Recruiting as of 11/15/24

[GOO]

Cheatham before, by about a month.

Bailey after, by about a year.

I doubt either was influenced much by the HE commitment, but that is just my guess. 

What I do know is that HE made the season much more enjoyable than it otherwise would have been.  Without HE, the fan interest and enjoyment of going to games would have been similar to 2014-15, and we would have lost more games.  I know an argument can be made that we would have been better without HE, but I just can't see it and don't believe it. 

Getting to watch one of the best if not the best true freshman ever at MU was enjoyable as a season ticket holder.  That much I do know for certain.  And I know that I enjoyed watching this team a lot more than 2014-15.

[NotAnAlum]

I know an argument can be made that we would have been better without HE, but I just can't see it and don't believe it.

I do not believe that last year's team would have been BETTER without HE.  However I think there was a clear Vibe that the team's play was there to showcase HE and that HE was treated differently.  HE did not get pulled for defensive lapses etc. That may have translated to Wally as well which may be one of the reasons Wally wasn't invited back.  So with the young guys having one more year of experience, the newcomers available AND with the TEAM playing only to win with everyone held to the same standard on both ends of the floor there may not be the same drop off as it would appear on paper.

[Herman Cain]

I do not believe that last year's team would have been BETTER without HE.  However I think there was a clear Vibe that the team's play was there to showcase HE and that HE was treated differently.  HE did not get pulled for defensive lapses etc. That may have translated to Wally as well which may be one of the reasons Wally wasn't invited back.  So with the young guys having one more year of experience, the newcomers available AND with the TEAM playing only to win with everyone held to the same standard on both ends of the floor there may not be the same drop off as it would appear on paper.

I agree with this analysis.

[Holy hell all time]

I do not believe that last year's team would have been BETTER without HE.  However I think there was a clear Vibe that the team's play was there to showcase HE and that HE was treated differently.  HE did not get pulled for defensive lapses etc. That may have translated to Wally as well which may be one of the reasons Wally wasn't invited back.  So with the young guys having one more year of experience, the newcomers available AND with the TEAM playing only to win with everyone held to the same standard on both ends of the floor there may not be the same drop off as it would appear on paper.

This "Hank was allowed to do what he wanted while other players were punished for mistakes" stuff is some of the dumbest stuff I've ever heard.

Hank could take the shots he wanted...because he had the talent to make shots that other guys did not.  What is a good shot for one player is not a good shot for all players, and what is a bad shot for one player is not a bad shot for all players.  Not every player has the same skillset and ability.

And if your role is to be an offensive presence and a rim protector, you may not be "punished" for getting beat off of a dribble drive from the perimeter while a guy whose role is to be the defensive stopper out on the perimeter might very well get subbed out when he gets beat off the dribble for being lazy.

If you have Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen on the same team, you're going to keep Tim Duncan on the court despite a mistake here or there more than you're going to keep Bruce Bowen on the court with the same mistake here or there, because if Bruce Bowen is giving up those mistakes, well he's probably a net negative, while Tim Duncan may make those mistakes but still be a huge net positive.

That doesn't mean that our entire season was just one big attempt to showcase Hank's skills and let him do as he pleases.  It means that we had one player who was significantly better than anybody else on our team, so our best chance at success was to have him on the court as much as possible and have him looking to score the ball as much as possible.

[BM1090]

I think we will be better this year than we were last year. But we would have been far worse last year without Henry.

[MU82]

This "Hank was allowed to do what he wanted while other players were punished for mistakes" stuff is some of the dumbest stuff I've ever heard.

Hank could take the shots he wanted...because he had the talent to make shots that other guys did not.  What is a good shot for one player is not a good shot for all players, and what is a bad shot for one player is not a bad shot for all players.  Not every player has the same skillset and ability.

And if your role is to be an offensive presence and a rim protector, you may not be "punished" for getting beat off of a dribble drive from the perimeter while a guy whose role is to be the defensive stopper out on the perimeter might very well get subbed out when he gets beat off the dribble for being lazy.

