The season approaches

[Marcus92]

I'm optimistic and very excited for this season.

Yes, the team completely fell apart down the stretch. Yes, the Hausers took their incredible shooting skills elsewhere. Yes, the Big East will be tougher.

But Marquette returns everyone else who saw significant minutes. And gained far more talent and depth in the backcourt -- a clear weakness last season -- with the addition of big, physical and athletic guards in Koby, Symir and Dexter. Greg will hopefully be in the mix, as well. That should translate into a big upgrade for our perimeter defense, ball handling and ability to drive from the perimeter. We'll see what the outside shooting is like.

Jayce is a plus defender, rebounder and shot blocker compared to the Hausers. And I like what I've seen of his post-up game. He's a strong presence in the lane on both ends.

Beyond the newcomers, we should see improvement from the returning players (Markus, Sacar, Theo, Ed, Brendan and Jamal). I know I won't be surprised if Markus finds another level to his game. Theo and Brendan, in particular, have only begun to tap their potential.

Of course there are question marks and concerns. But this should be Wojo's most balanced, athletic, experienced (four seniors, seven upperclassmen), talented and versatile team to date. If the pieces come together, I think MU can make another run at a Big East title and a 4 seed or better. I expect a step forward -- not a step back.

[Its DJOver]

The success or failure of this season will revolve around the guards not named Markus.  I'll believe that the "twin towers" look will work when I see it, and we're down two front court players from last year (JJ is an upgrade from Matt, but all other newcomer/returners from injury add to a formerly thin backcourt).  I still anticipate seeing quite a few 4 guard sets, and until someone proves they can run point (fingers crossed that between Koby, Symir, Greg and Dex someone will step up) we'll see a lot of the same as last year.  Probably a drop off in offense with H bros gone, but an uptick in D, due to increased length/athleticism. 

[Marcus92]

A deeper, more athletic backcourt and uptick in D could give Marquette a real transition game. More blocked shots, steals, stops and defensive rebounds means more opportunities for Koby, Brendan and company to get down court and aggressively drive the lane. Fewer threes, most likely -- but possibly more dunks, layups and trips to the free throw line.

[MU82]

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.   

I share guru's concern about lack of 3-point shooting. Unless a team has ridiculous talent, it's largely a 3-point shooting game right now. We have exactly one proven 3-point threat, and if I were to guess I'd say he just might be the focus of every defense we play.

I am hopeful about all the players you named, and I can understand why an argument can be made about several of them being able to hit 3-pointers this season. But not a single one of them has proven to be any kind of consistent 3-point threat yet in his career.

I absolutely would love you to be right about mid to high 30s. If it's high 30s, I think it's very realistic that we win the Big East, because we have other ingredients necessary for a fine team.

A deeper, more athletic backcourt and uptick in D could give Marquette a real transition game. More blocked shots, steals, stops and defensive rebounds means more opportunities for Koby, Brendan and company to get down court and aggressively drive the lane. Fewer threes, most likely -- but possibly more dunks, layups and trips to the free throw line.

Totally agree, M92. It would be huge if we could get several easy buckets a game. We rarely got any last season.

[muguru]

I'm optimistic and very excited for this season.

Yes, the team completely fell apart down the stretch. Yes, the Hausers took their incredible shooting skills elsewhere. Yes, the Big East will be tougher.

But Marquette returns everyone else who saw significant minutes. And gained far more talent and depth in the backcourt -- a clear weakness last season -- with the addition of big, physical and athletic guards in Koby, Symir and Dexter. Greg will hopefully be in the mix, as well. That should translate into a big upgrade for our perimeter defense, ball handling and ability to drive from the perimeter. We'll see what the outside shooting is like.

Jayce is a plus defender, rebounder and shot blocker compared to the Hausers. And I like what I've seen of his post-up game. He's a strong presence in the lane on both ends.

Beyond the newcomers, we should see improvement from the returning players (Markus, Sacar, Theo, Ed, Brendan and Jamal). I know I won't be surprised if Markus finds another level to his game. Theo and Brendan, in particular, have only begun to tap their potential.

Of course there are question marks and concerns. But this should be Wojo's most balanced, athletic, experienced (four seniors, seven upperclassmen), talented and versatile team to date. If the pieces come together, I think MU can make another run at a Big East title and a 4 seed or better. I expect a step forward -- not a step back.

Now, I'm not asking this in any way to be argumentative or anything else, but as far as the highlighted above goes..If they do take a step back, having, as you said "the most balanced, experienced, athletic talented and versatile team to date". Then do questions need to be asked, or?? Where do YOU come down on this??

[dgies9156]

A little less optimistic than Brother Real but nonetheless about the coming season. Key issues:

1) Culture -- Over the last five years, there have been more than a few times that "Hero Ball" has become a modus operandi. If we default to Hero Ball, we're doomed. But if the team culture prevails and our team gels, we're a 24 win team with options for a 2 or 3 seed in the NCAA tournament.

