Davante and Todd: Scoring, Vander: Defense) and are able to showcase that in spurts.  The rest are very minor role players because their overall game hasn't progressed to the point that Buzz is comfortable with them yet.

Agree completely.  Thats why I think Ferguson could surprise people.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Agree completely.  Thats why I think Ferguson could surprise people.

But what's his rating?

[strotty]

Maybe Buzz should stop looking at top 100 kids altogether.

[Blackhat]

Not sure we'd even be able to exchange the Golden Eagle nickname in,  might have to do a dump and run.

[GoMarquette32]

Not sure we'd even be able to exchange the Golden Eagle nickname in,  might have to do a dump and run.

Why not?

[Earl Tatum]

It's WARRIORS, WARRIORS, WARRIORS, WARRIORS!

[real chili 83]

It's WARRIORS, WARRIORS, WARRIORS, WARRIORS!

+43.5