Open Practice observations

[jsglow]

1) Two bigs will be common.
2) The Freshmen will contribute.
3) Jayce has a very nice traditional 5 game, both offensively and on D.
4) Nice to see Greg out there and fully cleared although not yet in playing shape.
5) Two, count them, two top if the key jumpers by Ed.

All good. Discuss what you observed.

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

Greg a long way from being ready to play, still limping n clearly hobbled. Dont know the time frame to being 100%.  Looked good, saw flashed of what i liked so much about him. 
Symir and Kobe fast n strong.
Sacar playing with great confidence.
Jayce a big strong kid, no better offensively than theo or Ed.
Markus is Markus did many things well drained 3 3’s in a row surrounding a live ball turnover for a Greg layup

[Herman Cain]

Greg a long way from being ready to play, still limping n clearly hobbled. Dont know the time frame to being 100%.  Looked good, saw flashed of what i liked so much about him. 
Symir and Kobe fast n strong.
Sacar playing with great confidence.
Jayce a big strong kid, no better offensively than theo or Ed.
Markus is Markus did many things well drained 3 3’s in a row surrounding a live ball turnover for a Greg layup

From the sounds of it, I would expect it would take another month from here to have the necessary conditioning and mobility for D1 level play. Should be ready by the first game.
 

[Marcus92]

Had the pleasure of sitting next to jsglow and warriorchick during the practice. Great to meet a couple fellow Scoopers in person. My notes/comments:

Warm-ups
Started right on time at 10:30am with the new team video and PA introductions for the entire team, including the walk-ons. No opening remarks from Wojo.

About 25 minutes of drills, with a few breaks for free throws. The first couple were 3-on-0 and 4-on-0 fast break drills emphasizing outlet passing, pick-and-roll and post-up.

The next ones were defense-oriented. One had individual players diving on the court for a loose ball, hustling cross-court to guard a player on the perimeter, then setting up to take a charge on the post. Several players took hard shots that sent them flying. Definitely set a physical tone up front. Also a 5-on-5 defensive drill.

Scrimmage
From 11am until noon, the team played a 5-on-5 scrimmage. I counted at least 7 different lineups, rotating about every 8-10 minutes or so. I find it impossible to focus on 11 players at once, but here are my impressions (organized by uniform number in ascending order).

Markus seems to fully embrace his leadership role. He's constantly talking with teammates and trying to keep everyone energized and engaged. His play was a bit sloppy at times -- with a couple questionable shots and turnovers. (Turnovers were an issue for the team in general.) But he drained at least two threes and made a couple other shots inside the arc, including a very pretty pull-up floater.

Brendan didn't stand out to me. Had at least one steal and one made three (a beautiful looking shot). Also forced a very ugly-looking three when he wasn't set or particularly open. Whether he can hold defensive position and rebound against big fours remains a question mark.

Sacar, on the other hand, was easily the standout player of the scrimmage. He had at least 16 points -- including a three, a great up-and-under drive through the lane for a traditional 3-point play, and a very nice fast break finish. If he's this assertive and effective once the regular season starts, look out.

Theo was Theo. Didn't get too many looks in the post; I had him down for two buckets. Looked strong on defense as usual, but played in control. Had at least two blocks and a nice assist to Sacar.

Greg, my man, so good to have you back!!! He's not in game shape yet. But he played hard on both ends. Jumped out to steal a cross-court pass from Markus and took it the other way for two. Had at least one more FG on a drive against Theo and earned a trip to the line (2-2 FT) on another.

Symir may not have stuffed the stat sheet (I only noted one steal), but he looks comfortable and confident handling the ball. This kid's gonna play.

Dexter hit a couple threes and had a nice assist to Ed.

Jamal was pretty quiet. He drew a tough matchup defending Jayce (giving up 5 inches and 40 or so pounds), but did an okay job holding position. Just one three attempt that I counted.

Koby looked good handling the ball and had a few really impressive moments -- including the steal and assist that made Sacar's fast break drive possible, at least one high-arcing three and a great crossover dribble drive for two inside.

Ed showed elements to his game that I haven't seen before. Had a nice assist to Theo, an on-the-money pass to a cutting Jamal (who drew the foul), a steal and two good-looking shots from the top of the key (as mentioned by jsglow). As with Sacar, if Ed can step up this season, good things will follow.

