Pre-Season Roundtable - Part Two

Thanks for joining us again as we tackle the Pre-Season Roundtable. Earlier we looked at the Team. Today we are looking at Part Two (the players).

Who do you think will be Most Improved?

Tim
Chris Otule. Based on reports from the boards and Rosiak's observations it seems that Otule could be a 15mpg player who, if he avoids foul trouble, could contribute even greater minutes. A player typically shows the most improvement between the freshman and sophomore seasons and I'm optimistic about Chris despite concerns that he could not successfully challenge Dwight Burke for minutes last season.

Rob
Fulce. However, this is partially motivated because I’m really rooting for the guy. Not only would it be great to see him succeed after the injury and surgery, but in all of the video clips he comes across as a pretty funny dude. Plus, from the reports before last year, Fulce was viewed as being the best of the newcomers. If he is anywhere close to that (like say... the dunk contest as a reference), then look out for him as the Most Improved.

Kevin
I'll say no one. Lazar, Acker, Coobie, Otule, Butler. Those guys are going to be about the same. For Lazar and Butler, their bar is already high. (editor's note: not even Mo Acker, Superstar!?!)

muwarrior92
Most improved player will be Fulce. I say this because there really isn't much of a benchmark for us to go by except for the limited playing team he had last year. I expect that he'll have a nice year that will pleasantly surprise (perhaps not) most of us.

bma725
Fulce. People forget, but a year ago when Fulce and Butler were coming out of Tyler JC, Fulce was the one that was more highly thought of by those who'd seen both. He's a freak athlete, he's got a well rounded game, and he does a lot of little things well. If he can stay healthy, a lot of people are going to be surprised at how good he can be.

Of all the players on this team, which jersey are you most likely to buy for yourself (or your kid if you're old?)

Tim
If the Golden Eagle Shop is finally sold out of of its stash of Ben Peavy jerseys I'll have to grab an Erik Williams jersey. Williams' unique blend of size, perimeter skills and defensive prowess make him the most intriguing player to suit up for the Warriors in some time. (Tim's note: as you'll see below, Rob copied other people's work to get through school)

Rob
I’m looking for a jersey that will stand the test of time. While it may be that the first choice is to pick Maymon, because he seems to be the most likely to contribute this year. Also, Maymon basically does anything he sets his mind to, and I give a lot of respect to guys that talk game and back it up. However, my choice is for Erik Williams. Once he figures it out, I think Williams will be spooky good, and then I will point to the jersey as being in on it early. Plus, it’s almost guaranteed that a “Williams” jersey will be solid for as long as Buzz is coach. Finally, Tim needs to stop copying my answers.

Kevin
Mo Acker, baby. If only to stick it to Tim, and all the others who hate on Acker. (editor's note - this comment prompted Tim to send several angry emails like Pavlov's dog).

muwarrior92
The jersey I would buy would be for my son and I would be Mo Acker....because we could buy it and it would fit. :)

bma725
Hayward. You know how many other highly recruited shooting guards would have transferred if they came in as a freshman and were told they had to play power forward for the next 3 years? Hayward could have complained about hurting his NBA chances, he could have pouted, he could have destroyed the chemistry of this team over the last few years....he didn't. He accepted the challenge of doing something he wasn't used to every day and turned himself into the best player he can possibly be. (Tim's comment - Nick Williams come on down!)

True/False - Lazar will have a Novak-esque senior season

Tim
True. Why not? We need some hope for an upside surprise. Lazar does not have that one great skill which elevated Novak's performance as a senior, but Hayward has shown consistent improvement year-to-year. With his varied offensive game and toughness I can't imagine the senior having anything but a signature season in 2009-2010.

Rob
True, dammit! I know all about Novak and his one key skill. However, I think that the reflection on Novak's senior season is influenced by his superlative effort vs UConn and then his ND game winning shot. I think that this year, Hayward will be even better this year on the glass than he’s been the past few years. Last year Hayward had ten double-doubles, and I think that he'll be the first Marquette player in ages to average a double-double this season. That would count as a Novak-esque season.

Kevin
False. Novak was a special player with a unique talent. I love Lazar (nearly as much as Acker), but he just won't stand out like Novak did. I knew MU would be better in Novak's senior season than was predicted. This year, not so much.

muwarrior92
False, but I hope I'm proven wrong. I think he'll have a very good season, but he will be the focal point of this team. Novak had the amazing freshmen who loved to drive to the whole to open up space for him. Will these freshmen provide similar opportunities for Hayward? Not sure. Plus Hayward plays down in the box much more than Novak did. But he remains a matchup nightmare for most defenders, I just hope they don't double down on him too much making him a passer.

bma725
False. Having just praised him in the previous question, I don't think he'll have a Novak type season. What made Novak great that year was that it was the perfect match of a guy with one elite skill finding the complimentary players needed to exploit that skill and take over a lot of games. Lazar's a very good player, maybe even a better all around player than Novak. But there isn't any one thing he does at an elite level, and I don't know that he has the abilities to take over a game like Novak did. Hopefully I'm wrong.