My 2 cents (more like 6 or 7 cents)

[Wade for President]

1.  Memo to Tom Crean:  Get your brother-in-law some MU gear.  Seeing that damn Stanford crimson vest was painful.  We know who you are and who you coach...support the fam!  It's like seeing guys that wear White Sox gear to Wrigley...I don't get it.

2.  Earl Clark is going to be a good one for the Cards.  The announcers were talking a lot about Caracter and his desire to turn pro, but the future of that team is #5.  Once he realizes how good he can be, he's going to become a huge force in the Big East.  Don't see too many big's with his size and leaping ability, who are so agile on their feet.

3.  In a situation like last night, it's on coaches shoulders to encourage Fitz to pull the trigger.  I read previous threads about Dan's hesitation, and I hold coach a little bit accountable for this.  There was one possession early, that he passed up 2 open looks on the same damn possession.  When they went to a t.v. timeout, I was hoping to see Crean run up to Dan to remind him that he has the green light!

4.  I don't want to beat a dead horse here, but we'd be a much better team if we could get any of L'ville's 4 big men.  What a freakin' luxury Pitino has at that spot.  Getting Palacios and Padgett healthy is going to wake this sleeping giant.  A healthy L'ville team, and you could easily be looking at next year's preseason #1 ranked team.

5.  Terrence Williams continues to impress me.  His size, strength, and mobility, is unmatched at the collegiate level.  Seems to always step up his game against MU, and is consistently a defensive match-up nightmare for us.

6.  Pitino again gave every other team yet another blueprint on how to defeat MU...ZONE DEFENSE.  Until Crean learns how to coach against the zone, I unfortunately see this team with great liability's and limitations.  Being frustrated on the offensive side of the ball consistently forces us to play careless defense (and makes our guys commit stupid fouls).  I think we committed 4 fouls on one defensive possesion last night.  Our team thrives on defensive aggressiveness, and playing against a zone, for some reason or another, compromises this.

7.  Ummm...did anybody else think Joani Crean looked kinda hot yesterday?!?

[mu_hilltopper]

I think there's two things being said to Fitz from the coaches.  The first is privately, Dan, you're a shooter.  Go out and shoot.  But then in the huddle, Crean is screaming "we're not shooting well tonight .. drive to the basket!"  .. so Fitz looks first to pass, then to shoot.  That doesn't work.

I just don't think they have any plays for Fitz.  It's all about our #1-3 guys.   .. And you can't just run one play for Fitz.  You need to run 10.  He might miss the first 3-4, but after 10, he'll be in that 35-45% range, give you those 9-12 points you need.  Fitz only attempted 2 shots.  What's the alternative (last night)?   Lazar was 2 for 10.  You want him to keep driving, chucking it up, finish 4 for 20 in a zone D that was working well?  Make 'em guard you far out.

[CTWarrior]

6.  Pitino again gave every other team yet another blueprint on how to defeat MU...ZONE DEFENSE.  Until Crean learns how to coach against the zone, I unfortunately see this team with great liability's and limitations.  Being frustrated on the offensive side of the ball consistently forces us to play careless defense (and makes our guys commit stupid fouls).  I think we committed 4 fouls on one defensive possesion last night.  Our team thrives on defensive aggressiveness, and playing against a zone, for some reason or another, compromises this.

I wouldn't say Crean doesn't know how to coach against a zone.  We don't have the kind of players that are effective against a zone.  We're not great outside shooters and we have NO low post scorers.  We have excellent slashers.  Tough to design an effective zone offense with that combo.

[DegenerateDish]

I've been asking for this all season, but I think the way to really beat the zone is for Marquette to use it's defense for offense.

McNeal, Matthews (at least last night), James and Hayward are all very active, and I can't believe we don't try a full court trap/press to some degree. A full court 1-3-1 with Barro (playing to his strength of quickness and length) as the anchor would be really effective in my mind.

MU's best in transition and creating points off turnovers. With the depth of quick guards we have, you could easily spell guys for short stretches.

Obviously this will only work off field goal makes, but I'd love to see Marquette employ this. We're the quickest, arguably most athletic, team in the Big East, and we should play to this strength.

[bma725]

3.  In a situation like last night, it's on coaches shoulders to encourage Fitz to pull the trigger.  I read previous threads about Dan's hesitation, and I hold coach a little bit accountable for this.  There was one possession early, that he passed up 2 open looks on the same damn possession.  When they went to a t.v. timeout, I was hoping to see Crean run up to Dan to remind him that he has the green light!

I don't think coaching has anything to do with it.  Shooters mentality is something you either have or you don't, it can't really be cultivated.  And while Fitz may have the physical skills for it, he is not a shooter.  

