[Matt Velazquez] Former Marquette star Vander Blue still hoping to catch someone's eye in the NBA

[MattVelazquez]

Former Marquette star Vander Blue still hoping to catch someone's eye in the NBA

He’s played for 13 different teams over the past three seasons, including four in the D-League and one in Israel along with auditions for NBA squads in summer leagues and preseason camps. Twice he’s made it onto an NBA roster, playing a total of five games while on short-term contracts.

Source: Former Marquette star Vander Blue still hoping to catch someone's eye in the NBA

[UticaBusBarn]

Matt, well researched, written and provides an excellent perspective on Blue. Great work!

[Herman Cain]

Another great article. I have been closely following Vander and he has been having a fantastic year. He has an excellent attitude. I think when his time comes he will make the most of it. In the meantime nice that he and Lazar are on the same team.

[Da 'Lanche]

What a great surprise to wake up and read this excellent article with my morning coffee.   Matt, well done and thank you for your continued excellent writing on all things related to MU basketball.   I am rooting more than ever for Vander to make the NBA for more than a flash.    And, I love everything I read about his mom's character.    Who can ever knock a kid for pursuing his dreams?

[GoldenWarrior11]

Excellent article, Matt.  Really amazing work.  We are all lucky to have you covering Marquette. 

Hope Vander keeps plugging away.  He will get his shot.

[Goose]

Really enjoyed the article on Vander. Nice to see MU get a big story and Matt did great job. Hoping VB gets a real chance in the NBA in the near future. Looks like he has earned it big time.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Very well done article. Kid is a helluva player. I hope he finds a team where he can stick.

[ChicosBailBonds]

So sad.....He would be approaching his second contract soon if he just listened to the 99%.

[MerrittsMustache]

So sad.....He would be approaching his second contract soon if he just listened to the 99%.

Had he stayed at MU, he'd still currently be a D-League All-Star hoping to latch on to an NBA roster, but with fewer frequent flyer miles.

[brewcity77]

So sad.....He would be approaching his second contract soon if he just listened to the 99%.

Don't know if he'd have been drafted, but Vander is one of the rare few who may have really benefited coming back. When he latched on with the Lakers, he was basically playing a combo guard position. I fully believe part of the reason he wasn't drafted was because he was only viewed as a 6'3" shooting guard. If he comes back, he would have had plenty of time on the ball and may well have been our starting point guard (similar to Dwight his senior year). If he could have done that, it might have opened eyes.

Not sure he would have had any more successful of a career, but he may have had better opportunities early on.

[Herman Cain]

Also worth noting that this year there have only been 30 players called up from D League versus 47 last year. Hopefully, Vander can get another cup of coffee with the Lakers.

[Eldon]

So sad.....He would be approaching his second contract soon if he just listened to the 99%.

Shoulda woulda coulda.  Spilled milk.  Let's let it go and rally behind him.

Also, great article Matty V.

[Groin_pull]

Guess I'm missing the "feel good" part of this story. I see a guy who made a short-sighted, poor decision. He has no degree and has been bouncing around the minors for three years.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Guess I'm missing the "feel good" part of this story. I see a guy who made a short-sighted, poor decision. He has no degree and has been bouncing around the minors for three years.

Who said it was feel good...I think I agree with most comments that it was a very good article though -- depth of research/interviews/broad understanding of a long 'debate' across MUBB fans. 

Hey I am pulling for him. 

[MerrittsMustache]

Guess I'm missing the "feel good" part of this story. I see a guy who made a short-sighted, poor decision. He has no degree and has been bouncing around the minors for three years.

Let's face it, Blue wasn't going to do anything with a college degree unless he wants to become a college coach. If that's the case, he'd be able to finish his credits online or in some other form. Do we even know if he was going to finish had he stayed his senior year?

I'm actually impressed with the love that Blue has for MU. Once MU "stole" him from the Badgers, many, many fans placed unrealistic expectations on him and then ripped him to shreds for not meeting those expectations. For as talented and productive as he was while at MU, the fans didn't exactly treat him with the respect he deserved.

[Galway Eagle]

Let's face it, Blue wasn't going to do anything with a college degree unless he wants to become a college coach. If that's the case, he'd be able to finish his credits online or in some other form. Do we even know if he was going to finish had he stayed his senior year?

I'm actually impressed with the love that Blue has for MU. Once MU "stole" him from the Badgers, many, many fans placed unrealistic expectations on him and then ripped him to shreds for not meeting those expectations. For as talented and productive as he was while at MU, the fans didn't exactly treat him with the respect he deserved.

Well he did punch one of them... I mean the guy deserved it but it didn't help Vander's PR message. 

[StillWarriors]

Also worth noting that this year there have only been 30 players called up from D League versus 47 last year. Hopefully, Vander can get another cup of coffee with the Lakers.

