The Big East Coast Bias site http://www.bigeastcoastbias.com/ has been doing a series of All Half Decade teams for each Big East university.  They haven’t gotten around to the Jays yet.

Just for shucks n grins I decided to take a blue tinted, sideways glance at it.

All Decade Team:

All Half-Decade Team:

What shall be the criteria?  Well let’s see.

1 pick per position?  5 or 6 Best players? Spent at least 2 years aboard (so we can include jucos and transfers)? If a current player then have the 2 years and has played a significant role?  Picks by rankings?  Picks by on the court results?  Gakou, Tolliver, Funk, and Porter not included as were seniors on the 2006-07 team.  Kreklow, Morrison, Bock, and Miles only spent 1 year on the team.

Criteria:

a)  1 pick per position.

b)  Best Player is 6th man.

c)  Spent at least 2 years in the system, can be a current player.

d)  Results on the court – primary significance.

Candidates:

Point Guards:  2005 Josh Dotzler, 2007 Cavel Witter, 2008 Antoine Young, 2011 Austin Chatman, 2014 Maurice Watson

SGs:  2007 P’Allen Stinnett, 2007 Booker Woodfox, 2009 Josh Jones, 2009 Darrell Ashford, 2010 Jahenns Manigat, 2012 Isaiah Zierden, 2013 Devin Brooks, 2013 James Milliken, 2015 Marcus Foster

SFs:  2006 Casey Harriman, 2007 Kaleb Korver, 2008 Justin Carter, 2009 Wayne Runnels, 2011 Grant Gibbs, 2011 Avery Dingman, 2014 Ronnie Harrell

PFs:  2005 Dane Watts, 2007 Kenton Walker, 2008 Chad Millard, 2009 Ethan Wragge, 2010 Doug McDermott, 2011 Will Artino, 2011 Mo Oginni, 2013 Toby Hegner, 2014 Cole Huff

Ctrs:  2006 Kenny Lawson, 2010 Gregory Echenique, 2011 Geoff Groselle, 2013 Zach Hanson

All Decade Team:  Doug McDermott, Kenny Lawson*, Dane Watts, Justin Carter, P’Allen Stinnett, Josh Dotzler

All Half-decade Team:  Doug McDermott, Gregory Echenique*, Ethan Wragge, Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat, Maurice Watson

• Kenny Lawson won 1 MVC Championship (2009), 1 MVC Tourney (2007)
• Gregory Echenique won 1 MVC Championship (2013), 2 MVCT (2012 & 13)

*Judgement call.  Lawson spent 5 years on the Hilltop and was a great teammate.  The Sr. was demoted as starter even though producing 12.3ppg/7.2rpg through the 1st 10 games of the season.  Preseason MVC PoY pick.  A close call between Kenny and Gregory.

IMHO the Lawson demotion was one of two major missteps by the new McDermott coaching staff in their initial campaign.  The other was the dismissal of Sr. SG P’Allen Stinnett, a 15+ ppg scorer.  The job description calls for winning games and championships, not for the appeasement of a fickle, politically correct fanbase.  But it is all water under the bridge now.

gtmo

Fall has broke.  The leaves are falling, there’s a chill in the air, and All Hallows Eve is right around the corner.  The college basketball season is upon us, finally.

Matts Stats – Last year we were given a special treat as Matt Hoover gave us some historical perspective on our Jays – needed by most as we were coming off the worst season in the last 20 years.

Matt’s stats were a timely boost to kick off what turned out to be a normal year for the Jays – winning 20 and making a postseason appearance – albeit the NIT.  The Jays appeared to be on the verge of breaking out several times throughout the season, but the end of season swoon killed any hopes of making the NCAAs.

This year (as in most years) is full of preseason promise.  Many Jays faithful have enlarged expectations, so ol’ git is not an outlier this season. Here’s the WBR link to Matt’s column for WBR last year, as a refresher.

http://whiteandbluereview.com/can-the-creighton-bluejays-start-a-new-postseason-streak-in-2015-16/

Matt posts his work here:

ABOUT MATT HOOVER and MattsStatsBlog

Matt Hoover (@mattsstatsblog) loves sports and data. He marries the two at MattsStatsBlog.com

Media Prognostication -Most of Big Media has given the nod to the Jays, as many expect this team to be good…and potentially great.  The team has landed in several preseason polls (AP & Coach’s pending) including Blue Ribbon, Athlon, Lindy’s, CBS, ESPN, and others.  As others will quickly point out – this means nothing.  Polls are a beauty contest, judged by folks with short, faulty, and jaundiced memory.

However, I am anticipating this season with my normal overly optimistic, bluetinted viewpoint, and bias.  With the talent, experience, and depth currently aboard the opportunity is here for our Bluejays to make a big statement on the national level.  I for one, am confident the Jays will exceed our expectations this year.

BEAST Recruiting – The Big East is killing it this recruiting cycle.  Now, don’t get me wrong as several BE teams consistently recruit at the high level.  But it appears to my untrained eye, that all of the BEast is firing on all cylinders this 2017 cycle, recruiting wise.  My bud, ol’ Stever2o (the stalwart AAC troll and G’twn fan?) has continued his trolling spin to knock the current Big East recruiting efforts.  But Steverrrr aside, the vast majority of folks over on HolylandofHoops.com would agree that 2017 is becoming an exceptionally good recruiting cycle.

Shooting Ducks – A couple of the stalwart media talking heads have moved.  Perhaps for better dollars, more prestige and exposure, or merely wanting a new challenge. Both Evan Daniel and Jon Rothstein have moved among others.

Evan Daniels to Fox Sports and FS1.  College Basketball Insider.

Creighton 3rd in BE Coach’s Poll

Mo 1st Team All BE

Marcus HM All BE