Best College Hoops Player in Wisconsin - Happ or Howard?

[Tugg Speedman]

Who is the best college basketball player in the state of Wisconsin right now? Is it Ethan Happ? Markus Howard? Someone else? Bryan Dee and Dan Needles discuss.

11:30 minute audio
http://www.espn.com/espnradio/play?id=22200418

They ran a twitter poll

73% - Howard
24% - Happ
3% -   Other
ALL the tweets for the "other" option were for Sam Hauser.

Interesting comment ... two weeks ago was Big East coaches midseason conference call.  Many of the questions were asking coaches to talk about other teams.  Nearly every coach comment about Marquette was about Sam Hauser, not Howard and Rowsey.

Also near the end, they said they expect Howard to do the pre-draft workouts and see what they think of him.  If (repeat if) they say he will be drafted, he goes this year.

[GooooMarquette]

I don't know how all the advanced stats compare, but Sam certainly has a far more complete game than either of them.

Also - haven't lots of guys supposedly been told they'd be drafted...only to go undrafted?

[Stretchdeltsig]

I don't know how all the advanced stats compare, but Sam certainly has a far more complete game than either of them.

Also - haven't lots of guys supposedly been told they'd be drafted...only to go undrafted?

Agree 100%.  Sam and Happ are about the same size, but Sam is the much better player.  The difference is that the rodents only have Happ and need him to score, but he makes too many turnovers and can't shoot.  Meanwhile Marquette doesn't feature Sam because of Rowsey and Howard.

[Tugg Speedman]

I don't know how all the advanced stats compare, but Sam certainly has a far more complete game than either of them.

Also - haven't lots of guys supposedly been told they'd be drafted...only to go undrafted?

My understanding is the NBA guys that run the pre-draft camps are brutally honest.

And, the first indication that you might get drafted is you actually get invited to Portsmouth and the combine in Chicago (Moody Bible).  No invite, don't bother to ask.

[cheese ball chaser]

Sam

[wadesworld]

Sam is the best college basketball player in WI.

Markus is going nowhere but to class next year.

[skianth16]

Agree 100%.  Sam and Happ are about the same size, but Sam is the much better player.  The difference is that the rodents only have Happ and need him to score, but he makes too many turnovers and can't shoot.  Meanwhile Marquette doesn't feature Sam because of Rowsey and Howard.

I love Sam. I think he's a very complete and talented player. I really do. But to say he's much better than Ethan Happ is just wrong. To even say he's as good as Happ is a pretty big stretch. Happ was the defender of the year in the Big Ten last year, a second/third team All-American (SI/AP), a Wooden Award finalist, a Naismith Award semi-finalist, and the freshman of the year in the BT 2 years ago. He seems pretty certain to get to the league.

Sam is a solid role player with the ability to take over games at times, and I fully expect him to be able to test the NBA waters as a senior. Does he have the potential to have a better career than Happ? You bet. But he hasn't shown himself to be the same caliber of player yet. Happ is pretty special even if he plays for UW.

And I'm sure there are some advanced stats that people can rattle off to compare the two, but when your name is on the Wooden Award list, that speaks more to me about the quality of your game than just pure numbers.

[MuMark]

Sam is the best college basketball player in WI.

Markus is going nowhere but to class next year.

plus 1

[Tugg Speedman]

I love Sam. I think he's a very complete and talented player. I really do. But to say he's much better than Ethan Happ is just wrong. To even say he's as good as Happ is a pretty big stretch. Happ was the defender of the year in the Big Ten last year, a second/third team All-American (SI/AP), a Wooden Award finalist, a Naismith Award semi-finalist, and the freshman of the year in the BT 2 years ago. He seems pretty certain to get to the league.

Sam is a solid role player with the ability to take over games at times, and I fully expect him to be able to test the NBA waters as a senior. Does he have the potential to have a better career than Happ? You bet. But he hasn't shown himself to be the same caliber of player yet. Happ is pretty special even if he plays for UW.

And I'm sure there are some advanced stats that people can rattle off to compare the two, but when your name is on the Wooden Award list, that speaks more to me about the quality of your game than just pure numbers.

Just what the league needs ... another slow 6'-9"-ish traditional that has hit exactly one three-pointer this year (1 for 8) and has an FT% of 55%.

My advice to Happ is to learn French.

[GGGG]

Just what the league needs ... another slow 6'-9"-ish traditional that has hit exactly one three-pointer this year (1 for 8) and has an FT% of 55%.

My advice to Happ is to learn French.

To be fair, he didn't specify *which* league.

[We R Final Four]

He seems pretty certain to get to the league.

He does? I have not heard comment from Happ on his career after Bucky, but his certainty may need to be quelled just a little bit.
If it's others who possess this certainty, my belief is when push comes to shove they will back off this certainty.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Right now,  I think Happy is the better college player.

I think by the time Sam reaches his fourth year he will be a much better college player than Happ is now.

I think Sam always has been and will be the better pro prospect of the two.

[Herman Cain]

Sam is on a strong trajectory. One thing I noticed in the Villlanova game is there were a few times he guarded Brunson and did very well .  Obviously big height advantage and Brunson not super quick. If Sam can spend the next two years working on his defense to the point he can defend NBA 2s  and 3s he may very will fit well into the current 3 and D NBA paradigm.   

[dw3dw3dw3]

Here's a thorough article on Happ's NBA potential. https://www.thestepien.com/2017/12/30/trying-figure-ethan-happ/

Sam is improving quite a bit and that's about it. NBA talk/3 and D talk is a long ways off. Right now his only iso move is a post-up turnaround against someone < 6'5". He needs one way to score in an iso/closely guarded situation from the wing before we start going anywhere.   That's not happening this year.  For the team to be more successful this year he has to be less gun shy. He was closed out multiple times by Brunson and wouldn't pull the trigger, and he hasn't all year. Against good teams that's a quality shot. He's only taken 22 total shots in our 4 games against X and V.  He is involved just the same, better athletes and better coaching make him easy to take out of games right now.

[skianth16]

He does? I have not heard comment from Happ on his career after Bucky, but his certainty may need to be quelled just a little bit.
If it's others who possess this certainty, my belief is when push comes to shove they will back off this certainty.

After reading some more about Happ's prospects, I guess I overstated that he's certain to get drafted. Even so, he's talked about as a pro prospect very often, and despite his athletic flaws, he's still got a reasonable shot at playing in the NBA. I've got to think he'll test the waters after this season, probably going through the same process as Markus.

That said, Happ still has to be considered to be a better player than Sam right now. Any talk that Sam is the best player on his own team or in the state is premature. He may be the best pro prospect given his size and skillset, but he's an easy #3 on our team and just not the same caliber of player as Happ... yet.

[BrewCity83]

Happ's arms are short.

And his neck is unremarkable.