2) Defense -- We have build on last year's success. We were really a lot better in 2018-2019 than in the previous three years. Our guys are "getting it." Period.

3) Anger -- Many people were let down after the Murray State embarrassment. And with Hausershima, our guys were clearly let down. A team is a team is a team. When the Brothers Hauser left, it was a slap in the face of everything this group had been playing for during the past few years. Hopefully this translates into a chip or some anger that basically is the on-the-court version of, "screw you bas*ards, we didn't need you anyway."

We'll know how good this team is by January 8. They have a tough early stretch in conference and their pre-conference slate will not be easy. I'm hoping we win about 22-25 games this year and are at a minimum a 4 seed. These guys have been working and growing for some time and I think we have more depth this year than for many years past.

It mostly depends on intangibles -- culture and team!!

[Dr. Blackheart]

We win it all.

Post of the year.

Define "it"?

[Marcus92]

Now, I'm not asking this in any way to be argumentative or anything else, but as far as the highlighted above goes..If they do take a step back, having, as you said "the most balanced, experienced, athletic talented and versatile team to date". Then do questions need to be asked, or?? Where do YOU come down on this??

This team hasn't played a minute together yet in a regular season game. My expectations are based on admittedly limited information.

I've seen Koby, for instance, in all of four open practices (three last season) and brief footage from this summer's overseas trip (against mostly low-level competition) -- plus highlights from his freshman and sophomore seasons at Utah State (in a conference ranked below the Atlantic 10). I've also heard reports that he was the third best player in practice last season after Markus and Sam.

Koby looks like the real deal to me. NBA body, strong and quick, plays aggressive but with good body control on offense, physical defender. But I'm no college scout -- and the few opportunities I've had to see him play aren't much to go on. Can he take on some of the ball handling duties, like I hoped Joseph Chartouny would last season? Can he create his own offense in the Big East? Can he hit 35%+ from outside the arc?

There are just as many question marks when it comes to the rest of the team. Will Sacar step up as a senior? Will Theo and Brendan continue to improve? Who else can provide consistent perimeter shooting? Can Greg stay healthy? How much will Symir and Dexter contribute as freshmen? Can Wojo and the coaching staff retool the offense to make the most of their talent?

T-Rank projects Marquette as the 30th best team in the country this season. That would be good enough for an NCAA bid with a seed somewhere in the 7 or 8 range. Others pick Marquette to finish in the bottom half of the Big East.

With so many unknowns, I'm not going to play the "what if" game; I see no point in speculating about what happens after the season before Marquette has even started official practices. I'm an optimist, remember?

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

I think we will have a really nice season.  Agree BE will be much tougher.  Many lament the loss of the Hausers, Sam hurt us in many areas as much as he helped us.  Jeoy mostly hurt us. 
Koby replaces sam
BB better than joey

[1SE]

Wojo is still at the helm.

Has he once, in 5 years, made a team more than the sum of its parts?

Why would this year be different?

I think we make the tourney (in the 7 to 10 seed range). Lose game 1 and then come back hear to here the slurpers talk about how “2 NCAAs in a row is progress!” and “help is on the way with the 2020 class!”

But the again, I’m a guy that likes to either be right or pleasantly surprised.

[MU82]

With so many unknowns, I'm not going to play the "what if" game; I see no point in speculating about what happens after the season before Marquette has even started official practices. I'm an optimist, remember?

This is where I stand, too. I see no reason on Sept. 23 to say what we'll think of so-and-so if such-and-such is the case next March 23.

Sam hurt us in many areas as much as he helped us.

This is incorrect.

[WarriorFan]

6-7 seed
One NCAA win, probably due to good matchups against the opponent
Markus NOT NPOY.
The Hauser's shooting and Sam's reliability prove difficult to replace.
Somebody surprises us.
Somebody leaves. 

[jonny09]

5th in the BE.  9 seed.  Lose in the 1st round.

[MUDPT]

Defense will be better with the addition of another shot blocker in the middle. The twin towers idea is dumb for many reasons. Spacing will be terrible. It takes away the biggest advantage of having two bigs: you can have one on the floor when the other subs out. Morrow is capable as a second big. I think you would be able to switch more on the perimeter with the other guys. Like a 2017 Gonzaga.

On offense, I’d love to see more motion sets. I’d like to see Markus how Purdue used Carsen Edwards last year, let him get more shots within the offense, rather then creating.

Our defense should be better. The offense will have one of the greatest scorers in MU history. Top 3 in BE, 6-9 seed, much like last season actually.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Our defense should be stellar with real size and athleticism and better depth in the front court.  Depth and greatly improved length in the back court should be a strength as opposed to an Achilles heel.  As other have said, improved defense should lead to break outs and fast break opportunities which we have not seen in a while.

Offense is tougher to project as this is where we really have to play differently. Not sure if we’ll be able to go with the two bigs approach...will believe it when I see it...can any of them hit a jump shot. If we can find a couple of reliable deep threats then drives, dump offs to cutters and bigs should all be available and we could be very dangerous and far more balanced on offense. It will come down to whether we can hit from outside (other than Markus) at a decent clip. I hope with more creators on offense, and an off-season of work, that Markus will be better at finding the open man. 

