Creighton Thoughts

[GooooMarquette]

Last night, my 12 year old daughter who knows nothing about basketball asked me, "Dad, why isn't the other team standing near number 12?".  

I hope you said "Because they're more worried about his driving and passing than his shooting."  I hope you also explained that #12 is the only guy who can run the offense without becoming a turnover machine, and is one of the few MU players who still plays defense....

[CTWarrior]

In the previous 5 games, Wragge's 3-point shooting went like this: 1-for-3, 3-for-5, 1-for-4, 0-for-4, 1-for-2.

Problem is Gardner can't guard him.  And we need Gardner to score, and they wisely pack it in and take away Gardner when they play us.

One other note.  Creighton is well aware of our tendency to switch immediately when screened and used it successfully extensively to get mismatches.  How many times did Derrick Wilson end up trying to stop McDermott inside?  

You are right that they're not some unbeatable juggernaut.  I've basically seen them play extensively just four times.  The games against Villanova and the games against us.  They looked like a juggernaut in all of those games.

[MarquetteDano]

One other note.  Creighton is well aware of our tendency to switch immediately when screened and used it successfully extensively to get mismatches.  How many times did Derrick Wilson end up trying to stop McDermott inside?  

Or Jake.  Buzz got completely schooled on the switches.  That is not on the players.  How can you blame D Wilson or J Thomas for doing what Buzz said?  Then on top of it there was no help on many of those.

[madtownwarrior]

How were the Creighton fans in attendence?   I know they are a rabid fan base and pack their house.

The ones by me were a bit on the douchy side - standing up and looking back into the Marquette crowd to interact on every big Creighton play (and there were a lot).   By the second half, MU fans from a section over were yelling at them to sit down.

They were a bit above the "zealous fan" cheering level and more into the I want to taunt the opposing fans level...

Funny part - a few of them even said they didn't attend Creighton...

[willie warrior]

I hope you said "Because they're more worried about his driving and passing than his shooting."  I hope you also explained that #12 is the only guy who can run the offense without becoming a turnover machine, and is one of the few MU players who still plays defense....

Or maybe it is they are more worried about our inside game and have no respect that the PG can make a 15 foot shot at better than a 15% clip. Amazing a 12 year old gets it but several others do not.

[79Warrior]

I just think any time the result is the WORST EVER IN RECORDED HISTORY, perhaps something could have been done differently to prevent that result.

Of course, I have no idea what the answer is and won't pretend to know.

what is more amazing about that result is it was at home. One would certainly not expect to see that type of defensive performance on your own floor. Road wins are tough and they got the job done against a MU team that really needed a big win.

[GooooMarquette]

Or maybe it is they are more worried about our inside game and have no respect that the PG can make a 15 foot shot at better than a 15% clip. Amazing a 12 year old gets it but several others do not.

The 12 year old gets that they weren't covering him outside...but I hope her father did a better job of explaining why than you would have.  Like you said, lots here don't get it.  Count yourself among them.

[MerrittsMustache]

Sorry, gentlemen, it did happen.  On my other side, my 16 year old son, who does know about basketball, was screaming about the officiating and that's what got her to look up from texting every so often, leading to the question.

As I said, I love his effort but his performance on the offensive end is just so tough to watch and easy to see.

1) Tell your son that screaming at the officials from the stands does no one any good and makes him look a fool.

2) If it's so easy to see the problem, what's the solution?

[NavinRJohnson]

This board really has become a sad and pathetic place thanks to the incessarnt bitching and whining of a few (in their mothers' basements).

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

How were the Creighton fans in attendence?   I know they are a rabid fan base and pack their house.

The ones by me were a bit on the douchy side - standing up and looking back into the Marquette crowd to interact on every big Creighton play (and there were a lot).   By the second half, MU fans from a section over were yelling at them to sit down.

They were a bit above the "zealous fan" cheering level and more into the I want to taunt the opposing fans level...

Funny part - a few of them even said they didn't attend Creighton...

The fans behind the bench by the student section were awful. Nothing quite like taunting 18-22 year old kids when your a middle aged male or female. When MU cut it to 4 and McDermott hit that 3 over Jamil with like 2 on the shot clock one of them literally looked over at us flipped us off and told us to sit down...

[GooooMarquette]

This board really has become a sad and pathetic place thanks to the incessarnt bitching and whining of a few (in their mothers' basements).

Yep.  "The season is over."  "Our players suck."  "Our coach plays the wrong lineup."

Must be fun people to hang around...you know, when they get up from their mothers' basements.

