Marquette's Flaws For Now And What They Mean ...

[Ellisium]

As bad as we looked at times, I would rank this game as our toughest test of the entire season.  Only our second game with a new coach and a young team going on the road against a far bigger and more talented team that will be in the mix for a Big Ten title.  So we lost by 11.  Last year we had a team that was light years ahead of this group, got OSU at home in front of a sellout crowd and they absolutely dismantled us in the second half to win by 17 and hold us to 35 points.  We clearly have some flaws but we will get better, Luke is going to help quite a bit and overall I am encouraged.

Wisconsin will be our toughest test.  Ohio St. played well, but they're weak inside being a guard oriented team.  I hate to say it, but Wisconsin is going to put a beating on MU with their height and our small rotation.  Ohio St. didn't pound the ball inside and won handily.  Wisconsin is a totally different animal with a much more balanced offense.  I'm already taking out health insurance for this game. 

[keefe]

To what?

To play better defense and score more points

[dgies9156]

I don't think any team has ever had a game plan that included "commit fouls."

You ever heard of "Hack a Shaq?"

[dgies9156]

My take on our first two games:

1) We have made a lot of silly errors related to inexperience. That was especially apparent in the OSU game. I was chided in here last year for acknowledging we were out of the tournament and needed to get JJJ, STjr and Deonte more time. The Hillbilly not doing that is coming home to roost.

2) Carlino is a leader. he had the right idea in reducing the deficit. The NCAA selection committee doesn't look at game film. It doesn't look at how the defense played in the last few minutes. It looks at results.

3) I'll be intrigued to see how this team plays differently once Luke Fischer arrives. I've got tickets to AZ State and I view this as the second season opener.

4) Overall, I'm encouraged. I see a coach that understands the dynamic of what's on the court from being a player. I also see a coach who was thought to be an average basketball player who "figured it out" and can impart that wisdom on his team. The differences in some of our team is stark. Some of it is a difference in style and approach from the Hillbilly to Wojo and some of it is just playing the game and "knowing."

5) I do think -- and its way early -- that the team plays better together this year than last. We'll see if this holds 10 games from now!

[MerrittsMustache]

You ever heard of "Hack a Shaq?"

I assume you're being facetious but...

Hack-a-Shaq was an in-game strategy. No team's primary gameplan is to foul.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

O.K., then let me say, play aggressive and if you get called for a foul, so be it.  Playing defensibly vs. aggressively is my point.  The goal to me was to not commit fouls at any cost, even giving up a basket uncontested....

Honestly, I don't think that was the strategy. I just think our bigs aren't very good at defense and weren't getting back. Luke is going to be a godsend for his defensive presence alone

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

To play better defense and score more points

By George! That's brilliant!

[Ellisium]

I just think our bigs aren't very good at defense and weren't getting back.

Bigs?  You mean big, right?  Steve Taylor is our only big at this point. 

[GooooMarquette]

As bad as we looked at times, I would rank this game as our toughest test of the entire season.  Only our second game with a new coach and a young team going on the road against a far bigger and more talented team that will be in the mix for a Big Ten title.  So we lost by 11.  Last year we had a team that was light years ahead of this group, got OSU at home in front of a sellout crowd and they absolutely dismantled us in the second half to win by 17 and hold us to 35 points.  We clearly have some flaws but we will get better, Luke is going to help quite a bit and overall I am encouraged.

Agree with most everything -- certainly last night was more promising than last season's dismantling by OSU...@ the BC...when MU had a FAR more experienced team.  Being on the road for the first time this season, with far less experience, far less size and our new coach's first test against a quality opponent, I'd say we showed reason for optimism.  Tighten up the D, get Luke in the lineup, and this could become a solid team.

Not sure it'll be our toughest test (UW-Madison, Nova and possibly MSU and/or Kansas), but it was a difficult road game and our team showed promise.

[frozena pizza]

This team is two big men away from winning the big east. I love this team but they are just too small

Add two of those Kentucky guys to any team in the Big East and you have a conference champion.

[Ellisium]

Sadly, Kentucky's bench is better than MU's starting 5. 

[MerrittsMustache]

Sadly, Kentucky's bench is better than MU's starting 5. 

Kentucky's bench is better than a lot of top 20 teams' starting 5.

[GGGG]

My take on our first two games:

1) We have made a lot of silly errors related to inexperience. That was especially apparent in the OSU game. I was chided in here last year for acknowledging we were out of the tournament and needed to get JJJ, STjr and Deonte more time. The Hillbilly not doing that is coming home to roost.

There is absolutely no proof of that whatsoever.  My guess is that the results would have been largely the same.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Just for reference, when we're talking about "Game Experience", here is how a player's season will break-down (roughly).

- A player spends approximately 37,440min. practicing in a year.

- Approx. 30 games in a season.

- If you give a player an extra 10mpg, that is a MAX of 300 additional minutes.

Certainly a "game minute" is more valuable than a "practice minute", but is it 125times more valuable? Would giving X player 10mpg last season really make him much better this season?