Its like a few years ago, when Scott Merritt had all the skills to be a physical low post presence but never turned into one because he never had any interest in being one.    There's almost nothing a coach can do to make a player into something he doesn't want to be.  It doesn't matter whether its Crean or any other coach out there.  The player has to have the desire to do it himself.

[79Warrior]

7.  Ummm...did anybody else think Joani Crean looked kinda hot yesterday?!?
[/quote]

ESPN got it wrong. The gal next to Jin was his wife. Joani was sitting next to her sister in law.

[mwbauer7]

Anybody see the lipper Jim had in when they showed him?

That and he was spitting into Tom's diet pepsi can...

[chapman]

7.  Ummm...did anybody else think Joani Crean looked kinda hot yesterday?!?

ESPN got it wrong. The gal next to Jin was his wife. Joani was sitting next to her sister in law.
[/quote]

Harbaugh's wife looked pretty good.  Maybe it's a distraction to the players to have Harbaugh's wife at the game.

[Wade for President]

7.  Ummm...did anybody else think Joani Crean looked kinda hot yesterday?!?

ESPN got it wrong. The gal next to Jin was his wife. Joani was sitting next to her sister in law.
[/quote]

Oh...I know who Joani is and where she was sitting.  Just thought she was a nice brief distraction from our team's attempt at playing basketball.

[The Lens]

1.  Memo to Tom Crean:  Get your brother-in-law some MU gear.  Seeing that damn Stanford crimson vest was painful.  We know who you are and who you coach...support the fam!  It's like seeing guys that wear White Sox gear to Wrigley...I don't get it.

What was worse?  Harbaugh's red at a Louisiville game or him checking his watch twice in one camera shot? 

[mu03eng]

6.  Pitino again gave every other team yet another blueprint on how to defeat MU...ZONE DEFENSE.  Until Crean learns how to coach against the zone, I unfortunately see this team with great liability's and limitations.  Being frustrated on the offensive side of the ball consistently forces us to play careless defense (and makes our guys commit stupid fouls).  I think we committed 4 fouls on one defensive possesion last night.  Our team thrives on defensive aggressiveness, and playing against a zone, for some reason or another, compromises this.

Not to nitpick but a couple of things: 1.  Pitinio played a standard 2-3 zone against us....no different than Wisco, Providence, WVU, and Seton Hall have run at us at times during games.  We've seen it....we know how to beat it and during the game we were doing things to beat the zone.  Which brings me to my second point
2.  Shooting in general was bad, not just 3-pt shooting.  Last night looked like a case of a game where shot selection was pretty much right on but actual shooting sucked.  We got into the middle of the zone and jumpers wouldn't fall, especially Lazar's.  We got bunnies and couldn't finish.  And we didn't hit any of our open looks....IIRC 5 or 6 of our 12 missed threes were wide open looks.

Louisville didn't do anything that special, they played solidly, but we just sucked shooting the ball.  I don't see how this team shoots that bad again this season....but I said that after Seton Hall so we will see I guess.

[Shack]

6.  Pitino again gave every other team yet another blueprint on how to defeat MU...ZONE DEFENSE.  Until Crean learns how to coach against the zone, I unfortunately see this team with great liability's and limitations.  Being frustrated on the offensive side of the ball consistently forces us to play careless defense (and makes our guys commit stupid fouls).  I think we committed 4 fouls on one defensive possesion last night.  Our team thrives on defensive aggressiveness, and playing against a zone, for some reason or another, compromises this.

Not to nitpick but a couple of things: 1.  Pitinio played a standard 2-3 zone against us....no different than Wisco, Providence, WVU, and Seton Hall have run at us at times during games.  We've seen it....we know how to beat it and during the game we were doing things to beat the zone.  Which brings me to my second point
2.  Shooting in general was bad, not just 3-pt shooting.  Last night looked like a case of a game where shot selection was pretty much right on but actual shooting sucked.  We got into the middle of the zone and jumpers wouldn't fall, especially Lazar's.  We got bunnies and couldn't finish.  And we didn't hit any of our open looks....IIRC 5 or 6 of our 12 missed threes were wide open looks.

Louisville didn't do anything that special, they played solidly, but we just sucked shooting the ball.  I don't see how this team shoots that bad again this season....but I said that after Seton Hall so we will see I guess.

Totally agree.  That's why Crean's comments troubles me "Regardless of whether it's man or zone, you're not going to win a lot of games taking free-throw-line jump shots," "It was a poor start, because you can't settle for mid-range jump shots against very good defense,"

We better start hitting those shots rather than taking less of them. 

