Really Good Day for the Future of Marquette Basketball

[rocky_warrior]

I don't think I ever said anything about Freeman before people started pointing him out as a portal failure.

But, as MU fans embrace the portal, we need to realize they're not all Kolek.

A healthy Freeman would have been a positive addition to this years team.

Even knowing what we know now (that he wasn't a major impact), wouldn't you have traded all of Sean, Caedin & Tre $ for him?

[tower912]

Careful.   Next thing you might post is that the portal is merely a tool and that there are still the same numbers of winners and losers as there were pre-portal.

[panda]

And, even with his woeful stats, a much better one year investment than the three years Caedin Hamilton has received.

I'd take him next year in a good buy low spot tbh

[muwarrior69]

See: Owen Freeman at Creighton

Are schools allowed to see their medical records so they can evaluate an athletes potential after an injury? I guess I am asking did Creighton know Freeman was injured before they signed him?

[tower912]

A Google search indicates his knee injury happened during a summer pick up game.  A second google search indicates he signed with Creighton in April.

[Jay Bee]

Freeman's numbers are fantastic when he plays. If healthy, he's perhaps a top portal addition. Probably not the poster boy for "portal potty misses".

[tower912]

Once a player signs with MU, injuries are an excuse, not a reason.

[Shooter McGavin]

Again, no one is saying the portal is a panacea.  Do posters have to mention a failed portal player and laugh and point fingers and say I told you so, every discussion/thread with the word portal in it?

All the intelligent posters know that portal players need to be scouted like any other player.  They have to be the right fit for a team to help.  They need to stay healthy like any other player to be available to play. 

Bringing up failed portal players or injured portal layers and pointing out that it doesn't always work is silly. 

[muwarrior69]

I don't think I ever said anything about Freeman before people started pointing him out as a portal failure.

But, as MU fans embrace the portal, we need to realize they're not all Kolek.

A healthy Freeman would have been a positive addition to this years team.

Even knowing what we know now (that he wasn't a major impact), wouldn't you have traded all of Sean, Caedin & Tre $ for him?

I am puzzled as to why Shaka does not play Clark more. At this point who cares if we win the game this season. Let's see if Clark can actually play or is he worse than Caedin?

[panda]

I am puzzled as to why Shaka does not play Clark more. At this point who cares if we win the game this season. Let's see if Clark can actually play or is he worse than Caedin?

He is less skilled than Hamilton and after two seasons, still can't make it up and down the floor 2 possessions in a row without looking gassed

[MUbiz]

From friends of the program, fwiw:

2. Going into this season, he believed his culture and development would generate success

This is why I have reservations about Shaka as the long term solution. If you attended the open practices this year and were objective, you as a fan knew MUBB did not have a top half Big East basketball team.

[Pakuni]

Careful.   Next thing you might post is that the portal is merely a tool and that there are still the same numbers of winners and losers as there were pre-portal.

Why are you continually questioning Shaka's ability to find portal players who will succeed at Marquette?

[The Sultan]

Why are you continually questioning Shaka's ability to find portal players who will succeed at Marquette?

He has a better hit rate on transfers than he does on high school recruits. The only miss he has had in the portal is Wrightsil.

[Jay Bee]

This is why I have reservations about Shaka as the long term solution. If you attended the open practices this year and were objective, you as a fan knew MUBB did not have a top half Big East basketball team.

3-4 in BE, 7-10 seed

I think this is a big dance team.

Offensively, Ross, Gold, and Lowery are all hyper-efficient. Some guys will have to step up in terms of usage without losing too much efficiency, but projecting this as a tourney team feels like a pretty safe floor, IMO.

Ultimately, I really trust the system. We know that on offense we're going to be patient in the half court and work for high percentage looks at the rim or the arc. On defense, we're going to speed teams up, turn them over, and score in transition. While other teams are figuring out their rosters (Indiana, Maryland, Dayton) we'll be collecting resume wins.

And in terms of talent, there are maybe 4 teams at our level or better in the Big East. That gives me a lot of confidence going into the league. We may not have the star power of years past, but we still have a high floor.

[Scoop Snoop]

Why are you continually questioning Shaka's ability to find portal players who will succeed at Marquette?

