MUScoop
MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: TAMU, Knower of Ball on March 16, 2024, 11:07:09 PM
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Let me start by saying that I think we are better than last season (when fully healthy) and if everyone is good to go come the first first round we will be making a deep tournament run. So save your COLE slaw.
We haven't beaten a great team since 2023. Winning 11/12 was awesome, most of those wins were in dominate fashion, and making the BET finals without Kolek is praiseworthy...but of our 14 wins in 2024, exactly 0 of them were over teams that will earn higher than a 10 seed in the big Dance.
A lot of that is beyond our control. The Big East is three elite teams, two truly atrocious teams, and a bunch of meh in the middle. We've only had 4 games against elite teams in 2024 and 3 of them were against the #1 team in the nation. Additionally, three of them we were without our All-American PG...and the one that wasn't against the top team in the nation we were also missing our future NBA draft pick center and had two rotation players puking between timeouts.
We know that we can dominate bubble teams and worse. We know that we can't beat the best team in the country with a hobbled roster. We don't where the divider line between those two extremes is. I really would have appreciated a chance to play some other top teams during the past few months and I definitely would have liked a chance to play these last three games against elite teams with a healthy Tyler Kolek. We got robbed of some great games.
Ah well, f#ck em and win anyway
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To long didn’t read
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We haven't beaten a great team since 2023.
Glad I'm not the only one that noticed. I think MU is a great team, but depending on how the bracket shakes out, there is a possibility the last NCAA tourney team they beat was in Dec.
Fortunately, the only thing they can do now is play the games ahead of them.
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Let me start by saying that I think we are better than last season (when fully healthy) and if everyone is good to go come the first first round we will be making a deep tournament run. So save your COLE slaw.
We haven't beaten a great team since 2023. Winning 11/12 was awesome, most of those wins were in dominate fashion, and making the BET finals without Kolek is praiseworthy...but of our 14 wins in 2024, exactly 0 of them were over teams that will earn higher than a 10 seed in the big Dance.
A lot of that is beyond our control. The Big East is three elite teams, two truly atrocious teams, and a bunch of meh in the middle. We've only had 4 games against elite teams in 2024 and 3 of them were against the #1 team in the nation. Additionally, three of them we were without our All-American PG...and the one that wasn't against the top team in the nation we were also missing our future NBA draft pick center and had two rotation players puking between timeouts.
We know that we can dominate bubble teams and worse. We know that we can't beat the best team in the country with a hobbled roster. We don't where the divider line between those two extremes is. I really would have appreciated a chance to play some other top teams during the past few months and I definitely would have liked a chance to play these last three games against elite teams with a healthy Tyler Kolek. We got robbed of some great games.
Ah well, f#ck em and win anyway
I think you can probably say that about every top 30 team outside the B12 and SEC conferences. My concern is Tyko and our overall health. We can't play a different schedule or pretend Tyko has played in a month.
I think when we are healthy we're right there among the best teams in tbe country and earned a 2 seed for a reason. The fact is this is somewhat of a crapshoot TAMU. I don't see this year much differently than last year when two teams, literally didn't play anyone remotely great before the tournament, and made it to the F4. It's about taking care of business Thurs/Fri and playing as close to our top level as possible Sat/Sun. If we get to the 2nd week we have as good a chance as anyone minus UCONN.
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I don't see this as much of a concern rather than a grade of incomplete. Marquette has played four games against elite teams this calendar year. Three of those games they didn't have Tyler Kolek. The other they got beaten up in Hartford.
Since the rough stretch in January, MU was very good against the middle of the conference. They also played well in six games without their best player—better than expected, most would agree.
For me, not so much as a worry as a "plenty left to prove."
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I mean, if the Creighton game was 2 days later, we have an "elite" win in 2024. Seems like a weirdly arbitrary line.
I'm more concerned on health and a pinch on depth. The metrics support that our team is a top 20 offense and defense.
We've beat top teams when they were at full strength (Kansas, illinois, creighton). Strong games against other top teams outside of the game in Hartford. Won the games we should have and the team grew a lot with the injuries.
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I think people are starting to jump ship who were calling a championship run a few weeks ago. Or at least making excuses why it won’t happen. It gets real in a one and done scenario.
I think we’d all take a sweet 16 so we can feel better about the program. But this season will not be a true success or a game changer without at least an elite eight. Their top ten ranking all year will mean little if they don’t prove it when it counts.
Get healthy. And kick some ass. Kolek your banner is waiting if you lead your team in March.
