Post-game thoughts

[brewcity77]

Positives

• Juan Anderson was a star. After a shaky start, he settled in and was a force. His work on the glass was fantastic. Him and Lockett were both very good at rebounding in traffic.
  
• Jake Thomas looks like he can play at this level. Of course, Colgate isn't Georgetown, but he was a scrappy defender and very willing to go to the floor for a ball. He has the chance to contribute some significant minutes.
  
• Offense at the 5. It isn't fair some of the shots DG can get to fall, but Otule was incredibly impressive, going 5/5 for 11 points.
  
• Junior can hit outside shots when he's open. That's an improvement. And DW got on the scoresheet.
  
• Our depth is excellent, especially if Mayo can come back in January. While there were some shaky starts (Steve Taylor looked a bit awestruck) Thomas, Anderson, Gardner, and DW all looked good off the bench. This team could go 9-10 deep well into March.

.
Negatives

• Defending the paint. Twice Colgate had what looked like a 4-lane paved highway in the middle of a possession. That stuff happens on the break, but should never happen that blatantly when you're 15-25 seconds into the shot clock.
  
• Slow coming off double-teams. Too many open threes given up. Glad Burnatowski's shot wasn't falling from outside, but at some point, you have to stick with #5.
  
• General lack of focus, we would put together a run and let them right back in the game. While we were always fairly comfortable, we never put the hammer down against what will likely be one of the worst teams in Division I.
  
• This will take time, but we need a leader. It could be Jamil, Junior, Vander, or Trent, but when times are tough, someone will have to step up.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I really love the balance we have on offense this year. I can see 5 guys averaging 10 points a game. This helps us cause the teams we play cant focus on just our 2 studs. Also, I know there was some concern about our 3 points shooting if teams decided to play zone but we have "zone breaker" Jake Thomas, Jamil and Junior looked solid behind the arc and even Juan put up a smooth looking shot. This looks to be one of our better front courts ever as well.

[avid1010]

speaking of mayo...didn't see it discussed on this board as someone said it was unlikely that the suspension came from the NCAA...but Buzz stated it was an NCAA suspension...how does that effect his ability to return?

was impressed with the way otule put the ball in the hoop...agree that they could go 9-10 deep...i didn't listen to buzz after the game, but i'm thinking anderson earned a second look at a more serious role today than what buzz was saying about him in recent weeks.  

[nyg]

Negatives:  Vander's play, too many open 3's and free throws 16 for 24.  

Positives:  Gardner and Otule.
              Anderson and his hustle
             

[mu_hilltopper]

Agree on Juan and Jake.

Jake deserves a special mention .. he looks to pass first .. had 4 assists in 18 minutes.  Had moments of being a pesky defender, including a sweet pick-pocket of a Colgate player that should have led to his 5th assist, but instead Davante (?) was fouled.

Trent was solid, he's a BE quality starter, no doubt.

Love to see Jamil hit 2 threes.  Might have had 3 except he was tackled and got 3 FTs.

Another positive .. looks like Vander won't be bolting for the NBA this year.

Negatives .. how many times did we blow the rebound on a Colgate missed free throw?  3?  4?   WTF.

[GGGG]

speaking of mayo...didn't see it discussed on this board as someone said it was unlikely that the suspension came from the NCAA...but Buzz stated it was an NCAA suspension...how does that effect his ability to return?

He apparently isn't taking enough credits because he dropped a class.  Next semester he will be fine, if he survives this semester academically, as long as he is up to 12 credits.  But from what I am hearing I am not going to count on it.

[Knight Commission]

Post game notes without mentioning that Wilson is the best player on the team, Gardner has moves that are unstoppable, and Otule has flashes that make him look like a first rounder. JC and Blue are disappointments.

[GGGG]

I can see why Blue was a disappointment, but I thought Junior looked pretty decent.

[Knight Commission]

I can see why Blue was a disappointment, but I thought Junior looked pretty decent.

A Senior PG at MU should be more than decent. Agreed he didn't make the turnovers like he did last year but showed little offensively and defensively....ESP for a senior.

[brewcity77]

A Senior PG at MU should be more than decent. Agreed he didn't make the turnovers like he did last year but showed little offensively and defensively....ESP for a senior.

He drained 2 threes, which was one of the most criticized areas of his game, and went 3/4 from the line, very solid, and most important didn't turn the ball over once. He'll average more assists as the season goes on. Not everyone is going to have a crazy good statline every game.

Here I thought I was being critical of this performance, the way people are deconstructing every player's line is nuts. It's a season, a long haul.

[Knight Commission]

He drained 2 threes, which was one of the most criticized areas of his game, and went 3/4 from the line, very solid, and most important didn't turn the ball over once. He'll average more assists as the season goes on. Not everyone is going to have a crazy good statline every game.

Here I thought I was being critical of this performance, the way people are deconstructing every player's line is nuts. It's a season, a long haul.

