Way Too Early 2019/20 Pre-Season Predictions

[jesmu84]

MU will realize on everyone’s goals once they hire a dynamic and motivational young coach. The current occupant of the job has demonstrated he not the right guy to put MU on the necessary track for high level success.

Unfortunately the administration is not on the same page as the fan base . The bromance is alive and well.

Can I ask what dynamic, young, motivational coaches are on your shortlist - that would actually come to MU?

Keep in mind, there appears to be a huge contingent that believes MU should only get established/successful coaches for our next hire as well. So you have to account for that.

So who is the young, dynamic, motivational, already-established and successful coach that will choose MU over other more elite/blue blood positions?

[MU82]

MU will realize on everyone’s goals once they hire a dynamic and motivational young coach. The current occupant of the job has demonstrated he not the right guy to put MU on the necessary track for high level success.

Unfortunately the administration is not on the same page as the fan base . The bromance is alive and well.

If only we had gotten a young dynamic coach like Shaka, who has absolutely torn it up at Texas!

Or one like Beard, who had 1 year of coaching at a low-major before he got the Texas Tech job and would have been ripped by Scoopers the day he was hired.

Or one like Moser, who has accomplished next to nothing as a college head coach.

Or one like, well, anybody but Wojo, right?

I agree with those who say the next 10 months are pivotal for Wojo. I say it myself. He has to prove he can win next season, and he has to sign a good recruiting class for 2020.

If he does those things, he will have done his job (at least in the near term), no matter what the alleged "fan base" that you believe hates him thinks.

So who is the young, dynamic, motivational, already-established and successful coach that will choose MU over other more elite/blue blood positions?

Yes, I'd like to see that question answered, too.

jes, you forgot to say that whichever young, dynamic, motivational, already-established and successful coach must immediately put together a 25-30 win season that includes a BEast title and at least an Elite 8 run.

[Loose Cannon]

You speak for the fan base?

He's A Loud Speaker, and also has knowledge of Coaches that can Demotivate and still keep their jobs.

[Marquetteauburn]

If only we had gotten a young dynamic coach like Shaka, who has absolutely torn it up at Texas!

Or one like Beard, who had 1 year of coaching at a low-major before he got the Texas Tech job and would have been ripped by Scoopers the day he was hired.

Or one like Moser, who has accomplished next to nothing as a college head coach.

Or one like, well, anybody but Wojo, right?

I agree with those who say the next 10 months are pivotal for Wojo. I say it myself. He has to prove he can win next season, and he has to sign a good recruiting class for 2020.

If he does those things, he will have done his job (at least in the near term), no matter what the alleged "fan base" that you believe hates him thinks.

Yes, I'd like to see that question answered, too.

jes, you forgot to say that whichever young, dynamic, motivational, already-established and successful coach must immediately put together a 25-30 win season that includes a BEast title and at least an Elite 8 run.

GREAT POST! I happened to be together with some rapid fans of Auburn and some other programs yesterday and we were all comparing notes and concluded most of the top 108 fan bases (based on kenpom below) can't understand why they are not in the Sweet 16 every other year, but with blue bloods at the top hoarding regular appearances the math just doesn't add up.

• Virginia
  Duke
  Michigan
  Kansas
  North Carolina
  Indiana
  Wisconsin
  Kentucky
  Purdue
  Villanova
  Michigan St.
  Maryland
  Syracuse
  Illinois
  Gonzaga
  Iowa
  Marquette
  Iowa St.
  Louisville
  Ohio St.
  Arizona
  Connecticut
  Cincinnati
  Missouri
  Tennessee
  North Carolina St.
  Xavier
  Minnesota
  Butler
  Notre Dame
  Texas
  Florida
  Georgetown
  Washington
  Penn St.
  Virginia Tech
  Auburn
  Nebraska
  UCLA
  Texas Tech
  Dayton
  Pittsburgh
  Alabama
  Wichita St.
  West Virginia
  Memphis
  Providence
  St. John's
  Florida St.
  VCU
  Seton Hall
  Arkansas
  Wake Forest
  Nevada
  Northwestern
  Creighton
  Kansas St.
  Boston College
  Vanderbilt
  Oregon
  San Diego St.
  Texas A&M
  Arizona St.
  Colorado
  Temple
  Baylor
  LSU
  Clemson
  Rutgers
  BYU
  Miami FL
  Buffalo
  Penn
  Oklahoma
  UNLV
  Georgia Tech
  South Carolina
  California
  Georgia
  TCU
  Mississippi
  Rhode Island
  Saint Louis
  Davidson
  DePaul
  USC
  Harvard
  Houston
  Massachusetts
  New Mexico
  Saint Joseph's
  Illinois St.
  Bradley
  Saint Mary's
  Washington St.
  Yale
  Richmond
  St. Bonaventure
  Western Kentucky
  Ball St.
  George Mason
  Ohio
  Oklahoma St.
  SMU
  Utah
  Fordham
  George Washington
  Mississippi St.