[Big Papi]

My thoughts:

Overall, I don't think we played that badly last night but far from great and against a good team like Creighton, MU can't afford to slip up. 

We won our last 2 games against Xavier and Seton Hall for 2 primary reasons.
1. We were lights out at the free throw line.  vs X (24-27) vs SH (30-34)
2. We were able to hit some timely threes.  vs X (9), vs SH (5)

Against Creighton we were 20-36 at the line and only hit 2 threes to their 12 (a 30 point difference).

So, if our free throw shooting and our three point shooting was more in line with how we played against Xavier and Seton Hall, this game goes to the wire.  And to put our free throw shooting and the overall 3 point shooting in a different perspective, for much of the game, Creighton's 3 point shooting percentage was better than our free throw percentage.  YUCK!!

Bottom line, you can't give away points against a team that is better than you and expect to win.

[MarquetteDano]

The fans behind the bench by the student section were awful. Nothing quite like taunting 18-22 year old kids when your a middle aged male or female. When MU cut it to 4 and McDermott hit that 3 over Jamil with like 2 on the shot clock one of them literally looked over at us flipped us off and told us to sit down...

Didn't see a lot that type of stuff in section 218.  My biggest issue with Blue Jays fans was in Anaheim.  Did not cheer for Marquette at all in that tourney.  They completely sat on their hands after their game against George Washington when we played San Diego State.  We needed all the help we could get because the Aztec fans totally outnumbered us.

I will chalk it up to being in a new conference.  But outside of hated rivals, you cheer for your conference against other conferences.  Period.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

So noted--except it absolutely did happen on numerous occasions. At least 3 times when he was down low on the baseline, and at least 3 times when he was dribbling at the FT line. His defender was sagged at least 3 feet off. C-mon man!

I think they were referring to Hum's story about his 12 year old daughter. Not the sagging of D Wilson

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Didn't see a lot that type of stuff in section 218.  My biggest issue with Blue Jays fans was in Anaheim.  Did not cheer for Marquette at all in that tourney.  They completely sat on their hands after their game against George Washington when we played San Diego State.  We needed all the help we could get because the Aztec fans totally outnumbered us.

I will chalk it up to being in a new conference.  But outside of hated rivals, you cheer for your conference against other conferences.  Period.

I really want to give them the benefit of the doubt and say it was only a few bad eggs but it left such a bitter taste in my mouth. They were worse then Louisville fans.

[willie warrior]

Yep.  "The season is over."  "Our players suck."  "Our coach plays the wrong lineup."

Must be fun people to hang around...you know, when they get up from their mothers' basements.

Warning: GooooGOOMarquette is the surrogate Buzz.

[GGGG]

Well, as I predicted, it took less than half a day to come to PG defense.

I will when people misguidedly label him as the problem.

[willie warrior]

I will when people misguidedly label him as the problem.

As when people misguidedly ignore the problems.

[GGGG]

As when people misguidedly ignore the problems.

Is Derrick's play a problem?  Well in some ways yes.  He is average at best...which I have been saying all year.

But is he *the* problem?  Oh hell no.  But he gets in inordinate amount of the blame.

[NavinRJohnson]

As when people misguidedly ignore the problems.

Which in your odd little basketball world appears to mean not irrationally obsessing about it.

[MerrittsMustache]

As when people misguidedly ignore the problems.

What's the solution? And why?

[Warrior Farls]

[quote author=MUtbone link=topic=42100.msg571893#msg571893
Basically have to win at Nova and then sweep MSG (20+ wins) to make it into the dance. Tall order for this team.

We can lose at Nova and lose the rest of our regular season games and we will still make the tourney if we sweep MSG.

[willie warrior]

Which in your odd little basketball world appears to mean not irrationally obsessing about it.

Nice diagnosis, Mr. armchair Psychologist. Hope you are not a practicing one, because you would be losing your butt!!!

[humanlung]

I hope you said "Because they're more worried about his driving and passing than his shooting."  I hope you also explained that #12 is the only guy who can run the offense without becoming a turnover machine, and is one of the few MU players who still plays defense....

Yeah, pretty much.  Sigh...

[humanlung]

1) Tell your son that screaming at the officials from the stands does no one any good and makes him look a fool.

2) If it's so easy to see the problem, what's the solution?

1)  We were at home.  And he knows that, has since he was a little guy.  Lighten up, Francis.  Other than that, thanks for the parenting advice.

2)  I don't know.  Was just highlighting the point.  I think De Wilson's a great effort guy (always have), he's just a little weak in some key areas, unfortunately.