2016 guard Mustapha Heron visiting MU

[brewcity77]

I heard he committed

Heron? Committed where? He doesn't have any official visits until the end of the month.

[GGGG]

Heron? Committed where? He doesn't have any official visits until the end of the month.

I'm wondering if he heard something about Bailey. 

[brewcity77]

I'm wondering if he heard something about Bailey.

Was one of my first thoughts as well, though if he has, it's still being kept quiet. That said, it wouldn't be the first time Wojo landed a commitment on campus and the guy didn't announce immediately (Anim, Carter both come to mind).

[Jay Bee]

Exactly right. Pomeroy has been tracking individual offensive efficiency for 13 years. Here are the top offensively efficient seasons for Marquette starting point guards in that time:

1) 126.6, Travis Diener, 2005
2) 124.5, Travis Diener, 2004
3) 117.1, Maurice Acker, 2010
4) 116.3, Travis Diener, 2003
5) 104.9, Dominic James, 2006
6) 104.7, Dominic James, 2008
7) 104.0, Dominic James, 2009
8) 102.3, Dominic James, 2007
9) 101.2, Dwight Buycks, 2011
10) 99.0, Derrick Wilson, 2015
11) 96.1, Junior Cadougan, 2013
12) 94.6, Derrick Wilson, 2014
13) 92.0, Junior Cadougan, 2012

So what does this tell us? First, Travis Diener was REALLY effing good. Second, that compared to their counterparts, Junior and Derrick were both pretty darn bad. Junior has two of the three worst seasons in the past 13 years and in his best season, he produced 5 fewer points per 100 possessions than anyone else we had at the position not named Derrick Wilson. And not only was Junior our least offensively efficient starter, he was also probably the worst man-to-man defender on this list. Certainly the worst of guys that started more than one season (I don't remember Acker being a particularly good defender either).

I generally agree with your comments herein and know that you understand what I'm about to say, but for others... I think it's important to also consider the player's usage along with ORtg.. for a '05 Deiner, you're talking about a 30%+ possession & %Shots guy.. he was excellent (in the games he played)... to have a 126.6 ORtg, but a %Poss similar to a '15 De Wilson, for example (sub-15% poss, 12% Shots) would mean something very different to the team.

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I believe most (in their words and/or minds) understate the impact on the offense De Wilson had... the low %Shots illustrate how little he was involved, but watching how defenses played him (i.e., a description of "sagging" doesn't do it justice).... his offensive issues impacted the team offense far more than his personal ORtg did...

I don't mean this in an overly hopeful way, but even with a lot of youth *injection*, I'm looking for the offense to perform at a significantly higher level than 2014-15.

[brewcity77]

I generally agree with your comments herein and know that you understand what I'm about to say, but for others... I think it's important to also consider the player's usage along with ORtg.. for a '05 Deiner, you're talking about a 30%+ possession & %Shots guy.. he was excellent (in the games he played)... to have a 126.6 ORtg, but a %Poss similar to a '15 De Wilson, for example (sub-15% poss, 12% Shots) would mean something very different to the team.

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I believe most (in their words and/or minds) understate the impact on the offense De Wilson had... the low %Shots illustrate how little he was involved, but watching how defenses played him (i.e., a description of "sagging" doesn't do it justice).... his offensive issues impacted the team offense far more than his personal ORtg did...

I don't mean this in an overly hopeful way, but even with a lot of youth *injection*, I'm looking for the offense to perform at a significantly higher level than 2014-15.

Agreed, it's not as cut and dried as the ORtg, which would pretty clearly indicate Derrick was better on offense than Junior. He wasn't, though I would still argue when you factor defense Derrick was probably break even with Junior in overall game impact.

But this isn't about Junior vs Derrick. This was more meant to illustrate that both of them pale in comparison to our starters of the past 13 years (and beyond). Honestly, would anyone take Junior over Diener, James, Henry, Hutchins, Miller, or Smith? Hell no. And I think anyone would be crazy to take him over Acker or the converted SGs Anglavar and Buycks that were forced into the position for a year each.

In the past 28 or so years, we've had 11 different primary PG starters and I think it's a tough case to argue him as being any higher than 10th on that list. If anyone wants to say Junior is better than Derrick, fine. But even then he's still the second worst PG we've seen in more than a generation. Yes, we need better than Derrick, but we need better than Junior too.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Care to elaborate on that? Who said it, is it listed anywhere, who told you?

Pretty sure he's joking

[MUCrew]

I am. Get back on topic

[Galway Eagle]

Here's what I don't get if junior was that equivalent to Derrick then was Vander really the difference between elite 8 big east championship and barely making it above 500 and not even making the nit?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Here's what I don't get if junior was that equivalent to Derrick then was Vander really the difference between elite 8 big east championship and barely making it above 500 and not even making the nit?

