Work to do, Mr. Blue!!

[JustinLewisFanClubPres]

Let's rally around Vander for the three great years that he gave us as fans and alumni of Marquette.  There is a NBA player in Mr. Blue but he has some work to do.  Let's all thank him for 3 great years and wish him the best as he pursues his dream!  Go get 'em, Van.  Marquette supports you!

[ErickJD08]

Two mediocre and one great. He should have stayed one more year to get better.

[JustinLewisFanClubPres]

Well, as a fan, I will say "thank you" for three very fun years and not knock him for making a very difficult decision.  It's easy to criticize him but very unproductive at this point.  He made a decision that I'm sure was difficult for him.  Don't turn your back on him now.

[Benny B]

Well, as a fan, I will say "thank you" for three very fun years and not knock him for making a very difficult decision.  It's easy to criticize him but very unproductive at this point.  He made a decision that I'm sure was difficult for him.  Don't turn your back on him now.

Nobody's turning their back, and the decision was probably the easiest one he ever made.  The difficult decision would be the one where he had to postpone his dream a year.

[MU82]

Again, I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think there is an NBA player in Mr. Blue.

Bilas didn't even have him on the list of 10 best players to go undrafted.

There are worse things than getting paid to see Europe and play a couple basketball games a week, though. I wish Vander luck.

[MUfan12]

Nobody's turning their back, and the decision was probably the easiest one he ever made.  The difficult decision would be the one where he had to postpone his dream a year.

THIS.

Making a decision is easy when you ignore one side of it completely.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

He really wasnt even close. I doubt he gets drafted even if there were 75 picks.

[martyconlonontherun]

Blue wanted to get paid. I'm sure 90% of this board (myself included) would give up anything for another year in college, but you can tell Blue had the "I don't play for free" attitude. It's his right and choice, so I don't blame him and I don't think he will regret it too much cashing checks next year.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Blue wanted to get paid. I'm sure 90% of this board (myself included) would give up anything for another year in college, but you can tell Blue had the "I don't play for free" attitude. It's his right and choice, so I don't blame him and I don't think he will regret it too much cashing checks next year.

Folks can rip me all they want, but I've always felt Vander wasn't one that desired the whole GO TO SCHOOL thing.  He went, did what was necessary, passed his classes, etc, but school hasn't been priority one.  He saw a chance to capitalize on what he does best, play basketball.  Problem is that he vastly overrated his position as did his inner circle.  When you have 40 & 50 year old beer drinking message board posters seeing it, plus the draft gurus, plus pretty much every GM in the league, plus your head coach who was shocked at the decision, well that only tells me school isn't his thing and any sliver of an excuse to get out was going to happen.

I'm not shocked at all, was hoping just one team would go for him in the 2nd round, but knew it was a very outside shot....which it was.  Maybe he gets picked up in free agency.  I'm sure he'll get a sniff or two, perhaps he can stick.  Vander is an enigma wrapped up in a riddle, some guys just are. 

[Atticus]

Two mediocre and one great. He should have stayed one more year to get better.

Are you certain that he actually liked school? Maybe he hated it, and was looking forward to a new chapter in his life. Quite frankly, I would prefer kids that dont like school to leave as soon as possible (not saying I know that is the case with VB).

And...there are better players on D-League teams than any program in college basketball aside from MAYBE UK. There are no NCAA limits with regard to practice time with coaches. No classes. No homework. No responsibilities other than "work," which is what basketball is to him at this point.

The big question mark I have is whether or not VB will negatively impact the APR score for next year. He tweeted often that he was spending most of his time between the end of the NCAA tournament and the school year in LA. How could he possibly be an active student in that situation? His type of circumstance is exactly how teams flirt with the NCAA minimum score. Of course, the problem with the APR is that kids that dodge school typically get drafted because the time away from campus likely helped their draft status. It didnt work for VB - double kick in the nuts.

[GGGG]

Folks can rip me all they want, but I've always felt Vander wasn't one that desired the whole GO TO SCHOOL thing.  He went, did what was necessary, passed his classes, etc, but school hasn't been priority one.  He saw a chance to capitalize on what he does best, play basketball.  Problem is that he vastly overrated his position as did his inner circle.  When you have 40 & 50 year old beer drinking message board posters seeing it, plus the draft gurus, plus pretty much every GM in the league, plus your head coach who was shocked at the decision, well that only tells me school isn't his thing and any sliver of an excuse to get out was going to happen.

I'm not shocked at all, was hoping just one team would go for him in the 2nd round, but knew it was a very outside shot....which it was.  Maybe he gets picked up in free agency.  I'm sure he'll get a sniff or two, perhaps he can stick.  Vander is an enigma wrapped up in a riddle, some guys just are. 

