College Basketball Thread 2014-15

[fondybrewfan]

Once Fischer is eligible I think they could be a pretty good team; but until then their tallest player is 6"7" and they have very few players that have shown the ability to score. I too am excited to see Wilson; he could be the wildcard. As it stands I think Marquette is probably a borderline tournament team but if they get some improvements from the young guys, Derrick Wilson doesn't shoot, and Fischer steps in as a good center then they could creep up a bit.

[patrickgpe]

I think MU could be a NIT team, which would be a solid first year for Wojo, since everyone knows that 2015-16 is when expectations will be sky high. A deep NIT run could be a solid launching pad for next year, as most of the key players will be back as well.

 

I am really looking forward to the Ohio State game to get a better gauge on how good this team can be.

[DHonks]

Given that 68 teams make the NCAA tourney, I see no reason why MU can't make a run as the 3rd or 4th Big East team. NIT is possible, but he should be able to find 17-20 wins to put them on the radar.

[fondybrewfan]

Yikes is anyone going to be Kentucky this year? Granted Kansas was probably over rated but that team is so deep, tall, and talented it will be awfully hard for anyone to knock them off. You have to play a really good game and do a great job on the boards to even have a chance. I don't think they are a great outside shooting team but they don't even need to be since they have such a huge advantage down low.

 

Not to say Wisconsin couldn't beat them in the NCAA tourney; but man it would be really tough. We should all be hoping right now UW ends up on the opposite side of the bracket from them.

 

Also that UW - Duke game is going to be fantastic. Duke is a really good team as well.

[FVBrewerFan]

Watched most of the MU/Ohio St game last night. First time so far I'm going to call out Coach Wojo. The way they handled pressure was horrible, and somehow Juan Anderson was the guy who needed to break the press 80% of the time. This team has 37 guards, why is Juan Anderson the press-breaker?

 

Also, Derek Wilson is still on the floor way too much. I get Wojo is the new coach coming in, and probably needed help from the seniors to get everyone on board. That deserves some minutes. But there is nothing he brings to the table. In a perfect world, he would never see the court. But at least limit him to an honorary start, then pull him after 3-4 minutes and that's it.

[patrickgpe]

Their outside shooting was horrendous, specifically from Carlino. Taylor missed atleast 3 baskets from 0 feet away. Johnson's missed dunk.

 

There is alot that needs to be worked on. I agree on Derek Wilson, he is playing way too much.

[LouisEly]

Carlino was 3-7 on 3-point shots. I don't think you can expect guys to shoot over 50% from 3-point land especially against a team as good as Ohio State. As a team they shot 35% from 3, about what you would expect on the road against a good team.

 

No player taller than 6'7", only eight healthy scholarship guys (assume Dawson is hurt or redshirting as he hasn't played yet), and lose by 11 on the road to a top-20 team is not an awful performance by any means.

[DHonks]

Dawson did play in the first game. Still, Not sure what to say. They looked solid last night. They had about 2 bad stretches in which they were outscored 8-0 or worse, and that was the difference. I didn't see Juan Anderson breaking the press...I saw Carlino, Du. Wilson, and Sandy Cohen. The team may not have much height in the front-court, but their backcourt sure is big. Also, we need to get Burton going. Of course, he needs to not foul everyone

[3and2Fastball]

Badgers vs UW-Green Bay tonight. Looking forward to it

[folly412]

No player taller than 6'7", only eight healthy scholarship guys (assume Dawson is hurt or redshirting as he hasn't played yet), and lose by 11 on the road to a top-20 team is not an awful performance by any means.

 

Agree. And the inexperience will be a huge factor for some time, something we're not used to after having a coach who literally played freshmen the fewest minutes of any school in the country during his tenure. Walking into that environment is a tall order, even more so with Duane Wilson and Cohen playing their second college game, Johnson and Taylor coming off a lost year, Burton still not right after losing his mother and struggling to find his role, Derrick Wilson playing hurt and not very good to begin with. The up and down Anderson and second game with the team Carlino are the players closest to being "established". There's a load of talent on the roster - of the 10 including Fischer, six are top 100 recruits and Taylor and Carlino weren't. Just going to take some time to gel, and getting a 6'10" player in a month won't hurt.

[patrickgpe]

in the take it for what its worth department:

 

Mark Belling is reporting that Diamond Stone, who was to make his announcement today, has decided to wait until the spring and is now considering Marquette, after getting to know coach Wojo.

[LouisEly]

Wow... Marquette does have an open scholarship due to Mayo's departure. Even if it is only for a year, max two:

 

C: Stone, Fischer, Heldt

PF: Taylor, Ellenson

SF: Cohen, Burton

SG: Johnson, Cheatham

PG: Wilson, Noskowiak

 

That is a seriously talented and deep team with not much dropoff to the backups. Hell, the second team could start for most programs. Even without Stone it still is a talented team with a quality backup at each position that could make a late season run deep into the tourney.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I didn't even know Omaha was a division one team, until they beat Marquette yesterday. At the Bradley Center.