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Let me start by saying that I think we are better than last season (when fully healthy) and if everyone is good to go come the first first round we will be making a deep tournament run. So save your COLE slaw.
We haven't beaten a great team since 2023. Winning 11/12 was awesome, most of those wins were in dominate fashion, and making the BET finals without Kolek is praiseworthy...but of our 14 wins in 2024, exactly 0 of them were over teams that will earn higher than a 10 seed in the big Dance.
A lot of that is beyond our control. The Big East is three elite teams, two truly atrocious teams, and a bunch of meh in the middle. We've only had 4 games against elite teams in 2024 and 3 of them were against the #1 team in the nation. Additionally, three of them we were without our All-American PG...and the one that wasn't against the top team in the nation we were also missing our future NBA draft pick center and had two rotation players puking between timeouts.
We know that we can dominate bubble teams and worse. We know that we can't beat the best team in the country with a hobbled roster. We don't where the divider line between those two extremes is. I really would have appreciated a chance to play some other top teams during the past few months and I definitely would have liked a chance to play these last three games against elite teams with a healthy Tyler Kolek. We got robbed of some great games.
Ah well, f#ck em and win anyway
Was out to dinner tonight and had the same thought. Only "impressive" win in conference was Creighton at home all the way back to December. But even worse - their "big wins" were 11/14 (Illinois) and 11/21 (Kansas) and the later may not be as impressive as once thought. While a lot of Q1 wins, not much quality wins the last 3 months.
Hopefully this does not matter in the tourney, but if they lose early, many will say they be over-rated/seeded.
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The conference backloaded the schedule and Marquette ended up having to play UConn home and (basically) away, and Creighton away short-handed.
Of the list of concerns this is below FT shooting for me.
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good points, but I didn't really see the 'lingering concern" unless it was not beating an elite team. that's fine and all, but WHY haven't we beaten elite teams more often?
my lingering concern has more to do with finding that player(s) who can pull us out of midgame shooting slumps. the go to guy who can stop the bleeding before the game is on life support. the go to plays, whatever. all teams go thru these to some extent or another, but it seems ours are killers.
last night, it was the beginning of the game. with our defense playing as well as it was, uconn's shot's just not dropping...if we shoot 40-45% or more, we are off and running. we cannot play to the other teams play. we should have used that period of UConn weakness to put our boot on their necks. put the pressure on them. you know UConn is going to come back, but having to recover from a 10-15-20 point deficit takes a toll
the night before-providence-we have a 15-16 point lead evaporate because of that dreaded slump. opposing teams capitalize on every missed shots or turn over and...wtf??
with our stifling defense, we can and should win/beat elite teams by minimizing the offense slumps.
oh yeah, and free throws do matta!! they are points on/off the board
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The conference backloaded the schedule and Marquette ended up having to play UConn home and (basically) away, and Creighton away short-handed.
Of the list of concerns this is below FT shooting for me.
This is where I’m at too. If we look at Torvik:
Since Jan 1, 11th best team (St. John’s is 15)
After Butler, 7th best team
Since Tyler’s injury, 27th best team
Really none of the home games were close between Butler and UConn (maybe St. John’s). Our slide in 2019 happened came after a bunch of close wins (Creighton, Seton Hall, Nova, Georgetown), that they couldn’t pull out a second time. This team is completely different in my opinion.
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To long didn’t read
Poor English. I do not understand what you are trying to communicate.
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Let me start by saying that I think we are better than last season (when fully healthy) and if everyone is good to go come the first first round we will be making a deep tournament run. So save your COLE slaw.
We haven't beaten a great team since 2023. Winning 11/12 was awesome, most of those wins were in dominate fashion, and making the BET finals without Kolek is praiseworthy...but of our 14 wins in 2024, exactly 0 of them were over teams that will earn higher than a 10 seed in the big Dance.
A lot of that is beyond our control. The Big East is three elite teams, two truly atrocious teams, and a bunch of meh in the middle. We've only had 4 games against elite teams in 2024 and 3 of them were against the #1 team in the nation. Additionally, three of them we were without our All-American PG...and the one that wasn't against the top team in the nation we were also missing our future NBA draft pick center and had two rotation players puking between timeouts.
We know that we can dominate bubble teams and worse. We know that we can't beat the best team in the country with a hobbled roster. We don't where the divider line between those two extremes is. I really would have appreciated a chance to play some other top teams during the past few months and I definitely would have liked a chance to play these last three games against elite teams with a healthy Tyler Kolek. We got robbed of some great games.
