Bilas on Wojo/MU

[DegenerateDish]

Great read on Insider, Bilas article on Wojo and building his program at MU.

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

pls share

[Dunk The Ball Eric]

It doesn’t matter the job. When a newly-hired coach walks into his office, it is empty. Everything is cleared out but the furniture. In a very real way, every coach is starting over and building anew. And, almost without exception, any new coach talks about building an improved "culture." It's almost cliché, and it typically implies there was a culture that didn’t exist before and should now, or that the previous culture was deficient in some way.

That's not the case with new Marquette head coach Steve Wojciechowski. It’s true that he walked into a bare, empty office and starts anew. It is also true that he walked onto a campus in transition, with a new President and no athletic director in place. There was some uncertainty, but Wojciechowski was not denigrating the culture that preceded his arrival. He feels it's his job to steady the program and to provide stability in a broader sense, but he's not getting grandiose with talk of a new aura around the program.

“Marquette has great tradition and is committed to winning,” Wojciechowski told me. “That has been true here for over 50 years. This is a great school that values basketball and will support the program at the highest level.”

In a nutshell, Wojciechowski knows he's taking over a program that has experienced success prior to his arrival. Whether it's been under the legendary Al McGuire or Tom Crean or the recently departed Buzz Williams, Marquette has won. That is not lost on Wojciechowski. “This is as good of a basketball school as there is in the country,” Wojo said. “There is tremendous fan support, educational support, resources and facilities. Marquette is the best of all worlds. And basketball drives the bus. It’s not just in the passenger seat.”

Of course, that is the long-term assessment. As we approach the season, most people are about outcome, not process. They want to know whether Marquette will be in the NCAA tournament this year, not about how a new coach will build for the future. In that regard, Wojciechowski isn’t naïve and this isn’t his first talent evaluation. There are some personnel deficiencies on this initial roster. Marquette lacks size and depth, though depth should get better. Indiana transfer Luke Fischer (6-foot-10) can play once the second semester begins, and there's some good backcourt and wing talent with BYU transfer Matt Carlino, sophomore Deonte Burton and redshirt freshman Duane Wilson.

Still, an NCAA tournament berth in Year 1 of the Wojo era could be a stretch from where I sit.

Yet, when I opined to him that I see a significant amount of work that needs to be done in the short term, he didn’t reflexively fall back on “culture” talk. Instead, he spoke of building a “sustainable environment.” Everything he does, Wojciechowski said, is in the best interests of the program, for long-term sustainability and for the development of the players, an environment where the players come first.

In other words, it has to be about far more than just this season. “We will be largely unproven, and we will have some size limitations this year,” he said. But that could change soon. Since Wojo's arrival, Marquette has hit the recruiting trail hard, and has secured three high-level commitments from ESPN 100 players Nick Noskowiak, a 6-foot point guard from Sun Prarie, Wis., Haanif Cheatham, a 6-5 combo guard from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Matt Heldt, a 6-10 center from Neenah, Wis..

And ESPN Recruiting Nation lists Marquette (along with Michigan State and Kentucky) as a favorite to land 6-10 power forward Henry Ellenson, ESPN’s No. 4 overall player in the Class of 2015. His brother Wally (a 6-6 wing that has cleared the bar at 7-feet in the high jump) is already playing at Marquette. Should the Golden Eagles get a commitment from the younger Ellenson, it would be looking at a top-5 recruiting class. Yet, with or without Henry Ellenson, Wojciechowski’s recruiting success is already a major milestone on the road to that goal of sustainability.

“Look, I’m the product of a great college experience,” Wojo said of his time as a player and assistant under Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski. “I want to win now, but I also want all Marquette players to feel the same way I do, that they’ve had a truly great college experience playing in the environment we’ve established for them here at Marquette.”

There’s that concept again. Environment. Not “culture,” not “my program,” but “our environment.”