[paul253]

Tough loss by MU. It may be a long season but the future certainly looks bright. They desperately need Fischer right now.

[LouisEly]

Why did Taylor play only 17 minutes and Johnson only 9 minutes? Did they get hurt?

[fondybrewfan]

Who is excited for Duke vs. Wisconsin tonight? Should be an awesome game with a lot of intriguing matchups. So long as Jackson doesn't play with his head up his butt I think we pull this one out. It seems like he is the weak link on the team this year. Duke has strong PG play and Jackson has to avoid the turnovers.

[pitchleague]

I've been looking forward to the game for about 2 weeks now. I'm hoping for a Badger blowout victory and as long as I'm dreaming I'll wish for a pony, too. Probably will be a good close game for the majority of the contest. Win or lose, the Badgers should be just fine.

[DHonks]

should be a good game. While I'm generally a huge Bucky skeptic, I have to say that they actually have legit talent these last few years. Should be a good game tonight. While I'm hoping Duke wins, I don't really care all that much as long as it's a good game. A great early season test for both squads

[GAME05]

Darn, I wish I didn't have to work early tomorrow. I don't live very far from the Duke campus, so it would have been fun to show up to a bar wearing red. I'm walking distance from UNC, so probably a lot of other people rooting against Duke. Nobody cares too much for other sports in North Carolina, but for good reason they're mad about basketball. Actually a lot of cool fans around here.

[Funketown]

If you wear red in Chapel Hill, make sure it heavily boast UW logos, lest you be thought a State fan. I had the (dis)pleasure of attending the ugliest basketball game I've ever seen against Iowa, who won despite shooting ~30%, because ~30% > 28%.

[fondybrewfan]

The Good:

- Kaminsky showed up and played well

- Jackson kept us in the game in the 2nd half

 

Bad:

- Dekker. 1st round pick my butt. He was incredibly passive last night; almost invisible. I don't know if his ankle is still bothering him or what but he didn't show up

- Hayes getting in early foul trouble

 

Ugly:

- If you let a team shoot 66% then you are probably lucky you only lost by 10. Duke is a very good team but UW also let them get to the basket at will and in generally played pretty poor defense.

 

Still a lot of time to improve; the perimeter defense has to get better. Jackson and Koenig got schooled all night by Jones. Dekker needs to get a lot more assertive in his game; he never once even attempted to take his guy to the rim last night. As soon as he touched it he was looking to pass. It was weird.

[rwa12]

I'm not sure I agree with the Dekker analysis. I'm not sure about his ankle either, so I won't take that into account. I don't think Bo wants Dekker being more assertive. He seems to have the shortest leash on the team. Turnover or a missed shot and he is pulled. There are times when he does assert himself, in the Bahamas, and for a few last night. I don't want him shooting, I want him slashing into the lane every time he touches the ball. He seems afraid to make a mistake, and no one succeeds playing like that. Dukan seemed a bit intimidated last night, Kaminsky looked great, I thought Gasser held his own. Hayes was off, and foul trouble didn't help. Jackson's huge second half probably guarantees a loss later in the season when he tries to repeat it.

 

Duke was on fire. It's hard to lock down perimeter D with Okafor inside. Duke would have beaten anyone in the country last night, with the possible exception of Kentucky. I would have liked a Bucky win, but I'll take the moral victory that they were able to hang with the elite on an off night.

[DHonks]

looking ahead to this Saturday. I'm going to take Wisconsin by 18. Just curious, but didn't it seem like Bo had Crean's number, while Buzz had Bo's? I seem to remember a hot-shooting frosh Mayo killing Bucky.

[BrewBalls]

I left the game feeling good about how Kaminsky outperformed Okafor and Jackson stepped up in the second half. We were able to get plenty of open looks/shots but just couldn't get them to fall like in previous games while Duke was hitting contested shots the entire game. Sulaimon and Davis come to mind as players who kept coming up big when they needed a basket. For us to be in the game up until the lfinal minutes with two of our top contributors (Dekker and Hayes) having off nights I am convinced we can compete with any team in the country. This was a good test for them and i still think we came out of it with a solid grade.

[FVBrewerFan]

Dekker. 1st round pick my butt. He was incredibly passive last night; almost invisible. I don't know if his ankle is still bothering him or what but he didn't show up

 

I agree with you on Dekker. He reminds me as poor-man's Keith Van Horn. Dekker obviusly has skills, but I don't think he's great at any one thing. Even in games where he has better stats, it's just that..stats. I realize in Bo's offense it's difficult to take control of a game at times, but I don't see how Dekker is a lottery pick or even a 1st round pick if he can't dominate at times against good competition.

 

As for the Duke game, they should have taken it to Duke instead of settling for so many jumpers. Drive the ball, get fouls. Especially for a team like Wisc that can really hit their free throws. Wisc just played too timid.