Like Tower, I am an optimist by nature and when the Hausers bolted I felt that it was an opportunity to change how we play and could be a blessing in disguise. Removing the two least athletic players on the team should help us improve in some areas while making us worse in others. Will the improved areas outweigh the areas where we might be worse?  We’ll see.

Top 4 Big East
Top 25 most of the year
4-6 seed in Tourney, win a least one game

[MU62]

Fans are going to be amazed with Dexter and Symir!

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I kind of think there's no middle ground with this team. We have top 20 talent this year....but the pieces will require Wojo to make a major departure from his usual offensive gameplan. If he figures out the right offensive strategy to make the pieces fit together, I think we are a top 5 seed and in the the top 20 most of the season. If doesn't figure it out, then I could see us missing the tournament all together and asking some really tough questions about who are coach is next season.

I don't share the same concern about outside shooting as others. The average team 3P% is around 34-35%. We've got 5 guys on the roster who have all had seasons where they finished better than that plus two freshmen with range on their shot and Bailey who was recruited with a reputation as a shooter. We've been spoiled the last three years, we won't be spoiled this year. But we don't need to be spoiled to be an average to above average 3P shooting team.

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

We'll finish better than last year.

[Galway Eagle]

I think sacar finally averages double figures, Koby averages the 14.9 Sam did. Bailey picks up the rest of the scoring sacar can't from Joey being gone.

I don't like the twin towers idea much unless Jayce or Morrow suddenly show they can hit at least a pau gasol mid range shot.

[brewcity77]

I think this will be somewhat a reverse of 2017, with one major difference. Great defense, mediocre offense. I think a top 10-15 defense shouldn't just be possible but expected. We have the same guys that led our defensive improvement last year but without the worst defender on the team. Adding Jayce means we can absorb more fouls in the middle and not lose the shot blocking threat when Theo goes out.

Offensively, we don't have the options of last year, but we do have Markus. He is one of the most dynamic, effective scorers in the game. Against similarly defense oriented, offensively challenged teams (Purdue, Wisconsin) I feel confident because we have the guy that tips the scales.

I believe the defensive improvement should roughly equal the offensive loss with the Hausers gone. We will still have the best offensive player on the court virtually every night. Challenge for the Big East title, 2-4 seed in the NCAA tournament, second weekend while being a legitimate Final Four threat should be the goal.

And aside from transition, a slower pace of play could really help.

[Golden Avalanche]

Excepting for injury, this will be the best finish to a Marquette season in nearly a decade.

[muwarrior69]

I kind of think there's no middle ground with this team. We have top 20 talent this year....but the pieces will require Wojo to make a major departure from his usual offensive gameplan. If he figures out the right offensive strategy to make the pieces fit together, I think we are a top 5 seed and in the the top 20 most of the season. If doesn't figure it out, then I could see us missing the tournament all together and asking some really tough questions about who are coach is next season.

I don't share the same concern about outside shooting as others. The average team 3P% is around 34-35%. We've got 5 guys on the roster who have all had seasons where they finished better than that plus two freshmen with range on their shot and Bailey who was recruited with a reputation as a shooter. We've been spoiled the last three years, we won't be spoiled this year. But we don't need to be spoiled to be an average to above average 3P shooting team.

With Greg, Koby, Symir and Dex how many points per game can we expect on transition? What made the 3 amigos special were points off steals and deflections. Good defense can be an offensive strategy since we lost our sharp shooters, but then what do I know.

[mug644]

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

More optimistic now. At the time, it wasn’t clear what had gone wrong, and how much Wojo may have ‘lost’ the locker room. With the passing of time, having had the Euro trip, and exploring the dynamic lineups that can be put on the floor with such a deep squad (albeit different from last year), that all seems a bit like water under the bridge, though perhaps a bit of motivation for some players.

In terms of results for the season, there are just too many unknowns and uncertainties regarding the lineups and who will step up in a variety of ways. I want to expect a Top 3 BEast finish and at least one win in the NCAA tourney.

[MuMark]

https://twitter.com/MarquetteMBB/status/1176535819705880577?s=20
https://twitter.com/MarquetteMBB/status/1176535727527604226?s=20

[bilsu]

I am not really worried about three point shooting as I believe both Baily and Cain can shoot the three. Maybe not as good as the Hausers, but it is not like we are totally dropping off the cliff. However, I thought the three point line has been moved back for this season, which may make the three point shot less effective. Being able to play two bigs might be more effective than we are thinking it will be.

What worries me the most is the luck factor. We looked to be really good last year until we fell off the cliff. However, we beat Kansas St. and Buffalo with Howard going crazy. We beat Louisville, Wisconsin, Creighton and Georgetown in overtime. We were getting all the breaks, which could mean we were not as good as our record indicated we were. This year the breaks could go the other way.