Shaka might not be the forever coach.

[Uncle Rico]

And a bruising big, a pg, and at least 2 big time wing shooters, given what is projected to come back next year. Is he up to that task?

Dung-

The board thinks you are

https://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=66043.0

[1SE]

It took Wright 15 years to win a title at Villanova. It took K 11 years at Duke (and fans wanted him out after year 3). Few still hasn't won a title in 25 years.

It might be a tad premature to assume Shaka can't win bigger than this.

No one is, but he hasn't yet. This year and last year were good chances to do that. Other chances will come, but these were missed opportunities.

[BLWarrior91]

When was the last time a Marquette team entered the season with expectations of a final four and talk of a national championship? 

That wasn’t someone we could even fathom three years ago. Everyone needs to realize just how lucky we are that Shaka is our guy.  Yes, we feel short yesterday.  Even Al’s best teams don’t win the naty.  But Al also had teams that were consistently good enough to have a shot.  That’s what we need…sustained excellence.  Shaka gives us a great chance at that.

[WhiteTrash]

When was the last time a Marquette team entered the season with expectations of a final four and talk of a national championship? 

That wasn’t someone we could even fathom three years ago and now we’re.  Everyone needs to realize just how lucky we are that Shaka is our guy.  Yes, we feel short yesterday.  Even Al’s best teams don’t win the naty.  But Al also had teams that were consistently good enough to have a shot.  That’s what we need…sustained excellence.  Shaka gives us a great chance at that.

Agreed! Good post.

I'll add, Shaka is lucky to have Marquette.

[brewcity77]

No one is, but he hasn't yet. This year and last year were good chances to do that. Other chances will come, but these were missed opportunities.

I mean, this guy certainly seems to be insinuating it:

At some point it becomes a feature, not a bug. Three tournaments, three games where the team is just completely not ready to play. How the f*ck was no one ready to play.

Everything about that post indicates a belief Shaka can't win bigger than this.

[79Warrior]

The only Creedence I'll give this thought is that the team disappears for long stretches, and that goes back to last year.  Not sure if that is a reflection of the coach?

They did not disappear in this one. The shooters never showed up.

[tower912]

They kept shooting the right shots.   They missed.   Alas.

[WhiteTrash]

They kept shooting the right shots.   They missed.   Alas.

Yep. If they shoot 25% (-10% of season avg.) they win by 5.

[lawdog77]

They kept shooting the right shots.   They missed.   Alas.

The other side is when do they stop becoming the "right" shots? A few more pump fakes, drive in the lane to draw contact might have helped.

We always see defensive adjustments. What about offensive ones.?

[GB Warrior]

The other side is when do they stop becoming the "right" shots? A few more pump fakes, drive in the lane to draw contact might have helped.

We always see defensive adjustments. What about iffensive ones.?

They missed those too!

[tower912]

The other side is when do they stop becoming the "right" shots? A few more pump fakes, drive in the lane to draw contact might have helped.

We always see defensive adjustments. What about offensive ones.?

You mean like a missed dunk, multiple missed lay ups and blocked shots at the rim?    Huh.

[lawdog77]

You mean like a missed dunk, multiple missed lay ups and blocked shots at the rim?    Huh.

Those were mainly in the first half. I went back through the game log to confirm, and there were two missed layups in the 2nd.Each time we cut it to 8 and had the ball. we missed threes, nothing at the rim. NC state had 3 blocks in the game. Burns and Diarra had 3 fouls attack the rim,

Its analagous to an NFL defense dropping a couple extra guys in coverage. You may have ro change your offense. We shouldnt be shooting more 3s than 2s

[Zog from Margo]

They kept shooting the right shots.   They missed.   Alas.

Exactly. https://twitter.com/jaredleesmith/status/1773884488076124339

[JakeBarnes]

They kept shooting the right shots.   They missed.   Alas.

But what if they tried shooting the wrong shots? 🤔

[NickelDimer]

Exactly. https://twitter.com/jaredleesmith/status/1773884488076124339

This is why this will sting for a while. Playing at or close to your standard and losing is one thing, picking the most important game of the season to play by far your absolute worst is just hard to get over.

[WhiteTrash]

But what if they tried shooting the wrong shots? 🤔

Maybe I could teach them my shot selection from my Helfaer intramural days? 

[Zog from Margo]

This is why this will sting for a while. Playing at or close to your standard and losing is one thing, picking the most important game of the season to play by far your absolute worst is just hard to get over.

It clearly wasn’t a coaching issue. They should have one based on shots created.

Maybe the relationship angle goes too far. When one was bricking they all were bricking.

[The Rural Juror]

offensively nothing else he can do........guys are just missing open shots and making uncharacteristically bad decisions

he can adjust. his teams have been losing big games/tourney games in this manner since long before he got to marquette. when you play five-out and you eschew offensive rebounding for getting back on defense, that’s going to put you into a hole whenever you have a bad shooting night against a good team. Shaka has no answer for this other than to pray that the threes start falling. his teams have been losing like this for years and yet he’s got no back up plan that involves taking fewer threes and actually trying for offensive rebounds and second chance points. his only plan, no matter how many times this happens, is to watch his team heave up more threes and pray they go in. this is who he is. this is how his teams bow out.

