The three words that best describe this game are as follows, and I quote
Stink,
Stank,
Stunk.
Oh, well. Moving on. Beat Providence.
Learned this is going straight up on defense tonight so that's cool.
(https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=4eba33b1eb&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-a:r8122116605977267818&th=1952b5c0cac171b4&view=fimg&fur=ip&permmsgid=msg-a:r8122116605977267818&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ-XU4-6ZwjPdVMSx2fKTRDEgj_L3txYd5d683tO3-Ijx1q2qflu3QfOCkcsUiVgHmk6D7pBFCz81fkqAkqv4gKPnuh9ekyndcnsgrolhnbv3xpnxdLqPZ4GCU0&disp=emb&realattid=BDDDB3FE-BD4F-4897-8A2E-043F5388EFE9&zw)
As much as we all love him
This is all ultimately on Shaka right now.
He's got to start making tough decisions
Want to completely ignore the portal and make the no transfers thing your schtick? Fine. Don't outside recruit over your guys.
But you have to internally do it. There is no such thing as a upperclassmen privilege at this age. Jop. Ben going 1/4 with ONE rebound. These guys have to EARN being starters.
Or change it up. That is literally the main job of being a coach. They all do it.
The "Marquette is one of 3 teams(the other two suck) in the nation who have the same lineup every game" stat is not cool when said lineup is in a month long tailspin. At this point its intentional negligence.
Now that teams have figured out not to dribble into the middle of the court and spin or throw 30 foot passes across the court, it's time to dial the pressure down a bit here. Go with your 1-2-2 pressure, shorten the team's possession (not that that was a problem tonight), and let guys like Chase, Zaide, and Stevie stay in front of ball handlers and make teams make guarded shots. Desperately doubling guys in positions you want those guys shooting from (the mid range) just doesn't work. Being in rotation for every second of 40 minute games isn't going to work.
The difference in spacing and ball movement between the teams was absurd. Wide open looks for one team, the other team looking unsure of what to do. Zaide looked confident and played well at least.
I have no answers.
Team also doesn't seem to have many. Somethign smells rotten--chemistry is shot lately.
Enjoyed Lowery's breakout game. Didn't enjoy anything else. Something needs to change with the minutes and usage of Gold/Joplin/Mitchell. It's just not working right now, especially when you've had Lowery and Owens/Parham showing decent flashes.
Team needs a spark. Been going through the motions for several weeks now.
Quote from: PGsHeroes32 on February 21, 2025, 08:03:10 PMAs much as we all love him
This is all ultimately on Shaka right now.
He's got to start making tough decisions
Want to completely ignore the portal and make the no transfers thing your schtick? Fine. Don't outside recruit over your guys.
But you have to internally do it. There is no such thing as a upperclassmen privilege at this age. Jop. Ben going 1/4 with ONE rebound. These guys have to EARN being starters.
Or change it up. That is literally the main job of being a coach. They all do it.
The "Marquette is one of 3 teams(the other two suck) in the nation who have the same lineup every game" stat is not cool when said lineup is in a month long tailspin. At this point its intentional negligence.
Agreed.
I've never seen a starting 5 get worse over the course of the season. The seniors are totally replaceable at this point. Ross and Gold are replaceable too.
Quote from: PGsHeroes32 on February 21, 2025, 08:03:10 PMAs much as we all love him
This is all ultimately on Shaka right now.
He's got to start making tough decisions
Want to completely ignore the portal and make the no transfers thing your schtick? Fine. Don't outside recruit over your guys.
But you have to internally do it. There is no such thing as a upperclassmen privilege at this age. Jop. Ben going 1/4 with ONE rebound. These guys have to EARN being starters.
Or change it up. That is literally the main job of being a coach. They all do it.
The "Marquette is one of 3 teams(the other two suck) in the nation who have the same lineup every game" stat is not cool when said lineup is in a month long tailspin. At this point its intentional negligence.
Correct.
Beat Providence at home or may not win another game this year.
Relationships. Growth. Victory. We haven't been getting better and haven't been winning. I feel like this team goes as Stevie goes. Does anyone know if he is injured? Also, is there a metric that shows which player's performance correlates highest with teams result?
To think I looked forward to this game for a week. Starting to look forward to the end of the season, which is gonna be early.
Quote from: Spencer Pratt on February 21, 2025, 08:14:30 PMRelationships. Growth. Victory. We haven't been getting better and haven't been winning. I feel like this team goes as Stevie goes. Does anyone know if he is injured? Also, is there a metric that shows which player's performance correlates highest with teams result?
