College Basketball 2010-2011

[PKBadger]

I think Gasser will contribute more next year - he's been fantastic so far. Can make the 3, not afraid to take it to the hoop or fight for rebounds and loose balls. I feel pretty darn good about a Taylor/Gasser backcourt with Brust and Rob Wilson off the bench (despite Wilson's inconsistency).

 

Up front they'll have Bruiser and Evans playing tough D and making the occasional shot. Berggren will play quite a bit and has shown flashes of brilliance (key blocks and some nifty post moves). The dark horse is Evan Anderson, and there have been promising reports out of practice. He was mimicking JuJuan Johnson for the scout team and scored 30 points against the 1st team with 4 3-pointers.

 

Ryan's players seem to really start contributing in year #2. Looking for big things from Brust, Anderson and Duje Dukan. (Gasser's a given. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif)

 

Incoming class seems solid. Jarred Uthoff (wing player) has been tearing up the Iowa H.S. scene. We also have Traevon Jackson (Jim Jackson's son) arriving next year....he was not a premier prospect but I'll bet he's the type of hard worker that Bo loves.

 

I don't think that next year's squad will be a top-15 team...but then again, I wasn't sure this Badger team would get there either.

[TooLiveBrew]

I feel pretty darn good about a Taylor/Gasser backcourt

 

I do too, but I'm not convinced Jordan isn't heading to the NBA after this season.

[trwi7]

Both UW and Marquette with impressive come-from-16-points-down in the second half wins this week.

Is it really impressive to have to come back from 16 down to South Florida?

[PKBadger]

I feel pretty darn good about a Taylor/Gasser backcourt

 

I do too, but I'm not convinced Jordan isn't heading to the NBA after this season.

While it's a possibility, I think the scouts will rate Jordan lower due to his height and make it more likely that he returns for his senior campaign.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I will say that this team is not exactly 'fun' to watch, but you can't deny a 19-5 record.

-------------------

 

They scored 39 points in 13 minutes today. Who are you? Fran Fraschilla?

For the most part this year, watching this offense has been the proverbial 'watching paint dry'. Obviously, in this game, they lit it up for the 2nd half, and yeah, obviously, that was fun to watch. I'm just saying, for the most part, their offense is pretty........boring.

[Baldkin]

I was at the game yesterday, was one of about 30 or so I've been to at the Kohl Center, and it was a different kind of loud. When they came back to be down 7 (I think on a Taylor 3 pointer) the crowd woke up. From that point on (about 11 minutes to go) the place was bonkers. Louder than I'd ever heard it, and when Gasser hit the 3 to tie it, the place was shaking.

 

The student section was awesome, as they always are in big games, but what really pushed it over the top was all the seat holders in the lower bowl being up, being loud and being fans. It was shocking.

[PeaveyFury]

That being said, the concern is still there about who will step up to replace Leuer/Nankovil next year, and Jordan the year after.

 

While that's a completely valid point, it's also a reoccurring theme- ie, how would we replace Hughes/Bohannon this year, Landry/Krabbenhoft the year before, Alando Tucker, Mike Wilkinson, etc; yet every season they do it and you barely seem to miss them.

 

It's amazing, really.

[jjfanec]

That being said, the concern is still there about who will step up to replace Leuer/Nankovil next year, and Jordan the year after.

 

While that's a completely valid point, it's also a reoccurring theme- ie, how would we replace Hughes/Bohannon this year, Landry/Krabbenhoft the year before, Alando Tucker, Mike Wilkinson, etc; yet every season they do it and you barely seem to miss them.

 

It's amazing, really.

That is a tribute to coaching and recruiting. I was talking to my dad about this exact same thing. We always have guys who it seems like are going to be hard to replace, but we some how do replace them. I expect Bergerren, Bruiser and someone else to come in and get minutes to help.

[Blancofan1]

A not so flattering article about the game against Ohio St. Who knows if it's true or not, but it certainly doesn't show a good side of Badger fans either way. The comments after the article make me so happy to be able to read BF.net with posts by intelligent speaking people verses the general worthlessness of comments on yahoo.

[homer]

A not so flattering article about the game against Ohio St. Who knows if it's true or not, but it certainly doesn't show a good side of Badger fans either way. The comments after the article make me so happy to be able to read BF.net with posts by intelligent speaking people verses the general worthlessness of comments on yahoo.

If he's lying (and I don't know if he's lying but I bet he's exaggerating to some degree) then it says little to nothing about Badger fans. If he's telling the truth then I hope UW can find the perpetrator(s) and ban them from any UW athletic events.

 

I do agree that the people that comment on that article are about as deplorable as someone that would spit on an athlete.

[PeaveyFury]

Potrykus thinks it's bogus:

 

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/116109449.html

 

I agree with him- how did this not come up in any of the reports after the game?

[Roscoe Chill]

I feel pretty darn good about a Taylor/Gasser backcourt[/i]

I do too, but I'm not convinced Jordan isn't heading to the NBA after this season.