Ah well, f#ck em and win anyway
Geez, you could have said the same thing about our 1977 team. And we all know where that ended up!
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54-16 over the last two seasons. My only concern is health.
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Yes, the last time MU was 100% healthy was December 30, 2023. In fact, that was the one and only game since Texas that MU was fully healthy. One game since December 6.
Said another way, next man up determines MU's fate. The minutes have been there. My lingering question is who steps up? The answer in the NCAAs for magical runs is usually always a surprise.
MU is limping to the finish line and absolutely needs the bench. Shaka believes in his guys and his system and passed on the portal. It's go time.
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I do not disagree that MU has not beaten a top tier team in 2024 and that is not a major concern to me. As TAMU noted, they had four chances and the one time the team was healthy was a very bad performance. That said, I think there are far more positives going into the tournament, provided TK is healthy, than last year. Every guy is going to be given an opportunity to step up and I think they are ready. If the team is healthy, I like their chances for a deep run.
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Dr B I agree. We’re actually working through a lot of adversity pretty well. We’re a stronger team today than 12/30.
It all comes down to health at this point. We’re top half of the top 25 without Tyler—probably top ten with. Good enough to have a chance but health and some good luck are needed for it all to come together.
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I do not disagree that MU has not beaten a top tier team in 2024 and that is not a major concern to me. As TAMU noted, they had four chances and the one time the team was healthy was a very bad performance. That said, I think there are far more positives going into the tournament, provided TK is healthy, than last year. Every guy is going to be given an opportunity to step up and I think they are ready. If the team is healthy, I like their chances for a deep run.
Goose, I have stated a number of times that I really do not like post-game comments that begin with the word "If "(followed by imagining that something(s) in the game had turned out differently) and concluding with "we would have won". With that said, I find myself tempted to do just that regarding Kolek's absence. Kansas fans know the feeling.
I agree that our chances of a deep run are good, but how do you define that? Anything short of a SS will be a disappointment to me and I will consider an EE as solid success. I think we have the talent, but I see two chinks in our armor. The first is our problems with big, beefy opponents. We will almost certainly be up agaist some in the tourney. The other is that we do not have a deep bench. Sean's abscence is rarely mentioned anymore, but "if" (he hadn't had the ACL injury,)"we would be in a better position". Damn! I broke my own rule.
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My concern is health
Kolek is not 100%
Mitchell is not 100%
Ross is not 100%
Jones is worn down
Oso is worn down
UConn and Iowa state for example do not look hurt or worn down…
To be a final four team that is the challenge
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Yes, the last time MU was 100% healthy was December 30, 2023. In fact, that was the one and only game since Texas that MU was fully healthy. One game since December 6.
Said another way, next man up determines MU's fate. The minutes have been there. My lingering question is who steps up? The answer in the NCAAs for magical runs is usually always a surprise.
MU is limping to the finish line and absolutely needs the bench. Shaka believes in his guys and his system and passed on the portal. It's go time.
Do you feel portal players are less likely to get injured? Not sure why it's relevant to bring up passing on portal players?
The fact MU has been fully healthy just 1 game since December 6th, and managed to fight its way to a 2 seed is proof positive of Shaka's system.
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MU didn’t set their schedule. You play who is next. This team is ready for March madness.
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I don't see this as much of a concern rather than a grade of incomplete. Marquette has played four games against elite teams this calendar year. Three of those games they didn't have Tyler Kolek. The other they got beaten up in Hartford.
Since the rough stretch in January, MU was very good against the middle of the conference. They also played well in six games without their best player—better than expected, most would agree.
For me, not so much as a worry as a "plenty left to prove."
Totally agree. This is the right take. Like everybody in the field, really, we have plenty left to prove.
I think people are starting to jump ship who were calling a championship run a few weeks ago. Or at least making excuses why it won’t happen.
Not sure who is "jumping ship" among those who really have believed in this team all season. I'm sure not.
Sure, one can look at discussing a fairly serious injury to our All-American as "making excuses," and injuries to other key players as "making excuses." But they are also facts. Take away any team in the country's best player/players - yes, even mighty UConn - and we'd see how they'd do. Indeed, when many people talk about UConn's season, they point out that they were without Castle when they lost to Kansas and that Clingan got hurt during their loss to Seton Hall. Those were "excuses," I guess, but also facts.
We haven't beaten a great team since 2023. Winning 11/12 was awesome, most of those wins were in dominate fashion, and making the BET finals without Kolek is praiseworthy...but of our 14 wins in 2024, exactly 0 of them were over teams that will earn higher than a 10 seed in the big Dance.
