[Matt Velazquez] Wojciechowski not anxious to fill roster spot

[Dawson Rental]

For every Coach K or Dean Smith there are dozens of coaches who got off to shaky starts and never got their program going and then were fired.  So that argument does little for me.  It's akin to the argument that because we struck gold with Gardner we will again with Kostas A.

Your second point that we showed a great deal of improvement in year 2 and have another highly rated incoming class, however, is a strong argument for feeling bullish about Wojo.  If we take even a small step forward this season (NIT or squeak into the NCAA), we'll have real evidence of progress.

I do wonder if we'll take that small step, however.  If last year was more about Henry than we think it is (like some players excelling because of opponents concentrating on Henry), our imbalanced roster for the next two seasons leave us with the potential of us spinning our wheels and not taking that next step.

In seven years of Scoop experience that's as well reasoned a debunking of an argument that I would tend to ascribe to as I've seen.  Thank you.

Of course, it doesn't go as far as to make the opposite argument.  It just sets the record straight - and I believe that this was your point - that regarding Wojo the jury is still out. 

I continue to be bullish on Wojo and believe that he won't be a failed hire based on his previous experience as a contributer to one of the very best college programs, and also my evaluation that the steps he is taking to build Marquette's program are solid and will lead to a sustained building of the program.

Keefe's sobering concerns notwithstanding, I am optimistic for the next two years.  It would have been reassuring to see Matt Heldt who was much more highly regarded as a high school senior than Kalif Young display more of his talent during his freshman year.  Maybe without Henry's ability to backup up Luke, he would have.  Next year, I hope to see the jump in his production which is typically expected from a player during his sophomore year.

Next year's recruiting will be crucial for Wojo.  With Luke graduating, a minimum of two quality big men would seem to be a necessity.  That will be a big test regarding the future of the program under Wojo's guidance.

On the other hand, It's hard not to take notice that under Wojo there has, in fact, been a better big man situation than that which existed under both Crean and Buzz.

[Hubert Davis]

Last month, Wojo landed a stud guard who reclassified so he could play at Marquette immediately. You write nothing. Wojo misses out on an unheralded Canuck and you're writing the program is a mess. Clown.

While I am happy with the Howard commitment and think he'll have a great career in blue and gold, he's still a young guard on a VERY guard heavy team. Not sure how much of an impact he'll have on the team next year and the team NEEDS to win next year.  The fact is that this team needed a power forward to commit and Wojo missed all while cutting Wally and ruining that relationship... disappointing.

[Hubert Davis]

Peeps here are going to roast you. But I believe the exact same as you.

'

they can "roast" me all they want... do you think I care. It's the truth. Clearly some of the posters can't handle the truth. Wally was cut, released...whatever you want to call it to make room for another player... and that player never came. Wojo treated the ellenson family horribly after using Henry, a top 10 pick, for a year. OH! and he still managed to piss the NIT with a top 10 pick and plenty of surrounding talent.

[Hubert Davis]

We haven't?  Beating Wisconsin at Wisconsin?  Beating Providence twice this year.  Beating Butler.  All four were NCAA tournament participants.  Define meaningful.

You're right. Those were nice wins! Good for the resume, HOWEVER, he didn't build off of them... instead he lost to Belmont, Depaul and an average creighton team at HOME. not acceptable. you win those games and you might make the tourney.

[4everwarriors]

Big man's game, ai na?

[Hubert Davis]

I truly believe this team can make the tournament this upcoming season. They have the talent. The cut-throat treatment of Wally is just not acceptable. Wojo hasn't won enough here to pull that type of move. It's bush league and you all know it.

[GGGG]

I truly believe this team can make the tournament this upcoming season. They have the talent. The cut-throat treatment of Wally is just not acceptable. Wojo hasn't won enough here to pull that type of move. It's bush league and you all know it.

Well...he did just pull that type of move. 

[Herman Cain]

While I am happy with the Howard commitment and think he'll have a great career in blue and gold, he's still a young guard on a VERY guard heavy team. Not sure how much of an impact he'll have on the team next year and the team NEEDS to win next year.  The fact is that this team needed a power forward to commit and Wojo missed all while cutting Wally and ruining that relationship... disappointing.

Al
Can I persuade you to come over to the Kostas camp as a potential solution?

[Dawson Rental]

Al
Can I persuade you to come over to the Kostas camp as a potential solution?

Leave it to others to undercut your credibility, don't do it yourself.

[wadesworld]

I truly believe this team can make the tournament this upcoming season. They have the talent. The cut-throat treatment of Wally is just not acceptable. Wojo hasn't won enough here to pull that type of move. It's bush league and you all know it.

Thanks for contributing, Holly.

[mu03eng]

Lack of depth down low. I think people are underestimating how much we will miss Ellenson. I hate to think what will happen if we lose Fischer to fouls or injury.

There is plenty of talent to overcome some of the limitations we have. Is it certain, definitely not, but not all is lost.

We will play different than how we played with Ellenson...might result in us being better, it might not. IMHO I think we will have better results this coming year than last year. Not because Ellenson wasn't great, but because as a whole we will be a better team(both experience and talent).