Achilles
The starters other than Ross had a terrible game. None of them played well enough or hard enough.
In the offseason, something has to give on offense. Either MU has to recruit or teach guys to shoot a lot better or they need to figure out how to score in the paint and get to the line. Jop and Kam combine for 6-21 from the floor and 2-12 from three. That's high volume, bad shooting. Jop's shots weren't even close.
On the positive side, Lowery really played well. He was MU's best player tonight and no one else was even close.
On to the next one.
Quote from: Zog from Margo on February 21, 2025, 08:17:08 PMThe starters other than Ross had a terrible game. None of them played well enough or hard enough.
In the offseason, something has to give on offense. Either MU has to recruit or teach guys to shoot a lot better or they need to figure out how to score in the paint and get to the line. Jop and Kam combine for 6-21 from the floor and 2-12 from three. That's high volume, bad shooting. Jop's shots weren't even close.
On the positive side, Lowery really played well. He was MU's best player tonight and no one else was even close.
On to the next one.
We're not beating good teams with these numbers from our Seniors Zog.
Quote from: JakeBarnes on February 21, 2025, 08:15:45 PMAchilles
If Stevie is hurt, it might be time to put him on the shelf until the NCAAs. Lowery can fill his spot until he's healthy.
Quote from: tower912 on February 21, 2025, 07:58:53 PMThe three words that best describe this game are as follows, and I quote
Stink,
Stank,
Stunk.
Oh, well. Moving on. Beat Providence.
Here's three:
Culture
Growth/Development
Stay Healthy
Thats what you have said in past. Hope it works out.
Posters calling for changes, yet for kicks, go back to the board after the Purdue game. Number one seed, Shaka the best coach in MU history, sign him for life, Gold to NBA, who needs portal players, and so on. A complete slobber feast, and here we are.
Shaka is not going to change, maybe Parham a bit more minutes than Gold, same for Lowery with Mitchell. His offense is shooting the three and has been for three years. They shoot well, they win or close game. They shoot poor against a fairly good team, they don't win. They are the number one BE team shooting threes. Tonight, 10 for 30, with Lowery going five for five.
His defense is aggressive with players like Gold and Parham guarding players 25 feet away from basket and doubling teaming, with opposition kicking ball out to open player for usual wide open shot. The aggressive nature leads to numerous fouls. Again, been like that since Shaka's arrival. Sometimes works, sometimes does not. He is not going to change his defensive philosophy.
Only changes he makes will be roster ones next year to adapt. Go get three of next four games
You can redshirt kids all you want but would you rather take transfers that have some experience, I would. Hamilton, Amadou, maybe even Clark, and add Norman are kids that are maybe over there head at this level. Tough love, Shaka might need to not be so stubborn.
Lowery, Owens, Parham all have great future potential, four freshman coming in maybe, Sean Jones maybe
I would like to see 1 transfer to come in that can step in right away. MU has the money.
The team can't shoot and has no post play. It can't rebound. If it's not scoring off turnovers, hard to find a path to victory
The team played over its head early on with Kam playing like one of top 3 players in the country. Hoped/expected bench to improve as season went on.
While that has started to occur, starters have regressed significantly. Ben has no confidence, Jop has no consistency (and no floor), and Stevie is likely hurt. Rest Stevie.
In Dhaka's first few years, player development was incredible. That has slowed and some mistakes were made in recruiting.
Early wins created expectations that were too high. We are not as talented as many others. We are likely a 6 seed, and hope to win first game.
Quote from: Warrior of Law on February 21, 2025, 08:07:59 PMI've never seen a starting 5 get worse over the course of the season. The seniors are totally replaceable at this point. Ross and Gold are replaceable too.
Gold and the seniors, sure. Chase was really good tonight and a big piece for next year.
Quote from: PGsHeroes32 on February 21, 2025, 08:03:10 PMThis is all ultimately on Shaka right now.
Have to agree. This team has not been playing well for five weeks.
The coach we glommed onto because of half-time adjustments (which we hadn't seen for a number of years), as well as other things, doesn't seem able to make second-half seasonal adjustments. Particularly with respect to the offense. Watch other games! People are in motion, the ball moves - these are things we're not seeing with MU.
I guess we have some health problems, shin splints, tendonitis, but we have some strategic problems as well.
How well our coach can adjust to the situation we're in will tell a lot about his real coaching ability. I love the culture and the relationships but it's time for some of the X's an O's.
Quote from: nyg on February 21, 2025, 08:27:47 PMHere's three:
Culture
Growth/Development
Stay Healthy
Thats what you have said in past. Hope it works out.
