Next Year

[nyg]

As of right now, I believe this is what the team will look like:

C: Theo, Froling and Heldt
SF: Sam (no brainer)
PF: Morrow (6ft 7, 235 pounds who averaged 8 rebounds pg in Big Ten)
G: Howard (no brainer)
G: Elliott

Reserves:

Center position is set with the three bigs.  Froling comes in for Sam now, but that might change next year because of Morrow playing the PF.
SF: Cain/Bailey comes in for Sam
PF: Joey/Froling comes in for Morrow
G: Sacar comes in

The team is short in the guard position and they must get a grad transfer to fill that role.  If they get a high level, experienced guard, MU will be a tough out in the BE.  Howard and Elliott will work out fine, but apprehensive with Sacar handling the ball.  That is only potential trouble spot for the team.

Hope Joey is what the analysts say every single game....."MU received commitment from Sam's brother Joey, who recruiting services say he might be even better than his brother".

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

crap, Sam should be borderline first team all conference THIS season.  Dude is just so good.

I've got him as borderline second team this season. He's really good but their are some studs in this conference. Brunson, Bridges, Spellman Delgado, Rodriguez, Carrington, Blueitt, Foster, Thomas, Krampelj, Martin, Ponds, Govan, Cartwright, Bullock, Strus all have solid arguments to be All Big East players this season. Not to mention our big three.

[MU82]

The defense will be better next year, Elliot will be starting and we will have only one bad on-ball defender to account for instead of two. We will be very long and will have a lot of tough interior players.

I expect us to have a top 75 defense per KenPom next year and a top 15 offense next year. We will be 1 or 2 in the Big East and in the top 10 nationally for the majority of the season.

I love the optimism here, and obviously all of us here hope it plays out like this. You've always been a knowledgeable, pragmatic guy, so this sounds great to me.

However, although it isn't pie-in-the-sky unrealistic, as others have said there an awful lot of "ifs."

Always comes back to my most-used phrase in any kind of lookahead situation:

We'll see.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I've got him as borderline second team this season. He's really good but their are some studs in this conference. Brunson, Bridges, Spellman Delgado, Rodriguez, Carrington, Blueitt, Foster, Thomas, Krampelj, Martin, Ponds, Govan, Cartwright, Bullock, Strus all have solid arguments to be All Big East players this season. Not to mention our big three.

I was being a bit hyperbolic.  Point is, kid is clearly a first team all big east player as and upperclassman, and a potential all american.  He is that good.  He's gotten more aggressive offensively lately, but I can only imagine how good he'll be next year and as a senior.  Its exciting.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

As of right now, I believe this is what the team will look like:

C: Theo, Froling and Heldt
SF: Sam (no brainer)
PF: Morrow (6ft 7, 235 pounds who averaged 8 rebounds pg in Big Ten)
G: Howard (no brainer)
G: Elliott

Reserves:

Center position is set with the three bigs.  Froling comes in for Sam now, but that might change next year because of Morrow playing the PF.
SF: Cain/Bailey comes in for Sam
PF: Joey/Froling comes in for Morrow
G: Sacar comes in

The team is short in the guard position and they must get a grad transfer to fill that role.  If they get a high level, experienced guard, MU will be a tough out in the BE.  Howard and Elliott will work out fine, but apprehensive with Sacar handling the ball.  That is only potential trouble spot for the team.

Hope Joey is what the analysts say every single game....."MU received commitment from Sam's brother Joey, who recruiting services say he might be even better than his brother".

Agree with most of this but will point out that Sam, Cain, and possibly Bailey could all potentially play the 2 in a big lineup so that gives them a little more flexibility at guard.

I think a lineup of

Howard
Cain
S Hauser
Morrow
Theo/Harry/Matt

could work very well IMHO. Size at every position except the point. Speed at just about every position except center. Three high level outside shooters combined with a solid rebounding center and an elite rebounding forward? Yes please.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Awesome post from JayBee re: Joey's advanced stats

http://latenighthoops.com/joey-hauser-advanced-stats-adidas-uprising/#.Wl97X66nGUk

Combine that with his raw measurables and relation to an outperformer like Sam, if he's fully healthy from the surgery I think a lot of you are drastically underestimating him.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Agree with most of this but will point out that Sam, Cain, and possibly Bailey could all potentially play the 2 in a big lineup so that gives them a little more flexibility at guard.

