Need Malek H.

[raul]

This team is too soft. We have bigs but they are too soft. Davavnte is a good rebounder and scorer but a step slow on defense. Where are the block outs by the seniors? The blocked shots? Stop blaming D.Wilson (who granted is limited in talent) we need the seniors to take the lead and be aggressive. I think a bad boy in Malek would be good for MU. I am tired of being bullied by other teams in the middle and in the post.

[BCHoopster]

He might be a bully off the court, have you seen him play yet?  There will be a great need for a Jae Crowder type player next year.

[jesmu84]

Hold on... it's bad enough we're making statements that kids who aren't currently getting playing time (Dawson) are significantly better than kids with more experience and Buzz's faith that are actually on the court (DeWil)... now we're going to say our saviors are kids who aren't even here yet?! What in the world is going on lately? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! This is back-up QB syndrome gone mad. I sincerely hope this is a troll....

[real chili 83]

Hold on... it's bad enough we're making statements that kids who aren't currently getting playing time (Dawson) are significantly better than kids with more experience and Buzz's faith that are actually on the court (DeWil)... now we're going to say our saviors are kids who aren't even here yet?! What in the world is going on lately? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! This is back-up QB syndrome gone mad. I sincerely hope this is a troll....

Didn't you know, the sky is falling.

Run for your lives!

Agreed, this is getting old.

[NavinRJohnson]

Hold on... it's bad enough we're making statements that kids who aren't currently getting playing time (Dawson) are significantly better than kids with more experience and Buzz's faith that are actually on the court (DeWil)... now we're going to say our saviors are kids who aren't even here yet?! What in the world is going on lately? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! This is back-up QB syndrome gone mad.

That's right, we also need Philip Flory to knock down 3s, and as someone posted yesterday,  Reily LaChance to be a leader and a winner.

[Brewtown Andy]

Hold on... it's bad enough we're making statements that kids who aren't currently getting playing time (Dawson) are significantly better than kids with more experience and Buzz's faith that are actually on the court (DeWil)... now we're going to say our saviors are kids who aren't even here yet?! What in the world is going on lately? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! This is back-up QB syndrome gone mad. I sincerely hope this is a troll....

Not to mention kids who aren't guaranteed to attend MU.

[chapman]

Though I agree we could use a cocky SOB or two, since when does having a beer or a little of that stuff that's legal in Colorado make someone a tough physical bad boy?

Not to mention kids who aren't guaranteed to attend MU.

And who aren't even playing high school ball their senior year.

[Aircraftcarrier]

Lets keep taking cheap shots on high school players.In my opinion MU should have signed Riley LaChance.He is in the mold of Rick Olson,Frank Seckar and Travis Diener.How did those guys turn out as college players?I am not sure why Mu signed 2 point guards in the same class with Wilson and Dawson.The way the game is played you need some players that can make the 3 pt.shot.More teams are going to play zone now because of the way the game is called.

[GGGG]

Lets keep taking cheap shots on high school players.In my opinion MU should have signed Riley LaChance.He is in the mold of Rick Olson,Frank Seckar and Travis Diener.How did those guys turn out as college players?I am not sure why Mu signed 2 point guards in the same class with Wilson and Dawson.The way the game is played you need some players that can make the 3 pt.shot.More teams are going to play zone now because of the way the game is called.

To play devil's advocate here, they have two PGs in this class...and one in 2015.  I think there were concerns about his combination of size and quickness.  Furthermore I think we are seeing in Jake Thomas what a shooter without quickness gets you.

[NavinRJohnson]

Lets keep taking cheap shots on high school players.In my opinion MU should have signed Riley LaChance.He is in the mold of Rick Olson,Frank Seckar and Travis Diener.How did those guys turn out as college players?I am not sure why Mu signed 2 point guards in the same class with Wilson and Dawson.The way the game is played you need some players that can make the 3 pt.shot.More teams are going to play zone now because of the way the game is called.

Wilson made 60% of his 3pt in HS, and is a better shooter than LaChance. Riley is a nice player, but just wasnt Buzzball material. Would MU be better off now or in the future with LaChance instead of Dawson? I guess I don't see how.

[Aircraftcarrier]

Please do not compare Riley LaChance to Jake Thomas.Have you seen LaChance play?LaChance is a high major recruit at the D1 level.Jake is a walk on.Larry Bird was real fast.How about Matt Thomas?Guess you didn't want him either.We need some players that can shoot the ball.Do not need all athletic players.

[GGGG]

Please do not compare Riley LaChance to Jake Thomas.Have you seen LaChance play?LaChance is a high major recruit at the D1 level.Jake is a walk on.Larry Bird was real fast.How about Matt Thomas?Guess you didn't want him either.We need some players that can shoot the ball.Do not need all athletic players.

OK...I can't compare LaChance to Jake Thomas, but you can compare him to Larry Bird....who was a 6'9" forward???

I am just telling you why I believe that Buzz wasn't interested.

[Freeport Warrior]

To simply call one a walk-on and the other a high D1 recruit would be lazy analysis.