It has so far.
I said get/stay healthy (hasn't really happened.
Make 3's. (Yeah...)
Develop the bench. The last two games compared to a month ago give me hope.
I remain optimistic.
Quote from: nyg on February 21, 2025, 08:27:47 PMGo get three of next four games
Good luck with that. 1 may be the ceiling
I'm not down on Shaka. It's hard to predict the play of seniors falling off like the play of Jop and Kam has. Jop maybe was more predictable because he was always streaky. The two guys you expect to provide O in big games and conference battles just aren't getting it done. It's not like the shots aren't there.
My personal preference for future seasons would be to get some guys with some strength who can score in the post and shoot an occasional 3. Opponents aren't worried when any MU big catches the ball within 3' of the hoop. It doesn't force any help. Maybe Parham will be someone who can score in the post and force help but he's slight.
Quote from: tower912 on February 21, 2025, 08:35:27 PMIt has so far. I also included make 3's. I remain optimistic.
It would be nice for change for MU to come out and play like Villy in The first 5 minutes of the game. Providence stinks let's see if he changes the lineup at all. Tower it's not nice to be so optimistic, team needs a real center.
Quote from: tower912 on February 21, 2025, 08:35:27 PMIt has so far. I also included make 3's. I remain optimistic.
We'll see how that culture/development works out in year four, with all Shaka recruits.
The three pointers are the biggest so far and in conference play, it has worked out like that in every game. Especially the Depaul game, when they went 1 for 14 in second half and got bailed out by two by Jones/Ross in final seconds. Been a dismal offensive theory by Shaka, but this his scheme. Hope it works out in BE/NCAAT, didn't against NC State. Posters want change, not going to happen.
Quote from: BCHoopster on February 21, 2025, 08:45:28 PMIt would be nice for change for MU to come out and play like Villy in The first 5 minutes of the game. Providence stinks let's see if he changes the lineup at all. Tower it's not nice to be so optimistic, team needs a real center.
Outside of injury the starting lineup isn't going to change. The minutes and rotations might (and probably will).
Quote from: nyg on February 21, 2025, 08:47:02 PMWe'll see how that culture/development works out in year four, with all Shaka recruits.
The three pointers are the biggest so far and in conference play, it has worked out like that in every game. Especially the Depaul game, when they went 1 for 14 in second half and got bailed out by two by Jones/Ross in final seconds. Been a dismal offensive theory by Shaka, but this his scheme. Hope it works out in BE/NCAAT, didn't against NC State. Posters want change, not going to happen.
The scheme and shot quality are fine. Players need to make shots. Kam and Jop have regressed majorly from deep and that's had a huge impact. Hard to predict stuff like that.
Quote from: nyg on February 21, 2025, 08:47:02 PMWe'll see how that culture/development works out in year four, with all Shaka recruits.
The three pointers are the biggest so far and in conference play, it has worked out like that in every game. Especially the Depaul game, when they went 1 for 14 in second half and got bailed out by two by Jones/Ross in final seconds. Been a dismal offensive theory by Shaka, but this his scheme. Hope it works out in BE/NCAAT, didn't against NC State. Posters want change, not going to happen.
95-37.
Quote from: Warrior of Law on February 21, 2025, 08:07:59 PMI've never seen a starting 5 get worse over the course of the season. The seniors are totally replaceable at this point. Ross and Gold are replaceable too.
Must be the developmental part of the culture.
Quote from: Vander Blue Man Group on February 21, 2025, 08:48:50 PMThe scheme and shot quality are fine. Players need to make shots. Kam and Jop have regressed majorly from deep and that's had a huge impact. Hard to predict stuff like that.
Only being saying that for 12 games or so now. Great shot quality, great culture, crappy results.
Quote from: BCHoopster on February 21, 2025, 08:45:28 PMTower it's not nice to be so optimistic,
And there, in it's purest form, is why we are destined to disagree.
Quote from: Spencer Pratt on February 21, 2025, 08:14:30 PMRelationships. Growth. Victory. We haven't been getting better and haven't been winning. I feel like this team goes as Stevie goes. Does anyone know if he is injured? Also, is there a metric that shows which player's performance correlates highest with teams result?
Stevie injured, Ben injured. Quit looking for excuses. This team is not vey good.
Quote from: Warrior of Law on February 21, 2025, 08:07:59 PMI've never seen a starting 5 get worse over the course of the season. The seniors are totally replaceable at this point. Ross and Gold are replaceable too.
Starting fives get worse all the time. That's why there's changes. It's probably time for a change.