Having never been a head coach before, I asked Wojciechowski, when taking over a program, where does one begin? Clearly, he draws upon his experiences at Duke and with USA Basketball every day, but when you haven’t sat in the big chair yet, it can be different. “I’m being myself, but I’m constantly thinking about how to connect with the players, on the floor and off,” Wojo said. From working with them on their games, to getting to know their personal situations, to being there when there is a family difficulty.

“We have had to be really intentional about everything we do,” Wojciechowski said. “Players always ask ‘Why?’ We tell them the reasons behind everything so they know what we’re trying to build here together, and why we’re doing the things we’re doing.”

Wojciechowski has some daily reminders of the task ahead. “Each day, I remind myself of four things,” he said. “One, we always put players first. We invest in them, we guide them, and we demand from them their very best every day.

“Second, we want to do things in a manner that will attract the best, the elite. Third, I want to empower our staff. I want ‘owners’ that are moved by the Marquette jersey and will fight for it, every day. We have talented people. I want them to feel allowed and encouraged to use their talents to make us better. This isn’t about me. It’s about us.

“Fourth, I want to connect the past, present and future at Marquette,” Wojo said. “I am reaching out to those that have made wearing the Marquette jersey an honor. They are part of what we are doing, and the past is connected to what we’re doing today and what will prove to be sustainable into the future.”

Wojo believes in the brand of Marquette. The program has been to Final Fours; it has won a National Championship. “It not only can be done here, it has been done,” Wojciechowski said. “We believe it can be done here again, and that we will do it. I want everyone to own that.”

[MUfan12]

It doesn’t matter the job. When a newly-hired coach walks into his office, it is empty. Everything is cleared out but the furniture. In a very real way, every coach is starting over and building anew. And, almost without exception, any new coach talks about building an improved "culture." It's almost cliché, and it typically implies there was a culture that didn’t exist before and should now, or that the previous culture was deficient in some way.

That's not the case with new Marquette head coach Steve Wojciechowski. It’s true that he walked into a bare, empty office and starts anew. It is also true that he walked onto a campus in transition, with a new President and no athletic director in place. There was some uncertainty, but Wojciechowski was not denigrating the culture that preceded his arrival. He feels it's his job to steady the program and to provide stability in a broader sense, but he's not getting grandiose with talk of a new aura around the program.

“Marquette has great tradition and is committed to winning,” Wojciechowski told me. “That has been true here for over 50 years. This is a great school that values basketball and will support the program at the highest level.”

In a nutshell, Wojciechowski knows he's taking over a program that has experienced success prior to his arrival. Whether it's been under the legendary Al McGuire or Tom Crean or the recently departed Buzz Williams, Marquette has won. That is not lost on Wojciechowski. “This is as good of a basketball school as there is in the country,” Wojo said. “There is tremendous fan support, educational support, resources and facilities. Marquette is the best of all worlds. And basketball drives the bus. It’s not just in the passenger seat.”

Of course, that is the long-term assessment. As we approach the season, most people are about outcome, not process. They want to know whether Marquette will be in the NCAA tournament this year, not about how a new coach will build for the future. In that regard, Wojciechowski isn’t naïve and this isn’t his first talent evaluation. There are some personnel deficiencies on this initial roster. Marquette lacks size and depth, though depth should get better. Indiana transfer Luke Fischer (6-foot-10) can play once the second semester begins, and there's some good backcourt and wing talent with BYU transfer Matt Carlino, sophomore Deonte Burton and redshirt freshman Duane Wilson.

Still, an NCAA tournament berth in Year 1 of the Wojo era could be a stretch from where I sit.

Yet, when I opined to him that I see a significant amount of work that needs to be done in the short term, he didn’t reflexively fall back on “culture” talk. Instead, he spoke of building a “sustainable environment.” Everything he does, Wojciechowski said, is in the best interests of the program, for long-term sustainability and for the development of the players, an environment where the players come first.

In other words, it has to be about far more than just this season. “We will be largely unproven, and we will have some size limitations this year,” he said. But that could change soon. Since Wojo's arrival, Marquette has hit the recruiting trail hard, and has secured three high-level commitments from ESPN 100 players Nick Noskowiak, a 6-foot point guard from Sun Prarie, Wis., Haanif Cheatham, a 6-5 combo guard from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Matt Heldt, a 6-10 center from Neenah, Wis..

