The Shaka Era is happening!

[SWARM!]

H: SIUE: W
H: New Hampshire: W
H: Illinois: L
N:Ole Miss (Charleston): W
N:Charleston game 2: W
N: Charleston game 3: L
H: Northern Illinois: W
H: Jackson St: W
A: UW-Madison Extension: L
A: Kansas St: W
H: UCLA: L
—BE CONF GAMES—
A: Xavier: L
H: UConn: L
A: St John's: L
H: Creighton: W
H: providence: W
A: Georgetown W
H: DePaul: W
H: Seton Hall: W
A: Nova: L
H: Xavier: W
A: Seton hall: L
A: providence: L
H: Nova: L
A: UConn: L
A: butler: L
H: Georgetown: W
A: Creighton: L
H: butler: W
A: DePaul: W
H: St. John's: W

Overall: 17-14
BE: 10-10

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I think you are greatly discounting having the Big Ten DPOY, a contender for National DPOY this season, leading the attack.  Plus a guy like Kur in the middle cleaning up messes. 

Tyler Kolek & Justin Lewis have just enough seasoning in this new world of college basketball that when you take those four and add in Greg Elliott, you can see a closing 5 that can win a few games. 

We will absolutely be checking Bracketology.  We're no lock but we're also not DePaul.

Appreciate the optimism - I think Kauth will be fine big man role player, and Morsell is probably our best player and will get more rope offensively here than he got at Maryland.  BUt I don't expect either of these guys to be big time offensive contributors, and no one else on the team really projects to do that either.  I suspect Lewis will take a nice step forward, but he isn't nearly enough.
Greg is nothing more than a role player, and that is if he can even stay healthy.  This team will be far better defensively than any we saw under Wojo, but its going to REALLY struggle to score. Maybe this team can claw out a couple wins in the 50s against superior high major teams, but bracketology talk is fantasy land.  If this team goes .500 in BE, its a miracle.

Again, hope to be wrong. Generally not at all pessimist when it comes to Marquette basketball and my posting history over the years backs that up.  Just don't think this roster is any good as it relates to winning basketball games against high major teams over the next 5 months. 

[Goose]

J5

Games in the 50's?

[tower912]

Goose, it is so hard to predict right now because nobody knows very much.   But I can easily envision games where MU does not get out of the 50s.

[The Lens]

J5

Games in the 50's?

Yeah, my bet is not based on slowing it down (I will admit we don't have much of a half court O) but rather having a pressure D that turns defense into offense. 

I also think people really overrate other team's supposed lack of turnover.  Roster turnover is the new norm in CBB.   

[brewcity77]

Goose, it is so hard to predict right now because nobody knows very much.   But I can easily envision games where MU does not get out of the 50s.

On the upside, we only play the Badgers once!

[tower912]

Phew.   Having to play them twice would be a real nut punch.

[Goose]

tower

If things are hard to predict, I would think envisioning games in the 50's would be hard to predict. I am counting on fast paced D to create some transition points and I sure as hell hope we do not have games in the 50's.

[Herman Cain]

I think you are greatly discounting having the Big Ten DPOY, a contender for National DPOY this season, leading the attack.  Plus a guy like Kur in the middle cleaning up messes. 

Tyler Kolek & Justin Lewis have just enough seasoning in this new world of college basketball that when you take those four and add in Greg Elliott, you can see a closing 5 that can win a few games. 

We will absolutely be checking Bracketology.  We're no lock but we're also not DePaul.

I agree with this analysis.

[tower912]

I hope you are right, Goose.   But if an opponent does not turn the ball over and forces MU to beat them in the half court, I can see some stretches of poor offense.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

If opposing coaches are smart (no pun intended) we will have some games in the 50s. Our best bet of scoring is in transition. Our half court offense is likely going to be a bit scary (in a bad way). If opposing teams value the ball and keep the pace slow, we will struggle to score. We will not win many games if it becomes a battle of whose half court offense is better.

[tower912]

tower

If things are hard to predict, I would think envisioning games in the 50's would be hard to predict. I am counting on fast paced D to create some transition points and I sure as hell hope we do not have games in the 50's.

Goose, I watch that video of 15 dunks in 15 seconds and it gives me hope.    This will be the longest team, most athletic team in memory.   6 players 6'7 or taller.   6 guards between 6'3 and 6'5.     I envision switching everything on the perimeter 1-4 and, depending on the personnel and match ups, maybe 1-5.      If everyone steps up and healthy, I would love to see hockey style line changes, bringing in 3 minutes of full court carnage.   I would love to see extended, trapping defense forcing bad shots and live ball turnovers.  It makes me giddy.   

But our big transfer guard has a career average in 4 years of 8.7 points and 2.2 assists per game.    Defensive dynamo.
Our big defensive game changer averaged 17 minutes, 5 points 4 rebounds a game last year.     Theo, only taller?
Kolek was a zero star gym rat who scored 10.8 in the A-10.    Kudos to the freshman
OM-P averaged <10 minutes per game at Clemson.   

I want them all to excel and succeed.   I think it is there.     I think there are going to be moments where we all have glimpses of what we hope it can be.    I just think there are not enough proven offensive performers to expect this to be a tourney team.   


 

[Uncle Rico]

tower

If things are hard to predict, I would think envisioning games in the 50's would be hard to predict. I am counting on fast paced D to create some transition points and I sure as hell hope we do not have games in the 50's.

In 2014, VCU was 22nd in the nation in possessions per game.  That was the outlier for Shaka Smart coached teams.  Prior to last season, his Texas teams were some of slowest in the nation and even last year, they were 146th in possessions per game.  All that said, they only had a handful of games in the 50's.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

J5

Games in the 50's?

Yes.  I think we will see Marquette score in the 50s regularly this season. 

[tower912]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG68PmDXw54

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Yes.  I think we will see Marquette score in the 50s regularly this season.

I agree with you.  By the end of this season,  65 points might feel like an offensive explosion.

[rocky_warrior]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG68PmDXw54

I still have yet to see a video of the great defense everyone has been telling me about...

[Daniel]

Low scoring is probably going to be the average for MU unless they can score often under and at the rim.  But... we will see

[fjm]

Shaka era. Tonight! Lots of people seem to think this is a 16-19 win team or more.

As I believe Tamu mentioned. 16-19 wins might not be enough for bubble.

[brewcity77]

Shaka era. Tonight! Lots of people seem to think this is a 16-19 win team or more.

As I believe Tamu mentioned. 16-19 wins might not be enough for bubble.

18-19 will probably be on the bubble but could go either way. 20+ should be in (provided it's 20 before the BET).

[GooooMarquette]

We got this. 30+ wins easy.

Done deal, folks!

[Dr. Blackheart]

Done deal, folks!

Called it. This is why I come to Scoop: To travel to the future.

[The Lens]

I still have yet to see a video of the great defense everyone has been telling me about...

Set your DVR for FS1, you'll see something

[PointWarrior]

Offensive explosion tonight!

I agree with you.  By the end of this season,  65 points might feel like an offensive explosion.

[rocky_warrior]

Set your DVR for FS1, you'll see something

Hah.  Good pull.  DVR? I watched it live!