Wojo's future

[Floorslapper]

This should settle things once and for all:

https://twitter.com/PresLovell/status/976278022809628672



Let's wait at least 6-8 months before we revisit this topic, shall we?

Nice vote of confidence/reassurance to Wojo from Lovell.  Suspect Lovell picked up on Wojo's thin skin and wanted to give him a pat on the back.

I sure hope our standard of a "great season" hasn't sunk to the level of 3rd Round NIT defeat.  If that is the case, perhaps Goose was right, and admin wants our program to be SLU?

[Golden Avalanche]

Nice vote of confidence/reassurance to Wojo from Lovell.  Suspect Lovell picked up on Wojo's thin skin and wanted to give him a pat on the back.

I sure hope our standard of a "great season" hasn't sunk to the level of 3rd Round NIT defeat.  If that is the case, perhaps Goose was right, and admin wants our program to be SLU?

What program in the Big East is a realistic benchmark for you?

[Floorslapper]

What program in the Big East is a realistic benchmark for you?

Well considering we were near the very top of the 16-team Big East under Crean and Buzz, I don't think it is too much to ask that we be in the Top 4 now, along with Nova, GTown, Xavier.  I put GTown there as they are a program rich in history...and will have appeal to recruits.  Ewing turned in a decent first year.

By the way, you never had any feedback for me on the "interesting" 3-point shooting stats I mentioned.  What happened?

[Golden Avalanche]

Well considering we were near the very top of the 16-team Big East under Crean and Buzz, I don't think it is too much to ask that we be in the Top 4 now, along with Nova, GTown, Xavier.  I put GTown there as they are a program rich in history...and will have appeal to recruits.  Ewing turned in a decent first year.

By the way, you never had any feedback for me on the "interesting" 3-point shooting stats I mentioned.  What happened?

What program in the Big East is a realistic benchmark for you?

[DienerTime34]

What program in the Big East is a realistic benchmark for you?

Xavier

[Goose]

If Lovell felt this was a great season, either he has little interest in being a big time program or he has too much Panther blood in him. In  today's twitter world I would have expected a similar type tweet from MU. IMO, I hope it is simply window dressing and not what the expectations from the university are for the program.

[Eldon]

If Lovell felt this was a great season, either he has little interest in being a big time program or he has too much Panther blood in him. In  today's twitter world I would have expected a similar type tweet from MU. IMO, I hope it is simply window dressing and not what the expectations from the university are for the program.

Hopefully that's Pitt and not UWM

[Dr. Blackheart]

It would be against HPPIAA rules to post.

Score

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Nice vote of confidence/reassurance to Wojo from Lovell.  Suspect Lovell picked up on Wojo's thin skin and wanted to give him a pat on the back.

I sure hope our standard of a "great season" hasn't sunk to the level of 3rd Round NIT defeat.  If that is the case, perhaps Goose was right, and admin wants our program to be SLU?

Yeah... I think most university presidents tweet that about their main moneymaking sport regardless of outcome. I think it has zero to do with the perceived thickness of Wojos skin

[warriorchick]

Suspect Lovell picked up on Wojo's thin skin and wanted to give him a pat on the back.

That's pretty cynical of you to assume that.  He was at the game; perhaps he just wanted to congratulate Wojo.

Have you ever read any of Dr. Lovell's other tweets?  If what you are saying is true, he must have the most thin-skinned faculty, staff and student body of any university in the U.S.

[muguru]

What program in the Big East is a realistic benchmark for you?

Nova on steroids

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

If Lovell felt this was a great season, either he has little interest in being a big time program or he has too much Panther blood in him. In  today's twitter world I would have expected a similar type tweet from MU. IMO, I hope it is simply window dressing and not what the expectations from the university are for the program.

Expectations for program?  Not even close.

Expectations for this individual season? About right on target

[Goose]

Lovell is far better tweeter than public speaker. Maybe he can tweet at graduation.

[Golden Avalanche]

Xavier

It's a pretty good choice.

