Jabari Craig is NOT walking through that door

[bilsu]

The writing on the wall seems to be that Hill and Shayok will fill our last two spots in this years class. I am perfectly fine with this. That should be good for another top 25 class full of guys who want to be at Marquette. We do need to sign a big, but there are still options for us:

1) We oversign. We get Tory Miler, Travon Bunch, a juco, or a senior transfer for the 5. We have enough potential talent on this team that someone could get drafted early. Also, there always seems to be a Jamal Ferguson, Chris Christopherson, or Jamail Jones who flames out and transfers elsewhere.

2) We get someone in 2015. If Steve has truly grown to 6"9 then he can play the 5 next year. McKay can back him up and Harris may grow in the next year. It would certainly not be the smallest team we have ever fielded. Buzz is big game hunting in 2015. I think we currently have 7 offers out to bigs ranked in the top 50 in 2015. I am confident we will land one of them. Between that signee and Taylor, we will be fine at the five in the future.

3) Otule gets his 7th year of eligibility

I would think Bunch, a juco or senior transfer are spring signees, so there would be no reason to oversign for them. I think we would oversign for Miller. My gut feeling is that Mayo plans to follow the Blue path to success.

[Atticus]

Based on the picture below, it looks like Steve is very near 6'9" now. I say this because Jameel (just behind him) has been measured at 6' 9 3/4" (based upon his own tweet), and it looks like Jameel doesn't have more than an inch on him, minus the hair.


I am very comfortable with the thought of Steve and Jameel being the 4 and 5 for the 2014 season. Both are great rebounders and are above-average athletes. We may run into problems if we play a thick-bodied, skilled big ala davante, but otherwise we should be fine. However, we will need a big by the 2015 season (fingers crossed for Stone).

But we WILL run into teams with true centers if we plan on making a run to the final four this year.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Is this photo an ad for Amarillo Embroidery?

[netty24]

But we WILL run into teams with true centers if we plan on making a run to the final four this year.

I'm not worried in the least about facing true centers this season, this is probably the deepest frontcourt i can remember (born in 1991). I am a tad worried about the 2014 season, though.

[4everwarriors]

Based on the picture below, it looks like Steve is very near 6'9" now. I say this because Jameel (just behind him) has been measured at 6' 9 3/4" (based upon his own tweet), and it looks like Jameel doesn't have more than an inch on him, minus the hair.



I am very comfortable with the thought of Steve and Jameel being the 4 and 5 for the 2014 season. Both are great rebounders and are above-average athletes. We may run into problems if we play a thick-bodied, skilled big ala davante, but otherwise we should be fine. However, we will need a big by the 2015 season (fingers crossed for Stone).

Buzz looks like he's aged some and grown out his hair.

[MU82]

Not at all, you can win with good shooting and fast breaking (if you get a rebound), not sure how other teams will defend MU, a frontline of Taylor, McKay, Burton would not be
to bad, add Wilson and Mayo and you have a pretty fun team to watch.  Juan Anderson might be in there as well.  Malik Harris will have to play some upfront minutes next year.

Ummm ... I was being a tad facetious.

[tower912]

I smell a spring JUCO big signing.     Someone ready to play right away.   Another McKay perhaps.   The one thing that is known for sure is that Buzz will be out there recruiting.   

[NotAnAlum]

Based on the picture below, it looks like Steve is very near 6'9" now. I say this because Jameel (just behind him) has been measured at 6' 9 3/4" (based upon his own tweet), and it looks like Jameel doesn't have more than an inch on him, minus the hair.



I am very comfortable with the thought of Steve and Jameel being the 4 and 5 for the 2014 season. Both are great rebounders and are above-average athletes. We may run into problems if we play a thick-bodied, skilled big ala davante, but otherwise we should be fine. However, we will need a big by the 2015 season (fingers crossed for Stone).

Is that Davante on the left??? Somebody better feed that Guy!

[slack00]

Is that Davante on the left??? Somebody better feed that Guy!

I think that's Coach Chew.

[wadesworld]

The writing on the wall seems to be that Hill and Shayok will fill our last two spots in this years class. I am perfectly fine with this. That should be good for another top 25 class full of guys who want to be at Marquette. We do need to sign a big, but there are still options for us:

1) We oversign. We get Tory Miler, Travon Bunch, a juco, or a senior transfer for the 5. We have enough potential talent on this team that someone could get drafted early. Also, there always seems to be a Jamal Ferguson, Chris Christopherson, or Jamail Jones who flames out and transfers elsewhere.

2) We get someone in 2015. If Steve has truly grown to 6"9 then he can play the 5 next year. McKay can back him up and Harris may grow in the next year. It would certainly not be the smallest team we have ever fielded. Buzz is big game hunting in 2015. I think we currently have 7 offers out to bigs ranked in the top 50 in 2015. I am confident we will land one of them. Between that signee and Taylor, we will be fine at the five in the future.

