Markel Starks offers template for JJJ and others

[MU82]

Georgetown's stud guard was a Scout 4-star who hardly played as a freshman (9.7 mpg). Each succeeding year he played more, scored more, contributed more. Turned himself into a heck of a college guard.

There are plenty of similar examples, but I had to look up Starks after I saw Raftery's pregame interview of him in which Starks' career development was highlighted.

I like to think JJJ, Duane, Dawson and even Burton can develop like this, too.

[mattyv1908]

If I could trade one player in the BE for one of our players it'd be Markel Starks for Derrick Wilson.  We'd be easily dancing and a legit sweet 16 or better team this season.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

If I could trade one player in the BE for one of our players it'd be Markel Starks for Derrick Wilson.  We'd be easily dancing and a legit sweet 16 or better team this season.

IDK, Bryce Cotton and Semaj Christon make compelling cases as well

That kind of trade would also require several first round picks and cash considerations

[CTWarrior]

Georgetown's stud guard was a Scout 4-star ...

Really?  I watched the second half of the Georgetown game before ours last night and the announcers said that Georgetown was the only school to offer him, so I just assumed he was no 4 star.  Anyway, that is a heckuva player.

[MarsupialMadness]

Markel Starks is a great college guard... I always disliked him, but that's more a compliment to him than anything else. 

Bryce Cotton is awesome and very entertaining to watch.  I would love having a player like that on the team I root for. 

But that's what this team was missing was a strong senior leader in the backcourt... so of course we would welcome them with open arms.

[nyg]

Per Rivals in 2010:

Starks: #80 overall, 4 star

Cotton: Not ranked.  Now that was a find......

[MarsupialMadness]

Markel Starks is a great college guard... I always disliked him, but that's more a compliment to him than anything else. 

Bryce Cotton is awesome and very entertaining to watch.  I would love having a player like that on the team I root for. 

But that's what this team was missing was a strong senior leader in the backcourt... so of course we would welcome them with open arms.

That being said, I'd probably take Vander over them both.

[CTWarrior]

That being said, I'd probably take Vander over them both.

Not me.  Not taking anything away from Vander, who was a great SG last year, but my favorite kind of player is the guy that can control the game from the PG position.  Watching those guys and Napier at UConn really makes me jealous.  We had that great run of PGs from Tony Miller through DJ, I loved all those guys.

[BCHoopster]

College is a point guard league, our point guard has gotten burned by every point guard he is against.  People talk about his D, sure it might be fine, but against good points the scoring is 25 for the other team and 4 or 5 points for Derrick.  Change that around and we would be a good team.  Secondly, if Dawson D is not that good, so maybe the point would get 28 against him, but
he would score 10-12 so the imbalance would be better playing Dawson.

[wardle2wade]

College is a point guard league, our point guard has gotten burned by every point guard he is against.  People talk about his D, sure it might be fine, but against good points the scoring is 25 for the other team and 4 or 5 points for Derrick.  Change that around and we would be a good team.  Secondly, if Dawson D is not that good, so maybe the point would get 28 against him, but
he would score 10-12 so the imbalance would be better playing Dawson.

Would have been interesting to see how Duane Wilson would have turned out this year had he not been injured.  One silver lining is has given Dawson more of a chance to develop this year.

[🏀]

If I could trade one player in the BE for one of our players it'd be Markel Starks for Derrick Wilson.  We'd be easily dancing and a legit sweet 16 or better team this season.

Starks, eh?

I don't know, I think Doug McDermott would be pretty good too.

[hoyasincebirth]

Really?  I watched the second half of the Georgetown game before ours last night and the announcers said that Georgetown was the only school to offer him, so I just assumed he was no 4 star.  Anyway, that is a heckuva player.

Markel went to Georgetown Prep. He dreamed of playing at Georgetown his entire life. I wouldn't be surprised if no one else bothered to offer since he was always a lock for Georgetown. He was decently rated at points in his high school career but he committed to us and his stock dropped as a result.

[Nukem2]

Starks was #94 in the composite RSCI rankings for 2010, just ahead of UW star Evan Anderson () and Syracuse standout C.J. Fair  So, I would say he was a 4 star.   (  MU's Jamail Jones was #74).

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Really?  I watched the second half of the Georgetown game before ours last night and the announcers said that Georgetown was the only school to offer him, so I just assumed he was no 4 star.  Anyway, that is a heckuva player.

I didn't watch the GT game, but they announcers were saying the same thing about Cotton...he had 1 D1 offer.

[NersEllenson]

Starks, eh?

I don't know, I think Doug McDermott would be pretty good too.

McDermott is a great player of course, yet for this MU team...we need a Cotton or Starks a lot more than a McDermott.  Put Starks or Cotton in place of Derrick....and the team is a Final Four LOCK.  To think we've been as competitive as we have been, with arguably the most challenged PG in the Top 100 of college basketball teams..trading him out with a guy who can score 18-24 and break down a defense off the dribble...with Davante down low...Jamil on wing...Jake as a great 3 point shooter when given time to load and fire...

Wow...Final Four LOCK..

[Nukem2]

McDermott is a great player of course, yet for this MU team...we need a Cotton or Starks a lot more than a McDermott.  Put Starks or Cotton in place of Derrick....and the team is a Final Four LOCK.  To think we've been as competitive as we have been, with arguably the most challenged PG in the Top 100 of college basketball teams..trading him out with a guy who can score 18-24 and break down a defense off the dribble...with Davante down low...Jamil on wing...Jake as a great 3 point shooter when given time to load and fire...

Wow...Final Four LOCK..

