Marquette Memories Vol. I - Favorite role players

[77ncaachamps]

I actually always liked Dan Fitzgerald. Smart guy. Decent jumper. Worked hard. Chicos-style traditional. Also really liked David Cubillan. Joe Fulce.

Some notable role player performances.... Mike Kinsella jacking up three 3 pointers in one game and making ALL of them

Amoroso playing out of his mind and scoring 30 points and grabbing 12 boards to win us the Great Alaskan Shootout http://www.gomarquette.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/112705aaa.html

I was going to mention Fitz but I thought he was more than a role player.

Talk about a role player who may have contributed more to MU if he stuck around: Odartey Blankson.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

Another favorite of mine.....  The Grimm Reaper

[keefe]

Majerus does not come out looking good in this article.

Man, I just finished reading the article and the opinion piece. Those writers eviscerated Majerus for doing what Crean and Bert did routinely. The world has become a less civil place.

[WadeATKBurton]

The FRESHMAN Steve Novak was a hell of a role player.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

The FRESHMAN Steve Novak was a hell of a role player.

Perhaps best role player ever in an MU uniform. 

[WadeATKBurton]

Perhaps best role player ever in an MU uniform. 

I agree

[dgies9156]

The late Gary Rosenberger.

Need a long-range jumper? Dial up Gary to loosen defenses.

Never started -- was behind Jimmy Boylan, Butch Lee and Lloyd Walton. But was a heck of a player. And he was graduated from MU too!

[TheBurrEffect]

What exactly are we classifying as a role player? Numerous starters have appeared.

[Tugg Speedman]

What exactly are we classifying as a role player? Numerous starters have appeared.

If a role player is defined as a non-starter, then isn't Devante Gardner about the most productive non-starter in MU history?

Will MU ever again have a non-starter as it's leading scorer?

[Tums Festival]

Always liked Tony Reeder, a.k.a. Boardman Jr. Great energy and great rebounder.

[willie warrior]

+1 for Nnamaka. Was he really a role player though? He wasn't a star, that's for sure, but he was a glue guy as he did a lot of dirty work.

+10 for Faisal. I cringed when he went to the line, but grinned when the opposing post players couldn't get past the brick wall that was Abraham. Unfortunately linked to the phantom foul that led to VT beating MU for the NIT championship.

Joe Chapman and Rob Logterman. The dudes stepped up and hit big shots and put up points when you didn't expect them to. They were also pretty steady ballhandlers.

Clausen was a beast on the boards.

Nnamaka played when the team really honked. We had no real stars. Poor defender but great name.

[willie warrior]

Faisal Abraham.  Didn't put up with any b.s. from some of those thug-like Cincy teams.  He was a starter his senior year but mainly a great backup.  Averaged like 5+ boards and 2+ blocks a game only averaging 15 minutes or so.

Was faisal the worst FT shooter ever, or was it Abel Joseph?
Wonder how their FT stats compare to Derricks'?

[willie warrior]

How about these blasts from the past:
Tom Copa; Vic Lazaretti; Dwayne Streeter; John Polonowski(maybe Wojo could hire him for the Polish connection); Dan Smolinski. Now that is a good smorgasbord of ethnic charm. Anybody remember an American Indian or Hispanic player to fill the menu?

[willie warrior]

If a role player is defined as a non-starter, then isn't Devante Gardner about the most productive non-starter in MU history?

Will MU ever again have a non-starter as it's leading scorer?

likely.

[willie warrior]

How about the guy from Ohio, think his last name was Harrison that lasted about a year? He had the hot sister, IIRC, worked for CBS with first name of Jayne?

[warriorchick]

How about the guy from Ohio, think his last name was Harrison that lasted about a year? He had the hot sister, IIRC, worked for CBS with first name of Jayne?

You are thinking of Herb Harrison.  His sister was Jayne Kennedy. 

[Coleman]

What exactly are we classifying as a role player? Numerous starters have appeared.

Starter is fine, just not a star.

For a Bulls analogy: Luc Longley or Ron Harper, but not Scottie Pippen or Michael Jordan

[DUNKS45]

I have to agree with Rosenberger. R.I.P.

[Anti-Dentite]

Good call on Joe Chapman! That FF run doesn't happen without his big threes against Holy Cross.

GI Joe! Loved him. Guy did whatever was asked and never complained. Hit some huge shots in his career, still balling in Japan right now.

[MU82]

The freshman Novak represented my classic definition of a role player: a guy who was on the team to perform one specific role that nobody else could provide. He asbolutely would be my No. 1 choice.

I also dug Cubillan when he had his confidence and health. Barro was very underrated. My junior year, Brian Nyenhuis became a surprisingly important contributor. Plenty of others, too, but Novak by a mile.

[Anti-Dentite]

I'm also going to throw another of my all time favorites out there...Terry Sanders, the "Colonel" did all the little things nobody but a basketball junkie notices, solid, solid player. Then , I know he wasn't a role player but Kerry Trotter was the lone bright spot on some bad MU teams and I feel he single handedly kept MU from falling into oblivion during the dark ages.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

The freshman Novak represented my classic definition of a role player: a guy who was on the team to perform one specific role that nobody else could provide. He asbolutely would be my No. 1 choice.

I also dug Cubillan when he had his confidence and health. Barro was very underrated. My junior year, Brian Nyenhuis became a surprisingly important contributor. Plenty of others, too, but Novak by a mile.

I loved Cubillan.  He would get so fired up at times.  A few years ago, I was listening to the Marquette game on the radio.  It was against a non conference opponent, and I know that they sometimes have others doing the color commentary during the beginning of the season.  George Thompson fills in once in awhile.  But anyways, Cubillian was the fill in for the game.  If you know Cubillian, his English isn't the greatest, so it was hilarious listening to him do analysis of a game with Homer. 

[🏀]

Cubillan for doing the worm alone.

[Boozemon Barro]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOusmane Barro.

Yup

[Nukem2]

The late Gary Rosenberger.

Need a long-range jumper? Dial up Gary to loosen defenses.

Never started -- was behind Jimmy Boylan, Butch Lee and Lloyd Walton. But was a heck of a player. And he was graduated from MU too!

Rosey was the sixth man on those teams.  Not really a role player as he was an integral part of the rotation and a serious scoring threat.  Bill Neary was the role player then (even if he did start).