Trent Lockett

[hairy worthen]

This team reminds me a little of the Cooby/Acker teams. Not in terms of style of play, but this team is going to have to win ugly in order to win. No more DJO and Jae to make everything look good. They are going to have to scrap, claw and dive to compete with the teams with more talent.

I think this is a good comparison except I do think this team has a lot of talent. They are having difficulty hitting the outside shot right now, hopefully that will improve. If it doesn't they will have to play the games to fit the talents they do have,  quickness, defense, post play, execution.

[MU82]

UConn is just OK, no inside presence, but two solid guards.  Put those guards on MU, you would have a really good team.

Ooh ... that's a great idea.

As we discuss all the possibilities of the C7, can we propose to merge Marquette and UConn? For the rest of this season, anyway?!??!?!

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I think this is a good comparison except I do think this team has a lot of talent. They are having difficulty hitting the outside shot right now, hopefully that will improve. If it doesn't they will have to play the games to fit the talents they do have,  quickness, defense, post play, execution.

Agreed, and I don't know if it's just bad luck (missing some open looks) or just bad shooters (can't make open looks).

They are getting some good shots, but they have to cash in. If MU even shot OK from 3 last night, they win by at least a handful in regulation (maybe more).

Unfortunately, they were historically bad from 3pt. They almost wen the entire game without hitting 1, and the vast majority were open looks.

[Lennys Tap]

You know, outside of knocking down a couple of open shots, that's a decent line.

I agree - IF he goes 3-7 instead of 0-7 it's a very decent stat line.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I agree - IF he goes 3-7 instead of 0-7 it's a very decent stat line.

Yep, and that's the big IF right now for several guys.

The open looks are there. Are they missing because of bad luck/bad streak, or are they missing because they are bad shooters?

Jamil, Junior, Trent and Todd are all going to have to shoot better for MU to compete at a high level. Vander has been good enough so far, Juan and Derrick are energy guys, and Otule and DeDe have been as good as advertised.

Get a little more shooting and they could beat some good teams. Stay cold (like UWGB), and MU risks getting beaten like a drum (FL).

[Lennys Tap]

Lockett has struggled with his shot thus far. He's not just a scorer. Unfortunately, far too many MU fans can only see points.

Maybe not JUST a scorer, but that was his #1 contribution at ASU. That and rebounding are what he does best. If he doesn't score, how valuable is a good rebounding guard with a below average handle and below average quickness?

[ATL MU Warrior]

but can he hit a crossover/between the legs/step back fallaway three?

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Maybe not JUST a scorer, but that was his #1 contribution at ASU. That and rebounding are what he does best. If he doesn't score, how valuable is a good rebounding guard with a below average handle and below average quickness?

Well, that's Vander last year. He was quicker than Lockett, but still similar. Not much of a scoring threat, a good rebounder, defender, passer, good in the open floor.

Lockett has value, but if he's going to be a non-shooter, MU needs to find the points elsewhere... which is easier said than done on this team.

[NersEllenson]

but can he hit a crossover/between the legs/step back fallaway three?

Haaa...funny guy....it is nice to see a guard who has some shake/bake/and ability to create a shot, and stick it with a guy in his face...kind of like we saw all night with Boatright and Napier...other than Mayo, nobody on MU's team has that ability.

[martyconlonontherun]

The Lockett transfer is like winning a grand prize at the fair and only afterwards realizing it was a $50. You would be a moron not to take it but for some reason your pissed because you expected so much more.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Haaa...funny guy....it is nice to see a guard who has some shake/bake/and ability to create a shot, and stick it with a guy in his face...kind of like we saw all night with Boatright and Napier...other than Mayo, nobody on MU's team has that ability.

I completely agree with you, but I couldn't resist!  Should have some more of that next year which will be fun to watch.

[jsglow]

Lockett played a ton of minutes last night but only 11 the game before.  Of course Vander had to leave last night's game at the 14 minute mark of the first half with two fouls; Jamil followed not too long after that.  If memory serves, Vander did not leave the court in the second half or during the OT.  But no doubt Trent was in during crunch time and played well down the stretch.

[MerrittsMustache]

Maybe not JUST a scorer, but that was his #1 contribution at ASU. That and rebounding are what he does best. If he doesn't score, how valuable is a good rebounding guard with a below average handle and below average quickness?

Last season, he was 2nd on the team in scoring, 1st in rebounding, 3rd in assists, 1st in steals, 4th in blocks and shot nearly 50% from the floor. Again, he does a whole lot more than just score.

[Lennys Tap]

Well, that's Vander last year. He was quicker than Lockett, but still similar. Not much of a scoring threat, a good rebounder, defender, passer, good in the open floor.

Lockett has value, but if he's going to be a non-shooter, MU needs to find the points elsewhere... which is easier said than done on this team.

You're only looking at one side of the ball. In addition to being WAAAAY quicker/faster/better in the open court offensively than Lockett, last year's Vander was a much, much better player on the defensive end than anything I've seen from Trent.

If Lockett is, as you say, going to be a non shooter, he has very little value. Rather than being Vander, he'd be more like a slower, less athletic version of Juan Anderson.

But I haven't given up on him as a scorer - he has a history as one.

