Top 100 Recruits

UPDATED
I realized after this was originally posted that I tried to compare offensive efficiency for a team (points per 100 possessions) to an individual's Offensive Rating (which is a complex formula). That's a no-no. I guess it means that it's been too long since I've done real basketball analysis. guh

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One of the things I am looking forward to most about this season is that it is completely up in the air. In a somewhat down Big EAST, Marquette could legitimately finish anywhere from 4th to 14th. I'm particularly excited to see how all of the various new players will perform this season, partially for the same reason. No one knows what to expect, especially with such a huge influx of new talent.

The question of what we expect from the new players drove me to take a look at Top 100 recruits in the Big East, and how they performed in their first year.

Thanks to the help from bma and statsheet.com, I tracked down every Top 100 recruit for the Big EAST from 2005 through last year. Because there were a number of puts and takes, this list may have some inaccuracies.

Over this four year period, there were 89 players listed as Top 100 by one recruiting service or another.

• The heavy hitters were exactly what you'd expect: Georgetown (10 players), Louisville (9), Syracuse (9), UConn (8)
• Marquette had five top 100 players. You know their names (James, McNeal, Matthews, Hayward, Mbakwe)
• In somewhat surprising information, Rutgers had six Top 100 players.
• South Florida was the only Big EAST team with zero Top 100 players
• It's important to note that ten of the players in this pool (including Mbakwe) end up as incompletes due to injuries or lack of production. I actually consider this somewhat good news, because I would have expected the percentage to be a lot higher.
  

Over this period, how did these players perform their first year on the team?

Somewhat surprisingly, the average first year player, even as a Top 100 recruit, was... average. Seriously, the average of the remaining 79 players was an offensive rating of 100.4 and a usage of 20.6%. It doesn't get much more average than that. The first point that this brings up is that even Top 100 recruits are most likely not very efficient offensive players.

In fact, 70% of the Top 100 recruits in their first year had an offensive rating of 105 or less. Here is the breakdown of all of the players.


As you can see, I've broken down the players into four quadrants of Stud, Role Player, Ball Hog, and Non-Factor. They are surprisingly consistent across categories (20 Studs, 19 Role Players, 17 Ball Hogs, and 23 Non-Factors.

• Stud - A player that has an above average offensive rating and an above average usage is a first year stud. These are players like Jerome Dyson, Greg Monroe, Samardo Samuels, DeJuan Blair, Jonny Flynn, and Scottie Reynolds. You know every single player on this list
• Role Player - A player with above average offensive rating and a below average usage. They're not the focal point, but they are efficient on the court. In their first year, role players include Jeff Adrien, Kemba Walker, Austin Freeman, Jerry Smith, Kyle McAlarney, and Levance Fields
• Ball Hog - A player that is below average offensively but above average in terms of usage. Guys in this category include Deonta Vaughn, Wilson Chandler, Chris Wright, Derrick Caracter, Mike Rosario, and Paul Harris. These guys put up points but hurt the team.
  
• Non-Factors - Below average offensively and in terms of usage. Many of these players prompted a "who?" when I saw their names. Sometimes the players just need time (like Thabeet), but often, these guys simply become role players later, like Andre McGee or Reggie Redding. Or they don't contribute at all later.
  

Again, this is a view of how Top 100 players perform in their first year. So the second point is that there is a pretty even split as to whether or not these players will be true studs, simple role players, ball hogs, or even just a non-factor on offense.

I'm sure you'll note that I didn't mention any Marquette players in the list above. How did they do in their first year?


James was a legit stud his first year, with an offensive rating of 104.9 and a usage of 27.7%. McNeal was a true ball-hog that first year, consuming almost the same amount of possessions (27.1%) with an offensive rating of 87.7. woof. Lazar and Wesley were basically average players (100.5, 99.1, respectively) with slightly above average usage (22.5% each).

The good and the bad news


Here is how last year's top five players (JB = Jimmy Butler) would have stacked up against the same list of first year players. The Big Four were all studs, with offensive ratings and usage above average. It's no surprise that players improve over time. So even if the guys joining the team next year are sub-par with their offensive ratings, they can still get a lot better. That's the good news.

I previously mentioned that 70% of top 100 recruits have an offensive rating of 105 or below. Well, Marquette had four of its top five players above an offensive rating of 105. The only one of the top five producers not above 105? James, who was right there at 104.0. Heck... even Dwight Burke would have qualified as a solid role player (ORtg 109.9, usage of 9.9%). To put it another way, Marquette was a very good offensive team last year. If you are expecting a team that looks nearly as good offensively on the court as last year's team, well... that's the bad news. Even Top 100 recruits rarely match the level of production we saw last year.

