Marquette Basketball: Golden Eagles' Best Situational Lineups in 2013-14
Buzz Williams has always been a fan of playing deep benches since becoming head coach at Marquette. Williams doesn't necessarily start the five best players on the roster, but he'll be sure to play the hot hands in crunch time, giving his team the best chance to win.
Without Duane Wilson returning in the foreseeable future and only sparse playing time from John Dawson, 10 of the 12 MU scholarship players would see playing time in at least one of the following five situational lineups. In fact, listed below is the player accompanied by how many lineups they fit into.
Jamil Wilson: 4
Derrick Wilson: 3
Chris Otule: 3
Jake Thomas: 3
Juan Anderson: 3
Davante Gardner: 2
Todd Mayo: 2
Deonte Burton: 2
JaJuan Johnson: 2
Steve Taylor Jr.: 1
Starting Lineup
PG: Derrick Wilson
SG: Jake Thomas
SF: Juan Anderson
PF: Jamil Wilson
C: Chris Otule
For better or worse, this is the starting lineup that Buzz Williams has devised for the season. Despite nearly transferring following the 2012-13 season, Williams has rewarded both Thomas and Anderson with starting roles.
Anderson and Otule are the two returning starters from last year, while the two Wilsons and Thomas fill in for the trio of Junior Cadougan, Trent Lockett and Vander Blue. This starting lineup is an experienced one, with two juniors, two redshirt seniors and one sixth-year senior on the court to start ballgames.
Three-Point Lineup
PG: Todd Mayo
SG: Jake Thomas
SF: JaJuan Johnson
PF: Jamil Wilson
C: Davante Gardner
For the season, Marquette is shooting only 27.8 percent from the three-point range, down from a 29.6 percent mark a year ago. The above listed players have connected on 38 of Marquette's 40 made three-pointers, while Anderson and Dawson have each made one trifecta on the year.
None of the five have been deadly from deep, as all their three-point shooting percentages range between 31.6 and 35.7 percent. Thomas leads the team with 15 made triples, while Wilson follows behind with 10. Marquette does not rely on the three, but it needs to become more efficient shooting from deep.
Defensive Lineup
PG: Derrick Wilson
SG: Juan Anderson
SF: Deonte Burton
PF: Jamil Wilson
C: Chris Otule
This defensive lineup closely resembles the starting lineup, with only Burton inserted for Thomas. Derrick Wilson is a ball hawk and lockdown defender on the perimeter, while Anderson is a versatile defender who can guard multiple positions.
The 6'4" Burton is a bulldog on both ends of the court who can also defend inside and outside and leads MU in steals. Jamil Wilson is the most well-rounded player on the team, but he needs to become more assertive on both ends. Despite diminishing blocked shot figures, Otule averaged 1.6 swats between 2009 and 2012.
Big Man Lineup
PG: Jamil Wilson
SG: JaJuan Johnson
SF: Juan Anderson
PF: Davante Gardner
C: Chris Otule
Derrick Wilson has been overused early on, playing 31.1 minutes per game. The following lineup contains five of the six tallest players on the Golden Eagles roster. The 6'7" Jamil Wilson has good handles for his size and has brought the ball up on occasion, causing an instant matchup problem for the opponent.
On the wings stand the 6'5" Johnson and 6'6" Anderson, while the 6'8" Gardner and 6'11" Otule man the paint. Gardner and Otule weigh 290 and 275 pounds, respectively. Though the occurrences have been rare, Williams has found success when playing the two senior bigs together on the court at the same time, forming an inside-outside presence.
Small-Ball Lineup
PG: Derrick Wilson
SG: Jake Thomas
SF: Todd Mayo
PF: Deonte Burton
C: Steve Taylor Jr.
The 6'1" starting point guard Wilson is Marquette's shortest player. On the wing stands a pair of shooting guards, as both Thomas and Mayo check in at 6'3". Burton, listed as a guard/forward on the team's roster, stands only 6'4" but makes up for it with his sturdy 230-pound frame.
Finally, the 6'7" Taylor mans the middle, a position he played at Simeon Career Academy alongside Jabari Parker (Duke), Kendrick Nunn (Illinois) and Jaylon Tate (Illinois). Between the big man and small-ball lineups, there are no overlapping players, though, the big man lineup is more likely to be utilized.