TAMU, I know what you're saying, and again it's a fact. But it's definitely not a "concern" of mine. There have been some pretty long stretches during which teams like Nova, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's, even Butler, were playing like solid tournament teams.
For example, when we played Nova on 1/15, they had won 5 of 6 games, including at Creighton, and were on the fringe of the top 25. When we played at Butler on 2/13, they had won 5 of 6, with their loss being a close game at UConn, and bracketologists had them as a solid NCAAT team. Then Nova and Butler had the misfortune of running into Marquette, and you could say neither ever really recovered from losing to us.
Like everyone else here, I'm hoping Kolek is close enough to 100% to play like he was playing before the injury - when he was the best PG in America. I hope Oso's leg is OK. I hope Stevie can do Stevie things. If those three can play like we all know they can play, I love - not like, but love - our chances of a deep run. Throw in Kam being one of the best scorers in the country over the last month or so, and we have the recipe for NCAAT success.
Any champion also will have had some good fortune along the way in terms of shots going in, shots not going in for the opponent, matchups, really good teams losing before you have to face them, staying healthy, etc. Obviously, we're all hoping we're among the fortunate in those categories; one might say we're overdue for a few breaks!
I'm glad you started this thread, TAMU, because I actually feel even better about our heroes having written this response.
We Are Marquette!
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MU didn’t set their schedule. You play who is next. This tram is ready for March madness.
And let's ride this tram all the way to the top of the mountain.
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The injuries have been primarily in the backcourt where the depth was. If Shaka would have taken a guy in the portal it almost certainly would have been in the frontcourt.
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I think this team *can* go 6-0. That doesn't mean I think they *will* go 6-0. It's all about match-ups. Let's see what the draw looks like and hope for some upsets before the second weekend.
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Poor English. I do not understand what you are trying to communicate.
it’s ok if you’re to old to understand modern colloquialisms. Also don’t be afraid to use contractions like “don’t” to be more grammatically efficient. You’ll get there you sorry son of a b itch. :)
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The elephant in the room is MU has now been exposed. Teams now know how to beat Marquette. Pressure our guards, pound the ball into the post, and obviously rebound and shoot the ball well. Most teams will not have the personnel to do so, but for those who do, its game on, aina?
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To long didn’t read
(https://images2.imgbox.com/bc/5d/tAW2vCKN_o.png) (https://imgbox.com/tAW2vCKN)
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Kolek can’t read either.
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The elephant in the room is MU has now been exposed. Teams now know how to beat Marquette. Pressure our guards, pound the ball into the post, and obviously rebound and shoot the ball well. Most teams will not have the personnel to do so, but for those who do, its game on, aina?
Finally. After 3 years of Shaka implementing his system, teams have found a way to beat his team
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My concerns are:
Injuries and getting to the S16
And … some people like to pretend that
Shaka’s lack of success in the NCAAT for over 10+ years is not a thing. It is.
He’s what 1 - 6 ? Or 1 - 7 in the Dance?
They will be a 2 seed. Not making the 2d weekend again this year would be a Huge disappointment
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It's been fun watching how hard this team plays this year. It sucks they couldn't stay healthy as I think they were just a fantastic team when Sean Jones and Kolek were both available. They were relentless and could wear teams out with their intense play and depth. We know Sean Jones can't help during this tournament and what version we get of Kolek is a huge question mark. He might be rusty, he might be great, maybe he won't play more than a few minutes, we have no idea what's going to happen with Tyler and that's just not a comforting thought going into these 1 and done games going forward.
Other concerns, this is not a great outside shooting team overall, they are streaky and sometimes those streaks are bad. You combine a bad shooting night with facing a team that doesn't turn the ball over much and MU will be in a dog fight to stay alive in this thing.
I love the fight this team has under Shaka. I have to be honest, I feel like this team actually overachieves a bit. There are many subtle weaknesses that they are able to overcome with intense turnover forcing defense and just an overall attitude of making things tough for 40 minutes. That said, we've all seen the weaknesses at times and these small things like giving up too many 2nd chance points and having bad streaks of outside shooting can undo some of the really good things this team is capable of.
I think some of the younger guys on MU will become good outside shooters someday, but they're not consistent enough yet and that inconsistency just makes things a bit dicey as the competition MU faces ramps up.
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The elephant in the room is MU has now been exposed. Teams now know how to beat Marquette. Pressure our guards, pound the ball into the post, and obviously rebound and shoot the ball well. Most teams will not have the personnel to do so, but for those who do, its game on, aina?