[Folks,,,]

I truly believe this team can make the tournament this upcoming season. They have the talent. The cut-throat treatment of Wally is just not acceptable. Wojo hasn't won enough here to pull that type of move. It's bush league and you all know it.

I guess you're dropping the "just win, baby" shtick...?

[Herman Cain]

Leave it to others to undercut your credibility, don't do it yourself.

I am now starting to appreciate the missionary work the Jesuits did.

[4everwarriors]

Gotta ax da Wojo doubters, you'd ya rather have instead? Don't give me dat chit like Sean, Archie, Shaka, Marshall, or JC himself. Dey ain't comin'. Y'all, this isn't 1977. Look, I'd like ta see da program be in da Top 10 each year. Hell, its tough on us old farts who were livin' large wit Al, Hank, and Rick. But, reality is reality. All we are sayin' is, give Steve a chance, ai na?

[Dawson Rental]

I am now starting to appreciate the missionary work the Jesuits did.

Good humor under adversity on Scoop is a rare thing.  Keep on truckin', bro.

[CTWarrior]

I truly believe this team can make the tournament this upcoming season. They have the talent. The cut-throat treatment of Wally is just not acceptable. Wojo hasn't won enough here to pull that type of move. It's bush league and you all know it.

I did not like the dismissal of Wally from the team because I can't believe his dedication to the high jump could possibly be a surprise to anyone, but I don't dislike it more because we didn't pull in a replacement.  For all we know, Wally had to go for team morale.  Maybe Wojo was worried that some guys would say to themselves (or maybe some guys were actually already saying), "I have to do all the summer stuff while he jumps around in track meets and he is going to potentially play over me (or over my friend or at all)?"

Bottom line is that we don't know exactly why Wally was not asked back to the basketball team.  I agree that to an outsider it may look bad, but the fact that we haven't filled the scholarship actually makes it seem less cut-throat.  If we pulled in another guy it would seem more obvious that we dumped Wally to make room for someone else, like when we dumped Newbill for Wilson. 

[LAZER]

I think Heldt is better than people think. 

We want to get project bigs in here, and then when we get them, we don't have the patience enough to let them...you know...be projects.

He could be and to be honest it should set up nicely for him to walk into a starting role as a junior. My problem is that MU's size is Heldt and then nobody else. So we're dependent on getting an impact transfer or impact '17 recruit to shore up the front court.

[MU82]

I agree that comparing Wojo to Smith, K and Wright wasn't necessarily an accurate way to look at things.

It was an insult to Wojo, who has far outperformed all of them at a similar stage of their careers. I mean, not even close.

Seriously, I understand those who are filled with angst. It comes with being a fan.

But the level of angst here is so over the top that I just can't help myself sometimes. And the fact that Wojo simply is NOT on the hot seat means there's nothing anybody can do about it anyway. Unless we have a few more folks who want to chime in with the "he better win this year" threat. The implied "or else" being hollow as hell.

[mu03eng]

I truly believe this team can make the tournament this upcoming season. They have the talent. The cut-throat treatment of Wally is just not acceptable. Wojo hasn't won enough here to pull that type of move. It's bush league and you all know it.

Ah, so the Al Davis mantra was "win at all costs unless it comes to cutting a non-value add player from the roster because he wasn't all in with the team"

Got it, thanks

[MU82]

I am not on the anti-Wojo train but I am deeply concerned about how competitive we can be this year and especially the season after. Our roster is markedly unbalanced and I fear for the next few seasons.

C'mon, Crash.

You've killed terrorists with your bare hands ... but you "fear" what might or might not happen in a basketball game?

[Hubert Davis]

Well...he did just pull that type of move.

exactly my point.... BS move by "Mr. Class"

[Marcus92]

I did not like the dismissal of Wally from the team because I can't believe his dedication to the high jump could possibly be a surprise to anyone, but I don't dislike it more because we didn't pull in a replacement.  For all we know, Wally had to go for team morale.  Maybe Wojo was worried that some guys would say to themselves (or maybe some guys were actually already saying), "I have to do all the summer stuff while he jumps around in track meets and he is going to potentially play over me (or over my friend or at all)?"

Bottom line is that we don't know exactly why Wally was not asked back to the basketball team.  I agree that to an outsider it may look bad, but the fact that we haven't filled the scholarship actually makes it seem less cut-throat.  If we pulled in another guy it would seem more obvious that we dumped Wally to make room for someone else, like when we dumped Newbill for Wilson.

Wally got the 8th most minutes (almost 15 mpg behind Sandy) on a team that only loses 1 player. So, starting with last year's roster, assume the best case that he's the 7th best returning player. Solid contributor off the bench, right? Except for the fact that...

Transfers Rowsey and Reinhardt have each logged 6x more playing time in their careers. They have years of starting experience between them. They're both better shooters. Simply put, they're both better players than Wally. Oh yeah, and Reinhardt is 6'6" and plays the same position as Wally. With that, Wally drops to the 9th best returning player. Okay, no problem. He could still get some minutes in the regular rotation, unless...

