A shout out to Jamal Cain

[MuggsyB]

I'm really proud of this kid.  I realize he's had his ups and downs but most players would have checked--out and not spent 4 years in the program.  He had a great game tonight, was under control, and it's awesome to see him finish at Fiserv with this performance. 

[BM1090]

Really the only capable two way player that we have other than DJ.

[Daniel]

I'm really proud of this kid.  I realize he's had his ups and downs but most players would have checked--out and not spent 4 years in the program.  He had a great game tonight, was under control, and it's awesome to see him finish at Fiserv with this performance.

He’s been playing well generally, his senior year.  We will miss him.  And rebounds were great

[jesmu84]

By far the most athletic player on the team

[CountryRoads]

He’s a great kid. Wouldn’t have blamed him if he left when the Hausers were on board but the kid stuck it out and got better and is all around a very nice kid off the floor it seems. Happy he was part our program and chose Marquette to play ball.

[GooooMarquette]

Agreed. A hard-working kid with a great attitude.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

Big contributor tonight and all year

[MuggsyB]

He’s a great kid. Wouldn’t have blamed him if he left when the Hausers were on board but the kid stuck it out and got better and is all around a very nice kid off the floor it seems. Happy he was part our program and chose Marquette to play ball.

He really is a nice young man with a terrific attitude.  It's a shame his ball-handling has always been a struggle because he has very good athleticism.  Ya never know....maybe he continues to work and follows in the footsteps of Juan Anderson Toscano. 

[DoctorV]

Jamal and Greg. Detroit boys.

They persevered and never let it get the best of them

Let us not forget that there were games this season, one month ago, where Wojo wouldn’t play Greg a single minute when we were down 20. Wouldn’t bring him in when we were down 2 with 5 second left.

unnatural carnal knowledgeing malaka

[willie warrior]

Jamal and Greg. Detroit boys.

They persevered and never let it get the best of them

Let us not forget that there were games this season, one month ago, where Wojo wouldn’t play Greg a single minute when we were down 20. Wouldn’t bring him in when we were down 2 with 5 second left.

unnatural carnal knowledgeing malaka

Cain had a nice year, and is a tribute to the philosophy to stick in there and keep working when you could just move on. Would be great if we had 10 kids every 4 years that had that attitude. Wish him the best going forward. Wojo-Dukiet should be thankful he had this kid.
Same could be said of Theo. Man did he improve over the years.

[tower912]

Thank you, Jamal.   You stayed.  You fought.   You improved.   You are a great teammate.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Cain had a nice year, and is a tribute to the philosophy to stick in there and keep working when you could just move on. Would be great if we had 10 kids every 4 years that had that attitude. Wish him the best going forward. Wojo-Dukiet should be thankful he had this kid.
Same could be said of Theo. Man did he improve over the years.

Willie with an indirect compliment of Wojo!

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I know how unlikely it is for a multitude of reasons but if one of the seniors were to stay for an extra year Cain would be the best option.

[4everwarriors]

Dey gonne, hey?

[Herman Cain]

Interview with Jamal after the win. A high quality young man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iec4jkRij7g

[Goose]

I agree that Cain improved a great deal over the years and has had a very good senior season. Both he and John ended up being far better than I expected. I have no problem admitting that I was wrong on what their ceiling was a player. That said, for this program to improve they need more guys to come in that are starting at a higher level as a player. Making a player better is great, making a high level player better should be the goal.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Agreed Goose.  And I think this team was always destined for a rebuild.  This team should have had both Brendan Bailey and Joey Hauser as juniors.  Probably turns our 9th place finish into a 5th or 6th? 

I think Wojo's recruiting successes have been a little overstated.

[Uncle Rico]

Agreed Goose.  And I think this team was always destined for a rebuild.  This team should have had both Brendan Bailey and Joey Hauser as juniors.  Probably turns our 9th place finish into a 5th or 6th? 

I think Wojo's recruiting successes have been a little overstated.

You gentleman are both correct.  Guys like Jamal and Theo are great program guys but the talent level needs to be improved overall.  Not having Joey and Brendan hurt depthwise for a variety of reasons.  As much as Hauser has regressed through the course of this Big 14 season, I think he’s a much better player year 3 here if that makes sense.