If team A:
-shoots the ball well;
-rebounds the ball well;
-pressures opposing team’s guards; and
-pounds the ball into the post…….
They will beat team B more often than not.
You don’t need to be a HOF coach to come up with this game plan.
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At this point of the season, every team has been "exposed" and the book is out on how to beat them. That doesn't mean their players are going to out-execute the other's.
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GBP, one of the things about being fans is, as a whole, we focus on the warts in a vacuum. 95% of the other D1 schools would love to trade places with MU. They would love to have Kolek, Oso, Kam. They would love a top 20 offensive and defensive team. They are impressed with MU's defensive rotations and motion on offense. Most teams are streaky from 3.
It is easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees.
For example, last night watching NCSU, my first thought was 'how does MU stop Burns?' Upon reflection, who does Burns guard on MU?
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I think the fact that we have been missing the Big East's best point guard for the past six and a half games and our T Rank during that period is #19 in the country. That is impressive.
Sure we were 4-3 but that includes 2 away games and 3 neutral games. And three of the those games against Top 10 teams.
If Kolek is productive I really think this will be our best team going into the tourney since the 2011-12 season. And probably better.
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My concerns are:
Injuries and getting to the S16
This was front of mind for me after yesterday’s loss. This team might have to grind out a couple of wins in the first weekend, but if they can earn another four days of rest, perhaps they enter the S16 healthier than they’ve been in a long while.
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I would not mind a Friday-Sunday schedule. The extra day of recovery would be welcome.
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Do you feel portal players are less likely to get injured? Not sure why it's relevant to bring up passing on portal players?
The fact MU has been fully healthy just 1 game since December 6th, and managed to fight its way to a 2 seed is proof positive of Shaka's system.
I think the implication is pretty clear. On Dec. 6, the bench and role player starters weren't ready to take on quality minutes. Now three months later, the injuries have created a lot of quality minutes for people to step up. It's Shaka's philosophy. It's their time if MU is to advance deep.
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The elephant in the room is MU has now been exposed. Teams now know how to beat Marquette. Pressure our guards, pound the ball into the post, and obviously rebound and shoot the ball well. Most teams will not have the personnel to do so, but for those who do, its game on, aina?
Isn't that what we do? Pressure their guards, pound the ball into the post, and obviously rebound and shoot the ball well.
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good points, but I didn't really see the 'lingering concern" unless it was not beating an elite team. that's fine and all, but WHY haven't we beaten elite teams more often?
my lingering concern has more to do with finding that player(s) who can pull us out of midgame shooting slumps. the go to guy who can stop the bleeding before the game is on life support. the go to plays, whatever. all teams go thru these to some extent or another, but it seems ours are killers.
last night, it was the beginning of the game. with our defense playing as well as it was, uconn's shot's just not dropping...if we shoot 40-45% or more, we are off and running. we cannot play to the other teams play. we should have used that period of UConn weakness to put our boot on their necks. put the pressure on them. you know UConn is going to come back, but having to recover from a 10-15-20 point deficit takes a toll
the night before-providence-we have a 15-16 point lead evaporate because of that dreaded slump. opposing teams capitalize on every missed shots or turn over and...wtf??
with our stifling defense, we can and should win/beat elite teams by minimizing the offense slumps.
oh yeah, and free throws do matta!! they are points on/off the board
100%👍 on each point.
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Not really. Our lead against PC did not "evaporate." Ebbs and flows during games happen.
And FT% is simply not that important. I don't understand why people can't understand basic math.
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I think the implication is pretty clear. On Dec. 6, the bench and role player starters weren't ready to take on quality minutes. Now three months later, the injuries have created a lot of quality minutes for people to step up. It's Shaka's philosophy. It's their time if MU is to advance deep.
This exactly what I have been preaching to MU alum family members in my emails. We took quite a hit with Kolek out, but with his return the team is actually stronger.
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Not really. Our lead against PC did not "evaporate." Ebbs and flows during games happen.
And FT% is simply not that important. I don't understand why people can't understand basic math.
We also shot 78% in the BE tournament and made clutch free throws down the stretch against Xavier. If anything, FTs have become much less of a concern for me. Especially adding Kolek back to the lineup.
Overall, FT% doesn’t matter much as you’ve said, but you need guys on the floor in a one possession game who can make them. We will be fine in that department.
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This exactly what I have been preaching to MU alum family members in my emails. We took quite a hit with Kolek out, but with his return the team is actually stronger.
