Observer Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 I really think that Marquette, and DePaul, have bitten off more than they can chew in the Big East. I do not see either team achieving significant success in that league, and they may have compromised their chances to join a more appropriate conference-A 10-in the future. The more I see, the more I am impressed with SLUs move to the A-10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Law Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 >I really think that Marquette, and DePaul, have bitten off >more than they can chew in the Big East. I do not see >either team achieving significant success in that league, >and they may have compromised their chances to join a more >appropriate conference-A 10-in the future. The more I see, >the more I am impressed with SLUs move to the A-10. The Big East is home for Marquette. They will be just fine there. When you lose a Dwyane Wade and Robert Jackson and your senior PF/C becomes a timid mouse any team is going to struggle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 When the football schools get together after the next TV contract expires, we may see Marquette and Depaul in the A-10 anyway. But until then, they'd be remiss if they didn't at least give the "big-time" a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 after watching the game last nite, i agree on marquette. slu is no athletic jaugernaut, but imo, other than diener, there is not a starter on marquette's team that is a better player than what slu has. mason has athletic talent, but like our recent departee, jason edwin, doesnt appear to understand the game much (his intentional foul on sloan was a tide changer). i would take frericks in a second over any of the inside players that marquette has. while there is no denying novak has an instructional videolike jump shot, that about ends his contribution. i would rather have izik. fisher, bryant and drejaj are all more rounded players than all of the marquette guards except diener. as to depaul, i tend to disagree. that depaul team we saw in the second half (not sure where those guys were the first half) was a big time team. holland and brown are nba players. mejia is a big wiry point guard with a lot of athletic talent. we would kill for power forwards like greer and brumfield. they have the pf transfer, thompson transferring in from duke, they have one of the top 5 recruits in the nation coming in next year in swing man dorrell wright from kent prep (saw him at the shootout and he was fantastic, lavar seals and drake diener are nice guards. i actually think depaul talentwise might be the second or third most talented team in the league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Observer Posted February 19, 2004 Author Share Posted February 19, 2004 My point is, that while the A-10 may seem like a good move down the line for Marquette and DePaul, there may not be room for them if they are at the bottom of the Big East. Remember, there will be a number of prominent basketball schools looking for a new home when, as seems likely, the football schools cut them loose. I a quite happy to be getting away from Cinn and Louisville for academic and recruiting reasons. I would not like to be going with them at this time to the Big East. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Law Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 Thompson is going to Northwestern. Mason actually made a good move but didn't foul Sloan hard enough to stop him from shooting. A dunk would have been a HUGE momentum turner and really gotten the crowd fired up. Marquette got the lead back pretty quickly after that foul. You're looking through SLU Blue glasses in your player assessment, but I'd take Novak, Christian and Mason (those 2 more for potential though Mason has had some huge games this season) along with Diener over any SLU players. Would love for MU to have a bull like Frericks, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tseugnekillib Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 imo, there is no reason to feel sorry for Marquette. I was recently reminded that Marquette was a national program. They put the Big East on their plate, so I say, have at it! Between Marquette and DePaul, I wouldn't be surprised to see DePaul have more success as long as their current coach doesn't move over to St. John's or UConn someday. DePaul should be able to get some of the top players out of the Chicago area, and some of the top players out of the East, as well. Time will Tell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 as i said above, no denying novak has a beautiful shot, but that about ends it right there. no inside presence at all and no ball handling skills. he let a 6'1" guard stop him down the stretch. mason has big time potential, no doubt about that, but he would take his potential and sit right along side darren clarke and his potential at slu behind reggie, josh and drejaj. if you cant see that, you need to check your navy and gold glasses out. christian who? didnt notice him a bit last nite. he sure didnt stand out. like i said, i will take the billikens. in two games, they are a b.s. 5 second call from sweeping the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeseman Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 I don't blame MU and DP for going to the Big East - truth be told SLU would have loved to have been invited and we all were hoping for the bid. I do agree that the BE might have logistical issues as many of you have pointed out in the past. Time will only tell but either way, the Bills in the A10 was their best option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Law Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 you missed Christian on the ally-oop? He played well defensively on Reggie too. Very athletic but raw - going to be something special when he's done. By the way, you can claim a BS 5 second call, but there was BS over the back call on Merritt (how a player can come over the back when he has position and the guy he came "over the back" on is behind him) with about 20 seconds left that gave Izik 2 FT's with SLU up by one. From the JS: After a questionable foul call on an offensive rebound by Scott Merritt and a free throw by Saint Louis' Izik Ohanon. I'd say both teams are pretty much even this year and the games between them showed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 they are even because in both games diener just rolled. he was fantastic. probably the best player in the league. if this christian was guarding reggie, all i saw was someone getting away with murder grabbing and pulling and slapping reggie as he drove by them. we should submit the bruise marks to the cusa office this morning. if he is so athletic, why was reggie getting a step on him constantly forcing him to foul like he did all night. again, no way he plays ahead of josh, reggie or drejaj if on the billikens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Observer Posted February 19, 2004 Author Share Posted February 19, 2004 Don't speak for all of us. In the current setting, I much prefer the A-10 to the Big East. I would not want to be recruiting, for academic and philosophical reasons, against the likes of Cinn, Louisville in the Big East. I have seen the A-10 as an excellent fit for a long time with schools of similar academic and athletic backgrounds. I would expect that it can be expanded with similar institutions such as Georgetown, Villanova and, perhaps DePaul/Marquette when the crunch comes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tseugnekillib Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 Marquette was offered an invite to the Big East and they made the correct decision in accepting the offer. Now they live with that decision. As with all programs, they will have to recruit extremely well to operate in the upper half of the revised Big East. Average recruiting won't get it done. Too bad Travis Diener will be gone their first year in the new league. He is mighty fine player! They may win fewer league games, but the $$$$$ should be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Law Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 if he is so athletic, why was reggie getting a step on him constantly because he had to chase Reggie though 2 and 3 well-set screens every possession. The key was that he was closing out on Reggie and preventing open looks for him. Christian, however, does make the freshman mistake of gambling on D too often, however. But, at least he's being aggressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 but you would still take him right now (not potential) over reggie, josh and drejaj? no way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Law Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 right now, I'd take Josh and Reggie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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