I've seen Riley play since 7th grade since my kids are in BC system. Most people are surprised he went high D1 because while he is a very good player, he lacks great athleticism. He has high basketball IQ and is a very good shooter and hard worker. He really gets everything out of his ability. He had an amazing summer on the AAU circuit and he really exploded. Personally, I think it would have been a big gamble to sign him considering how Buzz runs his system. Bo and Gard were at a lot of his games, and there was no offer. Crean and Pitino (MN) had a private workouts and didn't offer. But in recruiting, all it takes is one coach to fall in love with you.  I have no doubt we will be more than happy with Duane Wilson, who can do everything Lachance can, and them some. That is no knock on Riley, I just think Wilson's ceiling is higher.  And while I'm no big fan of Jake, I would say he is more athletic and a far better defender than Riley, but that could just be age at this point. By my eyes, I would say they are both comparable long-range shooters. I think Riley has a much better driving game and knows how to score other ways than shooting 3s. Riley has more confidence and it shows. Who knows how it may change at the next level. I know the college game stats don't bear it out, but Jake is a good long-range shooter, that is why Buzz has him on the floor. Maybe he's a head case during games and will never be the shooter he is in practice?? I know I've told this story before, but during camp a few years back, Jake was helping my son in a 3-point drill and my son hit 9 in a row. Jake asked my son what he thought his (Jake's) personal record of made 3s in a row was. It was something like 58. Personally, I would like to see Jake off the bench for some heat checks — ride him when he's hot, put him on the shelf when he's not. We all have opinions, but at the end of the day, I trust Buzz and keep reminding myself of what MU Bball life was like in 1988.

[wadesworld]

LaChance was very close to getting an offer from Marquette.  In fact, he may have received a conditional offer.  If dominoes had fallen in a different way with a couple of Marquette freshman/2014 commits/2015 commits, Riley would have had an offer.  Whether or not he had accepted it I do not know.  Buzz was at multiple open gyms at BC this past summer.

As far as his game goes I agree he is obviously not the most athletically gifted player in the world, but he is a very polished offensive player.  While he is obviously nowhere near as good nor will he ever be near as good, he plays much like a much shorter Doug McDermett (spelling).  He scores the ball in every way, from 5 feet behind the 3 point line to posting up, can hit a step back fadaway mid range jumper, etc.  What he lacks in athleticism he makes up for in court vision and IQ.  Completely opposite of his father (which who knows, maybe that's part of why Buzz and Bo didn't go all in), he seems to have his head on very straight.

[Dawson Rental]

Lets keep taking cheap shots on high school players.In my opinion MU should have signed Riley LaChance.He is in the mold of Rick Olson,Frank Seckar and Travis Diener.How did those guys turn out as college players?I am not sure why Mu signed 2 point guards in the same class with Wilson and Dawson.The way the game is played you need some players that can make the 3 pt.shot.More teams are going to play zone now because of the way the game is called.

If you don't want to see "cheap shots" taken at HS players perhaps you should stop setting them up as saviors.

And while I'm on the subject of setting up HS players as saviors, is it really your opinion, Raul, that a 6'7", 200 pound recruit is what MU needs to stop its upperclassmen from getting bullied in the paint?

[tower912]

Unless you are Kentucky or are very lucky, freshmen are rarely saviors.    If Mr. Harris does what he needs to do to get to MU, then I will look forward to watching him play.   But I do not expect him to be a program changer.   I will continue to say this, MU needs to take it's summer trip next year so that all of the incoming frosh and sophs to be can all get on the same page.   Their readiness dictates next year's outcome. 

[brewcity77]

I haven't watched LaChance, but the staff watched him extensively and never offered. Heard a few times that MU was where he really wanted to go, so I think if Buzz wanted him he could have had him at any time. The kid clearly has some ability based on what scouts were saying and how he improved his stock, but I think it's pretty significant that he didn't end up with much high-major interest.

Now that Buzz has started recruiting at a higher level regularly, he seems more able to pick the type of players that fit the style he wants to play. I think we got a glimpse of that when Jae and DJO were upperclassmen because through JUCOs, he really had all his kind of guys. Going by reports, LaChance has the passing and shooting Buzz covets, but lacks a bit in the quickness and length that guys like Duane Wilson and Nick Noskowiak have. Both of those two excel at pushing the pace and I'm not sure that's LaChance's game. That's not to say he can't be a fine player at Vandy, just that Buzz already had Wilson and Dawson this year, another guy with some experience at the point in Cohen in 2014, and Noskowiak in 2015. That makes the point less of a priority in 2014 than a dominant scorer like Hill, a purebred switchable like Shayok, or a big like Pierce.

[Dawson Rental]

It's interesting that almost no one talked about LaChance when Aircraftcarrier started a thread on him then when Raul starts a thread on Harris, LaChance becomes the dominate topic.  I guess that people needed to sit with the LaChance suggestion awhile.

[GooooMarquette]

Not sure how a kid who is in high school would make up for any perceived lack of toughness in our seniors.

As for the next couple of years, we already have a kid with plenty of muscle and toughness on the bench - Deonte.  He may not be a savior this year, but he sure helps.  And as the next couple of years go on, he could very well set the tone inside....

[ZiggysFryBoy]

If only we had Flory this year, imagine the banners going up.

[icheights]

Is this thread a joke?

[wildbillsb]

Yep.

[forgetful]

While we are playing the imaginary members of this years team game...We need.

Travis Diener PG
Wesley Matthews SG.

[MU82]

If only we had Flory this year, imagine the banners going up.

Don't forget Zaire Wade.

Guaranteed Final Four this year if we had him.

[raul]

The front court should be our strength this year but it has been disappointing. When we had JUCOs like Jae, Lazar and Butler they had that edge and toughness that is missing this year. I think Deonte is that kind of person but at 6"4" there is only so much he can do. We have the talent to be really good but for some reason its been a struggle.  I hope we don't get or butts kicked by UW.