MUScoop

How are people feeling about our first conference game against Georgetown?

I think I'm watching for development. That includes beating Georgetown at home. Looking incompetent again would be frustrating to see.  Want to see improvement.

I predict that after we beat a dreadful Georgetown team, Reeker will come out of his hidey hole, eager to give us all a pack of gum, but not before he shows us how to chew it.

The poll is dumb, but anyway...

Them missing Iwuchukwu is big, however, 4 of their starters are better than their MU counterparts.  This one is going to be tighter than we'd prefer.

Tighter?  I'd be ecstatic with a one point win or even a loss where they don't look foolish.   Looking competent against a high major team (a low bar) would be a pleasure to watch.  Does anyone seriously think MU can win going away?

Quote from: Shooter McGavin on December 16, 2025, 09:34:39 AMTighter?  I'd be ecstatic with a one point win or even a loss where they don't look foolish.   Looking competent against a high major team (a low bar) would be a pleasure to watch.  Does anyone seriously think MU can win going away?

Fair.  I'm not sure I'd be in the ecstatic camp, but at least it would reassure me that we're not terribly worse than I think...

I just hope everyone has a good time

Hoping for hugs, milk shakes, and improving relationships. Final score, no matta.

Quote from: rocky_warrior on December 16, 2025, 09:03:45 AMThe poll is dumb, but anyway...

Them missing Iwuchukwu is big, however, 4 of their starters are better than their MU counterparts.  This one is going to be tighter than we'd prefer.

Thank you for taking the time to read, vote and comment.

We need to win. Period.

Our record is 0-0 again. Nobody is happy about the non-con part of our season but we get kind of a "do-over" beginning tomorrow night.

Here's hoping!

Well GT is a team that's nowhere near the top of the BE.  They are mediocre at best...

That said, until we see any evidence of improvement, I presume MU will lose.

Quote from: Biggie Clausen on December 16, 2025, 08:57:54 AMI predict that after we beat a dreadful Georgetown team, Reeker will come out of his hidey hole, eager to give us all a pack of gum, but not before he shows us how to chew it.

Wrong. He us not capable of chewing gum. He is still trying to figure out how he totally misjudged the widening gap, and how he can take credit for this monumental misjudgement

a blow for Gtown. End of the semester so I wonder if the real reason is he would have been ineligible. He was averaging 5.2 ppg for them.

https://x.com/CBBcontent/status/2000970841555607685

Quote from: Billy Hoyle on December 16, 2025, 12:37:00 PMa blow for Gtown. End of the semester so I wonder if the real reason is he would have been ineligible. He was averaging 5.2 ppg for them.

He's been a DNP their past 3 games.

According to torvik our second easiest game left.

Lose this one and bottom of BE is even more likely, and 0-20 isn't beyond the realm of possibility.

But maybe tonight is the start of the greatest comeback since JC.

Quote from: 1SE on December 16, 2025, 12:52:49 PMBut maybe tonight is the start of the greatest comeback since JC.

Joe Chapman?

Quote from: 1SE on December 16, 2025, 12:52:49 PMAccording to torvik our second easiest game left.

The only other "guaranteed" win might not happen until March!

Quote from: 1SE on December 16, 2025, 12:52:49 PMAccording to torvik our second easiest game left.

Lose this one and bottom of BE is even more likely, and 0-20 isn't beyond the realm of possibility.

But maybe tonight is the start of the greatest comeback since JC.

Why? What's happening tonight?

Quote from: 1SE on December 16, 2025, 12:52:49 PMAccording to torvik our second easiest game left.

Lose this one and bottom of BE is even more likely, and 0-20 isn't beyond the realm of possibility.

But maybe tonight is the start of the greatest comeback since JC.

Did they move the game to tonight

Quote from: Johnny B on December 16, 2025, 01:01:40 PMDid they move the game to tonight

in the time zone I'm in,where the local time is tomorrow,  yes.

Quote from: 1SE on December 16, 2025, 01:10:04 PMin the time zone I'm in,where the local time is tomorrow,  yes.