His family did not want him to enter the draft.  They wanted him to stay in school.

[Sunbelt15]

Two mediocre and one great. He should have stayed one more year to get better.

I must agree with that now. 

[MerrittsMustache]

Bear with me here...Let's say that all of your life, you've dreamed of becoming an engineer at Harley in Milwaukee who designs motorcycles even though you know it's a long-shot. You go to college and spend all of your free time working on engineering and motorcycle design. Meanwhile, the classes you take are all gen eds or in the college of communications and have little or nothing to do with engineering. After your junior year of college, you have an opportunity to design motorcycles for Kawasaki in Texas. It's not where you want to live and it's definitely not Harley, but it's a opportunity to live your dream of designing motorcycles and if you do really well, there's a chance that it could eventually lead to a position with Harley.

Do you keep working for free on something that you're passionate about while taking unrelated classes or do you take the opportunity to get paid for your work and do what you love even if it's not quite your dream job?

[moomoo]

Stache, your analogy is slightly off, because if said example student stayed an extra year at school, he would have developed more engineering skills that could have dramatically increased his chances of working at Harley. 

[MerrittsMustache]

Stache, your analogy is slightly off, because if said example student stayed an extra year at school, he would have developed more engineering skills that could have dramatically increased his chances of working at Harley.  

How do you know? That's not a guarantee. Maybe entering the workforce would help him develop his skills more.

[Lennys Tap]

Folks can rip me all they want, but I've always felt Vander wasn't one that desired the whole GO TO SCHOOL thing.  He went, did what was necessary, passed his classes, etc, but school hasn't been priority one. 

Why would anyone rip you for this? You could have written the same thing about almost any highly ranked high D1 player. Very few of them place school as priority one.

[ChicosBailBonds]

His family did not want him to enter the draft.  They wanted him to stay in school.

I'm 100% aware of that, unfortunately that wasn't the only group he was listening to.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Bear with me here...Let's say that all of your life, you've dreamed of becoming an engineer at Harley in Milwaukee who designs motorcycles even though you know it's a long-shot. You go to college and spend all of your free time working on engineering and motorcycle design. Meanwhile, the classes you take are all gen eds or in the college of communications and have little or nothing to do with engineering. After your junior year of college, you have an opportunity to design motorcycles for Kawasaki in Texas. It's not where you want to live and it's definitely not Harley, but it's a opportunity to live your dream of designing motorcycles and if you do really well, there's a chance that it could eventually lead to a position with Harley.

Do you keep working for free on something that you're passionate about while taking unrelated classes or do you take the opportunity to get paid for your work and do what you love even if it's not quite your dream job?

And what if 99% of those in your field, including your mentor (coach) said if you stayed one more year in Engineering school your dreams of fulfillment increase dramatically? 

There's a reason why college basketball writers, Buzz Williams, Draft Express, NBA GM's, etc were all surprised at his decision. 

[77ncaachamps]

Support his dream.

Selfishly, a good number of us wanted him to "work on his game" for one more year. He was unpolished yet far from unrefined.

He'll get paid and then realize there are things he likes being a professional and things he misses being an amateur.

[PistolPete]

Selfishly, a good number of us wanted him to "work on his game" for one more year. He was unpolished yet far from unrefined.

I'm sick of hearing how selfish it is to have wanted Vander to return for his senior year.

Of course I wanted Vander to return for the benefit of MUBB, but I also wanted what was best for him personally. I do not know or care to know his personal situation, but I just can't imagine a scenario in which this decision was in the best interest of he or his family. Had he returned for his senior year, he likely would have continued his upward trajectory, made a deep tournament run, and boosted his draft status. There's a strong possibility he'd be a late first round draft choice with a guaranteed paycheck, but almost certainly would have been drafted. Perhaps more importantly, he'd have a respectable college degree in his back pocket to fall back on when his playing days are over.

Of course, the point is moot, and I support Vander in his decision and thank him for his three memorable years at MU, including 2 Sweet 16s and an Elite 8.

[MerrittsMustache]

And what if 99% of those in your field, including your mentor (coach) said if you stayed one more year in Engineering school your dreams of fulfillment increase dramatically? 

Not true. They may increase dramatically. They may not increase at all. They may decrease. Whatever the case, you'd be doing it part-time for free.

[Benny B]

I'm sick of hearing how selfish it is to have wanted Vander to return for his senior year.

Of course I wanted Vander to return for the benefit of MUBB, but I also wanted what was best for him personally. I do not know or care to know his personal situation, but I just can't imagine a scenario in which this decision was in the best interest of he or his family.

