[Cracked Sidewalks] Joplin Comes Home to Marquette

[MU82]

Need shooters in today's game

Apparently not, Unk. Apparently, Shaka is bringing in a whole slew of guys who have proven at the Big East level that they can make 45% of their 3s.

[Uncle Rico]

Apparently not, Unk. Apparently, Shaka is bringing in a whole slew of guys who have proven at the Big East level that they can make 45% of their 3s.

Toughness and defense don't win titles.  Elite shooting and offense wins titles

[Goose]

82

IMO, Greg is not capable of playing at high, high level. Seeing where Koby and Cain ended up convinced me of the lack of talent on the team last year. Based on your fifth year thought, if they could play at higher level, a top program would have loved having them around. Plus, those two guys were better basketball players than Greg.

[Galway Eagle]

We're struggling. Can't hit a shot. Trailing 16-6 midway through the first half. Shaka says, "Greg, you're in." Elliott goes 4-for-5 on 3s the rest of the half, helps Marquette take the lead. Second half, another slow start. Tied 32-32 at the first TV timeout. Shaka says, "Greg, I believe in you. Make some shots." Elliott hits another two 3s as we pull away.

You seriously can't see that kind of scenario happening a few times next season? And did you seriously not see the part where I also said he'd play 0-5 minutes in games? I actually said in another thread that one sign we are a much better team is if Elliott averages only 10-15 mpg.

He's a role player who happens to be darn good at his role, as well as a great kid.

Not sure if this describes you, but we have folks here who complain we can't get older, but they want to discard a useful 5th-year senior ... we have folks here who praised Matt Heldt every time he clapped, but they don't think Elliott could fill a role next season ... we have folks here who practically had orgasms when Jake Thomas made one shot, but they want to dump a guy who has proven he can do that regularly.

Yes, I love that Shaka is bringing in some potentially fine 18-year-olds, but let's not kid ourselves. This isn't one of Cal's or K's 1-and-done freshmen classes or the Fab Five.

Akanno and Perez are entirely different situations. They haven't proven themselves at this level.

Well let's not pretend that Greg is an experienced 5th year in Shaka's system.

He's great and proven Big East player. And I could see a similar scenario to what you're saying.

Personally I just want to turn the page on Wojo and he's the last aged Wojo holdover. Dexter and Perez are different stories, Lewis has proven himself but hasn't spent 4 years adopting another system. Osa, DJ and Garcia were all attempted Shaka recruits so at least they fit his vision.

[Jockey]

I think there is little chance of Perez seeing playing time on a Shaka led program.

I agree. I also think there are a lot of players that are smart enough to know the situation. Perez and Elliot could go into the portal and go to a mid-major where they would play a lot more. But I think they know they are not going to have a career playing for money. Maybe they like it here and just want to be part of a high major team. We forget that every team has numerous guys who aren't going to play a lot. They don't all transfer.

There are a lot of successful people in this country who sat on the bench in college. A lot of them still credit their experiences on the team as a big reason for their success.

[MU82]

82

IMO, Greg is not capable of playing at high, high level. Seeing where Koby and Cain ended up convinced me of the lack of talent on the team last year. Based on your fifth year thought, if they could play at higher level, a top program would have loved having them around. Plus, those two guys were better basketball players than Greg.

Neither of those guys was better than Greg at one skill that is valued very highly in today's basketball.

[Goose]

82

If you think Greg is an elite shooter based off of last season, you are easily swayed.

[MU82]

Well let's not pretend that Greg is an experienced 5th year in Shaka's system.

He's great and proven Big East player. And I could see a similar scenario to what you're saying.

Personally I just want to turn the page on Wojo and he's the last aged Wojo holdover. Dexter and Perez are different stories, Lewis has proven himself but hasn't spent 4 years adopting another system. Osa, DJ and Garcia were all attempted Shaka recruits so at least they fit his vision.

Any system can find room for a spot-up shooter who hits 3s at a .455 clip. Indeed, many top programs have "designated shooters" on the bench for the exact kind of scenario I described.

I am not romanticizing Elliott. I am not claiming he is a great player, or even a good one. I am saying he is a career .423 distance shooter coming off a .455 season (.468 in Big East play) in a sport that values great 3-point shooters. That's not an opinion, it's a fact.

If Shaka dumps Elliott (or merely strongly encourages him to go elsewhere), I hope he has players who are ready to fill the role of a departed .468 Big East shooter. Not sure they grow on trees, but some here seem to think so (not saying you do).

I understand what you're saying about Wojo's guys, but if he can help us next season, getting rid of him just because he's Wojo's longest-tenured player would be the very definition of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.

[MU82]

82

If you think Greg is an elite shooter based off of last season, you are easily swayed.

If you think that guys who shoot .468 over the course of a full Big East season have zero value, you are easily swayed.