If you have Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen on the same team, you're going to keep Tim Duncan on the court despite a mistake here or there more than you're going to keep Bruce Bowen on the court with the same mistake here or there, because if Bruce Bowen is giving up those mistakes, well he's probably a net negative, while Tim Duncan may make those mistakes but still be a huge net positive.

That doesn't mean that our entire season was just one big attempt to showcase Hank's skills and let him do as he pleases.  It means that we had one player who was significantly better than anybody else on our team, so our best chance at success was to have him on the court as much as possible and have him looking to score the ball as much as possible.

Very well said.

No intelligent coach treats all players equally.

[Nukem2]

Yup, it is what it is.

[GOO]

I think we will be better this year than we were last year. But we would have been far worse last year without Henry.

Agree 100% with this... and I'll add that we would be an even better team this year with HE on it.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

This "Hank was allowed to do what he wanted while other players were punished for mistakes" stuff is some of the dumbest stuff I've ever heard.

Hank could take the shots he wanted...because he had the talent to make shots that other guys did not.  What is a good shot for one player is not a good shot for all players, and what is a bad shot for one player is not a bad shot for all players.  Not every player has the same skillset and ability.

And if your role is to be an offensive presence and a rim protector, you may not be "punished" for getting beat off of a dribble drive from the perimeter while a guy whose role is to be the defensive stopper out on the perimeter might very well get subbed out when he gets beat off the dribble for being lazy.

If you have Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen on the same team, you're going to keep Tim Duncan on the court despite a mistake here or there more than you're going to keep Bruce Bowen on the court with the same mistake here or there, because if Bruce Bowen is giving up those mistakes, well he's probably a net negative, while Tim Duncan may make those mistakes but still be a huge net positive.

That doesn't mean that our entire season was just one big attempt to showcase Hank's skills and let him do as he pleases.  It means that we had one player who was significantly better than anybody else on our team, so our best chance at success was to have him on the court as much as possible and have him looking to score the ball as much as possible.

I agree with all of this. I will say however, that HE Man was more inefficient than I would have liked from a star player. So while I will miss his rebounding and rim protecting sorely, I'm not sure his departure will be as big of a loss to our offense as one might initially assume.

[Holy hell all time]

I agree with all of this. I will say however, that HE Man was more inefficient than I would have liked from a star player. So while I will miss his rebounding and rim protecting sorely, I'm not sure his departure will be as big of a loss to our offense as one might initially assume.

I think we'll have a much better offense this year, but not because we free ourselves of Hank, but because we have more weapons.  If Hank came in 1 year later than he did (so this year) I think Hank would be a very efficient and probably dominant player, because there will be a lot more open space on the court this year than there was last year.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I think we'll have a much better offense this year, but not because we free ourselves of Hank, but because we have more weapons.  If Hank came in 1 year later than he did (so this year) I think Hank would be a very efficient and probably dominant player, because there will be a lot more open space on the court this year than there was last year.

I agree with this too. All I'm saying is that when a 16 ppg player leaves, it usually leaves a pretty big hole in the offense. I'm just suggesting that this hole will be easier to fill than you would typically expect from a 16 ppg player.

[bilsu]

I agree with all of this. I will say however, that HE Man was more inefficient than I would have liked from a star player. So while I will miss his rebounding and rim protecting sorely, I'm not sure his departure will be as big of a loss to our offense as one might initially assume.

It is hard to judge, because I think Henry being on the floor benefited both Fischer and Hannif. Without Henry teams will be able to concentrate on Fischer and without Henry Haanif may not be able to drive to basket so easily. Henry's effect on offense was more than his 17 points a game. I do agree that Wojo let Henry do what he wanted. He was allowed to play wherever he wanted on the floor. As many posters here complained about he spent to much time around the three point line. However, Henry being at the three point line may of opened up the lane for Haanif & JJJ to drive.

[real chili 83]

They probably will have more impactful years on the court at MU, but what we do not know is how many of them would of came if Wojo missed out on Henry.

Probably most as HE was a 1 and done before the season started.

[brewcity77]

IS MU leader of the pack for Joey's services as of right now?