Derrick isn't equivalent to junior. Both were just bad PGs. And yes, Vander's departure was a much bigger factor than Junior's.

[Galway Eagle]

Derrick isn't equivalent to junior. Both were just bad PGs. And yes, Vander's departure was a much bigger factor than Junior's.

I agree derricks not equivalent but it seems to be the point being made. So if that is the point they're arguing wouldn't that mean that Vander alone was the difference between one our best years and the worst year we'd had in 12 years

[brewcity77]

Here's what I don't get if junior was that equivalent to Derrick then was Vander really the difference between elite 8 big east championship and barely making it above 500 and not even making the nit?

With the rules changes that year, I think Vander was the difference between a Final Four team and not even making the NIT. He would have thrived on the contact rules that came in that season and been a dominant college player as a senior. He also likely would have spent a good portion of time at the point, lessening the impact Derrick had. Not only was Vander rapidly improving, but he was the prototypical player to benefit from the changes made in 2013-14.

[NotAnAlum]

I guess I don't understand the point of the Derrick comparisons. 

Read what I wrote.  I'm not comparing him to Derrick.  I'm saying that his driving ability made him a very serviceable Big East PG.  If Traci can drive like Junior and distribute like Junior then we'll be fine even if he can't shot from 3.  Therefore we only had 2 years of an inadequate point guard (who's name I won't mention lest I throw you off track).  And to further prove my point they were the 2 years we had losing records.

[GooooMarquette]

I heard he committed

Given the direction this thread has taken, you might want to clarify who you mean by "he."

[Spotcheck Billy]

The latest from zagsblog: Mustapha Heron has a top five, but the 6-foot-5 wing out of Sacred Heart (CT) High School admits that his list of St. John's, Auburn, Mississippi State, Marquette and Alabama could still change.

Heron's father, Bryan, was quoted in the Republican-American newspaper earlier this week as saying that Kentucky, Duke and North Carolina are also recruiting his son.

"My options are staying open, but those are the five I'm most comfortable with and the places I feel like I can go and have a huge impact right away," Heron told SNY.tv Friday afternoon at practice for Saturday night's Big Strick Classic at Gauchos Gym in the Bronx.

"The list could change depending on a lot of things. Coaches coming in, coaches leaving, players leaving, coming in. It all depends on what's going on at each specific school."

[JakeBarnes]

The latest from zagsblog: Mustapha Heron has a top five, but the 6-foot-5 wing out of Sacred Heart (CT) High School admits that his list of St. John's, Auburn, Mississippi State, Marquette and Alabama could still change.

Heron's father, Bryan, was quoted in the Republican-American newspaper earlier this week as saying that Kentucky, Duke and North Carolina are also recruiting his son.

"My options are staying open, but those are the five I'm most comfortable with and the places I feel like I can go and have a huge impact right away," Heron told SNY.tv Friday afternoon at practice for Saturday night's Big Strick Classic at Gauchos Gym in the Bronx.

"The list could change depending on a lot of things. Coaches coming in, coaches leaving, players leaving, coming in. It all depends on what's going on at each specific school."

Good to see "most comfortable with." Wojo likes making the kids feel comfortable, so if comfort and impact are what Heron is looking for, this is a good start.

[GGGG]

Good to see "most comfortable with." Wojo likes making the kids feel comfortable, so if comfort and impact are what Heron is looking for, this is a good start.

Only when he's not playing mind games.

[wardle2wade]

@EvanDaniels: Source: Mustapha Heron, a five-star wing, has committed to Bruce Pearl and Auburn.

[fjm]

That's a pretty big bummer. On to the next.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Auburn?  Wow that's a bit of a surprise!  I never thought MU was the likely destination but Auburn seems a bit odd.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

@EvanDaniels: Source: Mustapha Heron, a five-star wing, has committed to Bruce Pearl and Auburn.

Dang. I didn't think we would get him. But I hoped he would end up at St. John's.

[GoldenWarrior11]

It appears ole Brucie had another one of his infamous barbeques this weekend at the Pearl residence.

[Spotcheck Billy]

@EvanDaniels: Source: Mustapha Heron, a five-star wing, has committed to Bruce Pearl and Auburn.

Aren't they under investigation?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

It appears ole Brucie had another one of his infamous barbeques this weekend at the Pearl residence.

Aren't they under investigation?

We joke about this, but Pearl better make sure every t is crossed and every i is dotted. The NCAA will be watching him like a hawk. If he steps one toe out of line, they will drop the banhammer on him without a second thought

[4everwarriors]

Next man up, hey?