SHU-t

[brewcity77]

Frustrated fans say irrational things.

I don't think that's irrational. I tweeted this during the game:

I love Howard. Love his game. But right now, up 13, I'm not sure I want him back in the game. Unless there's a real need.

Just moments later, Howard was in the game and the lead was halved. It may have started before he came back in, but he looked broken all night. We were flying without him. Sacar had settled down, Sam was in control, just let it ride. Putting Markus back in was a mistake.

[Class71]

Nova lost 3 in a row to basically the same competition.  Was it time for Jay Wright to go??

No but then MU has not won 2 championships in 3 years.  This is a silly comparison. Try another comparison. BUZZARD takes over a pathetic VT team and how is he looking  vs our Duke breed coach? Oh, and how does the ACC stack up to the BE?

[CountryRoads]

Wojo has done an excellent job all season riding the hot hand in games except when it comes to Howard. The ULTIMATE GREEN LIGHT is a very real thing.

[Dr. Blackheart]

We talked about this at halftime in the chat. Have Sacar bring the ball up court and then MU can set up the offense with a dribble handoff to Markus. MU got there in a de facto way with foul trouble on MH. With the pressure, this forces the defense downcourt to not leave Markus alone--and Sacar can throw over the top. Don't take Markus out but take the ball out of his hand in the backcourt and space the defense. MU had one TO with Sacar advancing versus the press and that was on an arm slash.

MU was better with Ed and BB in there.  BB played with a lot of confidence.

Why are we fouling after a miss with 58 seconds to go in a one possession game (down 3) and a time out in his pocket?  Mortal sin. Play a possession and get a stop before fouling to extend.

Hero ball showed panic. When you aren't hitting from the outside, drive to the hoop (Ed and Sacar were doing this). Get a foul or kick it out (Joey). Sacar got the last points doing this but then the Artic Freeze settled and it went to a Chuckfest.

The turnovers are mostly unforced. Defenses are extending pressure and MU panics. Get the ball in the middle of the court and attack the paint. MU has been scouted. We were doing this with Sam a bit and then stopped it.  Jamal and BB could play this role.

Powell is a stud at the end of games. All BE and my vote for POY.  Hall is nothing without him.

[warriorfred]

At the beginning of the season, I would have taken 2d in the BE and 5 or 6 seed in the tournament.  So would most posters on this Board . . . and yet . . .

-  Choked away a BE title
-  Joey Hauser is lost at the moment
-  Markus is not a point guard and that weakness has been brutally exposed
-  Average Creighton and Seton Hall teams have run the 3/4 court - 1/2 court press to perfection against a Marquette team with a weak handle (imagine what a Kentucky could do?)
-  This year's team is exposed come tourney time[/li][/list]

And yet, curiously, I believe the Warriors win it all.

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

He turned the ball over because he passed to Sam, who took his eye off the ball and it went through his hands.

Way to completely miss the point

[The Sultan]

We talked about this at halftime in the chat. Have Sacar bring the ball up court and then MU can set up the offense with a dribble handoff to Markus. MU got there in a de facto way with foul trouble on MH. With the pressure, this forces the defense downcourt to not leave Markus alone--and Sacar can throw over the top. Don't take Markus out but take the ball out of his hand in the backcourt and space the defense. MU had one TO with Sacar advancing versus the press and that was on an arm slash.

MU was better with Ed and BB in there.  BB played with a lot of confidence.

Why are we fouling after a miss with 58 seconds to go in a one possession game (down 3) and a time out in his pocket?  Mortal sin. Play a possession and get a stop before fouling to extend.

Hero ball showed panic. When you aren't hitting from the outside, drive to the hoop (Ed and Sacar were doing this). Get a foul or kick it out (Joey). Sacar got the last points doing this but then the Artic Freeze settled in in the Chuckfest.

The turnovers are mostly unforced. Defenses are extending pressure and MU panics. Get the ball in the middle of the court and attack the paint. MU has been scouted. We were doing this with Sam a bit and then stopped it.  Jamal and BB could play this role.

Powell is a stud at the end of games. All BE and my vote for POY.  Hall is nothing without him.

This is a very good observation all around. 

[The Sultan]

Way to completely miss the point

When your point is built on faulty information, it really isn't much of a point.

Look, I agree with you that Markus wasn't great today.  But just don't use an example where he actually hit Sam in the hands with a pass.

[Dish]

What's odd is MU's ability to close games for the first two/thirds of this season was really good, maybe exceptionally good. This is a completely different team now, with no (known) injuries or other adverse circumstances. They don't look physically out of gas, but something sure isn't right. Some type of regression or off night can be expected, but MU has blown three straight games with an ok lead down the stretch. Something ain't right.

[rocky_warrior]

That just isn't true.  Seton Hall had already started to cut into the lead before Markus getting into the game.

Um, Yes it is. 

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/playbyplay?gameId=401083266

9:36 left in the second, Marquette had a 59-46 lead.  SHU called a timeout.  Markus came in.  MU lost.

If he somehow came in after Powell made 2 shots and before 8:33 - apologies - but it doesn't change my point much.

[RJax55]

What's odd is MU's ability to close games for the first two/thirds of this season was really good, maybe exceptionally good. This is a completely different team now, with no (known) injuries or other adverse circumstances. They don't look physically out of gas, but something sure isn't right. Some type of regression or off night can be expected, but MU has blown three straight games with an ok lead down the stretch. Something ain't right.

Regression to the mean

[brewcity77]

At the beginning of the season, I would have taken 2d in the BE and 5 or 6 seed in the tournament.  So would most posters on this Board . . . and yet . . .