+1. I don't think you can really call it "selfish" when what's best for you is also what's best for others.

Not true. They may increase dramatically. They may not increase at all. They may decrease. Whatever the case, you'd be doing it part-time for free.

Well, given that his chance this year was 0% (ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Captain Hindsight to the stage), I don't think his odds could get much worse next year.  Heck, even a 0.001% chance of being drafted next year is dramatic enough of an increase to break my calculator.

[ResidentBrown]

In a piece on ESPN.com, Dana O'Neil writes about underclassmen that leave early but go un-drafted. She primarily focused on the downward spiral of Renardo Sidney, but she also mentions some of the underclassmen who came out and went un-drafted last night. She mentions CJ Leslie, Phil Pressey and BJ Young, but not one mention of Vander. It seems that Vander wasn't even close. If you throw in those three, all of the great seniors who went un-drafted, and all of the mystery foreigners, Vander didn't even stand a chance.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9429321/renardo-sidney-cautionary-tale-nba-draft-early-entries-college-basketball

[Hards Alumni]

I'm sick of hearing how selfish it is to have wanted Vander to return for his senior year.

Of course I wanted Vander to return for the benefit of MUBB, but I also wanted what was best for him personally. I do not know or care to know his personal situation, but I just can't imagine a scenario in which this decision was in the best interest of he or his family. Had he returned for his senior year, he likely would have continued his upward trajectory, made a deep tournament run, and boosted his draft status. There's a strong possibility he'd be a late first round draft choice with a guaranteed paycheck, but almost certainly would have been drafted. Perhaps more importantly, he'd have a respectable college degree in his back pocket to fall back on when his playing days are over.

Of course, the point is moot, and I support Vander in his decision and thank him for his three memorable years at MU, including 2 Sweet 16s and an Elite 8.

What?  Seriously, I don't understand why everyone is so damn sure that Vander would improve.  His PPG went up last year... but his A/T went up as well.  His rebounds went down, assists went down.  I simply don't see how anyone can rationally conclude (please please say something other than your gut feeling, or generalizations about players taking the 'next step' their senior year) that he would be guaranteed to be drafted next year.

[ATLmarquettefan]

Vander Blue playing for Memphis Grizzlies in summer league per Chris Venon tweet

[nyg]

Vander Blue playing for Memphis Grizzlies in summer league per Chris Venon tweet

Well for all of those previously comparing Vander to Tony Allen, here it goes.

Memphis guards:

Tony Allen
Larry Conley
Tony Wroten
Jerryd Bayless
Keyon Dooling
Jamaal Franklin (drafted yesterday)

Good luck.....

[MerrittsMustache]

Well for all of those previously comparing Vander to Tony Allen, here it goes.

Memphis guards:

Tony Allen
Larry Conley
Tony Wroten
Jerryd Bayless
Keyon Dooling
Jamaal Franklin (drafted yesterday)

Good luck.....

Allen and Dooling are both UFAs, Bayless has a player opt...and Larry Conley is 70 years old  

Could end up being a fit. You never know.

[nyg]

Allen and Dooling are both UFAs, Bayless has a player opt...and Larry Conley is 70 years old  

Could end up being a fit. You never know.

My bad, Mike Conley and he is 25. 

[BCHoopster]

This is where DJO lost his chance was playing awful in the summer league, produce there and he will get a chance, no different than any 2nd round pick, no guarentees.

[Rockmic87]

Vander never lived up to his potential. It happens. Sucks he made such a blatantly bad decision.

[brewcity77]

Well for all of those previously comparing Vander to Tony Allen, here it goes.

Memphis guards:

Tony Allen
Larry Conley
Tony Wroten
Jerryd Bayless
Keyon Dooling
Jamaal Franklin (drafted yesterday)

Good luck.....

Where you play in Summer League doesn't mean all that much when it comes to getting signed as a UFA. It's more to put yourself in the shop window and hope someone takes a flier. Granted, Wes Matthews played for Utah in that first Summer League, but he also played for Sacto.

[deep vacuum]

Manu Scoopers have mentioned how Vander would have improved as a player next year while contributing to a very talented team, and possibly his draft status as well if he had chosen to finish out his senior season.  I was wondering though, what would a MU degree have done for Vander in particular if he had chosen to stay for his senior season?  Anything at all?

[bilsu]

Manu Scoopers have mentioned how Vander would have improved as a player next year while contributing to a very talented team, and possibly his draft status as well if he had chosen to finish out his senior season.  I was wondering though, what would a MU degree have done for Vander in particular if he had chosen to stay for his senior season?  Anything at all?

