Ranking Wojo's Freshmen Recruits

[The Sultan]

Wojo has had fourteen players who were on the roster as freshmen.  I am including Sandy Cohen since he had to be "re-recruited" when he started.  Here is how I rank them based on their impact to date:

1. Markus Howard - potential BE player of the year and all-american candidate
2. Sam Hauser - would have been #1 pre-season
3. Sacar Anim - will be passed up on this list eventually but a solid two year starter and good defensive player
4. Henry Ellenson - BE rookie of the year and first team all BE
5. Joey Hauser - will be higher on this list next year, maybe even #1 before leaving MU
6. Theo John - potentially the best big man in 24 years, nine months and will also move up when all is said and done
7. Matt Heldt - solid but unspectacular big man
8. Haanif Cheatham - looked like he was going to be a key player after his freshman year
9. Sandy Cohen - looked better when the talent around him wasn't very good.
10. Greg Elliott - solid defensive player who hopefully can overcome his injury set backs
11. Jamal Cain - looked like a huge upside player after his freshman year but has struggled
12. Brendan Bailey - has potential that he has flashed at times
13. Traci Carter - point guard who couldn't score and had turnover issues
14. Ike Eke - hopefully we will get to see him play someday

[Galway Eagle]

I'd put sandy lower, I was never impressed by him. At leat Cain and Elliott have had their moments.

[BM1090]

Wojo has had fourteen players who were on the roster as freshmen.  I am including Sandy Cohen since he had to be "re-recruited" when he started.  Here is how I rank them based on their impact to date:

1. Markus Howard - potential BE player of the year and all-american candidate
2. Sam Hauser - would have been #1 pre-season
3. Sacar Anim - will be passed up on this list eventually but a solid two year starter and good defensive player
4. Henry Ellenson - BE rookie of the year and first team all BE
5. Joey Hauser - will be higher on this list next year, maybe even #1 before leaving MU
6. Theo John - potentially the best big man in 25 years and will also move up when all is said and done
7. Matt Heldt - solid but unspectacular big man
8. Haanif Cheatham - looked like he was going to be a key player after his freshman year
9. Sandy Cohen - looked better when the talent around him wasn't very good.
10. Greg Elliott - solid defensive player who hopefully can overcome his injury set backs
11. Jamal Cain - looked like a huge upside player after his freshman year but has struggled
12. Brendan Bailey - has potential that he has flashed at times
13. Traci Carter - point guard who couldn't score and had turnover issues
14. Ike Eke - hopefully we will get to see him play someday

Henry above Sacar. greg above Sandy. Haanif above Matt. Those are the few changes I'd make

[The Sultan]

I would be on-board with all three and in fact I flip-flopped Henry and Sacar at the last minute.

[MomofMUltiples]

My hope would be that many of those players move DOWN the list as time goes by.  That would mean Wojo is recruiting better players than some of those in the top 5.

[BCHoopster]

Henry is the only pro so far in Wojo tenure, so to me he is number 1.

[Galway Eagle]

Henry is the only pro so far in Wojo tenure, so to me he is number 1.

This is terrible logic. Markus has had way more of an impact on wojos rebuild than Henry.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Based on college contribution to date:

1. Markus
2. Sam
3. Henry
4. Joey (will eventually pass Henry, probably on par with Sam)

Big Gap
5. Sacar
6. Theo

Smaller gap
Everyone else

[Goose]

Mom

I am with you. Aside, from Henry, the Hauser boys and Howard, I hope each one of those guys are far down the list a couple of years from now. Great progress this year (win/loss record), but still a lot of room to upgrade the talent pool.

[PJDunn]

I would drop Henry down the list.  His impact on the program's trajectory was negligible and his early exit to the pros turned out to be a bad decision on many levels.

[avid1010]

Mom

I am with you. Aside, from Henry, the Hauser boys and Howard, I hope each one of those guys are far down the list a couple of years from now. Great progress this year (win/loss record), but still a lot of room to upgrade the talent pool.

i'd take a theo john type big in most recruiting classes....we'll see where he ends up, but he's playing good ball for a sophomore...and big men aren't easy to find.  i'm not sure what MU's record looks like without theo this year...he really impacts the game. 

[BCHoopster]

This is terrible logic. Markus has had way more of an impact on wojos rebuild than Henry.

I agree with you that Markus has and will have the best career at MU under Wojo.  But to me the only names you remember are names that make the pros.  Wade,
Diener, Novak, Mathews, Crowder, Butler, the ones that were on the big screen at DWade coronation.  I think the Hausers have a chance, not sure about Markus yet.
Brunson looked awful small against the Bucks, and Brunson ate up Howard and Rowsey the last few years taking them low.

[Golden Avalanche]

Henry is the only pro so far in Wojo tenure, so to me he is number 1.

In a listing of impact college recruits under Wojo your first metric would be to ignore their college production?

