Tough Questions Need To Be Asked

[MDMU04]

Henry

Of course. You do not see backbone of programs, especially dream type kids, bolt like the Hausers did. Very troubling for anyone not looking to make an excuse for another setback.

The significance of this cannot me minimized.  The Hausers weren't just guys on the roster.  They were core, foundational members of the basketball program.  Wojo recruited them as such, and allocated playing time and resources to them as such.

The fundamental question that needs to be addressed is this:  How was the situation allowed to deteriorate to the point where two of the core members of the program saw no other option but to quit?

You can speculate about supposed meetings where ultimatums were thrown down.  How was the communication handled so poorly up to that point that a come to Jesus meeting was the only path forward that the Hausers felt they had?

You can speculate about how Hausers felt their roles moving forward would be diminished by incoming players or other guys already on the roster. Wojo made the decision to allocate recruiting resources, award scholarships to them, and give them enormously important roles on the team.  The head coach is in charge of managing his roster. How did the communication break down to the point where the only option the Hausers felt they had to rectify their changing roles on the team was to quit? 

Not to mention, who is to be held accountable for the decision to give two guys critical roles in the future of the program who may have turned out to be as mentally soft as this speculation makes them seem?  It may not even be true, but the if the speculation exists then this question needs to be asked.

It's the job of the head coach to manage his team so things like this don't happen, and he failed.  Two of his best players quit the damn team and the man in charge of managing the all of the individual circumstances that ultimately led up to this sh!tshow did not do his job.

That fact is immutable and the surrounding circumstances do nothing to mitigate it.

[dgies9156]

1SE

But likely to a winning culture. This program is not even a work in progress at the moment.

Goose:

I have been fighting the urge to agree with you on statements like this for some time. Before yesterday, I had hoped that with the move to being a Top 5 or so team (at least on paper), we were finally breaking through.

Now, we're a dumpster fire burning toxic waste.

We'll see what happens next year but either Wojo better prove us wrong and have one heck of a 2020 recruiting year or its back to the coaching market.

Yikes!

[connie]

This is just a silly emotional assessment. They were going to play less next year, because there are additional players coming in that would make the team better.

OK, but why isn't that the case almost everywhere in the upper reaches?  I can't believe that MSU or Va won't recruit on top of either while the Hausers sit next year, or make any like promise.

[dgies9156]

The only place they can go and have any reasonable shot at a better situation than at Marquette in terms of Team Hauser playing time is Wisconsin. And with Joey's notable defensive lapses, I don't see him fitting into the Roadkill's immediate plans.

Maybe Greg Gard is in far worse shape than we thought. He almost would have to be if he waives what he stands for to accommodate Team Hauser.

[4everwarriors]

I know Bruce Pearl. I've had dinner with Bruce Pearl. Steve Wojciechowski is no Bruce Pearl.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I know Bruce Pearl. I've had dinner with Bruce Pearl. Steve Wojciechowski is no Bruce Pearl.

Good.

[GoldenWarrior11]

When is the next opportunity for Wojo to speak to the press? 

[DegenerateDish]

When is the next opportunity for Wojo to speak to the press?

Wojo isn't going to go out of his way to do press, nor should he in my opinion. There's really nothing good that can come out of him going on any radio show. You'll hear snippets from him in press releases for Symir reclassifying or whatever other roster moves shake out. Big East Media Day will be the next time Wojo gets in front of a press corp.

[Lennys Tap]

40% of D1 basketball players transfer.

Blah, blah, blah. What % of three year starters who are co - MVPs transfer? The idea that Sam Hauser would transfer over playing time is ludicrous. He would have been the best or second best player on the team next year. In my opinion Joey would have been #3.

There is absolutely zero evidence that Sam was a me first player. Every indication is that he was an exceptional teammate. The quality of the coaches now pursuing him (and Joey) bears that out.

Tim Maymon was a good player but known (along with his father) to be a risk. Before he had accomplished squat his Father started making demands. Buzz kicked him off of the team. Tim cried and tried to beg his way back on - Buzz said no. He had no choice but to transfer. Comparing the Maymons to the Hausers (as you have done elsewhere) is convenient if you're pushing a preferred narrative but those comparisons are clearly unfair to the Hausers.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Blah, blah, blah. What % of three year starters who are co - MVPs transfer? The idea that Sam Hauser would transfer over playing time is ludicrous. He would have been the best or second best player on the team next year. In my opinion Joey would have been #3.