I mean, you take what you get, but I would've considered 2nd in the league & a 5-seed to be a disappointment. I still do, but it's feeling like reality. Anything less than a Big East tourney title or Final Four will really be a letdown.

[NickelDimer]

Regression to the mean

This is my fear and likely the cold reality. I'm now reassessing how good I thought this team was

[The Sultan]

Um, Yes it is. 

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/playbyplay?gameId=401083266

9:36 left in the second, Marquette had a 59-46 lead.  SHU called a timeout.  Markus came in.  MU lost.

If he somehow came in after Powell made 2 shots and before 8:33 - apologies - but it doesn't change my point much.

Well regardless I see your point.

[nyg]

Um, Yes it is. 

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/playbyplay?gameId=401083266

9:36 left in the second, Marquette had a 59-46 lead.  SHU called a timeout.  Markus came in.  MU lost.

If he somehow came in after Powell made 2 shots and before 8:33 - apologies - but it doesn't change my point much.

You are right.  I thought Wojo was waiting for 8 minute TV timeout to put him back in, but he did not. 

[Dr. Blackheart]

What's odd is MU's ability to close games for the first two/thirds of this season was really good, maybe exceptionally good. This is a completely different team now, with no (known) injuries or other adverse circumstances. They don't look physically out of gas, but something sure isn't right. Some type of regression or off night can be expected, but MU has blown three straight games with an ok lead down the stretch. Something ain't right.

Second time through conference.  Howard Rules picked up. MU hasn't adjusted as Wojo is primarily a systems coach.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

We talked about this at halftime in the chat. Have Sacar bring the ball up court and then MU can set up the offense with a dribble handoff to Markus. MU got there in a de facto way with foul trouble on MH. With the pressure, this forces the defense downcourt to not leave Markus alone--and Sacar can throw over the top. Don't take Markus out but take the ball out of his hand in the backcourt and space the defense. MU had one TO with Sacar advancing versus the press and that was on an arm slash.

MU was better with Ed and BB in there.  BB played with a lot of confidence.

Why are we fouling after a miss with 58 seconds to go in a one possession game (down 3) and a time out in his pocket?  Mortal sin. Play a possession and get a stop before fouling to extend.

Hero ball showed panic. When you aren't hitting from the outside, drive to the hoop (Ed and Sacar were doing this). Get a foul or kick it out (Joey). Sacar got the last points doing this but then the Artic Freeze settled and it went to a Chuckfest.

The turnovers are mostly unforced. Defenses are extending pressure and MU panics. Get the ball in the middle of the court and attack the paint. MU has been scouted. We were doing this with Sam a bit and then stopped it.  Jamal and BB could play this role.

Powell is a stud at the end of games. All BE and my vote for POY.  Hall is nothing without him.

I actually liked the foul with 58 seconds left. We had 6 fouls at the time. 1 and 1 for a 50 something percent FT shooter. If Hall eats 30 seconds off the clock and gets a bucket there the game is pretty much over; then down 5 with less than 30 seconds to go.

It didn't work out tonight. But I liked the play. Hall has been a terrible free throw shooting team all season. Making them beat you from the line when you have all the 1 and 1s in front if you seemed like a good call.

[nyg]

What did Wojo say in press conference?  Anyone hear?

[Dish]

For how this season has gone, a one and done in the tournament would be a gigantic buzzkill.

[21rooster]

That just isn't true.  Seton Hall had already started to cut into the lead before Markus getting into the game.

MU was up 13 when Howard came in. I think they were up three when he entered against Nova.  It's hard to blame Wojo for putting in his top scorer, but some nights you just don't have it.  Lately the offense shuts down when he enters near the end of the game.  Even when he passes the offense just looks bad. 

[Mike Deane's Seat Belt]

For how this season has gone, a one and done in the tournament would be a gigantic buzzkill.

They won't pass the first round the way they are playing

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

When your point is built on faulty information, it really isn't much of a point.

Look, I agree with you that Markus wasn't great today.  But just don't use an example where he actually hit Sam in the hands with a pass.

The denseness!  The point was Markus got a ball screen and theo stood at the rim with no one within 15 feet of him and Markus threw it to Sam.  Good lord

[Dr. Blackheart]

I actually liked the foul with 58 seconds left. We had 6 fouls at the time. 1 and 1 for a 50 something percent FT shooter. If Hall eats 30 seconds off the clock and gets a bucket there the game is pretty much over; then down 5 with less than 30 seconds to go.

It didn't work out tonight. But I liked the play. Hall has been a terrible free throw shooting team all season. Making them beat you from the line when you have all the 1 and 1s in front if you seemed like a good call.

Not with a time out in hand. A made free throw automatically makes it a two possession game, which it did. You have the #1 defense in the BE. It doesn't take much time to foul after a miss.  As it was, Hall was just dribbling out the clock at the end.

Wojo didn't extend the game, he ended it.  Second game in a row he left the court with a time out in his pocket.

[LAZER]

For how this season has gone, a one and done in the tournament would be a gigantic buzzkill.

One game or one win?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

MU was up 13 when Howard came in. I think they were up three when he entered against Nova.  It's hard to blame Wojo for putting in his top scorer, but some nights you just don't have it.  Lately the offense shuts down when he enters near the end of the game.  Even when he passes the offense just looks bad.

Just went back and watched. Howard came in at 8:42 when we were up 8. Seton Hall had just scored 5 quick points, a Myles Powell 3 that hit every part of the rim before falling, and an Ed Morrow goaltend that was a millisecond too late.