So if you watch the game live, will you be watching it, "yesterday"?

(https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTZjMDliOTUyZG1jdnczNDgzZGNnZHc3czNnbW11YnoxcHc4MTYxN2Vrd3RzNXhkdCZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/26ufdipQqU2lhNA4g/giphy.gif)

Quote from: Billy Hoyle on December 16, 2025, 12:37:00 PMa blow for Gtown. End of the semester so I wonder if the real reason is he would have been ineligible. He was averaging 5.2 ppg for them.

https://x.com/CBBcontent/status/2000970841555607685

He's still on the team but has been on leave for over a week.

MU opens as 3.5 point favorites. Should be one ugly game.

Quote from: DFW HOYA on December 16, 2025, 03:52:39 PMHe's still on the team but has been on leave for over a week.

he gowne

Coming up tonight.  Game for the ages.

Quote from: CountryRoads on December 16, 2025, 04:01:06 PMMU opens as 3.5 point favorites. Should be one ugly game.

+3 just for being home so they're saying that this is basically a pick-em game.

If they win tonight, I'll predict a 5-15 conference season.  Bad, for sure, but not 1-19.  Shaka keeps his job and gets a mulligan on the year.

If they lose tonight, we might be staring at 0-20 or 1-19.  In which case, I think Shaka has to be gone.

(https://media.tenor.com/kMGlM5VES1wAAAAM/greys-anatomy-atticus-lincoln.gif)

Quote from: SaveOD238 on December 17, 2025, 09:52:33 AM+3 just for being home so they're saying that this is basically a pick-em game.

If they win tonight, I'll predict a 5-15 conference season.  Bad, for sure, but not 1-19.  Shaka keeps his job and gets a mulligan on the year.

If they lose tonight, we might be staring at 0-20 or 1-19.  In which case, I think Shaka has to be gone.

I don't understand how 4 or 5
Wins in one down year should be the difference between keeping Shaka or not.

Quote from: Johnny B on December 17, 2025, 11:05:25 AMI don't understand how 4 or 5
Wins in one down year should be the difference between keeping Shaka or not.

I say bring Shaka back no matter the record.

But, to answer your question, the logic would be those extra 4 or 5 losses would be to really bad teams, thus would be the tipping point. At least, that's the way I see it.

Quote from: SaveOD238 on December 17, 2025, 09:52:33 AM+3 just for being home so they're saying that this is basically a pick-em game.

If they win tonight, I'll predict a 5-15 conference season.  Bad, for sure, but not 1-19.  Shaka keeps his job and gets a mulligan on the year.

If they lose tonight, we might be staring at 0-20 or 1-19.  In which case, I think Shaka has to be gone.

There is zero chance Shaka is losing his job. ZERO

Shaka is not getting fired after this season, cmon man.

He should not be fired after this season, or next for that matter, irrespective of the teams record.

I know that's jarring to some, but quitting on a guy that's done so much for the basketball program in a 4 year span is pretty wild to me.

I really dislike re-hashing old head coaching successes but there is truly no comparison between Coach Wojo and Smart with regards to results.
In the same token, Coach Williams had much more success when it counts, and that was great, but what he did is also pretty rare at Marquette and we were very spoiled March Madness results wise during his stint.

That said, what Shaka gave us in 4 years was out of this world, truly. Does it suck that he can't quite get over the March hump? Absolutely. It's as if his early final 4 has him snakebitten since. I believe he can get over that hump and make another final 4 in his coaching career and I believe that will be at Marquette.

It doesn't take much to realize what result driven regular season futility looks like at Marquette- I mean it took a decade to get an NCAA tourney win.
A Big East Championship, conference tourney title, and multiple elite teams with elite tournament seeds are far and beyond what any Marquette fan could've hoped for from the Shaka hire, far and beyond.

So, let's just take it easy a bit here

Feeling as dismayed and disappointed like many here. But shaka deserves more time to fix the issues, granted he did cause most of them.

I am pretty much already over this year. Thus, will be acutely focused and hoping shaka makes adjustments to roster construction strategy going into next season.