This seems odd.

[The Sultan]

I agree with you that Markus has and will have the best career at MU under Wojo.  But to me the only names you remember are names that make the pros. 

That's not the criteria I was using.  I was using their contributions on the basketball court.

[Goose]

avid

John has had a big impact in a couple of MU wins thus far, no doubt about it. That said, I would be working very hard to upgrade that position on the recruiting trail.

[Otule's Glass Eye]

I'd put Henry, Joey and Theo above Sacar honestly, Joey and Theo have been in school less time but still have more of an impact than he does right now.

[The Sultan]

I'd put Henry, Joey and Theo above Sacar honestly, Joey and Theo have been in school less time but still have more of an impact than he does right now.

You can make a case for Henry.  By the end of the year probably Joey.  But Theo has only really been an impact player for about half a season.  Anim has had more of an impact in his time here.  By the time their careers are done, all three are likely ahead of Sacar though.

[Its DJOver]

avid

John has had a big impact in a couple of MU wins thus far, no doubt about it. That said, I would be working very hard to upgrade that position on the recruiting trail.

Agree that C is a position to address, especially if Ike never plays, but would it be an upgrade, or a replacement?  To the best of my knowledge we're done with 2019 kids, and any 2020 recruits would be freshman when Theo is a Senior.  Based on our current targets, I don't think any of them could, as a Freshman, be an upgrade over Senior Theo.  Getting a big in 2020 is important because Ed will be gone, and Theo's replacement will need an adjustment period.

[BCHoopster]

Agree that C is a position to address, especially if Ike never plays, but would it be an upgrade, or a replacement?  To the best of my knowledge we're done with 2019 kids, and any 2020 recruits would be freshman when Theo is a Senior.  Based on our current targets, I don't think any of them could, as a Freshman, be an upgrade over Senior Theo.  Getting a big in 2020 is important because Ed will be gone, and Theo's replacement will need an adjustment period.

Might be done with 2019 seniors but never forget grad transfers or transfers.  If Ike is done that opens up a scholarship and I hate to mention a transfer but
that can happen as well.  I just hope in the grad transfer market Wojo could find somebody a tad better than JC.   They might only have 11 players next year,  if
1 leaves that is 10.  There is room for another forward for this team.  Think they are OK at guard and center for next year.

[Its DJOver]

Might be done with 2019 seniors but never forget grad transfers or transfers.  If Ike is done that opens up a scholarship and I hate to mention a transfer but
that can happen as well.  I just hope in the grad transfer market Wojo could find somebody a tad better than JC.   They might only have 11 players next year,  if
1 leaves that is 10.  There is room for another forward for this team.  Think they are OK at guard and center for next year.

True but any traditional transfer would be sitting out the 2019-2020 season and not be eligible anyways until Theo is a Senior (barring medical red-shirt), and getting a grad transfer big would be an extremely tough sell for next year considering that we return 95%+ of our frontcourt minutes.  Always look to improve the team, but it would take an awfully good player to steal minutes from Sam, Joey, Theo, or Ed, all IMO.  If I had to guess, our last scholly will either be banked, or used on a traditional transfer to help lessen the loss of Ed, Sam, Sacar, and Markus after next season.

[GooooMarquette]

I'd put sandy lower, I was never impressed by him. At leat Cain and Elliott have had their moments.

Perhaps, but the Scoop intelligentsia awarded Sandy 2 SOTG's as a soph - that's 2 more than Cain and Elliott combined so far.

If we are awarding based on what they did/have done, Sandy wins. If we are awarding potential, that's another matter....

[MUBigDance]

"Based on their impact" you say. Different ideas on what that means. So not how good but impact on program.

Which brings me to my biggest dilemma: "Henry Ellenson". Part of me sees his year as hurting the program and Wojo. Investment in someone who didn't unpack his bags. Promises to a family concerning a brother who also disappeared. Agendas that seemed to use Marquette. Ellensons in a way the antithesis of the Hausers. Would Wojo and the program have been better off with no Ellensons?
On the other hand that year would have been a bottom 5 BE year without Henry. We beat The varmits which is worth a lot and Henry didn't have an attitude. I can't dislike him.

Henry's impact should be graded lower than any of the 4year guys when all said and done. Matt, Sacar, etc.  IMHO

[wadesworld]

I would drop Henry down the list.  His impact on the program's trajectory was negligible and his early exit to the pros turned out to be a bad decision on many levels.

Huh? A bad decision to take millions of dollars he may have never gotten had he not made the decision he did?

Odd.

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

Theo best big man in 25 years?  Holy $hit!!

[Goose]

Sand Knit

Could not have said that any better. I do get a big laugh out of how some view talent and impact of a player. I have no doubt, that many on here have vastly over inflated John's value simply because they like his style of play/toughness. Best big man in 25 years? That really cracks me up.