Jayce was right there with Sacar in terms of standout play. He dominated inside, scoring on at least four post-ups and going 3-4 from the free throw line. (No, his free throw shot doesn't look any better). His post defense was strong. Holds his position, moves well and defends without fouling. Literally and figuratively a big addition inside.

Final minutes
Near the end of the scrimmage, nearly everyone on the team looked gassed. Play started to look pretty ragged near the end. Perfect time for some sprints, yes? Wojo ran the team up and down the court maybe 3 or 4 times before wrapping things up. (I think the sprints were for committing too many turnovers.)

Wojo's comments
The practice closed with extensive comments from the coach. I'm paraphrasing, but he covered a number of points:

• The team has just completed the first week of practice and isn't in the shape they need to be in when the regular season starts.

• This is an incredible group of guys, and has "the potential to be better than any team I've coached here." (Pretty sure i got that quote verbatim.)

• Will have the flexibility to play with different looks.

• Can space the floor outside (4 out, 1 in) as with previous teams. But have more guys with ability to put pressure on the defense off the dribble. Guys play very unselfishly.

• Can play 2 bigs (power base), size and strength gives us the ability to be physical on defense. Can be a very effective unit, as well.

• Wojo made individual comments about every player on the roster -- starting with Ed and Jayce (2 seniors who didn't start their careers with Marquette), Markus and Sacar (foundations of the program), returning players who could make big strides (Theo, Jamal and Brendan) and newcomers (Greg, Koby, Dexter, Symir). He noted that Greg isn't technically a newcomer. He also asked the crowd how good it was to see Greg on the court again, which got the biggest applause of the morning.

• He mentioned the walk-ons, but didn't call out our newest scholarship player: Tommy Gardiner. The rest of the team seemed to be kidding Tommy about that on the bench.

• Thanked everyone for coming and supporting Marquette basketball. He's excited to be coaching this team; it's a group MU fans can be proud of.

[MuMark]

Thanks for the report Marcus........really appreciate it.

[NickelDimer]

Great stuff appreciate everyone’s takes

[We R Final Four]

Thank you!

[Marcus92]

Jayce a big strong kid, no better offensively than theo or Ed.

I disagree on this point.

Jayce has very good footwork in the post. Between the two practices so far and the footage from Europe, he looks to be better than Theo or Ed at establishing and holding position on the block. When needed, he seems confident putting the ball on the floor to back his man down for a higher-percentage shot.

The team was definitely working to feed him inside today. By my count, was 4 for 5 from the field (with one shot blocked by Theo) and earned two trips to the line. Pretty efficient offense, if you ask me. Had a couple nice passes out of the post, as well.

It's true that his offensive game doesn't extend beyond a few feet from the basket. But I'm not sure we need it to.

[Herman Cain]

Had the pleasure of sitting next to jsglow and warriorchick during the practice. Great to meet a couple fellow Scoopers in person. My notes/comments:

Warm-ups
Started right on time at 10:30am with the new team video and PA introductions for the entire team, including the walk-ons. No opening remarks from Wojo.

About 25 minutes of drills, with a few breaks for free throws. The first couple were 3-on-0 and 4-on-0 fast break drills emphasizing outlet passing, pick-and-roll and post-up.

The next ones were defense-oriented. One had individual players diving on the court for a loose ball, hustling cross-court to guard a player on the perimeter, then setting up to take a charge on the post. Several players took hard shots that sent them flying. Definitely set a physical tone up front. Also a 5-on-5 defensive drill.

Scrimmage
From 11am until noon, the team played a 5-on-5 scrimmage. I counted at least 7 different lineups, rotating about every 8-10 minutes or so. I find it impossible to focus on 11 players at once, but here are my impressions (organized by uniform number in ascending order).

Markus seems to fully embrace his leadership role. He's constantly talking with teammates and trying to keep everyone energized and engaged. His play was a bit sloppy at times -- with a couple questionable shots and turnovers. (Turnovers were an issue for the team in general.) But he drained at least two threes and made a couple other shots inside the arc, including a very pretty pull-up floater.

