"My rule was I wouldn't recruit a kid if he had grass in front of his house.
That's not my world. My world was a cracked sidewalk." —Al McGuire

Monday, December 02, 2024

Big challenges lay ahead, including #BadgerHateWeek

 Thanksgiving week went about as expected for #mubb, unlike the rest of the Big East. We talk briefly about the two buy games completed by the team mostly so we can talk about a good thing (Damarius Owens) and a bad thing(Zaide injury). We then chat about the rest of the Big East which is super bad right now. While it's fun to cheer against our conference mates, they are performing so badly it might end up hurting Marquette a touch. We then turn to the week ahead, which is a doozy. First we talk about the road class against a top 5 opponent in Iowa State. This will absolutely be the toughest test for Marquette to date. Then, of course, is #BadgerHateWeek and we discuss bizzaro Wisconsin who is great offensively but so so defensively. Will this be the year that Shaka breaks through against Greg Gard? We certainly hope so but time will tell. Enjoy!

 

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Monday, November 25, 2024

As Good a Court Performance as You Could Ask For

Welcome to Thanksgiving and another week of victories for #mubb. Also welcome to our new sponsor, mubbtees.com! We start the pod off talking about the outstanding performance against Purdue and that potentially catapulting MU into a top 10 ranking. We then spend a little time ranting about the TV situation for the Georgia game and some of you may not have seen the game so we walk through it. We then close out by talking about getting a couple of wins and some run time for the youngin's going into Thanksgiving. Enjoy! 

www.mubbtees.com using the promo code "Eggs" for 15% off 

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Saturday, November 23, 2024

Marquette beats Georgia in Atlantis

David Joplin had a great morning in The Bahamas
 Photo from @MarquetteMBB

If you're a normal Marquette fan, you probably didn't watch Marquette take on Georgia in their neutral site game in The Bahamas today. That's because it was only available on Flo Sports, which either meant you needed to fly to The Bahamas, subscribe to Flo for the hefty tag of $20 for the one game you're interested in, go to a watch party, or find an illegal stream. Personally, I bit the bullet and subscribed for a day, but I'm sure fans used all of those methods and possibly others as well.

For those that want to watch a replay, the game in full has been edited and posted to YouTube. You can find that at this link: https://youtu.be/c2c9ARsvU1s?si=ZiLSUWeXgBH5pkPP

As mentioned on the Scrambled Eggs podcast, this is a stretch where Marquette played Georgia on Flo Sports, Stonehill and Western Carolina on FS2, and Iowa State on ESPN+. That means there is a decent number of fans that will probably go from watching Marquette overwhelm #6 Purdue on November 18th, then not get to watch their team again until they take on Wisconsin on December 7th. While it might not be the game itself, we here at Cracked Sidewalks want to give you something to take away, so here's a breakdown of the Georgia game.

The game started sloppy, with Marquette turning it over on their first two possessions, but in the process they got out of the gates with a Kill (three straight stops) before Kam Jones found David Joplin at the arc to open the scoring. The good news is that David Joplin made threes would become a theme of the game, the bad news is that sloppy play was another hallmark of this outing.


Early on it was a game of runs. Marquette got out to a 6-0 start (Ben Gold making the other three, another game theme), Georgia answered with a 12-4 run to take the lead. Marquette came back with a 10-0 stretch, Georgia hit back with a 7-3 run. Every time Marquette opened up a little separation, Georgia was right there to reel them back in. They did it largely by hitting the offensive glass hard and getting to the line, two things that were expected going into this one as the Bulldogs ranked #4 and #6 nationally in those two of the four factors.

One of the biggest problems of the first half was foul trouble for Marquette's back court, which led to those aforementioned free throws. Kam Jones, Stevie Mitchell, and Chase Ross all picked up two fouls in the opening half. Kam also had a play where Tyrin Lawrence stepped on his foot and Marquette fans quieted as he left the court. Kam went off under his own power and went to the locker room. It was painfully evident that the offense just didn't flow as well with them on the floor, especially when Kam came off. Thankfully, Kam was able to return shortly thereafter and was able to play most of the rest of the game. The positive for Marquette was shooting from the front court. Coming into the game, Ben Gold and David Joplin had combined to go just 16/69 (23.2%) from beyond the arc. For two guys who take more than twice as many shots from deep as they do on the interior, that's a problem. But they were scorching nets in the first half, combining to go 5/11 in the half.