Looking at Marquette's Top 100 Recruits
(I'll look at Darius Johnson-Odom and Dwight Buycks separately)

Barring injury, Erik Williams, Junior Cadougan, and Jeronne Maymon will receive somewhere close to the average number of possessions. The number of possessions they receive will probably be the most important aspect of how they perform in their first year and there are plenty of possessions to go around.

While it's almost certain that their offensive skills will be limited, there appears to be a chance that one (or more) of them will shine as a true first year stud. However, it also appears that one (or more) of them may end up as a ball hog. Regardless, even if these highly touted recruits struggle offensively, we should expect to see them grow into more offensively efficient players in subsequent years.

MU adds aircraft carrier to 2009 recruiting class

In a stunning development this week Marquette announced the signing of Youssoupha Mbao, a 7'2", 215-pound center from Dakar, Senegal. Per Rosiak's thorough article from today's paper the big fella was also being recruited by Kentucky, USC and Virginia Tech but opted to sign with Marquette on his official visit this week.

Mbao played ball at Stoneridge Prep last year in Simi Valley, California last year averaging 13 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks per game and will have four years of eligibility at MU. Rosiak spoke with Tony Benford, who led MU's pursuit of Mbao, for more details on the newest member of the program.

Mbao rounds out what can only be called a spectacular collection of basketball players in Buzz Williams' first full recruiting class, a group that Hoop Scoop previously ranked as the nation's best. Mbao, who is ranked #125 in the 2009 recruiting class, joins an accomplished group that already included 6'9" Brett Roseboro, 6'6" Jeronne Maymon, 6'8" Erik Williams, 6'3" Dwight Buycks, and 6"2" Darius Johnson-Odom.

As they say, 'you can't teach height' and heading into future seasons the Warriors will have plenty of bigs for the rotation. With Mbao signed, Buzz Williams has three players in the stable at 6'10" or taller with sophomores-to-be Chris Otule (6'10") and Liam McMorrow (7'1") joining the newest Warrior in the Aircraft Carrier Section of the roster. Incredibly, despite losing two of its bigger players to graduation or transfer after the season, the Golden Eagles could enter next year with ten players standing 6'6" or taller.

Or will they......

With Mbao signing his national letter of intent the 2009-2010 roster is over-subscribed by one scholarship player. With 10 potential players on the frontline, attrition with the bigs is most definitely in order -- something I never thought I'd say about the Marquette program. Clearly the coaching staff is prepared for another player departure, and one possibility is a medical waiver. With Joseph Fulce's inability to contribute after his early-season knee injury and the silence surrounding Liam McMorrow's status, the notion is not far-fetched. Essentially, an injured player would forgo future eligibility due to a medical condition but remain on scholarship at the university. In turn, the program would recoup the use of an athletic scholarship for use with another eligible player, in this case Mbao. With finals coming up in a couple of weeks, we'll find out soon enough.

Nevertheless, in just one calendar year Buzz Williams completely transformed the makeup of the team. The coach quickly re-charted the direction of the program away from a dependency on undersized, redundant backcourt talent in favor of taller, longer players that naturally fit into the five positions on the floor while also re-distributing players within class years (MUScoop's handy Scholarship Table sorts out the large yet balanced incoming 2009 class)

Additional Updates

• Speaking of height and roster makeovers, don't forget that heading into 2010-2011, MU will welcome 6'10" Monterale Clark to the team. Clark, a native Milwaukeean currently playing JUCO ball in Texas, signed his LOI with MU earlier this year. Rosiak filed this report on the local product here.
• Finally, the annual Basketball Banquet was held last night on campus - here's the recap from the MU folks.

Marquette receives commitment from JUCO Guard Darius Johnson-Odom

No it's not an April Fools joke, Buzz Williams has done it again. Only days after many MU fans were disappointed to lose out on Darius Smith, Marquette has received a verbal commitment from Darius Johnson-Odom, one of the most sought after JUCO guards in the country. Johnson-Odom had interest from many top schools around the country including Pitt, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Johnson-Odom averaged 21.6 points and 4.6 assists this year for Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, one of the top JUCO programs in the country. Originally thought to be a Class of 2010 prospect, according to Jeff Goodman from Fox Sports, Johnson-Odom recently received word that he is eligible and will have three years to play at Marquette.

Stay tuned to Cracked Sidewalks for further updates on MU's most recent commitment.

Todd Rosiak has an informative Q/A with Johnson-Odom -- who's been interested in MU for some time, and is holding his own academically.

Jeronne Maymon makes room in his trophy case

Call it a clean sweep for Jeronne Maymon.

