MUScoop

Quote from: mileskishnish72 on March 11, 2026, 07:50:02 PMOur long national nightmare is over. The winter of our discontent has ended.
May we never see its like again.

May the program overseers be blessed with the wisdom and fortitude to realize the shortcomings and undertake appropriate action to prevent a recurrence of this debacle.

Marquette is NOT a name that should be associated with basketball of poor quality!

We got the core, but we need more.

We'll likely get a good read on next year's prospects by June. Shaka let's see
whatcha got.

Quote from: We R Final Four on March 11, 2026, 08:02:08 PMShaka is not bringing in any additional shooters.....
MP, Nash, and Ian will be given every chance to be the "shooter".

Quote from: Zog from Margo on March 11, 2026, 07:54:44 PMThe season is on Shaka and his poor recruiting.

Quote from: mileskishnish72 on March 11, 2026, 08:03:47 PMThe portal opens April 7. I hope Shaka has gotten rid of the deadwood by then and can go to work finding basketball players.

Quote from: We R Final Four on March 11, 2026, 08:02:08 PMShaka is not bringing in any additional shooters.....
MP, Nash, and Ian will be given every chance to be the "shooter".

Quote from: WhiteTrash on March 11, 2026, 08:05:54 PMAny chance he changes his mind since the last time you sat down with him to discuss the roster?
[/quote

Quote from: WhiteTrash on March 11, 2026, 08:05:54 PMAny chance he changes his mind since the last time you sat down with him to discuss the roster?

No....just need to pay attention to what he says. Those three will be here this summer....and shooting.

Quote from: Vander Blue Man Group on March 11, 2026, 08:04:46 PMAdd a starting 5, a starting wing, and combo guard willing to come off the bench and this is a tourney team next season.

Quote from: MurphysTillClose on March 11, 2026, 07:54:36 PMBury it and never speak of it again. Rid the roster of the BS and cook in the portal.

Do your job, staff.

Quote from: panda on March 11, 2026, 08:11:57 PMThis game shows why Caedin and tre need to leave. Totally out of their depth at this level. Josh gone too. Sean out.

5 spots to fill. Need to replace starters production from chase and Ben as well as adding bench depth. We saw it today there is absolutely nothing beyond this starting 5. If we want to be a competitive tournament next year, we need an overhaul.

Quote from: willie warrior on March 11, 2026, 08:27:09 PMReplacing Golds production should be a piece of cake

Quote from: mu_hilltopper on March 11, 2026, 08:22:25 PMThis reminds me of my old softball teams, when the season would end. 

"If we could find a good shortstop and 3rd baseman, we could be good next year.  Ok, and a left fielder.  We need a good 2nd baseman too.   Throw in a good center fielder and yeah, we'd really be competitive."

Quote from: TFlegend on March 11, 2026, 08:29:48 PMSo glad I don't have to watch Gold play anymore.  I really hope I don't have to watch Hamilton, Norman or Jones play for my favorite team again. 

James, Stevens, Parham seem like nice pieces.  Remains to be seen if they can win games. 

Worst year I've seen since I started following MUBB in the late Deane era.  Good riddance . 

Quote from: Mu8891 on March 11, 2026, 08:37:23 PMGolden - don't hold your breath

He's won't make any staff changes, and at best he's going to add two guys from the
Portal.

He LUVS Caedin, he's not going to bounce
Tre.  He won't.

Unfortunately, the UCONN game will bolster his hubris, and he will convince himself that if he yells RGV just a bit louder all will be fine.

Quote from: The Sultan on March 11, 2026, 08:42:56 PMMan this place gets WILD after losses.

Quote from: #UnleashJosh on March 11, 2026, 08:43:52 PMAfter 20 losses *

Quote from: Mu8891 on March 11, 2026, 08:37:23 PMGolden - don't hold your breath

He's won't make any staff changes, and at best he's going to add two guys from the
Portal.

He LUVS Caedin, he's not going to bounce
Tre.  He won't.

Unfortunately, the UCONN game will bolster his hubris, and he will convince himself that if he yells RGV just a bit louder all will be fine.

Quote from: lawdog77 on March 11, 2026, 08:23:55 PMJust like the Red Sox had the Curse of the Bambino, and the Cubs had the curse of the Billy Goat, Marquette had the curse of the Dentists. Banning the dentists caused this season to go tits up.

Bring back the dentists.

Quote from: The Sultan on March 11, 2026, 08:46:11 PMWhich is why Shaka is changing his approach. Yet we have multiple posters claiming that beating UConn means he will just stick with what's he's been doing.

That's not happening. No one, especially those who write the checks, thinks a UConn win erases a 20 loss season.

