[Cracked Sidewalks] A year without Henry Ellenson equals a better team for Marquette

[CrackedSidewalks]

A year without Henry Ellenson equals a better team for Marquette

April 5, 2016, Marquette forward Henry Ellenson declared for the NBA draft.  The extremely talented freshman was off to greener pastures and a Marquette basketball team that missed the NIT was left wondering what was next.  Few blamed Ellenson for the decision, though many felt he wasn't ready, myself included.  The draft was weak and this was his chance to earn serious money doing what he loves to do. He was slotted to be picked anywhere from 9th to 19th by the time draft day rolled around.  My thoughts at the time were he would be unproductive this year in the NBA and probably even spend time in the D-League.  I had interviewed Jonathon Givony of DraftExpress and put those questions to him in May of last year.

The bigger question on the minds of Warrior fans was the void filled by Ellenson's departure.  How does one replace that kind of talent and what on earth was Marquette going to do without him in Wojo's third season.  The answer, you don't replace him and you get better in the process.  Addition by subtraction.  That statement is not meant to diminish the talents of Ellenson at all.  The reality is the team too often deferred to Henry last year, and didn't grow as a result. Henry took the big shots, Henry got the rebounds, Henry played a lot of minutes, Henry was the face of the team on and off the court.  Mostly this was by default, he was the one guy Wojo could rely on consistently.

Would a team this year with Howard, Hauser, Ellenson, Rowsey, Fischer, Wilson and Johnson be lights out?  On paper, wow!  In reality, I get the feeling guys that have grown so much this year would not have if that lineup were in place. Would the have overcome the urge to defer to the future NBA draft pick?  Impossible to know for sure, fans can debate the what if scenarios.

As for Ellenson, he was drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the 18th overall pick.  His first year has been one of struggles, not overly surprising to many of us. To date he has appeared in 14 NBA games and scored just 21 points with 12 rebounds in 56 total minutes.  He has played more games, sixteen, for the Grand Rapids Drive of the D-League than for the Pistons.  His D-League stats are fairly impressive, averaging over 17 points and 9 rebounds per game. With time, Ellenson will get stronger, develop a better NBA body and hopefully become the player many hope he can become.  Critics have already listed him and others as potential busts, but it seems way to early at this point in his career to make that judgment.

In the end, it appears that the departure was a net positive for both parties.  Henry is learning the ropes of professional basketball. Although he is struggling as rookies often do, the MU faithful are certainly hoping for major success for him.  He has enjoyed his first year in the NBA.  For Wojo and the Warriors, a year of uncertainty and turned into a year where young guys have filled major roles and likely led this team back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2013. Sometimes things have a way of working themselves out just fine.

Source: A year without Henry Ellenson equals a better team for Marquette

[wadesworld]

Henry Ellenson leaving Marquette is not why Marquette is a better basketball team.

[dgies9156]

We are a better and deeper basketball team than we were a year ago. Wojo has a year of coaching under his belt and the team is buying in. That's why we're better.

I believe, as I have said before, that the biggest hole in our team now is what we lack because Henry left. The inside power he gave us to rebound and defend (better this year, we hoped) and his scoring could have made us potentially a Top 10 team. His production might have taken away from other team members, but imagine for a moment what we would have been like if we had the scoring power we do now and our opponents  had to defend inside against Henry.

We might have put up 150 points a night!

No one begrudges Henry for going after the money and the NBA. Like the author, I wasn't sure he was ready, but the money was there, so he made the right decision for himself. I hope he becomes an all-star and talks us up in the years ahead.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

I read the headline and immediately thought 'Chicos'...sure enough

A fair opinion, but I personally thing HE made the young guys around him better by taking the pressure off - having opposing defenses key in on him.  HC is a great example.  HE made a flawed team much better.

Can you imagine the season HE would have had with some of the shooters this year?  wow.

[bilsu]

I watched Purdue play Northwestern yesturday. Swanigan was a beast. Add Ellenson to this team and we would be a final four contender.

[blikemike2]

The big question is would HE bought in to the offense and not hoisted up his own 3's, what was he a 28% guy??

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Henry Ellenson leaving Marquette is not why Marquette is a better basketball team.

^This

[Galway Eagle]

If Henry played within this teams identity and stopped taking the ball up and shooting 3s hen we'd be amazing. If he was still attempting to showcase himself then we would not be better.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

If Henry played within this teams identity and stopped taking the ball up and shooting 3s hen we'd be amazing. If he was still attempting to showcase himself then we would not be better.

This.

[wadesworld]

I watched Purdue play Northwestern yesturday. Swanigan was a beast. Add Ellenson to this team and we would be a final four contender.

Yup.

[wadesworld]

If Henry played within this teams identity and stopped taking the ball up and shooting 3s hen we'd be amazing. If he was still attempting to showcase himself then we would not be better.