The 6'6" forward, Buzz Williams' first commit as head coach, last week was named the state's Mr. Basketball and last night was announced as the 2008-2009 Associated Press Player of the Year. Maymon, who won the AP award last year as well, secured his legacy as one of the most dominant high school players in the history of the state.

Maymon averaged 18 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game this season. The 6'6" strongman saved his best for last as he dominated the state title game with 25 points and 12 boards in Memorial's convincing 56-41 victory over Racine Horlick.

Maymon was a unanimous choice for first-team all-state in this year's AP balloting along with fellow first-teamers Jamil Wilson and his Memorial high school teammate Vander Blue. Maymon compiled a gaudy 94-9 record in four varsity seasons at Madison Memorial.

Recruiting Update...DaShonte Riley

After his official visit to Marquette on 2/25, word was that DaShonte Riley would make his college decision by the end of the following week. It appears now that he has stuck to that plan. As first reported by Syracuse.com and now confirmed by Jim Ganzer over at the Sports Bubbler, Riley has made his decision and will be playing for the Syracuse Orange next year.

Riley had been recruited by Buzz Williams since he chose not to sign with Georgetown during the fall period. Ranked in the top 100 by most recruiting services, Riley had seen his stock drop as of late, including falling completely out of the Rivals.com Top 100. He received interest from schools such as Marquette, Syracuse, Cal, LSU and Virginia when he reopened his recruiting last fall, before declaring that he would choose between MU and Syracuse nearly two weeks ago.

So where does this leave Marquette? We all know that MU is out of scholarships for the 2009 class and would have been over the limit had Riley committed. We also know that Buzz Williams is still actively recruiting players in the class of 2009. Time will tell whether any of those players, or perhaps players we haven't heard about yet chose to come to MU. All we can guarantee at this point is that it will be an interesting few weeks leading up to the April signing period.

Stay tuned for a comprehensive recruiting update on the Class of 2009 and beyond in the coming weeks.

Erik Williams' high school coach tells all

Today we're pleased to welcome John Harmatuk to Cracked Sidewalks. Coach Tuk is the head basketball coach at Cy Springs High School in Houston, Texas where he coaches current MU commit Erik Williams. Erik is one of the top five players in the Houston area, one of the top 100 recruits in the country and was the first player to commit to MU from the class of 2009.

Here's a Q/A about Erik that Coach Tuk was kind enough to provide to us. When you are done reading the Q/A, check out the latest entry on his blog -- a terrific article which details Erik's performance this season. Enjoy.

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How is Erik performing this season for Cy Springs?
Erik averages about 24 pts 12 rebounds and almost 6 blocks a game. His numbers have been there all season, all we need him to do now is bring intensity to every possession. If you check his stats, he will have a majority of his points in a half. For example 26 of his 33 against Langham Creek was in the second half. He struggles with maintaining energy every possession, as do most talented high school kids. He is really working on this because he knows in order to get minutes next season, he must stay focused every possession.

Last season Erik suffered a significant foot injury, has he fully recovered from that? Do you think his athleticism has been compromised due to the injury?
Erik actually broke his foot, it's called a Jones fracture and its pretty common with taller basketball players. His foot is fully healed. He has some lingering affects of over compensation (soreness in other areas, etc...) but he is fully healed from the injury. After strength coach Todd Smith gets him, you will see just how athletic Erik plays.

Erik is listed at 6'7", does he project to be a shooting guard or a wing at the college level?
Erik has to prove who he can guard before you can label him a position. I need him to protect the paint; block shots and rebound. So he doesn't get the opportunity to guard the ball on the perimeter very often. He will have to get better guarding the ball before he can be a 2or3 at the college level.

What parts of Erik's game have shown the most improvement this season?
I would say not allowing poor offense to affect the rest of his game. He is our only player with any experience, my next two best players are a freshman and sophomore, so Erik has had to shoulder a huge load. For example he had 32pts 15 rebs and 16 blocks against Cy-Fair and we lost in overtime. Teams are throwing a box and 1, double teams, etc... and Erik has let that affect the rest of his game. Last Friday vs a box and 1, however, he had 6pts, but 12 rebs and 11 blocks. He needs to make plays besides just scoring.

What parts of his game will need the most work as he enters college?
Guarding the ball, full attention to every possession on both ends of the court, and strength. He also needs to tighten up all other parts of his game. By that I mean, play more compact, more balanced and more efficient. He just uses his length to beat people at the high school level. Next season he will have to improve his footwork to be more efficient, tighten up his ball handling, be stronger with the ball going to the rim.


