Recalibrate your expectations

[Pakuni]

Pakuni, I've never said this. I don't know why you have insisted for months that I have.  Let me be clear you can win and build culture at the same time. What I said was that Shaka wouldn't win at the expense of building culture.  I hope that clears it up for you.

OK, but when you write about Shaka "having his cake and eating it too," it suggests otherwise. That phrase, in the context in which you used it, literally means he can't win and build culture at the same time.


have your cake and eat it (too)
to have or do two good things at the same time that are impossible to have or do at the same time:

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too

[Skatastrophy]

What an absolutely bizarre signature to have on a college basketball fan forum lmao

This is a basketball forum?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

OK, but when you write about Shaka "having his cake and eating it too," it suggests otherwise. That phrase, in the context in which you used it, literally means he can't win and build culture at the same time.


have your cake and eat it (too)
to have or do two good things at the same time that are impossible to have or do at the same time:

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too

Huh, I honestly didn't know that's how that phrase was supposed to be used. I've always used it to mean "doing two good things at the same time." So this one is my bad

[JakeBarnes]

Huh, I honestly didn't know that's how that phrase was supposed to be used. I've always used it to mean "doing two good things at the same time." So this one is my bad

Next you're gonna tell me that "blood is thicker than water" is about standing with your chosen family, not your actual family.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

From the start of the season to December 31st, they were 105th. Quite the turnaround.

Thanks.

Quite the turnaround indeed! Went from a sub-100 team to a top 10 team overnight.

[Shooter McGavin]

Let’s just say Shaka can walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. 

[NCMUFan]

Having expectations leads to disappointment.
I certainly would love to see them make a run at the National Title.
It appears most Marquette fans are hungry to be in the NCAA tourney and win the first game.
Getting to play the 2nd week would be great.
I think any team ranked 20 or less could win the title.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Huh, I honestly didn't know that's how that phrase was supposed to be used. I've always used it to mean "doing two good things at the same time." So this one is my bad

There’s two ways to skin a cat

[Spotcheck Billy]

There’s two ways to skin a cat

I've always suspected there could be at least a dozen ways

[Newsdreams]

My expectations have gone from bubble to championship

[dgies9156]

Oops

[dgies9156]

Frankly, I don't care how many points we score -- as long as we score more than the other guys.

I want to go back to the Creighton game for a moment. I was one of those people who was really upset by that game. My thought process was less about hiring Coach Shaka or the direction of the program and more about the moment. We had a horrible breakdown in the first overtime after battling back and fighting our way to what appeared to be a win. With a very tough segment of our schedule coming, I felt we had wasted away an opportunity to "steal one" from Greg McDermott and those blue turdbirds.

At the time, I said that one was on Coach Shaka. The next eight wins against only one loss are on Coach Shaka as well! The way Coach Shaka coached our guys out of what must have been an awful funk and motivated them to do what's happened this year is nothing short of amazing. It speaks to his character and to that of the 12 members of our basketball team, most of whom he recruited.

We're what I thought we'd be at the beginning of the season -- an NCAA team. Losing to the Turdbirds may have been a character builder that propels us further than even most optimistic of us (yeah, me and Goose) expected.

[MU82]

I'm usually of the opinion that a loss never "helps." But for some reason, I do wonder if the Creighton loss served as some kind of propellant for what has happened since.

[Scoop Snoop]

I'm usually of the opinion that a loss never "helps." But for some reason, I do wonder if the Creighton loss served as some kind of propellant for what has happened since.

I've had the same thought. It's weird, but sometimes a loss can generate wins in its wake. This may well have been one of those times. To be clear, I'm not the least bit happy that we lost, but if it was indeed the spark that ignited our run....that's the silver lining.

[MU82]

I've had the same thought. It's weird, but sometimes a loss can generate wins in its wake. This may well have been one of those times. To be clear, I'm not the least bit happy that we lost, but if it was indeed the spark that ignited our run....that's the silver lining.

Obviously no way to prove it, so it's just a feeling. And I acknowledge that there could be no validity to it whatsoever.

[GB Warrior]

Obviously no way to prove it, so it's just a feeling. And I acknowledge that there could be no validity to it whatsoever.

I've told myself for a month to stop thinking about that game, but I can't stop thinking about 'what if'. But at the same time, did everyone's focus and resolve get just a little bit crisper (coaches included) since then, and is that why we're seeing the results?

[1SE]

Really amazing that the VAST majority now expect at least one NCAA win. What an incredible turnaround for the program.

Incidentally, what do people prefer between S16 and BET Title? I feel like the former is better even though there is no banner. Conference tourney titles get lost in the shuffle of Championship week and probably don't register too much with the casual fan. I feel like S16s get noticed - I'm pretty sure the time I ever heard anything about Marquette (beyond knowing it was where my aunt had gone to law school) was the 1994 S16.

[PGsHeroes32]

Really amazing that the VAST majority now expect at least one NCAA win. What an incredible turnaround for the program.