Yes.
I’ve said on here before that a month ago I wouldn’t feel very comfortable if Oso grabbed a few first half fouls and had to sit against a 15 or a 7/10 seed.
Now, I’m fully comfortable with Benny.
Same can be said of Tre and Zaide filling in if Tyler is limited and Stewie/Kam or Jop/Chase needs a breather, but to a lesser extent than Benny.
This team will need near full health and contributions from Tyler, Stevie, Kam, Oso to get to the Final 4 and win a Championship.
They will still be competitive to advance to the S16 without it though.
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Yes.
I’ve said on here before that a month ago I wouldn’t feel very comfortable if Oso grabbed a few first half fouls and had to sit against a 15 or a 7/10 seed.
Now, I’m fully comfortable with Benny.
Same can be said of Tre and Zaide filling in if Tyler is limited and Stewie/Kam or Jop/Chase needs a breather, but to a lesser extent than Benny.
This team will need near full health and contributions from Tyler, Stevie, Kam, Oso to get to the Final 4 and win a Championship.
They will still be competitive to advance to the S16 without it though.
Agree. The silver lining to the injuries is that now Tre and Zaide have developed the confidence to come through for us if needed.
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They look like they belong.
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The elephant in the room is MU has now been exposed.
"Exposed" Last year we faced Izzo in their backyard with Tyler's hand being hurt for 36 hours and our team never facing any real internal adversity. This year we have had a ton of adversity and played very well despite it. We have had 3 games against the 1# team in the nation that has a unique set of talent that has the speed and length to stay at home on D(and if they do get beat...have Klingon as a backstop). Additionally they are an elite shooting team...where it is nearly impossible to stop all of them all the time. Name me one team that can match Uconn 1 through 8 that we will see before the elite eight or final four and then I will be worried about being exposed.
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Bully Kolek to take away him driving to his left and limit the pick-and-roll with Oso. Try to stay close to Kolek, Kam and Jop on the perimeter but concede 3s to any other Marquette player.
Yes, it's a real bold game plan that only a few coaching geniuses recently figured out.
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"Exposed" Last year we faced Izzo in their backyard with Tyler's hand being hurt for 36 hours and our team never facing any real internal adversity. This year we have had a ton of adversity and played very well despite it. We have had 3 games against the 1# team in the nation that has a unique set of talent that has the speed and length to stay at home on D(and if they do get beat...have Klingon as a backstop). Additionally they are an elite shooting team...where it is nearly impossible to stop all of them all the time. Name me one team that can match Uconn 1 through 8 that we will see before the elite eight or final four and then I will be worried about being exposed.
Yes. MU can be bullied. But, MU has only one soft loss this season. Butler at home. MU has gone toe to toe with two final 4 contenders without Kolek 3 times in the last week. All 3 times, MU was in the game deep into the second half. With a healthy Kolek and a healthier team, there are few teams MU needs to fear.
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Bully Kolek to take away him driving to his left and limit the pick-and-roll with Oso. Try to stay close to Kolek, Kam and Jop on the perimeter but concede 3s to any other Marquette player.
Yes, it's a real bold game plan that only a few coaching geniuses recently figured out.
The coaching geniuses need the players. And there only so many Providences playing thug ball without accountability out there.
Take in the big picture, everybody.
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"Exposed" Last year we faced Izzo in their backyard with Tyler's hand being hurt for 36 hours and our team never facing any real internal adversity. This year we have had a ton of adversity and played very well despite it. We have had 3 games against the 1# team in the nation that has a unique set of talent that has the speed and length to stay at home on D(and if they do get beat...have Klingon as a backstop). Additionally they are an elite shooting team...where it is nearly impossible to stop all of them all the time. Name me one team that can match Uconn 1 through 8 that we will see before the elite eight or final four and then I will be worried about being exposed.
Columbus is not in MSU’s backyard.
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54-16 over the last two seasons. My only concern is health.
Yep
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The elephant in the room is MU has now been exposed. Teams now know how to beat Marquette. Pressure our guards, pound the ball into the post, and obviously rebound and shoot the ball well. Most teams will not have the personnel to do so, but for those who do, its game on, aina?
Sounds like a formula to beat every team.
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What a load of garbage
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We haven't beaten a great team since 2023.
This has been a John Martin (Field of 68) talking point for weeks that I disagree with. I mean, what are you supposed to do? We had 1 opportunity with our team at full strength, @ UCONN. Our worst showing of the year. The only other opportunities were @ Creighton sans Kolek and Oso, UCONN sans Kolek, UCONN sans Kolek with about 3 guys needing to be wheeled out by the 10 minute mark. All games the guys player their assess off.
