Marquette Basketball Thread 2017-2018

[patrickgpe]

only fair to start one for Marquette too:

 

2 big news items over the weekend, Marquette has an exhibition game against UWM on Sunday and #18 overall recruit Quintin Grimes has his official visit this weekend. Would be huge for Marquette.

 

What I have been looking around online for is how involved MU is on Tyler Herro, seems like Kansas and Kentucky are the 2 biggest schools in on him now, but maybe the allure with playing at home and with the Hauser boys will appeal to him.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

I'm really interested in the Big East this year. It's usually the most fun conference to watch (I love that it's all basketball-first (and usually only) schools). With new coaches at Georgetown (I think it'll be ugly in DC this year) and Butler, St. John's heading into "let's see how real you are" mood, and all the returning stars at Seton Hall, 'Nova, and Xavier this should be a fun season.

 

Have to think Villanova is the run-away favorite, but after that, I can see almost any team from the next tier giving them a run. I think Seton Hall is going to be really good, perhaps even pushing 'Nova for the league title. And I haven't even mentioned Providence and Creighton, and both look plenty talented and capable. Nonconference will be huge for Marquette. They get Maui games and the UW rivalry, and if they post a couple of big wins there they'll have lots of chances for quality wins in league. Better improve defensively, but should be fun to watch both major Wisconsin schools this year.

[patrickgpe]

last nights game, pretty much summed up how I think MU's season will go. Teams with talented bigs will give MU fits. Heldt is OK but there only other big is John who is very raw. Only way they can win games like this is to hit 3's at a very high rate.

[LouisEly]

I think Purdue is underranked right now. They have all the ingredients for a national championship team - perimeter shooters on the outside, and two 7'+ guys on the inside who can take you 1 on 1. Good athletes with good perimeter defense, and if you drive you have two 7'+ guys swatting away your stuff inside.

 

I think Haas has been and is underrated, the 7'3" backup is very athletic for a guy that size, and they're not even close to the best players on that team. Not sure what the odds are that Vegas is giving to win the national championship, but I'd lay some money down on them.

[patrickgpe]

https://www.anonymouseagle.com/2017/11/27/16705114/haanif-cheatham-has-left-marquette-golden-eagles-basketball

 

I know Cheatham never lived up the potential he showed his freshman year, but this is a big loss for the program. I would think that Anim will be asked to step up and there is absolutely no depth to back him up.

[LouisEly]

How many people have left Marquette prematurely (not counting Ellenson) the last four years? Cheatham, Carter, Cohen, Burton, Wilson, Dawson, McKay, Taylor. Jamal Ferguson transferred, but that was before Wojo got there. Excluding this year's class and excluding Ellenson, that's nine transfers versus five players who have stayed (so far) among the last 14 recruits.

 

Something is going on there. I can see Wojo expecting guards (who are a most of the tranfers) to be as good as he was, and if that's the case he can't have those expectations.

 

Eight scholarship players plus Eke redshirting, with Froling coming in at semester and Morrow and Bailey coming in next year. Need to add a guard next year, at this stage likely a graduate transfer.

[patrickgpe]

Yes, it seems that Marquette has had more people leave the program that most, but players leave for many reasons. As the program improves players see playing time decrease and want to find a better opportunity, which is understandable.

 

I think the majority of the players listed above left for a loss of playing time (Carter, Cohen, Burton, Dawson)

 

Cheatham left for personal reasons (which could be anything). I am not sure what the heck happened to McKay or Taylor)

 

I agree they need to add a guard and a grad transfer would be the best option with Rowsey graduating this season.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

LETS GO WARRIORS!!!

[LouisEly]

Yes, but you don't have more guys leave than stay. UW has had guys leave because of playing time, but it's been more like one every 2-3 years. Kaminsky sat on the bench for most of his first two seasons, as did plenty other Badgers waiting for their time.

 

Not sure what happened to McKay; he didn't last a week. Taylor was a graduate transfer; he got caught having to play the 5 because Buzz couldn't recruit big guys, then was going to be second string because of Ellenson.

[LouisEly]

DVRd the Providence game and just watched it.

 

Markus Howard... oh my goodness. And he was ice cold most of the first half.

[patrickgpe]

 

Markus Howard... oh my goodness. And he was ice cold most of the first half.

The way he is playing this season, if he was 3 inches taller he would be a sure fire 1st round pick this summer. He has been by far the best player in the big east so far.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

I've really enjoyed the competitive nature of the BEAST so far. Not inconceivable that conference could get 7 or 8 teams ('Nova, Xavier, Seton Hall, Creighton, Providence, Marquette, Butler, St. John's?). I mean, that would be an 80% participation rate. Crazy.

