Instead of doing a preview where we look at the guards and forwards in a group, I decided to rank them individually from the players I have the most interest in for the 2013-2014 season.
1.) Jamil Wilson: I think he might end up being a low first to early second round draft pick by the end of the year. Jamil cannot disappear in games though. He would come up with a big first half and then fade away down the stretch. The inverse happened as well. The intriguing thing about Wilson is all of his numbers moved up last season. He shot 36 percent from three, he moved his points up by two points and his rebound totals nearly moved by one full board. Wilson will be a great senior leader for this team. 
2.) Davante Gardner: BIG SMOOOOOOOVE. He might be SLEVTE SMOOOOOVE though. There is some talk the big fella as Bill Raftery likes to call him lost some weight this offseason. Gardner did have some amazing plays in summer league this year and showed more athleticism. I would like to see Gardner's rebounds go up a bit. He can rack in the points, but does not really clean up on the glass as well as I would want him to consistently. Gardner getting to the line five times a game is a huge stat, and if he could increase it, that's gravy for Marquette.
3.) Chris Otule: Yes, he has been here since the Bush administration (No, really I think he has) but I could see a big year coming out of Otule. I started to see some flashes with him last season as his offensive game started to shine through. I feel like we might be headed for an Ousmane Barro's senior year season from Otule, and if that's the case, Marquette could be headed for a massive year.
4.) Todd Mayo: He heads into his junior year. Mayo nearly did not make it past his sophomore year as Marquette suspended him for the nearly the first half of the season. Mayo has a chance to make his impact with his team. He needs to get back to shooting around 33 percent or higher from 3-point land and play better defense. It will be an interesting dynamic now that his brother O.J. plays for the professional team here. I could see the good and bad of it.
5.) Deonte Burton: For my money, I am most excited about this kid. Take a gander around YouTube and see how many big-time dunks he has in his resume. Burton could be a true energy guy for this Marquette team at least to start and then become possibly a starter in conference play. He is listed at 6'4 and guard/forward combo which tells me he might not be there all the way as a guard, but he has the skills to be physical enough with the forwards even though he is undersized.
6.) JaJuan Johnson: There has been much hype about Johnson's performance in training camp. He handled boot camp like a veteran according to Buzz Williams and that says a lot about where he might be as a freshman. Johnson ended up being 27th on the ESPN100, and people really liked his ability to get to the basket and score. They also liked his defensive work in high school which is encouraging and means he could see serious minutes early. Johnson might not be the best shooter, but there is likely room for improvement.
7.) Steve Taylor Jr.: I am really interested in what Taylor Jr. will be this season. In the last part of the season, Taylor Jr. lost his minutes. He did not play much in the postseason. He has all the tools to be a real good player for this Marquette team. We saw in flashes last season, and if given the time, I think we could see a great developmental year from Taylor Jr.
8.) Duane Wilson: The jury is still out Wilson. Many people including myself were excited to watch him play as it seemed he put together a nice summer plus Wilson looked ready to start from Day 1. He ended getting a stress fracture in his leg and will be out for a month or so. I think it is unrealistic to expect him back for the Wisconsin game, but I feel he should be ready by Big East play. I hope Marquette does not rush him back or throw him to the wolves right away after injury.
9.) Derrick Wilson: To me, he is the most interesting returning player on this roster. Wilson only played 13 minutes a game last season, and now he might be playing significant minutes for this team. Derrick needs to at least become a threat at scoring the basketball. Last year when Wilson played, teams would sag off him and try to guard against the wings and inside. The easiest way for Wilson to make them pay in start finding a spot on the court where it is money almost every time it goes up. I am not worried about Wilson's defense. I think he is prety solid there.
10. ) Juan Anderson: Anderson was set to leave the team to head back to the west coast where he is from originally. I really like Anderson and I feel like he is a glue guy where you do not actually see what Anderson does on the court via the box score rather he does all the little things to hold together this Marquette team. Anderson increased his scoring a bit last season with more minutes, but he needs to have more confidence in his abilities.
11.) Jake Thomas: Like Anderson, Thomas started to pack his bags and leave Marquette in April and decided to come back to the team. Thomas really did not make much of an impact last season except for a big shot against Syracuse at home making the difference in that game. I am interested to see if Thomas gets some more clock this year. If he could give Marquette, two or three 3-pointers a game... It puts this team to another level.
12.) John Dawson: A guy not known by many people as a freshman point guard out of New Mexico. He was considered by some as the best player out of New Mexico making it somewhat a steal that Dawson got away from the Lobos of New Mexico. Dawson is a good passer and seems to have pretty good handles. I cannot really find much on his defense. Curious to see if he gets some minutes with Duane Wilson out and if Derrick Wilson struggles to begin the year.
13.) Dylan Floyd: Here is a guy that could contend for the Club Trillion crown. I looked at Floyd's numbers and he knotted two Trillions last year getting a double trillion against Mississippi State and a singe trillion against South Florida.
Excited for tonight's tip-off with Southern.
Charlie.
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