Say What?!

The off-season's career dissipation line is growing short, thank goodness. Midnight madness is no longer a date on the other side of the horizon. As we round the third turn of the off-season here's a look at what you need to check out from around the interwebs.

The second episode of Marquette's reality series "Marquette Basketball: Revealed" is now live. In this segment Coach Buzz breaks down the Warriors' roster for the upcoming season.



As a fan this series is enjoyable and since the series is designed to reach fans, potential recruits, donors and others with a natural affinity for MU, the criticism levied against the program in this blog is off the mark. The series is what it is... sweet, tasty, kool-aid.

MUTV Sports will kick off the year in style by interviewing Dwyane Wade. I wonder how Brad, Todd and the team there will top this much-anticipated opening salvo. Nice job, team.

Jeff Eisenberg, the brains behind The Dagger -- Yahoo! Sports' terrific sports blog --- previews the upcoming Big East season slotting Marquette in as the league's 6th best squad. The Dagger also scouts the league with former WVU player Mike Gansey. Jimmy F. Butler makes Gansey's list as the most underrated player in the BE, and Buzz gets some high praise. (Also, thanks for the shout-out, Jeff)

One of the more interesting bits in this piece is Jeff's selection of Austin Freeman as the Big East POY. Jeff and I had a spirited discussion about this point on Twitter where I ultimately advocated for Jimmy Butler as the better POY candidate. After all Butler was the conference's most efficient offensive player last year, he is the league's best clutch performer, and last year MU enjoyed a better regular season than the Hoyas. Butler, Freeman, Ashton Gibbs, Kris Joseph, Fab Melo and Corey Fisher were just some of the names that were offered up in our back and forth. Regardless of your preference for this accolade, this year promises to be one of the most wide open races for that title in recent memory.

The Hoops Report figures MU is the 42nd-best team in the nation. That's pretty good considering the author has no idea that Jae Crowder and Junior Cadougan are on the team. Read this at your own risk.

Rosiak steps up with a much-needed blog about Jae Crowder, perhaps the most critical newcomer in some time for the Marquette hoops program. While we feel that expectations for Vander Blue may be a little bit high, there is nothing wrong with the view that Crowder should step in and contribute from day one. Little publicized but worth repeating... Jae was named the Juco POY last year, and his team won the Juco National Championship. He also has a 29" vertical leap and a father that played in the NBA. Take a step back and think about all that.

With more on Father Pilarz, here is an article from the JS. Also, Marquette's Dean of Education, Dr. William Henk, gives his own first impressions. Both links are absolutely worth following.

Finally, Al McGuire's 82nd birthday was yesterday. Dick Enberg remembered him in this memorable podcast. We miss you, Coach.