 

Marquette looks to me like a team that will go as far as their guards take them, especially w/r/t three-point shooting. A fun team to watch, for sure.

[patrickgpe]

the latest bracketology on bleacher report has Marquette on of the 1st 4 outs and their KenPom is 49. They are definitely a fringe NCAA team right now and with how the big east conference is shaking out so far, some big conference wins against Xavier, Nova and Seton Hall in particular could really vault them in. Ceighton and Butler also is above MU in the KenPoms so they definitely have the chance to move up significantly. You are right, its all about guard play.

[patrickgpe]

The win over Seton Hall was big enough to put Marquette into the field of 65, per ESPN atleast

 

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

[tmwiese55]

OF course I don't see all MU games, but eye test to me they sure should be good enough to make the tourney and be a team that top seeds don't want to see. Guard play and shooting are huge in the tourney, if the MU guys get hot they can give about anyone a scare. I assume they're weak on bigs and that's what holds them back, but the Gs are legit.

[patrickgpe]

In general, in games that they win, Rowsey or Howard goes off and Hauser contributes. What I didn't expect is for Elliot and John to contribute so much as freshman. I did not think that this was a tournament team because of the reliance on 3 players and the lack of bigs in November. I think now with the 2 freshman, if Froling can contribute at all, they have a good shot of getting in.

[tmwiese55]

Put Happ on MU and the state of Wisconsin would have itself a team

[LouisEly]

Big win at Seton Hall to keep the tourney hopes alive. Top-10 SOS. Sacar Anim has been impressive the last few weeks - the redshirt year has done him wonders. Four games against the bottom three teams in the Big East coming up, but might be the wrong time to play St. John's. My goodness... knocking off Duke and Villanova, but 1-11 in conference?

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Can't overstate the importance of Marquette getting a road W last night. Seton Hall is a team that I'm really high on just because of their balance and experience. I don't think they've played up to potential yet, but they're a solid tourney team and winning on the road against someone that good is a major feather in the cap.

 

How good is the Big East? Everyone but DePaul in the top 100 in KenPom, and the worst team by conference record just posted the year's most impressive win after the year's most surprising one. I think MU needs to get wins against DePaul, Georgetown, and Saint John's (twice) and then split with Creighton to be in safe shape.

[patrickgpe]

I think Marquette needs to win out to make the tournament. That would put marquette 10-8 in conference. They have a huge test ahead of them on the road against Creighton and the rest of the games are winable (home games vs St Johns and Creighton will be tough, but they are home games atleast)

 

It does concern me that in the game against St Johns, Marquette had 3 players combine for 70/78 points. This is no way to win a team game.

 

I am wondering for the first time, how much longer the MU boasters and administration will put up with Wojo. I don't think his job is in jeopardy quite yet and I understand that if you fire Wojo, you will set your program back atleast 2 years, as the incoming freshman and others will ask to be released from their scholarship, but this season has been very frustrating.

[DHonks]

I don't think there's concern with Wojo. I think he still needs to recruit more size and the team could use a true PG (Elliott?). Rowsey and Howard are both undersized 2-guards--poor defenders and not great dribblers.

 

Marquette loses 1 player with Eke, Bailey, Hauser, et all joining the team. Next year will be Wojo's first veteran team at Marquette.

[patrickgpe]

I agree that next season will be huge for him.I understand that his first 2 seasons he had to clean up the mess from all of the players leaving when Buzz left and they made the tournament last season. You are correct that the team needs a true PG and some big guys.

[LouisEly]

They'll have plenty of big guys next year - Heldt (6'10"), Froling (6'11"), John (6'9", 245), Joey Hauser (6'9"), Sam Hauser (6'8"), Ed Morrow (6'7", 235), Ike Eke (6'9"), Brendan Bailey (6'8"), Jamaal Cain (6'7"). Nine of 13 scholarship players will be at least 6'7". They need to add a guard, preferably a grad transfer.

 

I wonder if guards are hesitant to play for a former guard who may expect them to be as good as he was.

[LouisEly]

Huge come-from-behind win at Creighton last night, especially without Howard. Anim taking a big step forward and has been playing great the last few weeks.

 

Their last four are very winnable, and if so, that would put them at 19-11 and 10-8 in the Big East. Not only will that get them in, but I think it could get them up to a 7 seed depending on how they do in the Big East tourney.

[DHonks]

Best overall game I've seen all year from Marquette. They moved the ball very well, played unselfishly, played D, and didn't commit too many stupid fouls.