Jordan Taylor leaving after this year for the NBA? That's something I see a few people saying but am struggling not to scream about. College athletes don't automatically project to the pros even if successful. There's no guarantee Taylor gets drafted in the first round in 2012, let alone leave early in 2011. Should he be this year's Big Ten POY? Yep. Will he be the best point guard in the country next year? Very possibly so. That doesn't necessarily translate to the NBA. But I do think he'll play in the league, but leaving early is a pipe dream for some kid that doesn't know any better. Jordan Taylor is not that kid.

[danzig6767]

I was at the game yesterday, was one of about 30 or so I've been to at the Kohl Center, and it was a different kind of loud. When they came back to be down 7 (I think on a Taylor 3 pointer) the crowd woke up. From that point on (about 11 minutes to go) the place was bonkers. Louder than I'd ever heard it, and when Gasser hit the 3 to tie it, the place was shaking.

 

The student section was awesome, as they always are in big games, but what really pushed it over the top was all the seat holders in the lower bowl being up, being loud and being fans. It was shocking.

I wasn't at the game, but even on TV, that seemed to be the loudest i've ever heard to the Kohl Center. It was so loud, i couldn't barely even heard Dickie V. babbling.

[homer]

I haven't seen Taylor's name mentioned at all in the draft stuff I've read online. That includes Seth Davis' review of 53 players today....well not his review but different NBA Scouts talking about the top 53.

[dadofandrew]

Taylor was ranked #110 in something I read, that's all college players. It seems to reason many of those kids will stay in, but even top 50 is a stretch. If he continues to develop like he has of late, who knows, but unless he's a terrible student, he'd be a fool to come out and risk not even being drafted.

[danzig6767]

Taylor was ranked #110 in something I read, that's all college players. It seems to reason many of those kids will stay in, but even top 50 is a stretch. If he continues to develop like he has of late, who knows, but unless he's a terrible student, he'd be a fool to come out and risk not even being drafted.

From what i've read, Taylor is a good student, so that won't be a factor. I'd be surprised if he declared after this season, but i definitely could see Taylor at some point being able to make it in the NBA, even if just as a backup.

 

Watching him as a freshman, i never would have envisioned Taylor developing into the kind of scorer he's become. He deserves a ton of credit because he had to have worked on his shooting in the offseason each year.

 

With his quality PG instincts and how well he avoids turnovers, if Taylor can continue making his jump shot a strength, i see no reason that he won't be able to make an NBA roster once he leaves Wisconsin unless his listed height of 6'1 is really more in the 5'11 range.

[LouisEly]

There seems to be a little bit of age discrimination in the NBA draft now. Part of it is a function of players leaving early, but over the last few NBA drafts there have been very few seniors taken in the top half of the first round. If you are a younger player it seems like you have a better chance of getting drafted because you are still seen as "projectable" or having potential. Seniors, like older college players, are not seen as having the ability to develop. So it wouldn't surprise me to see Taylor leave early - they may see him as having more value being a year younger this year than a year older next year.

 

On an unrelated note, unless they make a run in the Big East tourney it's hello NIT. They needed this one at home against St. Johns.

[owbc]

Marquette and St. John's looked like teams headed in the opposite direction.

[jjfanec]

On an unrelated note, unless they make a run in the Big East tourney it's hello NIT. They needed this one at home against St. Johns.

They are lucky the bubble is very soft this year. With the Pac 10 and ACC way down this year and 4 more teams getting let in it opens the door for teams like Marquette to get in. They have no reason to be in the tourney with their record - especially on the road - but they still have a decent chance.

[danzig6767]

Marquette desperately needs a quality point guard, Junior Cadougan hasn't lived up to his high recruiting ranking.

[jjfanec]

Marquette desperately needs a quality point guard, Junior Cadougan hasn't lived up to his high recruiting ranking.

It's crazy that a team with so few big men also has bad point guard play. I still think they get in the tourney but i cannot see them winning more than one game - and that seems generous.

[Menotti80]

Marquette desperately needs a quality point guard, Junior Cadougan hasn't lived up to his high recruiting ranking.

 

 

I disagree (sort of) Ever since the final 4 run, Marquette has continued to have the same basic team, producing little results.

 

In 2002-2003, Marquette had Wade, Jackson, Diener, and not much else. Thats a pretty good PG who can shoot the 3 and run the team, a top 10 NBA talent (wing player), and a big, bulky, down low guy who can rebound, has a decent post-game, and makes his FTs. That's really it when you think about it.

 

Since the Final 4 run, they continue to recruit the same kind of players: undersized perimeter-type players who are streaky shooters and don't play good enough Defense. ala: James, McNeal, Heyward, Crowder, Butler, DJO, Buyckes, Cubillan, etc.

 

The only real exception to this was Wes Matthews, IMO

 

Anyways, these guys I jsut mentioned are all kind of the same, with some being better than others, and each brings something slightly different.

 

But what's missing (besides a Wade-caliber player)? The answer is a BIG GUY!

[danzig6767]

Marquette desperately needs a quality point guard, Junior Cadougan hasn't lived up to his high recruiting ranking.