Brendan didn't stand out to me. Had at least one steal and one made three (a beautiful looking shot). Also forced a very ugly-looking three when he wasn't set or particularly open. Whether he can hold defensive position and rebound against big fours remains a question mark.

Sacar, on the other hand, was easily the standout player of the scrimmage. He had at least 16 points -- including a three, a great up-and-under drive through the lane for a traditional 3-point play, and a very nice fast break finish. If he's this assertive and effective once the regular season starts, look out.

Theo was Theo. Didn't get too many looks in the post; I had him down for two buckets. Looked strong on defense as usual, but played in control. Had at least two blocks and a nice assist to Sacar.

Greg, my man, so good to have you back!!! He's not in game shape yet. But he played hard on both ends. Jumped out to steal a cross-court pass from Markus and took it the other way for two. Had at least one more FG on a drive against Theo and earned a trip to the line (2-2 FT) on another.

Symir may not have stuffed the stat sheet (I only noted one steal), but he looks comfortable and confident handling the ball. This kid's gonna play.

Dexter hit a couple threes and had a nice assist to Ed.

Jamal was pretty quiet. He drew a tough matchup defending Jayce (giving up 5 inches and 40 or so pounds), but did an okay job holding position. Just one three attempt that I counted.

Koby looked good handling the ball and had a few really impressive moments -- including the steal and assist that made Sacar's fast break drive possible, at least one high-arcing three and a great crossover dribble drive for two inside.

Ed showed elements to his game that I haven't seen before. Had a nice assist to Theo, an on-the-money pass to a cutting Jamal (who drew the foul), a steal and two good-looking shots from the top of the key (as mentioned by jsglow). As with Sacar, if Ed can step up this season, good things will follow.

Jayce was right there with Sacar in terms of standout play. He dominated inside, scoring on at least four post-ups and going 3-4 from the free throw line. (No, his free throw shot doesn't look any better). His post defense was strong. Holds his position, moves well and defends without fouling. Literally and figuratively a big addition inside.

Final minutes
Near the end of the scrimmage, nearly everyone on the team looked gassed. Play started to look pretty ragged near the end. Perfect time for some sprints, yes? Wojo ran the team up and down the court maybe 3 or 4 times before wrapping things up. (I think the sprints were for committing too many turnovers.)

Wojo's comments
The practice closed with extensive comments from the coach. I'm paraphrasing, but he covered a number of points:

• The team has just completed the first week of practice and isn't in the shape they need to be in when the regular season starts.

• This is an incredible group of guys, and has "the potential to be better than any team I've coached here." (Pretty sure i got that quote verbatim.)

• Will have the flexibility to play with different looks.

• Can space the floor outside (4 out, 1 in) as with previous teams. But have more guys with ability to put pressure on the defense off the dribble. Guys play very unselfishly.

• Can play 2 bigs (power base), size and strength gives us the ability to be physical on defense. Can be a very effective unit, as well.

• Wojo made individual comments about every player on the roster -- starting with Ed and Jayce (2 seniors who didn't start their careers with Marquette), Markus and Sacar (foundations of the program), returning players who could make big strides (Theo, Jamal and Brendan) and newcomers (Greg, Koby, Dexter, Symir). He noted that Greg isn't technically a newcomer. He also asked the crowd how good it was to see Greg on the court again, which got the biggest applause of the morning.

• He mentioned the walk-ons, but didn't call out our newest scholarship player: Tommy Gardiner. The rest of the team seemed to be kidding Tommy about that on the bench.

• Thanked everyone for coming and supporting Marquette basketball. He's excited to be coaching this team; it's a group MU fans can be proud of.

Thank You for preparing this excellent research report. Very helpful. 

[warriorchick]

Had the pleasure of sitting next to jsglow and warriorchick during the practice. Great to meet a couple fellow Scoopers in person. My notes/comments:

Warm-ups
Started right on time at 10:30am with the new team video and PA introductions for the entire team, including the walk-ons. No opening remarks from Wojo.

About 25 minutes of drills, with a few breaks for free throws. The first couple were 3-on-0 and 4-on-0 fast break drills emphasizing outlet passing, pick-and-roll and post-up.

