Trey McDonald

[Pakuni]

Michigan needs interior help more than Marquette needs it.  I would be shocked if they never looked at McDonald.

McDonald took an unofficial to Michigan in May, so obviously there was some interest.
It could be as simple as McDonald not fitting into the mold of a Beilien post player (think Pittsnoggle) or Beilien's offense, which doesn't utilize much back to the basket play from post players. McDonald, at this point, doesn't seem to be a kid that's going to hurt anyone from outside 12 feet, which would seem to make him a less-than-ideal fit in Beilien's system.

http://michigan.scout.com/2/981731.html

[4everwarriors]

Some of this discussion reads like people trying to convince themselves we're in on a hot commodity big.

[Pakuni]

Some of this discussion reads like people trying to convince themselves we're in on a hot commodity big.

Some of this discussion reads like people trying to convince themselves we're on par with Michigan State and Duke.

[willie warrior]

So, we, as a program, have reached the point that we don't need athletic big-bodies that need coaching.   We are too good for 3-star 6'9" projects.   Let the banners fly!   A 6 month old video showing a big kid with decent footwork who is not having a phenomenal day and we are too good for him?!?!    Man, we got spoiled in a hurry.   

Yes, we have reached that point as a program.

[TedBaxter]

Nice support shown for the Marquette coaching staff.   Recruiting is hard enough without the schools internet fans making criticisms.

Do some of you people who are making the criticisms even realize the young man has been to Marquette unofficially, played in open gym with some of the players, is considered to be the type of player who will work hard and just turned 17 or maybe hasn't even turned 17 yet?  He's on the younger side for his class.

Over half the battle in college basketball is between the ears and if Trey McDonald has the ability and desire to work hard and improve at Marquette, I'm all for MU recruiting him.  Thats the whole rub.  You want kids who want to play at Marquette and that's what Buzz is trying to find out.

I guess we'll know after this weekend.

[bilsu]

How good a player is as a high school junior does not matter as much as how hard the player is willing to work to get better. As long as he is willing to work hard and is satisfied with his playing time than we should recruit him. 13 players are not going to play regularly. The bottom 3 or 4 players are practice players that hopefully will contribute when they become upper classmen.

[GGGG]

Nice support shown for the Marquette coaching staff.   Recruiting is hard enough without the schools internet fans making criticisms.

Do some of you people who are making the criticisms even realize the young man has been to Marquette unofficially, played in open gym with some of the players, is considered to be the type of player who will work hard and just turned 17 or maybe hasn't even turned 17 yet?  He's on the younger side for his class.

+1 on all counts.  The criticism based on a video is ridiculous...bordering on shameful.

[willie warrior]

If the guy is so good, and the comments I made was based on his shooting in the video why have not his home state schools offerred him?

Why is that criticism, when thery are merely observations?

We should be shooting higher. We have had projects at Center--O'Tule etc. gardner may prove out. We do not need another project.

[GGGG]

Willie...this has been explained over and over.  MSU isn't in our league.  Michigan had him for an unofficial and it didn't work out...probably because he doesn't fit their style.

Every program, except for the very top, have big man projects.  Look at Zoubek at Duke last year.  The guy was considered a complete disappointment after his junior year, but he had a solid senior year and they wouldn't have won the tournament without him.   Big men in high school tend to dominate while being sloppy because they are tall.  It takes awhile to work with them.

[HoopsMalone]

The fact that not every 3-star big man turns out is the exact reason why we need to get one every year.  If you get to a point where you have one every year, so 4 on the team, you can redshirt one and survive injuries/foul trouble.  Zoubek is a great example, and look at Barro and Burke at Marquette. 

Lazar played the 5 last year and proved that interior players can come to MU and get paid if they work hard.  He did a lot of damage inside and learned to play strong interior defense under Buzz.  Lazar was out of position yes, but still showed that Buzz can develop an interior player.  Shaw and McDonald should see that.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Hell hath most surely frozen over.

Mr. "We Need a Big!!!" does a complete 180 and now that we have a Big showing interest in MU he's suddenly not good enough?  Jesus H. Christ!  What's wrong with you?  Can't you ever just be happy?  

You have been begging for Buzz to land a big guy for months and now there's one who may be about to bite...and he's not good enough based on ONE video you saw and the fact that MSU hasn't been slobbering all over him?  

[Ready2Fly]

Hell hath most surely frozen over.

Mr. "We Need a Big!!!" does a complete 180 and now that we have a Big showing interest in MU he's suddenly not good enough?  Jesus H. Christ!  What's wrong with you?  Can't you ever just be happy?  

