You could make a montage of what not to do in end-of-game situations just using MU this year. Time out, no time out, it doesn't seem to make a difference (except that it's even more frustrating to see them fail out of a TO).
Do they not practice such scenarios in all the months of practices? It's a kick in the teeth (for us, for the players) to see the guys play their butts off for 39 and a half minutes and repeatedly finish so ineptly when the game is on the line. I don't want to be piling on the coaches, but this seems like a major flaw on their part.
Dead ball situations are a sign of a well coached/poorly coached team.
Quote from: panda on January 10, 2026, 08:03:38 PMDead ball situations are a sign of a well coached/poorly coached team.
You could make this claim about a ton of stuff that happens on the court
Quote from: jesmu84 on January 10, 2026, 08:07:48 PMYou could make this claim about a ton of stuff that happens on the court
All teams practice (or should practice) those situations at the end of practice and perfect them.
Certainly not saying Shaka can't handle these situations, because we've seen his Marquette teams execute, but this team absolutely cannot and there is a big time disconnect.
Really exciting game, crowd was really into it. When the last play was called and Chase heaved it, there was a collective wtf Shaka. I can only believe that we thought Nova was going to foul, otherwise the ball has to go to NJ, or at the very least Chase needs to drive and dish. What an abomination of an ending. The guys tried to to win in spite of Shaka in this one. Damn, really wanted to pull it out.
Quote from: panda on January 10, 2026, 08:21:02 PMAll teams practice (or should practice) those situations at the end of practice and perfect them.
Certainly not saying Shaka can't handle these situations, because we've seen his Marquette teams execute, but this team absolutely cannot and there is a big time disconnect.
So which is it?
Quote from: jesmu84 on January 10, 2026, 08:27:34 PMSo which is it?
I'm copy and pasting here
this team absolutely cannot and there is a big time disconnect.
The way it happened on the floor, NJ was not an option. I don't know how it was drawn up. How it played out is that NJ floated to the sideline. Nova defender high sided him with a hand in the passing lane, essentially face guarding him.
Quote from: panda on January 10, 2026, 08:30:03 PMI'm copy and pasting here
this team absolutely cannot and there is a big time disconnect.
So is shaka a poor coach or have we seen his team execute in these situations?
You don't seem to have made a definitive statement.
Quote from: jesmu84 on January 10, 2026, 08:31:44 PMSo is shaka a poor coach or have we seen his team execute in these situations?
You don't seem to have made a definitive statement.
Sorry - to clarify his past teams executed in late game situations but this team cannot. There is a disconnect this season.
Quote from: panda on January 10, 2026, 08:45:15 PMSorry - to clarify his past teams executed in late game situations but this team cannot. There is a disconnect this season.
Agreed!
That was a pretty inexperienced lineup on the floor for MU and Ross hasn't been playing well. I think it was a mistake to call the TO.
Quote from: tower912 on January 10, 2026, 08:30:44 PMThe way it happened on the floor, NJ was not an option. I don't know how it was drawn up. How it played out is that NJ floated to the sideline. Nova defender high sided him with a hand in the passing lane, essentially face guarding him.
Please don't confuse the issue with facts!
Quote from: Xact on January 10, 2026, 09:20:59 PMPlease don't confuse the issue with facts!
Huh? You know you're allowed to counteract what the opponents are doing with screens and other assorted strategies. It may have occurred to someone on Marquette's sideline that Nova would try to deny James.
No matter what the defense was doing, having a mediocre 3 point shooter catch the inbound pass and chuck an off balance 25 footer after about one second was probably not the most ingenious play we could have come up with.
Yeah, the Phillips missed 3 on the previous possession I can live with. (open shot, in the run of play, good shooter) The lack of a play after time out resulting in a 35 foot heave by a bad shooter is a big problem.
Having James inbound the ball was, I think, a mistake. You are taking your best shooter (for thew day, at least) and putting him in a non-shooting position - or, at the very least, in a more difficult position to get a shot. Why not 1) put Phillips in the game along with James; 2) have Parham inbound the ball; 3) run James off a couple of screens from the far side of the court and try to get him in a good position to receive the inbounds pass in a decent shooting spot. Having the ball end up with Ross 35 feet away made no sense. I think Shaka made it easy for "nova to defend and hard for our guys to get a decent opportunity.
Actually, in the past Marquette has been good drawing up inbound plays that go back to the inbounder, but from that SLOB position they needed to set a screen and have NJ go over to the top of the key rather than letting him go to the corner where the angle was cut off. Just a poorly designed end of game play, IMO.
I am of the opinion that what was drawn up is not what was run. Which happens. Particularly with 3 freshmen, one sophomore, and a senior on the floor.
I, too, think that NJ should have followed his pass and tried to get a hand off.
Quote from: tower912 on Today at 08:15:21 AMI am of the opinion that what was drawn up is not what was run. Which happens. Particularly with 3 freshmen, one sophomore, and a senior on the floor.
I, too, think that NJ should have followed his pass and tried to get a hand off.
If this is the case, certainly a good thought, then Ross made another poor decision and was selfish. I get wanting to be the guy and feel like you need to be the guy, but sometimes being the guy is making the best decision for the team. Super disappointed, and also super impressed with the effort. Maybe time to adjust Ross'(s) roll and keep the ball in his hands less
Yes. Chase has had 4 end of game opportunities. To be fair, one of them was a blatant foul. It would be helpful if he cashed a couple in.
Quote from: 21Jumpstreet on January 10, 2026, 08:26:56 PMReally exciting game, crowd was really into it. When the last play was called and Chase heaved it, there was a collective wtf Shaka. I can only believe that we thought Nova was going to foul, otherwise the ball has to go to NJ, or at the very least Chase needs to drive and dish. What an abomination of an ending. The guys tried to to win in spite of Shaka in this one. Damn, really wanted to pull it out.
Very much the same feeling at the end of regulation against Dayton at the end of regulation, except that time we didn't even get a shot up. Collective WTF???