 

 

I disagree (sort of) Ever since the final 4 run, Marquette has continued to have the same basic team, producing little results.

 

In 2002-2003, Marquette had Wade, Jackson, Diener, and not much else. Thats a pretty good PG who can shoot the 3 and run the team, a top 10 NBA talent (wing player), and a big, bulky, down low guy who can rebound, has a decent post-game, and makes his FTs. That's really it when you think about it.

 

Since the Final 4 run, they continue to recruit the same kind of players: undersized perimeter-type players who are streaky shooters and don't play good enough Defense. ala: James, McNeal, Heyward, Crowder, Butler, DJO, Buyckes, Cubillan, etc.

 

The only real exception to this was Wes Matthews, IMO

 

Anyways, these guys I jsut mentioned are all kind of the same, with some being better than others, and each brings something slightly different.

 

But what's missing (besides a Wade-caliber player)? The answer is a BIG GUY!

Yea Marquette could use a big man that can consistently score in the post and that's a good rebounder, but so could a lot of other college teams.

 

The reality is though that every year during a recruiting season, the number of highly rated big men are pretty limited. The really good 6'10-7' big men that can score and rebound generally go to the traditionally good powers or a kid's home state school. The other schools then have to try and find underrated 2-3 star bigs and hope to develop them. Bo Ryan has done a good job of this, except he tends to recruit bigs that are more perimeter shooters than low post scorers. Marquette for whatever reason has just struggled overall to recruit quality big men for awhile now.

 

That said, plenty of teams over the years have proven that you can quite a few college games even if you lack low post type of big men so long as they have really good guard/wing players along with a number of long armed athletic 6'6-6'9 guys to help defend and rebound. Villanova has been an example of that for awhile. On teams like those, but for most college teams in general, it's so important to have a quality point guard. Put say Jordan Taylor on Marquette and i have no doubt that they'd finish top 5 in the Big East this year even with their defensive and rebounding issues.

 

They've been in so many close games this year and they've ended up losing the majority of them. No question that a major factor in those close losses have been subpar defense and rebounding. MU is actually ranked pretty well in offensive efficiency on the season. A big problem though late in tight games is that Marquette doesn't really have a PG they can count on to run a good set and be certain to not turn it over. Cadougan is decent at running the team, but he can't shoot at all from the perimeter, isn't that skilled penetrating the paint, and he's a bad free throw shooter. Buycks on the other hand is a pretty good jump shooter and can penetrate really well, but he's way to prone to turning the ball over, especially when a defense applies heavy on ball pressure.

[LouisEly]

Marquette has recruited big men, but they haven't been able to keep them. Last year they had Yous Mbao, a somewhat raw 7'2" guy who transferred after his freshman year. The year before they recruited a 6'9" guy who was one of the top juco players in the nation, but he got arrested/convicted of something fairly serious so they yanked his scholarship. Three years ago they recruited Otule but he has been hurt the last two years and hasn't played much until this year. They had another 6'10-7' guy four years (edit: Liam McMorrow) ago who had to quit playing due to medical reasons.

 

They have no reason to be in the tourney with their record - especially on the road

 

I wouldn't say that - they've led in the second half in almost every game they lost. They blew what, a 16 point lead at Louisville in the last five minutes? The game against St. Johns was the first game this year that they've lost by more than 9 points, and this is a St. Johns team that opened up a can on Duke two weeks ago (a team that Marquette barely lost to early in the year). In some ways, Marquette isn't that much different than the Green Bay Packers this year - lots of close losses that could have been wins had a couple of different bounces of the ball gone a different way. If you eliminate the automatic bids of lesser conferences the tourney in reality takes the best 40 teams in the country, and based on how they've had second half leads against so many top-25 teams I'd say that they are one of the 40 best teams in the country, probably around #35 or so.

[jjfanec]

They have no reason to be in the tourney with their record - especially on the road

 

I wouldn't say that - they've led in the second half in almost every game they lost. They blew what, a 16 point lead at Louisville in the last five minutes? The game against St. Johns was the first game this year that they've lost by more than 9 points, and this is a St. Johns team that opened up a can on Duke two weeks ago (a team that Marquette barely lost to early in the year). In some ways, Marquette isn't that much different than the Green Bay Packers this year - lots of close losses that could have been wins had a couple of different bounces of the ball gone a different way. If you eliminate the automatic bids of lesser conferences the tourney in reality takes the best 40 teams in the country, and based on how they've had second half leads against so many top-25 teams I'd say that they are one of the 40 best teams in the country, probably around #35 or so.

Having second half leads does not mean you are good. They are more like the Packers team that went 6-10 in Rodgers first year. They show glimpses but cant sustain it a whole game. Against decent competition - not Prairie View AM, Bucknell, South Dakota, Longwood, Centerary, and Mississippi Valley State - Marquette is 9-11. I am being generous in calling UW-Milwaukee, Green Bay, South Florida, Rutgers and DePaul decent. That is not a tournament quality resume. Now they could easily finish 4-1 and I think 19-12 probably gets them in. But if we start saying, "Well you played good teams close so you should get in" I think the tourney has been watered down.