FIVE Big East Schools make the NIT!

[Herman Cain]

Colt
I am enjoying the ride, but only interested in MU success. Creating a big time program takes a lot of things to happen and it starts at home. I have never seen a top program, collegiate or pro, that were excited about their foes having success. Truthfully, my post was meant as a positive. Time to focus on MU success and not worry if Providence sneaks out win in NIT or hoping DePaul’s feelings are not hurt.

MU has a vested interest in the other teams in the league success. It is pure pragmatism. If your league sucks and becomes a one bid league that is not a good thing. It is also a dollars and cents thing. Sure you can root for MU and not give a hoot about the other team, but reality dictates that those teams need to do well over the long term , otherwise we should not be in the league.

Rising tide carries all boats.  Works the other way too. Just look at Big Ten football, it has been permanently eclipsed because there were too many bad teams . Once it happens it is hard to regain the prior league glory.

At the end of the day that does not excuse MU from performing. If MU doesn't perform, then  it doesn't matter what league we are in .

[Jon]

I root for the Big East (except against us) with one exception. Seton Hall. They play too close to the edge of dirty for me.

Tony

I hadn't heard this. I thought Willard was a straight shooter

[Jon]

Celebrating 5 teams in the NIT is like taking your sister to the prom.

[Shooter McGavin]

I can chew gum and walk at same time and hope MU goes very far and the Big East does well in the NCAA tournament (except against us) and in the NIT.

Not hard.

Agreed.  It’s not hard.  When they tally up sweet sixteen teams and elite eight teams by conference that is a source of pride for the conference and their fans.

Having a Big East team win the NIT is just more advertising for the conference.  It’s also a no brainer.  Zero downside whether you think globally or narrowly.

I’m sure none of us will be planning our day around the NIT games but we all will be fully aware of outcomes and happy if our big east brethren win.

[Lennys Tap]

Tony

I hadn't heard this. I thought Willard was a straight shooter

Crash,

He may well be, and maybe I'm just tired of them pushing us around - but Friday night really bothered me.

[Cheeks]

Celebrating 5 teams in the NIT is like taking your sister to the prom.

What was it like?

[NorthernDancerColt]

Celebrating 5 teams in the NIT is like taking your sister to the prom.

Unless you’re  taking her in your A-10 Warthog idling in the driveway.

[Cheeks]

Unless you’re  taking her in your A-10 Warthog idling in the driveway.

Sisters dig a brother in a uniform?

[Silkk the Shaka]

Crash,

He may well be, and maybe I'm just tired of them pushing us around - but Friday night really bothered me.

Totally agree. They're dead to me, first new Big East team I hate

[vogue65]

Totally agree. They're dead to me, first new Big East team I hate

Although S.H. is despicable, the league let it happen, if not made it happen.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Although S.H. is despicable, the league let it happen, if not made it happen.

The league did not make Powell blatantly elbow Sacar, the league did not make Powell get up and scream in Theo's face on a play that happens to Markus 5 times a game without incident or even a whistle, the league did not make Mamukelashvili shove Theo in the back like a coward, and the league did not make Powell grandstand on Wojo in the handshake line like a b!tch. They're scumbags and I hope they lose to Wofford on Thursday night.

[Eye]

This CBI field is like a Wednesday CUSA tourney session  - DePaul, South Florida, Southern Miss and UAB. And throw in Huggins for good measure. Maybe Mike Deane could come in and do color for the finals.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

This CBI field is like a Wednesday CUSA tourney session  - DePaul, South Florida, Southern Miss and UAB. And throw in Huggins for good measure. Maybe Mike Deane could come in and do color for the finals.

Cool!

[BrewCity83]

The league did not make Powell blatantly elbow Sacar, the league did not make Powell get up and scream in Theo's face on a play that happens to Markus 5 times a game without incident or even a whistle, the league did not make Mamukelashvili shove Theo in the back like a coward, and the league did not make Powell grandstand on Wojo in the handshake line like a b!tch. They're scumbags and I hope they lose to Wofford on Thursday night.

Nailed it!

[vogue65]

The league did not make Powell blatantly elbow Sacar, the league did not make Powell get up and scream in Theo's face on a play that happens to Markus 5 times a game without incident or even a whistle, the league did not make Mamukelashvili shove Theo in the back like a coward, and the league did not make Powell grandstand on Wojo in the handshake line like a b!tch. They're scumbags and I hope they lose to Wofford on Thursday night.

No, BUT the league chose the refs.  The league paid the refs.  Mark my words, the league will allow to to happen again, as Rodney would say, "we get no respect".

[Loose Cannon]

I can chew gum and walk at same time and hope MU goes very far and the Big East does well in the NCAA tournament (except against us) and in the NIT.

Not hard.

Yep, keeps us in the Power 6 Talks.

[Eldon]

I don't know if anyone is jumping around for the NIT, but having BE teams in the tourney is great for MU.  Jumping up and and down for seeing SJU make the tourney, Nova advancing, etc., is not 'thinking small' IMO.

A few years back, Coach K raised a fuss when it was floated that NC State may miss the tournament.  Was Coach K 'thinking small' by talking about NC State?  I don't think so.