1. Has made the NCAA every year even though they're more likely to finish at or around .500 in conference (like MU has last three years) than they are near the top.

2. Current regular season champions.

3. Do better in MSG when they are .500 in conference then when they win 14 or 15 games. Made the Semi five times and have failed to advance four times.

4. And they don't make it out of the first weekend in the NCAA Tournament when either a 2 seed or a 1 seed.

In sum, if Marquette was an average team that snuck out an Elite Eight but failed badly in the NCAA as a high seed and threw in a regular season championship over the next five years it would be a success. I am skeptical it would be seen that way as it all transpired.

[Goose]

TAMU

I was somewhat teasing. I believe he would love to have a top level program. I would love to be a toned, world class triathlete, but my 45 minutes (daily, I might add) on the treadmill has not proven to get me to my goal.

[LAZER]

Well considering we were near the very top of the 16-team Big East under Crean and Buzz, I don't think it is too much to ask that we be in the Top 4 now, along with Nova, GTown, Xavier.  I put GTown there as they are a program rich in history...and will have appeal to recruits.  Ewing turned in a decent first year.

By the way, you never had any feedback for me on the "interesting" 3-point shooting stats I mentioned.  What happened?

Do you consider Wojo's first year decent?

[Floorslapper]

That's pretty cynical of you to assume that.  He was at the game; perhaps he just wanted to congratulate Wojo.

Have you ever read any of Dr. Lovell's other tweets?  If what you are saying is true, he must have the most thin-skinned faculty, staff and student body of any university in the U.S.

I haven't seen other tweets of Lovell's.  I do feel to label this season as "great," is a stretch.  I would say it was entertaining and fun, which has good value, yet we underachieved given the sublimely talented Markus, Andrew and Sam.  Wojo as a coach gets an A for getting those guys to MU, but the inability to strategically coach them to an NCAA berth IMO is worthy of a D.  Net grade for season:  C  (not exactly "great.")

As for Wojo's thin skin - Between the snarky reaction to student reporter politely asking him where he could improve as a coach, the press conference stating that only the "real" MU fans come to NIT game, and to reference "people don't like me using that word - young," all point toward Steve feeling a bit sensitive.

[Floorslapper]

Do you consider Wojo's first year decent?

No.  Don't recall us finishing 5-13 in conference, with 2 defeats coming in double OT, and 2 more defeats coming in OT.  We were 4-14 with 2 OT games. 

GTown was thought to be a dumpster fire this year.  Went to OT with Syracuse.  They went to OT against Butler and Xavier.  Took us to OT.  Actually beat Butler this year, which qualifies as a better win than we achieved this year per Pomeroy.

So.  All in all.  A "decent" first year by Ewing benchmarked against expectations and Year 1 under Wojo. 

What's your best guess as to where GTown will be in Year 4 of the Ewing regime?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

No.  Don't recall us finishing 5-13 in conference, with 2 defeats coming in double OT, and 2 more defeats coming in OT.  We were 4-14 with 2 OT games. 

GTown was thought to be a dumpster fire this year.  Went to OT with Syracuse.  They went to OT against Butler and Xavier.  Took us to OT.  Actually beat Butler this year, which qualifies as a better win than we achieved this year per Pomeroy.

So.  All in all.  A "decent" first year by Ewing benchmarked against expectations and Year 1 under Wojo. 

What's your best guess as to where GTown will be in Year 4 of the Ewing regime?

Aren't you all about KenPom? Cause Wojos first season had a better KenPom then Ewings

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I haven't seen other tweets of Lovell's.  I do feel to label this season as "great," is a stretch.  I would say it was entertaining and fun, which has good value, yet we underachieved given the sublimely talented Markus, Andrew and Sam.  Wojo as a coach gets an A for getting those guys to MU, but the inability to strategically coach them to an NCAA berth IMO is worthy of a D.  Net grade for season:  C  (not exactly "great.")

