Best four year stretch to have attended MU outside of Al? (basketball success)

[MU82]

I arrived at Marquette in August 1978, 5 months after the Miami of Ohio fiasco. And since August 1978, I honestly think there is more excitement about Marquette basketball right now than at any other time. I know lots of alums who were only casual fans but who now eagerly anticipate every game. As brew said, all we need is a good long March run, and this will be remembered as an awesome stretch, even with Wojo's horrendous final season as the lead-in.

Otherwise, it's hard to top the basketball that the class that entered MU in August 2009 got to see, 4 NCAAT appearances, culminated by S16-S16-E8. Of course, any four-year stretch that included Wade's two seasons had a Final Four run and the chance to watch the best player in Marquette history play, and that ain't nuthin'.

[BrewCity83]

First, I think you have to rule some eras out. Anything pre-Al I wouldn't include. The best was probably 1952-55, but you've got two losing records in there and a single NCAA appearance (admittedly Elite 8 with 2 wins in the tourney).

I also think you have to rule out the first four years of Hank. Yes, you get the last #1 ranking and you get a Sweet 16, but it was clearly a downward trajectory. In terms of best runs, you want the program to be peaking as you leave school. I think that leaves you with four candidates.

4) 1991-1994: Kevin O'Neill - I wasn't there then, but I've talked to enough people that were to know there was a palpable buzz around the program on campus and after Dukiet, you could feel the positive momentum. Every year was better than the last and it culminated in a Sweet 16, beating Kentucky to get there, and only losing to national runner-up Duke. The downside, of course, is O'Neill leaving at the end of that year.

3) 2010-2013: Buzz Williams - You enter college with an established NCAA regular that overachieved as a scrappy underdog 2010 team, making the tournament after being on no one's radar, to a pair of Sweet 16s and culminating in the Elite 8. The senior year would end with an initial feeling that this was just the start of great things, because there was still a feeling that Buzz would be around, Marquette would be the team to beat in the new Big East, and as good as things were, they were just getting started.

2) 2000-2003: Tom Crean - This includes my time at Marquette (2002-04) and I think this is the correct answer at the moment of posting, but there's another candidate. The excitement on campus that was there for O'Neill was palpable from the start with Crean and he was an incredible program salesman. Then you go from two years of program building to program breakthrough to Final Four. Even after the Kansas loss, it felt like we would be back. Wade left, but Diener and Novak were still there, Dameon Mason was the heir apparent, it was seashells and balloons. I mean...we didn't stay there, like all things, but in the moment it was pretty close to feeling elite.

1)2021-2024: Shaka Smart - This finishing as #1 all depends on March. But man, it's a strong contender. You go from the lowest of lows as a freshman, with a losing record program and a coach getting fired to an NCAA Tourney return as a sophomore, Big East double titles and a tourney win as a junior, and whatever this season ends up being as a senior. If Marquette reaches the Final Four, it's the uncontested answer. If they win the title, it is suddenly second to only 1974-77.

I was there '79-'83...while we could later see that it was the start of The Great Decline, at the time we were all riding high on the wave that Al created, and Marquette was still very much in the national eye.  It was a fun time to be there, and we were still a big time program, maybe even a Blue Blood. 

But the team didn't win like Marquette had become used to.  So I think the current team ('21-'24), Crean/Wade's run, and Buzz's runs were clearly the peaks.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I was 08-12 and that was pretty neat.

[Galway Eagle]

Surprised there's not many people pulling for the 93/94-96/97

Conference reg season champs and sweet 16 in 94 as a freshman, fun NIT finals as a sophomore, 4 seed your junior year. conference tournament champs in your senior year and a solid sprinkling of draft picks through those years.

Thought there'd be more people arguing that the consistent success outweighs the post FF slump.

[rocket surgeon]

I think the three year run with Buzz was the best era since Al, followed by Wade's time at MU.

  that would make you about what goose?  30's?  you look great man! no wonder, your lovely has herself a real "boy toy"
                                                       
                                                              EYN"A

for me?  biggest bummer was losing first round 1978-i think that's where the drinking got really heavy, but no worries, i've since reconciled    did oliver lee really show up at mccormick in a limo exiting a cloud of "smoke"...seriously?!?  larry hatchet was a great example of MU student athletes.  even the rick years were exciting with some interesting characters...then it was downhill as ya'll know.  still during my tenure we went 158-81

    had a blast at old milwaukee arena- that place rocked!!   never forget toilet paper gate in the dorms.  jim hegarty's(wants to see you) was the best good old fashioned MU sports bar where real warrior talk happened and everybody knew your name.  paul Q was the man! a little quirky if ya know what i mean but whata guy!  he introduced me to bret favre before anyone knew his name

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Surprised there's not many people pulling for the 93/94-96/97

Conference reg season champs and sweet 16 in 94 as a freshman, fun NIT finals as a sophomore, 4 seed your junior year. conference tournament champs in your senior year and a solid sprinkling of draft picks through those years.

Thought there'd be more people arguing that the consistent success outweighs the post FF slump.

I think everyone knew that the Deane era was going to have a cap on its success since the recruiting wasn't all that great. And yes, when the talent ran out, the poor results popped up.

[LongtimeFan]

A very good stretch was 69-70 to 72-73. Teams were ranked at season end 8,2,7 and 5. Season records were 26-3, 28-1, 25-4, and 25-4. In 69-70 Al McGuire declined an NCAA invitation and MU was the NIT champion. In the other 3 seasons MU lost their second game in the NCAA tournament.

I would also include 73-74( as I was still at MU in Grad School) end of season rank 3, 26-5 record, and runner up to NCAA champion.

I realize this was Al’s era, but what a great time to be a student and fan.

[Goose]

Rocket

Spot on with the boy toy, she is a lucky gal.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Man, the Gen Xers had a miserable basketball experience in their formative years.

[tower912]

Yes we did.  For me, last two years of Majerus, first two years of Dukiet.   Thankfully, I was of legal drinking age.

[Richie]

Man, the Gen Xers had a miserable basketball experience in their formative years.

'85 to '89 had Rick's last year and all 3 of Dukiet. It was miserable with pretty much no hope after Dukiet's first year, but we still had good, though losing, times. There was such hope for Gerald Posey and Corey Floyd, but we know how that all turned out.

Instead, it was Candelino and Nethan, the weekend doubleheader of Dayton and North Carolina in 1986, and the Bradley Center opening in 1988, that provided lasting memories.