[Paint Touches] Thoughts on Open Scrimmage

[rocky_warrior]

Was there much talk, if any, of Lewis being BEPOY potential at this time last year? There’s a lot of time for that, and I’m not sure a hour and a half scrimmage is enough to say we don’t.

Just looked back to ~1 year ago on scoop.  There were high expectations for Lewis going into the season, but he had a poor showing at the scrimmage, so most were hoping it was just a bad night.  There was nearly universal recognition that Lewis was going to have to play well if the team was going to meet expectations (like Kolek this year).

[avid1010]

Just looked back to ~1 year ago on scoop.  There were high expectations for Lewis going into the season, but he had a poor showing at the scrimmage, so most were hoping it was just a bad night.  There was nearly universal recognition that Lewis was going to have to play well if the team was going to meet expectations (like Kolek this year).

Kam and Joplin being studs on offense and good enough on defense/rebounding will be the guys to replace Lewis IMHO.  TK could surprise me, but so could Stevie and Sean Jones.  Ultimately, I think this team plays fast, hard, solid defense, and rides the hot hand on any given night...committee affair.

[MU82]

I dunno, Mike. They’re both guards with great range but beyond that? Diener had great court vision and handles - and could dish like few others. Kam is bigger, stronger and a better athlete who could become an outstanding shooting guard. Not all that similar to me.

It was me being hilarious, Tony. "He reminds me of Diener" has become one of Rico's go-to lines, a take-off on the numerous folks who proclaimed last year that Kolek reminded them of Diener.

[Goose]

Like last season, Kolek is going to be the key to success for the team. He is going to play the most minutes and will be the most important guy on the court for MU.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

I think Kam Jones starts.  The more I think about it, I think the starters will be:

PG Kolek
G Mitchell
WG  K.Jones
F O-Max
F Oso

Bench

PG Sean Jones
WF Joplin
F Wrightsil
F Gold/Itejere

Wait & See
WG Ross

8 to 9 player rotation, depending on how much Gold/Itejere progress during the season.

[Elonsmusk]

Like last season, Kolek is going to be the key to success for the team. He is going to play the most minutes and will be the most important guy on the court for MU.

I agree with this analysis.  Let's have some fun here:  Anyone that knows ball knew last year that:  1) Kolek was a very good player. 2) He made everyone around him better.  3) He had room for improvement/additional upside.

[withoutbias]

I agree with this analysis.  Let's have some fun here:  Anyone that knows ball knew last year that:  1) Kolek was a very good player. 2) He made everyone around him better.  3) He had room for improvement/additional upside.

4) He reminds everyone of Ners, minus the ability to put one on a defender's head.

[Elonsmusk]

4) He reminds everyone of Ners, minus the ability to put dunkone on a defender's head.

Fixed.  Thanks for playing.

[Markusquette]

Feel like Kolek is due to have a better season shooting/scoring too. It will definitely be interesting to see how the guard minutes are dispersed.

[withoutbias]

Fixed.  Thanks for playing.

Anyone who knows ball knows "putting one on a defender's head" means they dunked on the defender.  You just outed yourself as a fraud.

[JTJ3]

I think Kam Jones starts.  The more I think about it, I think the starters will be:

PG Kolek
G Mitchell
WG  K.Jones
F O-Max
F Oso

Bench

PG Sean Jones
WF Joplin
F Wrightsil
F Gold/Itejere

Wait & See
WG Ross

8 to 9 player rotation, depending on how much Gold/Itejere progress during the season.

Agree with this rotation.  Kam is too good not to start, Stevies defense is a great compliment to Kolek and Kam.  Joplin will be the offense off the bench.

Id lean Itejere over Gold right now.  Oso is going to play as much as he can handle, Keeyan at least looks ready to give us some good minutes on defense and running the floor and knowing his role on offense.

[Dr. Blackheart]

I think Kam Jones starts.  The more I think about it, I think the starters will be:

PG Kolek
G Mitchell
WG  K.Jones
F O-Max
F Oso

Bench

PG Sean Jones
WF Joplin
F Wrightsil
F Gold/Itejere

Wait & See
WG Ross

8 to 9 player rotation, depending on how much Gold/Itejere progress during the season.

MU loses 58% of its points and wasn't very good rebounding the ball. That line up might be a good change of pace but not one with the most minutes.

Joplin will start with Kam as the SG. We need shooters out there so it's not 3 on 5 again once MU has been scouted (the scouting window will be shorter as Shaka has a baseline). Looking forward to a lot of development across the roster.

[Elonsmusk]

Anyone who knows ball knows "putting one on a defender's head" means they dunked on the defender.  You just outed yourself as a fraud.

The next time you choose to actually contribute to the topic at hand, will be the first time.  Nice try to derail the thread with yet another illustration of just how much headspace I occupy in your childish mind.

Regarding this year's team, I expect the starting lineup will be:

Kolek
Mitchell
Kam
O-Max
Oso

Joplin and Sean Jones the 6 and 7 players.  O-Max and Oso spelled for rest only as needed by Ross, Gold, Itjere.