I believe you coached former Golden Eagle Karon Bradley. Did Karon's experience at Marquette concern you when Erik showed interest in the program?
Not at all, Karon was not ready from a maturity standpoint to handle the rigors of major college basketball. Erik is the most mature kid I have coached. He understands that to reach his potential as a basketball player he needs a demanding coach and a competitive atmosphere. If Erik buys into the level of intensity Buzz brings, he has a chance to be a special player. It is all up to Erik and he know this.

Erik committed early to Marquette. Were you surprised he ended his recruiting so early (and committed to a school away from home)?
Not at all, I was actually with him on his first trip to Marquette. Later that night he called his brother and said this is the place for me. It is a basketball institution, its a Jesuit education which appeases his parents, and the type of players Marquette attracts are kids like Erik. He was comfortable at Marquette the moment he stepped on campus.

What is the most surprising aspect of Williams' game that will impress Marquette hoops fans?
He is a great shot blocker. He has the best timing/coordination combination I have seen at the high school level. He blocks shots with his left hand in order to get his body out of the way. He has had several double digit block games this year, including a school record 16 against Cy-Fair.

Thanks, Coach!

Prep Ticket interviews Junior Cadougan

Prep Ticket recently posted this video featuring point guard recruit Junior Cadougan. In the video Cadougan explains why he chose Marquette and the benefits of playing high school basketball in the US. Well done, fellas.


Find more videos like this on PrepTicket

By the way, Cadougan's Houston-area Marquette counterpart Erik Williams is playing at an extraordinary level so far this season. According to Jim Hicks at RCS Sports, Williams opened the season by scoring 33, 31, 28 and 33 points through the first four games. At 31.2 points per game, Williams led the Houston area in scoring through November 25. Thing is, he added to that lead the next night when he went for 34 points as Cypress Springs won 75-57 win over Spring. Following the game, the Spring coach said "We held him to 34. He obviously is a very talented kid.”

Marquette announces recruiting class

Tonight Buzz Williams introduced his first recruiting class as head coach at Marquette University. The five-member class is regarded as one of the deepest and most balanced classes in years at MU, highlighted by three consensus national Top 100 players.

Here's a bit on each player who will hit the floor for MU next season:

Dwight Buycks, 6-3, 185 pound combo guard, Milwaukee, WI (Indian Hills Junior College, IA)
"Dwight is able to help immediately replace what we are losing on the perimeter," coach Buzz Williams said. "Jeff Kidder is one of, if not the best, junior college coaches in the country and the 200 practices and 70 games Dwight will have already been a part of when he arrives, allows him to add an element of experience that is desperately needed." A NJCAA Division I Preseason First Team All-America selection at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa, under head coach Jeff Kidder in 2008-09, the Warriors also topped the national team rankings in the preseason.


Junior Cadougan, 6-1, 195 pound point guard, Toronto, Canada (Christian Life Academy, Humble TX)
"As I have said before, we want to recruit really good players, who have the ability to pass, dribble, and shoot and display a level of toughness that is evident on both ends of the court on every possession," coach Buzz Williams said. A consensus top-75 player by nationally recognized recruiting services, Cadougan is currently ranked 12th by HoopScoopOnline.com, 27th by Hoopmasters.com, 50th by Scout.com (5th-best point guard), 60th by Rivals.com and owns the 65th position in the ESPNU.com 100.



Jeronne Maymon, 6-6, 230 pound forward, Madison, Wisconsin (Memorial)
"Jeronne was the second player to commit in this class, but the first commitment once I was hired as the head coach," coach Buzz Williams said. "We want to recruit from the inside out and having him commit so early in my tenure allowed those words to become reality and we will forever be grateful for that." A consensus top-100 player by nationally recognized recruiting services, Maymon is currently ranked 23rd by HoopsScoopOnline.com, 46th by Rivals.com, 65th by Hoopmasters.com, 75th by Scout.com and 76th in the ESPNU.com 100.



Brett Roseboro, 6-10, 230 pound center, Quakertown, PA (Quakertown)
"Looking at my career path, it is not difficult to figure out that I like people who have had to `play from behind,'" coach Buzz Williams said. From my initial meeting with Brett and his family, I knew right away that he would be another important piece to this class, because of the obstacles he has had to overcome not only as a player, but also as a person. I am completely convinced that Brett will have great success here, and will represent many of Marquette's core values, not only in how he plays, but in what he will bring to our institution as a student."