There is absolutely zero evidence that Sam was a me first player. Every indication is that he was an exceptional teammate. The quality of the coaches now pursuing him (and Joey) bears that out.

Tim Maymon was a good player but known (along with his father) to be a risk. Before he had accomplished squat his Father started making demands. Buzz kicked him off of the team. Tim cried and tried to beg his way back on - Buzz said no. He had no choice but to transfer. Comparing the Maymons to the Hausers (as you have done elsewhere) is convenient if you're pushing a preferred narrative but those comparisons are clearly unfair to the Hausers.

Tim was the dad.  Jeronne was the player.

[tower912]

Blah, blah, blah. What % of three year starters who are co - MVPs transfer? The idea that Sam Hauser would transfer over playing time is ludicrous. He would have been the best or second best player on the team next year. In my opinion Joey would have been #3.

There is absolutely zero evidence that Sam was a me first player. Every indication is that he was an exceptional teammate. The quality of the coaches now pursuing him (and Joey) bears that out.

Tim Maymon was a good player but known (along with his father) to be a risk. Before he had accomplished squat his Father started making demands. Buzz kicked him off of the team. Tim cried and tried to beg his way back on - Buzz said no. He had no choice but to transfer. Comparing the Maymons to the Hausers (as you have done elsewhere) is convenient if you're pushing a preferred narrative but those comparisons are clearly unfair to the Hausers.

Lenny, this is about as clear as I can say it.     As of 48 hours ago, Marquette had 5 starters returning.   IMO, for whatever reason, perhaps how he played in practice, perhaps Wojo's desire to change things up, Koby was slated to start next year.      Where were his minutes going to come from?    Markus?    Was Sacar going to relagated to a Matt Heldt role, particularly with Elliot coming back?   Unlikely.    If you aren't relegating Sacar to the end of the bench, the minutes have to come from the Hausers.     And what about Bailey.   Again, IMO, Bailey outplayed Joey the last month of the season.    Where were Bailey's minutes going to come from?

I don't think there are bad guys here.    I think there were competing visions of the team.     The coach was going to have to bring a Hauser off of the bench and they might even have been competing at the same position.     The Hausers probably thought their best chance to be featured was if Markus left.    They probably aren't wrong.    Markus didn't leave.     Only 200 minutes.    And that talent and depth that had MU fans salivating meant that not only would the Hausers not be featured, they were going to be competing for minutes at the same position.

BTW, it is a fact that 40% of players transfer.   Deal with it.    Players transfer because they are homesick sometimes.   But usually, it is because their vision of their role on the team and the coach's vision of the player's role are not the same.    24 hours later, this is what this feels like to me.      It sucks.   It is brutal.   Final 4 visions just disintegrated.   It hurts.    And it may be the snowball that leads to a rebuild after a coaching change.    Done in by too many good players.   

[Lennys Tap]

Tim was the dad.  Jeronne was the player.

Correct.

[NavinRJohnson]

Lenny, this is about as clear as I can say it.     As of 48 hours ago, Marquette had 5 starters returning.   IMO, for whatever reason, perhaps how he played in practice, perhaps Wojo's desire to change things up, Koby was slated to start next year.      Where were his minutes going to come from?    Markus?    Was Sacar going to relagated to a Matt Heldt role, particularly with Elliot coming back?   Unlikely.    If you aren't relegating Sacar to the end of the bench, the minutes have to come from the Hausers.     And what about Bailey.   Again, IMO, Bailey outplayed Joey the last month of the season.    Where were Bailey's minutes going to come from?

I don't think there are bad guys here.    I think there were competing visions of the team.     The coach was going to have to bring a Hauser off of the bench and they might even have been competing at the same position.     The Hausers probably thought their best chance to be featured was if Markus left.    They probably aren't wrong.    Markus didn't leave.     Only 200 minutes.    And that talent and depth that had MU fans salivating meant that not only would the Hausers not be featured, they were going to be competing for minutes at the same position.

