Perspective

[HallSports]

I am a relatively new poster here so I don't know if this has been covered, but in my angst over the MU season to date I decided to look back at the '05-'06 season. Let's remeber that a team with 4 of the best players in MU history (yes, three of them were freshman) had a very rocky start and went on to beat #2 UConn and make the tournament.

That team lost to Winthrop the second game of the year. Two games later they beat Oral Roberts...by 3 whole points. They barely beat South Carolina and then lost to an NIT bound Nebraska. Then, after a big loss to WI things started to turn around.

Granted those teams are all better than Omaha and NJIT, but MU also had Steve Novak which with no disrespect is far better than Juan and D Wilson. In fact the current team might be undefeated right now with a Novak on the team, definitely 3-1 though.

This team will almost certainly not have the same success as '05-'06 but things will get better.

[hairy worthen]

I am a relatively new poster here so I don't know if this has been covered, but in my angst over the MU season to date I decided to look back at the '05-'06 season. Let's remeber that a team with 4 of the best players in MU history (yes, three of them were freshman) had a very rocky start and went on to beat #2 UConn and make the tournament.

That team lost to Winthrop the second game of the year. Two games later they beat Oral Roberts...by 3 whole points. They barely beat South Carolina and then lost to an NIT bound Nebraska. Then, after a big loss to WI things started to turn around.

Granted those teams are all better than Omaha and NJIT, but MU also had Steve Novak which with no disrespect is far better than Juan and D Wilson. In fact the current team might be undefeated right now with a Novak on the team, definitely 3-1 though.

This team will almost certainly not have the same success as '05-'06 but things will get better.

I agree.

But Winthrop was a pretty good team that year,  I believe made the tournament. Oral Roberts was not a slouch either. Both were and are established division 1 programs. Omaha and NJIT are barely division 1 teams.

[MUfan12]

The next year was wild, too. They go to OT at home vs. Idaho State. Went to KC and whooped Texas Tech, and beat Duke. Got a top 10 ranking, almost lost at Valpo, then two games later they lost at home to North Dakota State.

[muwarrior69]

Al was 8-18 his first season.

[brewcity77]

Al was 8-18 his first season.

Lots of coaches got off to difficult starts with big-name programs.

Coach K took over a Duke program the year after they went to the Elite 8. His second and third year the Dookies went a combined 21-34 and they were calling for his head. The powers that be stuck with him, and I'd say it worked out okay.

Rick Pitino was the young hotshot from Providence when he took over a Kentucky team that was one year removed from a 9-year streak of NCAA appearances. He went 14-14 in his first year, but overcame sanctions to take the Wildcats to 6 straight tournaments while winning a title and leaving a team good enough to win the title the year after he left.

Billy Donovan took over a Florida program just 2 years removed from the Final Four and proceeded to have losing records his first two years. He's won 20+ games in the 16 years since then with a Final Four and two national titles as the cherry on top.

Not saying Wojo will live up to those names, but there's a lot of work to be done here, a heck of a lot more than most of us realized when Buzz flew the coop. I do believe these guys will learn, they will get better. And when it's all said and done and we're back to enjoying Marquette basketball the way we are accustomed to, it will all be worth it. Don't just enjoy the end results, enjoy the process, even if it's difficult sometimes.

[Nukem2]

I agree.

But Winthrop was a pretty good team that year,  I believe made the tournament. Oral Roberts was not a slouch either. Both were and are established division 1 programs. Omaha and NJIT are barely division 1 teams.

Winthrop was actually a very good team and was an NCAA stalwart for several years before Gregg Marshal moved on to Wichita St. and created another excellent program.  That MU team stayed with Winthrop down to the final minute.

[HallSports]

Winthrop was actually a very good team and was an NCAA stalwart for several years before Gregg Marshal moved on to Wichita St. and created another excellent program.  That MU team stayed with Winthrop down to the final minute.

While Winthrop is a decent mid major, there was nothing fantastic about them that particular year. They had zero wins against power conference teams, and in fact lost to a couple of bad SEC teams. They are far more established than Omaha, but it's a program that MU beats handily most years.

[hairy worthen]

While Winthrop is a decent mid major, there was nothing fantastic about them that particular year. They had zero wins against power conference teams, and in fact lost to a couple of bad SEC teams. They are far more established than Omaha, but it's a program that MU beats handily most years.

ok wait,

In 2005-6 Winthrop was 23-8 went to the NCAA tournament and lost by 2 points to the #2 seed. that's light years away from NJIT or Omaha

[HallSports]

ok wait,

In 2005-6 Winthrop was 23-8 went to the NCAA tournament and lost by 2 points to the #2 seed. that's light years away from NJIT or Omaha

They are definitely way better than Omaha and I never claimed otherwise. My point was that recently it's a team we would normally handle. Like I said they had no quality wins that year. 23 wins doesn't mean as much when you're in the Big South. My main point is that we got off to a slow start that year and lost to some teams we shouldn't have with a lot of youth and inexperience. We have done the same this year. We don't have anyone who will be playing in the NBA on this team and we have no idea how the young guys will pan out. So no we are not as good as '05-'06 but we will improve significantly by seasons end just like that team did.

[HallSports]

Also the #2 seed they lost to went on to lose right away the next round. Also not sure how Tenn was the 2 seed at 21-7 to begin with.

[muhoops1]

that was the year they won the Great Alaska Shootout.  I attended said tourney and they played great; beat Eastern Wash in the first game, Oral Roberts and the South Carolina in OT for the win.  OR had a kid who was a pro prospect and could flat out score.

The '05 team may have been erratic to start, but they were a hell of a lot deeper and way more talented.