If doesn't make any changes and rolls with the current roster, the flame underneath gets much hotter and let coaching search threads commence.

Quote from: DoctorV on December 17, 2025, 12:19:43 PMShaka is not getting fired after this season, cmon man.

He should not be fired after this season, or next for that matter, irrespective of the teams record.

I know that's jarring to some, but quitting on a guy that's done so much for the basketball program in a 4 year span is pretty wild to me.

I really dislike re-hashing old head coaching successes but there is truly no comparison between Coach Wojo and Smart with regards to results.
In the same token, Coach Williams had much more success when it counts, and that was great, but what he did is also pretty rare at Marquette and we were very spoiled March Madness results wise during his stint.

That said, what Shaka gave us in 4 years was out of this world, truly. Does it suck that he can't quite get over the March hump? Absolutely. It's as if his early final 4 has him snakebitten since. I believe he can get over that hump and make another final 4 in his coaching career and I believe that will be at Marquette.

It doesn't take much to realize what result driven regular season futility looks like at Marquette- I mean it took a decade to get an NCAA tourney win.
A Big East Championship, conference tourney title, and multiple elite teams with elite tournament seeds are far and beyond what any Marquette fan could've hoped for from the Shaka hire, far and beyond.

So, let's just take it easy a bit here

I pretty much agree with everything you laid out. But I will say to be carful to think in absolutes. Many MU fans thought that there was absolutely no way Wojo would be bought out because of 1) the money and 2) he had run a very respectable program even without high level winning.

2025 Big East basketball isn't your father college hoops anymore. MU, boosters and NIL investors have large financial positions at risk. Those parties have their own tolerance for losing that trumps the regular fans.

Shaka is a good coach.  But like any good coach, need the players with enough talent and drive to execute how he wants.  Right now, doesn't seem like we have that and as others pointed out, it was a miscalculation on Shaka's part.  Will be interesting to see if Shaka can correct before patience runs out.
Regarding Wojo when the Hauser brothers left, that was too big a hole to fill before fan patience ran out.  We were on top or close to the top of the Big East that year.  We can hope Shaka rights the boat in time.

Quote from: DFW HOYA on December 16, 2025, 03:52:39 PMHe's still on the team but has been on leave for over a week.

A question for you: In year three of the Cooley era, are you and your fellow Hoyas still feeling good about the hire and direction of the program?

Took Marquette ML and parlayed it with bama/usf and vandy/memphis overs. 🔒🔒🔒

Quote from: Billy Hoyle on December 17, 2025, 01:14:52 PMA question for you: In year three of the Cooley era, are you and your fellow Hoyas still feeling good about the hire and direction of the program?

People are supportive of Ed Cooley--he started with less than nothing and the problems with the program are more structural than a function of poor coaching. Attendance remains a problem however, averaging just over 4,200 per game. The game below was an announced turnout of 3,491 vs. UMBC.

(https://www.hoyasaxa.com/sports/images/attendance_427.jpg)

Local sports are bad all around (the Redskins/Commanders are 4-10, Wizards are at 4-20, the Nats lost 96 games in 2025) and a lot of fans have simply bailed out of these games over the years. Empty seats don't sell recruits, however, and that's a net revenue loss.

As a coach Cooley is 10x that of Ewing, a given. Were Cooley to not succeed for whatever reason, he would potentially be the third consecutive coach to have failed in the job in 10+ years, and raise an uncomfortable question if anyone can win at Georgetown given its institutional profile and its recent past. Despite what John Fanta or Jeff Goodman once suggested, it's not on the NIL level people think it is without more wins.

Quote from: WhiteTrash on December 17, 2025, 11:50:16 AMI say bring Shaka back no matter the record.

But, to answer your question, the logic would be those extra 4 or 5 losses would be to really bad teams, thus would be the tipping point. At least, that's the way I see it.

agreed. Regardless of this season, bring him back...but make him wear a coat & tie as punishment. If 26/27 is a 180 to 25/26, booyah!! If not, walk the plank.