Quote from: Mu8891 on March 11, 2026, 08:37:23 PMGolden - don't hold your breath

He's won't make any staff changes, and at best he's going to add two guys from the
Portal.

He LUVS Caedin, he's not going to bounce
Tre.  He won't.

Unfortunately, the UCONN game will bolster his hubris, and he will convince himself that if he yells RGV just a bit louder all will be fine.

Quote from: panda on March 11, 2026, 08:53:46 PMWhat many are missing here is the poor performance is coupled with a horrible big east this season. We could barely keep the pace against other bad teams. If this was a season with typically competent providence, creighton etc. We would've looked much worse. Need a ton of help to get back to where we need to be.

Quote from: mileskishnish72 on March 11, 2026, 08:03:47 PMThe portal opens April 7. I hope Shaka has gotten rid of the deadwood by then and can go to work finding basketball players.

Quote from: Johnny B on March 11, 2026, 09:01:10 PMu think hes kicking 3 guys off the roster within the next month?

Quote from: Johnny B on March 11, 2026, 09:01:10 PMu think hes kicking 3 guys off the roster within the next month?

Quote from: Johnny B on March 11, 2026, 09:01:10 PMu think hes kicking 3 guys off the roster within the next month?

Quote from: panda on March 11, 2026, 08:53:46 PMWhat many are missing here is the poor performance is coupled with a horrible big east this season. We could barely keep the pace against other bad teams. If this was a season with typically competent providence, creighton etc. We would've looked much worse. Need a ton of help to get back to where we need to be.

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 11, 2026, 09:20:46 PMWhat do you mean.... Our team doesn't suck anymore, because - Checks notes - We lost to Villanova away, but it was close!

Quote from: panda on March 11, 2026, 08:11:57 PMThis game shows why Caedin and tre need to leave. Totally out of their depth at this level. Josh gone too. Sean out.

5 spots to fill. Need to replace starters production from chase and Ben as well as adding bench depth. We saw it today there is absolutely nothing beyond this starting 5. If we want to be a competitive tournament next year, we need an overhaul.

Quote from: CountryRoads on March 11, 2026, 09:22:15 PMPretty interesting ending to the press conference. Steele asked about the roster for next year. Shaka mentioned Phillips, Owens and the 3 redshirts... that was it. 2 newcomers and the big 3 are obvious. You might end up right here.

Quote from: The Sultan on March 11, 2026, 08:42:56 PMMan this place gets WILD after losses.

Quote from: panda on March 11, 2026, 09:21:14 PMBubble team

Quote from: Mu8891 on March 11, 2026, 09:37:55 PMU guys can mock or dis my predictions all you want.  Man up and make your own...

I don't think SS adds more than two guys.
Period.

U all want to believe he will boot Tre and Caedin and maybe Clark.  He won't.
Just watch ...

Quote from: Mu8891 on March 11, 2026, 09:37:55 PMU guys can mock or dis my predictions all you want.  Man up and make your own...

I don't think SS adds more than two guys.
Period.

U all want to believe he will boot Tre and Caedin and maybe Clark.  He won't.
Just watch ...

Quote from: Mu8891 on March 11, 2026, 09:37:55 PMU guys can mock or dis my predictions all you want.  Man up and make your own...

I don't think SS adds more than two guys.
Period.

U all want to believe he will boot Tre and Caedin and maybe Clark.  He won't.
Just watch ...

Quote from: The Sultan on March 11, 2026, 08:46:11 PMWhich is why Shaka is changing his approach. Yet we have multiple posters claiming that beating UConn means he will just stick with what's he's been doing.

That's not happening. No one, especially those who write the checks, thinks a UConn win erases a 20 loss season.

Quote from: Zog from Margo on March 11, 2026, 07:54:44 PMThe season is on Shaka and his poor recruiting. Time to correct those mistakes by clearing space and bringing in some guys who can shoot and know how to play. Jones, Norman, Hamilton should all be gone. They aren't BE players. DO might fall in that group too. Give Clark one more season to prove he belongs.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 11, 2026, 09:43:37 PMWho are these guys who write the checks anyway? They certainly are not getting the bang for the buck.

Quote from: TSmith34, Inc. on March 11, 2026, 10:12:26 PMDO might fall into the group that should be gone, but Clark deserves one more season? What team have you been watching?

Quote from: Pakuni on March 11, 2026, 10:59:19 PMIf I had to choose, I'd keep Clark over Hamilton because he has more runway, but the fact he basically hasn't seen the court for two months isn't terribly promising.