BTW, it is a fact that 40% of players transfer.   Deal with it.    Players transfer because they are homesick sometimes.   But usually, it is because their vision of their role on the team and the coach's vision of the player's role are not the same.    24 hours later, this is what this feels like to me.      It sucks.   It is brutal.   Final 4 visions just disintegrated.   It hurts.    And it may be the snowball that leads to a rebuild after a coaching change.    Done in by too many good players.

Thank you. Been saying this for two days, but for some reason people's emotions are causing them to simply ignore new players coming in and the realty of the math.

I would actually rephrase the the bolded part...in this case, I would suggest the Hausers accurately read the writing on the wall, and their vision was actually exactly the same as the coach's, and that's why they made the decision they made.

[Silkk the Shaka]

I said after the Buffalo game that trouble was brewing. The Hausers flat out would not pass the ball the last five minutes. They had enough of a guy scoring 25 straight points and not passing. This was brewing all season.

Wojo did a horrible job with keeping the reins on Howard and shame on him. Horrible on court coaching and caused issues in the locker room.

If the Buffalo game was what set them off, where their teammate was in one of the all-time zones I've ever seen and blew open a massive lead in a hug non-con game against a top 15 team, and they reacted in game by saying "eff this guy, now I'm not passing," then GTFO.

Somehow I doubt that's the case though.

[79Warrior]

Lenny, this is about as clear as I can say it.     As of 48 hours ago, Marquette had 5 starters returning.   IMO, for whatever reason, perhaps how he played in practice, perhaps Wojo's desire to change things up, Koby was slated to start next year.      Where were his minutes going to come from?    Markus?    Was Sacar going to relagated to a Matt Heldt role, particularly with Elliot coming back?   Unlikely.    If you aren't relegating Sacar to the end of the bench, the minutes have to come from the Hausers.     And what about Bailey.   Again, IMO, Bailey outplayed Joey the last month of the season.    Where were Bailey's minutes going to come from?

I don't think there are bad guys here.    I think there were competing visions of the team.     The coach was going to have to bring a Hauser off of the bench and they might even have been competing at the same position.     The Hausers probably thought their best chance to be featured was if Markus left.    They probably aren't wrong.    Markus didn't leave.     Only 200 minutes.    And that talent and depth that had MU fans salivating meant that not only would the Hausers not be featured, they were going to be competing for minutes at the same position.

BTW, it is a fact that 40% of players transfer.   Deal with it.    Players transfer because they are homesick sometimes.   But usually, it is because their vision of their role on the team and the coach's vision of the player's role are not the same.    24 hours later, this is what this feels like to me.      It sucks.   It is brutal.   Final 4 visions just disintegrated.   It hurts.    And it may be the snowball that leads to a rebuild after a coaching change.    Done in by too many good players.

What percentage of starters leave after 3 seasons? More importantly, if Joey was afraid Koby was perhaps taking his minutes then he better reconsider where he wants to transfer too. No matter how we slice it, this looks bad for Marquette basketball overall.

[Silkk the Shaka]

It's personal.  They hate Wojo and Markus messed with the wrong girlfriend.

Intriguing. Care to elaborate?

[tower912]

What percentage of starters leave after 3 seasons? More importantly, if Joey was afraid Koby was perhaps taking his minutes then he better reconsider where he wants to transfer too. No matter how we slice it, this looks bad for Marquette basketball overall.

It isn't common.   Robert Jackson comes to mind.   Grad transfers of starters who have completed their 4th year are fairly common.    Nowhere have I said that it doesn't suck.   

[NorthernDancerColt]

I know Bruce Pearl. I've had dinner with Bruce Pearl. Steve Wojciechowski is no Bruce Pearl.

Bruce Pearl is a lying, cheating hypocrite.  Hooo Gives Uh Chit, Hey?

[Lennys Tap]

Lenny, this is about as clear as I can say it.     As of 48 hours ago, Marquette had 5 starters returning.   IMO, for whatever reason, perhaps how he played in practice, perhaps Wojo's desire to change things up, Koby was slated to start next year.      Where were his minutes going to come from?    Markus?    Was Sacar going to relagated to a Matt Heldt role, particularly with Elliot coming back?   Unlikely.    If you aren't relegating Sacar to the end of the bench, the minutes have to come from the Hausers.     And what about Bailey.   Again, IMO, Bailey outplayed Joey the last month of the season.    Where were Bailey's minutes going to come from?