Incidentally, what do people prefer between S16 and BET Title? I feel like the former is better even though there is no banner. Conference tourney titles get lost in the shuffle of Championship week and probably don't register too much with the casual fan. I feel like S16s get noticed - I'm pretty sure the time I ever heard anything about Marquette (beyond knowing it was where my aunt had gone to Law School) was the 1994 S16.

Sweet 16 every single time.

It would be cool to finally win the BET, heck even make the title game. But its ultimately meaningless.

Sweet 16 is surviving a full weekend of the NCAA tourney. A great feat. An extra week of pub and a shot to compete for a final four.

[MU82]

Really amazing that the VAST majority now expect at least one NCAA win. What an incredible turnaround for the program.

Incidentally, what do people prefer between S16 and BET Title? I feel like the former is better even though there is no banner. Conference tourney titles get lost in the shuffle of Championship week and probably don't register too much with the casual fan. I feel like S16s get noticed - I'm pretty sure the time I ever heard anything about Marquette (beyond knowing it was where my aunt had gone to law school) was the 1994 S16.

Agree with your first sentence. Hope you're part of the majority and not part of the cult!

Unquestionably Sweet 16. Also, it's a much bigger accomplishment to win a regular-season title IMHO ... although this season will be a little screwy due to Covid.

[Scoop Snoop]

Really amazing that the VAST majority now expect at least one NCAA win. What an incredible turnaround for the program.

Incidentally, what do people prefer between S16 and BET Title? I feel like the former is better even though there is no banner. Conference tourney titles get lost in the shuffle of Championship week and probably don't register too much with the casual fan. I feel like S16s get noticed - I'm pretty sure the time I ever heard anything about Marquette (beyond knowing it was where my aunt had gone to law school) was the 1994 S16.

I would rather have the Sweet Sixteen, but hopefully we can have both. Shaka has built the foundation for a Final Four or even National Championship team over the next few years. The Sweet Sixteen would result in a greater harvest of recruits and transfers to accomplish the goal(s) than a BE title. 

[Lennys Tap]

Obviously no way to prove it, so it's just a feeling. And I acknowledge that there could be no validity to it whatsoever.

Maybe, Mike, but Shaka and this team seem pretty self motivated. I think that if we bear Creighton the only difference would be a 9-3 conference record instead of 8-4.

[Class71]

A fantastic season to date.

An added perk is we do not have to "respect the process" for 5 - 6 years to assess the coach's skill set. 

[DoctorV]

This season has been incredible.

I came into the season with only one wish as a fan when it comes to overall season success- a wish that I’ll admit I considered a long shot. I wanted one NCAA tourney win.

I was, and still am, sick and tired of all the years of NCAA tourney futility. We had gotten spoiled with the success in the Buzz years and it was a hard fall from grace.
I actually remember telling a fellow MU fan after the E8 run that we were beginning to get very spoiled and it seemed like we were due to a “correction” of sorts, and boy were we ever.

Admittedly, I had hope that our new coach would pull a miracle and get MU in position to make the dance and maybe “steal” a win this season. I loved the hire and had that hope.

I refuse to change my pre-season wish.
I still just want one tourney win.
I’ve seen enough (although not quite as much as many here) to know how quickly things can change.

We are riding the highest of highs, but it doesn’t take much for things to unravel. After all, one bad loss at the wrong time can make you feel like it’s all gone wrong.

I promise I’m not trying to be a Debbie downer, but lets not forget that Coach Shaka has had some brutal recent NCAA tourney “luck” and still has to get the monkey off his own back.

Lucky for him he came to the right place to do just that, so he can once again start his own and Marquettes new era of better luck and winnings ways.
One tournament win.

[Shooter McGavin]

Maybe, Mike, but Shaka and this team seem pretty self motivated. I think that if we bear Creighton the only difference would be a 9-3 conference record instead of 8-4.

Agreed Lenny I think the corner was already turned that game and we just didn’t finish it off.  Many times grind it out ugly wins especially at home propel a team to a win streak just like we are seeing.  That should have been a grind it out win but wasn’t. Regardless the tenacity was there that game and hinted at future success.  We may just not have recognized it at the time due to the nature of the loss and the concern for the schedule ahead.

Definitely an inflection point in the season regardless.

[5DollarPitcher]

I don’t get this whole “calibrate your expectations” thing. Given the nature of our program, the expectation every year should be NCAA tourney berth and win a game or 2. Anything more than that range is exceeding expectations, anything less than that range is falling short of expectations.

We can talk about recalibrating our expectations for the program over the long-term (for example we somehow become a blue blood a la Nova, maybe we start expecting Elite Eights or Final Fours), but recalibrating mid season simply because you didn’t necessarily see this coming is silly. This constant recalibrations (downward) of expectations is what resulted in people somehow rationalizing 7 years of general suck just 10 short months ago.

Expectations do not equal predictions.

Expectations = what do you EXPECT the program to do. This is the bar. Hit this bar or above - you’re good. Consistently fall short of this bar you’re in trouble.

Predictions = what do I think the team is capable of in any given season based upon what I know about the players, coaches, etc. Go ahead an recalibrate your predictions as much as you’d like.