3 straight losses

[fjm]

Common denominator.

Markus Howard playing terribly


Tonight we extended a leaded to over 10 with Howard on the bench.

Bring him in and lose by 9.

Love the kid. But let's be honest.........

[🏀]

Markus, grab a seat

[fjm]

Markus, grab a seat

It sucks. Cause I love the kid.

But kinda?

[MattyWarrior]

Man did that suck large

[TallTitan34]

Is he hurt?  Groin? Wrist?  Just playing bad?

[Mike Deane's Seat Belt]

Its sad but he just played himself out of the draft for sure this year and enough red flags to put doubt on it next year. 

[goldeneagle91114]

This is all mental. You could see he was out of sorts last game... the charges, screaming at the officials, etc. same thing tonight. Wojo needs to tell him to focus on assists not scoring. If he can get everyone else involved his shots will open up.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

So when Markus plays well we win. When Markus doesn't play well, me may lose. So the answer is to bench him? That doesn't make sense to me.

I do wonder if Sacar playing point when the defense is this aggressive makes sense. He seemed to handle it a lot better than Markus did.

[skianth16]

Markus has struggled at key moments, but he still did put up 30 against Creighton. But he has been downright BAD at the end of games in back half of conference play.

But Wojo hasn't done the team any favors either, IMO. We've come out of timeouts and had awful outcomes too many times. We've gone 4 or 5 minutes without scoring in too many games. That's just inexplicably bad.

[Newsdreams]

Yep Sacar was doing well breaking the press but even did force it through double team couple of times and turned it over

[rocky_warrior]

So the answer is to bench him? That doesn't make sense to me.

Did you watch the game today?  If so, the answer (for today) was YES!  Love the kid, but didn't have it today.  Wojo should have realized that.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Did you watch the game today?  If so, the answer (for today) was YES!  Love the kid, but didn't have it today.  Wojo should have realized that.

I was surprised he kept him on the bench as king as he did.  Guess he Should have stayed with it as well as the team was playing. 

[NickelDimer]

I was surprised he kept him on the bench as king as he did.  Guess he Should have stayed with it as well as the team was playing.

Or the argument could be made that he left Markus on the bench too long both tonight and vs CU. Either way it's obvious Wojo's plan failed both times

[Class71]

So when Markus plays well we win. When Markus doesn't play well, me may lose. So the answer is to bench him? That doesn't make sense to me.

I do wonder if Sacar playing point when the defense is this aggressive makes sense. He seemed to handle it a lot better than Markus did.

When he plays poorly we play better when he is out.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

So when Markus plays well we win. When Markus doesn't play well, me may lose. So the answer is to bench him? That doesn't make sense to me.

I do wonder if Sacar playing point when the defense is this aggressive makes sense. He seemed to handle it a lot better than Markus did.

The D has been this aggressive for many weeks now. It's constant. Seems like we get fouled a ton without calls on the overly aggressive D towards center court.

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

This is all mental. You could see he was out of sorts last game... the charges, screaming at the officials, etc. same thing tonight. Wojo needs to tell him to focus on assists not scoring. If he can get everyone else involved his shots will open up.

Thats like asking a blind man to keep his eye on the ball he has zero court vision and looking to pass is not in his dna.  Watch first play of game theo ball screen n rolls to rim. No one within 15 feet of theo and markus refuses to pass to him.  Later Markus turns it over.  Kid wont or cant pass. Doesnt have a single point guard gene in his body.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Did you watch the game today?  If so, the answer (for today) was YES!  Love the kid, but didn't have it today.  Wojo should have realized that.

Maybe tonight. And Wojo did realize it. That's why he sat him for as long as he did. He didn't bring Markus back until we were losing the lead and the momentum was on Hall's side. It's possible he waited too long, impossible to know.

What I do know is that every time Howard shoots I expect it to go in....until the last 5 minutes of the game. He had two that he usually makes, including one that couldn't have been more wide open that rimmed out. Sam seemed to be more guilty of chucking at the end tonight.

[fjm]

Or the argument could be made that he left Markus on the bench too long both tonight and vs CU. Either way it's obvious Wojo's plan failed both times

I'm as big an optimist as there is for MUBB. And I love Howard. And love Wojo. Can't even come on this site after a loss because of how toxic it gets.

But keeping Howard in the bench TOO long tonight was not the problem. We extended the lead big time (and I'm sure I am off on this) by about 9 points when Howard was on the bench.

When he came on. We lost by 9.

Math.

[fjm]

Maybe tonight. And Wojo did realize it. That's why he sat him for as long as he did. He didn't bring Markus back until we were losing the lead and the momentum was on Hall's side. It's possible he waited too long, impossible to know.

What I do know is that every time Howard shoots I expect it to go in....until the last 5 minutes of the game. He had two that he usually makes, including one that couldn't have been more wide open that rimmed out. Sam seemed to be more guilty of chucking at the end tonight.

Sam did kinda chuck a bit at the end of the game. A lot of weird learners with guys all over him. But no one else was hitting anything.

[NickelDimer]

I'm as big an optimist as there is for MUBB. And I love Howard. And love Wojo. Can't even come on this site after a loss because of how toxic it gets.

But keeping Howard in the bench TOO long tonight was not the problem. We extended the lead big time (and I'm sure I am off on this) by about 9 points when Howard was on the bench.

When he came on. We lost by 9.

Math.

I see that argument. My point is either hardly sit him at all or sit him for the majority of the half when you're teams playing well. Sitting him too long then bringing him in ruined the team's flow and Markus flow. It's the worst of both worlds

[Mike Deane's Seat Belt]

There are just as many wojo apologists on this forum as there are negative piss ants like me but seriously this is embarassing.

A top 10 finish was set up beautifully and we pissed it away.  Those opportunities for the program will not come around very often.  We could easily fade into the depaul and loyola likes in the next 10 years.  Gotta take these chances and make em count!!! 

Beyond pissed about this turn of events. 
We will get absolutely throttled by a good press team in the tourney

[Its DJOver]

I see that argument. My point is either hardly sit him at all or sit him for the majority of the half when you're teams playing well. Sitting him too long then bringing him in ruined the team's flow and Markus flow. It's the worst of both worlds

Yep, you either gotta bring him back earlier, and ride him until he fouls out, or leave him out, unless there are FTs to be hit (not they they would matter).  I would have left him out, and continued to feed Theo/Ed.

[frozena pizza]

These guys can't close out a game to save their lives. I blame everyone, not just Wojo and Markus. Other teams have figured out how to shut down Markus and that we can't break pressure.

Hope Wojo can figure it out soon. But I'm seriously looking into Saturday afternoon theater tickets. I can't take another choke job.

[Mike Deane's Seat Belt]

Meanwhile depaul is absolutely murdering g town.  Watch us chalk up our 4th straight to them this weekend. 

[Its DJOver]

Meanwhile depaul is absolutely murdering g town.  Watch us chalk up our 4th straight to them this weekend.

Call me an eternal optimist, but I actually think we'll win pretty comfortably Saturday.  As much film and game plan knowledge information as there is out there on Markus, actually playing against him is a whole different problem.  Gtown has a young backcourt that has never faced Markus before.