[withoutbias]

The next time you choose to actually contribute to the topic at hand, will be the first time.  Nice try to derail the thread with yet another illustration of just how much headspace I occupy in your childish mind.

Regarding this year's team, I expect the starting lineup will be:

Kolek
Mitchell
Kam
O-Max
Oso

Joplin and Sean Jones the 6 and 7 players.  O-Max and Oso spelled for rest only as needed by Ross, Gold, Itjere.

Says the guy who came on here and provided a multiple-choice question to prove "who knows ball" like you do.  No thread hijacking until you were called out on your BS, though.

How's this for "knowing ball."  You don't think the guy who came in as a grad transfer is even going to see bit minutes, let alone be part of the rotation.  Guessing your rotation is wrong.  But what ball do I know?

[Elonsmusk]

Says the guy who came on here and provided a multiple-choice question to prove "who knows ball" like you do.  No thread hijacking until you were called out on your BS, though.

How's this for "knowing ball."  You don't think the guy who came in as a grad transfer is even going to see bit minutes, let alone be part of the rotation.  Guessing your rotation is wrong.  But what ball do I know?

Good point on Wrightsill.  I did forget about him.  He'll be in the 6, 7, 8 players.  That aside, what multiple choice question are you talking about?  Weird.  Thanks though for actually contributing to the thread with the discussion about Wrightsill.  Keep up the good work, because all of your other usual "contributions" are just garbage.

[MU82]

I agree with this analysis.  Let's have some fun here:  Anyone that knows ball knew last year that:  1) Kolek was a very good player. 2) He made everyone around him better.  3) He had room for improvement/additional upside.

Kolek was "very good" at a few important things -- most notably controlling the tempo and finding open teammates -- for a good chunk of the season, and that made him a major part of us being one of the biggest surprises in college basketball.

He was less good at shooting, either from distance or near the rim, and he became easier to defend as the season went on. Over the last nine games, he shot .327 and had only one game in which he scored more than 7 points. He was invited to shoot by opponents, who largely took away the pick-and-roll, and he also was invited to drive as opponents took away his passing lanes. We were 3-6 in those games, and Shaka even felt he had to give Tyler extended bench time in several of them. But although he wasn't Diener, no matter how much some wanted him to be (including Diener himself), Tyler was a good player and a big reason we were an NCAAT team.

Totally agree with No. 3, and I'm excited to see how much he has improved.

[Newsdreams]

All this obsession with starting lineup. Starting has not matta in basketball in a very long time.

[The Equalizer]

All this obsession with starting lineup. Starting has not matta in basketball in a very long time.

I thought there was some small statistical advantage to winning the opening tip--giving the team winning the tip the potential of an extra possession depending on how many times the alternating possession rule is called into play. 

If that's the case, I would think the starting lineup does matter.

 

[Newsdreams]

I thought there was some small statistical advantage to winning the opening tip--giving the team winning the tip the potential of an extra possession depending on how many times the alternating possession rule is called into play. 

If that's the case, I would think the starting lineup does matter.

 

That is just the one player on the tip-off, not the starting lineup.

[Lennys Tap]

Like last season, Kolek is going to be the key to success for the team. He is going to play the most minutes and will be the most important guy on the court for MU.

Agree, Goose. A lot of Scoopers who hated on him last year seem to be in his corner this year - at least so far.

[muwarrior69]

Seems like the players we get from down under are not very good.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Agree, Goose. A lot of Scoopers who hated on him last year seem to be in his corner this year - at least so far.

Who? Goose, Ners, and myself were all Kolek supporters last season.

[Goose]

82

Kolek is the heart of this team and he will remain the heart of this team until his time at MU ends. Shaka made the call early on that he was going to run with Kolek, similar to Wojo and Howard. If I were a betting man, I would say this decision will have far greater success than Wojo’s call.

The kid is talented, big balls and not afraid of the moment. It took me about five minutes into the Illinois game to realize that Kolek is the driving force to success for the program.

[MU82]

82

Kolek is the heart of this team and he will remain the heart of this team until his time at MU ends. Shaka made the call early on that he was going to run with Kolek, similar to Wojo and Howard. If I were a betting man, I would say this decision will have far greater success than Wojo’s call.

The kid is talented, big balls and not afraid of the moment. It took me about five minutes into the Illinois game to realize that Kolek is the driving force to success for the program.

We definitely need Kolek to be very good for us to have a chance at success. I enjoyed what he brought last season, and I look forward to seeing how much he improves this season. I don't believe my most recent comment on Tyler said or suggested anything different.

Not really sure why you went out of your way to compare Tyler/Shaka to Markus/Wojo -- completely different players, completely different coaches, completely different philosophies. And most importantly, the latter duo will have absolutely zero bearing on the 2022-23 Marquette team. All of which you already knew.

We Are Marquette!

[MuggsyB]

Kolek for some reason lost confidence with his shot last year and it wreaked havoc on his overall game.  If he can score in the10 pt ange consistently, and be around 50% efg, we'll be okay.