Tomorrow certainly would be a great time to continue Dan Fitzgerald’s theme of being grateful. When Tyshawn Taylor de-committed after Crean’s departure four years ago, many of us believed tomorrow would be a night for polite applause for a couple of seniors who had fought hard through a 6-12 Big East season.
Who would have believed that instead tomorrow would be about roaring for Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder, two of the greatest Marquette players of all time, as they tried to improve on their 80% winning percentage and first No. 7 ranking since Butch Lee and Jerome Whitehead in 1978?
For the first time since the 1977 team that featured 1st team all Americans Lee and Bo Ellis, Marquette features two players that different authorities have named as one of the Top 5 players in American. Jason King has tapped DJO, while Bleacher Reports has tapped Crowder.
Statistically, Crowder is one of the top few players in the country, while DJO is one of the only guys in the country who can require 3 or 4 players to guard him. This is a celebration of two seniors who, like Dwyane Wade, no one saw coming when they were in high school.
Of the 682 players who have played for Marquette, which Sagarin notes as one of the top 25 program in the history of basketball, tomorrow is about the history of Crowder and DJO joining alongside Wade, Ellis, Thompson, Lee, Meminger and the all-time greats.
Tomorrow isn’t about beating Georgetown. Of course we want to, but lot's of teams lose in the emotion of senior day. It’s about two guys who got through injuries to both centers to will Marquette into a discussion about whether or not we are a 3-seed, instead of a discussion about the NIT.
DJO and Crowder give us a chance for a great run in the NCAA, but whether we have a run like 1977, or get stunned in the first round like Whitehead and Lee did in 1978, they will both join the Titans.
Whether or not either is tapped for Big East POY or All-American, or picked by NBA scouts or deemed to small for the next level, tomorrow is about all of us being able to say in 10 or 20 years, “We had this team with DJO and Crowder – you really had to see them play.”
Fans can marvel at video of DJO, or Crowder’s stats, for the next 100 years of MU basketball. That hasn’t always been the case. In 1951 and 1952 they didn’t even record rebounding stats, or else Russ Wittberger (the 48th greatest Warrior on the list below) would rank 6th all-time in rebounds instead of not being listed in the top 25.
Four years before I calculated the very precise Value Add system last year, I invented the Win Credits system to give us a tool to evaluate where players rank among the 682 MU players since 1917. As you can see from the list below, both DJO and Crowder are among the 30 greatest players of all-time, and with a big run and some accolades, they could end up 9th and 16th on the all-time list.
After writing the Ultimate Hoops Guide – Marquette University (I finished selling books two years ago so this isn’t a pitch), I updated the list of the top 50 of all-time once after Jerel McNeal’s incredible run to 2nd team AP All-American pushed him to the 9th spot on the all-time rankings. With a great run, Crowder could almost catch him to land at No. 10 of all time, while DJO could get as high as No. 16 on the all-time list. Or they could stay at 15th and 30th on the All-Time list where they are now.
Updating this list is not done to start arguments about whether or not they are actually better or worse than anyone else on this list – the point is to make sure we realize that tomorrow we are LIVING history, and in a few weeks DJO and Crowder will be joining Dwyane, Doc, the Three Amigos, Lazar and Jimmy as great players in our memories. I still remember walking across Marquette’s campus after graduating in 1987 and it suddenly crashing down on me that I was now an alum and it would never be the same again. I believe a lot of us will have the same feeling as we realize tomorrow this really is the last time we will see Jae and DJO on the Bradley Center court as players.
Here are the Win Credits players have received since the book was published, and below it the new top 50 including where DJO and Jae rank now and where they could be with an NCAA run and accolades:
| Player | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | Def | WC | WC/100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jae Crowder | 521 | 232 | 61 | 70 | 31 | 196.6 | 7.2 | 24.1 |
| Darius Johnson-Odom | 532 | 99 | 81 | 30 | 4 | 196.6 | 5.1 | 17.2 |