Given Vander's play on the court this year, it is quite surprising that he hasn't been called up. Clearly, he has been among the top handful of players, at least in terms of production. In following Vander's performance this year, I had concluded there must be a stigma or red flag, real or perceived, that is preventing teams from bringing him up. The article, which I agree was very well done, certainly touched on that issue in terms of a perception of attitude issues. I think sometimes highly driven competitive people who may not have a warm and fuzzy persona get misjudged when people don't get past the surface.

I do admire Vander's drive and belief in himself, and genuinely hope it pays off for him. To his credit, whether he ever achieves his dream of sticking with an NBA team, he'll never have to wonder "what if" he had pursued his dream. 

[GGGG]

Let's face it, Blue wasn't going to do anything with a college degree unless he wants to become a college coach. If that's the case, he'd be able to finish his credits online or in some other form. Do we even know if he was going to finish had he stayed his senior year?

I'm actually impressed with the love that Blue has for MU. Once MU "stole" him from the Badgers, many, many fans placed unrealistic expectations on him and then ripped him to shreds for not meeting those expectations. For as talented and productive as he was while at MU, the fans didn't exactly treat him with the respect he deserved.

Vander was on track to graduate.  And I'm not writing off any 23 year old with a college degree about what he may, or may not do with it. 

Your second paragraph is 100% spot on.

[TedBaxter]

---

[ChicosBailBonds]

Had he stayed at MU, he'd still currently be a D-League All-Star hoping to latch on to an NBA roster, but with fewer frequent flyer miles.

Nope.  He would almost assuredly been drafted, and once you're drafted you have a leg up on folks because a team thought you were good enough.  You get more 2nd, 3rd, 4th, chances than an undrafted player.  Just the way it works with the NBA, MLB, etc.  There's a reason why Draft Express folks were dumbfounded as were many NBA GMs.  Shame.

[MerrittsMustache]

Nope.  He would almost assuredly been drafted, and once you're drafted you have a leg up on folks because a team thought you were good enough.  You get more 2nd, 3rd, 4th, chances than an undrafted player.  Just the way it works with the NBA, MLB, etc.  There's a reason why Draft Express folks were dumbfounded as were many NBA GMs.  Shame.

First of all, we don't know that he would have been drafted.

Second of all, your point about drafted players getting more chances simply isn't true. You're using a point that your "friend" made concerning baseball personnel decisions, where each club has 6 levels of minor leagues and there are 1500 players drafted every year, and attempting to apply it to the NBA, which has a half-assed minor league system and 60 players drafted every year. It's just not the same thing.

Worth noting...

Of the 25 non-international 2nd Round picks in the 2013 NBA Draft, only 8 are currently on NBA rosters.

Of the Undrafted players from the 2013 NBA Draft, 7 are currently on NBA rosters.


Of the 24 non-international 2nd Round picks in the 2014 NBA Draft, only 11 are currently on NBA rosters.

Of the Undrafted players from the 2014 NBA Draft, 10 are currently on NBA rosters.

IOW, there are 17 undrafted players from those classes in the NBA and 30 second round picks out of the NBA. How could that be? No 2nd, 3rd and 4th chances for those guys?

[jesmu84]

Nope.  He would almost assuredly been drafted, and once you're drafted you have a leg up on folks because a team thought you were good enough.  You get more 2nd, 3rd, 4th, chances than an undrafted player.  Just the way it works with the NBA, MLB, etc.  There's a reason why Draft Express folks were dumbfounded as were many NBA GMs.  Shame.

Your assumption here is that Vander would have improved from his junior to senior year like he did from his sophomore to junior year. A BIG assumption, IMO. I think he had maxed out his abilities here. Getting into the D-league likely improved his skills more than another year of college ball.

[MU gimp ONE]

Didn't realize that we haven't been back to the tournament since Vander left.  Does this mean we have a Vander Curse?  considering he hasn't been back to a game since he left.  maybe just like the goat at Wrigley, we need to get Vander back in the BC to lift the curse.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Wait a minute - I am starting to see a pattern here between the article and the narrative on Scoop. 

Chicos is clearly Vander's Mom?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Shoulda woulda coulda.  Spilled milk.  Let's let it go and rally behind him.

Also, great article Matty V.

I hope he makes it, that's a given.  I just find the whole thing somewhat sad.  He didn't like school, one of the reasons he wanted to stop.  Having to "endure" basically one more semester is not asking much, but some of these kids (and yes, Vander was a kid and young for his class) sometimes make some decisions that make you scratch your head.  He won't be the last, he certainly wasn't the first.   But I truly hope he makes it, I think we all do.  He certainly has taken a journey that has been a winding road....let's hope the dream is achieved.