Marquette Hoops Discussion

[MickeyDavis]

Nationally ranked prospect Joey Hauser (Stevens Point, WI/SPASH), who signed in November and originally planned to join Marquette University in the summer of 2018, will now arrive in time for the conclusion of the 2017-18 season.

Hauser (6-9, 215), who graduates from Stevens Point Area Senior High this week, is enrolled at Marquette for the spring 2018 semester. He will redshirt in 2017-18 while recovering from ankle surgery and have four seasons of eligibility beginning with the 2018-19 campaign. He will be able to travel with the team this season and utilize the team’s open scholarship.

“We are really excited to have Joey join us for the second semester,” head coach Steve Wojciechowski said. “It’s a unique opportunity for him to recover from his recent surgery while also becoming acclimated to our basketball program and University. He is without question one of the top players in the class of 2018 and for him to be able to get a head start on his career is a tremendous positive.”

Hauser, who was ranked as high as 32nd in the nation by 247Sports.com, helped lead SPASH to three-straight state titles under the direction of head coach Scott Anderson. He averaged 23.6 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game as a junior en route to the squad’s third championship, finishing with 33 points and 22 rebounds in the title matchup.

“I am excited to be coming to Marquette early,” Hauser said. “It was a tough decision, but it was the best one for my future. I want to be 100 percent by next year and I feel that being at Marquette to rehab every day will benefit that process. I will also get a great taste of what college basketball and campus life is like.

“My teammates and coaches at SPASH have been extremely supportive of my decision,” Hauser added. “They know how tough it was for me to leave them and understand why I am doing it. I have a great support system and want to thank everyone who has helped me along the way.”

The Stevens Point, Wisconsin, native was a unanimous selection to the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association All-State Team and claimed co-player of the year accolades in the Wisconsin Valley Conference in 2016-17.

A three-year varsity letterwinner, he was an all-state performer as a sophomore after averaging 17.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 59.6 percent from the floor. As a freshman in 2014-15, Hauser claimed all-league accolades and chipped in 9.6 points and 4.6 boards per contest en route to his first state championship. Along with the trio of titles, the Panthers finished undefeated in league play each of those campaigns and were a combined 79-5 overall.

[lessthannick11]

Good deal for both as he gets better treatment and gets used to the college life before playing next year and MU gets an experienced freshman next year

[feldm093]

Watching my first Marquette game of the season this afternoon. Any particular reason why it seems they give Villanova difficulties? I get that they appear to be quite good at keeping pace in a run-and-gun race, but beyond that I've got zero familiarity with what MU does uniquely well.

[BroncoBuck]

Watching my first Marquette game of the season this afternoon. Any particular reason why it seems they give Villanova difficulties? I get that they appear to be quite good at keeping pace in a run-and-gun race, but beyond that I've got zero familiarity with what MU does uniquely well.

Space the floor. They are in the top 20 in the nation in 3 pointers made. It’s Morey ball with a less talented roster. Really fun to watch and gives them a chance on any given night when the shots are falling.

[MickeyDavis]

They're hanging in there. Howard is cold.

[MickeyDavis]

So damn close. I like this Marquette team. Can't wait for little Hauser next season

[Johnlac1]

Watching my first Marquette game of the season this afternoon. Any particular reason why it seems they give Villanova difficulties? I get that they appear to be quite good at keeping pace in a run-and-gun race, but beyond that I've got zero familiarity with what MU does uniquely well.

Space the floor. They are in the top 20 in the nation in 3 pointers made. It’s Morey ball with a less talented roster. Really fun to watch and gives them a chance on any given night when the shots are falling.

My own opinion is that the Marquette offense is too predictable. Great when the shots are falling, but everything is set up too much for Rowsey and Howard. Hauser is one of the best three ball shooters in the country and good in isolations. Froling seems to be able to score. Some of these other Marquette players seem to have some game. More penetration into the post and kick out could get Marquette more easy three ball shots.
As it Rowsey and Howard throw up a lot of ill-advised shots. Not real impressed with their decisions.

[Mags FTW]

This is what it looks like when a team that doesn’t play defense can’t hit their shots.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

This is what it looks like when a team that doesn’t play defense can’t hit their shots.

Hopefully, next year you replace Rowsey with Joey Hauser. They are actually a decent (being generous) defensive team when they can hide one of the midgets, but they are god awful with both Rowsey and Howard on the court at the same time.

They are really young and should get better next year. Guys like Theo John, Cain and Elliot all have the athletic tools to be solid defenders so hopefully a full summer of coaching helps. Their freshman are also Hauser (great player) and Bailey (2 years older due to Mormon mission).

I'm being a total homer but I could see them being a more consistent top 15 team next year.

[Thunder Muscle]

That was a brutal game. Yikes. Need to get the game this weekend.

[lessthannick11]

Great win last night, really needed that to stay alive on the bubble. Nice to see Howard, Hauser, and Rowsey shoot well again. Hoping for a St. John's letdown game now

[Thunder Muscle]

It looks like Lunardi has them in the 1st 4 out currently. Still plenty of opportunity to play their way back into the field. I think they have to win at least 4 of their last 6 games, and minimum 1 game in the tournament. It looks like they may be playing St. John's at the wrong time as they're starting to figure out how to close out games (and against top tier opponents at that).