The next ones were defense-oriented. One had individual players diving on the court for a loose ball, hustling cross-court to guard a player on the perimeter, then setting up to take a charge on the post. Several players took hard shots that sent them flying. Definitely set a physical tone up front. Also a 5-on-5 defensive drill.

Scrimmage
From 11am until noon, the team played a 5-on-5 scrimmage. I counted at least 7 different lineups, rotating about every 8-10 minutes or so. I find it impossible to focus on 11 players at once, but here are my impressions (organized by uniform number in ascending order).

Markus seems to fully embrace his leadership role. He's constantly talking with teammates and trying to keep everyone energized and engaged. His play was a bit sloppy at times -- with a couple questionable shots and turnovers. (Turnovers were an issue for the team in general.) But he drained at least two threes and made a couple other shots inside the arc, including a very pretty pull-up floater.

Brendan didn't stand out to me. Had at least one steal and one made three (a beautiful looking shot). Also forced a very ugly-looking three when he wasn't set or particularly open. Whether he can hold defensive position and rebound against big fours remains a question mark.

Sacar, on the other hand, was easily the standout player of the scrimmage. He had at least 16 points -- including a three, a great up-and-under drive through the lane for a traditional 3-point play, and a very nice fast break finish. If he's this assertive and effective once the regular season starts, look out.

Theo was Theo. Didn't get too many looks in the post; I had him down for two buckets. Looked strong on defense as usual, but played in control. Had at least two blocks and a nice assist to Sacar.

Greg, my man, so good to have you back!!! He's not in game shape yet. But he played hard on both ends. Jumped out to steal a cross-court pass from Markus and took it the other way for two. Had at least one more FG on a drive against Theo and earned a trip to the line (2-2 FT) on another.

Symir may not have stuffed the stat sheet (I only noted one steal), but he looks comfortable and confident handling the ball. This kid's gonna play.

Dexter hit a couple threes and had a nice assist to Ed.

Jamal was pretty quiet. He drew a tough matchup defending Jayce (giving up 5 inches and 40 or so pounds), but did an okay job holding position. Just one three attempt that I counted.

Koby looked good handling the ball and had a few really impressive moments -- including the steal and assist that made Sacar's fast break drive possible, at least one high-arcing three and a great crossover dribble drive for two inside.

Ed showed elements to his game that I haven't seen before. Had a nice assist to Theo, an on-the-money pass to a cutting Jamal (who drew the foul), a steal and two good-looking shots from the top of the key (as mentioned by jsglow). As with Sacar, if Ed can step up this season, good things will follow.

Jayce was right there with Sacar in terms of standout play. He dominated inside, scoring on at least four post-ups and going 3-4 from the free throw line. (No, his free throw shot doesn't look any better). His post defense was strong. Holds his position, moves well and defends without fouling. Literally and figuratively a big addition inside.

Final minutes
Near the end of the scrimmage, nearly everyone on the team looked gassed. Play started to look pretty ragged near the end. Perfect time for some sprints, yes? Wojo ran the team up and down the court maybe 3 or 4 times before wrapping things up. (I think the sprints were for committing too many turnovers.)

Wojo's comments
The practice closed with extensive comments from the coach. I'm paraphrasing, but he covered a number of points:

• The team has just completed the first week of practice and isn't in the shape they need to be in when the regular season starts.

• This is an incredible group of guys, and has "the potential to be better than any team I've coached here." (Pretty sure i got that quote verbatim.)

• Will have the flexibility to play with different looks.

• Can space the floor outside (4 out, 1 in) as with previous teams. But have more guys with ability to put pressure on the defense off the dribble. Guys play very unselfishly.

• Can play 2 bigs (power base), size and strength gives us the ability to be physical on defense. Can be a very effective unit, as well.

• Wojo made individual comments about every player on the roster -- starting with Ed and Jayce (2 seniors who didn't start their careers with Marquette), Markus and Sacar (foundations of the program), returning players who could make big strides (Theo, Jamal and Brendan) and newcomers (Greg, Koby, Dexter, Symir). He noted that Greg isn't technically a newcomer. He also asked the crowd how good it was to see Greg on the court again, which got the biggest applause of the morning.

• He mentioned the walk-ons, but didn't call out our newest scholarship player: Tommy Gardiner. The rest of the team seemed to be kidding Tommy about that on the bench.