I also remember reading that Coach K was pissed about the BE putting 11 teams into the tournament, and how everyone perceived the BE as the nation's best bball conference.  Conference strength matters; it's more than simply 'yeah, I guess it's okay that my conference mates make the tourney'.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Yep, keeps us in the Power 6 Talks.

I loved that the selection show used the Power 6 label,  no AAC to be found

[Marcus92]

Unfortunately, the biggest part of KO's personal plan was to do well so he could leverage it for his own future. Folks grumble sometimes about MU being looked at as a stepping-stone job, and if you think about it, that thought process began with KO. He played a big role with Marquette's hoops renaissance, and I'll always be grateful for that, but he was first and foremost about KO. All IMHO, of course.

If you've watched Jim McIlvaine's M Club acceptance speech, I think he'd disagree. He closed with "I'd like to thank Kevin O'Neill for saving Marquette basketball." (The entire 11-minute speech is worth watching, by the way.)

It's true that O'Neill didn't stay at MU long. But it's also possible that he accomplished all he could here. After the Bob Dukiet days, O'Neill was a wake-up call -- akin, perhaps, to someone dumping ice-cold water on you while screaming obscenities in your face. While his methods weren't always pleasant, they were effective, at least in the short term. It was about bringing a once-great program back from the brink. You could argue he was exactly what MU needed.

O'Neill has returned to campus for the 100th anniversary celebration and was at the Creighton game this season. (He sat a couple tables away from ours during breakfast at Miss Katie's Diner before the game, along with Mac and Damon Key.)

From the centennial coaches panel, O'Neill at 02:36: "Marquette has always had a great name. But we didn't have great talent at the time...We just tried to get better a little bit at a time, every single year, recruit good guys, recruit tough guys, just put our heads down and went to work." And at 19:40: "It's one of the top 15 or 20 jobs in America because of the fanbase. Coaches come and go. But these fans are going to be here forever. They stay behind their team no matter what."

Seems pretty clear that Marquette means something to him beyond being a stepping stone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49bBXGi4FHw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVS90zFcDw0

[Goose]

There is a lot to the KO story that is not public. IMO, he saved MU ball, was a guy I loved being around,  and he went on to new adventures. As a MU fan, I am very appreciative for all he did for MU. As a person, there are many nights, a few days, that are some of my favorite times as a MU fan. I was out of town for Creighton game, but it was confirmed to me that KO has not changed much.

[Pakuni]

There is a lot to the KO story that is not public. IMO, he saved MU ball, was a guy I loved being around,  and he went on to new adventures. As a MU fan, I am very appreciative for all he did for MU. As a person, there are many nights, a few days, that are some of my favorite times as a MU fan. I was out of town for Creighton game, but it was confirmed to me that KO has not changed much.

Agree very much.
Crean and Buzz are often viewed as "better" MU coaches because of their successes, but those may not have been possible without O'Neill saving Marquette from becoming another Detroit Mercy. KO could be an arrogant jerk quite often, and I'm no fan of the way he departed, but I'll never not be grateful for what he did for MU hoops.

[BrewCity83]

I met KO once, at a charity event when he was coaching MU, and I got to talk with him for several minutes.  He told me plainly that the MU job was a stepping stone job, and I asked him to name jobs that he would leave for.  He rattled off about a dozen schools, but at the top of his "dream job" list was Syracuse.  His list was made up of all large schools with big budgets, bigger than Marquette had at the time.

I can see the Marquette job becoming less of a stepping stone job now.  As long as they keep spending on the bball program, and if Wojo continues to have success and wants to continue to build here, I think we can shake that label.

Of course, everyone is a stepping stone to a blueblood, but there are only a few bluebloods.

[Goose]

I don't want to piss Jockey off by reliving the KO years, but did want to add that he was 32y and no HC experience when he took the job. There are still folks on here saying Wojo is still learning on the job and needs more time to learn the ropes. KO revamped a program and took us to S16 during his time here. He was young, cocky, inexperienced and did not know what he was getting into MU.

Reason why I mention this is in regards Brew's post on meeting KO and him popping off. He was a young guy chasing money. In his defense, he might have been led to believe that MU was going to reward him more than they actually did.

[Pakuni]

I met KO once, at a charity event when he was coaching MU, and I got to talk with him for several minutes.  He told me plainly that the MU job was a stepping stone job, and I asked him to name jobs that he would leave for.  He rattled off about a dozen schools, but at the top of his "dream job" list was Syracuse.  His list was made up of all large schools with big budgets, bigger than Marquette had at the time.

I can see the Marquette job becoming less of a stepping stone job now.  As long as they keep spending on the bball program, and if Wojo continues to have success and wants to continue to build here, I think we can shake that label.

Of course, everyone is a stepping stone to a blueblood, but there are only a few bluebloods.

So much has changed since O'Neill left ( facilities, spending, conference affiliation) that it's an entirely different job today than it was in 1993.

[BrewCity83]

So much has changed since O'Neill left ( facilities, spending, conference affiliation) that it's an entirely different job today than it was in 1993.

Yeah, that was kinda my point.  It was a stepping stone job 25 years ago.  Now, maybe not so much.