Erik Williams, 6-7, 200 pound wing forward, Cypress, TX (Cy Springs)
"Erik was the first commitment in this class when I was an assistant and stayed true to his word from start to finish," coach Buzz Williams said. "In our program, trust and loyalty are cornerstone beliefs and we are grateful to have Erik join us. He plays in the largest classification in the state of Texas and has played against great competition throughout his career thus far." A consensus top-100 player by nationally recognized recruiting services, Williams is ranked 14th by HoopsScoopOnline.com, 30th by Hoopmasters.com, 96th by Scout.com, 97th by ESPNU.com and 99th by Rivals.com, despite missing most of his junior year because of injury.


Based on reports, Marquette is actively recruiting more players from the 2009 class including Chris Colvin, Jamil Wilson, Darius Smith and Sherrod Wright.

Stay tuned.

*Photos courtesy of Marquette University Athletic Department

Recruits set timelimes for decisions

The national early signing period runs from November 12 - 19 and three names linked to Marquette updated their status in recent days.

High school All-American guard Michael Snaer of California will announce his decision on Wednesday and has narrowed his list to Kansas, Florida State and Marquette according to TheShiver.com. Snaer, one of the top 30 players in the nation, has apparently scratched Missouri off of his list of finalists. Gary Bedore from the Lawrence Journal-World spoke with Snaer before filing this report.

Chicago Whitney Young point guard Chris Colvin is no longer considering Marquettte per a report in the Chicago Sun-Times. Colvin is set to decide between Illinois, USC, Washington State, Iowa State and Providence on November 19. Still, you never know with Colvin, who's recruiting has been a wild roller coaster ride -- per a thread at MUScoop citing a Scout.com report, the kid still has MU on his list. Let's wait until the ink is dry on his LOI, one way or another.

Meanwhile, 6'4" shooting guard Sherrod Wright took an official visit to South Carolina last weekend. While Adam Zagoria reports that MU is a "legitimate" player for the latest star from Mount Vernon, no official visit has been set. The State reports Wright has offers from MU, South Carolina, Charlotte and Providence.

....and the other shoe drops

With the Brett Roseboro commitment in-hand, Marquette coach Buzz Williams further narrowed the scope of his recruiting yesterday when he informed Racine's Jamil Wilson that he was no longer recruiting the 6'7" forward.

The reliable Mark Miller from the Wisconsin Sports Network and Wishoops.net broke the news yesterday afternoon. Talk about it on MUScoop.

By adding Roseboro to a group that already includes combo forward Jeronne Maymon, wing forward Erik Williams, point guard Junior Cadougan and combo guard Dwight Buycks, the Warriors have a balanced class hitting campus next summer. Unlike the tired Tom Crean strategy of over-recruiting at a key position or three, Williams seems to prefer a more diverse pool of talent, betting that a complementary mix of skills will take the program further than a kluge of redundant talent.

This is a good sign for the direction of the program.

As we've seen during the Three Amigos' tenure, excellence in just a few areas of the game can take a program only so far. In the case of James, McNeal and Matthews, 'so far' is relative. Many expected Marquette to struggle when it entered BIG EAST play, but this core of players elevated the program to an admirably successful level for a sustained period of time. Regardless, the inability to surround the Three Amigos with complementary, skilled talent has prevented the program from taking that next leap forward.

With that in mind, Buzz Williams is moving on from Jamil Wilson.

Yet, while the door may be closed for another forward, it appears that coach Williams is intent on adding one more guard (preferably a shooter?) to this year's recruiting class despite being full-up for scholarships at the present time. Marquette still has interest from a pool of sought-after talent including 6'4" Sherrod Wright from Mount Vernon, guard Chris Colvin from Chicago, former Seton Hall commit Jamel Jackson, and high school All-American shooting guard Michael Snaer from California. With the pending graduation of the Three Amigos and the limitations of David Cubillan and Maurice Acker, Buzz Williams' interest in these recruits is understandable.

Brett Roseboro, the new Warrior

Brett Roseboro, a 6'9", 220 pound forward from Quakerstown, PA, verbally committed to Marquette University last night at the program's annual Marquette Madness event at the Al McGuire Center. Roseboro, who just a few months ago seemed destined for a mid-major, showed well last summer and recently delivered strong performances at IS8 in New York City, generating interest from a number of Big East and ACC programs including Maryland, Louisville and Villanova.

Roseboro, a face-up power forward with nice range, joins what should become the most balanced (if not talented) recruiting class in recent Marquette history. Point guard Junior Cadougan, combo forward Jeronne Maymon, wing forward Erik Williams and JUCO combo guard Dwight Buycks are all expected to sign with Marquette during next month's early signing period.

Once again we see that Buzz Williams is a closer, and now he's poised to deliver the balanced, high-ceiling class the program desperately needs. In addition, based on what Williams told a small group of alumni last week at the New York Athletic Club, there's reason to believe the 2009 class is far from complete:

"I will continue to bring in new players until we have 13 kids with All-American talent who are also valedictorians. Until then, we're not done."