[Big Papi]

6.  Pitino again gave every other team yet another blueprint on how to defeat MU...ZONE DEFENSE.  Until Crean learns how to coach against the zone, I unfortunately see this team with great liability's and limitations.  Being frustrated on the offensive side of the ball consistently forces us to play careless defense (and makes our guys commit stupid fouls).  I think we committed 4 fouls on one defensive possesion last night.  Our team thrives on defensive aggressiveness, and playing against a zone, for some reason or another, compromises this.

Not to nitpick but a couple of things: 1.  Pitinio played a standard 2-3 zone against us....no different than Wisco, Providence, WVU, and Seton Hall have run at us at times during games.  We've seen it....we know how to beat it and during the game we were doing things to beat the zone.  Which brings me to my second point
2.  Shooting in general was bad, not just 3-pt shooting.  Last night looked like a case of a game where shot selection was pretty much right on but actual shooting sucked.  We got into the middle of the zone and jumpers wouldn't fall, especially Lazar's.  We got bunnies and couldn't finish.  And we didn't hit any of our open looks....IIRC 5 or 6 of our 12 missed threes were wide open looks.

Louisville didn't do anything that special, they played solidly, but we just sucked shooting the ball.  I don't see how this team shoots that bad again this season....but I said that after Seton Hall so we will see I guess.

Your absolutely right.  Pitino didn't give anybody a blueprint on how to beat us.  When we hit our outside shots, we roll and when we shoot as bad as we did yesterday, we get smoked.  Our 3 point shooting is much improved over early last year.  We just have too many flaws to compensate when we have a bad shooting night.  We are still a very good team.

[NavinRJohnson]

Totally agree.  That's why Crean's comments troubles me "Regardless of whether it's man or zone, you're not going to win a lot of games taking free-throw-line jump shots," "It was a poor start, because you can't settle for mid-range jump shots against very good defense,"

We better start hitting those shots rather than taking less of them. 

This continued tunnel vision about 3-pt shooting, zone defense, lack of a big man is just nonsense. You may be troubled by that comment from Crean, but you cut off the most important part...

"We lost this game on the backboards, our lack of communication defensively and our lack of rotations."

He is absolutely right on that. When we don't defend and rebound well, we don't score points. That is where it all begins and ends for MU.

[Wade for President]

6.  Pitino again gave every other team yet another blueprint on how to defeat MU...ZONE DEFENSE.  Until Crean learns how to coach against the zone, I unfortunately see this team with great liability's and limitations.  Being frustrated on the offensive side of the ball consistently forces us to play careless defense (and makes our guys commit stupid fouls).  I think we committed 4 fouls on one defensive possesion last night.  Our team thrives on defensive aggressiveness, and playing against a zone, for some reason or another, compromises this.

Not to nitpick but a couple of things: 1.  Pitinio played a standard 2-3 zone against us....no different than Wisco, Providence, WVU, and Seton Hall have run at us at times during games.  We've seen it....we know how to beat it and during the game we were doing things to beat the zone.  Which brings me to my second point
2.  Shooting in general was bad, not just 3-pt shooting.  Last night looked like a case of a game where shot selection was pretty much right on but actual shooting sucked.  We got into the middle of the zone and jumpers wouldn't fall, especially Lazar's.  We got bunnies and couldn't finish.  And we didn't hit any of our open looks....IIRC 5 or 6 of our 12 missed threes were wide open looks.

Louisville didn't do anything that special, they played solidly, but we just sucked shooting the ball.  I don't see how this team shoots that bad again this season....but I said that after Seton Hall so we will see I guess.

What came first...the chicken or the egg?  You can say that it wasn't the zone that broke us apart, but our horrible shooting.  Well...could it have been their aggresive zone that put us in a position to rush our interior shots?

Obviously our shooting was beyond horrendous, but last night was by far the fastest defensive team we've seen (not saying that much considering 2 or .  We've also faced size like that this year, but not size with that kind of athleticism (excluding Padgett).

Time to move on...bring on UCONN!!!

[Knight Commission]

For what its worth, I was listening to Pitino's post game on Louisville's flagship am 840. He said he "wasnt worried" about the game that night and was more worried about their next game against Seton Hall.  I think Pitino knew the zone would be effective against MU--as does most of D1 college bball.

[NavinRJohnson]

For what its worth, I was listening to Pitino's post game on Louisville's flagship am 840. He said he "wasnt worried" about the game that night and was more worried about their next game against Seton Hall.  I think Pitino knew the zone would be effective against MU--as does most of D1 college bball.

I'd like to hear the exact quote on that, because there is no way in hell he said it the way you imply that he did.

[Knight Commission]

He did. No lie. Its practically verbatim. I hope MU can get the tape.

[Marquette84]

For what its worth, I was listening to Pitino's post game on Louisville's flagship am 840. He said he "wasnt worried" about the game that night and was more worried about their next game against Seton Hall.  I think Pitino knew the zone would be effective against MU--as does most of D1 college bball.