[dgies9156]

There is absolutely no proof of that whatsoever.  My guess is that the results would have been largely the same.

It's an OPINION!

I don't know whether game experience would matter this year, but I think it might have, which is why I said it. You may be right, but there can be no proof.

This isn't engineering, where we need emperical evidence for everything. It's basketball!

[MU82]

Too small. Too inexperienced. Some lack of discipline and patience. Some poor defensive mechanics. Some sloppiness. But mostly the first two "toos."

Better times ahead.

[MarqBB77-03]

Look at the box score and with a little better defense we win the game.  If we would have held them to 48% shooting overall and 40% from 3 pt. range we would have out scored them.  Defense can be taught and improved.

The offense was fine except for the shooting percentages of JJJ and Carlino.  They will have better shooting games.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Bigs?  You mean big, right?  Steve Taylor is our only big at this point. 

Well yeah. I meant what passes for bigs on our team. Steve, Juan, and Cohen.

[MU82]

Look at the box score and with a little better defense we win the game.  If we would have held them to 48% shooting overall and 40% from 3 pt. range we would have out scored them.  Defense can be taught and improved.

The offense was fine except for the shooting percentages of JJJ and Carlino.  They will have better shooting games.

OK, but what if Ohio State fans also look at the box score and say with a little better defense, they win the game by more. And if we don't score in garbage time, they win by more.

These exercises reveal little.

Ohio State is bigger, stronger, deeper and better than Marquette. I watched the game. I don't need to look at the box score to know all that (although I did).

[brandx]

There is absolutely no proof of that whatsoever.  My guess is that the results would have been largely the same.

I usually agree with you, but not here. Experience is extremely valuable in college. The result may have been similar but it would have looked a lot different with experienced guys on the floor. JJJ, Deonte, Steve - all need minutes to understand the college game. They could have gotten some of those minutes on a team last year that was out of the dance before mid-season. Defense is guys working together in game situations. This team hasn't had that yet.

I think the team we see in the 2nd half of the conference schedule to be much different than the team we saw last night, at least defensively.

[MerrittsMustache]

I usually agree with you, but not here. Experience is extremely valuable in college. The result may have been similar but it would have looked a lot different with experienced guys on the floor. JJJ, Deonte, Steve - all need minutes to understand the college game. They could have gotten some of those minutes on a team last year that was out of the dance before mid-season. Defense is guys working together in game situations. This team hasn't had that yet.

I think the team we see in the 2nd half of the conference schedule to be much different than the team we saw last night, at least defensively.

They're playing a different defense this season than they were last season. Also, Carlino and Cohen obviously weren't on the team last season and they played a combined 58 minutes last season. Unless a team is bringing back every major contributor (and the head coach), cohesiveness is going to be a rarity in game 2 of a season.

[MarqBB77-03]

OK, but what if Ohio State fans also look at the box score and say with a little better defense, they win the game by more. And if we don't score in garbage time, they win by more.

These exercises reveal little.

Ohio State is bigger, stronger, deeper and better than Marquette. I watched the game. I don't need to look at the box score to know all that (although I did).

With this team, I do think these exercises reveal something because we should see a big improvement over the season.  Especially with how the plays defense.

[MU82]

With this team, I do think these exercises reveal something because we should see a big improvement over the season.  Especially with how the plays defense.

The teams we will play down the line also should see improvement, no? Or are our guys the only ones who get to improve?

Oh, never mind. Let's do it your way, go back to yesterday and start over.

Let's pretend we played better defense (and pretend Ohio State didn't), and therefore we earned a valuable make-believe victory!

We're No. Wishful 1! We're No. Wishful 1!

[NersEllenson]

It's an OPINION!

I don't know whether game experience would matter this year, but I think it might have, which is why I said it. You may be right, but there can be no proof.

This isn't engineering, where we need emperical evidence for everything. It's basketball!

Here is what isn't an opinion:  This year's game against OSU, with a team that lost 72% of its scoring from last year, was a hell of a lot more enjoyable to watch than was the debacle of last year's 35 point effort.

And there were many here who agreed with you that last year's team didn't stand a snowballs chance in hell of making the NCAA with the lineup Buzz chose to roll out.  And another thing, playing in a game and under the lights is a hell of a lot different than practice.  Practices are broken down into shell drills, lots of halfcourt O and D work, inbounds plays, implementing scouting reports - practices in no way are reflective of what game minutes/experience are.

[BCHoopster]

Here is what isn't an opinion:  This year's game against OSU, with a team that lost 72% of its scoring from last year, was a hell of a lot more enjoyable to watch than was the debacle of last year's 35 point effort.

And there were many here who agreed with you that last year's team didn't stand a snowballs chance in hell of making the NCAA with the lineup Buzz chose to roll out.  And another thing, playing in a game and under the lights is a hell of a lot different than practice.  Practices are broken down into shell drills, lots of halfcourt O and D work, inbounds plays, implementing scouting reports - practices in no way are reflective of what game minutes/experience are.

They were 12 point dogs, they covered.