He has a better hit rate on transfers than he does on high school recruits. The only miss he has had in the portal is Wrightsil.

I read Tower's post as a general caution about assuming that portal players will improve a team. I did not read it as questioning Shaka's ability to evaluate portal players. But that's just my take.

[79Warrior]

Again, no one is saying the portal is a panacea.  Do posters have to mention a failed portal player and laugh and point fingers and say I told you so, every discussion/thread with the word portal in it?

All the intelligent posters know that portal players need to be scouted like any other player.  They have to be the right fit for a team to help.  They need to stay healthy like any other player to be available to play. 

Bringing up failed portal players or injured portal layers and pointing out that it doesn't always work is silly. 

Spot on. The right fit is the key.

[Pakuni]

I read Tower's post as a general caution about assuming that portal players will improve a team. I did not read it as questioning Shaka's ability to evaluate portal players. But that's just my take.

It's been a kneejerk - and not very good - defense for avoiding the portal and putting all our eggs in the high school recruit basket.
Everyone here is smart enough to understand that portal players come with no guarantees. But it's interesting, especially in light of Shaka's success with transfers here, that people continue to trot that out as justification for him not using the portal. They're basically saying they don't trust that Shaka can duplicate his success.

[brewcity77]

Yeah, predictions don't always come true. Like our turnover rate not increasing by 9+% (currently 2.3% worse) or our TO% decrease being not as bad as offense (currently 2.5% worse).

I do expect our offensive TO% will increase by more than 9% as compared to last year's %.

I do not expect our defensive OT% to decrease by the same.

#pray

Or our defense being "good" (current #102 rank is worst of Shaka's career).

1- our defense is good. Offense is the concern
2-no. We will be volatile all year
3- This doesn't matter
4- will be interesting to watch

Yes, I was wrong on this team. Others were wrong on this team. But you were also wrong on this team. If you're going to try to old takes exposed people, might as well include yourself.

[MU82]

Freeman's numbers are fantastic when he plays. If healthy, he's perhaps a top portal addition. Probably not the poster boy for "portal potty misses".

The most important ability is availability. The guy's averaging 8 mpg in Big East play.

I feel for him. It's not his fault he's been unavailable or limited by injuries, and I hope Creighton fans aren't getting on his case. But the guy's been a total non-factor.

Maybe next season, a healthy Freeman will be a monster. We'll see!

[Billy Hoyle]

He has a better hit rate on transfers than he does on high school recruits. The only miss he has had in the portal is Wrightsil.

I don't know if you can really call Wrightsil a "miss," considering he had season-ending surgery and never played CBB again.

[Pakuni]

I don't know if you can really call Wrightsil a "miss," considering he had season-ending surgery and never played CBB again.

If being injured makes Owen Freeman a bust ...

[Jay Bee]

Yeah, predictions don't always come true. Like our turnover rate not increasing by 9+% (currently 2.3% worse) or our TO% decrease being not as bad as offense (currently 2.5% worse).

Or our defense being "good" (current #102 rank is worst of Shaka's career).

Yes, I was wrong on this team. Others were wrong on this team. But you were also wrong on this team. If you're going to try to old takes exposed people, might as well include yourself.

Understand, this wasn't a gotcha post. It was a direct response re: "if you watched the open practices then you knew this team sucked" or whatever...  which isn't true. That's all. So, I quoted comments in the open practice thread from this summer. Nothing more, nothing less.

As far as your TO% comments about what I said, you're confused. I was talking % change (CY / PY year, not CY - PY).

Our offensive turnover rate is 17% higher than last season. Our defensive turnover rate is 12%. #SpotOn #GreatCall

[MarquetteMike1977]

Not sure if already mentioned but Nigel James was named Big East Freshman Of The Week again

[MU82]

Not sure if already mentioned but Nigel James was named Big East Freshman Of The Week again

He's no Owen Freeman!

[Jay Bee]

First three games of the year were his three lowest minute games. And the only games not starting this year. Shaka needed some help figuring it out, but it's been a good ride since.

However... vs. Tier A:
Nigel 97 ORtg, 50.5% eFG%, 22% to rate .

#pray