Important Win

[Galway Eagle]

But this is our team and Nigel is electric.  We're obviously a bad team but we're showing some potential flashes for the future.

Yeah maybe we'll be talking about the calendar year of 2026 next mid season

[Markusquette]

Always better to win than lose. I like to see our young guys enjoying a few more wins for a change.

[Newsdreams]

More important, did they have hotdogs at DC?

[Jay Bee]

Is Royce reverting back to being soft?

j/k, really hope he's back Sunday.

I have not watched the game yet (pb league). Worried about Chase based on some posts here.

Glad Damarius got some run. Ceiling still is high.

MPII is fun, but in two seasons. The defense is just too bad.

[SchnitzelBoy]

MPII is fun, but in two seasons. The defense is just too bad.

First year in the program. Should still be in high school actually.

[Jay Bee]

First year in the program. Should still be in high school actually.

Yep. I really like him. Just think he's a ways off. One of those guys where having/using 15 scholarships is great.

[rocky_warrior]

Another "outlier"?

No, I wouldn't say that.  We were missing Parham, then they lost Lewis. 

Though not happy about losing Chase late.

[MU82]

No, I wouldn't say that.   

We're making progress then!

[burger]

Phillips needs to work on his lateral footwork and defensive posture....

Any one with any quickness that he needs to guard goes around him like he isn't even there.....

Don't know how to do it.....But it has to get done for him to become a significant minute player unless we start playing extensive zone....

[milwaukee expat]

Phillips needs to work on his lateral footwork and defensive posture....

Any one with any quickness that he needs to guard goes around him like he isn't even there.....

Don't know how to do it.....But it has to get done for him to become a significant minute player unless we start playing extensive zone....

Joplin managed to improve significantly in that regard - he reminds me a bit of Jop defensively.  He is going to benefit alot from not redshirting I think..

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Maybe it's just me but Phillips seems a little stiff out there right now. Not a lot of fluidity.

Maybe that's because he's still thinking too much instead of reacting. Or maybe I'm just completely off base.

[Jay Bee]

Phillips needs to work on his lateral footwork and defensive posture....

Any one with any quickness that he needs to guard goes around him like he isn't even there.....

Don't know how to do it.....But it has to get done for him to become a significant minute player unless we start playing extensive zone....

Yep. It's so far off that without significant transformation (I'm not listening to moles ever again), it's his junior year before he's playable without hiding him. With his size/length (pawz) I think he can become fine at defending, but it's just far away as of now. Has some good tools though.

[SchnitzelBoy]

Phillips has such a high ceiling that I'm not super worried a tepid performance here and there. I think the game will slow down for him  considerably over the offseason. He'll also add some weight which will help his finishing. That 3-ppoint stroke looks pure, and we know he can drain them.

Between him, Royce, DO, and Egbuonu we'll have serious length all over the floor next season at spots 2-4. 

[Pakuni]

We're the #8 team in the country!*

https://barttorvik.com/?year=2026&sort=&hteam=&t2value=&conlimit=All&state=All&begin=20260224&end=20260501&top=0&revquad=0&quad=5&venue=All&type=All&mingames=0#

* = since yesterday

[1SE]

We're the #8 team in the country!*

https://barttorvik.com/?year=2026&sort=&hteam=&t2value=&conlimit=All&state=All&begin=20260224&end=20260501&top=0&revquad=0&quad=5&venue=All&type=All&mingames=0#

* = since yesterday

#PROTECTEDSEED

[muwarrior69]

Phillips has such a high ceiling that I'm not super worried a tepid performance here and there. I think the game will slow down for him  considerably over the offseason. He'll also add some weight which will help his finishing. That 3-ppoint stroke looks pure, and we know he can drain them.

Between him, Royce, DO, and Egbuonu we'll have serious length all over the floor next season at spots 2-4. 

That is the same old song we have been sold for the past few seasons. Let's see it realized on the court by winning games against teams that are not as bad as we are.

[BM1090]

That is the same old song we have been sold for the past few seasons. Let's see it realized on the court by winning games against teams that are not as bad as we are.

