Andy Katz top returning players for next season

[MuMark]

Major respect for Markus

https://twitter.com/marchmadness/status/1014566034819428352?s=21

[wadesworld]

Major respect for Markus

https://twitter.com/marchmadness/status/1014566034819428352?s=21

I hope he's the 7th best returning player in the country, especially because I think he's only our second best returning player.

[Herman Cain]

Will be interesting to see how Markus performs with a true point guard in the back court.  It is possible, with Mr. Chartouny running the offense, that Markus could put up 24-25 ppg this year.

Also interest to note in the  Katz video they had Tyus Battle at number 6.  Battles younger brother Khalif has committed to Butler.

[MuMark]

Based on Wojo's interview he doesn't want anyone averaging 24-25 points per game.

He wants to see more balance

[Herman Cain]

Based on Wojo's interview he doesn't want anyone averaging 24-25 points per game.

He wants to see more balance

Chartouny May be able to get Markus some cleaner 3 point looks and result in greater efficiency . Wojo has also said that he wants Markus taking as many open 3s as he can get. Last year a lot of the shots were forced. Hopefully this year that won't be the case.

[MuMark]

I'll take the under on Markus averaging 24.5 ppg.........if interested let me know....

[MU82]

Oh, he'll average 24.5 ppg ... cuz he's gonna shoot 60% from 3, remember?

[tower912]

Other than an outbreak of injuries, I don't foresee anyone averaging 30 mpg.   And more than ever before, I see defensive effort or lack thereof dictating playing time.    Effort in practice.  Knowing defensive assignments.  Being accountable.  Because if one guy isn't, there is someone chomping at the bit for more minutes.

[barfolomew]

This was an elaborate troll from Katz.
His "Can't believe he didn't test the NBA waters" comment is clearly intended to persuade Markus to declare with an agent after this season so his Badgers won't suffer another embarrassing home loss next season.

Nice try, Bucky Boy.

[MuMark]

Top 5

https://twitter.com/marchmadness/status/1014916823106686981?s=21

[D'Lo Brown]

This was an elaborate troll from Katz.
His "Can't believe he didn't test the NBA waters" comment is clearly intended to persuade Markus to declare with an agent after this season so his Badgers won't suffer another embarrassing home loss next season.

Nice try, Bucky Boy.

I'm similarly perturbed, but, Markus is definitely a top player. I don't think it's wrong for an outsider to look at the makeup of the team, see that there are so many options, and wonder if it will:

1) Open Markus up for more easy looks offensively (including open j's and easier drives)
2) No longer magnify x1000 his defensive shortcomings (no other midget + improved team D)
3) Allow him to showcase some of his defensive strengths (he can be a pesky defender, which will need to be his upside if he's to make it in the NBA)

Whether any of this happens is another story, but if he continues on the upward trajectory and the team pans out, I expect he will be seen as the hero... The media will focus in on him.

[MU82]

I'm similarly perturbed, but, Markus is definitely a top player. I don't think it's wrong for an outsider to look at the makeup of the team, see that there are so many options, and wonder if it will:

1) Open Markus up for more easy looks offensively (including open j's and easier drives)
2) No longer magnify x1000 his defensive shortcomings (no other midget + improved team D)
3) Allow him to showcase some of his defensive strengths (he can be a pesky defender, which will need to be his upside if he's to make it in the NBA)

Whether any of this happens is another story, but if he continues on the upward trajectory and the team pans out, I expect he will be seen as the hero... The media will focus in on him.

Good points here.

I felt that unlike AR, Markus at least tried to play defense. He'd try to draw a charge (and succeed sometimes), try to get in a passing lane, etc. He has the ability to be "pesky," and I do agree that his shortcomings should be less pronounced this season without an allergic-to-D Smurf next to him.

As my comment history would show, I am not an AR-hater. He arguably was our MVP last season, and I enjoyed watching him play. But it's no secret that he was allergic to defense.

[Benny B]

I hope he's the 7th best returning player in the country, especially because I think he's only our second best returning player.

Does Joey count as a "returning player?"

[wadesworld]

Does Joey count as a "returning player?"

I did not consider him "returning" in my post.

[muwarrior69]

Other than an outbreak of injuries, I don't foresee anyone averaging 30 mpg.   And more than ever before, I see defensive effort or lack thereof dictating playing time.    Effort in practice.  Knowing defensive assignments.  Being accountable.  Because if one guy isn't, there is someone chomping at the bit for more minutes.

I hope you are right.

[tower912]

IMHO, defense will decide the fate of this team.    The offensive pieces are there.    If everybody works on defense, there is enough length, depth, and shooting to compete with anyone.      All about the D.

[MUBigDance]

I really like Markus...Glad he's on the team...an look forward to him hitting some nice 3's this year.

Opinion on NBA: He has no future there. Too short.

People say mugsy, spud, steph.    - mugsy and spud were physical phenoms. Steph is taller and just top-shelf better at everything.

of course I missed Jimmy Butler being an all-star so what do I know.

[Galway Eagle]

I really like Markus...Glad he's on the team...an look forward to him hitting some nice 3's this year.