Michael Snaer, Jamil Wilson, or Chris Colvin? Time will tell.

Jeronne Maymon delivers in the Big Apple

Over the weekend, Marquette commit Jeronne Maymon slipped into NYC for the IS8 2008 Tip Off Fall Classic and led the Unique All-Stars to a convincing 99-77 win over Mount Vernon on Saturday. Maymon led Unique with 24 points. Interestingly, Maymon is teamed with 2010 Marquette target Tobias Harris on Unique. The 6'8" Harris participated in MU's elite camp this past summer.

The New Big East Basketball Report filed a report on the game as well as an interview with Jeronne here.

Katz talking up the Warriors

Everybody's (least) favorite Badger, Andy Katz, takes a look at the Marquette hoops program in his latest from ESPN.com. In the article, Katz reports along the lines of what we offered up last week -- that Buzz needs to deliver a monster recruiting class to sustain the trajectory of the Marquette program, and that he has yet to prove himself as a Big East head coach.

On recruiting, Williams cut to the chase, "It had to be a banner year no matter who the coach is,'' said Williams. "You can't just sign good players. I'm sure you have to sign potentially great players [in the Big East].''

Buzz is exceptionally candid in this article, noting that re-balancing a roster laden with redundant talent and a lack of flexibility remains an immediate priority:

"Yes, we have to replace three really, really good guards, but we also have to make sure from an interior perspective that we create more of a balance both ways,'' Williams said. "We're not done yet. We're not going to have a large recruiting class. We're a little behind in the 2010 class because we had to make up so much ground this fall in the 2009 class.''

Clearly Tom Crean didn't leave the cupboard bare for coach Williams - but he did leave too many knives and not enough forks or spoons. Yet despite the bountiful recruiting class he's about to land, Williams acknowledges that the real work has yet to begin.

"I don't know if I've proven myself,'' Williams said. "Of the 16 coaches in the Big East, I'm going to be the new kid on the block.'' Williams said he will be judged by how he handles the roster left to him and how the roster stacks up against the Big East in two or three years. "That's completely fair,'' Williams said. "I don't disagree with that and I don't take offense to that.''

Amen.

And from the sound of it -- check out what Jerel McNeal, Erik Williams and Dominic James have to say about Buzz and the credibility gap he's trying to close -- those close coach Buzz believe he is on the right track.

'Smart' promotion by MU

Now this is a great promotion by Marquette:

Marquette Athletics announced Saturday that two students will win a blue or gold Marquette-themed Smart Car as part of the 2008-09 Fanatics Rewards Program. The Smart Cars are courtesy of Bergstrom Automotive and have a retail value of about $17,000 each.

With the new freshmen on campus and the rest of the student body returning, the athletic department is pulling out all the stops to rally the base to maintain a high level of interest in the program.

The incoming crop of freshmen students figure to be at the institution for another stellar era of hoops --- Rivals.com currently has Buzz Willliams' 2009 recruiting class as the 8th best in the nation (and incredibly, only the fourth best in the Big East). With the recent departure of Trevor Mbakwe, Buzz will be able to smartly add to the haul in the coming months. Bob Gibbons slots MU in as the nation's 5th best class (behind two other Big East schools, wow). Talk about it at MUScoop.

Cadougan's sizzling summer

Marquette commit Junior Cadougan continued his eye-opening play this summer, leading the Grassroots Canada Elite squad to the title in the prestigious Adidas Super 64 tournament. Cadougan scored 22 points in the double overtime win over the Compton Magic in Las Vegas. How big was this win for our neighbors to the north? Grassroots coach Ro Russell calls the title "the biggest win in....Canadian amateur basketball history."

According to coach Ro Russell's Q/A with Todd Rosiak, the future Warrior is wowing everybody this summer and was the key player in Grassroots' run to the title last week.

The unexpected title caps a remarkable summer for Cadougan, who told Rivals.com "this is the best summer I've ever had." As Todd Rosiak reports today in a Q/A with Cadougan's AAU coach Ro Russell, the future Warrior is wowing everybody this summer.

In June, Cadougan exploded back on the national scene when he was named the top playmaker (and 18th best player overall) at the NBPA Top 100 Camp. Cadougan followed that effort with a strong showing at Reebok U where ESPN said he was "as good as advertised" and "is excellent at being the coach on the floor." Not content, Cadougan led his team to the title in Vegas this weekend.