[wadesworld]

Can I ask what dynamic, young, motivational coaches are on your shortlist - that would actually come to MU?

Keep in mind, there appears to be a huge contingent that believes MU should only get established/successful coaches for our next hire as well. So you have to account for that.

So who is the young, dynamic, motivational, already-established and successful coach that will choose MU over other more elite/blue blood positions?

According to the meat summit men, the list is 3 people long and consists of Tony Bennett, Kelvin Sampson, and Chris Beard.

Maybe we can convince one to be the head coach and 2 to be assistants.  Shouldn't be that hard right?

[Cheeks]

Those guys were all young and/or  dynamic back in the day. That is  how they got to where there are today.

Wojo barking at the kids to " Play Angry" is not going to get a team far. When they played that video it was an embarrassment. No wonder the Hausers jumped ship.

Oh stop Herman.....you can go through any number of coach speeches by any coach and cherry pick.

[Jockey]

Nets is to Derrick
as
Cain is to Wojo


Tired, boring, repetitive, stupid


How many dozens of posts will we have to endure that all continue to say the exact same thing?

[Jockey]

MU will realize on everyone’s goals once they hire a dynamic and motivational young coach. The current occupant of the job has demonstrated he not the right guy to put MU on the necessary track for high level success.

Unfortunately the administration is not on the same page as the fan base . The bromance is alive and well.

At least start you rant based on a truth.

The majority of the fan base, including the most rabid (Scoopers) fans support Wojo.

[Uncle Rico]

Those guys were all young and/or  dynamic back in the day. That is  how they got to where there are today.

Wojo barking at the kids to " Play Angry" is not going to get a team far. When they played that video it was an embarrassment. No wonder the Hausers jumped ship.

Tony Bennett was definitely one of the most dynamic coaches I’ve ever seen.  That’s why Sam went to play for him

[Uncle Rico]

According to the meat summit men, the list is 3 people long and consists of Tony Bennett, Kelvin Sampson, and Chris Beard.

Maybe we can convince one to be the head coach and 2 to be assistants.  Shouldn't be that hard right?

Sampson is too old, Bennett isn’t dynamic enough (I believe the phrase I saw thrown around earlier this week, was “vanilla”) but Beard would fit the bill.  He’s definitely leaving his home state for Milwaukee.  Let’s get it done

[Herman Cain]

GREAT POST! I happened to be together with some rapid fans of Auburn and some other programs yesterday and we were all comparing notes and concluded most of the top 108 fan bases (based on kenpom below) can't understand why they are not in the Sweet 16 every other year, but with blue bloods at the top hoarding regular appearances the math just doesn't add up.

• Virginia
  Duke
  Michigan
  Kansas
  North Carolina
  Indiana
  Wisconsin
  Kentucky
  Purdue
  Villanova
  Michigan St.
  Maryland
  Syracuse
  Illinois
  Gonzaga
  Iowa
  Marquette
  Iowa St.
  Louisville
  Ohio St.
  Arizona
  Connecticut
  Cincinnati
  Missouri
  Tennessee
  North Carolina St.
  Xavier
  Minnesota
  Butler
  Notre Dame
  Texas
  Florida
  Georgetown
  Washington
  Penn St.
  Virginia Tech
  Auburn
  Nebraska
  UCLA
  Texas Tech
  Dayton
  Pittsburgh
  Alabama
  Wichita St.
  West Virginia
  Memphis
  Providence
  St. John's
  Florida St.
  VCU
  Seton Hall
  Arkansas
  Wake Forest
  Nevada
  Northwestern
  Creighton
  Kansas St.
  Boston College
  Vanderbilt
  Oregon
  San Diego St.
  Texas A&M
  Arizona St.
  Colorado
  Temple
  Baylor
  LSU
  Clemson
  Rutgers
  BYU
  Miami FL
  Buffalo
  Penn
  Oklahoma
  UNLV
  Georgia Tech
  South Carolina
  California
  Georgia
  TCU
  Mississippi
  Rhode Island
  Saint Louis
  Davidson
  DePaul
  USC
  Harvard
  Houston
  Massachusetts
  New Mexico
  Saint Joseph's
  Illinois St.
  Bradley
  Saint Mary's
  Washington St.
  Yale
  Richmond
  St. Bonaventure
  Western Kentucky
  Ball St.
  George Mason
  Ohio
  Oklahoma St.
  SMU
  Utah
  Fordham
  George Washington
  Mississippi St.

