Marquette opens -6 vs. SHU

[wadesworld]

Fixed.  Markus single-handedly carried us to victory in that game.  Pure individual talent on display.  He was in the zone, and when's he's in that zone, there have been few other players that can match his efficiency/production.

Still believe the Wisconsin win was our most impressive win of the year, because Markus was really pretty bad in that game, and we found a way to win.  Can't count/rely on 40 points halves like what happened against Buffalo, and 53 point games to win in OT at CU.

Wasn't aware I was excluding Markus. You actually made my statement incorrect. I can think of a number of plays that needed to be made that were made by people not named Markus. One play in particular that Sam made had to be made or we lose in regulation. At least I think? I've never laced them up like you so maybe somehow you know a way we win that game if we're still down 3 after the final buzzer sounds?

[StillWarriors]

I'm not sure how chuffed up our guys could be about a team dropping over 100 on us, even if we did end up winning.

Haha, good point. I'm thinking more from the emotional standpoint of coming off that emotional high than being puffy chested.

[WarriorDad]

Anyone else concerned about a Creighton hangover? Hopefully we come out focused. Home crowd with at least some students back should help, though the crowds have been good over break.

Yes.  2017 Providence game we drove up to, we lost by 1 I think after beating Villanova a few nights earlier.  So much media this week and interviews with Markus.  Stay grounded guys, but they seem like mature level kids.  This could be a sluggish game, but as long as we get the win that is all that matters (and stay healthy).

[Floorslapper]

Wasn't aware I was excluding Markus. You actually made my statement incorrect. I can think of a number of plays that needed to be made that were made by people not named Markus. One play in particular that Sam made had to be made or we lose in regulation. At least I think? I've never laced them up like you so maybe somehow you know a way we win that game if we're still down 3 after the final buzzer sounds?

Sam's shot was a function of Markus single handedly keeping us in the game through a historic performance.

Nothing wrong with wanting to hitch your horse to hail mary's and history breaking performances to lead you to the victory circle, but not sure that's a formula for sustained success.  We are #4 in Pomeroy's Luck rating among teams ranked in Top 40 (46th overall of all 353 teams.)

Side note:  What do you think the strategy was behind Wojo having Markus inbound the ball on that last play of regulation? 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

It is much harder to inbound to a 5'11" guy in that situation than a 6'8" or 6'9" guy. The play was meant for Joey as Theo set a screen for him to get open. Sam managed to lose his man in the confusion and made the big shot. JC was on the other side and could have been an option for the pass as he is a decent shooter but the defense was paying the least attention to him.

I could see an argument that JC and MH should have switched roles but who can argue with results?

Also, Wojo had about 1 second to talk to his team before he inbounded the ball. They were trying to hurry up before Creighton could figure out what to do.

[MuMark]

Markus would need space to get off a shot.......very hard to get space in 8 tenths.....so Sam and Joey were the options and Markus was trusted to make the pass.

Makes perfect sense.

Ps line has moved to MU minus 4 1/2

[brewcity77]

Sam managed to lose his man in the confusion and made the big shot.

I just rewatched that. Kind of amazing how Sam just drifted back from the edge of the paint to the arc when Alexander turned his back to Sam. It gave him the separation he needed that, coupled with his 3-4 inch height advantage, allowed Howard to deliver a high pass that only Sam could catch. Then obviously his height advantage also allowed him to shoot over the contest from Alexander and Ballock. Great play with a touch of luck.

[Floorslapper]

Markus would need space to get off a shot.......very hard to get space in 8 tenths.....so Sam and Joey were the options and Markus was trusted to make the pass.

Makes perfect sense.

Ps line has moved to MU minus 4 1/2

"It makes perfect sense," to have the biggest 3-point shooting threat in all of college basketball inbounding the ball trailing by 3, with one second left, on a night he's clearly in the zone, and had rained 40 something in regulation up to that point?

Pretty sure if Markus were NOT inbounding the ball, Creighton would have absolutely double teamed Markus and at minimum as a diversion, that would have created a much better look for Sam or Joey.  But hey, it worked out...but sure was an odd "coaching" decision.

[Class71]

Sam's shot was a function of Markus single handedly keeping us in the game through a historic performance.

Nothing wrong with wanting to hitch your horse to hail mary's and history breaking performances to lead you to the victory circle, but not sure that's a formula for sustained success.  We are #4 in Pomeroy's Luck rating among teams ranked in Top 40 (46th overall of all 353 teams.)

Side note:  What do you think the strategy was behind Wojo having Markus inbound the ball on that last play of regulation?

Markus would be double teamed and/or would have to shoot over a much taller player while having no time to maneuver around the player(s). Sam and Joey are tall and also very good spot-up shooters. Both avoid the height problem offering a better target to pass too.

