Biggest Need on This Team?

[brewcity77]

Right now, if everything stays the same for next year, we have 12 scholarships accounted for. Here's the roster for 2016-17:

Freshman: Sam Hauser (SF)
Sophomores: Henry Ellenson (PF), Haanif Cheatham (SG), Traci Carter (PG), Sacar Anim (SF), Matt Heldt (C)
Juniors: Andrew Rowsey (SG), Duane Wilson (SG), Sandy Cohen (SF)
Seniors: Luke Fischer (C), Jajuan Johnson (SF), Wally Ellenson (SF)

With that in mind, we have one true point guard in Carter and three other guys who could possibly fill the role if needed in Cheatham, Wilson, and Rowsey. By the same token, we have one true power forward in Henry Ellenson and three other guys who could possibly fill the role if needed in Anim, Cohen, and Wally.

We have one scholarship available. If Wojo goes into the graduate transfer market, which would you prefer? A veteran point guard that could come in and run the offense or a power forward that could be that bruising, physical, rebounding presence we often seem to be lacking?

Maybe it's too early to discuss this, just wondering which need we feel is more pressing.

[esotericmindguy]

It's more than one position. I think PG is fine, because you can get away without a scoring PG. You absolutely CANNOT win in college basketball without the 3 point shot. MU was 0-9 until Ellenson hit that 3 with 2 minutes left. Obviously Seton Hall wasn't hitting either, but they rebounded nearly every 3 they missed. Unless you can recruit NBA talent at nearly every position like Duke, UNC, Kentucky, etc, But even those programs don't win championships without excellent 3 point shooters. Fortunately Wojo gets that, buzz did not.

That said, I think the team will be fine. They missed a lot of shots they normally hit and SH got in a Groove. SH is a good team.

[Daniel]

Hutspah. Swagger. Solid and consistent shooting.  Playing with their hair on fire for 40 minutes.

[tower912]

Guards aplenty next year.  Give me a rebounding beast.

[PGsHeroes32]

PF and it isn't even close.

And this is assuming Henry is back(he won't be).

I was never super thrilled with Rowsey but many people have been saying hes looked great.

Carter has a lot of time to improve. Duane will be an upperclassman. Haanif is already a stud at his game, maybe he does slowly add the PG element. He's a talented enough kid. And then there is a vet in Rowsey who will shoot and maybe be a good BE PG.

PF...we don't even have reasonable options. PG may come with a lot of "ifs". But at least there are options.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I'd like both. Wojo needs to widen his horizon a bit on he grad transfers next year. Go for the top tier, but keep guys in the next tier in mind as well.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I'd like both. Wojo needs to widen his horizon a bit on he grad transfers next year. Go for the top tier, but keep guys in the next tier in mind as well.

This assumes HE leaves, which I fully expect.

[Marqevans]

We need a Novak or Diener quality shooter!  This is getting so frustrating watching these guys bang shots off the rim. Meanwhile we don't get the rebound because we are running back on defense.

[tower912]

Rowsey is a Diener-esque shooter. 

[Class71]

Heart!

[NotAnAlum]

One thing that has been proven at MU beyond any doubt is that College B-ball is a guard's game.  All through the Crean era and much the Buzz's tenure we had great guards (especially point guards) but undersized front courts.  We used to always complain, "if we had a true center, if we had some size up front, yada yada".  We now we have it but don't have the good guard play and look at what happens.  Exhibit B is Buzz's last season.  The best scoring big man we've had in years backed up by a 6 year 6'10" center and another 6'7"low post player and what does it get us, a 500 season and no post season.  Its a guards game period.  If Traci was able to play like D James as a freshman or Diener as a freshman we'd be just fine.  Good tough guards can rebound but 6-10 guys can't drive and create.  That's what is missing.  Look at how often a SH guard drove and dished for an easy layup by anther player.  I like Haanif but once he goes to the lane he never passes.  Traci, well I hate to say it but, Derek would have created more shot opportunities than Traci did last night.  We realized that the biggest concern was experience at the point and we had to hope Traci was the second coming of DJ.  He's not and I'm very concerned that by the time he gets there the front court power will be gone. 

[brewcity77]

I've read the various responses and honestly, when I started this I didn't know what my own answer was. Thinking about it, I'd now say a power forward.

While we may lack an elite PG, I have confidence Traci will develop and we at least have viable alternatives in Duane, Haney, and Rowsey. I'm confident we'll have enough options at the point to compete next year. On the other hand, we don't have any alternatives at PF (Sandy, Anim, and Wally are very poor man's PFs) and no one at all that gives this team toughness.

If we added a PG, it'd be adding one guy to a group of players that can already play PG. If we added a gritty PF with toughness, it'd be adding one guy who was gritty with toughness to a group that has very little of that.

In recent years, we've really lost that toughness. This year, last year, even 2014, the guys we had up front (Otule, Jamil) were really nice guys and it showed. Gardner had the attitude, but it only carried through on one end. It's been a long time since we had guys like Crowder, Lockett, Butler, Hayward, and Burke, the guys who did the little things, the big things, and just loved to beat you. We need some grit.