NCAA lock for sure...Final 4..well, that takes good matchups and some luck as well as some good fortune along the way

[Lennys Tap]

McDermott is a great player of course, yet for this MU team...we need a Cotton or Starks a lot more than a McDermott.  Put Starks or Cotton in place of Derrick....and the team is a Final Four LOCK.  To think we've been as competitive as we have been, with arguably the most challenged PG in the Top 100 of college basketball teams..trading him out with a guy who can score 18-24 and break down a defense off the dribble...with Davante down low...Jamil on wing...Jake as a great 3 point shooter when given time to load and fire...

Wow...Final Four LOCK..

Ners, you have made some good (and not so good) arguments on this board. Except for when you're beating the same dead horse hundreds of times I look forward to reading your posts. But to suggest that a "starting 4" team of Jake Thomas, Todd Mayo, Jamil Wilson and Davante with John D, JA, Deonte and Chris in reserve would be a lock final four team with Martel Starks or Bryce Cotton at the point is insane. Would any of Jamil, Davante, Todd or Jake even start on Kansas, Florida or many other talented teams? No way. The only guy on our team who is above average at his position for a top 75 team is Davante and he only plays one end of the court. Making the Final four with a top 20 point guard, an outstanding offensive post, two average starters and one below average starter would be a pipe dream rather than a lock. I seriously hope you were kidding.

[NersEllenson]

Ners, you have made some good (and not so good) arguments on this board. Except for when you're beating the same dead horse hundreds of times I look forward to reading your posts. But to suggest that a "starting 4" team of Jake Thomas, Todd Mayo, Jamil Wilson and Davante with John D, JA, Deonte and Chris in reserve would be a lock final four team with Martel Starks or Bryce Cotton at the point is insane. Would any of Jamil, Davante, Todd or Jake even start on Kansas, Florida or many other talented teams? No way. The only guy on our team who is above average at his position for a top 75 team is Davante and he only plays one end of the court. Making the Final four with a top 20 point guard, an outstanding offensive post, two average starters and one below average starter would be a pipe dream rather than a lock. I seriously hope you were kidding.

All due respect Lenny - I think you greatly undervalue, the value of a great point guard - or even just a good one.  We made the Elite 8 last year with the same cast minus Blue, Cadougan and Lockett.  Mayo essentially has replaced what Blue did last year - see new thread post.  Burton would be better than anyone who came off the bench last year.  Starks or Cotton would be a very big upgrade from Cadougan.  Lockett, drove most everyone here crazy for 3/4s of the season - and was a glue guy. 

My post was dead serious.  I just don't think you realize how much Derrick's limitations have handicapped the other 4 guys on the floor with him - mostly DAvante, Jamil, but also Todd and Jake.

[NersEllenson]

Added comparison between Vander, Cotton, Starks and Cadougan here....pretty startling how good Starks and Cotton are in comparison to Junior, and Vander - but to a lesser extent Vander..

http://statsheet.com/mcb/players/compare?add=junior-cadougan&i=1&p1=vander-blue&p2=bryce-cotton&p3=markel-starks

[jesmu84]

McDermott is a great player of course, yet for this MU team...we need a Cotton or Starks a lot more than a McDermott.  Put Starks or Cotton in place of Derrick....and the team is a Final Four LOCK.  To think we've been as competitive as we have been, with arguably the most challenged PG in the Top 100 of college basketball teams..trading him out with a guy who can score 18-24 and break down a defense off the dribble...with Davante down low...Jamil on wing...Jake as a great 3 point shooter when given time to load and fire...

Wow...Final Four LOCK..

That's an interesting point you raise. A lot of those stupid blame threads have come up, and in those, some have blamed Buzz. I would say Buzz does deserve some blame for the playing time, and roster make-up. But, if our roster/playing time is so bad, then doesn't he deserve ridiculous praise for making us this competitive with such player shortcomings?

[NersEllenson]

That's an interesting point you raise. A lot of those stupid blame threads have come up, and in those, some have blamed Buzz. I would say Buzz does deserve some blame for the playing time, and roster make-up. But, if our roster/playing time is so bad, then doesn't he deserve ridiculous praise for making us this competitive with such player shortcomings?

Yes and no...because he is at the helm and has full control over how he doles out playing time.  After so much evidence the season was going to be a struggle if a change wasn't made at PG - I'd say that's on him for not making the change.  Yet given then, that he hasn't made the change - yes, I'd say he does deserve credit for the team being as competitive as it has been in that he himself acknowledges we are playing 4 on 5 on the offensive end. 

Now, if Derrick's D were of a superhuman value that it essentially resulted in us playing 6 on 5 on the defensive end...I'd have no problem/criticism.  Yet as we know, there is such a thing as "help defense."  No such thing as "help offense."  Defensive limitations can be hidden/helped a lot more easily than offensive...and there is no more important position on a basketball court on the offensive end of the game than PG...

[Silkk the Shaka]

Final Four lock is a stretch. I'd put money on at least a S16 repeat with Starks at the helm though. And Davante would have put up monster numbers.

[mu-rara]

Final Four lock is a stretch. I'd put money on at least a S16 repeat with Starks at the helm though. And Davante would have put up monster numbers.

HUGE stretch.

[Silkk the Shaka]

HUGE stretch.

Like, 7th inning stretch? Or Armstrong, Stretch?

[NersEllenson]

HUGE stretch.

How so?  Put an all-american caliber PG on this team along with Davante, Mayo, Jamil, Burton?  HUGE stretch..especially considering team reached Elite 8 with a mediocre PG last year?