To All the Blue & Gold Sunglass Wearers

[Phantom Warrior]

All summer and fall I've been reading all these pie-in-the-sky posts about how Mayo was going to have a break-out season, how Jamil was going to take the next step and be our latest Lazar, Jimmy, Jae, how Derrick will be better offensively, how Jake's shooting will improve, how Juan is finally healthy and will be a solid contributor, blah, blah, blah.

Well, we saw the realities today.

Todd will not make us forget Vander.

Jamil is not ready to take the next step.

Derrick has not improved offensively.

Jake still can't find the basket in a real game.

Juan is still extremely limited on the offensive end.

But what truly disappoints me is that Buzz did not give Dawson or Johnson a chance to help, and Burton got only a couple of minutes (and brought some energy and attitude).

In short, I am disappointed in Buzz. Unless Johnson and Dawson were ill or injured or broke some team rules or something.

Let's face the facts:

Derrick is not a high-major starter as a point guard - a decent back-up, but if he's going to play 35-40 mpg, we are in serious trouble.

Jake is not a high-major starter; at best he should get a couple of minutes a game.

Jamil is not an all-conference-level player, not even close.

Todd is not a high-major starter.

Juan is little more than a limited high-energy guy off the bench.

There were a few possessions when we had Derrick, Jake, Todd, Juan, and Chris on the floor together. Yikes.

If Buzz is going to sit the frosh like he did today, this is going to be a very, very, long year.

[TheSultan]

What makes you believe the freshmen are any better?

Not to mention that I don't agree with your pessimism either. But I guess that makes me a "blue and gold sunglass wearer."

[warriorfan4life]

After five years and three consecutive trips to the second weekend of the tourney, you would think that intelligent fans would trust Buzz and his method of preparing teams for the season long marathon. Of course, many fans were incredibly critical of Al freaking McGuire during his tenure, the same man who led Marquette to the second best record in the 70's. I think Buzz is a modern day Al, and has us on cusp of a modern day equivalent to that run.

Last year in November, Florida massacred us on both ends if the floor. We were good enough defensively to win today, but a great OSU defense overwhelmed our retooling offense. I doubted Buzz and the team last year, and never liked how the pieces fit together. Yet Buzz still managed to win a Big East title and get to the Elite 8 with that group. I like how the parts of this team can potentially fit together. Has not happened yet offensively, but I think they will.

[kneelb4zerg]

Yeah, and to all the people ready to jump ship on this team before thanksgiving, please please come back and eat all kinds of ****.

We get these kind of woe is us posts every year after bad losses -- I haven't even checked in on whatever inanity is happening at the other sites -- but how have people not learned to trust Buzz's coaching ability by now?

[MUMac]

One game against an experienced squad is not enough for me to agree with your post. MU was expected to be a work in progress during the non-conference play. They had a bad game. A few shots drop early and who knows. It was obvious to me that many of the players you mentioned and were critical of were pressing due to the shots not falling.

You can write them off, as is your want. You can call those of us who do not subscribe to your negativity (you will likely call it realism - to which that is another thing I will not agree with you), as is your want. I am guessing the team learns from this debacle. They did with each of the others they experienced in the past few years.

[Phantom Warrior]

One of the things I can't stand about some of the Badger Lunatics is there "Bo is god/Bo can do no wrong" nonsense. Bo is an excellent coach who has had amazing results. But how dare anyone criticize Bo on one of those Badger boards? Sorry, Bo isn't perfect. He has flaws just like every other coach does.

Guess what. The same is true of Buzz. I respect Buzz as a coach. He has earned every MU fan's respect, appreciation, and gratitude. But Buzz is not perfect. Buzz is not above criticism. And if this board ever embraces the kind of reverent adulation for Buzz that Badger boards do for Bo, then this site will become as offensive as those Badger boards are.

I do not think the season is over, by any means. But today was the perfect opportunity to give Johnson and Dawson some decent minutes in the second half. We looked awful. We played awful. We were down by double digits and going nowhere.

The freshmen should have been given a chance. I'd rather lose by 25 and have them gain some experience against top-quality competition than lose by 17 and have them sit on the bench the entire game. And yes, I think Buzz made a mistake by not playing them at all. If he plays them only against the Gramblings and Southerns, when are they going to get the experience needed when we play New Mexico, Wisconsin, and Big East competition?

And I do honestly believe that if Derrick and Jake get the kind of minutes they had today the remainder of the season, we are in trouble.

[DavidBoone2inchesTaller]

One of the things I can't stand about some of the Badger Lunatics is there "Bo is god/Bo can do no wrong" nonsense. Bo is an excellent coach who has had amazing results. But how dare anyone criticize Bo on one of those Badger boards? Sorry, Bo isn't perfect. He has flaws just like every other coach does.

Guess what. The same is true of Buzz. I respect Buzz as a coach. He has earned every MU fan's respect, appreciation, and gratitude. But Buzz is not perfect. Buzz is not above criticism. And if this board ever embraces the kind of reverent adulation for Buzz that Badger boards do for Bo, then this site will become as offensive as those Badger boards are.

I do not think the season is over, by any means. But today was the perfect opportunity to give Johnson and Dawson some decent minutes in the second half. We looked awful. We played awful. We were down by double digits and going nowhere.

The freshmen should have been given a chance. I'd rather lose by 25 and have them gain some experience against top-quality competition than lose by 17 and have them sit on the bench the entire game. And yes, I think Buzz made a mistake by not playing them at all. If he plays them only against the Gramblings and Southerns, when are they going to get the experience needed when we play New Mexico, Wisconsin, and Big East competition?

And I do honestly believe that if Derrick and Jake get the kind of minutes they had today the remainder of the season, we are in trouble.

It's Jake that needs to sit. Not Derrick. Derrick has real potential and some upside. Derrick needs confidence and needs to become a leader. Other than that, you are right about most thing you say.

[GOMU1104]

Well good thing we know the season is over. Don't have to waste the time/money watching.

Does this mean you'll retire from the boards till April, Phantom?

[Phantom Warrior]

You need some help with respect to reading comprehension. I quote: "I do not think the season is over by any means..." I also said, "IF Derrick and Jake get the kind of minutes they had today the remainder of the season, we are in trouble." The key word in that adverb clause is "IF."

[bleedbluegold03]

Couldn't. Agree. More.

A lot of this board is starting to sound blinded much like some packer fans with "in Ted I trust."

Buzz has admitted before that he's a young coach and has made mistakes, so let's not pretend today was part of some grand master plan. There was probably no chance at a victory today but the fact he didn't give the freshmen minutes when clearly nothing was working was concerning.

Juan, Jake and Derrick are all probably very nice gentlemen but have NO business getting major minutes for a "conf title" worthy program. Jake and Derrick went 1-14. I hope Buzz realize that stupid ******* experiment is over. Take your lumps with JuJuan because He literally could do nothing worse than the crap he gave today.

Could some one please, please, please craft a defense for Jake at this point? I just don't get it.