MU defense on Friar

[tower912]

Who? Ben Brick Dung Gold (BBDG)?

Other people's assessment.   Never mine.

[real chili 83]

Providence, a very good team, got their @ss whipped by a team that was final four-worthy tonight.

@ss whoopin’.

A lot of it without TK.

We take it to Creighton next.

1 down, three to go. 

[DoctorV]

Tower

Ben has been like a home remodeling job, looks like no progress for weeks and then overnight progress. He has been getting better every game on defense for two months and now it is more noticeable.

All I know is there were/are a lot of anti Ben Gold folks on here and they missed the boat big time. Sadly, they will stick with their opinions and post every time he makes a mistake or missed an open shot. Positive note, 95% of those posters have been wrong on 95% of MU basketball for a decade plus.

Goose-
First part is nice, I like the remodel comp.

He had been vastly improved defensively, but earlier in the season he was often a turnstile so that was easy to do in comparison to that.

Tonight was different though- not only were his positioning and instincts on point- the stepping out, the hedging, all of it- but he also had that next gear that he hasn’t shown much yet imo.

It’s not just me either. In the postgame Shaka said “his defensive confidence vastly improved, if that makes sense.”

Yes, complete sense. He was very active and aggressive, that’s the key. He wasn’t soft at all, he was alive and involved in every moment.

As for the second part, don’t like that.
Criticizing what Ben was doing earlier in the season was warranted. Just like arguing that he’s a future NBAer was warranted if that was your opinion.
Doesn’t mean anyone was ANTI Ben Gold or “missed the boat.”

Just means that many expected and hoped for more from him and voiced their opinion.

Personally, I will say I’m MUCH more confident in Marquettes future at the 4/5 in the next few years if THIS Ben Gold becomes the norm.
Now if that outside shot falls at a 35% clip or better, look out.

[MuggsyB]

Where would you slot this MU team historically on the defensive end?  The first MU game I recall seeing was in '89 and I'm not sure I've seen a better 20 mins of defense than we saw in the 1H.

[Goose]

Doctor

For the record, my comment on missing the boat was geared at a handful of posters that bashed Gold on a regular basis. Ben struggled early in the season and I understood the frustration. That said, it almost seemed like a small group took pleasure in Ben’s struggles and I did not get that.

[DoctorV]

Where would you slot this MU team historically on the defensive end?  The first MU game I recall seeing was in '89 and I'm not sure I've seen a better 20 mins of defense than we saw in the 1H.

Good question.

Where is it historically according to KenPom?

I’d probably say in the last month or so, outside of UConn, it’s been one of the best, if not the best, MU defensive teams I’ve ever seen.

[DoctorV]

Doctor

For the record, my comment on missing the boat was geared at a handful of posters that bashed Gold on a regular basis. Ben struggled early in the season and I understood the frustration. That said, it almost seemed like a small group took pleasure in Ben’s struggles and I did not get that.

Fair, and I did see some of that so I get where you’re coming from.

Anyone who takes pleasure in any MU players struggle is sick!

Very easy to pull for Ben- making the jump to move across the world for the betterment of your future at that young age is no easy task, especially for a young kid that seems so connected to his family.

It’s obvious that Shaka is really pulling for him too, so you’d love to see him succeed because Shaka wants it.

[Newsdreams]

Other people's assessment.   Never mine.

LOL Tower you know me better!

[MuggsyB]

Good question.

Where is it historically according to KenPom?

I’d probably say in the last month or so, outside of UConn, it’s been one of the best, if not the best, MU defensive teams I’ve ever seen.

I'm not much of a stat guy.  Are we top 40?

[tower912]

LOL Tower you know me better!

I do and I know you were chain yanking. 

[brewcity77]

1.  Ben Gold.   His defense in the first half was a clinic.  Not just the blocks.    The help, the hedges and recovery, the going toe to toe with Oduro.   He will be just fine as the starting center next season.
2.  Tre will be just fine, also.  A freshman improving as the season continues.   Why the surprise?  More importantly, why the lack of patience?
3.  The theme this week was vengeance.  Nuff said.
4.  Stop shooting 3s.  MU's offense sucks.  (Spanish futbol anouncer voice) Collllllllle.   Colecolecolecolecolecole.    Colllllle
Keep running the offense and shooting 3s.
5. The officials got the call right on the dust up.   However, having Oso and Stevie picking up their 3rd fouls before the 15 minute mark was less than ideal.
6.  Kolek.  Oblique outlook.
7.  Kolek out and maintaining the lead was huge.  There are always opportunities for learning and growth
8.  Three straight games with the walk-ons finishing the game.
9.  Friar trucked.
10.  Get healthy TKo.

