Game thoughts...

[IrwinFletcher]

It can be hard to take anything from games like these. You think guys might look good, but competition is poor so hard to get a good read.

We are going to have trouble scoring some nights because we can't shoot. It was REALLY important that Jake and JJJ dropped in some 3's tonight to help their confidence moving forward.

Burton is a beast. a non stop motor and when he learns to finish, he could be a baby Gardner.

Dawson looked a lot more comfortable out there tonight and you can see some glimpses of what he can be. Defense will be a work in process for him but he looks promising.

I know it was garbage time, but JJJ looked like a different player after his triple went through. More confident moving around out there. Will be a good player, the question is can he help us in December as we need a shooter.

De Wilson is a nice player and should be back up PG. Solid defense and is a good passer, but he just doesn't attack the rim and cannot shoot at all. Dylan Flood has scored more points this season the De Wil.

I have been a Steve Taylor fan since he stepped on the court last year. Nice game for him and a glimpse of what he can do. If he can develop a shot out to 18 feet, he could be really good.

Not confident about Saturday. I think we will have trouble scoring against a good defensive OSU team.

[Hamostradamus]

How do you solve a problem like Deonte? I would hate to have to defend against him. He's too big for a guard and too fast for a big.

[The Reptile]

Maybe Derrick is being a good soldier and doing what Buzz is asking him to do? And maybe as a leader and team-first guy he goes along with it. And maybe his 10 assists were more important to the team than anyone's gaudy points line. Just some food for thought since nobody knows what the game plan was.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

Anyone taking away from this game that Derrick should be anyone's backup is discounting two things:

1) The opponent was Grambling.
2) Derrick had an excellent game and was the best PG on the floor.

[TheSultan]

De Wilson is a nice player and should be back up PG. Solid defense and is a good passer, but he just doesn't attack the rim and cannot shoot at all. Dylan Flood has scored more points this season the De Wil.


Who should he back up?

There is more to a basketball than having five guys that can put the ball in the basket.

[Nukem2]

That zone defense Grambling played last night has to be absolutely the worst zone I've ever seen. Hard to imagine a zone more penetrable than the one MU faced last night. Obviously puts an asterisk next to some of the gaudy stats MU posted last night. At least the guys were able to recognize and take advantage of the (many, many) weaknesses in that zone.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

Agreed, Grambling's D was absolutely awful. We should know much more about this team after Saturday, and even then we won't know fully what we have. I'd say we should know what we have by start of conference play.

[MU88]

Anyone taking away from this game that Derrick should be anyone's backup is discounting two things:

1) The opponent was Grambling.
2) Derrick had an excellent game and was the best PG on the floor.

Well, in some respects, Derrick was the best. In others, not so much. Derrick is a good overall defender and gets MU in their sets. Dawson is an okay on-ball defender, not a very good defender otherwise yet, but he is a better passer and a much better offensive player in general. A couple of Dawson's bullet passes to guys underneath were absolutely terrific. Dawson is simply more aggressive and puts much more pressure on the defense. Derrick feeds the post. Doesn't take risks. Slows the team down. I think MU has the potential to be a better team with Dawson playing the point. Right now, they are a much more consistent team with Wilson playing the point. As Dawson becomes more consistent, I think you will see him taking more and more time away from Wilson.

[kneelb4zerg]

Well, in some respects, Derrick was the best. In others, not so much. Derrick is a good overall defender and gets MU in their sets. Dawson is an okay on-ball defender, not a very good defender otherwise yet, but he is a better passer and a much better offensive player in general. A couple of Dawson's bullet passes to guys underneath were absolutely terrific. Dawson is simply more aggressive and puts much more pressure on the defense. Derrick feeds the post. Doesn't take risks. Slows the team down. I think MU has the potential to be a better team with Dawson playing the point. Right now, they are a much more consistent team with Wilson playing the point. As Dawson becomes more consistent, I think you will see him taking more and more time away from Wilson.

Just amazing that you can draw all those conclusions from two games.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

Dawson is an okay on-ball defender, not a very good defender otherwise yet, but he is a better passer and a much better offensive player in general. A couple of Dawson's bullet passes to guys underneath were absolutely terrific. Dawson is simply more aggressive and puts much more pressure on the defense. Derrick feeds the post. Doesn't take risks. Slows the team down. I think MU has the potential to be a better team with Dawson playing the point. Right now, they are a much more consistent team with Wilson playing the point. As Dawson becomes more consistent, I think you will see him taking more and more time away from Wilson.

Do you get up and go for snacks when DeWil is in? He fed the post, whipped in some beautiful bullet passes, had that great alley-oop to Burton, and had at least 2 more assists that Taylor and Gardner should have finished but instead fumbled out of bounds.

One of my problems with fans is they seem incapable of changing opinions. No, DeWil hasn't scored, but he's been our best offensive point guard so far. His passing and creation against Grambling was excellent. I swear, people aren't watching how he has improved his game, they are just parroting their fears from last year.

It's like how some people still think Blue hasn't improved his shot mechanics, can't see the differences in Gardner's defensive game, or think Otule still doesn't have any post moves.

[bleedbluegold03]

i think most people's fears revolve around that the guy cant. shoot. if I am Ohio State and Thad Matta, Derrick Wilson at PG means I can have Aaron Craft hawk the 2 guard and wing forward positions as well.

without a offensive minded PG, it puts more pressure defensively on the other 4 players.

That being said, he had a great game last night and does promise minimal turnovers, which Craft thrives off of

[TheSultan]

Not sure how a PG got 10 assists in 20 minutes without being "offensive minded"...but whatever.