Quote Originally Posted by Phantom Warrior View Post
But Jimmy picked up Buzz's defensive philosophy and principles before BE play even began.. Offensively, Jimmy basically had to just stay out of the way and let the Amigos and Lazar get their shots. He simply had to keep the ball moving and crash the offensive glass - which he did exceptionally well, even as a sophomore.

I think Jimmy's progress from year to year was consistent, but he was already a productive player his first year at MU. Earl and Chris - as well as Amal - rode the pine their first year because they weren't ready to contribute. Tony contributed off the bench, but I think his senior year he was a more dominant player than Jimmy was.
For me, this exemplifies why I put Jimmy atop my list. He made huge strides from the start of that season through the end. I think as far as basketball IQ goes, Jimmy is one of the highest IQ players we've had here in a long time. He just got the game and learned the game incredibly well. Went from a virtual non-factor to start the season to our 6th man by the end of the year, and the next two years was a team leader.

The word that comes to mind for me when I think of him is savvy. He just got it, and if he didn't, he was a quick student and absorbed about everything. I suppose there are other arguments for players who improved more during their stay at Marquette, but in terms of overall improvement, I don't know that I've seen anyone improve more from what Jimmy was when he arrived to what he is now. That might go for just about any player in any sport.