You have been begging for Buzz to land a big guy for months and now there's one who may be about to bite...and he's not good enough based on ONE video you saw and the fact that MSU hasn't been slobbering all over him?  

Perfect summation of the horrid logic being thrown around in this thread.  We have to start getting a guy rated in McDonald's range every year.  When you do that, they have time to develop by practicing against the older guys, and you always have one waiting in the wings.  When you finally develop one of them into an NBA draft pick, then the legit 4 star centers start taking you seriously.  What is so difficult to understand about that?

[MarkCharles]

+1 on all counts.  The criticism based on a video is ridiculous...bordering on shameful.

Absolutely. First, I didn't think the video was THAT bad. There were some glimpses there, and this was against top AAU competition.

Programs like WVU, Ohio St., Minnesota, and Wake Forest have shown interest since AFTER this video. That is enough for me. And he would be the highest ranked high school big we've signed since at least Scott Merritt, and that was a decade ago. Can someone explain to me we're suddenly above a big guy like this? Because we have a bunch of 4 star shooting guards?? Come on...

Seriously everyone, we all like the direction Marquette basketball is going. Hopefully in 5 years we will be above signing a guy like this, but we are most definitely not there yet. We are absolutely, 100% not above Trey McDonald. He is exactly the type of player we need to sign to get us going in the right direction in regard to bigs.

[Canadian Dimes]

Big tall athletic kid....sounds great to me.  Hope he has a great visit and verbals come Monday!!!

[GGGG]

Absolutely. First, I didn't think the video was THAT bad. There were some glimpses there, and this was against top AAU competition.

Programs like WVU, Ohio St., Minnesota, and Wake Forest have shown interest since AFTER this video. That is enough for me. And he would be the highest ranked high school big we've signed since at least Scott Merritt, and that was a decade ago.

Wow...  Let's let that sink in for a second.  This guy is ranked way above where Otule was, slightly above where Devante Gardner was, and we shouldn't take him?

Please...I hope the McDonald family doesn't believe all the bozos on this board are representative of the MU basketball community at large.

[HoopsMalone]

Same video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sOBlMCVHLc

Check out at 1:44.  He does a back to the basket post move and finishes with a left-handed (weak hand) hook over the defender.

That is all I need to see out of a kid his age.  Get him to Marquette.  The coaches can make him a D1 athlete. 

[Daniel]

McDonald and one more from the top recruit list would really round out this recruiting class - GO Buzz, and GO MARQUETTE!

[MuMark]

So the kid is good enough to get offers from West Virginia, UCONN, Miami, Wake Forest and Arkansas but because Michigan didn't pursue him he is not good enough for MU? 

My understanding is that Ohio State is also seriously involved.


"I'm working on narrowing it down a little bit, and then I'm going to take a couple of visits," said McDonald. "West Virginia, Marquette and DePaul are now in the picture. The only visit I've set up is Marquette, but I'm working on the other ones. I'll start taking my unofficials on the 17th [of August]."

Those three along with Wake Forest, UConn, Arkansas, Miami and South Florida are among the schools that have offered, while Purdue and others are showing interest.

[MuMark]

ESPN evaluation on Trey.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/118608/trey-mcdonald

[Aughnanure]

Reggie Rankin likes McDonald - 

@ReggieRankin: Trey McDonald (MI) is a big time sleeper. A true post player with excellent upside.

[MarkCharles]

I don't want him. Not good enough for me.

[TheFarEastMovement]

Absolutely. First, I didn't think the video was THAT bad. There were some glimpses there, and this was against top AAU competition.

Programs like WVU, Ohio St., Minnesota, and Wake Forest have shown interest since AFTER this video. That is enough for me. And he would be the highest ranked high school big we've signed since at least Scott Merritt, and that was a decade ago. Can someone explain to me we're suddenly above a big guy like this? Because we have a bunch of 4 star shooting guards?? Come on...

Seriously everyone, we all like the direction Marquette basketball is going. Hopefully in 5 years we will be above signing a guy like this, but we are most definitely not there yet. We are absolutely, 100% not above Trey McDonald. He is exactly the type of player we need to sign to get us going in the right direction in regard to bigs.

You just said something like this not too long ago.

[GGGG]

He was being sarcastic, but didnt use teal.

[MarkCharles]

He was being sarcastic, but didnt use teal.

yup.

I don't use teal.

[HoopsMalone]

Any word on McDonald?  Was he confirmed to be at Madness?