I don't have much different to add compared to everyone else but I want to make a couple points
I still don't get the rotations. O'connor was not brought in to be a PG, don't start him at Point Guard. KD came in about 90 seconds into the game to run point and should just start. O'connor at the 2 guard is what we need and I want him shooting as much as he can.
I also have other questions on this topic like why Newton gets so much run (yes I know defense and rebounding, but hes an offensive liability). He should be no more than a 5 minute defense and sparkplug type guy. He can't shoot and had some really bizarre moments. I'm waiting for Anderson to be able to step in (yes he can be a liability defensively and had a bad turnover), because I think he would provide more value than Newton at this juncture. Hopefully Austin Ball can crack the rotation in this role too. I'll add that Newton getting frustrated at the end of the game and showing he was ready to fight Marquette wasn't good at all. Will he come back from the rough game and be solid the rest of the season? That would show toughness. Perhaps it can be like how Amari Kelly was solid after his incident last year.
Why is Justin Begg getting minutes off the bench ahead of Quigley or at times KD? He should be on the bench learning at this juncture. I like the kid, but hes not ready for anything beyond garbage minutes or a minute or two here and there.
Haynes/Emejuru- last night wasn't the best matchup defensively for those guys considering the 5 out offense Marquette was running. They both will be fine but at times Haynes was very goofy with the ball or in general. Whether its rust or getting used to game speed again I don't know. Emejuru had some decent moments but I can tell he needs some adjustment time. We needed to call timeout when Emejuru was gassed.
I thought we weren't ready to start the game at all, our passes were slow, we made mental mistakes (going under a screen) etc. Whether that was because of who we started, gameplan or something else, I'm not sure. That said when we locked in for the last 15 minutes of half 1 and for 15 minutes of half 2 we saw that this group was very capable defensively and was able to do the right things offensively. The play we drew up at the end of the first half with the drive and dish with ball reversal to Maddox was great.
Overall I think we have a special group and the score like many have said does not really show what transpired last night. Mason settled in defensively and held a top 20 school to 5/30 in the first half and had them struggling until the run at the end. I expect really big things out of them in league play.
Agree with all, if Tony doesn’t make changes to the starting lineup and first rotations off the bench then these sloppy starts are on him.
I’d like to see Quigley get the backup PG minutes, I thought he handled the ball very well last night and showed himself capable of running the offense. He held his own against one of the best backcourts we’ll see all season.
I won’t beat the dead horse but KD has to start and play 28+ a game. I truly don’t understand why this isn’t happening yet.
Anderson needs to get more aggressive and take the starting 4 spot. Love Woody but he is largely the same player as last season, I’m not seeing a ton of growth there. A lot of energy, great defensively at the top of a 1-3-1, but his offensive confidence and capability don’t matchup which makes him a liability.
I’m not sounding any warning bells yet, but damn Haynes needs to stay on his feet. There were a couple plays they got a quick 5 on 4 because he took half the shot clock to get up and run back after going down on the other end. I think he’s crafty with the ball and will play a big part in our offense, but he struggled on both ends against stretch 5s last night. Gio looked solid, I’d like to see him be more active on the defensive end and crash the boards harder.
O’Connor surprised me and really showed his shooting ability — but completely agree he is NOT a PG. Play him off the ball and let him do his thing. Him and Billups should be competing for that starting 2 spot, love Billups defensively but he needs to show he is a threat offensively because we can’t play 5 on 4 down there.