• Thanked everyone for coming and supporting Marquette basketball. He's excited to be coaching this team; it's a group MU fans can be proud of.

I agree with this analysis.

[jsglow]

Thanks Marcus. Great analysis off your extensive notes. I'm cheating off this guy the next time we have an exam together.  Frankly,  you should be writing for one of the well known MU blogs.

[Marcus92]

A couple other quick thoughts.

During one break in the scrimmage, Sacar pulled Koby aside to talk for a moment. I have no idea what the subject was. But it looked as though Koby was frustrated about something and Sacar was reassuring or encouraging him. Whether or not my read on the situation is correct, Sacar can help this team beyond his performance on the court -- by being a steadying influence as a senior leader.

Also, I'm much less concerned about the backcourt situation today than I was at the end of last season. Koby, Symir and Dexter all look confident with the ball in their hands. They play with their heads up, see the court well, are good passers and seem to understand the principles of movement and spacing within the offense. All three have been among the team's best outside shooters so far. And they all look like strong on-ball defenders. There could be a place in the lineup for each of them. Plus, Greg will hopefully be back up to speed by the time the regular season starts.

That said, turnovers were a major weakness for the team last season. Marquette's turnover percentage was 239th in the nation (19.3%) and 7th in the Big East (19.0%) per KenPom. Of teams that finished 2019-20 in the Top 25 for adjusted efficiency, only five were in the bottom half of Division I for TO%:

#8 Kentucky (18.6%, 184th)
#14 Florida St. (18.9%, 210th)
#17 Kansas (18.8%, 200th)
#21 Mississippi State (19.2%, 229th)
#24 Maryland (19.3%, 234th)

MU did lose two of its most turnover-prone players in Joey Hauser (22.3%) and Joseph Chartouny (34.8%). Having more capable ball handlers should help, as well. But it remains to be seen whether that translates into actually taking better care of the ball during the season.

[jsglow]

Stop showing off kid! 

[Dr. Blackheart]

Thanks Marcus. Great analysis off your extensive notes. I'm cheating off this guy the next time we have an exam together.  Frankly,  you should be writing for one of the well known MU blogs.

+1.  Marcus is one of my favorite Scoop posters! 

[MuMark]

https://twitter.com/js_goldeneagles/status/1180620193409712128?s=21

[Marcus92]

Nice write-up by Ben Steele:

https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/marquette/2019/10/05/marquette-different-jayce-johnson-greg-elliott-koby-mcewen/3865646002/

[Marcus92]

Includes a perfect quote from Jayce:

"Being a big post, rebounding, offensive rebounds, blocked shots, good defense, finishing around the rim. That's my thing."

[brewcity77]

A couple other quick thoughts.

During one break in the scrimmage, Sacar pulled Koby aside to talk for a moment. I have no idea what the subject was. But it looked as though Koby was frustrated about something and Sacar was reassuring or encouraging him. Whether or not my read on the situation is correct, Sacar can help this team beyond his performance on the court -- by being a steadying influence as a senior leader.

Also, I'm much less concerned about the backcourt situation today than I was at the end of last season. Koby, Symir and Dexter all look confident with the ball in their hands. They play with their heads up, see the court well, are good passers and seem to understand the principles of movement and spacing within the offense. All three have been among the team's best outside shooters so far. And they all look like strong on-ball defenders. There could be a place in the lineup for each of them. Plus, Greg will hopefully be back up to speed by the time the regular season starts.

That said, turnovers were a major weakness for the team last season. Marquette's turnover percentage was 239th in the nation (19.3%) and 7th in the Big East (19.0%) per KenPom. Of teams that finished 2019-20 in the Top 25 for adjusted efficiency, only five were in the bottom half of Division I for TO%:

#8 Kentucky (18.6%, 184th)
#14 Florida St. (18.9%, 210th)
#17 Kansas (18.8%, 200th)
#21 Mississippi State (19.2%, 229th)
#24 Maryland (19.3%, 234th)

MU did lose two of its most turnover-prone players in Joey Hauser (22.3%) and Joseph Chartouny (34.8%). Having more capable ball handlers should help, as well. But it remains to be seen whether that translates into actually taking better care of the ball during the season.