We had a NUMBER of tourney wins (SJU, Providence, Nova, Seton Hall) up until 24-48 hours ago. I get the narrative, but certainly don’t agree with it.
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There’s nothing Marquette can do about it. But it’s reality.
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My concerns are:
Injuries and getting to the S16
And … some people like to pretend that
Shaka’s lack of success in the NCAAT for over 10+ years is not a thing. It is.
He’s what 1 - 6 ? Or 1 - 7 in the Dance?
They will be a 2 seed. Not making the 2d weekend again this year would be a Huge disappointment
In terms of the NCAA Tournament, if it was just about player talent and the preparation of our coaching staff, I would say Marquette is right up there with the other top teams in the country.
But 35 games into the season we continue to insist on doing stupid things. Unforced turnovers. Yesterday we fouled three 3 point shooters and if memory serves me, UCONN converted 8 of 9 of those free throws. I don't know that we were going to beat them under any scenario yesterday. But in the NCAA Tourney, you can't simply put your lack of discipline on display for the whole country to see, and expect to beat anyone by handing them 8 points, even a 15 seed.
I'm concerned that from here on, with or without Kolek, the troubles we have will be all self-inflicted.
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The only concern anyone should have right now is our health. And it's now both Tyko and Stevie. Mitchell is an integral part of this team. We need him at full strength. It's also worth noting that the loss of JTY for most of the year proved to be a significant loss. It changed our rotations for one, and he created havoc defensively when we needed a spark.
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But 35 games into the season we continue to insist on doing stupid things. Unforced turnovers. Yesterday we fouled three 3 point shooters and if memory serves me, UCONN converted 8 of 9 of those free throws. I don't know that we were going to beat them under any scenario yesterday. But in the NCAA Tourney, you can't simply put your lack of discipline on display for the whole country to see, and expect to beat anyone by handing them 8 points, even a 15 seed.
I'm concerned that from here on, with or without Kolek, the troubles we have will be all self-inflicted.
Wat
We’ve played 34 games… I think us sending a shooter to the line for 3 FTs happened zero times, not three. And our TO% was 15.2%.
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Finally. After 3 years of Shaka implementing his system, teams have found a way to beat his team
Shaka's teams have been so exposed they can muster nothing better than being back-to-back 2 seeds. Indeed.
The wisdom of dentists.
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In terms of the NCAA Tournament, if it was just about player talent and the preparation of our coaching staff, I would say Marquette is right up there with the other top teams in the country.
But 35 games into the season we continue to insist on doing stupid things. Unforced turnovers. Yesterday we fouled three 3 point shooters and if memory serves me, UCONN converted 8 of 9 of those free throws. I don't know that we were going to beat them under any scenario yesterday. But in the NCAA Tourney, you can't simply put your lack of discipline on display for the whole country to see, and expect to beat anyone by handing them 8 points, even a 15 seed.
I'm concerned that from here on, with or without Kolek, the troubles we have will be all self-inflicted.
Yeah….i dont recall us fouling their 3 point shooters once……much less 3 times.
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Three years ago our only concern was getting rid of Wojo. We have come a long way since then.
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Hard to believe the team is 25-9 and looking at a 2 seed. (3 at worst)
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Sounds like a formula to beat every team.
Shoot well and get rebounds? Revolutionary!
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Hard to believe the team is 25-9 and looking at a 2 seed. (3 at worst)
We need to hit the portal
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Bully Kolek to take away him driving to his left and limit the pick-and-roll with Oso. Try to stay close to Kolek, Kam and Jop on the perimeter but concede 3s to any other Marquette player.
Yes, it's a real bold game plan that only a few coaching geniuses recently figured out.
So, if there are a few coaching geniuses in our way, it’s great to know Chase, Ben, and Zaide are going to have some monster games from the 3 point line!!!
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Hard to believe the team is 25-9 and looking at a 2 seed. (3 at worst)
Harder to believe is what this team has endured. If you had told any of us in October that by the end of the year we would be playing without either of our point guards, and managed to not drop from the 2-line?!!!
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Yeah….i dont recall us fouling their 3 point shooters once……much less 3 times.
Yes. My mistake (2) and I'll own it . It was Friday night against Providence and it was twice, NOT 3 times. Underlying point remains the same, though------you don't foul jump shooters and you certainly don't foul 3 point shooters
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Not really. Our lead against PC did not "evaporate." Ebbs and flows during games happen.