Opinion on NBA: He has no future there. Too short.

People say mugsy, spud, steph.    - mugsy and spud were physical phenoms. Steph is taller and just top-shelf better at everything.

of course I missed Jimmy Butler being an all-star so what do I know.

Isaiah Thomas is 5'9"

[D'Lo Brown]

I really like Markus...Glad he's on the team...an look forward to him hitting some nice 3's this year.

Opinion on NBA: He has no future there. Too short.

People say mugsy, spud, steph.    - mugsy and spud were physical phenoms. Steph is taller and just top-shelf better at everything.

of course I missed Jimmy Butler being an all-star so what do I know.

He will play in the NBA. Unless he has some sort of catastrophic injury or falls off the map somehow. His shooting ability is incredibly rare. He might bounce around a bit, and there's still plenty undecided. But I feel very comfortable, as of now, saying he will get a look.

Jamil Wilson was roundly hated upon by most on this board - he had/has no elite skills and his athleticism was not that good. He has an NBA future, even if it took some years of work. Markus already has at least one truly elite skill - if he can keep that up, that alone will at least get him a long look. Give him a half dozen more years to work on his game and who knows.

I'm no expert when it comes to the NBA, but I've seen enough SportsCenter highlights to know that teams place their priority on offense as opposed to defense. There are many players in the NBA that don't play a lick of defense and get by just fine. No one is saying that Markus is going to be a star in the NBA. But saying that he is precluded from the NBA due to his size/defensive abilities/athleticism is kind of a joke. If he could shoot threes at an elite level in the NBA, teams wouldn't care if he only had one leg.

[GGGG]

Of course he's going to get a look, but he's too short to be an NBA spot up shooter. He has to develop his ball handling and distribution skills because that's where his future will be.

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

I think people undervalue jamil wilsons combination of size, strength, and athleticism.  Read so many times where wilson is not very athletic.  Is he a freak of the nba ? No.  But he has a very good combo of the three aforementioned traits that end up being a very good fit for the nba.  His athleticism has for the most part carried him this far.

[brewcity77]

Jamil Wilson was roundly hated upon by most on this board - he had/has no elite skills and his athleticism was not that good. He has an NBA future, even if it took some years of work. Markus already has at least one truly elite skill - if he can keep that up, that alone will at least get him a long look. Give him a half dozen more years to work on his game and who knows.

I think with Jamil it wasn't hate, it was frustration. He had the frame to be a beast physically and always had the athleticism and ability. He just never put it all together here. I'm glad he seems to have done so now and hope he gets another NBA look. If Jamil had an Achilles' Heel at MU, it was that he never developed that killer instinct that guys like Jae, Jimmy, and DJO clearly had.

I could see Markus playing in the NBA, but he has to develop the point skills. The ball handling, the distribution, and the ability to finish through contact. Can he do it? Possibly. But seeing two veteran transfers coming in to play the point during his last two seasons will make it a challenge.

[Class71]

Based on Wojo's interview he doesn't want anyone averaging 24-25 points per game.

He wants to see more balance

I would agree with  WJO'S position. I would also like to see better passing and defense.

[Lennys Tap]

IMHO, defense will decide the fate of this team.    The offensive pieces are there.    If everybody works on defense, there is enough length, depth, and shooting to compete with anyone.      All about the D.

Yep

[D'Lo Brown]

I think with Jamil it wasn't hate, it was frustration. He had the frame to be a beast physically and always had the athleticism and ability. He just never put it all together here. I'm glad he seems to have done so now and hope he gets another NBA look. If Jamil had an Achilles' Heel at MU, it was that he never developed that killer instinct that guys like Jae, Jimmy, and DJO clearly had.

I could see Markus playing in the NBA, but he has to develop the point skills. The ball handling, the distribution, and the ability to finish through contact. Can he do it? Possibly. But seeing two veteran transfers coming in to play the point during his last two seasons will make it a challenge.

It was meant as an example of how we tend to nitpick and over-analyze our players' deficiencies, especially with respect to their making the league. I'm sure there were a handful of people that were all-in on Jamil making the league, but my recollection was that the majority thought he would never spend a minute on an NBA floor. And yet, here he is. And there are other examples.

3-4 years ago, if we polled Scoop on whether we would ever simultaneously play two 5'10" unathletic, no-defense shooting guards 30+ minutes per game within the next century, the vast majority would have said impossible. The well-studied among us might have given an example or two of that happening in recent history, purely based on the size comparison. I'm just saying that, when it comes to Markus (and even AR), you can downgrade him all you want in the evaluation but in the end, you put him on the floor because he puts points on the board better than almost anyone else. I'm not saying the NBA will be the exact same for him, but purely using precedent and his lack of this/that doesn't really change that he has something to offer that most don't. He is one of the very elite shooters in all of college basketball. I can totally see him on the back end of an NBA bench as an energy guy, pesky defender that sneaks in a few threes per game and distributes. Sure, he might not distribute much now but that is because he is the one being distributed to, he is the top option. With practice he would serve just fine as a shoot-first backup PG, IMO.