If you didn't see it, check out the recent Paint Touches post on this. Ed Morrow and Theo John were really bad in terms of turnover rate during the first third of the season and improved, Theo most notably at the end. Conversely, Sam was good early, but was (for his standards) bizarrely poor at the end of the year in terms of turnovers. I cautiously feel this is an area we can and should improve significantly in.

https://painttouches.com/2019/10/04/what-can-we-learn-by-breaking-individual-stats-from-the-2019-season-into-thirds/

[Dr. Blackheart]

If you didn't see it, check out the recent Paint Touches post on this. Ed Morrow and Theo John were really bad in terms of turnover rate during the first third of the season and improved, Theo most notably at the end. Conversely, Sam was good early, but was (for his standards) bizarrely poor at the end of the year in terms of turnovers. I cautiously feel this is an area we can and should improve significantly in.

https://painttouches.com/2019/10/04/what-can-we-learn-by-breaking-individual-stats-from-the-2019-season-into-thirds/

For the bigs and Cain, the TO's were moving screens mostly. For the Brothers Hauser, it was the second time through the conference: Make them try and handle the ball and double Markus to keep him contained with the ball.

That was the fallacy of The Letter: MU had no one else who could create their own shot except MH. It's different this season. Sam should have stayed and Joey should have left.

[MuMark]

I agree on the bigs but not Cain. Most of his turnovers were not screen related........travels, bad hands and dribbling were his main issues.

Cains live ball turnovers combined with his shooting issues made it hard to put him on the court. Bailey shot it poorly too but he almost never turned it over.

[Marcus92]

If you didn't see it, check out the recent Paint Touches post on this. Ed Morrow and Theo John were really bad in terms of turnover rate during the first third of the season and improved, Theo most notably at the end. Conversely, Sam was good early, but was (for his standards) bizarrely poor at the end of the year in terms of turnovers. I cautiously feel this is an area we can and should improve significantly in.

https://painttouches.com/2019/10/04/what-can-we-learn-by-breaking-individual-stats-from-the-2019-season-into-thirds/

I actually just read that article this afternoon. Both interesting and well-written.

The relationship between usage and efficiency can be tricky. With Brendan, for instance, his improvement in offensive efficiency and decrease in usage seems to be largely explained by taking fewer bad shots -- and ultimately, fewer shots overall. Theo's higher efficiency and lower usage, on the other hand, seem more strongly correlated to committing fewer turnovers.

So who ends up using all of Sam's and Joey's possessions? From what I've seen of the team so far, I think the biggest chunk will go to Koby -- who averaged 25%+ usage in each of his first two seasons at Utah State. The rest could be split by some combination of Jayce (18.6% usage in 2019-20, roughly equivalent to Joey in fewer minutes), Sacar, Symir, Brendan and Greg.

It seems less likely we see a significant increase in usage from Theo or Ed this season. In my view, our best offensive options after Markus will be Koby, Sacar and Jayce (and in that order). But who knows? It all depends on how the rotation shapes up with the new roster. And Wojo has admitted he's still figuring that out.

You put the turnover issue exactly right. This team can and should improve; it's a matter of coaching, decision-making and execution. Whether they will is the big question.

[MuMark]

If Sacar has indeed taken another step up then you would figure his usage should Increase from last season as well.

[Marcus92]

If Sacar has indeed taken another step up then you would figure his usage should Increase from last season as well.

I would love nothing more than to witness Sacar Unleashed this season. Today he had it all going -- in transition, driving the lane, outside shooting and mid-range jumpers.

Wojo opened his player comments talking about the story of Markus deciding to come back after an All-American season because of "unfinished business" (which got a lot of applause). Then he went on to say Sacar's story is every bit as good.

He talked about how Sacar made the difficult decision to sit out a year to work on his game (as opposed to sitting out as a transfer or due to injury). Wojo said Sacar attacked his redshirt year like no other player he's coached. When he came back, he had transformed himself into the team's best defender and an indispensable player on the court.

It would be great to see him take the next step. Marquette's success in 2019-20 might just depend on it.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I agree on the bigs but not Cain. Most of his turnovers were not screen related........travels, bad hands and dribbling were his main issues.