[WarriorPride68]

C.) Student section

[tower912]

One thing that has been proven at MU beyond any doubt is that College B-ball is a guard's game.  All through the Crean era and much the Buzz's tenure we had great guards (especially point guards) but undersized front courts.  We used to always complain, "if we had a true center, if we had some size up front, yada yada".  We now we have it but don't have the good guard play and look at what happens.  Exhibit B is Buzz's last season.  The best scoring big man we've had in years backed up by a 6 year 6'10" center and another 6'7"low post player and what does it get us, a 500 season and no post season.  Its a guards game period.  If Traci was able to play like D James as a freshman or Diener as a freshman we'd be just fine.  Good tough guards can rebound but 6-10 guys can't drive and create.  That's what is missing.  Look at how often a SH guard drove and dished for an easy layup by anther player.  I like Haanif but once he goes to the lane he never passes.  Traci, well I hate to say it but, Derek would have created more shot opportunities than Traci did last night.  We realized that the biggest concern was experience at the point and we had to hope Traci was the second coming of DJ.  He's not and I'm very concerned that by the time he gets there the front court power will be gone.

Derrick would have created more shot opportunities, played better man defense, probably pulled down 5 rebounds.   But he wouldn't have made a jumper (oh wait, the entire team made 1 last night) and would have been vilified.    Having said that, I look forward to watching Traci develop. 

[Eldon]

Derrick would have created more shot opportunities, played better man defense, probably pulled down 5 rebounds.   But he wouldn't have made a jumper (oh wait, the entire team made 1 last night) and would have been vilified.    Having said that, I look forward to watching Traci develop. 

Uh-huh...yea....um....

[bilsu]

I looked at what Derrick did in the three games against Seton Hall last year.
First game, which we lost 10pts, 7 rbs, 8 assists
Second game (win) 1 pt, 6 rbs, 5 assists
Big East tournament win 7 pts, 4 rbs, 14 assists.

[The Lens]

We have PG options I. Duane, Traci, Haanif & Andrew. 

All we have for PF is Henry and it's no guarantee he's back. 

It's PF as the #1 need and it's not even close. 

[PBRme]

Game Coach

[El Duderino]

It's more than one position. I think PG is fine, because you can get away without a scoring PG. You absolutely CANNOT win in college basketball without the 3 point shot. MU was 0-9 until Ellenson hit that 3 with 2 minutes left. Obviously Seton Hall wasn't hitting either, but they rebounded nearly every 3 they missed. Unless you can recruit NBA talent at nearly every position like Duke, UNC, Kentucky, etc, But even those programs don't win championships without excellent 3 point shooters. Fortunately Wojo gets that, buzz did not.

Yep

It's not just the points which come off made threes, it also helps provide spacing so that defenses can't just pack the paint and make it harder for bigs to score.

Doesn't matter if it's college ball or the NBA, if a team consistently struggles to shoot from the perimeter, they are going to struggle to beat quality teams who can shoot.

The Bucks have a similar problem. In their starting lineup, MCW, Monroe, Giannis, and Parker all score best in the paint, but aren't good jump shooters. No surprise they are struggling to win.

Marquette has a roster full of smaller players who mainly want to score in the paint off the dribble and two bigs who want to score inside. Opposing coaches can obviously see this and thus are fine with just letting our players shoot jumpers so defenders can help inside.

[vogue65]

A better game plan and an alternative GP for the second half.

I have a feeling the team got a dressing down during half time, you know, grow up, man up, fight more, be more agressive, show some spunk, etc., etc.

Time would have been better spent working on a game plan, we did the same thing in the second half empty did in the first, only SH changed their game plan.

[mileskishnish72]

Well, if the guards we have can't score from outside, perhaps they could learn to make effective entry passes to the bigs we now (uncharacteristically) have. It seemed that  the entry passes that got there were outnumbered by those taken away. The second problem was that once the bigs got the rock down low, they couldn't finish well with contact. That half was stone-face ugly and there was no change or adjustment in the face of it, which is on Wojo and his staff. Can't throw these guys under the bus but I'm getting the idea that lots and lots of patience is going to be required.

[rocky_warrior]

I have a feeling the team got a dressing down during half time, you know, grow up, man up, fight more, be more agressive, show some spunk, etc., etc.

I think the "timeouts" that are broadcast are the worst thing for every coach.  What you hear there is NOT what coaches usually talk to the team about.  For the love of god, Willard was talking about Luke having a picnic or something.  It's OK if you don't like Wojos coaching, but don't believe for a second that the timeout look-ins are coaching.

[Jay Bee]

Better student section.

[MuMark]

This guy might be the point guard.......

http://www.sports360az.com/2016/01/markus-howard-sets-official-visits-possible-reclassification/

[4everwarriors]

Not if he pulls an Ellenson, hey?