There is no finish line

[Shooter McGavin]

The team is too good. If only one of those guys was returning maybe 25, 20 or 14 is realistic. But with this many options it’s not going to happen

Yep.

[MuggsyB]

Can Jop improve defensively?

[Goose]

I would be beyond jacked if Stevie gave them 9ppg, especially without having 2-3 games that pad that number. If he can keep the other teams D honest, they might have a better offer next season than this past season.

Jay Bee is correct on it is going to be hard to match some of the individual shooting numbers , but I think there will be big improvement in Gold and Ross in that regard.

Starting to get excited for the upcoming season.

[We R Final Four]

Can Jop improve defensively?

Haha…..no….its not possible.

[MuggsyB]

Haha…..no….its not possible.

I'd still like to add a big but I'm eager to see Jop and Benny's improvements. 

[bilsu]

I was at a golf outing Monday and Nevada Smith was there afterwards to say a few words (lots of MU Alum ther).  He said Oso is working on his three point shot.  At one practice he hit 6 of 8.  Unguarded, but 6 of 8.  And he continues to work on it.

Reminds me of Davante Gardner.
Even if Oso can make a three, he is not likely to take many threes.

[dgies9156]

There’s a very good chance we’re preseason top 10. When’s the last time that happened?

Probably 1978.

It's been awhile. I'm excited for this team but I want to get closer to November 1 before I begin to book my Final Four trip.  I'm a little jaundiced because I see our NCAA Championship team and our McGuire era teams and those teams had far more talent than what I see here. But here, I see a Coach in Shaka who gets everything he can and then some from his players.

I sometimes wonder if Shaka had coached a McGuire team, how many Nattys would we have had? Would Bill Neary be one of the five best Warriors ever?

[bilsu]

Can Jop improve defensively?

I think so, given he is working hard on his conditioning.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Can Jop improve defensively?

Can? Of course.  But how much may be the most important question of the season.

Assuming a starting lineup of the returning 4 plus jop... last season that lineup was offensively elite...but abysmal defensively. Jops frame and athlericism limits his ceiling as a defensive player but i don't doubt fir a second that he won't improve and move closer to that ceiling next season.  Others will also have to improve to compensate for the defensive drop off from Omax to Joplin.

[Pepe Sylvia]

I thought Joplin was getting better with his defensive awareness especially as the season went on, and he seemed to be pretty competent defending the post at times. I expect him to be at least passable this coming season, I believe in the guy and the staff.

[Hards Alumni]

I thought Joplin was getting better with his defensive awareness especially as the season went on, and he seemed to be pretty competent defending the post at times. I expect him to be at least passable this coming season, I believe in the guy and the staff.

Same, I think he struggles with switching on defense though.  He isn't nearly as quick as the other guys on the team.  I think he'll get better in the off season, but I'm not sure his defensive ceiling is high enough for him to be a reliable defender.  I hope to be proven wrong.

[jfp61]

I thought Joplin was getting better with his defensive awareness especially as the season went on, and he seemed to be pretty competent defending the post at times. I expect him to be at least passable this coming season, I believe in the guy and the staff.

Statistically, Joplin's freshman year defense and sophomore year defense were similar, granted he hardly played as a freshman and had a fair few blocks for his limited minutes.

However, his offense greatly improved last year despite his inability to score at the rim last year.

Kam Jones was the player whose defense improved.

[Uncle Rico]

Grow and develop.  Get better each day and each season.  That’s Marquette’s path to glory.  You should expect each player to do exactly that under the current regime.

Expecting them to stay static on either side of the court is wrong

[BCHoopster]

They all get stronger, maybe taller with Oso, all the players had weaknesses to improve in the offseason.  Italy trip will really help chemistry.  We will see if the transfer portal would have made a difference.

[MuggsyB]

The guards on this team are pretty extraordinary.  There's only one ball but I'll take our crew vs any team in the USA

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Statistically, Joplin's freshman year defense and sophomore year defense were similar, granted he hardly played as a freshman and had a fair few blocks for his limited minutes.

However, his offense greatly improved last year despite his inability to score at the rim last year.

Kam Jones was the player whose defense improved.

Kam's defensive effort increased massively. He bought into what Shaka was selling. If he can get burned on the back cut a little less often I'll be happy.

[tower912]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuXS28ANTXD/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=01ecc39a-e260-48ad-9303-f5b1c6d2bb1a

Get to know Tre Norman.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuXS28ANTXD/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=01ecc39a-e260-48ad-9303-f5b1c6d2bb1a

Get to know Tre Norman.

"Fun Fact when I was making my top 3, Just threw whatever other schools in there because really it was a top 1"

Maybe JFP, Brew, and others knew what they were talking about when they said that other programs stopped recruiting Norman last summer because they knew he was a Marquette lock

[Milkshakes]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuXS28ANTXD/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=01ecc39a-e260-48ad-9303-f5b1c6d2bb1a

Get to know Tre Norman.

Love this!

[Coleman]

Probably 1978.

It's been awhile. I'm excited for this team but I want to get closer to November 1 before I begin to book my Final Four trip.  I'm a little jaundiced because I see our NCAA Championship team and our McGuire era teams and those teams had far more talent than what I see here. But here, I see a Coach in Shaka who gets everything he can and then some from his players.

I sometimes wonder if Shaka had coached a McGuire team, how many Nattys would we have had? Would Bill Neary be one of the five best Warriors ever?

Are you saying, in less words, Shaka is a better game coach than Al?

[Pepe Sylvia]

I'm saying it, Al never had a shot clock or a 3 point line!

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I'm saying it, Al never had a shot clock or a 3 point line!

But he had aircraft carriers.

[BCHoopster]

Al won with superior talent that played great D.  Offensively he was maybe the worst coach at the time, simpleton O. If he let his team run they would have been just like the runnin rebels under Shark. Tatum, Walton and Lee and he is walking the ball up the court?

[tower912]

https://twitter.com/marquettembb/status/1678508062938652672?s=46&t=OJ8v5OSYAchdmCLDsa-Kgw

[Uncle Rico]

But he had aircraft carriers.

And broads knew their place