Marko is Back!

[Pablo]

Since returning to his natural "4" position for the Catawba game, point forward Marko Gujanicic is shooting 66.7% (12-18) from the floor including 1-1 behind the arc, and has 7 assists & 0 turnovers.

 

[MasonFanatic]

Which begs the question as to why Hewitt ever changed his role? (Yeah, I get it, playing time, but we saw zero evidence that it would work, which should have been obvious in practice).

 

[TweederGMU]

Whooaaaaa. Slow your roll there Pab's. One good game doesn't mean he is back. Lets see what he does moving forward.

 

[DeepValue]

Something has changed on the team. It's like they've been freed up to play their natural positions and everyone's agreed to play good hard team basketball. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[couchcoach]

cousin marko back and show you he play

 

[Pablo]

Mason's Homecoming victory over UR was the 4th game this season that Marko did not play (after missing just 1 game in his first 2 seasons). The other 3 games that he missed this season was due to a concussion. He was dressed for Saturday's game, so I don't know if it was due to getting hurt in the game at Davidson or Hewitt decided to go with an 8-man rotation.

This was also the first game that Vaughn Gray missed this season, after playing just 1 minute at Davidson.

 

[Washingtonian]

Mason's Homecoming victory over UR was the 4th game this season that Marko did not play (after missing just 1 game in his first 2 seasons). The other 3 games that he missed this season was due to a concussion. He was dressed for Saturday's game, so I don't know if it was due to getting hurt in the game at Davidson or Hewitt decided to go with an 8-man rotation.

This was also the first game that Vaughn Gray missed this season, after playing just 1 minute at Davidson.

Marko scored a lot of points in the game AT Richmond, so I was surprised he didn't play on Saturday.

 

[GSII]

Im not surprised with headscratching roster decsions. Like a lost chef, u eventually learn not to burn the butter.

 

[TweederGMU]

I'm ok with a 9 person rotation. Gray just looks lost on the court and gets down on himself when he misses his first shot and hasn't done much to garner PT. Marko should be playing more minutes than Royal IMO

 

[gmutom]

I've always been a Marko fan, but the greatest thing about him is also the biggest knock against him — he's a jack of all traits and master of none. Much like Paris Bennett (who I also appreciated), Marko can dribble a little, shoot okay and rebound some. Unfortunately, he doesn't do any of them well enough to overcome his defensive liabilities.

I'm not as down on Royal as some people here are. He'll never be as good as advertised coming out of high school, but like many of our players I think he's being misused and under-coached. A good coach would have him posting up on the block instead of launching 3s from the top of the key.

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

But how much of Hewitt's recruiting shtick is "You'll play the 4, but my 4 out offense will give you 3 skills, and a chance at the NBA."

 

[gmutom]

But how much of Hewitt's recruiting shtick is "You'll play the 4, but my 4 out offense will give you 3 skills, and a chance at the NBA."

Oh, I'm sure that's a huge part of his pitch; but at this point the players have to be sick of losing with this one-one-on NBA crap that is doing nothing to make them better. In fact, it's making them look worse, because they are round pegs being crammed into square holes.

Okoloji, Marko and Royal are all the same in that they have the size to play the 3 but not the skills, speed or shooting ability. Of the 3, I think Royal is the only one who has the talent and size to transition to the 4 if he's coached properly.

 

[Pablo]

Oh, I'm sure that's a huge part of his pitch; but at this point the players have to be sick of losing with this one-one-on NBA crap that is doing nothing to make them better. In fact, it's making them look worse, because they are round pegs being crammed into square holes.

Okoloji, Marko and Royal are all the same in that they have the size to play the 3 but not the skills, speed or shooting ability. Of the 3, I think Royal is the only one who has the talent and size to transition to the 4 if he's coached properly.

Do you mean that Royal has the talent and size to effectively play the "4" if coached properly?

 

[TweederGMU]

I don't understand why Houston hasn't turned Royal in to a post-up/back to the basket type player and bang down low guy. Isn't this what Houston was brought in to do? Is Royal that inept to learn back to the basket moves? Or has Houston and Hewitt agreed to make him a jump shooter and slasher..... when apparently his jump shot and drive to the basket is not very good, he is not fast enough to play the 3 and cut to the rim. It seems they refuse to adjust their philosophy on what type of player to make Royal and just let him shoot whatever shot he has in front of him. THIS is where their coaching is abysmal and needs to be addressed.

I can send a message to Jai Lewis and I'll pay him $100 of my own money to have him take Royal out and teach him some post moves on a Saturday at the Field House. But no..... apparently he is a straight up shooter. LOL

 

[gmutom]

Do you mean that Royal has the talent and size to effectively play the "4" if coached properly?

Absolutely. He's actually an inch taller than Jenkins and weighs about 10 pounds more, so there's no reason he couldn't back Jalen up at the 4. Like Tweeder said, he just needs to be converted to playing in the post with his back to the basket.

My rotation would be:

PG: Moore, Edwards
SG: Edwards, Holloway
Wing: Jackson, Marko, Gray
SF: Jenkins, Royal
PF/C: Thompson, Porter

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

Its still a terrible waste that we have Jenkins, Marko and Royal to play essentially the same position while our best guard this year is Corey Edwards.

 

[Quentin Daniels]

I don't understand why Houston hasn't turned Royal in to a post-up/back to the basket type player and bang down low guy. Isn't this what Houston was brought in to do? Is Royal that inept to learn back to the basket moves? Or has Houston and Hewitt agreed to make him a jump shooter and slasher..... when apparently his jump shot and drive to the basket is not very good, he is not fast enough to play the 3 and cut to the rim. It seems they refuse to adjust their philosophy on what type of player to make Royal and just let him shoot whatever shot he has in front of him. THIS is where their coaching is abysmal and needs to be addressed.

I can send a message to Jai Lewis and I'll pay him $100 of my own money to have him take Royal out and teach him some post moves on a Saturday at the Field House. But no..... apparently he is a straight up shooter. LOL

While I agree, I do have to chuckle a bit as this is what some posters here killed L for in attempting to do this w/Moldoveanu.

 

[Dawgs99]

With regards to Royal and not playing with his back to the basket/in the post...its not Royal its Hewitts shit bag 4 out 1 in offense. By virtue of not playing the "5" Royal is asked by this scheme to play on the perimeter. I have no doubt that Royal has a few back to the basket moves..everyone knows how to drop step right?

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

Even in a 4 out offense, we could still pick high and post the 4 low. We just rarely do it.

Re Vlad: in fairness that guy weighed 30 pounds less than Royal, at least initially. His issue was defense.

I often wonder which players on the current roster L would have punted (like Vlad) and which he would have improved...

Marko I think would improve slightly. At least work harder.

 

[gmujim92]

I often wonder which players on the current roster L would have punted (like Vlad) and which he would have improved...

Marko I think would improve slightly. At least work harder.

Marko's skills have been totally wasted in Hewitt's BS "system."

Shocking, I know, to suggest our coach would recruit and sign a guy who's such a poor fit, but I think that's what happened.

I could see a smart, heady guy like Marko improving steadily at the 4 under Larranaga and filling a glue guy/facilitator role like Jon L. did.

He'd certainly have been better off than being stuck for 4 years with this bozo.