It only matters when he stops playing ball. The degree does not help him basketball wise.

[Nukem2]

Vander never lived up to his potential. It happens. Sucks he made such a blatantly bad decision.

I guess you missed this past season...?

[MuMark]

In order for the summer league to matter he is going to have to get on the court for significant minutes. Undrafted free agents many times are nothing more then practice players.

[chapman]

In order for the summer league to matter he is going to have to get on the court for significant minutes. Undrafted free agents many times are nothing more then practice players.

Yep.  The idea that he'll just take the "Wes route" is absurd.  The Wes route is a path filled with quicksand, poisonous snakes, giant spiders, and freak ice storms.   

[real chili 83]

His family did not want him to enter the draft.  They wanted him to stay in school.

That speaks volumes. Wow.

[wadesworld]

Vander Blue playing for Memphis Grizzlies in summer league per Chris Venon tweet

Damn, was really hoping he'd be on the Bucks roster so at least the 18 year old the Bucks just signed could tutor him in Greek so he has a head start for when he's playing ball over there.  Guess Rosetta Stone will be Van's first professional purchase.

[ErickJD08]

What?  Seriously, I don't understand why everyone is so damn sure that Vander would improve.  His PPG went up last year... but his A/T went up as well.  His rebounds went down, assists went down.  I simply don't see how anyone can rationally conclude (please please say something other than your gut feeling, or generalizations about players taking the 'next step' their senior year) that he would be guaranteed to be drafted next year.

Honestly, the only way he would have gotten drafted is if he puts MU on his shoulders on a final four run. He was close last year and he would have one more chance next season. Outside an every better improvement, like 24ppg kind of season, I think it would be an uphill battle even next season given the pub next years class is getting.

[NotAnAlum]

Honestly, the only way he would have gotten drafted is if he puts MU on his shoulders on a final four run. 

I think he could have greatly improved his chances next year by moving to the PG position and playing WELL.  I believe that if he had gone to Buzz and told him "If I'm going to stay for my Senior year I need to be given a shot at the PG position here."  With Junior gone and out of both loyalty and a desire to have him stay Buzz would have gone for.  Now of course he would have had to EXCEL.  Well if you need to play a particular position in the best professional league on earth you better be able to prove you can play it well consistently.  Shooting a high % from 3 wouldn't have hurt either.  Of course if he does all those things MU probably would have been in a position to make a final 4 run but fluke loss earlier would not have killed his chances.  He also would have had the benefit of another year of the coaching staff that took him from just average to very good in 3 years.

All of this would have put him in better position than he is now.  He should have just followed the path most guys follow.  Play out your eligibility, get your degree, get the most our of your college career, then see what life deals you. He got impatient and over estimated his current position pure and simple.

[Sunbelt15]

This is where DJO lost his chance was playing awful in the summer league, produce there and he will get a chance, no different than any 2nd round pick, no guarentees.

It's sad because Summer League is where the most sloppiest games are. It's like playing pick-up games for a NBA career. The best way to look good is to, first and foremost, HOG THE BALL and make shots, unless your a point guard, and minimize turnovers. Steals helps a lot too.

[bilsu]

I think he could have greatly improved his chances next year by moving to the PG position and playing WELL.  I believe that if he had gone to Buzz and told him "If I'm going to stay for my Senior year I need to be given a shot at the PG position here."  With Junior gone and out of both loyalty and a desire to have him stay Buzz would have gone for.  Now of course he would have had to EXCEL.  Well if you need to play a particular position in the best professional league on earth you better be able to prove you can play it well consistently.  Shooting a high % from 3 wouldn't have hurt either.  Of course if he does all those things MU probably would have been in a position to make a final 4 run but fluke loss earlier would not have killed his chances.  He also would have had the benefit of another year of the coaching staff that took him from just average to very good in 3 years.

All of this would have put him in better position than he is now.  He should have just followed the path most guys follow.  Play out your eligibility, get your degree, get the most our of your college career, then see what life deals you. He got impatient and over estimated his current position pure and simple.

It only would of increased his NBA chances if he played well at point guard and he will have a chance to do that in the D-league anyways. So from that standpoint staying or going does not matter. What matters to Blue is what he gave up to play a year in the D-league or whereever he ends up. He gets paid some money, but he gave up his senior year of college basketball experience and maybe even a college degree.

[willie warrior]

It only would of increased his NBA chances if he played well at point guard and he will have a chance to do that in the D-league anyways. So from that standpoint staying or going does not matter. What matters to Blue is what he gave up to play a year in the D-league or whereever he ends up. He gets paid some money, but he gave up his senior year of college basketball experience and maybe even a college degree.

