Marquette News, Summer Reports, Zach Smart

MARQUETTE SUMMER REPORT

Buzz Williams tackles the rebuilding task at Marquette following graduation of guard trio

BY ZACH SMART

There’s been a mass exodus at Marquette this summer, with a bevy of veteran talent moving on to explore the next chapter in their lives.

Yes, the departure of a pro-ready triumvirate may damage the Golden Eagles’ chances next season.

Yes, Jerel McNeal, Wesley Matthews and Dominic James accounted for a staggering 62 percent of the Golden Eagles’ total offensive output in 2008-09.

Yes, they were a poised pack that led by example and manufactured offense at a torrid pace.

The loss of a high-scoring, tough and cerebral three-man wrecking crew offers a steep challenge to the Golden Eagles. Still, nobody is hitting the panic button.

Not with a young nucleus of talent that can right the ship while potentially upgrading the boat in particular categories.

Buzz Williams, a God-committed, faith-first coach, is blessed with a nucleus of fresh talent for the 2009-10 campaign.

Williams did a commendable job reeling in gritty forward Jeronne Maymon, scoring guard and JUCO transfer Darius Johnson-Odom and Junior Cadougan, 5-foot-11 Toronto-bred point guard who should play immediate roles in the MU rebuilding project this season.

KEY LOSSES:

Dominic James, 5-11 G: Authored a storied, yet yo-yo career, in Milwaukee. James was dominant as a freshman, NBA-ready to many draft analysts. He was the highly-touted guard at the top of the NCAA heap. His name was littered in columns canvassing who’s who in the Big East entering his sophomore season. He was the poster boy, a scoring-dishing guard who stirred the drink for the Eagles. James’ mug grazed the cover of various college hoops magazines. While he didn’t flame out, his final two years at Marquette were not what everyone envisioned they would be. Nevertheless, there were plenty of silver linings in James’ senior year, one which saw him post 11 points and five dimes before suffering a late-season, season-ending (save for one ineffective, 17-minute showing in the NCAA tournament’s second round) injury in a home loss to UConn. Strong, fearless, pitbull guard will be missed. His solid first-step and sheer ability to knife through defenders will as well.

Jerel McNeal, 6-3 G: Established himself as an elite scoring fish in the Big East pond, one who will now swim with the sharks at the next level. While NBA teams passed up on the kid who excels at shooting off screens and burying pull-up j’s, JM will likely follow the paper trail over the waters. McNeal averaged a robust 19.8 points, riding a late January-early February hot streak where he eclipsed 21 points five consecutive games. McNeal’s ability to create his own shot and cook the nets in clusters will be majorly missed. Quietly, McNeal finished as the school’s all-time leading scorer, an impressive accomplishment.

Wesley Matthews, 6-5 G: homegrown product averaged 18 points and 5.7 boards, looking virtually unstoppable in games against Georgetown and Rutgers (when he shot the rock at a sizzling 10-for-10 clip). Matthews was a high scorer fundamentally sound in all parts of his game, and his leadership and ability to trigger offense at crucial transitions will be missed. Matthews, who is tight with the aforementioned Maymon (the man who passed Matthews as the all-time leading scorer at Memorial HS in Madison), did a commendable job getting his friend from home to stay local.

Dwight Burke, 6-8 F: Albeit offensively invisible at times, Marquette will missed the services of this blacksmith-bodied forward in the post. Burke was a presence on the boards. His jacked-up 250-pound frame intimidated teams and aided the glasswork operation.

Maurice Acker, 5-8 G: This cheetah-quick, smurf-sized guard played the role of the little engine that could at the Big East tournament two years ago. There’s been a search warrant out for his game ever since. The Illinois product played a much lesser role last season and then surprised many as he decided to forgo his final season of eligibility and concentrate on getting his degree and move on with life’s work rather than return to the court for the Golden Eagles in 09-10.

Also…Patrick Hazel transferred out of MU following the 2008-2009 season and Liam McMorrow claimed a medical hardship.

KEY RETURNERS:

Lazar Hayward, 6-7 F: This versatile forward was often forced to play out of his nature, going up against bigger, more physical players on the blocks. In the end, it made no difference. Hayward was an indispensable factor in Marquette’s offensive execution. Hayward closed out a stellar junior season with nine double-doubles. He averaged 16 points and 8.3 points and turned in titanic performances against Providence, DePaul, Villanoca, Pitt, and Utah State in the big dance. With veteran leadership and three years of experience under his belt, the driver’s keys are funneled down to the senior from Buffalo.

Jimmy Butler, 6-6 G/F: Big, strong guard is flushed into a significant role next season. Butler proved he’s ready for the transition, as his game picked up towards the end of the season. A spark off the bench, Butler poured in 19 points on the big stage at Madison Square Garden… though Villanova eked out a 1-point win during the dizzying, Big East Tournament tug of war tilt.

David Cubillan, 6’1 G: Played a significant role off the bench as a hot-shooting frosh, but a sophomore shooting slump because of nagging injuries led to offseason surgery on both shoulders. Cubillan never found a role last season as he worked his way back to health. Now, with a gutted roster void of experience, he could be thrust back into the rotation.

KEY NEWCOMERS:

Junior Cadougan, 6-1 G: Hotly-pursued 6-foot-1 guard averaged 21 points, eight dimes, and three steals at Christian Life Center in Humble, TX. Cadougan chose Marquette over plenty of high majors, Louisville, Texas and USC, to name a few. Likely to be James’ heir from day one.

Jeronne Maymon, 6-6 F: Athletic, 230-pound strongman will pay immediate dividends for the Eagles. Attacks the basket at will, looks good in transition, and can play above the rim. Proven boardsmith also plays with unbridled toughness and tenacity on defense. His presence could allow Hayward to play his natural small forward position, forming a forward duo as tough as anyone in the country.

Darius Johnson-Odom, 6-2 G: Lefty who can shoot the mid-range jumper and extend it to beyond the arc. JUCO standout penetrates the teeth of the “D” at will and features an explosive first step. His scoring rep needs to be cultivated into a Big East scorer to help replace loss of McNeil.

NBE Blogger Says…
It is going to be a tough year for Marquette in 2009-2010. However, they are unlikely to stay down long. The lack of Big East and Division 1-A experience will hurt the Golden Eagles, but the incoming freshman class, along with the JUCO transfers from the 2008 and 2009 recruiting classes, should be able to be a much improved group when the second half of the conference schedule rolls around.

The progress of sophomore big man Chris Otule and incoming frosh Brett Roseboro and Youssoupha Mbao will determine how quickly MU competes for a spot in the conference’s upper half. This year will be a learning experience for much of the roster, but better days will be coming in the not-so-distant future, led by Cadougan, Maymon, Erik Williams, Johnson-Odom and the rest.

Previous Summer Reports:
Cincinnati Summer Report
Connecticut Summer Report
DePaul Summer Report
Providence Summer Report
South Florida Summer Report
St. John’s Summer Report
Syracuse Summer Report