Despite the hot shooting, it was Georgia who had the last big run of the half. After Marquette took a 31-23 lead, the largest of the game, the Bulldogs answered with a 14-2 run to reclaim the lead as the game drew close to halftime. On the final possession, Chase Ross found a trailing Joplin who pulled up from the logo and buried another three to give Marquette the 36-35 halftime advantage.


Fans who cut their Marquette teeth in the Wojo era might be forgiven for getting nervous any time a game is close at the half. As we acclimate to Shaka, it's time to recognize just how good this staff is at halftime adjustments. Marquette trailed George Mason at halftime, then outscored the Patriots by 20 in the second half. Marquette trailed Maryland at halftime, then outscored the Terrapins by 8 in the second half. Marquette led Purdue at halftime, but outscored the Boilermakers by 11 in the second frame to put it away. This staff does very well adjusting to the opponent and coming back out in the second half better than they went in. To start the second, Marquette made some clear adjustments. The first was to attack inside. Marquette went more aggressively into the paint, which not only resulted in scoring plays but also opened up looks at the perimeter.


Marquette also started to use more zone. This took Georgia out of their offense and helped key a 19-5 run that looked like it would put the Bulldogs away as Marquette stretched the lead from just one at halftime to a commanding 55-40 less than 8 minutes into the second half. In that stretch, Georgia went 2/8 from the field while turning the ball over 6 times. It looked like the dominant Marquette defense we are getting used to combined with an offense that thrives in transition.

I want to take a moment to single out Ben Gold for his performance in this game. A cursory look at the box score will tell you he had a good game. 14 points fueled by 4/9 shooting from deep with 6 rebounds to go along with it is certainly a fine outing, but it doesn't put into perspective just how good Gold was on the defensive end. He held Asa Newell, who looks like a future NBA first round pick (ESPN, Sam Vecenie, and NBA Draft Room all have him in the top-20), to just 3/9 from the floor and 9 points. Newell, Somto Cyril, and R.J. Godfrey have feasted on the offensive boards, averaging 8.2 offensive rebounds per game coming in, but combined for just 1 against Marquette. Gold's sharp elbows and ability to secure and clear defensive boards certainly helped. Gold has developed excellent positioning, is much better at staying vertical, has far better recovery speed when he's beaten off the dribble, and all in all has become a positive factor on defense. One of my biggest worries coming into this season was interior defense, and Gold has done a great job answering that problem.

Back to the game...remember what I said about Georgia always being able to reel Marquette back in? The second half was no exception. In this case, it was largely Marquette staying in zone a little too long. Georgia finally figured out they could get open threes and as long as they got them to the right shooters, could make them. That led to a 17-5 Georgia run in which Blue Cain and Dakota Leffew combined to go 4/5 from three to cut the lead down to 60-57. Kam answered with a basket of his own, then Marquette's defense turned the Bulldogs over again and Stevie found Chase for the hammer dunk in transition. It was one of 13 second half turnovers for Georgia, an incredible 36% turnover rate for the half.


The teams exchanged baskets for a few possessions, with another Blue Cain three cutting the lead to 69-66 with just under 5 minutes to play. At that point, Marquette finally closed the door. Joplin stretched the lead, then a combination of Marquette's defense and poor free throw shooting turned the water off. Stevie had a steal that led to a Tre Norman layup. Marquette got another defensive stop, then Chase Ross hit a top-of-the-key three to push the lead to 10. After another empty Georgia possession, Chase whipped a pass in to Stevie for another score.


After the Blue Cain three cut the lead to 3, here were the offensive possessions for Georgia:

  • 4:58 - Cain made three
  • 4:23 - Turnover
  • 3:42 - Missed front end of one-and-one
  • 3:00 - Missed layup
  • 2:18 - Turnover
  • 1:51 - Missed front end of one-and-one
  • 1:25 - Turnover
  • 1:04 - Missed three
  • 0:49 - Lawrence made layup

Marquette's 9-0 run pushed the lead to 78-66 and killed any chances of a late Georgia comeback. The icing on the cake was a foul that sent David Joplin to the line where he sank two free throws to push his total to a game and career high 29 points for the game. Marquette came away with the 80-69 victory and moved to 6-0, their best start since the 2011-12 season powered by Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom as Marquette went to the Sweet 16. We'll wrap up with the Marquette highlight package and the kenpom box score for the game. If you weren't able to watch, we hope this helped a little bit.





