2023 Team Outlook

[GoldenEagles03]

To anyone who has questions about this team, fair enough.

But we were in the same position last year and it worked out well.

I trust process, and particularly the process Shaka is building. Last year midway through the season (in Shaka's 1st season!!!) Marquette was being talked about as a Final Four contender. I truly think only better things are to come.

https://youtu.be/eOzrOdgAKBE

[wadesworld]

To anyone who has questions about this team, fair enough.

But we were in the same position last year and it worked out well.

I trust process, and particularly the process Shaka is building. Last year midway through the season (in Shaka's 1st season!!!) Marquette was being talked about as a Final Four contender. I truly think only better things are to come.

https://youtu.be/eOzrOdgAKBE

"This is why Marquette is the ONE TEAM from the Big East that can make the Final Four | Field of 68"

That aged well.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Really all our players have question marks. I'm not sure there is one player where anyone can guarantee the necessary leap in production to take us to the next level (a one win NCAA team) or even to be as good as last year. 

Everyone is guessing and hoping which players will be good and make the jump.  There are no ultra obvious candidates that will improve enough to make a difference.  Only candidates that we need/want/hope to improve.  All the players on our team have offensive or defensive deficiencies.  No one is a well rounded player at this point.

Maybe Shaka is the difference and it all comes together for one or two or several players this year.

I don't think we know yet.  There are no 3 amigos, deniers, novaks, wades, crowders, butlers, haywards, hausers, howards, blues, etc returning that make me truly optimistic about this year. 

If anything, I agree with those who think we are one more year away from making any noise in the dance and possibly don't even make the dance this year.

Badly want to be wrong.  Newsy and Unc, I will preemptively say COLE.

I agree, there are a ton of questions with this team.  I wouldn't be surprised with anything from a .500 record to a 10 seed.  And a lot has to go right just to get a tourney bid!

[tower912]

Right now, we are arguing about who we think steps up.  Nothing but opinions and guesses at this point.   We will know in a few weeks.   And somebody has to or it will be a long season.   

[GoldenEagles03]

"This is why Marquette is the ONE TEAM from the Big East that can make the Final Four | Field of 68"

That aged well.

It did.

They never said they would make it, just that they were built to.  And with an entirely new roster. New coaches, new players, new everything.

Give the program time to develop that culture and process and who knows where we can get to.

Regardless it is fun to be excited about this program again.

[wadesworld]

It did.

They never said they would make it, just that they were built to.  And with an entirely new roster. New coaches, new players, new everything.

Give the program time to develop that culture and process and who knows where we can get to.

Regardless it is fun to be excited about this program again.

Yeah...it couldn't have aged worse.  "This is why Marquette is the ONE TEAM from the Big East that can make the Final Four | Field of 68."  We lost by 30 in the first round, AND Villanova (not Marquette, the ONE TEAM from the Big East that can make the Final Four) went to the Final Four.

[tower912]

That 9-1 stretch drew a lot of attention.   Just like the 20-2 stretch a few years earlier.

[GoldenEagles03]

Yeah...it couldn't have aged worse.  "This is why Marquette is the ONE TEAM from the Big East that can make the Final Four | Field of 68."  We lost by 30 in the first round, AND Villanova (not Marquette, the ONE TEAM from the Big East that can make the Final Four) went to the Final Four.

*Lost to the National Champion runner up*

Alternate Angle: Marquette finished 2-1 against Final Four teams last year.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Top 100 recruit - very good multi level scorer in high school and aau. Showed flashes in very limited minutes last year.

What flashes?  A few games where he made 2 shots in 5 minutes instead of his usual 0 makes?

The best glimmer of hope for Joplin is that he supposedly shot well in practice last year.  His shot looks good in the few clips I've seen online.  But he really feels like this year's Dexter Akanno as a player with outsized expectations that just jive with me.

[wadesworld]

*Lost to the National Champion runner up*

Alternate Angle: Marquette finished 2-1 against Final Four teams last year.

Right.  They claimed only one team in the Big East could make a Final Four.  Turned out, one of the Big East teams that wasn't Marquette was the team to make the Final Four.

[Shooter McGavin]

What flashes?  A few games where he made 2 shots in 5 minutes instead of his usual 0 makes?

The best glimmer of hope for Joplin is that he supposedly shot well in practice last year.  His shot looks good in the few clips I've seen online.  But he really feels like this year's Dexter Akanno as a player with outsized expectations that just jive with me.

I don't think Joplin looked completely lost and incapable on the court like Dexter did when he briefly got into games.  I do get your point about Joplins lack of minutes last year and that it is not enough of a sample size to make any strong predictions of greatness.

[Goose]

I do not think we saw enough of Joplin last season to make any judgement calls. I heard that he has been looking good thus far and let's see what he brings to the court this season.

[panda]

What flashes?  A few games where he made 2 shots in 5 minutes instead of his usual 0 makes?

The best glimmer of hope for Joplin is that he supposedly shot well in practice last year.  His shot looks good in the few clips I've seen online.  But he really feels like this year's Dexter Akanno as a player with outsized expectations that just jive with me.

You're extremely misguided comparing Dexter Akanno to Joplin. He proved himself a comfortable/confident shooter in extremely limited minutes last year, playing behind an nba player in Lewis.