With his string of elite performances against the best players in the nation, Cadougan has done more to strengthen his ranking and reputation than anybody else in the 2009 class this summer. In fact, when new class rankings are released in the coming months, Cadougan might see his rank improve more than any other player in the national top 100. The pre-summer RSCI composite rankings pegged Cadougan as the 70th best player in the class of 2009 despite no ranking from Rivals.com or Dave Telep from The Insiders Hoops.

Marquette University, 77002

Since Marquette University has become the collegiate destination of choice for some of the Houston area's best basketball players, we went back to H-Town's resident expert on hoops, Jim Hicks of RCS Sports, to learn more about Junior Cadougan and for an update on fellow MU commit Erik Williams. On his site, Hicks notes that Buzz Williams has "one helluva recruiting class for Marquette who could become the first "out of state college" to land a pair of Top 5 players from Houston High Schools in the same year."

Jim, can you break down Cadougan's game for Marquette fans? He could be the most experienced incoming point guard the school's ever inked, when comparing resumes. Junior is a floor general who is patient and poised and he doesn't get rattled easily. Plus, he's smart enough to know what he can't do on the court.

**Pardon the interruption -- the Big East Basketball Report agrees with Jim's glowing assessment of Cadougan, based on point guard's fine play at Reebok U this week. According to Jeff Borzello, "A really solid all-around player, Cardougan played as if he was still being recruited. Immediately, you notice that he is a leader on the court." Read the full review at the link above.

...now back to the Q/A....

Based on reviews of his game, Cadougan relies on strength to succeed at the high school level. First, is that true. Second, does Cadougan have the requisite speed and quickness to succeed in the Big East?
Let's not forget Christian Life Academy has been by far the most talented prep program in all of Texas each of the past two seasons. It's not like he's toting a program on his back, yet Junior is still a lock to be on RCS Sports' Pre Season All Greater Houston Team.

It takes talent and he has certainly been surrounded by plenty of it. The kid simply relies on one of the fundamentals of basketball - like keeping your body between the ball and defender. Some didn't think DJ Augustine had the speed and quickness to attain the all-Big 12 accolades he earned. Ditto for Nic Wise at Arizona (although he doesn't have the same resume as DJ). Junior will be fine in the Big East.

What are Cadougan's greatest assets as a point guard?
Experience. Not to mention economically, you get the support of an entire country (Canada) along with this kid.

Has Marquette's visibility in the Greater Houston area become more pronounced in the months since Buzz was hired?
No doubt about it! Buzz could have been anywhere in the country to kick off the July live evaluation period, but he was in Houston complete with dip cup in hand watching future prized possession Erik Williams at the Southwest Invitational Camp (directed by John Lucas).

Erik Williams is finally back on the court more than six months after breaking his ankle. How is Williams playing so far this summer?
Based on the bell curve, Erik is about 75% back to his previous rare form. Williams had 19 points in his return to action earlier this week at the 2008 Southwest Invitational Camp.

For more about Erik Williams, check out the Q/A Jim completed with us late last year.

Jim, thanks very much for your time. We'll check in with you again during the season.

Recruiting updates

With Liam McMorrow officially on campus, Buzz Williams and his staff are turning their attention to filling the final slot for the 2009 class and planning ahead for the class of 2010. Here's a series of updates on kids that MU has demonstrated a high level of interest in:

From the class of 2009, Junior Cadougan visited MU last weekend. Cadougan is a 6'1" point guard from Canada by way of Humble, Texas. Reports indicate Cadougan is down to three schools -- MU, Memphis and Wake Forest, and was named the top playmaker at the NBPA camp last month. Cadougan will participate in the prestigious Reebok All-American Camp next week in Philadelphia.

Even with the Dwight Buycks commitment there will be a gaping hole at the point guard position for MU heading into the 2009-2010 season (unless you're impressed with the role players MU currently has in the stable). Filling out the 2009 class with a point guard is the logical choice.

Of course, recruiting can be illogical, and MU is not done recruiting 2009 kids at other positions despite the apparent scholarship logjam and the acute need at the point. Consider:

• Donte Hill, a 6'4" shooting guard from Virginia Beach, is sporting offers from Marquette, ODU and George Mason. Clemson could be next.
• Also from the class of 2009, MU has been in "constant contact" with Tony Freeland, a 6'5" small forward from Los Angeles.
• Omari Lawrence, a 6'4" 205 pound guard from New York City, recently visited MU with 6'6" teammate Kevin Parrom. The New York Daily News caught up with Lawrence earlier this week to discuss his decision to transfer from St. Raymond's to South Kent Prep. Lawrence will also visit Florida, Louisville and UConn this summer. Both Lawrence and Parrom are 2009 prospects.