Quote from: TSmith34, Inc. on March 11, 2026, 10:12:26 PMDO might fall into the group that should be gone, but Clark deserves one more season? What team have you been watching?

Quote from: TSmith34, Inc. on March 11, 2026, 10:12:26 PMDO might fall into the group that should be gone, but Clark deserves one more season? What team have you been watching?

Quote from: Rimrocker on March 12, 2026, 12:05:33 AMLost a game by two and Hamilton missed two layups, one of which was uncontested.  Tre comes in and turns it over, misses a 4 footer and then an FT.  I cannot for the life of me understand why those minutes dont go to the starters or Phillips or DO.
MU played hard and fought but it cannot be missed by the Administration or Shaka that we are a 20 loss team and lost to a bad team.  Many of our losses were to bad teams.
MU is a very very bad team. We are close to beating bad teams, but very very far from beating good teams. Tre, Jones, and Hamilton need to go.  Shaka needs to bring in 3-4 good players.

Quote from: lawdog77 on March 11, 2026, 08:23:55 PMJust like the Red Sox had the Curse of the Bambino, and the Cubs had the curse of the Billy Goat, Marquette had the curse of the Dentists. Banning the dentists caused this season to go tits up.

Bring back the dentists.

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 11, 2026, 08:29:57 PMNow now, this is pretty much what's going to happen every off-season now. Teams that were great last year might be awful, and teams that were awful might be great.

It's the wild west, and Marquette sat out. Then we got Ben as our center.

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 11, 2026, 08:34:24 PMYa gotta give owens another year as well. Ended up being one of the better players.

Quote from: Mu8891 on March 11, 2026, 08:37:23 PMGolden - don't hold your breath

He's won't make any staff changes, and at best he's going to add two guys from the
Portal.

He LUVS Caedin, he's not going to bounce
Tre.  He won't.

Unfortunately, the UCONN game will bolster his hubris, and he will convince himself that if he yells RGV just a bit louder all will be fine.

Quote from: The Sultan on March 11, 2026, 08:46:11 PMWhich is why Shaka is changing his approach. Yet we have multiple posters claiming that beating UConn means he will just stick with what's he's been doing.

That's not happening. No one, especially those who write the checks, thinks a UConn win erases a 20 loss season.

Quote from: panda on March 11, 2026, 08:53:46 PMWhat many are missing here is the poor performance is coupled with a horrible big east this season. We could barely keep the pace against other bad teams. If this was a season with typically competent providence, creighton etc. We would've looked much worse. Need a ton of help to get back to where we need to be.

Quote from: Rimrocker on March 12, 2026, 12:05:33 AMLost a game by two and Hamilton missed two layups, one of which was uncontested.

Quote from: Rimrocker on March 12, 2026, 12:05:33 AMLost a game by two and Hamilton missed two layups, one of which was uncontested. 

Quote from: The Sultan on March 12, 2026, 08:27:49 AMStevens: 2/12, 1/10 from 3.
James: 6/17, 2/9 from 3.
Gold: 2/8, 1/5 from 3.

But yeah...let's blame the two guys who played four minutes each.

Look, I understand they are sources of frustration, but let's keep things in perspective OK?

Quote from: The Sultan on March 12, 2026, 08:27:49 AMStevens: 2/12, 1/10 from 3.
James: 6/17, 2/9 from 3.
Gold: 2/8, 1/5 from 3.

But yeah...let's blame the two guys who played four minutes each.

Look, I understand they are sources of frustration, but let's keep things in perspective OK?

Quote from: Zog from Margo on March 12, 2026, 08:38:42 AMWhen guys weren't shooting well or they got tired, what were MU's options? You might need some guys who can play more than 4 minutes without things falling apart.

Quote from: Mu8891 on March 11, 2026, 09:37:55 PMU guys can mock or dis my predictions all you want.  Man up and make your own...

I don't think SS adds more than two guys.
Period.

U all want to believe he will boot Tre and Caedin and maybe Clark.  He won't.
Just watch ...

Quote from: brewcity77 on March 12, 2026, 08:58:23 AMAlso, Anonymous Eagle is spot on here. Shaka gets grace because of the work he did, but this season was so bad that it is strikes one and two. He can't miss the tourney next year.

You Won't See Shaka Smart's Name On Next Year's Hot Seat Lists...... But You Should (http://"https://www.anonymouseagle.com/marquette-mens-basketball/36011/golden-eagles-shaka-smart-head-coach-hot-seat-list-future-ncaa-tournament")

Quote from: brewcity77 on March 12, 2026, 08:58:23 AMAlso, Anonymous Eagle is spot on here. Shaka gets grace because of the work he did, but this season was so bad that it is strikes one and two. He can't miss the tourney next year.

