Big East Tourney strategy..

[ChicosBailBonds]

Buzz's standard lineups handled Xavier pretty good last time. And now they are missing Stainbrook. I don't expect much to change.

However, if we do see Creighton in the second round...we gotta try something new.

I would start with a memo to the coaching staff that having Davante get 2 FG attempts in one game and 3 FG attempts in the other game against Creighton might not cut it.   

[brandx]

I would start with a memo to the coaching staff that having Davante get 2 FG attempts in one game and 3 FG attempts in the other game against Creighton might not cut it.   

Maybe a second memo stating that gving up 35 three point attempts in the 1st game and 29 in the 2nd won't cut it either.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Maybe a second memo stating that gving up 35 three point attempts in the 1st game and 29 in the 2nd won't cut it either.

That one seemed way too obvious to even point out....I'm pretty sure the YMCA girls youth U-8 team coach knows that one, but you are right.   Attack their weakness with Gardner, take away their strength with 3 point shooting and make them put the ball on the deck.  I know Buzz knows this, for whatever reason we didn't do this.

[Golden Avalanche]

Maybe a second memo stating that gving up 35 three point attempts in the 1st game and 29 in the 2nd won't cut it either.

How about a third memo never to slack off of Wragge? MU seemed to be only program in America who didn't know Wragge is best shooter in all of the land. Open looks all day in the Bradley Center.

[CTWarrior]

How about a third memo never to slack off of Wragge? MU seemed to be only program in America who didn't know Wragge is best shooter in all of the land. Open looks all day in the Bradley Center.

So do you want Gardner to play a lot or do you want Wragge covered?  We will struggle to do both. 

I think Otule shouldn't play much against Creighton, either.  Might be Steve Taylor Jr's time to shine.  I'd also want to see a lot of Burton in that possible matchup.

They are a very bad matchup for us.  Juan would help stop the barrage of 3s, but then provide nothing on the other end.  We probably have to end up living/dying with Gardner, pounding it into him as much as possible and hope they don't bury too many 3s when he can't out to guard them.

[DienerTime34]

Who played best to the scouting report in practice = starters.

[4everwarriors]

Assuming a win on Thurs. is a given, is a big mistake.

[NersEllenson]

So do you want Gardner to play a lot or do you want Wragge covered?  We will struggle to do both. 

I think Otule shouldn't play much against Creighton, either.  Might be Steve Taylor Jr's time to shine.  I'd also want to see a lot of Burton in that possible matchup.

They are a very bad matchup for us.  Juan would help stop the barrage of 3s, but then provide nothing on the other end.  We probably have to end up living/dying with Gardner, pounding it into him as much as possible and hope they don't bury too many 3s when he can't out to guard them.

I'd have to think Burton would be the best option with regard to covering Wragge - Burton more mobile than Davante obviously - and as much as Wragge can cause problems for us - Creighton has no one that can match up with Davante.  We need Davante on floor with Mayo and Jake as much as possible to help take double team pressure off...and I'd certainly like to see Dawson get run against Creighton as that would further help prevent collapsing on DG...and Creighton does not play a pressure variety of defense that has been a concern for some with regard to Dawson.

[NersEllenson]

Who played best to the scouting report in practice = starters.

We better get better scouting reports and/or implementation of scouting reports because it sure hasn't translated into our games very well...particularly against Creighton.

[MU82]

I'd have to think Burton would be the best option with regard to covering Wragge - Burton more mobile than Davante obviously - and as much as Wragge can cause problems for us - Creighton has no one that can match up with Davante.  We need Davante on floor with Mayo and Jake as much as possible to help take double team pressure off.

Not saying I disagree with a word of this, but then whom does Davante defend? McDermott?

I guess I'd at least try a triangle-and-2, with Jamil primarily on McDermott and Burton/Juan never leaving Wragge for even one second. The problem with this is that the players haven't done this at all this season, and it's not easy to ask your players to try something totally new in the 33rd game.

Creighton presents the single biggest conundrum for us this season because we must have Gardner on the floor against their D, but he cannot defend the opposing team's center, who has absolutely killed us from downtown.

If we get past X, of course.

[chapman]

Assuming a win on Thurs. is a big ?

A win on Saturday is big.  The rest is fodder.

[GooooMarquette]

I guess I'd at least try a triangle-and-2, with Jamil primarily on McDermott and Burton/Juan never leaving Wragge for even one second. The problem with this is that the players haven't done this at all this season, and it's not easy to ask your players to try something totally new in the 33rd game.

I agree that this might be worth a shot.  Davante and Chris simply can't cover Wragge or McD on the perimeter.  Jamil, Deonte and Juan are the players with the combination of length and quickness that would seem to give us the best chance of challenging these guys.