I posted this 10 games ago. It took just 10 games to go from where we were to making threes on the season at a higher rate than last year.

It's a valid question. Prior to this, our shooters were pretty much all over 40% on open threes, which is why we work so hard for those looks. I truly believed that natural progression from our returning players and replacing O-Max's threes with Jop threes would lead to a better shooting team, not worse.

We are 45% of the way through the season averaging 25.9 threes per game and making 31.5% of them. To equal what we did last year, we would have to go roughly 219/570 (38.4%) in our final 22 games. Is that possible? Certainly. But the way things have gone of late it sure doesn't feel likely.

[BLWarrior91]

We moved up three spots on KenPom with tonight’s performance.  We are now 10th.

[MUeng]

3 dominant wins in a row. Just enjoying the ride 😎

[Biggie Clausen]

I think Gold could have a Frank Kaminsky-like college career.  Unknown his first two years and then blows up as a junior.

[TVDirector]

All in all, imo, the best team performance of the year-
Oso with foul trouble, Kolek beat up and the rest of the team steps up without missing a beat. 
Nice

[BM1090]

I'm not much of a stat guy.  Are we top 40?

13th.

[MuMark]

Was that Kam’s first dunk at Marquette?  I don’t remember any others.

Can we have Benetti and Raft for every game?  They are so good together.

And we win whenever they call the game!

[MU82]

Earlier in the season, when some folks were getting down on MU in general and Gold in particular, there was a discussion about whether guys could improve during the course of a season (as opposed to during the offseason, when a lot of improvement takes place). Gold has answered that big-time. His defense has been very good for many weeks now, and he does a lot of subtle things on offense besides take 3s.

Tre Norman is another example. It's not easy to look good on the court when you play 1 or 2 minutes, are taken out of the game, and then maybe play another minute ... so I don't know how anybody could have formed an opinion that he can't be a good player at this level. When he has gotten to play a little more, he has done OK; and today, when he got a really good run, he obviously was much better than just OK. Another guy who has improved markedly during the season.

For a "finesse team," we stood up to a squad full of bullies and hacks pretty darn well. Shoulda been a flagrant on Oduro for sure; sucked that Providence came out of that sh!t with 2 FTs and the ball.

Best all-around game since we throttled Texas? Defense was suffocating. Stevie is SUCH a good basketball player.

There was one stretch in which we increased our lead with Kolek and Oso on the bench. Nice.

Really like what we've been getting from Chase lately.

Pretty pathetic that Kam could only score half his "normal" number of points!

[muwarrior69]

Where would you slot this MU team historically on the defensive end?  The first MU game I recall seeing was in '89 and I'm not sure I've seen a better 20 mins of defense than we saw in the 1H.

The 1970 NIT game against LSU holding Pistol Pete to 21 points.

[MuggsyB]

Earlier in the season, when some folks were getting down on MU in general and Gold in particular, there was a discussion about whether guys could improve during the course of a season (as opposed to during the offseason, when a lot of improvement takes place). Gold has answered that big-time. His defense has been very good for many weeks now, and he does a lot of subtle things on offense besides take 3s.

Tre Norman is another example. It's not easy to look good on the court when you play 1 or 2 minutes, are taken out of the game, and then maybe play another minute ... so I don't know how anybody could have formed an opinion that he can't be a good player at this level. When he has gotten to play a little more, he has done OK; and today, when he got a really good run, he obviously was much better than just OK. Another guy who has improved markedly during the season.

For a "finesse team," we stood up to a squad full of bullies and hacks pretty darn well. Shoulda been a flagrant on Oduro for sure; sucked that Providence came out of that sh!t with 2 FTs and the ball.

Best all-around game since we throttled Texas? Defense was suffocating. Stevie is SUCH a good basketball player.

There was one stretch in which we increased our lead with Kolek and Oso on the bench. Nice.

Really like what we've been getting from Chase lately.

Pretty pathetic that Kam could only score half his "normal" number of points!

Good points.  Hacks is exactly right and Oduro is now on my D-List. 

[Dr. Blackheart]

Pat Driscoll is perhaps the worst Big East official ever.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Pat Driscoll is perhaps the worst Big East official ever.

It's a race between him and James Breeding.

[Dr. Blackheart]

It's a race between him and James Breeding.

Breeding is fine until the video review. Driscoll is bad all game.

[MUfan12]

Brent Hampton has entered the chat.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Brent Hampton has entered the chat.

He had the ballz to T up English.  Driscoll then called Stevie for a phantom offense foul on the way back.