Eh, I think you can see it with this year's freshmen. NJ and AS are clear. Same as you could see it with DO and RP. I think MP is in that group, but agree with JB he needs to learn how to play basketball and play this system.

I never saw that high of a ceiling with Chase or Tre. I did with Ben, and honestly I still do. I just don't think he has the mentality to reach it. He's so quick and has a good handle for a 7 footer, he just never learned how to play in traffic. Game never slowed down, and that part is tougher to see when judging potential.

I'd break it down like...

High ceiling, high floor - RP, NJ, AS (lower ceiling than the other two)
High ceiling, low floor - MP, DO

Too early to tell on everyone else but CH, who definitely does not have a high ceiling.

[MU82]

I never saw that high of a ceiling with Chase

Interesting. I guess you're a lot more plugged in than the Big East coaches, who voted him to the all-conference team. Congrats!

[BM1090]

Interesting. I guess you're a lot more plugged in than the Big East coaches, who voted him to the all-conference team. Congrats!

Chase is a really good role player. And I think had he been able to play his usual role this year he would have been good. But I never thought he could make a big jump to being "the guy".

When I think of high ceiling I always think of guys with fluidity of movement, feel and diversity in their games, ability to play in both space and congested areas. Chase doesn't have any of those. Straight line mover, never learned to or just doesn't have a feel for how to play in congestion, no real diversity offensively.

I loved Chase his first few years. He was asked to play a role he could star in and most of the time he did. This year, like so many guys on the team, he was asked to fill a role that he couldn't fill, and we've seen how it's played out. Good player, but I don't think he has close to the ceiling that NJ, AS, and RP do.

All my opinion of course.

[MU82]

That's reasonable.

I do think it also was reasonable to think that he could have stepped up into more of a primary role ... but it just didn't happen.

Turns out he was the ideal 4th or 5th option on a good team. No shame in that. He had a role in a lot of winning at Marquette.

I hope his shoulder injury isn't a season-ender. He played real well for a long stretch yesterday.

[Nukem2]

That's reasonable.

I do think it also was reasonable to think that he could have stepped up into more of a primary role ... but it just didn't happen.

Turns out he was the ideal 4th or 5th option on a good team. No shame in that. He had a role in a lot of winning at Marquette.

I hope his shoulder injury isn't a season-ender. He played real well for a long stretch yesterday.

Yup, he is a very good non primary option given the limitations of his skills. As another posted, he is a straight line offensive player and a fine defender in that role. Too much has been asked of him this year. Hope he can finish out the season.

[Warrior of Law]

One could argue that the trajectory of the end of 2026 is better than the trajectory of the end of 2025. This team is improving with younger players who will (presumptively) return and continue to get better. With the right addition(s), a return to the NCAA tournament should be a realistic goal.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Phillips has such a high ceiling that I'm not super worried a tepid performance here and there. I think the game will slow down for him  considerably over the offseason. He'll also add some weight which will help his finishing. That 3-ppoint stroke looks pure, and we know he can drain them.

Between him, Royce, DO, and Egbuonu we'll have serious length all over the floor next season at spots 2-4. 

I'll be pleasantly surprised if either Phillips or Egbuonu average 10 minutes per game.  Their poor defense makes me highly skeptical.

[Jay Bee]

I'll be pleasantly surprised if either Phillips or Egbuonu average 10 minutes per game.  Their poor defense makes me highly skeptical.

#Alex2RegRotationEarly

[Shooter McGavin]

One could argue that the trajectory of the end of 2026 is better than the trajectory of the end of 2025. This team is improving with younger players who will (presumptively) return and continue to get better. With the right addition(s), a return to the NCAA tournament should be a realistic goal.

100%.  The arrow is pointing up.  There is clear high level talent that needs to be supplemented.  There is no hoping they will be good or hoping they will step up with Nigel and Royce.  There is a feeling that they are two stars.  Never had that feeling with the returning players from 2025.  I have a much better feeling going into next year assuming they keep the core together and add a couple players from the portal.