As I explained succinctly in my first post but I'll expound on here - I loved his game in aau and high school. Great outside shooter off the dribble and spot up. Can score from the midrange and is a good enough ball handler to use ball/shot fake to take bigger guys off the bounce.

I understand fans questioning my prediction without seeing him play before coming to MU, but making a snap judgement on a freshman playing limited minutes spelling a first team BE nba level talent is short sighted. 

[tower912]

I'm not making a snap judgement.  I am making no judgement until he shows us.

[Its DJOver]

To be fair too, Joplin and Justin were not the only Forwards on the team last year.  Joplin was well behind O-Max as well.  Assuming that a lot of Justin's minutes will fall to Wrightsil, and O-Max may also see a jump too, I think it's fair to say that Joplin is going to have to earn everything he gets this year.

[panda]

To be fair too, Joplin and Justin were not the only Forwards on the team last year.  Joplin was well behind O-Max as well.  Assuming that a lot of Justin's minutes will fall to Wrightsil, and O-Max may also see a jump too, I think it's fair to say that Joplin is going to have to earn everything he gets this year.

Personal opinion without any inside info, but I see Wrightsil backing up oso in a similar ish time share as we saw last year between kur and oso. Also think Joplin sees more time as he'll see mins at both forward spots.

[Its DJOver]

Personal opinion without any inside info, but I see Wrightsil backing up oso in a similar ish time share as we saw last year between kur and oso. Also think Joplin sees more time as he'll see mins at both forward spots.

The obvious difference being that Kur and Oso are 6-10 and 6-9 respectively while Wrightsil is 6-7.

I think Joplin will have improved from last year.  I don't think he will have improved enough to warrant starting.  I think he will have games where he deserves and receives 25 minutes.  I think he will have games where he deserves and received less than 10 minutes.  Such is the life of a young player in high major ball.

[panda]

The obvious difference being that Kur and Oso are 6-10 and 6-9 respectively while Wrightsil is 6-7.

I think Joplin will have improved from last year.  I don't think he will have improved enough to warrant starting.  I think he will have games where he deserves and receives 25 minutes.  I think he will have games where he deserves and received less than 10 minutes.  Such is the life of a young player in high major ball.

Who backs up oso ?

[Its DJOver]

Keeyan.

[PGsHeroes32]

The little bit ive heard Shaka talk about Jop (and this is totally just my interpretation) I have gotten a sense hes a big part of the rotation. Not saying starter at any point but I think hes being expected to contribute a lot.

[jfp61]

Keeyan.

Even if its 7-10 mpg. Keeyan backs up oso. Wrightsil can play a 4 minute section of some small ball with 2 other forwards on the court. Run a little 3-2 zone.

[tower912]

I think the top 7 are the returnees plus Wrightsil.      I expect them all to contribute and probably combine for 160-170 minutes.  The big issues are going to be 8-10.  My biggest concern is back up 5  and rebounding.     Will it be Keeyan or Gold?  Which freshman guard is the 4th guard?
I expect Joplin to have some big games.  I expect OMax and Oso to make big strides forward. 

I do not expect as many 3 guard sets this year as last year.   Some, sure, but fewer.

[panda]

Keeyan is nowhere near ready for real minutes on the high major level.

In spelling oso, I think we see a lineup with a combination of either of these players at 5/4/3 spot Wrightsil/Omax/Gold/Joplin.

That will allow for more length while not playing with a traditional big guy.

[wadesworld]

I think the top 7 are the returnees plus Wrightsil.      I expect them all to contribute and probably combine for 160-170 minutes.  The big issues are going to be 8-10.  My biggest concern is back up 5  and rebounding.     Will it be Keeyan or Gold?  Which freshman guard is the 4th guard?
I expect Joplin to have some big games.  I expect OMax and Oso to make big strides forward. 

I do not expect as many 3 guard sets this year as last year.   Some, sure, but fewer.

It will be interesting because we don't really have enough guards to play 3 guard sets, yet I think we're going to need to play small at times and we don't really have a ton of forwards to rotate through either.  I think we start a 3 guard lineup.

Last year we had a "5" on the floor every minute of the game.  This year you won't have that.  I don't think Gold, Itajere, or Chase get many minutes, and Ellis is obviously out with an injury.  That leaves you an 8 man rotation of 4 guards (Kam, Stevie, Kolek, Sean), 3 forwards (Wrightsil, OMax, Joplin), and a 5 (Oso).  Lot of guys we know can play one end of the court, but not sure about the other end of the court.  Not sure I see the great depth some seem to think we have.  Lot of "ifs" that need to go right.

[Its DJOver]

Keeyan is nowhere near ready for real minutes on the high major level.

In spelling oso, I think we see a lineup with a combination of either of these players at 5/4/3 spot Wrightsil/Omax/Gold/Joplin.

That will allow for more length while not playing with a traditional big guy.

How can you say that Keeyan is nowhere near ready but decide that Gold is when we've seen nothing from either?  Keeyan was the one matched up against Oso the most during the scrimmage.  Keeyan has been the one matched up against Oso in most of the hype twitter videos.  We won't need much from him being Oso's backup this year.  If he can't even provide spot backup minutes as a 20 year old with over a year in the program, then honestly, he would have been a wasted scholarship.  I don't expect a ton from him, but I do think he'll be the primary choice for back-up center.