You Won't See Shaka Smart's Name On Next Year's Hot Seat Lists...... But You Should (http://\"https://www.anonymouseagle.com/marquette-mens-basketball/36011/golden-eagles-shaka-smart-head-coach-hot-seat-list-future-ncaa-tournament%5C")

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 11, 2026, 10:17:15 PMI know with 100% certainty Shaka has turned down a bag drop from a high rolling donor to go into the portal. Assuming it's happened on more than one occasion then it becomes more about the opportune cost of what those who write checks could be writing.

Quote from: Warrior of Law on March 12, 2026, 08:58:48 AMThe fact that Stevens and James were as bad shooting as they were, and they only lost by 2, can be viewed as somewhat optimistic. Parham has solidified his role. Biggest weakness is team defense and rebounding. The redshirts should improve the perimeter shooting. MU's portal gets will focus on those weaknesses, so the players brought in may not have huge offensive numbers. Think O-Max and Morsell. The point being is that the portal transfers may not be very high-profile.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 12, 2026, 09:31:24 AMWayne Sanders with others offered 2 million to go back to Warriors but the University refused. I wonder if the University will continue their preferred MO refusing large donations, but continue to appeal to alumni to make a charitable donation to MUBB.

Quote from: Its DJOver on March 12, 2026, 09:37:31 AMSchools with an active tournament appearance streak over 10: Michigan State, Gonzaga, Purdue, Kansas* (2018 season vacated).

If the only thing you look at is appearance/performance in the tournament (which provides an incomplete picture IMO), I would set the expectation for MU at an 80% appearance rate with more second weekends than misses.  Nothing happens 100% of the time in sports.

Quote from: brewcity77 on March 12, 2026, 08:56:46 AMI won't mock or diss. This is where I was a couple months ago. But I fully believe you are wrong.

The Big 3 (NJ, Royce, Stevens) will be back. The redshirts (Nash, Sheek, Miletic) will be back. I think they'll try to retain Owens & Phillips. And Egbuonu and Johnston will be here.

That leaves Tre, Sean, Caedin, and Josh. If you put the over under at 1.5 returning, I'm definitely taking the under and I imagine some of these guys are already working back channels to find new homes because they've been told they won't be here.

I expect 4-5 new players we aren't aware of. Might end up with a Sheek type redshirt reclass, but 3-4 transfers incoming for sure.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 12, 2026, 09:31:24 AMWayne Sanders with others offered 2 million to go back to Warriors but the University refused. I wonder if the University will continue their preferred MO refusing large donations, but continue to appeal to alumni to make a charitable donation to MUBB.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 12, 2026, 09:45:21 AMYou're conflating expectation with outcome.
Marquette should enter every season expecting to make the tournament. The team might fail to meet that expectation on occasion. And if that failure occurs more than a rare occasion, changes need to be made.

But that failure should not diminish the expectation.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 12, 2026, 09:45:21 AMYou're conflating expectation with outcome.
Marquette should enter every season expecting to make the tournament. The team might fail to meet that expectation on occasion. And if that failure occurs more than a rare occasion, changes need to be made.

But that failure should not diminish the expectation.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 12, 2026, 09:31:24 AMWayne Sanders with others offered 2 million to go back to Warriors but the University refused. I wonder if the University will continue their preferred MO refusing large donations, but continue to appeal to alumni to make a charitable donation to MUBB.

Quote from: The Sultan on March 12, 2026, 09:41:43 AMCalling it their "preferred MO" is hilarious considering that was in 2004 and they just completed a $750M campaign. And schools often turn down donations if they come with restrictions, or strings, they aren't comfortable with.

Regardless Wayne Sanders made the gift anyway. And he died a couple years ago.

But keep bitching.

Quote from: The Sultan on March 12, 2026, 09:41:43 AMCalling it their "preferred MO" is hilarious considering that was in 2004 and they just completed a $750M campaign. And schools often turn down donations if they come with restrictions, or strings, they aren't comfortable with.

Regardless Wayne Sanders made the gift anyway. And he died a couple years ago.

But keep bitching.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 12, 2026, 09:53:01 AM"On the positive side of that line is every so often, you catch lightning in a bottle and you're competing for a Big East championship, ranked top 10 in the country, and considered to be a contender for the national championship. That's a rare case, not an expectation".

During the Al years, 71-77, that was the expectation. Talk about the COLE, this is it, especially in today's environment when you can go after the best talent.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 12, 2026, 09:59:21 AM32 team tournament, no 3 point line, no shot clock.  Al has been dead for a quarter century.

Time to move on from the 70s, brother.