Lots of chatter on if Wojo is the right guy. I may sound like an apologist but its a tough league and still a pretty young team. I feel the team is still trending upward. The bigger question is who is a realistic "clear" upgrade? I really don't see Tom Crean returning. Otherwise is plucking another hot assistant? To me I'd rather just roll with Wojo. I feel he can recruit and at least let him see out this Howard/Hauser crop. I don't think there is any chance he is fired after this year, but next year will definitely be a hot seat year if they make the NIT this year.

[lessthannick11]

Plus firing him would most likely set them back again as some recruits/players would leave. If they are still struggling next year when they should no longer be young and inexperienced, then you could definitely question if he's the guy

[Thunder Muscle]

Plus firing him would most likely set them back again as some recruits/players would leave. If they are still struggling next year when they should no longer be young and inexperienced, then you could definitely question if he's the guy

Agreed. I do think MU alumni/fan's expectations sometimes need to be checked though. I'm an alum, love the team/school, etc but I think some of us need to take a step back and realize Marquette isn't a blue-blood program regardless if the budget is top 10 in all of basketball. Yes they have won a championship (albeit it is over 40 years ago now) and have had some really good stretches of success, but they're never going to be a school that has pick of the litter for talent, it is not viewed as an upper tier program, and in fact it has kind of been a stepping stone for coaches (e.g. Crean, O'Neill, Buzz Williams) even with the huge budget. I think expecting Wojo to have this into a sure fire NCAA/Sweet 16 program after what he inherited may be a little unfair. We're a good program with solid tradition, but the expectations to run with the Duke, UNC, and Kentucky's each year is a little out of whack...in my opinion. I think a good "realstic" goal is to be a perennial tournament team each year and hope you catch lightning in a bottle every once in awhile like they did in 2003 and 2013 (or whatever year they went to the Elite 8). I just think that is the reality of the situation.

[El Duderino]

It looks like Lunardi has them in the 1st 4 out currently. Still plenty of opportunity to play their way back into the field. I think they have to win at least 4 of their last 6 games, and minimum 1 game in the tournament. It looks like they may be playing St. John's at the wrong time as they're starting to figure out how to close out games (and against top tier opponents at that).

Lots of chatter on if Wojo is the right guy. I may sound like an apologist but its a tough league and still a pretty young team. I feel the team is still trending upward. The bigger question is who is a realistic "clear" upgrade? I really don't see Tom Crean returning. Otherwise is plucking another hot assistant? To me I'd rather just roll with Wojo. I feel he can recruit and at least let him see out this Howard/Hauser crop. I don't think there is any chance he is fired after this year, but next year will definitely be a hot seat year if they make the NIT this year.

Plus, i like some of the young players .

With wings like Elliot and Cain, Wojo finally has some guys who have length and who should be plus defenders. Theo John has showed defensive promise inside.

Since Wojo arrived, his biggest problem has been that his teams have tended to be soft and bad defensively. Rowsey will be gone so no more midget guard lineups with him and Howard.

At some point though the excuses for his teams being bad defensively every year has to come to an end. If he can't get his teams to defend even with some better/longer athletes, then it's on him. These high octane offenses the last two years can be fun to watch, but when the threes aren't falling, there has been no defense to fall back on and get stops.

[MickeyDavis]

I'd like to see what he can do with young Hauser.

[El Duderino]

I agree on Hauser and don't want Wojo fired, but so far to me he's been more of a good recruiter/mediocre coach.

I will say though when it comes to this year, the Big East is really good. Outside of Depaul, there are no bad teams/easy wins and Marquette was close in multiple losses to really good teams.

When this current version of the Big East was put together, i didn't envision the league being as good as it is this quickly.

[Thunder Muscle]

I agree on Hauser and don't want Wojo fired, but so far to me he's been more of a good recruiter/mediocre coach.

I will say though when it comes to this year, the Big East is really good. Outside of Depaul, there are no bad teams/easy wins and Marquette was close in multiple losses to really good teams.

When this current version of the Big East was put together, i didn't envision the league being as good as it is this quickly.

Same here. The initial thought was it it was gonna fall into a mid major status, or below thr power conferences. Wonder if its a good run or if it will be sustained. Be cool if Georgetown and St Johns get better.

[xTitan]

I agree on Hauser and don't want Wojo fired, but so far to me he's been more of a good recruiter/mediocre coach.

I will say though when it comes to this year, the Big East is really good. Outside of Depaul, there are no bad teams/easy wins and Marquette was close in multiple losses to really good teams.

When this current version of the Big East was put together, i didn't envision the league being as good as it is this quickly.

Wojo has been a bad coach quite frankly, his staff is mostly made up of young good recruiters, he'd be best served to hire a vet assistant who is a defensive specialist, this is a terrible defensive team, you can't win consistently playing defense so poorly.

[lessthannick11]

Big win on Saturday coming back from the dead. Most likely no Howard on Wednesday night, but that might force them to play more zone which would be good