G'town game thread

[MayorBeluga]

Down big at the half. Ugh. No defense at all. We cannot stop dribble penetration at all and our help defense is slow.

Amazed how soft this team plays right now.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

Just bludgeoned that half.

[milkbone]

1st half looks like the 2nd half against Seton Hall. This team is very slow, and not much hustle as of now.

[Markedman]

Hoyas guards not even a factor and they still scored 49. Getting killed on the boards again by a bigger stronger tougher team.

[AlexJesswein]

Why did we extend Wojo?

[Markedman]

Luke just can't score against size

[MayorBeluga]

Luke just can't score against size

Great point. We've gotten him the ball in good positions but he's missing. Seems like athletic bigs are his biggest mismatch. Unfortunately G'town has just that.

[Markedman]

Showing some fight....finally....good minutes from Wally

[Nukem2]

Great point. We've gotten him the ball in good positions but he's missing. Seems like athletic bigs are his biggest mismatch. Unfortunately G'town has just that.

Hayes is athletic?

[Markedman]

Hayes is just huge.....Luke has got to get stronger and develop a more versatile offensive package . Will have to happen in the summer.

[Markedman]

Playing better without Henry

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

Getting defensive stops now, but can't score ourselves which is incredibly frustrating

[Markedman]

So many chances to get the game close and can't score. Defense much improved in 2nd half....so far

[MayorBeluga]

Really impressed by the defense in the 2nd half. Where was it in the 1st half?

[Markedman]

Ball movement much better with Henry playing center and 4 smalls

[Nukem2]

Signs of a young team. Very inconsistent. On a side note, Henry sure takes a lot of tough angle shots. Needs to use his body and get better angles.

[CaribouJim]

Saw a lot of good things though in the 2nd half. Henry and Luke missing bunnies is starting to become a trend unfortunately.

[pbiflyer]

I have to admit, the excuses are getting tiresome.

[Markedman]

Doesn't help that for the 2nd game in a row our free throw defense has been incredibly bad......

21/22...,.,give me a break

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

Why did we extend Wojo?

Because it was absolutely the right thing to do.

[Markedman]

Saw a lot of good things though in the 2nd half. Henry and Luke missing bunnies is starting to become a trend unfortunately.

Close shots but not bunnies. We are taking too many contested 2s against size right now. It isn't working. Hoyas didn't even have to double Luke or Henry.

[Markedman]

Mac just said Traci, Sandy, and Haney played 86 minutes and had 4 total rebounds. Throw in only 2 from Duane , 1 for JJ and 0 from Wally and you have a problem.

[CaribouJim]

Close shots but not bunnies. We are taking too many contested 2s against size right now. It isn't working. Hoyas didn't even have to double Luke or Henry.

It would be nice if Luke could develop a turnaround baseline jumper to add something more to his game in the low post.

The team did enough things in the 2nd half that I won't go to bed depressed.

HC is going to be so good - silky smooth.

Has MU ever started 0-2 in BE play and still make the tourney?

[RJax55]

I think some changes need to be seriously considered with the SC program. And, if that means some personal changes, so be it. This is the third straight year where the team has been overwhelmed in the conference by physical play.

[mufan2003]

It would be nice if Luke could develop a turnaround baseline jumper to add something more to his game in the low post.

The team did enough things in the 2nd half that I won't go to bed depressed.

HC is going to be so good - silky smooth.

Has MU ever started 0-2 in BE play and still make the tourney?

0-4 in 2010 with Acker and Cubillan as starting guards, DJO, Butler and Hayward rounded out the starting 5.

[CaribouJim]

0-4 in 2010 with Acker and Cubillan as starting guards, DJO, Butler and Hayward rounded out the starting 5.

That's right - maybe Buzz's best coaching job.

[WindyCityGoldenEagle]

I know it's a lost art, but we never ever pull up for 6-12 ft jumpers and they seem to be available quite regularly.

[WindyCityGoldenEagle]

Zero adjustment by wojo to make someone other than smith beat you in crunch time. I just don't get how he didn't see a need to do that - it was obvious as a casual fan watching on tv.

[MayorBeluga]

Wojo says on post-game radio show that the team has not been ready for the intensity of conference play.

So is he saying the craptacular non-conf schedule failed to prepare his team? Certainly sounds like he's thinking the incredibly bad schedule is hurting them.

[ge1974]

We couldn't guard our lunch in the first half. Second half D was better. I still think we should play more 2-3 packed in zone defense.

[CaribouJim]

So is he saying the craptacular non-conf schedule failed to prepare his team? Certainly sounds like he's thinking the incredibly bad schedule is hurting them.

Couldn't agree more.

[MU/Panther]

I have to admit, the excuses are getting tiresome.
Who has the excuses?

[MU/Panther]

0-4 in 2010 with Acker and Cubillan as starting guards, DJO, Butler and Hayward rounded out the starting 5.
Marquette starting 0-2, then beat Georgetown. Fell to 2-5 after the loss at DePaul.

[warriorfan4life]

Started 0-2 back in 2006-2007, losing at Providence and home to Syracuse (and I believe that both were by double digits).