Is it possible that you're taking this out of context? 

Could Pitino have been referencing the players' readiness to take on a ranked opponent when he said he "wasn't worried" about MU, and he is now rightly "more worried" about Seton Hall as a trap game for UL, which is ripe for a letdown after a big win?   

That seems to make a whole lot more sense than predicting that his zone would be effective after seeing teams like Notre Dame and Providence have zero success with it.

[Knight Commission]

Dude, this was not taken out of context, this is flat out what he said.

I'm not sure of what his basis was--he did not elaborate after he said it. It was not in reference to the zone, I'm only speculating, but its the only reason I could think of why he would say this. His comment was merely that he "wasn't worried" about Marquette. I wanted to corroborate my account on the Looeyville board but apparently you have to pay to post.

Also, the play by play guy said with about 5 minutes left, that he had "a good feeling" about the game before it started.

I really think that word is spreading that MU is easy to beat if you play zone.

BTW the only reason I was listening to the station was because I could get the Looeyville station on my car radio and not the weak P.O.S. MU station. I was much closer to Milwaukee than Looeyville when I heard it.

[Big Papi]

Dude, this was not taken out of context, this is flat out what he said.

I'm not sure of what his basis was--he did not elaborate after he said it. It was not in reference to the zone, I'm only speculating, but its the only reason I could think of why he would say this. His comment was merely that he "wasn't worried" about Marquette. I wanted to corroborate my account on the Looeyville board but apparently you have to pay to post.

Also, the play by play guy said with about 5 minutes left, that he had "a good feeling" about the game before it started.

I really think that word is spreading that MU is easy to beat if you play zone.

BTW the only reason I was listening to the station was because I could get the Looeyville station on my car radio and not the weak P.O.S. MU station. I was much closer to Milwaukee than Looeyville when I heard it.

I also listened to the Louisville broadcast for much of the game through Sirius radio as I am unable to get 1290 in Racine and I don't recall the play by play guy saying anything of the sort and I listened fairly intently from the time the broadcast started till about 8 minutes left in the game.

Now I really wish I would have listened to the post game because I am shocked that Pitino would have the balls to basically say Seton Hall is better than MU which is what you are implying.  Talk about bulletin board material.

[mwbauer7]

Pitino is a class A Jerk anyway. Who cares what he says? This guy makes up bulletin board material for his own players.

[Marquette84]

Dude, this was not taken out of context, this is flat out what he said.

I'm not sure of what his basis was--he did not elaborate after he said it. It was not in reference to the zone, I'm only speculating, but its the only reason I could think of why he would say this. His comment was merely that he "wasn't worried" about Marquette. I wanted to corroborate my account on the Looeyville board but apparently you have to pay to post.

Of COURSE his comment wasn't in reference to the zone!   MU just shot 50% on threes against ND.  And ND played a zone which MU shredded like a lump of cheese.   

For all the bitching about MU's outside shooting, in league play we came into the game ranked 3th in conference, shooting 39%.   No coach--especially one as experienced as Pitino--would be so arrogant as to suggest he's not worried about another team's talent.

Let's use some common sense.  MU and Seton Hall play a similar style, yet MU's guards is quicker, better outside shooters, better penetrators, and better playmakers.  But you seriously believe that Pitino would make a public statment suggesting that he's more worried about a slower team with worse shooting, worse playmaking, and less penetrating ability? 

Seton Hall is shooting 28% on outside shots, while MU came in shooting 39% on outside shots--and you say that someone would be more worried about Seton Hall's ability to break a zone? 

It's obvious that Pitino was referring to the potential for letdown that teams often have after a big win, especially when the very next game is a short turnaround  road game against far less talented opponent.   The most obvious reason for his comment is that he is worried his players may let this big win lead to thinking that they can take Seton Hall for granted.

[Pardner]

For what its worth, I was listening to Pitino's post game on Louisville's flagship am 840. He said he "wasnt worried" about the game that night and was more worried about their next game against Seton Hall.  I think Pitino knew the zone would be effective against MU--as does most of D1 college bball.[/quote

Looks like Pitino got it right.  SH wins by 10 over UL:  92-82.  Road team bites it again.

[NavinRJohnson]

For what its worth, I was listening to Pitino's post game on Louisville's flagship am 840. He said he "wasnt worried" about the game that night and was more worried about their next game against Seton Hall.  I think Pitino knew the zone would be effective against MU--as does most of D1 college bball.
[/quote

Looks like Pitino got it right.  SH wins by 10 over UL:  92-82.  Road team bites it again.

Nah, couldn't be that its tough to win on the road. More likely Louisville's lack of discipline, shooters or a legitimate big man.