SH … and MU’s (lack of ) depth

[We R Final Four]

Ben Gold can contribute to win a game or two. Sean Jones can do the same...maybe more.
Shaka runs these frosh with an opportunity to contribute. If its not a win.....you come out. If you hit a 3, get a steal....most importantly play D as directed.....more minutes.
That doesn't mean they don't or wont play.....chances are there. If not taken advantage of.........your out an someone is getting the opportunity.....even if that opportunity is for those who have yet to come out. Its still December. Long season.....many opportunities ahead for all.

[4everwarriors]

Fook 'em, aina?

[MU82]

Sounds like Shaka is playing mind games.

[Stretchdeltsig]

It seems that Marquette has more depth than ever. We usually play a lot more players than other teams. The announcers talked about Marquette's depth advantage during the Notre Dame game.

[wisblue]

Depth or no depth, this is a game MU would be expected to win in a 10-10 conference season and pretty much needs to win if it wants to challenge for 12 conference wins.

This might be the kind of tight defensive game that will show if MU can execute its offense and make FTs down the stretch to win a game that isn't a blowout.

[Jay Bee]

Depth or no depth, this is a game MU would be expected to win in a 10-10 conference season and pretty much needs to win if it wants to challenge for 12 conference wins.

This might be the kind of tight defensive game that will show if MU can execute its offense and make FTs down the stretch to win a game that isn't a blowout.

Making our FTs is the least of our worries, aina

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Making our FTs is the least of our worries, aina

Tied for 9th in our worries

[Newsdreams]

Tied for 9th in our worries

The Wizard has spoken

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

This team isn't that young. Kolek did a 5th prep year, so he's old enough to be a senior.   Oso and O-Max are juniors.  Jones and Mitchell are sophs.

Seems like a pretty typical college age team.

[GoldenEagles03]

I'm in arena as close to the action as I've ever been and these officials are calling Marquette for some soft fouls.

At least 3 of the 9 have been just flat out wrong. Oso and OMax having 2 a piece completely altered the half.

[We R Final Four]

I'm in arena as close to the action as I've ever been and these officials are calling Marquette for some soft fouls.

At least 3 of the 9 have been just flat out wrong. Oso and OMax having 2 a piece completely altered the half.

Don't repeat that.....some scoopers will not appreciate that.

[Newsdreams]

Depth really did give MU trouble

[PointWarrior]

Solid analysis, keep it up...

SH is / will be coming in needing a win
to avoid an 0 - 3 start.  It could be another close game, and MU is 0-4 in close games.

There's an article in JS today about
Shaka and the freshmen.  ( could someone attach the link ?)

At this point he clearly does not trust them.   V. Providence TK and OMAX fouled out.  K. Jones and OSO both played 45 mins.

Gold and S. Jones each played a few minutes and messed up, only to be benched.

Basically they have a 7 man rotation at the moment.   Against the BE, in a 2 games per week situation that will be rough

I thought they were also gassed against
Purdue, and particularly v. UW.

This is being discussed in another thread, but this is made all the worse by
Keeyan not playing at all.   I'm kinda
shocked that he can't play 8 to 10 mins a game.  And now Wrightsil is out for the season.   

This is a real problem.  Sure hope SS and his staff can " fix " it

[tower912]

Shaka seemed to make an effort to play the freshmen more tonight.

[wisblue]

Making our FTs is the least of our worries, aina

Note that I said making free throws DOWN THE STRETCH.

It isn't a "worry" at this point, but it is still a completely unanswered question because MU hasn't had a game yet in which they've had a 4 or 5 point lead with a minute to go and has been forced to make FTs to hold the lead.

[We R Final Four]

Note that I said making free throws DOWN THE STRETCH.

It isn't a "worry" at this point, but it is still a completely unanswered question because MU hasn't had a game yet in which they've had a 4 or 5 point lead with a minute to go and has been forced to make FTs to hold the lead.

Uh oh

[Newsdreams]

Note that I said making free throws DOWN THE STRETCH.

It isn't a "worry" at this point, but it is still a completely unanswered question because MU hasn't had a game yet in which they've had a 4 or 5 point lead with a minute to go and has been forced to make FTs to hold the lead.

LOL

[MU82]

Solid analysis, keep it up...

Yeah, he really nailed it!

[Jay Bee]

Note that I said making free throws DOWN THE STRETCH.

It isn't a "worry" at this point, but it is still a completely unanswered question because MU hasn't had a game yet in which they've had a 4 or 5 point lead with a minute to go and has been forced to make FTs to hold the lead.

Are turnovers DOWN THE STRETCH important? Missing shots? Rebounding?

[Elonsmusk]

Shaka seemed to make an effort to play the freshmen more tonight.

Not really.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Shaka seemed to make an effort to play the freshmen Ben Gold more tonight.

FIFY

This was the third least minutes Ross has played all season (and lowest in BE play). This was also tied for 4th least minutes Sean has played all season...though two of the lower ones happened in the last 3 games so maybe it seemed like more recently

Meanwhile this was tied for Ben's third most minutes of the season. Tied for highest against a high major (also had 12 vs Baylor).

[1318WWells]

Are turnovers DOWN THE STRETCH important? Missing shots? Rebounding?

When you're up and teams start fouling you to extend the game it kind of takes turnovers and missed shots off the table, no? Gotta hit your free throws at that point to hold onto your lead.

Rebounding always matters, whether it's your own missed free throws or your opponent's misses.

[TedBaxter]

This is cool and all that we are "young," but I actually read it and thought to myself those guys are older than I expected...

If all the above stay MU will have 5 21/22 year olds that are main rotation guys on the team next season. That's the "getting old" part of the dynamic that I think is a big key for Coach Smart, and I think that will be a huge deal.

One of the major benefits of not recruiting top 50 one and done type kids is that they more often than not stick around longer and buy into a system. Tack on resisting the urge to over-recruit and bring in veteran transfers and you end up with a handful or more of experienced kids that have gotten better and better because their minutes/roles haven't been diminished by those incoming transfers.

On the flip side, by next year they've had all the run they need and it's time to bring the goods.

To put into context why I'm saying MU is young in the Covide age, Kolek and OMax are the leaders in games played as collegians with 68 games after last night.  Oso is just over 50 games.

Looking at Providence, they played four 23 year olds against Marquette.  Noah Locke has played in 137 college games as of this writing.  Croswell has played in 129, Bynum 105 and Clifton Moore 100.  Breed has matched Kolek and OMax with 68 career games.  Lazar Hayward has the Marquette record for most games played in a career at 138 games.

[muwarrior69]

MU does not have short rotation, IMO. I love that we play nine guys and I want them all to play. This is the first time in a long time that I have not become frustrated with the guys on the court.

We just about always lose that rebounding fight for the ball under the basket and give our opponents 2nd and 3rd chances to score. That is really frustrating to me at least.

[tower912]

Shaka showed the freshmen the box score from last season's Seton Hall game when Mitchell, Oso, OMax, and Joplin combined to give MU basically nothing.   Used it to encourage them.   

The bench gave 54 minutes and 28 points.  I like the points.  There are clearly continuity, flow, and defensive issues when too many of them are on the floor at once.  However, three freshmen and a sophomore.   Patience.