The moral of the story ...... don't count on verbal commitments and realize that attrition happens.

Oh ...... looking ahead to 2010, The NBE Basketball Report filed a detailed update on Tobias Harris, a 6'8" 215-pound forward from the 2010 class. Harris recently participated in MU's Elite Camp and has or will visit Texas, UCLA, USC, Rutgers, Kansas, West Virginia, Virginia, Louisville and St. John’s.

Nice work as always by the guys at the NBE Basketball Report.

Double dipping in NYC

Buzz Williams and his staff are involved with literally dozens of prospects for the 2009 class where he has two more scholarships to offer. The Big East Basketball Report updates us on two of those prospects, guard Omari Lawrence (think Tyshawn Taylor with a more refined offensive game) and small forward Kevin Parrom -- two of NYC's top prospects.

The pair, who play for the New York Panthers this summer, are expected to visit Marquette together on June 26.

Buzz goes JUCO again

Dwight Buycks, one of the top junior college players in the nation, verbally committed to Marquette University earlier today. A 6'3" combo guard out of Indian Hills Community College in Iowa, Buycks selected MU over a host of schools including Iowa State, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Missouri.

Buycks will join the Marquette program as a junior in the fall of 2009. The Milwaukee native played his high school ball at Bay View and originally committed to Bradley before academic issues led him to Indian Hills. With well-publicized concerns about the questionable academic profile of recent MU commit Jeronne Maymon, is Buzz Williams taking on yet another academic risk just two months into his tenure as head coach? 'Not so' reports Mark Miller at Wishoops, who reveals that Buycks is taking care of business in the classroom at Indian Hills, landing a 3.6 GPA in his first year there.

Last season, Buycks led Indian Hills in scoring at roughly 16 points per game while chipping in four boards and three assists. Buycks looks to be more of a scorer than a shooter -- he hit 46% of his shots from the field and a dreadful 26% from downtown.

With MU poised to graduate the Three Amigos after next season --- three 1,000 point scorers including the top two scorers in Marquette basketball history (perhaps) -- Buzz Williams is faced with making the most of a roster full of role players and high-ceiling freshmen heading into the 2009-2010 campaign. With that in mind and a gaping hole looming in the backcourt, Coach Williams had at least three options:

a) go to battle with David Cubillan and Maurice Acker as his featured point guards -- a recipe for a second-division Big East finish;
b) entrust a true freshman point guard with the reigns of a Big East program; or,
c) overload the junior class by going JUCO and hope for the best.

Hello Dwight Buycks.

Buycks joins high school forwards Jeronne Maymon and Erik Williams in the class that will enter the Marquette program in 2009. If the current slate of committed scholarships holds up, the 2009-2010 roster should look something like this:

Seniors: Hayward, Acker, Cubillan
Juniors: Buycks, Hazel, Fulce, Butler, Mbakwe
Sophomores: Otule
Freshmen: Erik Williams, Jeronne Maymon

Buzz Williams has two more scholarships to offer for the 2009-2010 class.

Additional Media Reports

• Todd Rosiak blogs the news
• Video of Buycks from Wishoops TV
• Journal-Sentinel feature on Buycks from 2007
  

Friday Updates

Just some quick updates for a Friday morning

• Buzz Williams was on Milwaukee SportsRadio 1250 yesterday. To hear the interview, click on their Audio & Video Vault (scroll down) or just open up the MP3 directly.
  

• Mark Miller from Wishoops.net has updated his 2009 rankings with a new number one for the state of Wisconsin. Marquette recruit Jeronne Maymon has been rated as the #1 player according to Mark Miller based on:
  

... his incredibly consistent productivity, both at the high school level for coach Steve Collins at Memorial and on the travel-team circuit this past spring for the Wisconsin Gators Elite and the Illinois Bobcats.

• Read Mark's full article for more information. Oh, and #2 on the list is Jamil Wilson.

• Also according to Mark, Johnnie Lacy has been extended a scholarship by Minnesota. Rumors abound that Marquette may be backing of their recruitment of Lacy.

• ESPN has updated their 2009 Player Rankings. BMA725 has a nice summary of Marquette targets on MUScoop. It's nice to see a lot of top 100 names associated with Marquette.

• In somewhat late news, a nice summary from NBE Basketball Report suggests that Marquette may soon see four unofficial visits. Names listed for unofficials with Marquette include Tobias Harris, Donald Williams, Kevin Parrom, and Omari Lawrence.
  

• In other news for stat-heads, John Hollinger has evaluated the greatest NBA Finals performances. Both Dwyane Wade and Bennett Salvatore appreciate the recognition.