Friar musings

[jesmu84]

• Jajuan: Every time we needed a play, he made it. Filled the stat sheet tonight.
• End 1st OT: Maybe the worst sequence I've ever seen from Marquette basketball. Not sure what was worse, Sandy driving to the hoop or Haney getting the offensive board and putting it back up. No sense of time and situation.
• Dunn & Bentil: Both really good, though Bentil is the better college player and more deserving of BEPOY and any All-America awards. But man, PC drops off after that. I can't see a deep tourney run from a team that has no depth.
• Duane: He struggled all night, but I wanted it in his hands at the end. Going 4/4 from the line validated that. Kid is tough.

• Rebounding: It's so much better when we do it as a team. Cheatham and JJ really stood out in that regard tonight.
• Four-out/One-In: We played really well with one big in there. This is why I think we will be better next year with or without Henry. Hopefully Heldt can develop into a decent backup by next year. Looks like he's on his way.[/b]
  
• Traci: Kid really regrouped after a tough first half. Hit a big three, made his FTs down the stretch, and had 5 assists and I believe only the 2 first half turnovers.

Agreed on those 2. I pointed the first one out in the game chat. I started a thread on the second.

[RJax55]

I feel sorry for Sandy right now.  So snakebit.  He's got the yips.

Wally should be getting his minutes.

[connie]

• Jajuan: Every time we needed a play, he made it. Filled the stat sheet tonight.
• End 1st OT: Maybe the worst sequence I've ever seen from Marquette basketball. Not sure what was worse, Sandy driving to the hoop or Haney getting the offensive board and putting it back up. No sense of time and situation.
• Dunn & Bentil: Both really good, though Bentil is the better college player and more deserving of BEPOY and any All-America awards. But man, PC drops off after that. I can't see a deep tourney run from a team that has no depth.
• Duane: He struggled all night, but I wanted it in his hands at the end. Going 4/4 from the line validated that. Kid is tough.
• Rebounding: It's so much better when we do it as a team. Cheatham and JJ really stood out in that regard tonight.
• Four-out/One-In: We played really well with one big in there. This is why I think we will be better next year with or without Henry. Hopefully Heldt can develop into a decent backup by next year. Looks like he's on his way.
• Traci: Kid really regrouped after a tough first half. Hit a big three, made his FTs down the stretch, and had 5 assists and I believe only the 2 first half turnovers.

Agree with all.  Well said.

[MU82]

• End 1st OT: Maybe the worst sequence I've ever seen from Marquette basketball. Not sure what was worse, Sandy driving to the hoop or Haney getting the offensive board and putting it back up. No sense of time and situation.

Buycks -- a future NBA player -- did the same against Louisville. And that cost us the game.

[MU82]

15. We need some coaching put into them. How in the world do they not realize to not shoot? This is the 4th(?) time this season this has happened.
16. I'm seriously debating not watching another game this season, its so ugly

15. First, it had little to nothing to do with coaching. Second, name the other three.

16. Don't. Go root for Notre Dame. We won't miss you.

[Marcus92]

4.  Luke's foul trouble influenced the game immensely.  And 2 of them were ridiculously bad calls.

Agree. Not Luke's best game, fouling out and committing 4 turnovers. But I don't think we win without him. He still logged 25 minutes, 12 points and 10 boards (4 offensive). The team looked good on the offensive glass.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

That's the 3rd game this year I didn't watch a minute of. The other two, Providence and Butler. I'm sensing a theme here...may have to do my duty as a fan and not tune in to help the cause.

[We R Final Four]

Our inbound plays and our pressbreak are reminiscent of the Crean era. I can't believe I am watching the wheel route with no sucess and no backup plan.

[wadesworld]

About 70% of the people on this board are acting like we just lost a game to UWGB.  This is (another) good win.  Bunch of grumpy sweater vests around here lately.

[mileskishnish72]

Tower, wondering why these were musings instead of thoughts. I'm a thoughts fan.

Under point #5, that's a weird lineup. Can't handle Sandy X 2.

Can't comment on much, work screwed me and I only saw the last 4 minutes of double OT.
End of game management appears to continue to be a problem. Youth and inexperience as to players and coaches continue to make things interesting.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Duane was bad, until he hit 4 free throws at the end. Then he was substituted. And Cohen promptly missed 2. I don't get why Wojo subbed Wilson out.

Cohen a better defensive player in my opinion

[ChicosBailBonds]

• End 1st OT: Maybe the worst sequence I've ever seen from Marquette basketball. Not sure what was worse, Sandy driving to the hoop or Haney getting the offensive board and putting it back up. No sense of time and situation.

Watch the last 4 minutes of MU at Louisville from a few years ago.......

[brandx]

I took a lot of abuse the other day when I wrote:

"I would rather have Traci on the floor the last 5 minutes than Duane. With Duane and Haney on the floor together at the end, it's a turnover festival. Haney is a freshman learning a new position - PG - but no excuses for DW."


At least Wojo knows who to listen to on Scoop

[MUfan12]

About 70% of the people on this board are acting like we just lost a game to UWGB.  This is (another) good win.

No kidding. While MU had some incredible cranial flatulence at the end of the first OT, Providence (mainly Bentil) kept making plays.

It's a good win for them. The kids played their asses off. If people can't enjoy that result, then it's time to find another hobby.