[Uncle Rico]

If you think that guys who shoot .468 over the course of a full Big East season have zero value, you are easily swayed.

Greg had an offensive rating of 114.8, best on the team.  He had a steal rate of 2.8% (256th in the nation) and was good at defending without fouling.  You put that together with his 45% 3-pt shooting, you have a kid that could thrive for a season under Shaka Smart letting him be a more agrressive defender.  Of all the guys coming back, he's the one who could benefit the most with a coaching change

[tower912]

Greg and DJ are the only returnees I trust to shoot a 3.   The new guards all have reps as slashers, none as a long range sniper.   Joplin does, but he is a forward.  If Greg returns and is healthy, he starts at the 2.

[Goose]

82


I bet he took about 3-4 times more shots over the season than Howard took in a game. The body of work/stats is meaningless.

[Dawson Rental]

Greg had an offensive rating of 114.8, best on the team.  He had a steal rate of 2.8% (256th in the nation) and was good at defending without fouling.  You put that together with his 45% 3-pt shooting, you have a kid that could thrive for a season under Shaka Smart letting him be a more agrressive defender.  Of all the guys coming back, he's the one who could benefit the most with a coaching change

!!!!!!

[Silkk the Shaka]

82


I bet he took about 3-4 times more shots over the season than Howard took in a game. The body of work/stats is meaningless.

Greg has nice form and shoots it confidently with some length for the position. Not sure where the skepticism comes from to be quite honest... he's not going to be a #1 option but he's a quality shooter with a good nose for the ball on defense. If he can stay healthy it's exactly the type of veteran I want getting solid minutes in year 1 of a new era, kind of like Joe Chapman in year 1 of the Three Amigos' reign.

[Goose]

Silkk

If Greg is on the roster next season it will not disappoint me. All I am saying is there likely are much better options out there. Nothing against Greg, but I do not give extra points because he seems like a great guy.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

82


I bet he took about 3-4 times more shots over the season than Howard took in a game. The body of work/stats is meaningless.

He went 30 for 66 last season. He's 60 for 142 (42.3%) for his career. It's not a small sample size. He's proven himself to be a very good three point shooter.

That's about all he's proven himself to be.

[muwarrior69]

Whose Joplin?

[Galway Eagle]

He went 30 for 66 last season. He's 60 for 142 (42.3%) for his career. It's not a small sample size. He's proven himself to be a very good three point shooter.

That's about all he's proven himself to be.

Wow he's also proven himself to be Injury prone and a great media personality!

[Goose]

TAMU

I am way too lazy to look but last season I would bet he 2-3 games that skewed the three point %. Having a guy that gets hot 3-4 years a year does not make someone a shooter/scorer. He just happened to be the best of a bad bunch last year. Again, I think some give him extra credit because they like him, similar to Theo in that regard.

[tower912]

Goose, among EE, Mitchell, Jones, perez, Akanno, which two do you think will start in front of him?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

TAMU

I am way too lazy to look but last season I would bet he 2-3 games that skewed the three point %.

Not really, he had 10 games with multiple three pointers. If anything, he had 2-3 games that skewed the three point % negatively. In the final 6 games of the season (when Wojo inserted him into the starting lineup) he had multiple threes in every game and went 14/27 (51.9%).

The kid can shoot three. That's unquestionable. But given his narrow skillset, I hope we can find better players to pass him on the depth chart.

[Goose]

tower

First, I do not think the roster is set and I am not certain all of the guys you noted will be returning. I 100% do not believe Greg is quick enough to play meaningful minutes on a Shaka and his minutes will be limited. That said, I would have no problem being proven wrong.

[tower912]

You may be right about roster composition.   A 6'3 fifth year senior who shot 45% from 3 starts in a 3-guard set.   Until two others prove themselves better.

[MU82]

I am way too lazy to look but last season I would bet he 2-3 games that skewed the three point %.

You'd lose the bet.

In addition to the stats provided by TAMU, Elliott is a .423 career shooter on 142 attempts. That's a more than respectable sample size. Only 3 players in college basketball shot the 3 better than he did last season.

Again, if Shaka dumps Elliott or if he decides to move on, I hope Shaka has others ready to hit 3s at a 40% or better clip. Because exactly one player on the roster as it now stands has proven capable of doing that, and you gotta have 3-point threats in today's college hoops.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I hope Greg is back.  He has a skill set we need so it's not just about the fact that he's well-liked and good representative of the university, although those hold value as well.  Maybe he's even more productive with some additional development in Shaka's system.  I agree that he's more suited as a role player/sniper....depends on what else Shaka brings in.  If he's starting that's not a huge red flag for me and it certainly doesn't guarantee him 20-25 MPG. 

His 3 point shot is legit and that's a clear deficiency on this team right now.