[Loose Cannon]

It worked.  Angels in the outfield, I'll be looking today.

[PGsHeroes32]

Line dropping big

[wadesworld]

Sam's shot was a function of Markus single handedly keeping us in the game through a historic performance.

Nothing wrong with wanting to hitch your horse to hail mary's and history breaking performances to lead you to the victory circle, but not sure that's a formula for sustained success.  We are #4 in Pomeroy's Luck rating among teams ranked in Top 40 (46th overall of all 353 teams.)

Side note:  What do you think the strategy was behind Wojo having Markus inbound the ball on that last play of regulation?

I'm totally fine with "hitching our horse" to our First Team All American. Totally fine with it.

You really think Markus should've gotten the ball with 0.8 seconds left and at least one defender much taller than him inside his jersey? Talk about an interesting coaching decision that would be...

In that situation it's not a "who's hot" or "who's our best shooter." It's a "well, it's going to take a whole lot of luck and someone who can actually catch and release the shot without it being blocked with no time to do anything but just that, catch and release." Doesn't even take basketball knowledge to understand this one, of which clearly nobody but you have because we just played the tuba and flute, but an understanding of simple physics. 6'8" vs. 5'11" (generously). Tough choice.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I think having JC inbound and Markus as a decoy on the far side would have made sense. The play definitely had to go to one of the Hausers.

[wadesworld]

I think having JC inbound and Markus as a decoy on the far side would have made sense. The play definitely had to go to one of the Hausers.

I agree. That is the only possible change I would make. But Wojo trusting Markus to make the correct pass also makes sense to me. And even though there was no possible time to have this happen, Markus in bounding it below our own basket to a big and then slipping behind him to the corner for 3 and a "natural" screen is something we run 10 times a game, so with no time for Creighton to discuss that not being possible, there may have been some thoughts on their end about stopping that play.

[wadesworld]

And to add to that, as we are seeing today, Chartouney does not make very good passes when it's more than about 10 feet long.

[MU82]

I think having JC inbound and Markus as a decoy on the far side would have made sense. The play definitely had to go to one of the Hausers.

That was my thought, too.

Made all the sense in the world to have a Hauser on the receiving end of the pass, but Markus would have been the perfect decoy. Is it possible that Wojo simply trusted Markus more than JCS to deliver the pass?

As for the line in this Seton Hall game ... I don't wanna say "I told you so" that 6 seemed like too many points against a team that has been a tough out just about all season, but ...

[Floorslapper]

I'm totally fine with "hitching our horse" to our First Team All American. Totally fine with it.

You really think Markus should've gotten the ball with 0.8 seconds left and at least one defender much taller than him inside his jersey? Talk about an interesting coaching decision that would be...

In that situation it's not a "who's hot" or "who's our best shooter." It's a "well, it's going to take a whole lot of luck and someone who can actually catch and release the shot without it being blocked with no time to do anything but just that, catch and release." Doesn't even take basketball knowledge to understand this one, of which clearly nobody but you have because we just played the tuba and flute, but an understanding of simple physics. 6'8" vs. 5'11" (generously). Tough choice.

I'm at least glad that you've stopped with the Markus chasing the 50 burger jab. 

The only chance this team has of making it to the 2nd weekend in tournament is if Markus goes Superman mode. So. You should bow down at the altar of Markus for this team being moderately successful this season.

But yes. It was dumb AF to have your best player and three point shooting threat inbounding the ball in that situation.

PSS - If a guy cant make a reasonably easily inbounds pass at this level, he shouldn't be on a D-1 basketball team.

[BM1090]

I'm at least glad that you've stopped with the Markus chasing the 50 burger jab. 

The only chance this team has of making it to the 2nd weekend in tournament is if Markus goes Superman mode. So. You should bow down at the altar of Markus for this team being moderately successful this season.

But yes. It was dumb AF to have your best player and three point shooting threat inbounding the ball in that situation.

PSS - If a guy cant make a reasonably easily inbounds pass at this level, he shouldn't be on a D-1 basketball team.

You have three good to very passers on the team. Sam. Joey. Markus. 2 of those guys are needed to catch and shoot. Ideally you can use Markus as a distraction to create space, but then your options to inbound the ball are Jamal, Brendan and Joe. The first two aren't real options as they aren't capable passers at this point. That leaves Joseph. I'd prefer Markus to inbound the ball in that situation.

Also, it was anything but a simple pass. That pass had to be in 1 spot at 1 speed to give Sam a chance. And it was.

[wadesworld]

I'm at least glad that you've stopped with the Markus chasing the 50 burger jab. 

The only chance this team has of making it to the 2nd weekend in tournament is if Markus goes Superman mode. So. You should bow down at the altar of Markus for this team being moderately successful this season.

But yes. It was dumb AF to have your best player and three point shooting threat inbounding the ball in that situation.

