Stop defending the "STARTING" unit.

[GGGG]

I like how the team plays hard, but if Thomas and Anderson continue to get starter minutes, we don't have a lot of upside.  I'd like to see the kids play more and take their lumps now.  It will pay off in the long run.

Juan Anderson was miles better than Burton tonight.  Not even close.  I can understand Jake Thomas, but Juan Anderson isn't playing poorly.

For sh*ts and giggles....Juan is just slightly behind what Trent was bringing last year.

http://statsheet.com/mcb/players/compare?add=trent-lockett&i=1&p1=juan-anderson

[brandx]

Juan Anderson was miles better than Burton tonight.  Not even close.  I can understand Jake Thomas, but Juan Anderson isn't playing poorly.

For sh*ts and giggles....Juan is just slightly behind what Trent was bringing last year.

http://statsheet.com/mcb/players/compare?add=trent-lockett&i=1&p1=juan-anderson

+1

[madtownwarrior]

well stated, appears to be a wasted season unless something changes...

and no significant front court returning next year or incoming recruits, could be another wasted season..

                       Min   FG    3pt    FT    OR  DR  REB  AST  STL  BLK  TO   PF  PTS
Jake Thomas,  G  26   0-1   0-1    0-0    0    2    2     1      0     0     1     5    0
Derrick Wilson, G  39   1-5   0-0    1-1    0    3    3     1      0     0     2     3    3

That's 65 min of basketball, 1-6 FG, 0-1 3pt, 5 reb, 2 ast, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 3 TO, 8 PF, 3 pts

If the frontcourt was this unproductive, we would not get to 10 points.
It's not like this is the first game with this production.  I just don't get it.  No way the freshmen aren't an improvement.
Season is heading south in a hurry.  Need to try something different.

[jesmu84]

Buzz is playing who gives him the best chance to win. Could jjj and dawson put up better offense than the starters? Maybe. Could jjj and dawson play better defense? No. So is buzz going to trade an almost guaranteed defensive drop for a possible offensive boost? Clearly he's not willing to roll the dice and I can't say I blame him. Now, the freshmen could improve their defense in the coming weeks or months and then I'd be on your side. Right now, the current high mpg guys are giving mu a better chance to win. In February? It may be a different dynamic. Just hib a have to live with it for now.

[GGGG]

Buzz is playing who gives him the best chance to win. Could jjj and dawson put up better offense than the starters? Maybe. Could jjj and dawson play better defense? No. So is buzz going to trade an almost guaranteed defensive drop for a possible offensive boost? Clearly he's not willing to roll the dice and I can't say I blame him. Now, the freshmen could improve their defense in the coming weeks or months and then I'd be on your side. Right now, the current high mpg guys are giving mu a better chance to win. In February? It may be a different dynamic. Just hib a have to live with it for now.

Agreed.  And JJJ's defense has already improved.

[tower912]

The best player on the team is starting.   JWilson has to play with the passion, confidence and leadership that Dekker is showing.   If that happens, so much other stuff will fall into place. 

[brandx]

The best player on the team is starting.   JWilson has to play with the passion, confidence and leadership that Dekker is showing.   If that happens, so much other stuff will fall into place. 

Except not without a PG who initiates offense.

[4everwarriors]

The best player on the team is starting.   JWilson has to play with the passion, confidence and leadership that Dekker is showing.   If that happens, so much other stuff will fall into place. 

Yeah, one's a 5th year senior, the other's a soph.

[Let's Go Warriors]

MU lost to a top 10 team on the road.   Sucked.   I want Jamil and Davante to play hard every possession.  I want Todd to grow up.   Checking.....nope, whining didn't change anything.   Sweet 16, Sweet 16, Elite 8.   Buzz didn't suddenly turn stupid.   He has reasons for his starting line up.  

I get what you are saying.  I understand, I really really do.  Buzz knows this team better than anyone.  Buzz however, last I checked is not Jesus Christ.  He makes mistakes like the rest of the earths population.  This notion that you can not question anything he does and use that at the sole reason is getting old.  What he is doing right now is simply not working against anything resembling a high major basketball program. 

[4everwarriors]

Ya can't play 2.5 on 5 offensively and beat good teams. Defenses are saggin' off both guards and cloggin' the paint.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Ya can't play 2.5 on 5 offensively and beat good teams. Defenses are saggin' off both guards and cloggin' the paint.

blatantly false.  Gasser was all over Jake today. 