[Hamburgler]

Shaka has underachieved in the tourney for so long and at multiple schools that it’s exceedingly unlikely to be due to random chance. Early VCU looks like a fluke now, and playing with house money is a lot easier than playing up to your seeding.

[1SE]

I mean, this guy certainly seems to be insinuating it:

Everything about that post indicates a belief Shaka can't win bigger than this.

at some point

We're not there yet, but it would have been better not to have lost.

Exit 3 or 4 more times like this and I'll say "Shaka can't win bigger than this"

Frustrating, because this year could have been the year to put all of that to bed. 

[JakeBarnes]

This thread needs a remindme! button

[Zog from Margo]

he can adjust. his teams have been losing big games/tourney games in this manner since long before he got to marquette. when you play five-out and you eschew offensive rebounding for getting back on defense, that’s going to put you into a hole whenever you have a bad shooting night against a good team. Shaka has no answer for this other than to pray that the threes start falling. his teams have been losing like this for years and yet he’s got no back up plan that involves taking fewer threes and actually trying for offensive rebounds and second chance points. his only plan, no matter how many times this happens, is to watch his team heave up more threes and pray they go in. this is who he is. this is how his teams bow out.

I think that’s a personnel issue. Jop and Oso are not effective scorers at the hoop. If the D takes away the guard drives, then what? The shot quality was there. Even an average shooting game and MU wins easily.

[5DollarPitcher]

Agree the gameplan was fine and a below average execution-wise performance wins this game by 10.

BUT - isn’t the execution choke a part of coaching? Kids were riddled with nerves and overthought themselves all game. A reflection on the Commander in Chief, no?

I will caveat all this by saying I would immediately give Shaka a lifetime contract for whatever amount of money keeps him happy every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

[The Rural Juror]

I mean, this guy certainly seems to be insinuating it:

Everything about that post indicates a belief Shaka can't win bigger than this.

well he never has won bigger than this, other than 2011, when his team in all reality had no business being let in to the tournament. his 2011 vcu team is to this day the worst ever at-large team to be allowed into the tourney. it’s wild to think about where he’d be without that inexplicable decision by the committee.

since then his record hasn’t been anything to be proud of. in six years at vcu he never once won the league, even though his peers anthony grant, jeff capel, and will wade all won the league at vcu. he never won his league at Texas either (although he did finish dead last with jarrett allen on his team), and he never won a tourney game with the Longhorns despite signing three top 8 national recruiting classes in a four year span.

then there’s the loss to abilene christian which got him the boot at Texas. it should have been impossible for Texas to lose that game. ACU had one player over 6’6” while Texas had three nba draft picks in the front court (kai jones, jericho sims, greg brown). they also had veteran guards (matt coleman, andrew jones, courtney ramey). Texas was the blueprint for tourney success- highly athletic 5*, nba talent, lots of experience, and three senior guards. it was a team built to go on a deep run.

not only did Texas lose to ACU and fail to go on a deep run, ACU was objectively terrible against Texas and still won the game. ACU shot 29% from the field and 3–18 from deep, and they still defeated their vastly superior foe. acu’s 18-5 edge on offensive rebounds was particularly baffling considering the difference in size, athleticism, and talent. still, it was nowhere near the first time and clearly also was not the last time that shaka smart would lose to a double digit seed as a tourney favorite. he truly is one of the perennial underachievers in the ncaa tourney.

[Uncle Rico]

well he never has won bigger than this, other than 2011, when his team in all reality had no business being let in to the tournament. his 2011 vcu team is to this day the worst ever at-large team to be allowed into the tourney. it’s wild to think about where he’d be without that inexplicable decision by the committee.

since then his record hasn’t been anything to be proud of. in six years at vcu he never once won the league, even though his peers anthony grant, jeff capel, and will wade all won the league at vcu. he never won his league at Texas either (although he did finish dead last with jarrett allen on his team), and he never won a tourney game with the Longhorns despite signing three top 8 national recruiting classes in a four year span.

then there’s the loss to abilene christian which got him the boot at Texas. it should have been impossible for Texas to lose that game. ACU had one player over 6’6” while Texas had three nba draft picks in the front court (kai jones, jericho sims, greg brown). they also had veteran guards (matt coleman, andrew jones, courtney ramey). Texas was the blueprint for tourney success- highly athletic 5*, nba talent, lots of experience, and three senior guards. it was a team built to go on a deep run.

not only did Texas lose to ACU and fail to go on a deep run, ACU was objectively terrible against Texas and still won the game. ACU shot 29% from the field and 3–18 from deep, and they still defeated their vastly superior foe. acu’s 18-5 edge on offensive rebounds was particularly baffling considering the difference in size, athleticism, and talent. still, it was nowhere near the first time and clearly also was not the last time that shaka smart would lose to a double digit seed as a tourney favorite. he truly is one of the perennial underachievers in the ncaa tourney.

I’m not reading that but I’m sorry it happened to you or happy for your success