If he committed today, I think we'd be the leader in the clubhouse, but it's really early. Kid isn't planning to make a decision for another year. Gard has really pushed hard and with Izzo already in and potentially other blue bloods to follow, this is far from done. We have Sam and we have a relationship with the family established.

I've heard a lot of good things about our chances with Joey, but it's a long way to go before he gives that verbal, and I'm sure Izzo won't be the only tough competition for his services.

[MuMark]

Jacob Epperson of AUSA PLATINUM  has just picked up offers from Marquette & Utah @VerbalCommits @EvanDaniels @NY2LASPORTSLIVE

Aussie Aussie Aussie!

[VegasWarrior77]

Sam Hauser ‏@Big_Smooth10  Jul 14
S/O to little bro @jjhouz24 on getting an offer from Michigan St!

Jon McNamara ‏@McNamaraRivals  Jul 14 Mequon, WI
Tom Izzo and Coach Wojo from Marquette will be watching Joey Hauser in a few minutes. All four #Badgers coaches as well.

[MU82]

If he committed today, I think we'd be the leader in the clubhouse, but it's really early. Kid isn't planning to make a decision for another year. Gard has really pushed hard and with Izzo already in and potentially other blue bloods to follow, this is far from done. We have Sam and we have a relationship with the family established.

I've heard a lot of good things about our chances with Joey, but it's a long way to go before he gives that verbal, and I'm sure Izzo won't be the only tough competition for his services.

I'm not a Hauser family expert like some of y'all. Have they been quoted as saying they really want to play together in college? Have the parents expressed those thoughts?

Sometimes, brothers want to make names for themselves. Other times, they really want to play together.

I think the way those questions are answered will go a long way toward where MU lands in the pecking order.

IMHO, the biggest factor will be Sam's experience at Marquette after a year or two. Does he love the school? Does he love Wojo and the rest of the coaches? Does he love his teammates? If Sam gives enthusiastic thumbs-up to all of them, and if Joey would rather play with Sam than go it alone, then Marquette would have a major advantage -- probably an unbeatable advantage -- in Joey's recruitment.

If Sam doesn't love his overall MU experience and/or if Joey doesn't necessarily want to be on the same team, well, that obviously would not bode well for us.

[brewcity77]

I'm not a Hauser family expert like some of y'all. Have they been quoted as saying they really want to play together in college? Have the parents expressed those thoughts?

I heard the parents did want them to play together and that would play a role in the decision. FWIW I heard that long before Sam committed to Marquette, and when Joey wasn't as highly regarded as he is now.

[Smokin' Jae]

Don't be surprised if we get a commitment from an international player this weekend. Definitely in the lead to land the kid.

[nyg]

Jacob Epperson of AUSA PLATINUM  has just picked up offers from Marquette & Utah @VerbalCommits @EvanDaniels @NY2LASPORTSLIVE

Aussie Aussie Aussie!

https://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/news/summer-jam-introduces-australian-big-man-epperson

[JakeBarnes]

Don't be surprised if we get a commitment from an international player this weekend. Definitely in the lead to land the kid.

Is that so? Source? Gut feeling?

[Smokin' Jae]

Is that so? Source? Gut feeling?

Yup, a friend of mine is an assistant at a high major program, said we're in the lead and there's a chance he may commit this weekend.

Obviously it's tough for international kids to take visits, so having him in town is huge.

He said it would be a really nice get, not a one and done by any stretch but would be a very solid four year player.

[Marcus92]

Epperstein clearly needs to add muscle and strength. But he brings a lot of skills to the table beyond being 6'11" — great anticipation for blocking shots, good hands, excellent court vision and passing, and a strong motor.

From this video at least, offense was limited to a short jump hook from the block and alley-oops.

Looks like he's getting more and more attention from high major schools. Think he would be a good addition for Marquette.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhhlN5hw_io

[Boone]

Smokin' Jae, please check your messages.

[Newsdreams]

Don't be surprised if we get a commitment from an international player this weekend. Definitely in the lead to land the kid.

#donedeal , hey?