Mayo

[radome]

Who knows what is going on but during the post-game handshake on TV he was using his left hand. It was a brief glimpse so maybe someone at the game saw more.

[GGGG]

Who knows what is going on but during the post-game handshake on TV he was using his left hand. It was a brief glimpse so maybe someone at the game saw more.

Great observation.  That is why it is probably his wrist.

[muwarrior69]

I hope it is the wrist and really hope I am wrong, but my gut tells me Todd will be gone after the season and could be the reason were one over on recruiting for next season.

[jsglow]

Who knows what is going on but during the post-game handshake on TV he was using his left hand. It was a brief glimpse so maybe someone at the game saw more.

Super info.  Let's hope it is mild and Todd is ready to play on Monday night.  No criticism of Jake but other than giving Van some extra rest prior to timeouts, he really can't get meaningful minutes here in the BEast.  (Sultan, you're right.)  I guess my hope is that he can get his shooting touch back over the summer.

[Skatastrophy]

Todd has had a nagging wrist thing since he started at MU.  You guys remember his first Marquette Madness?  He hurt his wrist pretty bad during the dunk contest and sat out the rest of the night.

[We R Final Four]

I hope it is the wrist and really hope I am wrong, but my gut tells me Todd will be gone after the season and could be the reason were one over on recruiting for next season.

In the postgame Buzz essentially said that his wrist was not the reason he did not play.  For the conspiracists out there, a wrist injury could have been the out for Buzz, but he didnt take it-said that wasn't the problem.  Strange that the guy who was selected to do the face guarding job on Kilpatrick wasnt called upon for Cotton. The saga continues.

[We R Final Four]

No criticism of Jake but other than giving Van some extra rest prior to timeouts, he really can't get meaningful minutes here in the BEast.  (Sultan, you're right.)  

JT has been given plenty of opportunities to get meaningful minutes.  He is shooting 28% from deep.  On a team that is begging for a consistant deep threat, he would be getting more minutes if he could do what he was brought in to do.
below 30% from 3, coupled with the slow, poor D, etc. equates to limited minutes.

[GGGG]

Super info.  Let's hope it is mild and Todd is ready to play on Monday night.  No criticism of Jake but other than giving Van some extra rest prior to timeouts, he really can't get meaningful minutes here in the BEast.  (Sultan, you're right.)  I guess my hope is that he can get his shooting touch back over the summer.

I think he sees the floor even less next year.  We have three guards coming in and I expect at least one of them to perform well enough to see the floor with some regularity.

[GGGG]

In the postgame Buzz essentially said that his wrist was not the reason he did not play.  For the conspiracists out there, a wrist injury could have been the out for Buzz, but he didnt take it-said that wasn't the problem.  Strange that the guy who was selected to do the face guarding job on Kilpatrick wasnt called upon for Cotton. The saga continues.

Mayo did great when he was called upon to do the faceguarding last week.  But by and large his defense within the team concept has been lacking.  He's not moving his feet well on switches and is taking too many chances.  By and large it is hard for me to argue that Mayo should be getting more minutes than he has so far.  It's not as though he is a knockdown shooter in the DJO mold.

[NersEllenson]

Mayo did great when he was called upon to do the faceguarding last week.  But by and large his defense within the team concept has been lacking.  He's not moving his feet well on switches and is taking too many chances.  By and large it is hard for me to argue that Mayo should be getting more minutes than he has so far.  It's not as though he is a knockdown shooter in the DJO mold.

This is great.  Could you explain to those of us who are basketball neophytes what the team defensive concept is, and how Mayo has been deficient in that concept, and how a player is to move his feet well on switches?

Basketball is also a rhythm game, and when you are getting 2-3 minutes of run at a time, and then yanked - hard to get in the flow.  Give Todd 32 minutes a game like a DJO or Vander - and you'll see the same kind of results/perhaps better.

[We R Final Four]

Mayo did great when he was called upon to do the faceguarding last week.  But by and large his defense within the team concept has been lacking.  He's not moving his feet well on switches and is taking too many chances.  By and large it is hard for me to argue that Mayo should be getting more minutes than he has so far.  It's not as though he is a knockdown shooter in the DJO mold.

So, TM does a great job faceguarding last week on kilpatrick.
We need a great faceguarder again this week on Cotton.
No TM. He was great a week ago, and now he sits.  In face guarding Kilpatrick, he did not switch, etc. he faceguarded.

I never said that he was a knowckdown shooter, but I would argue with respect to getting more minutes, that maybe one minute could be obtained.

[MU1980]

JT has been given plenty of opportunities to get meaningful minutes.  He is shooting 28% from deep.  On a team that is begging for a consistant deep threat, he would be getting more minutes if he could do what he was brought in to do.
below 30% from 3, coupled with the slow, poor D, etc. equates to limited minutes.

He did have that three point attempt yesterday that was only about 2 feet long so maybe he is starting to get dialed in.  A small adjustment and those kind of shots will start falling. 

[GGGG]

This is great.  Could you explain to those of us who are basketball neophytes what the team defensive concept is, and how Mayo has been deficient in that concept, and how a player is to move his feet well on switches?

Simple help defense.  He has been late on his rotations, which I think might be a fitness issue more than anything.

Basketball is also a rhythm game, and when you are getting 2-3 minutes of run at a time, and then yanked - hard to get in the flow.  Give Todd 32 minutes a game like a DJO or Vander - and you'll see the same kind of results/perhaps better.