If either of our regular season games vs Creighton has even been moderately close, I wouldn't want to try such a dramatic change in game #33.  But they handled us so easily both times that a big change might be worth a try.

[Windyplayer]

A win on Saturday is big.  The rest is fodder.

Winning a game to get you within 2 games of an NCAA berth is big. Winning a game to get you within 1 game of an NCAA berth is really big. Winning a play-in game on Saturday is huge.

[brandx]

Not saying I disagree with a word of this, but then whom does Davante defend? McDermott?

I guess I'd at least try a triangle-and-2, with Jamil primarily on McDermott and Burton/Juan never leaving Wragge for even one second. The problem with this is that the players haven't done this at all this season, and it's not easy to ask your players to try something totally new in the 33rd game.

Creighton presents the single biggest conundrum for us this season because we must have Gardner on the floor against their D, but he cannot defend the opposing team's center, who has absolutely killed us from downtown.

If we get past X, of course.

Not just Gardner - I still have images burned into my brain of Otule, arms flailing, running at Wragge as he buries another one.

[CTWarrior]

Assuming a win on Thurs. is a given, is a big mistake.

Totally agree.  Don't think anyone here thinks that.  Without the big guy, the XU game is a 50/50 proposition, I think.  If we do clear that hurdle, however, Creighton represents a much, much more difficult matchup for us.

[mu03eng]

You are much more likely to see a lot of minutes out of Burton than you are Dawson.

I think in the game against X, nothing will change especially with Derrick since he's kept Christon in check both games.

If we play Georgetown nothing will change.  If we play Creighton, I think we will see a relatively significant change.  Probably more Dawson and Deonte than any other match up and a lot less Otule.

[GooooMarquette]

Totally agree.  Don't think anyone here thinks that.  Without the big guy, the XU game is a 50/50 proposition, I think.  If we do clear that hurdle, however, Creighton represents a much, much more difficult matchup for us.

Yep.  As fans, we have the luxury of looking past as many games as we want without it having one iota of impact on the team.  X will be a difficult game - Mack is probably preaching to them that they still need to win to be a lock - but I like our chances with Stainbrook out.

I'd be a lot more worried if Buzz was the one talking today about how to guard McD and Wragge.

[swoopem]

You are much more likely to see a lot of minutes out of Burton than you are Dawson.

I think in the game against X, nothing will change especially with Derrick since he's kept Christon in check both games.

If we play Georgetown nothing will change.  If we play Creighton, I think we will see a relatively significant change.  Probably more Dawson and Deonte than any other match up and a lot less Otule.

I haven't chimed in on the whole Derrick debate but he did not keep Christon in check during the first game. I'm going off memory here, but I think he put up something like 26 points on us and laced 3 or 4 dagger 3s right in Derrick's face in the last 5 minutes. The second game he played great defense; the first not so much.   

[BM1090]

I haven't chimed in on the Derrick debate but he did not keep Christon in check during the first game. I'm going off memory here, but I think he put up something like 26 points on us and laced 3 or 4 dagger 3s right in Derrick's face in the last 5 minutes. The second game he played great defense; the first not so much.   

If the threes were "right in derrick's face", then he played good defense. Some games guys hit tough shots.

[Benny B]

Burton deserves 20+ minutes. Dawson doesn't.

The pros/cons of this can be summed up in about 8 seconds.

http://www.youtube.com/v/PmEvxswn4IY

[mattyv1908]

I think Burton is a guy that Buzz can tell him that he's staying in the game as long as he's inside either Wragge or McDermott's jersey.

He's actually not a bad one on one defender and his anticipation and first step quickness creates a lot of deflections/steals on passes.

Plus he likes to score, and tying his offensive time on the court to a specific defensive task would keep him motivated.

[swoopem]

If the threes were "right in derrick's face", then he played good defense. Some games guys hit tough shots.

He played bad defesne that game. Christon went 8-10 from the field, 3-3 from 3, and put up a career high 28 points. He had an "on night" while Derrick had an "off night". It happens.

[Atticus]

X is currently favored by a point.

[Windyplayer]

X is currently favored by a point.

Given our last two losses have been in double OT by a point, it would be foolish to predict anything else.

[willie warrior]

Not just Gardner - I still have images burned into my brain of Otule, arms flailing, running at Wragge as he buries another one.

Wragge is about 6'6". This is not tough to figure out. You put Jamil on McBuckets and either Burton, Juan when in, or Mayo on Wragge. Otule/Gardner guards one of the other players. Other than Otule/Gardner and Derrick, all the rest are switchables anyway, right?