Quote from: NCMUFan on December 17, 2025, 01:11:52 PMShaka is a good coach.  But like any good coach, need the players with enough talent and drive to execute how he wants.  Right now, doesn't seem like we have that and as others pointed out, it was a miscalculation on Shaka's part.  Will be interesting to see if Shaka can correct before patience runs out.
Regarding Wojo when the Hauser brothers left, that was too big a hole to fill before fan patience ran out.  We were on top or close to the top of the Big East that year.  We can hope Shaka rights the boat in time.

Is Shaka really a good coach?  Defensively he double teams at 3/4 court then that team gets a dunk off that. Why does he keep doing this?
Offensively he must like dribbling because that's all I see, go watch UConn and there movement.
Recruiting questionable
As a person, he is very smart, coaching debatable.
Let's see how much he plays Caedin tonight?

If attendance is low tonight, it's only because of the "late" start.

Quote from: BCHoopster on December 17, 2025, 05:55:26 PMIs Shaka really a good coach?  Defensively he double teams at 3/4 court then that team gets a dunk off that. Why does he keep doing this?
Offensively he must like dribbling because that's all I see, go watch UConn and there movement.
Recruiting questionable
As a person, he is very smart, coaching debatable.
Let's see how much he plays Caedin tonight?

I don't mean to insult you, but this doesn't make you seem very smart.

Look at the body or work, it'll give you your answer.

If a world renowned surgeon botches a surgery, or has several that he/she isn't necessarily proud of, does that make the surgeon poor at his/her craft?

crap happens, people aren't perfect.

Does the man need to work towards finding a way to improve in big game situations where the pressure is turned up? Does the man need to re-assess his prior to this season and/or current approach to building a basketball program amongst the current landscape of his profession?

Those are legit questions.

Is he really a good coach is not.

Quote from: BCHoopster on December 17, 2025, 05:55:26 PMIs Shaka really a good coach?  Defensively he double teams at 3/4 court then that team gets a dunk off that. Why does he keep doing this?
Offensively he must like dribbling because that's all I see, go watch UConn and there movement.
Recruiting questionable
As a person, he is very smart, coaching debatable.
Let's see how much he plays Caedin tonight?

The guy who has made a Final Four, coached at Texas, and coached Marquette to its two highest seeds ever is maybe a bad coach. You nailed it.

I expect a loss. Hope to be pleasantly surprised.

Quote from: wadesworld on December 17, 2025, 06:27:03 PMThe guy who has made a Final Four, coached at Texas, and coached Marquette to its two highest seeds ever is maybe a bad coach. You nailed it.

Somehow, Shaka has won three different conference tournaments in three different conferences despite being a bad coach. 🤔

Quote from: SaveOD238 on December 17, 2025, 09:52:33 AM+3 just for being home so they're saying that this is basically a pick-em game.

If they win tonight, I'll predict a 5-15 conference season.  Bad, for sure, but not 1-19.  Shaka keeps his job and gets a mulligan on the year.

If they lose tonight, we might be staring at 0-20 or 1-19.  In which case, I think Shaka has to be gone.

seeing the X score I'm rather confident we'll get at least one against them, win or lose tonight.

Quote from: Billy Hoyle on December 17, 2025, 06:46:55 PMseeing the X score I'm rather confident we'll get at least one against them, win or lose tonight.

"hard to win on the road in conference" lol

Quote from: Jay Bee on December 17, 2025, 06:50:10 PM"hard to win on the road in conference" lol

Hopefully Georgetown doesn't have the same road "problems" that Creighton had today.

Shaka has a good history, done a great job in the past, but you're only as good as your next team, hard to believe he missed on so many recruits! He has all the tools to be successful at MU, so surprised in year 5 he has dropped the ball.  Today's game will be interesting

Quote from: Shooter McGavin on December 16, 2025, 09:34:39 AMTighter?  I'd be ecstatic with a one point win or even a loss where they don't look foolish.   Looking competent against a high major team (a low bar) would be a pleasure to watch.  Does anyone seriously think MU can win going away?

Actually sinning app has MU -6.5