Cubes and Acker both scored 20 plus on Nov 7 2009. I have waited three years to have more than a pass first PG.

[Lennys Tap]

Cubes and Acker both scored 20 plus on Nov 7 2009. I have waited three years to have more than a pass first PG.

You're hoping Cadougan can improve to the point where he's "Cubes" or Acker? Really??? Hilarious.

[spartan3186]

Cubes and Acker both scored 20 plus on Nov 7 2009. I have waited three years to have more than a pass first PG.

Shouldn't we want our PG to be pass first? Steve Nash is pass first PG and he's pretty freaking good.

[Knight Commission]

You're hoping Cadougan can improve to the point where he's "Cubes" or Acker? Really??? Hilarious.

Uh.....yes.

[Knight Commission]

Shouldn't we want our PG to be pass first? Steve Nash is pass first PG and he's pretty freaking good.

Are you comparing JC to Nash?

[spartan3186]

Are you comparing JC to Nash?

Absolutely not, just saying, I want my PG to be pass first a la Nash.

[avid1010]

Uh.....yes.

no...you're kidding...really, say you're kidding

[Dr. Blackheart]

Very efficient offensive game. Eight turnovers for a first game against a cupcake was outstanding. Love the energy, especially on defense and from Juan. Not worried about the defensive rebounds from our frontcourt as over half of Colgate were from treyland.  Lockett and Thomas were strong off the boards, and Lockett's five steals reminded me of Jae. MU was excellent in the paint

Crowd was fantastic. Students were there an hour before practicing with their leaders, who were very prepared and had everything printed out. Bandos have dumped the rugby jerseys. Halftime jump rope show got a standing ovation.

Offense struggled on the perimeter with the guard play against the zone. With Mayo out, it will be with MU all year. Thomas will be getting a lot of minutes. Taylor was very nervous and lost on defense in his first game. He will only be better.  Jamal is an athlete.  Vander is still Mr. Mo--if he has it, he is great...if not, well...

[Lennys Tap]

Uh.....yes.

Uh.....dumb.

[forgetful]

Cubes and Acker both scored 20 plus on Nov 7 2009. I have waited three years to have more than a pass first PG.

Junior shot 50% from three today.  He had no turnover's, in a game where he wasn't supposed to try to score, but rather get everyone involved and let the new guys especially find their game and feel like they belong.

What I took from this game was that if Junior wanted to he could have put up 20, but that isn't his job.

[Knight Commission]

Junior shot 50% from three today.  He had no turnover's, in a game where he wasn't supposed to try to score, but rather get everyone involved and let the new guys especially find their game and feel like they belong.

What I took from this game was that if Junior wanted to he could have put up 20, but that isn't his job.

The guy he guarded scored more than he.  He only had three assists and shot 2 Of 8 from the field. He played against Colgate and he is a Senior.  He was a disappointment. Defensively he showed no quickness, no hands. He is a Big East PG but didn't play like one. Bring on Wilson.

[jsglow]

I'd like to see some inside out basketball with a good entry pass into the post and a kick out to Jake for a spot up 3.  I thought Jake played an excellent game and I was pleased with his ability to guard both on and off the ball but I'd rather see him spot up on offense rather than be the cutter through the formation.  Certainly Buzz continues to work on stuff and the question that needs answers is Jake's ability to guard at this level.  They'll work in offense for him maximizing his skill set going forward if the D is good enough.

[WayOfTheWarrior]

Crowd was fantastic. Students were there an hour before practicing with their leaders, who were very prepared and had everything printed out. Bandos have dumped the rugby jerseys. Halftime jump rope show got a standing ovation.

I am so glad that we did!

Two other things to mention:
1. Jamal Ferguson's dunk to end the game will hopefully be a big boost to his confidence
2. I felt like every time Jake got the ball everyone wanted him to shoot. Glad he got a clean one off and it went down.

The main negative evident throughout the game, in my opinion, was occasional sloppiness on the block or around the rim due to nerves/rushing/lack of poise/whatever it is. I mainly saw it from Otule (early in the game), Steve Taylor (still adjusting, may take him a while), Vander with his alley-oop attempts (not completely his fault), and Junior as he was driving to the rim.

Overall, I like what I see so far, especially the hustle and classic marquette scrappiness. Chemistry will come with time and experience. Hopefully Mayo can get his act together. Once we play a formidable opponent, we will know where we stand a little better.

[ATWizJr]

Cubes and Acker both scored 20 plus on Nov 7 2009. I have waited three years to have more than a pass first PG.

Really?  Assist to TO ratio is how I'd judge our point guard.

[MUfan12]

Juan is like a sugared up 8 year old out there. He played with energy and did some really good things. He also made some terrible decisions offensively, and lost his man several times on defense. Once he harnesses that energy, he's gonna be a nice weapon off the bench.

Box score looked good, but the performance was a mixed bag. This team has miles to go defensively. OSU would have smoked 'em. Almost a blessing in disguise that the game was called.