Monday, November 18, 2024

Strong win, tough week ahead

Much like Slim Shady we are, in fact, back again (and you should definitely tell a friend). We have to catch up on the results of #mubb vs Maryland and Kam Jones going full Kam Jones as well as Stevie Mitchell stepping up to 2nd scorer and clutch player. We also talk about the development of some folks like Royce Parham. We close out the pod talking about the two games this week (Purdue, Georgia), what we think will happen in those games as well as the inexplicable TV schedule for the next two weeks. Enjoy! https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/tk8izceufb5v4py5/Eggs_2024_Nov_149j6lt.mp3

Friday, November 15, 2024

And we're off #mubb!

The season is underway and it wouldn't be an #mubb season if we didn't have a mix of enthusiasm and trepidation. We have 3 games to review so we start the pod with a "Family Guy Compliment Sandwich". The bread is the guards and Royce Parnham and the inside is anyone taller than 6'6" who is currently shooting and not getting to the rim. We ramble around a bit, then we get to the Maryland preview. We then ramble around a bit more and close out the show. Enjoy! https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/m9dbxep64xz775dr/Eggs_2024_Nov_147o7d4.mp3

Saturday, November 02, 2024

Welcome wine hosts and #mubb fans to a new season!

Lots of nonsense abounds in this welcome to the season podcast from Scrambled Eggs. We have some time to do a quick welcome to new fans and set the stage for the season. We channel gen Z and talk about program vibes to start the program discussion. We then talk individual player predictions before we get into overall team projection. We close out the pod with a crowd favorite, game by game predictions. Welcome to the season and enjoy! https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/ra5ncv32snr63tmu/Eggs_2024_Nov_16ine4.mp3

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Connecticut Preview, 2024-25

Connecticut Huskies

February 1st, 2024 at Fiserv Forum / March 4th, 2024 at Gampel Pavilion

Head Coach: Dan Hurley (292-163 overall, 141-58 at UConn)

Three-Year NET Average: 9.3

Three-Year kenpom Average: 8.0

Projected 2023-24 T-Rank: 12

Alex Karaban and UConn defeated Marquette three times in 2024
Photo by Mary Althaffer | AP Photo

State of the Program

In the past two seasons, UConn is 68-11, are the defending Big East Regular Season and Tournament Champions, and...oh yeah, the two-time defending National Champions, winning twelve consecutive NCAA games by double-digits. They've done that while retaining the same coaching staff, including Hurley who turned down the Los Angeles Lakers to pursue a third straight title. The Huskies are led by likely preseason All-American Alex Karaban, though they also bring back three additional rotation players that started at least one game last year: Solo Ball, Samson Johnson, and Hassan Diarra. The staff also added a pair of proven transfers in Aidan Mahaney from St. Mary's and Tarris Reed from Michigan, along with Liam McNeeley, a top-10 recruit expected to make an impact from day one. Suffice to say, the state of the program could not be stronger, even after seeing four players picked in the NBA Draft.