[brandx]

If JJJ can teach Cheatham how to do the little pull-up jumper on the drive, when he is blocked going to the hoop, the kid could be an All-American by his senior year.

He has the quickness and a decent shot from three. So, if he can learn a little mid-range game, he would almost be unstoppable. Plus, despite some mistakes, he shows a real willingness to play hard defense.

[Lennys Tap]

Watch the last 4 minutes of MU at Louisville from a few years ago.......

Watch the entire Kansas game from a few years before that......

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

About 70% of the people on this board are acting like we just lost a game to UWGB.  This is (another) good win.  Bunch of grumpy sweater vests around here lately.

Exactly my thoughts. Everyone only focused on the negative

[PGsHeroes32]

JJJ is a stud.

Just keep letting the kid play. Not claiming the Ners "mind games". But he really only has bad stretches. If you let him work through it, he makes a play when needed almost everytime.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

JJJ is a stud.

Just keep letting the kid play. Not claiming the Ners "mind games". But he really only has bad stretches. If you let him work through it, he makes a play when needed almost everytime.

Really happy he stuck around. Especially because I've always been a JJJ backer. Next up, need Traci to prove me right.

[MU82]

Exactly my thoughts. Everyone only focused on the negative

Positive Scooper: "We just won the national title! Beat Kentucky by 32!"

Dopey-ass Negative Scooper: "Yeah, but stupid Duane missed those two free throws with 16 minutes to go. I can't believe Wojo coached him to do that!"

[AZWarrior]

Marquette fan X write's off underclassmen player Y, and proclaims that High School Senior Z will take his minutes next year. Rinse. Repeat.

Same clowns wrote off JJJ last year. People develop at different times. Cohen will have an impact next year, and two years from now, clowns like you will inevitably take your turn trying to write off Sam Hauser for the next incoming freshman.

Have some patience. Quit "writing off" players. I'm not a positive person - but this is the first time in about 12 years that I feel like every single scholarship player on this rosters (a) deserves that scholarship, and (b) will make a big impact at Marquette over their years with the program.

That includes Sandy, Sacar, and any other player that you'll likely write-off over the next 8 months before next season.

Well said, with an excellent sense of perspective.  It's aggravating seeing so many errors but whenever I want to write off one of our players, I first try to recall what JFB looked like his first season here, as a soph.

[PGsHeroes32]

Really happy he stuck around. Especially because I've always been a JJJ backer. Next up, need Traci to prove me right.

I think Traci is going to eventually fully prove those in his corner right. He seems to have the important attributes and the rest will come.

And yeah it's great that JJJ keeps making everyone look foolish for predicting he'd transfer just about every semester. I've truly never understood where people have got the impression he doesn't look happy here.

[Lennys Tap]

Exactly my thoughts. Everyone only focused on the negative

TAMU (and Wade's)

I'm one old fan who's ecstatic that we won. Saw lots of good things. Hanif looks like a star in the making, Traci is tough as nails and JJJ looks like he's turned the corner. Luke (other than the fouling) is very good. And Henry? Wow! Wojo has them playing hard and some of the dumb mistakes are mitigated by the team's youth.

But please explain to me how we could leave the only player on Providence who could hurt us (after Dunn fouled out) wide open time after time after time after time even though he was limping around the court on a bum ankle. I don't blame Wojo for Henry's stupid foul, Sandy's ill advised shot or Hanif's incredibly dumb one. Young guys, heat of the moment - bad, yes, but explicable. The defensive "strategy" we used against the only guy who could make a shot for them? That's inexplicable - and worrisome.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

TAMU (and Wade's)

I'm one old fan who's ecstatic that we won. Saw lots of good things. Hanif looks like a star in the making, Traci is tough as nails and JJJ looks like he's turned the corner. Luke (other than the fouling) is very good. And Henry? Wow! Wojo has them playing hard and some of the dumb mistakes are mitigated by the team's youth.

But please explain to me how we could leave the only player on Providence who could hurt us (after Dunn fouled out) wide open time after time after time after time even though he was limping around the court on a bum ankle. I don't blame Wojo for Henry's stupid foul, Sandy's ill advised shot or Hanif's incredibly dumb one. Young guys, heat of the moment - bad, yes, but explicable. The defensive "strategy" we used against the only guy who could make a shot for them? That's inexplicable - and worrisome.

I'd need to rewatch to be sure but one of the threes was because jjj bit hard on a steal attempt and left Bentil wide open. It wasn't the plan in that instance it was the execution. I'd need to rewatch the other two

[MUfan12]

But please explain to me how we could leave the only player on Providence who could hurt us (after Dunn fouled out) wide open time after time after time after time even though he was limping around the court on a bum ankle. I don't blame Wojo for Henry's stupid foul, Sandy's ill advised shot or Hanif's incredibly dumb one. Young guys, heat of the moment - bad, yes, but explicable. The defensive "strategy" we used against the only guy who could make a shot for them? That's inexplicable - and worrisome.

I think they wanted to stick in one defense, so the guys didn't have another thing to think through. The zone was mostly effective, and helped save their legs. We saw some of their mental mistakes on the other end, and I think the staff was trying to minimize the chances of that on D.

If it was up to me, I would have gone back to man up two possessions late (in both OTs), and faceguarded Bentil.