I guess what your saying is a lot of people are looking for the same young , dynamic and motivational coach.

[IrwinFletcher]

Tony Bennett was definitely one of the most dynamic coaches I’ve ever seen.  That’s why Sam went to play for him

Tony Bennett was definitely not one of the most dynamic coaches I’ve seen.  That’s why Shayok bolted and went to play at Iowa State.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Tony Bennett was definitely not one of the most dynamic coaches I’ve seen.  That’s why Shayok bolted and went to play at Iowa State.

Are you sure he didn’t lose his job???

[MU82]

Sampson is too old, Bennett isn’t dynamic enough (I believe the phrase I saw thrown around earlier this week, was “vanilla”) but Beard would fit the bill.  He’s definitely leaving his home state for Milwaukee.  Let’s get it done

At the exact same point as when Texas Tech hired him, if we had hired him then, numerous Scoopers, probably led by guru, would have freaked out about how inexperienced and unworthy he was.

Sorry, guru, but you know it's true.

[muguru]

At the exact same point as when Texas Tech hired him, if we had hired him then, numerous Scoopers, probably led by guru, would have freaked out about how inexperienced and unworthy he was.

Sorry, guru, but you know it's true.

You're right, but the difference is...he would have shut me up quickly, if he had the same success right away at MU as he has had at Texas Tech. That's the difference between him and Wojo. If Wojo has had the same results, he would have shut me up to. Call Beard's tenure at TT fluky or once in a lifetime, or whatever, you want to call it, it still happened, and that's what I always ask myself, "why can't stuff like that ever happen to MU basketball"?? That takes a vision though, from the people in charge, boldness, willing to go where no one else has gone before to turn the tables on the college basketball world, and to make Marquette the epitomy of the CBB world.

Everyone talks about how hard it is to recruit to Marquette etc. Maybe so, but let's take away those disadvantages and turn them into an advantage, let's make MU basketball THE place where top players want to be, and where top Coaches want to Coach. Like their slogan says "Marquette University, be the difference". I'd change the word difference to "different".

What am I talking about?? You spend $$ now on the program, spend even more. There are enough wealthy donors and alums that are invested enough in the BB program, that if you shared your "vision" with them, they would get on board. Hit up Dwade, hit up former players with $$ etc. Do whatever you have to do...Offer to pay a Coach more $$ than any place in the country, and let it be known. Make guys offers they can't refuse. Build the absolute best facilities in the country(or right up there).

But it takes a leader and a vision that means being bold and big. No one thinks that a small catholic University in Milwaukee can compete with the "top dogs" in college basketball...prove to them you can, show them you will be "different". For god's sakes when a wealthy donor offers to foot the entire bill for dorms for the team/athletes, that rivals Kentucky's "coal lodge", don't keep putting him off until he walks away. You take it, and don't look back. Things like THAT are what MU has to do to accelerate to the top, maybe against all odds, but leadership and vision(and yes $$ but you can get that), are the key. MU needs "that guy".

[Cheeks]

Guru you are stuck in a time warp in a fantasy land.  God bless you and the dream you have.  I hope it comes true.

[Herman Cain]

You're right, but the difference is...he would have shut me up quickly, if he had the same success right away at MU as he has had at Texas Tech. That's the difference between him and Wojo. If Wojo has had the same results, he would have shut me up to. Call Beard's tenure at TT fluky or once in a lifetime, or whatever, you want to call it, it still happened, and that's what I always ask myself, "why can't stuff like that ever happen to MU basketball"?? That takes a vision though, from the people in charge, boldness, willing to go where no one else has gone before to turn the tables on the college basketball world, and to make Marquette the epitomy of the CBB world.

Everyone talks about how hard it is to recruit to Marquette etc. Maybe so, but let's take away those disadvantages and turn them into an advantage, let's make MU basketball THE place where top players want to be, and where top Coaches want to Coach. Like their slogan says "Marquette University, be the difference". I'd change the word difference to "different".

What am I talking about?? You spend $$ now on the program, spend even more. There are enough wealthy donors and alums that are invested enough in the BB program, that if you shared your "vision" with them, they would get on board. Hit up Dwade, hit up former players with $$ etc. Do whatever you have to do...Offer to pay a Coach more $$ than any place in the country, and let it be known. Make guys offers they can't refuse. Build the absolute best facilities in the country(or right up there).