Quote from: Vander Blue Man Group on February 21, 2025, 08:48:50 PMThe scheme and shot quality are fine. Players need to make shots. Kam and Jop have regressed majorly from deep and that's had a huge impact. Hard to predict stuff like that.
Correct, players need to make shots, especially the three point shots and it has not happened to a great degree in BE play. If Lowery was not on fire tonight, who knows what a blowout would look like. In future games, MU hits them, they are in the game, they don't, they usually lose. Lets hoping they start falling, but that is Shaka's system.
Went to the game, super bummed. Zaide worked his tail off, Jop just doesn't have that killer instinct. I liked seeing the second team in, there is a different level of athleticism with those guys, and it showed. Caedin can't stay with anyone, and showed a couple moments on offense. He will never play if he doesn't get better on D.
I couldn't believe the wide open threes, and I couldn't believe how many contested threes Nova made. We sat behind the bench, and the Nova students were relentless. I loved it, they earned it.
My wife turned to me at around five minutes and said there are no starters in the game. Maybe it was performance, maybe it was get the guys run, maybe it was stay healthy. But, I thought Shaka should have kept with Kam, Chase, Royce, Zaide, and DO. Shaka knows ball, but he sure seemed lost tonight. On to the next one.
Quote from: MurphysTillClose on February 21, 2025, 08:11:52 PMCorrect.
Said it before. Time for a major shake up. But to do that Shaka would be proven wrong, and that just isn't happening.
It's gone from we aren't playing well to we just aren't that good. Team has completely regressed...especially the seniors, Shaka has been clueless when it comes to any answers, terrible roster construction for what they want the starting lineup to do.....we have zero consistent outside shooters.
Quote from: warriors141 on February 21, 2025, 09:27:23 PMIt's gone from we aren't playing well to we just aren't that good. Team has completely regressed...especially the seniors, Shaka has been clueless when it comes to any answers, terrible roster construction for what they want the starting lineup to do.....we have zero consistent outside shooters.
Terrible roster construction? Was Kam a good 3 pt shooter before this season? Was Jop better from 3 than he is now? How does Shaka predict both of those guys hitting the senior fade?
This team is 2-4 in their last 6 games. The wins are Q3 and Q4. Based on the last 7 weeks, I'd be surprised if they play more than 6 more games this season.
Quote from: Vander Blue Man Group on February 21, 2025, 08:47:31 PMOutside of injury the starting lineup isn't going to change. The minutes and rotations might (and probably will).
Yes. Shaka will start the same 5. I do think he will be sitting some of the players faster and minutes are going to change. It started with this game.
Quote from: 79Warrior on February 22, 2025, 12:39:26 AMYes. Shaka will start the same 5. I do think he will be sitting some of the players faster and minutes are going to change. It started with this game.
https://x.com/BenSteeleMJS/status/1893129391045013832?t=K7T_e6YM1xADErBwKkSXlQ&s=19
First time I can ever recall in 4 years where Shaka lumped Stevie into the group of questions on passion and effort. I think Stevie will accept the challenge.
Quote from: GoldenEagles03 on February 22, 2025, 12:47:13 AMhttps://x.com/BenSteeleMJS/status/1893129391045013832?t=K7T_e6YM1xADErBwKkSXlQ&s=19
First time I can ever recall in 4 years where Shaka lumped Stevie into the group of questions on passion and effort. I think Stevie will accept the challenge.
when the top teams have seniors and upper classmen carrying the team, Marquette has thier experienced team playing like crap...
Quote from: GoldenEagles03 on February 22, 2025, 12:47:13 AMhttps://x.com/BenSteeleMJS/status/1893129391045013832?t=K7T_e6YM1xADErBwKkSXlQ&s=19
First time I can ever recall in 4 years where Shaka lumped Stevie into the group of questions on passion and effort. I think Stevie will accept the challenge.
They could have added Kam to that list as well. His D was pretty poor last night.
Quote from: nyg on February 21, 2025, 08:27:47 PMPosters calling for changes, yet for kicks, go back to the board after the Purdue game. Number one seed, Shaka the best coach in MU history, sign him for life, Gold to NBA, who needs portal players, and so on. A complete slobber feast, and here we are.
You're right. People shoulda been ripping Shaka and the team after the Purdue win. After the Maryland, Madison, Georgia, Providence and Creighton wins, too. And not just here, but national observers - coaches, media, etc - should have been ripping Marquette as pretenders.
After Marquette crushed Madison to improve to 10-1, I'm sure you were saying that it was fool's gold, and that we actually should fire Shaka and start over. Congrats!