| Vander Blue | 256 | 133 | 89 | 36 | 7 | 196.6 | 3.2 | 10.8 |
| Junior Cadougan | 186 | 60 | 159 | 32 | 5 | 196.6 | 2.5 | 8.3 |
| Jamil Wilson | 203 | 111 | 35 | 23 | 36 | 196.6 | 2.4 | 8.0 |
| Davante Gardner | 216 | 119 | 17 | 19 | 5 | 196.6 | 1.8 | 6.0 |
| Todd Mayo | 242 | 79 | 35 | 15 | 2 | 196.6 | 1.7 | 5.7 |
| 2012 Total Win Credits | 24.0 | 80.0 | ||||||
| Jimmy Butler | 582 | 225 | 86 | 53 | 13 | 254.6 | 5.8 | 15.8 |
| Jae Crowder | 435 | 251 | 58 | 48 | 32 | 254.6 | 4.9 | 13.3 |
| Darius Johnson-Odom | 584 | 112 | 88 | 31 | 7 | 254.6 | 4.6 | 12.4 |
| Dwight Buycks | 318 | 111 | 121 | 38 | 2 | 254.6 | 2.9 | 7.7 |
| Chris Otule | 188 | 134 | 5 | 11 | 55 | 254.6 | 1.6 | 4.2 |
| Vander Blue | 187 | 104 | 59 | 33 | 8 | 254.6 | 1.3 | 3.6 |
| Junior Cadougan | 145 | 66 | 115 | 20 | 2 | 254.6 | 0.9 | 2.4 |
| 2011 Total Win Credits | 22.0 | 59.5 | ||||||
| Lazar Hayward | 616 | 256 | 52 | 64 | 18 | 219.8 | 6.6 | 19.4 |
| Jimmy Butler | 499 | 216 | 68 | 45 | 21 | 219.8 | 5.3 | 15.5 |
| Darius Johnson-Odom | 442 | 90 | 81 | 30 | 6 | 219.8 | 3.5 | 10.4 |
| Maurice Acker | 295 | 62 | 127 | 42 | 1 | 219.8 | 2.7 | 7.8 |
| David Cubillan | 231 | 64 | 93 | 28 | 1 | 219.8 | 1.7 | 5.1 |
| Dwight Buycks | 203 | 96 | 68 | 37 | 1 | 219.8 | 1.7 | 5.0 |
| Joseph Fulce | 119 | 106 | 10 | 15 | 11 | 219.8 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| 2010 Total Win Credits | 22.0 | 64.7 | ||||||
| Jerel McNeal | 693 | 159 | 137 | 71 | 21 | 243.2 | 7.3 | 21.0 |
| Wesley Matthews | 641 | 201 | 86 | 43 | 18 | 243.2 | 6.4 | 18.2 |
| Lazar Hayward | 570 | 302 | 39 | 35 | 9 | 243.2 | 6.0 | 17.1 |
| Dominic James | 318 | 99 | 144 | 62 | 9 | 243.2 | 3.6 | 10.4 |
| Jimmy Butler | 196 | 138 | 26 | 17 | 16 | 243.2 | 1.4 | 4.1 |
| Dwight Burke | 99 | 128 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 243.2 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| 2009 Total Win Credits | 25.0 | 71.4 |
Top 50 Marquette Players (out of 682 since 1917)
1, Dwyane Wade, (53-13 in 2002, 03); 2, Maurice “Bo” Ellis, (101-18 in 1974, 75, 76, 77); 3, Alfred (Butch) Lee, (99-17 in 1975, 76, 77, 78); 4, George Thompson, (68-20 in 1967, 68, 69); 5, Dean Meminger, (78-9 in 1969, 70, 71); 6, Jim Chones, (49-1 in 1971, part of 72); 7, Maurice Lucas, (51-9 in 1973, 74); 8, Don Kojis, (52-29 in 1959, 60, 61); 9, Jerel McNeal, (94-41 in 2006, 07, 08, 09); 10, Jae Crowder with a run (46-21 and counting in 2011, 12); 10, Earl Tatum, (101-15 in 1973, 74, 75, 76).
11, Terry Rand, (48-29 in 1954, 55, 56); 12, Dave Quabius, (26-10 in 1938, 39); 13, Jerome Whitehead, (76-13 in 1976, 77, 78); 14, Tony Smith, (54-60 in 1987, 88, 89, 90); 15, Jae Crowder now (46-21 and counting in 2011, 12); 16, Darius Johnson-Odom best case run (68-33 and counting in 2010, 11, 12); 16, Larry McNeil, (50-8 in 1972, 73); 17, Travis Diener, (91-37 in 2002, 03, 04, 05); 18, Jim McIlvaine, (71-48 in 1991, 92, 93, 94); 19, Lloyd Walton, (76-11 in 1974, 75, 76); 20, Lazar Hayward (96-42 in 2007, 08, 09, 10.
21, Glen “Doc” Rivers, (62-30 in 1981, 82, 83); 22, Bernard Toone, (98-20 in 1976, 77, 78, 79); 23, Wesley Matthews (94-41 in 2006, 07, 08, 09); 24, Dominic James (94-41 in 2006, 07, 08, 09); 25, Ed Mullen, (40-14 in 1933, 34, 35); 26, Gary Brell, (54-4 in 1970, 71); 27, Michael Wilson, (83-36 in 1979, 80, 81, 82); 28, Bob Lackey, (53-5 in 1971, 72); 29, Sam Worthen, (40-16 in 1979, 80); 30, Darius Johnson-Odom now (68-33 and counting in 2010, 11, 12).
31, Joe Thomas, (73-14 in 1968, 69, 70); 32, Gene Berce, (25-39 in 1945, 47, 48); 33, Steve Novak, (85-41 in 2003, 04, 05, 06); 34, Joseph “Red” Dunn, (52-28 in 1922, 23, 24, 25); 35, Richard Quinn, (52-28 in 1922, 23, 24, 25); 36, Aaron Hutchins, (86-40 in 1995, 96, 97, 98); 37, Allie McGuire, (78-9 in 1971, 72, 73); 38, Tony Miller, (81-42 in 1992, 93, 94, 95); 39, Walt Mangham, (47-29 in 1958, 59, 60);
40, Amal McCaskill, (84-42 in 1992, 94, 95, 96).
41, Chris Crawford, (90-38 in 1994, 95, 96, 97); 42, Ric Cobb, (50-8 in 1969, 70); 43, Ron Curry, (47-39 in 1991, 92, 93); 44, Marcus Washington, (76-13 in 1972, 73, 74); 45, Cordell Henry, (70-50 in 1999, 2000, 01, 02); 46, Brian Wardle, (64-54 in 1998, 1999, 2000, 01); 47, Damon Key, (71-48 in 1991, 92, 93, 94); 48, Russ Wittberger, (60-43 in 1952, 53, 54, 55); 49, Robert Jackson, (27-6 in 2003); 50, Kerry Trotter, (75-45 in 1983, 84, 85, 86).
Pushed out of the Top 50 by DJO and Crowder; 51, Roney Eford, (88-37 in 1993, 94, 95, 96); 52, Oliver Lee, (84-31 in 1978, 79, 80, 81).
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