Freshman recruit Sam Hauser enters the Marquette program as a Top 100 prospect and high school state champion. Like Reinhardt, he's 6'6" tall with a good handle and excellent range. Well, how about that, he also plays the exact same position as Wally. Only better. So another drop on the depth chart, this time to 10th. Playing time might still be a possibility, only...

There's returning sophomore Sacar Anim. A former Minnesota state champion and player of the year, Wojo called him the hardest-working player on the team. At 6'5", he could play 2 or even 3 positions. Including the same one as Wally. There's every chance that Sacar leapfrogs Wally on the bench this year, leaving Wally at #11. Hmmm, minutes are really getting hard to come by. And then...

We can't forget about returning sophomore Matt Heldt. At 6'10" and somewhere around 250 pounds, he's got the size to hold his own in the paint and earn some court time in Henry's absence. Probably enough to surpass Wally, who moves down to #12. Is that it? Not quite...

Marquette signs Markus Howard — another Top 100 prospect. While he doesn't play Wally's position, Markus is a better outside shooter and a better player overall. Wally, why don't you slide down to the very end of the bench. You might just get a minute or two when we're blowing out DePaul at home in revenge for last year's loss. A senior night start? We'll see.

The decision for Wally to leave the team seems pretty simple. Even after losing Henry, Marquette has gotten a major injection of new talent. Who would Wally have outplayed? Absolute best case, he's ahead of Hauser, Anim and Heldt — but I don't believe that to be true. At least not this season.

I think Wojo probably laid everything out to Wally something like this, explaining he would be 13th on the depth chart — behind Katin, Sandy, Sacar and Sam at the 3 spot — not 7th as he probably assumed. On top of that, Wally wasn't willing to commit himself to improving his game this spring and summer to prove that he deserves playing time.

It might not have been Wally's decision. I don't pretend to know exactly what happened. And I have no idea what Wojo's thinking in terms of playing style or minutes. But it may just have been the best decision for the team.

[Hubert Davis]

Ah, so the Al Davis mantra was "win at all costs unless it comes to cutting a non-value add player from the roster because he wasn't all in with the team"

Got it, thanks

Don't get it twisted, it's always "just win baby"! However Wojo cut a player who I believe could've been of value next season to sign another PF target and missed on both. Wojo lost, again.

Make MUBB great again!

[Herman Cain]

Wally got the 8th most minutes (almost 15 mpg behind Sandy) on a team that only loses 1 player. So, starting with last year's roster, assume the best case that he's the 7th best returning player. Solid contributor off the bench, right? Except for the fact that...

Transfers Rowsey and Reinhardt have each logged 6x more playing time in their careers. They have years of starting experience between them. They're both better shooters. Simply put, they're both better players than Wally. Oh yeah, and Reinhardt is 6'6" and plays the same position as Wally. With that, Wally drops to the 9th best returning player. Okay, no problem. He could still get some minutes in the regular rotation, unless...

Freshman recruit Sam Hauser enters the Marquette program as a Top 100 prospect and high school state champion. Like Reinhardt, he's 6'6" tall with a good handle and excellent range. Well, how about that, he also plays the exact same position as Wally. Only better. So another drop on the depth chart, this time to 10th. Playing time might still be a possibility, only...

There's returning sophomore Sacar Anim. A former Minnesota state champion and player of the year, Wojo called him the hardest-working player on the team. At 6'5", he could play 2 or even 3 positions. Including the same one as Wally. There's every chance that Sacar leapfrogs Wally on the bench this year, leaving Wally at #11. Hmmm, minutes are really getting hard to come by. And then...

We can't forget about returning sophomore Matt Heldt. At 6'10" and somewhere around 250 pounds, he's got the size to hold his own in the paint and earn some court time in Henry's absence. Probably enough to surpass Wally, who moves down to #12. Is that it? Not quite...

Marquette signs Markus Howard — another Top 100 prospect. While he doesn't play Wally's position, Markus is a better outside shooter and a better player overall. Wally, why don't you slide down to the very end of the bench. You might just get a minute or two when we're blowing out DePaul at home in revenge for last year's loss. A senior night start? We'll see.

The decision for Wally to leave the team seems pretty simple. Even after losing Henry, Marquette has gotten a major injection of new talent. Who would Wally have outplayed? Absolute best case, he's ahead of Hauser, Anim and Heldt — but I don't believe that to be true. At least not this season.

I think Wojo probably laid everything something like this, suggested he would be 13th on the depth chart — behind Katin, Sandy, Sacar and Sam at the 3 spot — not 7th as he probably assumed. On top of that, he wasn't willing to commit himself to improving his game this spring and summer to prove that he deserves playing time.

It might not have been Wally's decision. I don't pretend to know exactly what happened. And I have no idea what Wojo's thinking in terms of playing style or minutes. But it may just have been the best decision for the team.

I agree with this analysis.

[mu03eng]

Don't get it twisted, it's always "just win baby"! However Wojo cut a player who I believe could've been of value next season to sign another PF target and missed on both. Wojo lost, again.

Make MUBB great again!

See Marcus92's excellent post. There is zero evidence that having Wally on the team would have done anything other than eliminate a talking point for the serial dissatisfied Scoopers.