He did this because he had to.  Look at who our next best offensive option was until the last 6 or 7 games of the regular season.  The 2nd best scoring option last year can't even get on the floor this year.  A tough Hank shot was a better option than an open perimeter shot for just about anybody last year.

[Galway Eagle]

He did this because he had to.  Look at who our next best offensive option was until the last 6 or 7 games of the regular season.  The 2nd best scoring option last year can't even get on the floor this year.  A tough Hank shot was a better option than an open perimeter shot for just about anybody last year.

Nothing you stated changes what I said. If he still wanted to showcase himself we'd be below average, if he played with the identity of this team we'd be fantastic.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Nothing you stated changes what I said. If he still wanted to showcase himself we'd be below average, if he played with the identity of this team we'd be fantastic.

I don't know about below average, but we wouldn't be in better shape than we're in right now.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Nothing you stated changes what I said. If he still wanted to showcase himself we'd be below average, if he played with the identity of this team we'd be fantastic.

I think you are both right.  Henry absolutely had to be the man last year as the by far most talented man on an extremely inexperienced roster.  There was no Markus, Rowsey, Katin, or Hauser to take pressure off him, and he carried us to far more wins than we would have had otherwise.

But if he still had the same usage this year while shooting 29% for 3P?  Sure, we wouldn't be as good.  IMO that wouldn't have happened with so many other good options drawing some of the focus off Henry.  I suspect it would have only helped him, and he would greatly helped the team at the 4.

The only drawback would have been that Sam wouldn't have gotten the minutes he did, and perhaps that wouldn't have left us in as strong a position to recruit Joey as well.

[brewcity77]

If Henry played within this teams identity and stopped taking the ball up and shooting 3s hen we'd be amazing. If he was still attempting to showcase himself then we would not be better.

This is exactly right. I tend to think we'd be better with him, but he would have had to accept a lesser offensive role. I'm not sure how willing he'd have been to do that.

Also, with Ellenson, Reinhardt would not be here. Would Henry make us that much better than Katin does? Different players for sure, but I'm not convinced he would.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Henry would have worked on his shot and wouldn't have had to shoot as much on this team. I'd be willing to bet that his 3p shooting% would have been in the high 30s. Would not be surprised if his raw scoring numbers went down. His rebounding and rim protection would have made us a top 20 team.

[Dawson Rental]

Good point about Sam, he just wouldn't have seen anywhere near the same number of minutes. And what about Reinhardt? 

If Henry stayed, would Wojo have kept Wally on the team?  Would we have gotten Harry Froling as a transfer, if we didn't have that 13th scholarship available to cover his second semester?

[wadesworld]

I like what Katin has brought to the table.  But to suggest we're better with Katin this year than we would've been if a sophomore year Hank was on the roster instead is laughable.

[Dawson Rental]

Another guy whose development may have been hindered if Henry was here is Heldt.

[brewcity77]

I think it's important to realize that having Henry makes this a completely different team. Anyone thinking he wouldn't be our highest usage player is delusional. He'd also be our highest minutes played player, which would take minutes from Sam and Heldt. We wouldn't be as good a three point shooting team with him here.

We'd possibly be better from 2, likely be better rebounding, but wouldn't necessarily be any better defensively. I most likely think adding him would make us better, but it's really tough to say because the team wouldn't be remotely similar.

[amen426]

How ridiculous would this team be if Henry would have replaced Luke this year?

All 5 positions on the floor with the ability to hit the 3? That would be nasty.

... With that being said, Marquette is going to drive coaches crazy next year when we put Froling on the floor at the 5.

[Lennys Tap]

If Henry played within this teams identity and stopped taking the ball up and shooting 3s hen we'd be amazing. If he was still attempting to showcase himself then we would not be better.

100% correct, Bags.

[dgies9156]

This is exactly right. I tend to think we'd be better with him, but he would have had to accept a lesser offensive role. I'm not sure how willing he'd have been to do that.

Brew, right on! This becomes coaching and whether Wojo was ready to call out what would have been our best player and make him play within our system would have been interesting. Would Wojo, for example, been willing to bench Henry for an extended period of time, like he has done with several of our "name" players if Henry loaded up a three at the wrong time or under the wrong circumstance? Or if he was out of position?

I think he would have. There is a maturity in him as a coach that I think is impressive that shows he is a take no prisoners guy. But reigning Henry in with a much more talented team this year would not have been easy.

[JD]

Wasn't hanks defense at best, flat out horrible?

I can't remember him being a big defensive presence, but then again my memory is getting bad.

[Loose Cannon]

The big question is would HE bought in to the offense and not hoisted up his own 3's, what was he a 28% guy??

And where does Wally fit into this scenario?