And ESPN Recruiting Nation lists Marquette (along with Michigan State and Kentucky) as a favorite to land 6-10 power forward Henry Ellenson, ESPN’s No. 4 overall player in the Class of 2015. His brother Wally (a 6-6 wing that has cleared the bar at 7-feet in the high jump) is already playing at Marquette. Should the Golden Eagles get a commitment from the younger Ellenson, it would be looking at a top-5 recruiting class. Yet, with or without Henry Ellenson, Wojciechowski’s recruiting success is already a major milestone on the road to that goal of sustainability.

“Look, I’m the product of a great college experience,” Wojo said of his time as a player and assistant under Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski. “I want to win now, but I also want all Marquette players to feel the same way I do, that they’ve had a truly great college experience playing in the environment we’ve established for them here at Marquette.”

There’s that concept again. Environment. Not “culture,” not “my program,” but “our environment.”

Having never been a head coach before, I asked Wojciechowski, when taking over a program, where does one begin? Clearly, he draws upon his experiences at Duke and with USA Basketball every day, but when you haven’t sat in the big chair yet, it can be different. “I’m being myself, but I’m constantly thinking about how to connect with the players, on the floor and off,” Wojo said. From working with them on their games, to getting to know their personal situations, to being there when there is a family difficulty.

“We have had to be really intentional about everything we do,” Wojciechowski said. “Players always ask ‘Why?’ We tell them the reasons behind everything so they know what we’re trying to build here together, and why we’re doing the things we’re doing.”

Wojciechowski has some daily reminders of the task ahead. “Each day, I remind myself of four things,” he said. “One, we always put players first. We invest in them, we guide them, and we demand from them their very best every day.

“Second, we want to do things in a manner that will attract the best, the elite. Third, I want to empower our staff. I want ‘owners’ that are moved by the Marquette jersey and will fight for it, every day. We have talented people. I want them to feel allowed and encouraged to use their talents to make us better. This isn’t about me. It’s about us.

“Fourth, I want to connect the past, present and future at Marquette,” Wojo said. “I am reaching out to those that have made wearing the Marquette jersey an honor. They are part of what we are doing, and the past is connected to what we’re doing today and what will prove to be sustainable into the future.”

Wojo believes in the brand of Marquette. The program has been to Final Fours; it has won a National Championship. “It not only can be done here, it has been done,” Wojciechowski said. “We believe it can be done here again, and that we will do it. I want everyone to own that.”

[MUCrew]

Great read!

[Coleman]

[Galway Eagle]

That last quote gets me so pumped and happy.  “It not only can be done here, it has been done,” Wojciechowski said. “We believe it can be done here again, and that we will do it. I want everyone to own that.”

[Litehouse]

I like his talk about stability and building a sustainable environment, compared to Buzz, who often tried to piece things together year-to-year with short-term fixes.

[NersEllenson]

Great article.  The more I hear from Wojo, the more I like him.  He has a very balanced and measured approach, a clear vision, and there is a confidence that comes through in his words that make him believeable.  Not a snake oil salesman guy at all as were Crean and Buzz.

[Ellenson Guerrero]

With each passing day the more I believe that Buzz's decision was the best thing that could have happened to MU.  It seems like we finally have a coach who is comfortable in his own skin and doesn't have to rely on a shtick.

[LAZER]

Bilas > Goodman + Parrish

[River rat]

Really like Wojo's approach.  Gotta give Cords credit in his BBAll coaching hires.

I hope Wojo can take the ball and advance the program like Crean did from deane and like Buzz did from Crean.  I have tremendous confidence that Wojo is gonna elavate us even further.  For those that want to respond that he hasnt coached a game.  Remember just that, that its just a game and its a simple game.  Players play and recruiting is 90% of winning.  Dumb or arrogant basketball coaches always want to take credit for their coaching accumen, good coaches understand winning is done by the players and winning is done by winning in recruiting.  That is why Huggins, mocked Crean by calling him Tommy Naismith.  

