The season approaches

[tower912]

Are you more optimistic or pessimistic than you were during Hausermania?     

I am more optimistic. (by nature)    Considering where the team was, considering that Ike will never play, I am actually looking forward with anticipation to the 19-20 team.   
Three solid post players.    It will be interesting to see how Wojo adapts his offense to playing two bigs at the same time.   
Depth and size at guard.     Koby, Greg, Markus, Sacar, Dexter, Symir.   
Brendan Bailey will have shaken off the rust.    Coming out of high school, BB was rated about the same as the now departed Sam.    Sam turned out to be a wonderful overachieving gamer.... right until he left.     With more minutes available and an offseason spent in the gym and weight room, I think BB could make a giant leap. 
Team cohesiveness:    Everybody who is back wants to be back.   I don't anticipate factions this year.
Chip on the shoulder:    The team will want to prove itself and give a metaphorical finger to those who left.   

Barring a significant injury to a linchpin player, I anticipate a record similar to last year.       But, I said that in April, too.    I just say it with more confidence now. 

[Shooter McGavin]

Neutral to slightly pessimistic.  But hopeful and definitely in the category of wanting this season to go well for Wojos sake.  Would have been nice to have Sam.

[The Sultan]

I think we will end up doing fine.  Not stellar.  Not awful.  Finish toward the top of the conference and a win in the NCAA tournament.

[JakeBarnes]

I think we will end up doing fine.  Not stellar.  Not awful.  Finish toward the top of the conference and a win in the NCAA tournament.

I'd take this. Let's get a win in the tournament. Maybe some growing pains early. Just finish on a high note.

[Galway Eagle]

Baileys dad took a huge jump his sophomore year. Hoping for the same

[Uncle Rico]

My thoughts waver between 2016 Oklahoma and 2019 Wisconsin.

2016 Oklahoma was lead by a high usage senior guard who came back to school and made himself into a lottery pick.  The rest of the team deferred to said senior guard and embraced their roles.  That team was a great shooting team, I have my doubts this Marquette team can be that good offensively but that's the absolute ceiling IMO.

2019 Wisconsin was lead by a high usage senior forward who stayed in school to develop and ended up in Europe.  The rest of the team was try hard and won some games but inherently flawed and without a real, consistent second option.  They were a 5-seed but severely flawed and primed to get buried. 

My hunch is, this team is somewhere and likely a 7-9 seed type squad that maybe gets inflated seeding with some nice resume wins. 

[bilsu]

I am less optimistic than I was two months ago. Coincides with the previews on this site about our future opponents. When I start looking at the strength of our opponents, I become more realistic about things not turning out the way I want. As far as Eke, I never saw him as a contributor. I did not see how he would be able to contribute very much after not playing for two years. I was disappointed that his career ended, but this had no effect on my outlook. Maybe wishful thinking on my part, but my prediction is that Baily enters the 2020 draft. We will be a very good team, if this prediction is correct. We will not be very good, if Baily does not take a big leap. If we are not good, I will be rooting for Markus to put up 30 points a game and reach the 3000 point plateau.

[The Sultan]

Bailey would have to take an incredible leap to be good enough to declare for the draft.  I just don't see it, even in my most optimistic of projections. 

[wadesworld]

4-6 seed.  Not as good as if everyone had stayed, but still a solid season.  Very different system.

[MU82]

Went out for dinner with another couple from Marquette last night. We all are very much looking forward to this season getting going. I think several players will improve a lot, including Markus. I also think Wojo will continue to improve as a coach. I'm heartened by the recruiting successes so far, too.

Very interested to see how fast we will play this season. I hope very fast because we are causing a lot of turnovers and running. I also hope a couple of guys who right now aren't considered "shooters" emerge to be dependable 3-point threats, kind of like Cain did the second half of his freshman season and Anim did last year.

Overall: optimistic, and expecting results fairly similar to last season's.

We are Marquette!

[MUfan12]

They'll be pretty easy to guard in the halfcourt, especially if they try playing two true posts together. Just not enough reliable outside shooting.

I think 7-10 seed sounds right, but unfortunately I think Markus exits without a NCAA win.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Optimistic. Thinking 3-5 seed with length, athleticism, experience, and stout D. The type of team that outperforms in non-con and wins some squeakers in the tourney to make a nice run. Markus needs to stay healthy.

[jsglow]

Cautiously optimistic.  The caution comes from the need for Wojo to meld this talent into a different style from last year that still can win.  I think he has enough pieces to be successful this year.  I'm hopeful that he's up to the challenge.  I'm not 100% sure he is.

[PJDunn]

McEwen is going to be a stud.  Markus and Wojo will both continue to mature.  4-5 seed and a trip to the sweet 16.  Maybe a little glass half full, but what the hell.

[muwarrior69]

Cautiously optimistic.  The caution comes from the need for Wojo to meld this talent into a different style from last year that still can win.  I think he has enough pieces to be successful this year.  I'm hopeful that he's up to the challenge.  I'm not 100% sure he is.

Wojo seems to give some guys a long leash and others the short one. If a player makes a mistake I hope he doesn't pull him out right away but lets him play through it or if he does pull him out he puts him back in the game and not just ride the pine.

[muguru]

This season is one for the first time in a very long time, I just don't have my pulse on this team. In the past it's always been fairly easy to know if they were going to be good or bad. My expectations are low this year, mostly because I just don't know what to expect. I think this team perhaps more then any other in recent memory has a wide range of possible outcomes. On one hand, I could see them not being much more than a .500 team overall. On the other hand, I could see them being as high as maybe a 5 seed in the NCAA's.