As for Wojo's thin skin - Between the snarky reaction to student reporter politely asking him where he could improve as a coach, the press conference stating that only the "real" MU fans come to NIT game, and to reference "people don't like me using that word - young," all point toward Steve feeling a bit sensitive.

Aren't you all about KenPom?  Cause we finished exactly where he said we would. So how did we underachieve?

[Floorslapper]

Aren't you all about KenPom?  Cause we finished exactly where he said we would. So how did we underachieve?

True.  Ken Pom did predict us in 50s to start season.  Guess where I feel we underachieved - we were sublime offensively.  One of only 5 high major teams to be Top 20 in 3pt Shooting % AND Top 100 in 3 Point Attempts - the others being Purdue, Nova, Kansas, Michigan State, and we pale in comparison.  eFG% reigns supreme, right?

I know you are all over 7 seed for next year...Want to wager we don't finish in Top 28 Pomeroy next season?

[Eldon]

I haven't seen other tweets of Lovell's.  I do feel to label this season as "great," is a stretch.  I would say it was entertaining and fun, which has good value, yet we underachieved given the sublimely talented Markus, Andrew and Sam.  Wojo as a coach gets an A for getting those guys to MU, but the inability to strategically coach them to an NCAA berth IMO is worthy of a D.  Net grade for season:  C  (not exactly "great.")

As for Wojo's thin skin - Between the snarky reaction to student reporter politely asking him where he could improve as a coach, the press conference stating that only the "real" MU fans come to NIT game, and to reference "people don't like me using that word - young," all point toward Steve feeling a bit sensitive.

He was an assistant associate head coach at Duke University from a young man up until he was a slightly-older young man.  He's probably got a bit of an ego.  Which sucks because, contrary to what he might believe, he hasn't done anything yet that is deserving of having one. 

This is part of the growing pains of having such a young, inexperienced head coach.  He hasn't really had the chance to be humbled yet.

[muguru]

Aren't you all about KenPom?  Cause we finished exactly where he said we would. So how did we underachieve?

Because truth be told nowdays it isn't that hard to get into the NCAA tournament. Looking strictly at the Big East...to me, Butler overachieved, Creighton certainly overachieved, I'd even argue Providence overachieved. Yet MU just "achieved". To me, that is underachieving, regardless of where they were projected to finish. Point is, if other teams in the same conference can overachieve, why can't MU??

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

True.  Ken Pom did predict us in 50s to start season.  Guess where I feel we underachieved - we were sublime offensively.  One of only 5 high major teams to be Top 20 in 3pt Shooting % AND Top 100 in 3 Point Attempts - the others being Purdue, Nova, Kansas, Michigan State, and we pale in comparison.  eFG% reigns supreme, right?

I know you are all over 7 seed for next year...Want to wager we don't finish in Top 28 Pomeroy next season?

Got it, we didn't underachieve, we met expectations. You just don't like how we met expectations. And eFG% reigns supreme doesn't mean if you shoot a high eFG% you win. It means if your eFG% difference is higher you win (most of the time). We were elite on one end and dreadful on the other.

And sure, you have a theoretical wager on next season. Feel free to bookmark this page and you can rub it in my face if I end up being wrong. But I will take the win with either a top 28 kenpom ranking or a top 7 seed.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Because truth be told nowdays it isn't that hard to get into the NCAA tournament. Looking strictly at the Big East...to me, Butler overachieved, Creighton certainly overachieved, I'd even argue Providence overachieved. Yet MU just "achieved". To me, that is underachieving, regardless of where they were projected to finish. Point is, if other teams in the same conference can overachieve, why can't MU??

I don't have a KenPom subscription, but I'm pretty sure that Butler, Creighton, and Providence were all projected to go into the NCAA tournament preseason. If you go by KenPom, Providence actually massively underachieved. They were rated in the 70s by KenPom, one of the lowest in history for an at large team.

The reality is, we ended up exactly where we were supposed to. We just don't like the reality that those expectations were outside the NCAA tournament.