[tower912]

I get what you are saying.  I understand, I really really do.  Buzz knows this team better than anyone.  Buzz however, last I checked is not Jesus Christ.  He makes mistakes like the rest of the earths population.  This notion that you can not question anything he does and use that at the sole reason is getting old.  What he is doing right now is simply not working against anything resembling a high major basketball program. 

It seems to be the fan's right to question every move a coach makes that doesn't work out to a given fan's expectation.   Buzz's track record means I am going to cut him some slack.   Dawson was on the court for about 2 minutes today and looked scared.   DuWilson isn't ready.   So, changing PG's right now is just dumb.   Todd was not available today.   Taylor was not available today.   JJJ was unproductive while he was out there.   So Buzz stuck with the guy who knows where he supposed to be on Defense.     Deonte was productive offensively.   However, once you are down double digits against Wisconsin, having a defensive liability on the floor just so he can make free throws if fouled is not a good choice.   
    First off, I still believe in this team.    Right now, the guys we were counting on to produce regularly are only producing erratically, and nobody wants to grab the bull by the horns and take over.   I said before, I will say again.   If Jamil played with the passion, energy, and leadership shown by Dekker today, MU's problems go away.   He is the one guy on the team who has the ability to put the team on his back.   But, as a 5th year senior, he still committing the same stupid fouls he committed as a sophomore.   DG is playing like he has senioritis.   If he had CO's motor, heart, and desire, he would be all-world.   Not seeing it.   Those two guys step up, and the rest of the pieces fall into place.   
    The other thing that occurs is that this is the first team Buzz has had without JUCO's or a first year transfer who was playing with something to prove.   He seems lost without that junkyard dog.   

[GGGG]

I agree with you tower but....Jamil was huge today.  Had one bad foul early, one understandable foul later in the first half, but played like a beast the rest of the game.

[MU82]

You cannot win high-level college hoops with a starting backcourt that produces 3 pts, 0 assists and 0 steals in 65 combined minutes. You can't.

To me, the most amazing thing about this game is that we actually had a chance down the stretch despite Derrick and Jake doing squat for 65 minutes.

I will admit that I don't know what the answer is. The gut says Buzz should play JJJ, Dawson, Burton, Duane when healthy -- anyone! -- because Derrick/Jake would combine for about 20 minutes on any good team in the country (as they did last season for a good Marquette team).

But Buzz, like any coach, wants to win. And, based on the hours and hours and hours he spends watching the kids in practice and on film, he obviously doesn't believe they are ready to help the team win. Throw in Mayo's situation, and the options aren't great.

We think we're going crazy, so just imagine how crazy Buzz is going. Pssst ... he actually wants to win more than we do!

[jeffreyweee]

I'd like to see:

Derrick (28)       Dawson/Duane (12)
Mayo (30)         JJJ (10)
Anderson (25)    JJJ/Burton(15)
Jamil (30)          Stevie(10)
Gardner (28)      Otule(12)

If one of the guards / forwards is having a good game leave them in. But the way our current rotation sets up we seem to have an "explosive unit" off the bench and a "defensive unit" starting. We need to meld those units. Those saying that Burton and JJJ don't play defense well enough yet the best experience is game experience. You can only simulate so much in practice. Jake's 30 minutes going to someone like Mayo/JJJ will already make this team more explosive. Mayo, when his head is on right, is a ball hawk defender and one of the best ball deniers I've seen. Maybe what he needs to get his head on right is some serious play time.

I do think Buzz is guilty of having player crushes where he favors some over others because of practice work and not game production. He's always had weird-ass starting line-ups, though, and we just have to deal with it.

[chapman]

Derrick (2.8)       

Fixed.

[MU82]

I do think Buzz is guilty of having player crushes where he favors some over others because of practice work and not game production. He's always had weird-ass starting line-ups, though, and we just have to deal with it.

Well, one of his player crushes is Derrick. We all know that. Last season, Buzz said repeatedly Derrick "should" start over Junior. But did Derrick start? No. Did Derrick even play really meaningful minutes most big games? No. Why? Because Buzz wants to win and isn't going to play an inferior guy if he believes he has a better option.

[NersEllenson]

                       Min   FG    3pt    FT    OR  DR  REB  AST  STL  BLK  TO   PF  PTS
Jake Thomas,  G  26   0-1   0-1    0-0    0    2    2     1      0     0     1     5    0
Derrick Wilson, G  39   1-5   0-0    1-1    0    3    3     1      0     0     2     3    3

That's 65 min of basketball, 1-6 FG, 0-1 3pt, 5 reb, 2 ast, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 3 TO, 8 PF, 3 pts

It's not like this is the first game with this production.  I just don't get it.  No way the freshmen aren't an improvement.

