Leading up to the 2016-17 season, few expected an NCAA bid.
None of our six returning players (Duane, Haanif, JaJuan, Luke, Matt and Traci) had ever played in a single NIT or NCAA tournament game. The one player on the roster with any postseason experience (Katin) was an inconsistent chucker with about as many transfers as rebounds to his name. Point guard was a huge question mark — a choice between a turnover-prone sophomore, a high-scoring transfer unproven in a major conference, and an undersized and underaged freshman. The battle for defensive rebounds was surely a hopeless cause.
Somehow, Wojo and his staff were able to motivate, develop and mold this unlikely, unbalanced team into one of college basketball's most exciting and dangerous offenses. A team that earned Marquette its first NCAA bid in four seasons.
While the job is far from over, I count that as a big accomplishment. And it gives me hope that this new team might just have a few surprises in store for us. I know Wojo isn't writing off the 2017-18 season and simply biding his time until he gets the likes of Ed Morrow, Brendan Bailey or Joey Hauser on the court.