PSS - If a guy cant make a reasonably easily inbounds pass at this level, he shouldn't be on a D-1 basketball team.

Or it was simple physics.  My best player and 3 point shooting thread is 5'11" (generous) and will have 2 guys with 6+ inches on him draped all over him, with quite literally no time to do anything to create separation to get the shot off.  We don't win that game if Markus is the one catching that pass.

Don't have to even ask me.  Markus himself said in the post game press conference we won the game because of Sam (and that Sam is always the one in practice making the crazy end of game shots, so they knew they were getting him the ball in that situation.  But you know better than the guys who are in the gym every day so it was dumb AF.  No debate.  End of story).

[MU82]

I'm at least glad that you've stopped with the Markus chasing the 50 burger jab. 

The only chance this team has of making it to the 2nd weekend in tournament is if Markus goes Superman mode. So. You should bow down at the altar of Markus for this team being moderately successful this season.

But yes. It was dumb AF to have your best player and three point shooting threat inbounding the ball in that situation.

PSS - If a guy cant make a reasonably easily inbounds pass at this level, he shouldn't be on a D-1 basketball team.

Here you go again, Ners.

You know more than Wojo and Markus, among others.

I'm not sure how we've won a single game without you on our coaching staff!

Totally disagree with your assertion that we can only win 2 NCAA tourney games if Markus is Superman. I mean, if we are a top-5 seed, we probably won't face a team any better than Seton Hall in the first round, and we beat them today with Markus struggling bigly at winning time. We have other good players, and we play good D. We can't beat a good team if Markus has 20, Sam has 16, Joey has 14, Sacar and Theo have strong defensive games and a couple guys contribute off the bench? The only possibility is that Markus scores 50?

Also, I guess 14-3 and likely top 15 is only "moderately successful" to a guy like you, whose coaching brilliance and/or playing superstardom has led major-college teams to better showings.

[brewcity77]

But yes. It was dumb AF to have your best player and three point shooting threat inbounding the ball in that situation.

You're kidding, right? That play literally won us the game. Howard delivered a perfect pass and because Sam is 6'8" he was able to catch the pass and get a shot up quickly over 2 guys that are 6'4" and 6'5".

You don't want Howard catching the ball in that situation. The reason he is so effective is because he is great at creating a sliver of separation to get his shot off. With 0.8 seconds, there's no time to create enough space to get a clear look off that quickly. Sam could do that because of his size.

It was a great playcall and the only two guys you want catching that ball are Sam or Joey.

[Newsdreams]

You're kidding, right? That play literally won us the game. Howard delivered a perfect pass and because Sam is 6'8" he was able to catch the pass and get a shot up quickly over 2 guys that are 6'4" and 6'5".

You don't want Howard catching the ball in that situation. The reason he is so effective is because he is great at creating a sliver of separation to get his shot off. With 0.8 seconds, there's no time to create enough space to get a clear look off that quickly. Sam could do that because of his size.

It was a great playcall and the only two guys you want catching that ball are Sam or Joey.

No he is not kidding he really has no idea

[Floorslapper]

No he is not kidding he really has no idea

Lol. The posters who think Markus should have been inbounding that ball truly have NO idea. Not surprised you join in their chorus of ignorance.

Markus should have been in the play. Anyone who thinks Creighton wouldn't have overplayed the F out of Markus creating an even better look/opportunity for Joey or Sam truly has NO idea.

[Floorslapper]

Here you go again, Ners.

You know more than Wojo and Markus, among others.

I'm not sure how we've won a single game without you on our coaching staff!

Totally disagree with your assertion that we can only win 2 NCAA tourney games if Markus is Superman. I mean, if we are a top-5 seed, we probably won't face a team any better than Seton Hall in the first round, and we beat them today with Markus struggling bigly at winning time. We have other good players, and we play good D. We can't beat a good team if Markus has 20, Sam has 16, Joey has 14, Sacar and Theo have strong defensive games and a couple guys contribute off the bench? The only possibility is that Markus scores 50?

Also, I guess 14-3 and likely top 15 is only "moderately successful" to a guy like you, whose coaching brilliance and/or playing superstardom has led major-college teams to better showings.

33 in Pomeroy. We eeked out a win against 50 Seton Hall at home...with markus having an "off" 26 point game.

Might want to put away the annointong oil.

[BM1090]

Lol. The posters who think Markus should have been inbounding that ball truly have NO idea. Not surprised you join in their chorus of ignorance.

Markus should have been in the play. Anyone who thinks Creighton wouldn't have overplayed the F out of Markus creating an even better look/opportunity for Joey or Sam truly has NO idea.

Give me your play. Tell me what you would have drawn up to get someone a look better than the one we got. Specifically using some type of screen action because that's the only way they would overplay Markus. Thanks.