Rotation

Hassan Diarra is expected to get the first crack at running the offense, but replacing First Team All-American Tristen Newton is a big pair of shoes to fill. Diarra likely won't match Newton's raw production, but he is a capable shooter both from three and at the rim, can create shots for others, and is a solid defender. St. Mary's transfer Aidan Mahaney will likely be expected to help carry the scoring load. He's been at his best when spotting up from three but is poor at driving and finishing at the rim. That said, he's likely expected to replace Cam Spencer, who was similarly a spot-up shooter on offense at Rutgers and worse at the rim than Mahaney, but managed to transform his game under UConn's staff while channeling Dan Hurley's brash attitude on the court. Don't be surprised if Mahaney is the next UConn player opposing fanbases hate. Liam McNeeley is an exceptional shooter, but he's a projected first round NBA Draft pick because of his ability to attack off screens, his downhill drives, his passing, and the way he uses his basketball IQ to always make the right play. Karaban is the returning star and the epitome of the elite college wing. He takes over 90% of his shots from three (37.9 3PFG%) or at the rim (70.6 ATR%). The question is if he can maintain anything close to his sensational efficiency at what will almost certainly be a much higher usage rate. Samson Johnson was excellent in 2023-24, transitioning from barely used bench piece to rotation big and spot starter. He's an elite lob threat and rim protector, but was a pale comparison to lottery pick Donovan Clingan. UConn's bench has a pair of highly regarded sophomores with experience in Solo Ball and Jaylin Stewart, either of whom could challenge for Mahaney's projected starting spot, as well as Reed, who will likely platoon with Johnson. He's is an accomplished rebounder and provides similar rim protection. Keep a particular eye on Ball, he started in UConn's exhibition game and looks like a vastly improved player that could be more than just a bench piece. If additional depth is needed, freshmen Ahmad Nowell and Isaiah Abraham are top-100 prospects that could be immediate contributors.

Style of Play
 
UConn runs a deep and complex offensive playbook with more than 150 plays that focuses on a ton of complex off-the-ball movement. They get the bulk of their looks from three (40.2% of shots) or at the rim (43.6%) but don't get a high percentage of baskets directly off the drive (4th percentile in frequency of rim attacks). Instead, their drives are designed to set up their other actions. More often than not, they will kick out for a three, find a perimeter player cutting to the run, or a big in a pick and roll. They also love to get out in transition, attacking off the rebound or made basket, which is somewhat surprising given their sub-300 average offensive possession length. UConn's players are exceptionally well drilled and while they usually have a primary ball handler (Newton the past two years) they will typically have 2-3 players on the floor that can create for themselves and others. UConn is also a good offensive rebounding team, so even if you stop the first action they are good at resetting and attacking again.
 
The Huskies get to their spots and convert mercilessly
 Shot chart from cbbanalytics.com
 
On defense, UConn is aggressive at chasing teams off the arc and forcing them to go inside. If you get to the rim, Hurley's teams have been top-25 in block rate each of the past 5 years, and that shouldn't change with Johnson and Reed patrolling the middle. They challenge every shot inside and out, leading to a top-5 defensive eFG% each of the past two years. Beyond the bigs, Karaban and Diarra are both excellent defenders that will anchor the system. While the defense doesn't get the attention the offense does, the Huskies are more than capable on that end as well.

2024-25 Outlook
 
On paper, it seems inevitable that UConn will take a step back. After all, they lost four players to the NBA, and how can anyone keep up the relentless onslaught they have through the past two NCAA Tournaments? The last team to go to three straight Final Fours was UCLA from 2006-08, and the last team to win three straight titles was also UCLA from 1971-73 (actually 1967-73). Aidan Mahaney looks like a poor man's Cam Spencer, Liam McNeeley doesn't look like a Stephon Castle top-5 pick, and no one on this roster seems capable of replicating Tristen Newton or Donovan Clingan's contributions.
 

 
And yet, this is what we wrote last year: "Good team, yes, tourney team, most likely, but top-10 Big East title contender? Not so much." Not sure we could've been much more wrong with that take. What makes UConn's accomplishments more impressive is comparing them to the last back-to-back champions, 2006 & 2007 Florida. Billy Donovan's teams had the same starting five both years, and even their first two off the bench were the same. Hurley's 2023 team lost three starters and their top two bench options, yet managed to be unquestionably better in 2024. Until they are dethroned, UConn has to be the pick at the top of the Big East because they've earned that position.
 
One Man's Opinion
 
At this point, how can you not put UConn #1 in the Big East? Not only did they win consecutive National Titles, but they won the league by four games and took home the Big East Tournament title. They did all that despite losing three starters to the NBA. On paper, this team looks to be taking a step back from a year ago, but that was the case a year ago. Hurley and his staff have hit home runs in the portal, from the high school ranks, and through their own development the past two years. The staff is operating at an incredibly high level. It's hard to imagine them not falling back a little bit from their insanely dominant past two NCAA runs, but at this point they are the champions of every competition they've participated in since losing to Marquette at MSG on March 10, 2023. If someone wants to claim that title, go for it, but until they do, UConn has earned this position.