Cains live ball turnovers combined with his shooting issues made it hard to put him on the court. Bailey shot it poorly too but he almost never turned it over.

This is it exactly. I know we all love his athleticism, but I have a feeling that he’s going to be getting spot minutes again.

[Jockey]

https://twitter.com/js_goldeneagles/status/1180620193409712128?s=21

Jayce is a big boy. Makes Ed look like a PG.

[Jockey]

I would love nothing more than to witness Sacar Unleashed this season. Today he had it all going -- in transition, driving the lane, outside shooting and mid-range jumpers.

Wojo opened his player comments talking about the story of Markus deciding to come back after an All-American season because of "unfinished business" (which got a lot of applause). Then he went on to say Sacar's story is every bit as good.

He talked about how Sacar made the difficult decision to sit out a year to work on his game (as opposed to sitting out as a transfer or due to injury). Wojo said Sacar attacked his redshirt year like no other player he's coached. When he came back, he had transformed himself into the team's best defender and an indispensable player on the court.

It would be great to see him take the next step. Marquette's success in 2019-20 might just depend on it.

My bold prediction for this year is that Sacar will be All-Big East. Not first team, but will be somewhere on the list.

He is what I love about college basketball. As a true freshmen, I thought he'd be an end of bench kind of guy, Maybe 5-8 minutes a game. The coaches, and most of all the hard work by Sacar, have made him a very good college player.

[jsglow]

This is it exactly. I know we all love his athleticism, but I have a feeling that he’s going to be getting spot minutes again.

Unfortunately you may be right. There was a situation during yesterday's action where he had an opportunity to take the ball to the hole in broken court action.  There was a defender directly in his path (Ed maybe) but instead of attacking and drawing a foul, he pulled the ball out to begin a half court set. Now he didn't turn it over but that was an opportunity lost nevertheless. Marcus and I commented on it in real time.

[warriorchick]

Jayce is a big boy. Makes Ed look like a PG.

I noticed that our size this year makes Markus look especially tiny.

[4everwarriors]

I noticed that our size this year makes Markus look especially tiny.

Pretty sure hour teem has generally bin well hung, hey?

[Seashells]

I didn't think Dexter was bad - but I don't see any playing time for him this year.  Would be a good red-shirt year.

[Marcus92]

Since arriving at Marquette, Wojo has used either an 8-deep or 9-deep main rotation.

Last season, eight players (Markus, Sam, Joey, Sacar, Theo, Ed, Brendan and Joseph) appeared in 30+ games and averaged at least 14 mpg. Jamal averaged just under 9 mpg in 29 games. Matt saw less than 5 mpg in 25 games. Koby sat out as a transfer. Ike and Greg sat out due to injury.

This season, the roster looks deeper. We have 11 active players instead of 10. And it doesn't look as though Brendan has clearly set himself apart from Jamal, or Symir from Dexter -- at least at this point.

Chances are, one or two of those players are going to see spot minutes (less than 10 mpg) in most games. But it's good to have the option to go deeper into the bench when needed -- whether because of fouls, fatigue or injury.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

1) Two bigs will be common.
2) The Freshmen will contribute.
3) Jayce has a very nice traditional 5 game, both offensively and on D.
4) Nice to see Greg out there and fully cleared although not yet in playing shape.
5) Two, count them, two top if the key jumpers by Ed.

All good. Discuss what you observed.

5 is a surprise to me after seeing Ed heave the basketball last year on any shot outside 5 feet.

Thanks for the report.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Sam should have stayed and Joey should have left.

I agree with this analysis

[94Warrior]

I would love nothing more than to witness Sacar Unleashed this season. Today he had it all going -- in transition, driving the lane, outside shooting and mid-range jumpers.

Wojo opened his player comments talking about the story of Markus deciding to come back after an All-American season because of "unfinished business" (which got a lot of applause). Then he went on to say Sacar's story is every bit as good.

He talked about how Sacar made the difficult decision to sit out a year to work on his game (as opposed to sitting out as a transfer or due to injury). Wojo said Sacar attacked his redshirt year like no other player he's coached. When he came back, he had transformed himself into the team's best defender and an indispensable player on the court.