Ah the fallacy that "if only they played more, they'd get better."  I mean really...better than DJO?  I guess if he played a full forty he'd be the next Michael Jordan.

Look, Tood has played more than 2-3 minutes at a stretch.  I think that Buzz has been using his scoring ability late in games given that he hasn't had much time on the court.  As he gets his legs underneath him, he will undoubtedly play more.

[setyoursightsnorth]

You guys, I know this is a dumb, dumb, dumb question and please do not be too harsh with me, but if Todd Mayo is 21 turning on 22, how is he a sophomore? Was he held back in his earlier schooling days?

[GGGG]

You guys, I know this is a dumb, dumb, dumb question and please do not be too harsh with me, but if Todd Mayo is 21 turning on 22, how is he a sophomore? Was he held back in his earlier schooling days?

He had a year of prep school after high school.

[Boone]

If he had only one year of prep after high school then he should be 20 going on 21. There's a year unaccounted for.

[MUBurrow]

Face guarding kilpatrick is a different kind of face guarding than cotton. Cronin allowed kilpatrick a total isolation for a large portion of the game, so there was no team oriented, switch defense going on there. Cotton was fully integrated into a motion style offense for Providence, so the face guarding was not I isolation, but was fully integrated with switching and help side principles.

[MUDPT]

If he had only one year of prep after high school then he should be 20 going on 21. There's a year unaccounted for.

If Travis Diener, went to prep school after HS, he would have turned 21 March 1 of his freshman year at Marquette.

[jsglow]

JT has been given plenty of opportunities to get meaningful minutes.  He is shooting 28% from deep.  On a team that is begging for a consistant deep threat, he would be getting more minutes if he could do what he was brought in to do.
below 30% from 3, coupled with the slow, poor D, etc. equates to limited minutes.

No argument.  I'm suggesting that he shouldn't see the floor and am simply hoping that he can develop as a specialty sharpshooter for next year if he wants any future role at all.  That's why we need Todd in this year's backup #2 guard role.

I think he sees the floor even less next year.  We have three guards coming in and I expect at least one of them to perform well enough to see the floor with some regularity.

Agreed,  Jake has an uphill battle.  And I'll argue that's a good thing.  I'm sure you agree.

[Boone]

Unless I'm missing something, Mayo was already a year older than his class when he entered high school in 2006 (turned 16, instead of 15 that freshman year). Then he added a year of prep school after 4 years of high school. Consequently, fast forward to 2012-13 and he's now 2 years older than his class (sophomores turn 20, not 22 during that academic year).

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

This is great.  Could you explain to those of us who are basketball neophytes what the team defensive concept is, and how Mayo has been deficient in that concept, and how a player is to move his feet well on switches?

Basketball is also a rhythm game, and when you are getting 2-3 minutes of run at a time, and then yanked - hard to get in the flow.  Give Todd 32 minutes a game like a DJO or Vander - and you'll see the same kind of results/perhaps better.

What's more likely:

Buzz can't figure out that Todd is as good DJO/Vander (or even better), and therefore doesn't give Mayo enough minutes.

OR

Todd just isn't that good (right now). 

[MU82]

So, TM does a great job faceguarding last week on kilpatrick.
We need a great faceguarder again this week on Cotton.
No TM. He was great a week ago, and now he sits.  In face guarding Kilpatrick, he did not switch, etc. he faceguarded.

I never said that he was a knowckdown shooter, but I would argue with respect to getting more minutes, that maybe one minute could be obtained.

There are two options here: Either Buzz is too stupid to recognize this obvious fact or there is more to this story than you (and the rest of us) know.

I'm not going to go with the "Buzz is stupid" thing, but maybe that works for you.

[NersEllenson]

What's more likely:

Buzz can't figure out that Todd is as good DJO/Vander (or even better), and therefore doesn't give Mayo enough minutes.

OR

Todd just isn't that good (right now). 

I'd say what's most likely is that there is continued tension between Buzz and Todd, and Buzz won't sell out of his belief system and simply play a guy because he's extremely talented.  Buzz does things on principle and principle first - above even winning - Mayo could have played in Green Bay...but didn't cause Buzz felt he needed to have a sit down with Todd and Mom, prior to allowing Todd to play.

[AlienWarrior]

Mayo is the key to the Elite 8

[NersEllenson]

Simple help defense.  He has been late on his rotations, which I think might be a fitness issue more than anything.


Ah the fallacy that "if only they played more, they'd get better."  I mean really...better than DJO?  I guess if he played a full forty he'd be the next Michael Jordan.

Look, Tood has played more than 2-3 minutes at a stretch.  I think that Buzz has been using his scoring ability late in games given that he hasn't had much time on the court.  As he gets his legs underneath him, he will undoubtedly play more.

Ahh....the cop out answer of "simple help defense" and being late on rotations.  I'm sure you have an intricate knowledge of Buzz's system with regard to rotation responsibilities/priorities.

Never said Todd would be Jordan good..just that he's yet (in him MU career) to get the extended minutes of a DJO/Vander....and this season so far has had very limited runs of 2-3 plus minutes at a time.  Todd basically won us the Wisconsin game last year - Bo Ryan tried about 4 different defenders to check Mayo in that game - as he realized Mayo was the biggest threat - yes, even in a game with DJO and Vander in uniform...