I don't think there are bad guys here.    I think there were competing visions of the team.     The coach was going to have to bring a Hauser off of the bench and they might even have been competing at the same position.     The Hausers probably thought their best chance to be featured was if Markus left.    They probably aren't wrong.    Markus didn't leave.     Only 200 minutes.    And that talent and depth that had MU fans salivating meant that not only would the Hausers not be featured, they were going to be competing for minutes at the same position.

BTW, it is a fact that 40% of players transfer.   Deal with it.    Players transfer because they are homesick sometimes.   But usually, it is because their vision of their role on the team and the coach's vision of the player's role are not the same.    24 hours later, this is what this feels like to me.      It sucks.   It is brutal.   Final 4 visions just disintegrated.   It hurts.    And it may be the snowball that leads to a rebuild after a coaching change.    Done in by too many good players.

If you're correct that our co MVP senior and 6 time Big East freshman of the week left because Wojo sat them down and told them to be prepared for lesser roles in 2019-20 then Wojo should be fired immediately. Sam should have been taking MORE shots in 18-19 and the idea that his role would be further reduced from the optimum in 19-20 indicates a coach who can't control his star (Markus) or one who is OK with 41% usage and a low ORtg. When you have too many "good" players the job of the coach is to make sure the best (Markus, Sam) and potentially best (Joey) are happy. If in doing so you lose some good players it's the cost of doing business.

Bottom line, we disagree. Your scenario seems implausible to me. I think it much more likely that Sam and Joey tired of standing around watching while Markus, evidently encouraged by Wojo, played one against 5. Winning didn't ease the pain and when Wojo's solution to Markus's late season swoon was even more Markus (41% usage for an "injured" player? Really?) and even more standing around watching Markus for the rest of the team it became untenable. The team collapsed and there was no way Sam and Joey were going to return to more of the same next year.

[tower912]

OK.  We disagree.

[Lennys Tap]

Lenny, this is about as clear as I can say it.     As of 48 hours ago, Marquette had 5 starters returning.   

This is actually inaccurate. As of 48 (or 72) hours ago we THOUGHT we had 5 starters returning but that was never the case. We either had 4 (if Markus left) or 3 (if Markus stayed).

[tower912]

This is actually inaccurate. As of 48 (or 72) hours ago we THOUGHT we had 5 starters returning but that was never the case. We either had 4 (if Markus left) or 3 (if Markus stayed).

Fair enough.

[MUPig]

Maybe a little Tyler Herro envy by Joey. 

[ATL MU Warrior]

Blah, blah, blah. What % of three year starters who are co - MVPs transfer? The idea that Sam Hauser would transfer over playing time is ludicrous. He would have been the best or second best player on the team next year. In my opinion Joey would have been #3.

There is absolutely zero evidence that Sam was a me first player. Every indication is that he was an exceptional teammate. The quality of the coaches now pursuing him (and Joey) bears that out.

Tim Maymon was a good player but known (along with his father) to be a risk. Before he had accomplished squat his Father started making demands. Buzz kicked him off of the team. Tim cried and tried to beg his way back on - Buzz said no. He had no choice but to transfer. Comparing the Maymons to the Hausers (as you have done elsewhere) is convenient if you're pushing a preferred narrative but those comparisons are clearly unfair to the Hausers.

Until now

[slingkong]

Markus' usage the final seven games was 41%. He was taking 2x the shots of an average player.

His ORtg during this time that he was taking 2x the shots of an average player was 94, which is well below a quality player.

MU finished 1-6 in those games. Markus was a ballhog and selfish player and it cost MU the season.

Now, is this on Markus? Yes, but the ultimate responsibility resides with Wojo. If the coach decides that it's fine for an injured player to chuck the ball 2x the average while being below average, then that's on the coach. And frankly, I wouldn't want to play for that coach or with that player anymore either.

If the Hausers are such babies, then good riddance to bad trash.