3) Otule gets his 7th year of eligibility

Who's Chris Christopherson? If you mean Scott, there are much better examples out there. Scott never "flamed out." He was injured for a large part of his freshman year, which is huge, and then transferred due to a coaching change at Marquette. He then went to Iowa State, started for 3 years, made the All Big Twelve team twice, and is now getting paid to play basketball. I wish we had more flameouts like Scott Christopherson.

[Dawson Rental]

Who's Chris Christopherson? If you mean Scott, there are much better examples out there. Scott never "flamed out." He was injured for a large part of his freshman year, which is huge, and then transferred due to a coaching change at Marquette. He then went to Iowa State, started for 3 years, made the All Big Twelve team twice, and is now getting paid to play basketball. I wish we had more flameouts like Scott Christopherson.

You sound like you're a big fan of coaching changes.

[brandx]

Thank God!  Where have you been?  Several posters were about to do a wellness check.

+1

The only 2 sure things on this board are Willie calling for more big men and Keefe indulging his narcissism

[4everwarriors]

Count me in for peein' on Crean as a given.

[tower912]

Then the 5 year judgment thread must be giving you great joy. 

[Rockmic87]

Why can't MU recruit bigs?  I can't imagine that all of the (good) 3 stars, 4 stars, and 5 stars are going places where they will start from day 1.  Are bigs afraid to come to MU, where there is little competition at the 4 and 5 spot?

[tower912]

MU 'recruits' the heck out of bigs.  MU struggles to SIGN elite big men.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Who's Chris Christopherson? If you mean Scott, there are much better examples out there. Scott never "flamed out." He was injured for a large part of his freshman year, which is huge, and then transferred due to a coaching change at Marquette. He then went to Iowa State, started for 3 years, made the All Big Twelve team twice, and is now getting paid to play basketball. I wish we had more flameouts like Scott Christopherson.

My mistake. I meant Scott not Chris. And I meant no insult with the term flame out. I meant it as they grew disenchanted with Marquette for whatever reason and decided to leave.

[willie warrior]

Why can't MU recruit bigs?  I can't imagine that all of the (good) 3 stars, 4 stars, and 5 stars are going places where they will start from day 1.  Are bigs afraid to come to MU, where there is little competition at the 4 and 5 spot?

Hmmmm...Good question, but how dare you ask that here.

[Hards Alumni]

Hmmmm...Good question, but how dare you ask that here.

Yeah, you should probably just ask it every other post for the next couple of months.  It is a new and relevant topic that hasn't been discussed ad nauseum here.  Willie is our resident Captain Obvious.

[GGGG]

Yeah, you should probably just ask it every other post for the next couple of months.  It is a new and relevant topic that hasn't been discussed ad nauseum here.  Willie is our resident Captain Obvious.

Not to mention that the problem isn't the question, but when the only answer from willie is "IT'S INEXCUSABLE!!!" it gets a little old.

[Lennys Tap]

Why can't MU recruit bigs?  I can't imagine that all of the (good) 3 stars, 4 stars, and 5 stars are going places where they will start from day 1.  Are bigs afraid to come to MU, where there is little competition at the 4 and 5 spot?

Yes, with few exceptions (Gardner,Otule,Taylor, McKay) they're afraid to come to MU. Thanks for figuring it out, we can finally put the topic to rest.

[bilsu]

Why can't MU recruit bigs?  I can't imagine that all of the (good) 3 stars, 4 stars, and 5 stars are going places where they will start from day 1.  Are bigs afraid to come to MU, where there is little competition at the 4 and 5 spot?

A lot of bigs would rather play in a Syracuse zone or just stay under the basket to block shots. Buzz has Otule and Gardner playing defense all over the floor. I do not know if this is a problem in recruiting, but if you just want to play down low on defense you probably do not want to play for Buzz, which would further limit the bigman pool to recruit from.

[Rockmic87]

A lot of bigs would rather play in a Syracuse zone or just stay under the basket to block shots. Buzz has Otule and Gardner playing defense all over the floor. I do not know if this is a problem in recruiting, but if you just want to play down low on defense you probably do not want to play for Buzz, which would further limit the bigman pool to recruit from.

Crean had no success with Bigs as well!

[Stretchdeltsig]

And when we do recruit "bigs" MU lists their heights several inches smaller on the roster.  Who's responsible for the MU roster and specifically the listed player heights.  Please update the heights for this year's team.

[Dawson Rental]

Why can't MU recruit bigs?  I can't imagine that all of the (good) 3 stars, 4 stars, and 5 stars are going places where they will start from day 1.  Are bigs afraid to come to MU, where there is little competition at the 4 and 5 spot?

I can think of three reasons currently.

  1) No recent history of a MU big making it in the NBA.  Was McCaskill (recruited by O'Neill) the last one?

  2) Negative recruiting, i.e. the Buzz is going to Texas rumor promulgated by certain other schools.

  3) Buzz's unwillingness to take just anyone based on size and reputation.  (Lammers? O'Mara?)