I think a lineup of

Howard
Cain
S Hauser
Morrow
Theo/Harry/Matt

could work very well IMHO. Size at every position except the point. Speed at just about every position except center. Three high level outside shooters combined with a solid rebounding center and an elite rebounding forward? Yes please.

Or even Sam at the 2 and Joey at the 3.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Awesome post from JayBee re: Joey's advanced stats

http://latenighthoops.com/joey-hauser-advanced-stats-adidas-uprising/#.Wl97X66nGUk

Combine that with his raw measurables and relation to an outperformer like Sam, if he's fully healthy from the surgery I think a lot of you are drastically underestimating him.

#ftsmatta

Driving up the ORtg was Joey’s ability to get to the free throw line. His impressive free throw rate of 56.8% was complemented by making more than 90% of his attempts.

[LloydsLegs]

All the posters worrying about whether Joey would be ready due to injury etc (which were valid concerns) can breath easier with him being enrolled at MU.  He will be ready.

[mu03eng]

The brakes are on the left, bud. Might want to give em a tap.

We should be better next year than this year, but top 10 for most of the year? Let's manage our expectations a bit on that. I think we should be ranked, but there is a huge leap from 25 to 10. Plus, with so many new guys expected to be getting minutes, we may have issues with finding the right personnel and rotations. There's going to be a learning curve.

I also don't know if Greg ends up starting. We're most likely going to start 2 bigs - Morrow and Heldt/Theo/Harry - and then Sam and Markus. That only leaves one open spot. Assuming we don't get a PG grad transfer, I think there's a pretty strong chance that Markus gets tapped to shift to point. He needs to improve his handles to get there, but we're already comfortable with a shoot-first PG, so the transition from Rowsey to Howard would be pretty easy. In that case, Greg will have to compete with Jamal and Sacar, possibly even Joey and Bailey, for the last spot. If we get the grad transfer that scoop has been talking about, then I think it could be tough for Greg to crack the starting lineup.

Without the grad transfer, there's a decent chance that the 5th starter changes regularly based on matchups, and in that case, Greg may get some starts. But if I had to bet, I'm guessing he's coming off the bench in the majority of our games. I'd consider this one of those good problems to have.

First, this is what an internet message board is for. Second, Markus is definitely playing the point, and the 2 is going to be either Elliot or Sacar with Heldt/Morrow/Theo at the 5, Sam at the 3 and Froling at the 4. That is instantly a better defensive team than we have now.

Next year we will have a combination of talent and experience that not a lot of teams will have, not to mention there will be a lot of talent leaving for the big show after this season. We'll be a top 25 team at some point this season....no reason we can't turn that into a top 10 ranking next season assuming everyone stays, yada, yada, yada

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

First, this is what an internet message board is for. Second, Markus is definitely playing the point, and the 2 is going to be either Elliot or Sacar with Heldt/Morrow/Theo at the 5, Sam at the 3 and Froling at the 4. That is instantly a better defensive team than we have now.

Next year we will have a combination of talent and experience that not a lot of teams will have, not to mention there will be a lot of talent leaving for the big show after this season. We'll be a top 25 team at some point this season....no reason we can't turn that into a top 10 ranking next season assuming everyone stays, yada, yada, yada

Love the optimism.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Value add puts Hauser on BE 1st team. Howard and Rowsey 2nd team.  Article on Dodds site.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

No, Joey is not scrawny like Cain and Elliott but he isn't exactly Theo John either.  I'm excited to see what Todd can do with Joey during the early enrollment period.  That could make a big difference for Joey's frosh year.

[GB Warrior]

I foresee a lot of matchup switching. I think you will see games when Morrow is playing as a versatile 5 in situations where we want to run and gun. It's going to be fun - esp in non-con - watching the pieces come together.