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

Let's be honest with ourselves, this team is not a tournament team unless they dramatically improve and fast. Henry and Luke are good inside players, but Henry is still inexperienced and adapting to the pace and physicality of the Big East, and we don't really have a consistent enough outside threat to keep teams honest. If we could have one or two three point shooters that could consistently knock down shots and help us space the floor things would be very different in my opinion.

[kneelb4zerg]

Thanks for clearing that up. Takes away all of the suspense for the balance of season!


Let's be honest with ourselves, this team is not a tournament team unless they dramatically improve and fast. Henry and Luke are good inside players, but Henry is still inexperienced and adapting to the pace and physicality of the Big East, and we don't really have a consistent enough outside threat to keep teams honest. If we could have one or two three point shooters that could consistently knock down shots and help us space the floor things would be very different in my opinion.

[Markedman]

I think inexperience along with a lack of physicality and overall toughness is a much bigger problem then 3 point shooting.

[kneelb4zerg]

Fully agree with this.

I think inexperience along with a lack of physicality and overall toughness is a much bigger problem then 3 point shooting.

[Nukem2]

I think inexperience along with a lack of physicality and overall toughness is a much bigger problem then 3 point shooting.

Agree as well.

[TheSultan]

I think they need to play small more often and stop pounding the ball into Luke when he doesn't have the physical advantage. He doesn't have Davante's touch or girth.

[TheSultan]

Why did we extend Wojo?


I guess I don't understand why you are so obsessed with this. He wasn't going to be on the hot seat for the next couple of years, and he ends up there, his contract won't prevent his termination if that is deemed necessary.

[AlexJesswein]

I guess I don't understand why you are so obsessed with this. He wasn't going to be on the hot seat for the next couple of years, and he ends up there, his contract won't prevent his termination if that is deemed necessary.

I don't understand the vote of confidence given what I've seen out on the court.

[TheSultan]

His bosses like him and believe he has been successful given circumstances. And again if his bosses change their minds, the contract will not be a problem. It really isn't that big of a deal.

[kneelb4zerg]

So you think Wojo would become a better coach if he was chasing the carrot of a contract extension?

I don't understand the vote of confidence given what I've seen out on the court.

[TheSultan]

I think some changes need to be seriously considered with the SC program. And, if that means some personal changes, so be it. This is the third straight year where the team has been overwhelmed in the conference by physical play.


Too many slender players. It's the same SC coach that MU had under Buzz. But Jae and DJO could add a lot of muscle to their frame, while players like Jamil and Vander couldn't. That doesn't mean they didn't get stronger, but they could never get bulked up.

I mentioned this after Seton Hall, but Marquette has a lot of slender players on this team. Haanif, Sandy, Duane, JJJ, Luke are only going to be able to add so much muscle. Sacar, Traci and Henry have bigger frames but all three are freshmen.

[mufan2003]

Marquette starting 0-2, then beat Georgetown. Fell to 2-5 after the loss at DePaul.

That's right, just looked it up myself. Started 0-2, then 1-2, 1-3, 2-3, 2-5. I remember it feeling like a lost season. So many close games, often decided by 3 points or less. As previously mentioned, probably Buzz's best coaching job.

[WindyCityGoldenEagle]

I think they need to play small more often and stop pounding the ball into Luke when he doesn't have the physical advantage.

Agree with this. Hoping wojo and staff can be flexible enough in game to go away from their preferred offensive approach of pounding into Luke should the game flow call for it.

[MU/Panther]

That's right, just looked it up myself. Started 0-2, then 1-2, 1-3, 2-3, 2-5. I remember it feeling like a lost season. So many close games, often decided by 3 points or less. As previously mentioned, probably Buzz's best coaching job.
Your feeling is correct. That blown lead at DePaul to drop to 2-5 was terrible. Season did feel lost after that.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

I don't understand the vote of confidence given what I've seen out on the court.

What is the downside? It's good for PR, shows a good relationship between the staff and management, and gives recruits the confidence that he'll be here. If things don't improve, Marquette can still fire him. There's no negative to it.

[CaribouJim]

What is the downside? It's good for PR, shows a good relationship between the staff and management, and gives recruits the confidence that he'll be here. If things don't improve, Marquette can still fire him. There's no negative to it.

...and MU felt sorry for Wojo as he only can afford to wear a white undershirt when he is at home and away from all things MU.

[MU/Panther]

Q: Dan - Significance of Wojo contract extension?
A: Matt Velazquez - I figured this question was coming. Without knowing monetary figures or presence/amount of a buyout clause, it's a pretty straightforward thing that happens all the time across the country. He had a six-year deal through 2020 and the athletic department and university liked what he was doing and wanted to give a show of confidence by tacking on two more years to the contract. Smiles all around. I don't know that the original contract length was ever released by the school, which leads me to believe that there was a motive for spelling out the exact length of his contract. One possibility, as I wrote yesterday, is that it was an effort to bolster recruiting. Opposing coaches are almost certainly putting doubts in recruits' minds by saying that there's no guarantee Wojo does leave for somewhere else (namely Duke) if the right opportunity arises. Making a public show of confidence in Wojo and touting that his contract will be in effect through 2022 might help quash that a little bit.