And FT% is simply not that important. I don't understand why people can't understand basic math.
when there is a puddle, does it "ebb and flow" or evaporate??
teams "a' and "b" go to the ft line 20 x each. team "a" makes 15 team "b" makes 12
team "b" loses by 2
DO THE MATH
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My concern is health
Kolek is not 100%
Mitchell is not 100%
Ross is not 100%
Jones is worn down
Oso is worn down
UConn and Iowa state for example do not look hurt or worn down…
To be a final four team that is the challenge
All of those guys should not play until fully recovered. After all, they might aggravate.
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Thinking about TAMUs original post:
Marquette hasn't beaten a top tier NCAA team since Creighton before New Year's, but we also haven't lost to any team we would face in Rd 1 or 2 (or worse) since the Butler debacle. The last four losses are to Creighton on the road and 3 increasingly competitive losses to the best team in the country.
I'm not worried about the trend line.
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#7 overall seed.
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I think people are starting to jump ship who were calling a championship run a few weeks ago. Or at least making excuses why it won’t happen. It gets real in a one and done scenario.
I think we’d all take a sweet 16 so we can feel better about the program. But this season will not be a true success or a game changer without at least an elite eight. Their top ten ranking all year will mean little if they don’t prove it when it counts.
Get healthy. And kick some ass. Kolek your banner is waiting if you lead your team in March.
Porky seconds Shooter McGavin's sentiment.
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My concern is health
Kolek is not 100%
Mitchell is not 100%
Ross is not 100%
Jones is worn down
Oso is worn down
UConn and Iowa state for example do not look hurt or worn down…
To be a final four team that is the challenge
Ahhh the "tired legs" argument has come back.
How many teams do you think are at 100%?
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It will be six days between games. Short travel.
No excuses.
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Oso listed as questionable for Friday with a knee issue.
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Oso listed as questionable for Friday with a knee issue.
(https://media.tenor.com/irxvhOReV7QAAAAM/larry-david-confused.gif)
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Oso listed as questionable for Friday with a knee issue.
Should have sat him Saturday night.
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Oso listed as questionable for Friday with a knee issue.
Where'd you see that?
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Oso listed as questionable for Friday with a knee issue.
WTF???? Seriously???
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Oso listed as questionable for Friday with a knee issue.
Haven't seen that anywhere. He's gonna play.
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(https://media.tenor.com/irxvhOReV7QAAAAM/larry-david-confused.gif)
Shaka's comments on Oso and Stevie - "You're going to have to cut their leg off for them not to play. They'll be out there."
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Google: Marquette basketball injury report
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So nothing from MU. Not worried.
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I expect him to play. Honestly, I posted for ballboy, who was convinced that it was a strategic decision and not injury related when Shaka pulled Oso on Saturday.
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So nothing from MU. Not worried.
Well, Dodds...
https://247sports.com/college/marquette/Board/104085/Contents/the-injury-report-lists-oso-as-questionable-for-fridayknee-228900488/
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I expect him to play. Honestly, I posted for ballboy, who was convinced that it was a strategic decision and not injury related when Shaka pulled Oso on Saturday.
I'm sure he's sore, but so is everybody. If he actually just bumped knees like he said he did...he'll be playing.
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Oso listed as questionable for Friday with a knee issue.
I get the sense that they are just guessing……….ill be shocked if he doesn’t play.
https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/ncaab/teams/main/marquette-golden-eagles/injuries
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I don’t worry about guys not playing (Kolek included). I just hope they aren’t significantly limited.
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Well, Dodds...
https://247sports.com/college/marquette/Board/104085/Contents/the-injury-report-lists-oso-as-questionable-for-fridayknee-228900488/
Well, Dodds likes to sensationalize just about anything, so I'm not going to worry too much if he's the only one saying it.
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https://www.youtube.com/live/lKMKnMyH9PE?si=I9W9V7GB1iT1dKZl
No mention of an injury for Oso in his talk yesterday. He's ready to go.
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WIN
ADVANCE
REPEAT
SIMPLE 8-)
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https://www.youtube.com/live/lKMKnMyH9PE?si=I9W9V7GB1iT1dKZl
No mention of an injury for Oso in his talk yesterday. He's ready to go.
If Dodds says something is true, who the Hell are you to disagree? :D
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Oso listed as questionable for Friday with a knee issue.
He needs to0 be sat. Don't want to risk an aggravation.
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He needs to0 be sat. Don't want to risk an aggravation.
Thank you dung dr