[Shark]

T-Rank has MU as the 15th best team in the last 10 games(8th offense/ 71st defense). Obviously a smaller sample but I think that's partially believable. This team has been much better since the freshmen have grown a bit.

http://www.barttorvik.com/team.php?team=Marquette

[Ellenson Guerrero]

T-Rank has MU as the 15th best team in the last 10 games(8th offense/ 71st defense). Obviously a smaller sample but I think that's partially believable. This team has been much better since the freshmen have grown a bit.

http://www.barttorvik.com/team.php?team=Marquette

I love when you post. . . mostly because I love watching that highlight in your signature.

[avid1010]

First, this is what an internet message board is for. Second, Markus is definitely playing the point, and the 2 is going to be either Elliot or Sacar with Heldt/Morrow/Theo at the 5, Sam at the 3 and Froling at the 4. That is instantly a better defensive team than we have now.

Next year we will have a combination of talent and experience that not a lot of teams will have, not to mention there will be a lot of talent leaving for the big show after this season. We'll be a top 25 team at some point this season....no reason we can't turn that into a top 10 ranking next season assuming everyone stays, yada, yada, yada

markus at the point has to happen for his own development i would think...that said, i'd be shocked if wojo didn't find a grad transfer that had good handles because markus has questionable handles at times and he's also susceptible to foul trouble.  i wouldn't sleep well at night if i were wojo and i knew markus was my only option at point.  perhaps GE can put some work in this summer...but i remember a former coach playing with one point guard and when TD went down it was ugly. 

[Shark]

I love when you post. . . mostly because I love watching that highlight in your signature.

I sometimes watch it 10+ times after I post just because that game went from sadness to madness in mere seconds. Good memories

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

markus at the point has to happen for his own development i would think...that said, i'd be shocked if wojo didn't find a grad transfer that had good handles because markus has questionable handles at times and he's also susceptible to foul trouble.  i wouldn't sleep well at night if i were wojo and i knew markus was my only option at point.  perhaps GE can put some work in this summer...but i remember a former coach playing with one point guard and when TD went down it was ugly.

That team had Diener, Bell, and the immortal Niv Berkowitz- 3 PG.  Diener and Bell both got hurt. Niv stunk and I think left before the season ended.

But your premise is correct.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I sometimes watch it 10+ times after I post just because that game went from sadness to madness in mere seconds. Good memories

I had thrown my phone at the wall about 90 seconds prior to that.  Shattered the screen.  DNGAF after the Vander and Jamal heroics.

[Marcus92]

In my memory, Berkowitz never even saw the court for Marquette. But apparently he did during the 2004-05 season:

7 G
34 MIN
0-3 2PT
1-3 3PT
5-8 FT
1 REB
5 AST
2 STL
6 TO
8 PTS

So that's 1.1 ppg and 0.7 apg. (He's still playing in the Israeli Premier League today.) Brandon Bell averaged 1.5 ppg and 0.4 apg as a freshman the previous season, but wasn't on the roster for 2004-05. At one point after Diener's injury, I remember Marcus Jackson bringing the ball up the court.

[cheese ball chaser]

I had thrown my phone at the wall about 90 seconds prior to that.  Shattered the screen.  DNGAF after the Vander and Jamal heroics.

I also love that Davante was there protecting the rim just in case he missed

[Henry Sugar]

The defense will be better next year, Elliot will be starting and we will have only one bad on-ball defender to account for instead of two. We will be very long and will have a lot of tough interior players.

I expect us to have a top 75 defense per KenPom next year and a top 15 offense next year. We will be 1 or 2 in the Big East and in the top 10-20 nationally for the majority of the season.

I only disagree where noted.

[tower912]

Another team struggling to defend the high pick and roll.  Jake Thomas standing in the corner being face guarded while Vander goes right behind the guy to the rim.  Jamil flying in for the tip that never came.   A well drawn up, well executed play that shows another way to defend the pick and roll and why no way is foolproof.

[wadesworld]

Another team struggling to defend the high pick and roll.  Jake Thomas standing in the corner being face guarded while Vander goes right behind the guy to the rim.  Jamil flying in for the tip that never came.   A well drawn up, well executed play that shows another way to defend the pick and roll and why no way is foolproof.

Ran into Home Team at the bar in Lexington that night.  We asked him what his call was on that play.  He said he didn't remember, "But it was probably something like, 'They're guarding Jake Thomas in the corner while giving up a layup to Vander Blue?!  Why do you even have a defender on that side of the court?!'"