(To my point, the reason guys like Huggins, Knight and amny others after huge early success did not win later in their careers is not becuase they became stupid and forgot everything they knew.  It was becuase their recruiting fell off.)

additionally, it is a tremendous pleasure to be able to read an article of this nature and not be immediately bombarded with 15 passive-aggressive posts by a certain banned poster.  hopefully the ban is permanent and we do not have the displeasure of having everything that is good about MU basketball pissed all over by a certain poster, as a feel good post devolves into a back and forth of MU fans and the resident troll who calls himself a fan but finds the need to only focus on the negative or negative possibilities all of the time.  hopefully the mods are reading this and giving it some though.

[tower912]

He continues to say the right things.   If he can game coach and develop players when he is in the big chair, then MU made a great choice.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Love it -- doesnt mean he wont break my heart some day -- but love it.

[Brewtown Andy]

Bilas > Goodman + Parrish

Other than the fact that Bilas and Wojo are, y'know, both Duke grads, so it's not like Bilas is without bias here...

[mug644]

I'm also so impressed with what Wojo says, and I'm very optimistic about the future.

I was less than impressed with Bilas' focus on 'environment' not 'culture' Seems to me that they are exactly the same thing, but Bilas chooses to hang on the word choice. But, that's a frivolous complaint about a solid article.

[Tugg Speedman]

Great read!

+1

[The Lens]

/begin thread jack

I like how Wojo embraces all of MU's success both recent and past.  This isn't an ode to Al McGuire, it's an acknowledgment that we win here.  While TC would reference Al 77,000 times and then retired the # of a star broadcaster turned coach he never once acknowledged that...

5 years prior to his hiring we went to a Sweet 16
4 years prior to his hiring we were NIT runner up
3 years prior to his hiring we were a 4 seed
2 years prior to his hiring we won our conference tourney and made the NCAAs

Wojo may have taken over a non tourney team but he's not running from our proud history, recent or past.  If he was, even off the record, we'd read a lot more about Al McGuire and Bo Ellis.

/end thread jack

[River rat]

Other than the fact that Bilas and Wojo are, y'know, both Duke grads, so it's not like Bilas is without bias here...

Well...you know Bilas with out the "L" is Bias

[JakeBarnes]

I love how measured he is in his responses. Really exciting to hear about building an environment over a culture. Seems very deliberate on building a foundation in which he wants to build a program. To talk about the other guy for a sec, Wojo seems less about building the house every year than he is about finding the foundation so that he doesn't have to rebuild every time.

I can see why Lovell was as excited about Wojo after the hiring when I talked to him a few weeks later. It's articles like this that make me feel the same.

[susie90]

I think he will definitely be a great game coach and will continue to develop his players.  He actually played!  As did the assistants!  Seems like that's a pretty notable difference.  The players seem to be soaking up "specific drills" (time on task) for improvement vs. a boot camp type atmosphere, as one example.  I'm in!

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Don't mean to thread jack but while were praising new administration as a student I just want to give a shoutout to President Lovell. Hes a really great guy and very active and involved on campus. Just like how Wojo can relate more to his team, Lovell can relate really well to MU students exponentially more than Pilarz ever did.

[JakeBarnes]

Don't mean to thread jack but while were praising new administration as a student I just want to give a shoutout to President Lovell. Hes a really great guy and very active and involved on campus. Just like how Wojo can relate more to his team, Lovell can relate really well to MU students exponentially more than Pilarz ever did.

Met him at the Encompass ProAm (he was one of the golfers) and found him to be highly engaging. Really fun to talk to and definitely shares our excitement about Wojo and the basketball program. Definitely a great guy to have out there as a representative of the university.

[GoldenWarrior11]

Man, I want the season to start.  I just want to watch some basketball.

[Warrior Code]

Love it -- doesnt mean he wont break my heart some day -- but love it.

My thoughts exactly. Enjoy the ride.