[MU82]

Agreed Goose.  And I think this team was always destined for a rebuild.  This team should have had both Brendan Bailey and Joey Hauser as juniors.  Probably turns our 9th place finish into a 5th or 6th? 

I think Wojo's recruiting successes have been a little overstated.

If Joey and Bailey had still been around, does Garcia choose Marquette? Lewis? Might Sam have stayed another year, as he would have had the option to do (meaning he'd have been a 5th-year senior this season)? There were reports that at least a couple of players planned to leave had the Hausers not transferred; who were they and how would that have affected things?

We'll never know what would have happened had Wojo been able to quell the Hausers' attempted mutiny and its aftermath.

As to the basic point you and Goose are making about Wojo's recruiting, I agree that those who think he's a great recruiter are overrating him.

IMHO he's been a good recruiter -- obviously not championship level, not great, not even very good. But good -- 2 burger boys, a couple top-50s, numerous top-100s and a few lower-rated guys who developed into solid role players. Some notable misses, too, but Buzz, Crean and every coach ever has had misses.

And Goose has been right in stating for several years now that "good" isn't good enough for a mediocre game coach. A great coach can do well with "good." Wojo has shown he can't, one of several reasons he already should have been fired.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Right, which is why the narrative that he should be kept around because of next year's recruiting class doesn't make a lot of sense to me.  First, I think it's a "good" recruiting class, but hardly a great one.  Second, I don't see much hope that he is going to be able to coach this class up.

Wojo would have gone to three NCAA tournaments.  And in each case, he had the benefit of having the program's all time leading scorer and all American on the roster - a truly great player.  Absent that, while they may make the tournament, I don't see any second weekend runs with him at the helm.

[MU82]

Right, which is why the narrative that he should be kept around because of next year's recruiting class doesn't make a lot of sense to me.  First, I think it's a "good" recruiting class, but hardly a great one.  Second, I don't see much hope that he is going to be able to coach this class up.

Wojo would have gone to three NCAA tournaments.  And in each case, he had the benefit of having the program's all time leading scorer and all American on the roster - a truly great player.  Absent that, while they may make the tournament, I don't see any second weekend runs with him at the helm.

Reasonable. We're on the same page.

If you think Wojo is not the right man to lead the program to an extended period of regular-season and NCAA tournament success, you dump him without being concerned about how it affects current players and future recruits. You trust that the coach you pick to succeed him will be able to rebuild the program in 2-4 years, as most good coaches around the country do.

My only minor quibble (for lack of better word) is elevating Markus to "great player" status when he was a freshman. Although he was our leading scorer that season, it was only 13 ppg and he benefited bigly from having lots of good upperclassmen around him, resulting in most of his 3s being wide open. He averaged only 22 minutes and was rarely the guy who was expected to deliver in the clutch that season. He was a role player - a darn good one, yes, but he was nowhere near all-time-scoring-leader-Markus status yet.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

I agree that Cain improved a great deal over the years and has had a very good senior season. Both he and John ended up being far better than I expected. I have no problem admitting that I was wrong on what their ceiling was a player. That said, for this program to improve they need more guys to come in that are starting at a higher level as a player. Making a player better is great, making a high level player better should be the goal.

Yes, I mean both were 3 stars, so it seems like the progressed about as could normally be expected over 4 years.

[MUeng]

Jamal's mid range game is pretty smooth. Can rebound really well too. If he could dribble, NBA prospect for sure. He's been focused this year, fun to watch

[BallBoy]

Great coaching starts with great recruiting. If we look at the icons each gets the best players and in college ball that is the game. Wojo has been trying to compete in that game and has some but limited success. 

If I compare Crean, Buzz and Wojo, I see players with more NBA talent on Crean and Buzz’s rosters and more NBA potential on those rosters. More players who were college ball ready. They had their misses and their transfers too.

We have missed too much at the 2-3 spots and that should be a key focus.  I feel a lot of that is because we swing high.

If we look position by position I think we are middle of the pack at best in talent.

I think we can put a nail in the coffin that Wojo doesn’t develop players. The starting point just required too much. After 4 years Cain is turning into a good role player.  Imagine him at this level his freshman year.

Wojo is overestimated as a recruiter and underestimated as an in game coach.

[WarriorFan]

Jamal can make some money next year playing the game.  Hope he does.  He's got excellent athleticism, plays good D, good size, and can shoot.  Need a few more good games from him!