It would be great to see him take the next step. Marquette's success in 2019-20 might just depend on it.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Wojo said in his opening remarks, Markus & Sacar were 2 of the best scorers in the country.  That caught my attention, but it is possible I misheard what was being said.

If he said that, and it happens to be true, what ppg can we expect from the 2 of them this season?

Markus:  24ppg
Sacar:    16ppg ???

[DoctorV]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Wojo said in his opening remarks, Markus & Sacar were 2 of the best scorers in the country.  That caught my attention, but it is possible I misheard what was being said.

If he said that, and it happens to be true, what ppg can we expect from the 2 of them this season?

Markus:  24ppg
Sacar:    16ppg ???

I’m really hoping MU can have an elite 3 guard lineup ala UofI back in the Dee Brown/Luther Head/Deron Williams season. Obviously if this season went as well for Marquette as that one did for Illinois it would be incredible.

I think the overall success of the season is based on the scoring abilities of the Markus/Sacar/Koby three guard monster- would be nice to get 50-60 pts on a nightly basis from the three and would really go a long way to a great season.

FWIW I’m a bit worried that Koby won’t live up to the earlier expectations I had of him based on all of the positive feedback from his redshirt practices- it reminded me of all the talk of Rowsey being awesome that panned out. Koby just seemed a bit timid in Italy and there wasn’t much talk of him dominating in the scrimmage either so I really hope he comes in with that killer instinct and drive to be a difference-maker along with Markus and Sacar. I do think Sacar takes another step this year and becomes more aggressive, avg around 15ppg

[The Lens]

Wojo's comments
The practice closed with extensive comments from the coach. I'm paraphrasing, but he covered a number of points:

• This is an incredible group of guys, and has "the potential to be better than any team I've coached here." (Pretty sure i got that quote verbatim.)

Ummmm...we've gone a NIT and been blown out twice in the NCAA 1st round (2nd round / Round of 64 if you're using Tom Crean Math).  God I hope this is his best team.  It's Year 6.  Some of us are close to dying (not looking at you Lenny!).

[Lennys Tap]

Ummmm...we've gone a NIT and been blown out twice in the NCAA 1st round (2nd round / Round of 64 if you're using Tom Crean Math).  God I hope this is his best team.  It's Year 6.  Some of us are close to dying (not looking at you Lenny!).

Lens - I watched (and somehow survived) the entire Murray St game. This old warrior will not go gently into that goodnight!

[Scoop Snoop]

Lens - I watched (and somehow survived) the entire Murray St game. This old warrior will not go gently into that goodnight!

My day started out great. Feeling good and about to start on a woodworking project. Then I made the mistake of reading your post. I am another old warrior who has seen some games that I wish I had not. The Murray State game was one of the most painful. I know, I know- we need to put that nightmare behind us, but easier said than done. Let's  hope that Wojo and the team will be a very pleasant surprise this year. I think it is very doable.

[Goose]

I am officially going on record that I believe this will be Wojo's best team to date and by a wide margin. On different thread I noted that that Bailey would be the difference maker this season and have a change of heart. I think the new big guy in the middle and Kobe are going to be time contributors this season. In addition, I think Ed M. is going to play a very major role this season and end up getting more PT than Theo.

Until the last few weeks I thought this season would be a repeat of previous seasons in regards to NCAA success. I now think that everyone stays healthy, this team will win a minimum of one NCAA game this season. My confidence level that we will not have a "fool's gold" season is quite high. While I still remain disappointed in losing the Hausers, this team might make some noise.

[We R Final Four]

On different thread I noted that that Bailey would be the difference maker this season and have a change of heart.

What does this mean?
Change of heart?

[Goose]

Final Four

I think Bailey will have a nice year, but now believe Johnson and Kobe will be the difference makers this season.

[The Lens]

I too am pretty optimistic because I can see a lineup where Greg, Koby and Sacar are creating havoc on D and that turns into easy points in transition.  I'm probably as excited for Sacar's season as I have been for any player in a long, long time.

[frozena pizza]

I am cautiously optimistic.  I could see this team being similar to last year's Purdue team and maybe just as good: everything centers around an undersized high volume scorer, a mid-sized wing player that can get hot is a secondary option, then you have a traditional big man for rim protection and rebounding.  Beyond that you have role players that you can use in various combinations and make adjustments.