But it takes a leader and a vision that means being bold and big. No one thinks that a small catholic University in Milwaukee can compete with the "top dogs" in college basketball...prove to them you can, show them you will be "different". For god's sakes when a wealthy donor offers to foot the entire bill for dorms for the team/athletes, that rivals Kentucky's "coal lodge", don't keep putting him off until he walks away. You take it, and don't look back. Things like THAT are what MU has to do to accelerate to the top, maybe against all odds, but leadership and vision(and yes $$ but you can get that), are the key. MU needs "that guy".

It is actually not that hard to recruit in Milwaukee . Kids love the urban dynamic and vibe. What is hard is recruiting to Milwaukee for a team that is not relevant nationally.

A few years ago I was in bad neighborhood in Philly and had my MU gear on.  A guy on the street who was part of the basketball culture in Philly  saw me and unsolicited came up and said that back in the day the dream of many was to go and play at Marquette . That kind of thing happens when a team wins. If MU can just get back to Crean/Buzz standard the team will actually be able to get that very top level talent again.

[wadesworld]

It is actually not that hard to recruit in Milwaukee . Kids love the urban dynamic and vibe. What is hard is recruiting to Milwaukee for a team that is not relevant nationally.

I had almost forgotten that you were on Grimes’s official visit to Marquette with him so I definitely take your word here as accurate, first hand stuff. I’m sure you’ve been accompanying kids on their officials at MU for many years now.

Lol.

[jsglow]

It is actually not that hard to recruit in Milwaukee . Kids love the urban dynamic and vibe. What is hard is recruiting to Milwaukee for a team that is not relevant nationally.

A few years ago I was in bad neighborhood in Philly and had my MU gear on.  A guy on the street who was part of the basketball culture in Philly  saw me and unsolicited came up and said that back in the day the dream of many was to go and play at Marquette . That kind of thing happens when a team wins. If MU can just get back to Crean/Buzz standard the team will actually be able to get that very top level talent again.

Going to agree with Herman.  Until recently, no NBA player wanted to go to Milwaukee.  Now guys are knocking down the door to play there.  Same thing happened with the Packers.  Remember when no black guy wanted to be in Green Bay because he supposedly couldn't get a proper haircut?  Winning changes everything.

[Cheeks]

It is actually not that hard to recruit in Milwaukee . Kids love the urban dynamic and vibe. What is hard is recruiting to Milwaukee for a team that is not relevant nationally.

A few years ago I was in bad neighborhood in Philly and had my MU gear on.  A guy on the street who was part of the basketball culture in Philly  saw me and unsolicited came up and said that back in the day the dream of many was to go and play at Marquette . That kind of thing happens when a team wins. If MU can just get back to Crean/Buzz standard the team will actually be able to get that very top level talent again.

A team that was on national tv most of last year, ranked number 10 and made the ncaa tournament?  A coach that pulled and helped to develop a kid from Arizona to come to the great north to become an All American.

Some kids love the urban dynamic.  Some kids love the change of seasons.  Some kids hate the urban dynamic.  Some kids hate the cold.

[Cheeks]

Going to agree with Herman.  Until recently, no NBA player wanted to go to Milwaukee.  Now guys are knocking down the door to play there.  Same thing happened with the Packers.  Remember when no black guy wanted to be in Green Bay because he supposedly couldn't get a proper haircut?  Winning changes everything.

Winning can help and last year we did a lot of winning.  But Milwaukee is always going to be tougher to recruit to than 25 other places.  That isn’t going to change, but winning absolutely helps offset it.

[brewcity77]

Call Beard's tenure at TT fluky or once in a lifetime, or whatever, you want to call it, it still happened, and that's what I always ask myself, "why can't stuff like that ever happen to MU basketball"?? That takes a vision though, from the people in charge, boldness, willing to go where no one else has gone before to turn the tables on the college basketball world, and to make Marquette the epitomy of the CBB world.

Stuff like that has happened at MU basketball. Multiple times and repeatedly. Marquette got a 3-star recruit in 2000 that turned out to be the third best shooting guard in the history of the game and led Marquette to a Final Four. Marquette got a JUCO commit that was basically a "player to be named later" with Joe Fulce who committed on a McDonald's placemat and led them to a Sweet 16 before becoming a NBA All-Star. Marquette hired a coach who had washed out at New Orleans, was on staff for one year, and came out of nowhere to lead the program to S16/S16/E8. Marquette flipped the recruitment of a 17-year-old who reclassified who ended up the RSCI #71 player in his class and will be the all-time leading scorer in program history & possibly Big East history.

