Well, now we know..

Todd Rosiak blogged yesterday about a few new items from the Marquette team.

• As rumored, Damian Saunders will not be wearing a Marquette uniform this year. Marquette has denied Saunders enrollment due to academic issues.


• Trevor Mbawke is still awaiting a final determination from the NCAA Clearinghouse regarding his eligibility.


• Lawrence "Trend" Blackledge has done enough over the summer to return to MU for his senior season.


• The team will have practice open to the public on Tuesday, August 28th at 8:30 at the Al McGuire Center. Recruit Frank Ben-Eze, a 6'10" senior, is expected to attend. Cracked Sidewalks will be there.

UPDATE: Coach Rabedeaux has a new entry on his blog today, about the assistant coaching changes at MU.

Today is August 1

Do you know who your 13 scholarship players are for the 2007-2008 Marquette Golden Eagles?

Freshman orientation starts three weeks from today on August 22. Will Trevor Mbakwe and/or Damian Saunders be there? It appears that both players' transcripts are going under the microscope, and Saunders still has the legal issue to resolve.

What is the fate of Trend Blackledge? MU's second summer session concludes on August 11 or 18 (depending on the program) - - but does it really take three academic semesters (spring 07, summer I and summer II) to make a final determination about his academic eligibility and progress towards a degree? Apparently so.

This is all beginning to feel like a twisted game of Three-card Monte.

Three for two: Who's gonna be left out?

With Dr. Nicholas J. Contorno's classic pep band CD on repeat, the MU hoops version of musical chairs is on!!

Marquette is currently over-subcribed for scholarships in the 2007-2008 season and this high stakes game of chance has fallen to Trevor Mbakwe, Damian Saunders and Trend Blackledge.

Ring Out Ahoya!...Elvira.....The Final Countdown (repeat)

Round and round the players go, where they stop nobody knows!

But what we do know is that somebody won't be back this fall and in the meantime TC appears to be adept at keeping the concerned parties in the game for as long as possible.

Ring Out Ahoya!....Elvira.....The Final Countdown (repeat)

So, who's gonna be left standing along when the music stops and the chairs are taken? Who will take their eligibility somewhere else, at least for the time being?

• Trend Blackledge -- suspeneded for academic reasons early in the spring 2007 semester and apparently still working things out in the classroom;
• Damian Saunders -- Connecticut prep schooler with a recent legal issue;
• Trevor Mbakwe -- the highest-ceiling player of these three, a PF from Minnesota who is apparently grappling with summer school to secure eligibility.

So, which player is left out? We'll know when the music stops.

Issue with an MU signee?

****UPDATED****
From the Friday, June 29 edition of the Waterbury Republican American, page A2 - Public Notice section:

POLICE BLOTTER
WATERBURY

DAMIAN SAUNDERS, 18, of (address withheld on this blog), possession of a controlled substance other than a narcotic or hallucinogen, or under four ounces of marijuana.

****UPDATED****
Per the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, MU's Damian Saunders was in fact arrested on drug charges in Waterbury, CT. Its unclear how this development will effect his eligibility at MU.

Damian Saunders, come on down!

You are the next recruit to go under the microscope at Todd Rosiak's blog. Read it here.

Looking ahead to 2007-2008

Todd Rosiak takes a much needed look ahead for the Marquette hoops program in today's Journal-Sentinel.

The priority area for improvement? No surprise, its MU's inconsistent front line.

The good news is MU will have Ousmane Barro back for his senior season. The 6'10" junior showed marked improvement last year, averaging better than 9 ppg and 7 rpg. Did Barro disappear at inopportune times last season? Sure -- but he's at least a serviceable big man.

The bad news is that Barro has litle to help to count on along the baseline. Dwight Burke will be back, but during his sophomore season he failed to seize the opportunities presented to him by an underperforminng Jamil Lott an an oft-injured Mike Kinsella. Given his size and strength there's still hope for Burke to emerge as a valuable role player -- but why couldn't he do it this past season?

Its time to look to the kids. MU has three 'big' men signed for next season: Trevor Mbakwe, Damian Saunders and Patrick Hazel. Per Rosiak, "At this point, only the 6-foot-7, 225-pound Mbakwe, a superlative athlete with a 7-2 wingspan, appears ready to make an immediate impact." Good call, Todd. Mbakwe will contribute from day one -- exactly what TC needs next season.

I think Rosiak is underestimating Hazel, a prep-school strong man from Queens. While Hazel won't score effectively as a freshman, his toughness and hustle should make a difference for the 2007-2008 team. Saunders? He's a 6'7" 190-pound forward - - he's a couple of years away from contributing.

And while James will dabble in possibly departing for the NBA -- MU has the 2006 MAC freshman of the year Maurice Acker waiting in the wings to assume the poing guard duties, and super shooter Scott Christopherson joining the backcourt mix as well.

Lots of promise in this program. If James stays and Mbakwe can contribute -- next year could be special.