I don't think they will be as bad as a slightly above .500 team for the year, nor do I think they will be as good as a 5 seed in the NCAA's. I'm not even totally sure if they will make the NCAA's. I THINK they probably will/should, but I could see them not making it as well. So the end result will likely be somewhere in between. I just don't see a lot of talent. I see some, for sure, but most of what i see are a bunch of guys that probably should be role players on a very good team, that will now be thrust into key roles and ironically it will be their performances that will likely decide how good this team can/will be.

I think they will be more athletic for sure, and i understand why that excites most people. However, being more athletic doesn't = talent. You can be really athletic and not all that talented, and you can be really talented and not all that athletic. For me, I'd take the talent over the athleticism any day of the week, every single time.

The lack of outside shooting concerns me. They will play differently, no doubt about that, and in order for them to reach their ceiling this year(whatever it is), guys like Bailey, Cain and Elliott are going to have to REALLY step up. Bailey I think has a lot of potential...Cain and Elliott, I'm honestly not sure if they will get MUCH better than what they are now, and if MU wants to have a very good season, would probably require them to do things they aren't capable of doing consistently.

We'll see how it all plays out this year. here's hoping to be very surprised as the season unfolds.

[Class71]

We should review these comments at the end of the season and see how close we were to reality.

Having said that, before the H2's left we were viewed as the number 7 team by CBS and a serious Big Dance contender. Do we have that potential? Staying even with last year is a lateral shuffle, not progress. So the real question is, will we improve from last year? Believe that is the yardstick we should be using to measure success this year.

[Lennys Tap]

Positives: Inside defense and rebounding, perimeter defense, Markus Howard unlimited range and scoring ability.

Question marks: Players who can space the floor/help carry the scoring load. Markus holding up all season to the physical pounding he'll take

Outcome#1: Markus is a 1st team AA, one or two others (Koby, BB, Sacar, Theo, Ed?) step up and MU battles for a Big East title and into the second weekend of the tournament.

Outcome #2: Markus struggles with injuries and/or little help from his mates. Up and down season, MU team bubble again.

Door #1 is much more fun so let's go with it.

[Herman Cain]

We are going to be more athletic and have better team chemistry . I believe this team will be stronger than last year. Our record may not show it because the Big East will also be stronger.

I believe the team will finish 3rd in The Big East, Make the Big East tournament final and make it to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament.

We have good depth at all positions and believe our athleticism will make us a very formidable defense squad. 

Markus will be a first team All American and have a season for the ages.

[tower912]

This season is one for the first time in a very long time, I just don't have my pulse on this team. In the past it's always been fairly easy to know if they were going to be good or bad. My expectations are low this year, mostly because I just don't know what to expect. I think this team perhaps more then any other in recent memory has a wide range of possible outcomes. On one hand, I could see them not being much more than a .500 team overall. On the other hand, I could see them being as high as maybe a 5 seed in the NCAA's.

I don't think they will be as bad as a slightly above .500 team for the year, nor do I think they will be as good as a 5 seed in the NCAA's. I'm not even totally sure if they will make the NCAA's. I THINK they probably will/should, but I could see them not making it as well. So the end result will likely be somewhere in between. I just don't see a lot of talent. I see some, for sure, but most of what i see are a bunch of guys that probably should be role players on a very good team, that will now be thrust into key roles and ironically it will be their performances that will likely decide how good this team can/will be.

I think they will be more athletic for sure, and i understand why that excites most people. However, being more athletic doesn't = talent. You can be really athletic and not all that talented, and you can be really talented and not all that athletic. For me, I'd take the talent over the athleticism any day of the week, every single time.

The lack of outside shooting concerns me. They will play differently, no doubt about that, and in order for them to reach their ceiling this year(whatever it is), guys like Bailey, Cain and Elliott are going to have to REALLY step up. Bailey I think has a lot of potential...Cain and Elliott, I'm honestly not sure if they will get MUCH better than what they are now, and if MU wants to have a very good season, would probably require them to do things they aren't capable of doing consistently.

We'll see how it all plays out this year. here's hoping to be very surprised as the season unfolds.

Why do you say 'lack of 3 pt shooting'?    Markus.    Koby shot 40% from 3 as a frosh and fell off as a sophomore as he had to try to do everything.    Sacar shot 39%.    Cain shot 47% as a freshman.    Bailey was a shooter in high school, a summer in the gym and weight room should return him to that.    Greg will have two hands.    Symir and Dexter are wild cards.     This team will not have the Hausers, but I anticipate the 3 pt shooting percentage for the team to remain in the mid to high 30's.   With more drive and dish types on the floor, you will have more plenty of catch and step into it attempts.   

[real chili 83]

We win it all.

Post of the year.

[Lennys Tap]

We win it all.

Post of the year.

If "A" then definitely "B".

Nicely done, chili.

[muguru]

John Fanta
@John_Fanta
·
3m
Official college hoops practices start up tomorrow. Will be in Milwaukee with updates on @MarquetteMBB
as the Golden Eagles get the 2019-20 campaign rolling behind All-American and reigning Big East Player of the Year Markus Howard. #mubb #BIGEASThoops

[IrwinFletcher]

I am less optimistic.

Someone needs to step up and be Robin to Markus' Batman.  Who will that be? Bailey? Would require a huge step from last year.  Koby? Has the experience but a big jump in competition.  Theo? Can he stay on the floor long enough to make an impact? GE? Hasn't played a game in 18 months.

Until someone becomes a threat, MH will be hounded and my fear is that he will feel he needs to get his and force some shots.  Can he do a better job of not forcing and letting others get involved.

D will definitely be much better and maybe that will be our saving grace.

I see an 4-6 finish in the BE and an 8-11 seed and being on the bubble all year.

[mileskishnish72]

Herman, I was with you until you got to the  second weekend.
Woj's NCAA record is abysmal. Second weekend would be a mitzvah.