Unexpected stories happen all over college basketball and that includes here. Maybe Symir Torrence is the next such story. Maybe Brenden Bailey will go from 2-year mission to NBA All-Star. Maybe it will be a Justin Lewis or Johnny Davis that haven't yet committed. And maybe Wojo will go from lifetime assistant to National Championship winner. We don't know yet because we don't know yet.

Going back 55 years, no one knew that the D2 Belmont Abbey coach who went 13-39 in his last two years there, who had seen his win totals decline in every single season at Belmont Abbey, would end up leading Marquette to a National Championship.

Just because *this* improbable thing didn't happen here doesn't mean we haven't had numerous improbable things happen here over the years. You're just too close to see them and realize them for what they are when they do happen here.

[muguru]

Stuff like that has happened at MU basketball. Multiple times and repeatedly. Marquette got a 3-star recruit in 2000 that turned out to be the third best shooting guard in the history of the game and led Marquette to a Final Four. Marquette got a JUCO commit that was basically a "player to be named later" with Joe Fulce who committed on a McDonald's placemat and led them to a Sweet 16 before becoming a NBA All-Star. Marquette hired a coach who had washed out at New Orleans, was on staff for one year, and came out of nowhere to lead the program to S16/S16/E8. Marquette flipped the recruitment of a 17-year-old who reclassified who ended up the RSCI #71 player in his class and will be the all-time leading scorer in program history & possibly Big East history.

Unexpected stories happen all over college basketball and that includes here. Maybe Symir Torrence is the next such story. Maybe Brenden Bailey will go from 2-year mission to NBA All-Star. Maybe it will be a Justin Lewis or Johnny Davis that haven't yet committed. And maybe Wojo will go from lifetime assistant to National Championship winner. We don't know yet because we don't know yet.

Going back 55 years, no one knew that the D2 Belmont Abbey coach who went 13-39 in his last two years there, who had seen his win totals decline in every single season at Belmont Abbey, would end up leading Marquette to a National Championship.

Just because *this* improbable thing didn't happen here doesn't mean we haven't had numerous improbable things happen here over the years. You're just too close to see them and realize them for what they are when they do happen here.

My point is Brew...I want those things to be the "rule" at MU, a consistent occurrence, not a fluky once in a while type occurrence. Let schools like Texas Tech etc, have those things. That's what my post outlined...a vision, a boldness, to where you don't necessarily have to rely on "once in awhile type things" to happen to see success at the highest levels. In other words, you want to be elite...don't wait for it to come to you, go get it yourself. That's where the "vision" comes in, and that's where it starts.

[brewcity77]

My point is Brew...I want those things to be the "rule" at MU, a consistent occurrence, not a fluky once in a while type occurrence. Let schools like Texas Tech etc, have those things. That's what my post outlined...a vision, a boldness, to where you don't necessarily have to rely on "once in awhile type things" to happen to see success at the highest levels. In other words, you want to be elite...don't wait for it to come to you, go get it yourself. That's where the "vision" comes in, and that's where it starts.

The definition of things being fluky is that they aren't the rule. No program consistently turns 3-star kids into NBA all-timers. No program consistently pulls coaches off the scrap heap of history and sends them to the Hall of Fame.

What you are describing is Duke or Kentucky. Maybe you could stretch it to Kansas and UNC, but that's about it. And that takes years to achieve. At Duke, it took K 5 years of disappointing results before he consistently reached the level you are calling for. It took Villanova 15 years with Jay Wright. It took Gonzaga closer to 20 with Mark Few.

If you want a top-5 program, you better be willing to suck it up for a decade or two with the same coach before you start to see those results. And understand that until you have put 10-20 years in, you still won't really know if they will get you to the promised land. Hell, there were calls to fire Jay Wright after he had been in Philly for 12 years. That's the kind of commitment an elite program requires. So if you truly want the program to be elite, the only thing you can do is be patient and hope. Because it will probably be another 5-10 years before we have any real clarity on the heights Wojo can take us to, and who knows if he'll even be here that long?

[wadesworld]

Going to agree with Herman.  Until recently, no NBA player wanted to go to Milwaukee.  Now guys are knocking down the door to play there.  Same thing happened with the Packers.  Remember when no black guy wanted to be in Green Bay because he supposedly couldn't get a proper haircut?  Winning changes everything.

Disagreed. How many NBA players have “wanted to come to Milwaukee?” Greg Monroe, and that worked out...well, not so great. Brook Lopez was a Lakers throwaway who nobody else wanted. Pat C.? Again, I don’t think he was in high demand.

The Bucks will win a title the moment a second star is next to Giannis. Unless a second star really loves Giannis as a person and player, the Bucks aren’t finding that through free agency. They’ll either have to draft and develop a player into that or they’ll have to trade for that.