Blue would not do well as a PG. He would have been a TO machine, much as McNeal was. There is no way that Buzz should put a guy at point to hopefully, maybe, prayerfully enhance his NBA career, when there are three PG's already there.

[GGGG]

Yep.  The idea that he'll just take the "Wes route" is absurd.  The Wes route is a path filled with quicksand, poisonous snakes, giant spiders, and freak ice storms.   

Exactly.  Wes was simply a "miss" by the NBA.  He should have been drafted, and he should have been drafted in the first round.  Vander has nowhere near the NBA body or NBA game that Wes had.  All it took was some court time for that to show.

[NotAnAlum]

Blue would not do well as a PG. He would have been a TO machine, much as McNeal was. There is no way that Buzz should put a guy at point to hopefully, maybe, prayerfully enhance his NBA career, when there are three PG's already there.

At the end of his Soph year I would have said he could never have been a reliable college scorer.  As a Junior he was.  Guys improve particularly with good coaching.  All the more reason to stay at MU.  And long term if he can't play point he isn't going to play in the NBA so he better hope he can play point.

[chren21]

http://www.sportando.net/m/eng/58104/news.html

Vander to play for grizlies.

[MerrittsMustache]

http://www.sportando.net/m/eng/58104/news.html

Vander to play for grizlies.

Vander will also be playing for the Rockets' summer league team. With Houston shedding salary to bring in Dwight Howard, it could be a decent landing place for a minimum salary guy like Blue.

[Avenue Commons]

I read somewhere online that playing for two summer league teams, like Vander with Memphis and Houston, is an unusual situation. Sounds to me like he doubled his odds of having a shot. Can't hurt.

[MerrittsMustache]

I read somewhere online that playing for two summer league teams, like Vander with Memphis and Houston, is an unusual situation. Sounds to me like he doubled his odds of having a shot. Can't hurt.

Wes and (IIRC) Jerel both played for multiple summer league teams. Doesn't mean it's not unusual as I don't follow very many non-MU undrafted FAs.

This makes is seem like he's the type of player that teams are intrigued by. You can coach up a lot of things but you can't teach a guy to be an athlete.

[MU82]

This makes is seem like he's the type of player that teams are intrigued by. You can coach up a lot of things but you can't teach a guy to be an athlete.

I agree that Vander is an outstanding athlete.

I also watch lots of NBA basketball and have for years. The league is filled with some of the best athletes on the planet. Guys 6-6, 6-9, even 7-0+ who are every bit as good athletes as Vander is.

Were he not a great athlete, he'd have zero chance. Simply being a great athlete, however, does not improve his chances much because he simply is one of hundreds in that category trying to make a league filled with such athletes.

Bottom line: He has to show serious NBA skills he has yet to show often in his young basketball career. We'll see if he can acquire some of those skills to separate himself from the pack of gifted athletes with whom he'll compete.

[MerrittsMustache]

I agree that Vander is an outstanding athlete.

I also watch lots of NBA basketball and have for years. The league is filled with some of the best athletes on the planet. Guys 6-6, 6-9, even 7-0+ who are every bit as good athletes as Vander is.

Were he not a great athlete, he'd have zero chance. Simply being a great athlete, however, does not improve his chances much because he simply is one of hundreds in that category trying to make a league filled with such athletes.

Bottom line: He has to show serious NBA skills he has yet to show often in his young basketball career. We'll see if he can acquire some of those skills to separate himself from the pack of gifted athletes with whom he'll compete.

Fair enough. Name some guys over 7-feet tall who are as athletic as Blue.

[MU82]

Fair enough. Name some guys over 7-feet tall who are as athletic as Blue.

OK, I'm probably guilty of hyperbole to make my point ...

Lots depends upon how one defines "athletic," but among 7-footers, Tyson Chandler was the most athletic I could find doing a quick run through NBA rosters. Among 6-11 guys, Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett, DeAndre Jordan, Joakim Noah, Chris Bosh, Nene and Anderson Varejao are all incredibly athletic. When he was 20 and before all the injuries kicked in, Amare Stoudemire was at least as athletic than Vander is now, and Stoudemire is 6-11.

I guess my point was that there are lots and lots of guys a lot taller and more imposing than Vander who are insanely athletic. Blake Griffin (6-10), Kevin Durant (6-9), Jordan (6-11) and so many more.

And how many NBA players Vander's size are at least as athletic as he is? 75 percent? 90 percent?

Oh, and FWIW, the Bobcats GM calls 7-0 Cody Zeller "the best athlete in the draft." Not the most athletic center, but the best athlete. Of course, he would say that given where he selected the guy.