Nothing more needs to be said.  It is absolute horsesh$t.  WTF is Dawson supposed to be able to show in 2 minutes of PT today?  Koenig got a lot of run, and quite frankly was better than Derrick.  We are 9 games in, lost all 4 against 3 decent teams and 1 very good team WI.  It isn't freaking working.  Derrick is so limited offensively it just kills the other players on the floor.  And having Derrick, Jake, Juan and Chris playing together is just a formula for disaster - it's no wonder Jamil is having a hard time getting off.  If you were an opposing coach squaring off against that starting lineup - who are you going to focus on shutting down??

I love Buzz as much as anyone, but I am absolutely baffled by his continued insistence to trot out this totally ineffective lineup, and dole out 39 minutes to Derrick Wilson...it's an absolute f'in joke.

[GGGG]

Nothing more needs to be said.  It is absolute horsesh$t.  WTF is Dawson supposed to be able to show in 2 minutes of PT today?  Koenig got a lot of run, and quite frankly was better than Derrick.  We are 9 games in, lost all 4 against 3 decent teams and 1 very good team WI.  It isn't freaking working.  Derrick is so limited offensively it just kills the other players on the floor.  And having Derrick, Jake, Juan and Chris playing together is just a formula for disaster - it's no wonder Jamil is having a hard time getting off.  If you were an opposing coach squaring off against that starting lineup - who are you going to focus on shutting down??

I love Buzz as much as anyone, but I am absolutely baffled by his continued insistence to trot out this totally ineffective lineup, and dole out 39 minutes to Derrick Wilson...it's an absolute f'in joke.

Simple...He's the best PG on the roster right now.

He thinks so much of Dawson, that even when he was in the game in the first half, Jamil ran the point.  That should tell you something.

[NersEllenson]

Buzz's track record means I am going to cut him some slack.   Dawson was on the court for about 2 minutes today and looked scared.     
  .   

Agree with bolded - but, I'll tell you what - Dawson only saw the ball maybe 2 times on offense in his 2 minutes, the man he defended did nothing.  He's never looked scared for a moment.  Derrick was on the court for 39 minutes today and looked scared - that's the truth...didn't DO JACK on the offensive end, and totally hinders the rest of the guys playing with him.  Nice kid, but he's a back up PG at best at this level.  Period.

[NersEllenson]

Simple...He's the best PG on the roster right now.

He thinks so much of Dawson, that even when he was in the game in the first half, Jamil ran the point.  That should tell you something.

Answer this question Sultan, seriously - How could Dawson be any worse than Derrick's stat line today, or for the season for that matter??  I mean throw the kid out there for 30 minutes and see WTF happens...it really can't get any worse.  I just want the benchmark of Dawson getting 30 to see what would happen. 

Buzz definitely can be stubborn, and there is nothing that makes him happier than proving people wrong - which is what would happen if Derrick actually stepped up and played at a modest level.  I suspect Buzz's patience, loyalty and even stubbornness are eroding at this point. 

[jesmu84]

Agree with bolded - but, I'll tell you what - Dawson only saw the ball maybe 2 times on offense in his 2 minutes, the man he defended did nothing.  He's never looked scared for a moment.  Derrick was on the court for 39 minutes today and looked scared - that's the truth...didn't DO JACK on the offensive end, and totally hinders the rest of the guys playing with him.  Nice kid, but he's a back up PG at best at this level.  Period.

I can remember at least one 3pt play derrick had when he drove the lane. So your assessment isn't totally accurate.

[GGGG]

Answer this question Sultan, seriously - How could Dawson be any worse than Derrick's stat line today, or for the season for that matter??

You are email buds with Mr. Brent Williams...why don't you ask him?  He's the only one that matters.

[NersEllenson]

I can remember at least one 3pt play derrick had when he drove the lane. So your assessment isn't totally accurate.

Well, if you want to split hairs that finely - I'd sure hope a point guard who gets 39 minutes of run could accomplish the above feat.  Nonetheless, he was only able to convert at a 20% clip - missed his 4 other attempts trying to do the same thing.

[Otule's Glass Eye]

The other thing that occurs is that this is the first team Buzz has had without JUCO's or a first year transfer who was playing with something to prove.   He seems lost without that junkyard dog.   

F'n Jameel.