[ATWizJr]

I agree - IF he goes 3-7 instead of 0-7 it's a very decent stat line.

huge if, aina?

[MU B2002]

Is it at all possible that we set the bar a tad high, and now we are upset that he is failing to live up to our lofty expectations.  We should probably remember that his Arizona St numbers came against the PAC 12, which according to the RPI was ranked 10th, 7th, 8th nationally.  (As opposed to the BEAST which was ranked 2-1-2.)


I thought he did a lot yesterday to help us win.  His shot looked good just off a bit, and he obviously doesn't lack the confidence to shoot (which many others seem to).  The shots will start to fall for him, and then we can all move on to complaining about somebody else.

[Lennys Tap]

huge if, aina?

That's why it's in caps.

[Lennys Tap]

Last season, he was 2nd on the team in scoring, 1st in rebounding, 3rd in assists, 1st in steals, 4th in blocks and shot nearly 50% from the floor. Again, he does a whole lot more than just score.

He did average 1.5 steals a game. I'll concede that's a plus. The rest (other than scoring/rebounding shooting which I've stated = most of his worth) amount to a 1:1.5 assist/turnover ratio (2 asst a game vs 3 tos) and .5 blocks a game amount to one negative number and one insignificant one.

[avid1010]

Lockett has struggled with his shot thus far. He's not just a scorer. Unfortunately, far too many MU fans can only see points.

i don't think you can make this comment when defending lockett's game last night.  my issue with his points is minimal...i think some of the shots he's missing (he missed a lot of bunnies) will fall, and i think he'll improve on his current shooting percentage of 36%.  

what bothers me is that on two occasions a senior missed outside shots and allowed his defender to leak out for easy transition points.  or that two other times UCONN got layups because he completely lost his man in the half court while not even helping on the ball.  and for people to compare him to juan is stupid.  juan is a sophomore, with limited minutes as a freshman, who is playing the 4.  the question buzz and staff have to ask themselves is would they be sitting in a better spot at the end of the year this year, and over the next two years, if they were giving lockett's minutes to someone like juan at the 3 (and thus more minutes for someone like steve at the 4).  in my opinion, i haven't seen trent do enough to justify the minutes considering he's a senior.  obviously buzz and company feel like he needs to be on the court, and they know far more than i do, but i'm playing monday morning quarterback.  what buzz doesn't know is if his current loyalty to trent will pay off, and only time will tell, but i have to believe buzz is questioning the minutes and time he's giving to a one year senior at this point.  

[ATWizJr]

That's why it's in caps.

Sorry.  A huge if needs a bigger font, not just caps.  Course, IF he had been 3-7 we wouldn't have had to go to overtime and IF he had gotten a couple more rebounds...but, what IF he had missed all his regulation times FT's?  Wait....

[AZWarrior]

Seriously, do I need to put something in teal that was obviously hyperbole?  Christ people....

I don't think it's possible to over-use the teal.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Sorry.  A huge if needs a bigger font, not just caps.  Course, IF he had been 3-7 we wouldn't have had to go to overtime and IF he had gotten a couple more rebounds...but, what IF he had missed all his regulation times FT's?  Wait....

Well, I'm the one who made the original comment.

I thought the shots he took were good ones, and he was able to get himself open inside the offensive set.

Now, 0-7 with 7 good shots isn't going to win you any games. But, he can compete at this level, and IF a couple of shots rattle in, he'll be fine.

The fact that he's getting open is significant.

Lockett's approach on offense is not glamorous, but can be effective if a couple of shots fall for him.

[GGGG]

Lockett had a +7 yesterday.  The only player better was Davante with +8.

For comparison....

Jamil, +6
Taylor, +4
Juan, -6

And Roland Rating...

Trent, +8
Jamil, +6
Taylor, +2
Juan, -18

[downtown85]

i don't think you can make this comment when defending lockett's game last night.  my issue with his points is minimal...i think some of the shots he's missing (he missed a lot of bunnies) will fall, and i think he'll improve on his current shooting percentage of 36%.  

what bothers me is that on two occasions a senior missed outside shots and allowed his defender to leak out for easy transition points.  or that two other times UCONN got layups because he completely lost his man in the half court while not even helping on the ball.  and for people to compare him to juan is stupid.  juan is a sophomore, with limited minutes as a freshman, who is playing the 4.  the question buzz and staff have to ask themselves is would they be sitting in a better spot at the end of the year this year, and over the next two years, if they were giving lockett's minutes to someone like juan at the 3 (and thus more minutes for someone like steve at the 4).  in my opinion, i haven't seen trent do enough to justify the minutes considering he's a senior.  obviously buzz and company feel like he needs to be on the court, and they know far more than i do, but i'm playing monday morning quarterback.  what buzz doesn't know is if his current loyalty to trent will pay off, and only time will tell, but i have to believe buzz is questioning the minutes and time he's giving to a one year senior at this point.  

+1. you summed up my criticism exactly.  I want to think he will come through and I trust Buzz that he is getting the right amount of minutes but jeez, last night he really stunk it up on the defensive end.  Maybe I am being too critical as the Roland ratings say something different and I am only believing my lying eyes.  :-)

[GGGG]

To be fair, +/- and RR aren't the best way to determine a particular player's value.