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 12, 2026, 09:16:18 AMThis. It's why I've been onto people that have been just saying "it's a bad season" 2018 or 2016 were bad seasons. Wojos first and last years were very bad seasons. I'd take any of those over this past year.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 12, 2026, 09:52:11 AMReally the other thing is that at this point, it would cost Marquette $2m to do a mascot change!

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 12, 2026, 10:03:58 AMSo you are conceding that we don't have the resources to compete for a Natty.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 12, 2026, 10:03:58 AMSo you are conceding that we don't have the resources to compete for a Natty.

Quote from: The Sultan on March 12, 2026, 09:51:15 AMThe AE article even says this. Occasionally missing the tournament is fine and normally balanced out by a S16 appearance.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 12, 2026, 09:35:51 AMThat is an assumption, not a given.

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 12, 2026, 09:48:12 AMlol. Let's say the valley fields story is true that it was conditional on the name change your brilliant idea is we go back on our deal and likely have to use every cent of that gift in court... over a mascot... genius

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 12, 2026, 09:35:51 AMThat is an assumption, not a given.

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 12, 2026, 09:48:12 AMlol. Let's say the valley fields story is true that it was conditional on the name change your brilliant idea is we go back on our deal and likely have to use every cent of that gift in court... over a mascot... genius

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 12, 2026, 10:11:58 AMNot what I said at all.  Bringing up Al in today's game is like reminiscing about driving your model T.  All of that stuff is irrelevant to modern college basketball.

Quote from: willie warrior on March 12, 2026, 10:15:28 AMIt is more than a mascot, genius.

Quote from: GoldenEagles03 on March 12, 2026, 10:05:56 AMWhich begs the question...

If Marquette misses the NCAA Tournament next year but Shaka gets the mascot changed back to the Warriors, is that enough to allow him back for another go around?

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 12, 2026, 10:19:14 AMOh? Please enlighten me.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 12, 2026, 10:13:27 AMYes, exactly.
I accept that there will be down seasons in which the team doesn't meet expectations. And if that's infrequent, it shouldn't put a coach whose been mostly successful on the hot seat. But if you're stacking those seasons, or it becomes a regular occurrence, then it's time to make a change.

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 12, 2026, 10:19:14 AMOh? Please enlighten me.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 12, 2026, 10:24:48 AMOh, you didn't know?  If you CALL yourself a warrior, you're instantly feared as a program, and your team is better.

This is known.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 12, 2026, 09:59:21 AM32 team tournament, no 3 point line, no shot clock.  Al has been dead for a quarter century.

Time to move on from the 70s, brother.

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 12, 2026, 10:29:48 AMI think some of the alumni that went to school during that time genuinely think the mascot name makes them tougher, more aggressive, and likely to be "winners". I've competed in enough violent sports to know that names like "warriors" or "hitman" make someone about as tough as calling a guy "sugar" makes them weak.

Quote from: willie warrior on March 12, 2026, 10:15:28 AMTrue, it is an assumption, however it is also an assumption that Shaka will change his RGV philosophy by seeking studs in the portalIt is more than a mascot, genius.

Quote from: willie warrior on March 12, 2026, 10:17:35 AMTrue, it is an assumption, however it is also an assumption that Shaka will change his RGV philosophy by seeking studs in the portalIt is more than a mascot, genius.

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 12, 2026, 10:26:33 AMI think I'm understanding your perspective of expectations. I do think the reason someone like me or DJOver might never align is because the timeframe. I think you're saying MU each season should expect to be in the tournament, it's a shorter immediate timeframe and I agree. However what DJOver is saying that aft about a decade we should expect to be in the tournament 80% of the time. Which is a much larger view of the program trend. Think of it as investing in a stock and expecting linear growth each day vs expecting growth over a 5 year period.

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 12, 2026, 10:29:48 AMI think some of the alumni that went to school during that time genuinely think the mascot name makes them tougher, more aggressive, and likely to be "winners". I've competed in enough violent sports to know that names like "warriors" or "hitman" make someone about as tough as calling a guy "sugar" makes them weak.

Quote from: Badgerhater on March 12, 2026, 10:47:52 AMI like the Warrior name as much as the next middle-aged Xer, but nicknames for Marquette don't matter.

The team now is simply referred to and marketed as "Marquette basketball" with only brief mention of the Golden Eagle nickname.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 12, 2026, 09:28:35 AM
"When it comes to the general guideline of success for Marquette men's basketball, my baseline is "make the NCAA tournament every year."

I've been told having this expectation makes a person insane.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 12, 2026, 10:11:58 AMNot what I said at all.  Bringing up Al in today's game is like reminiscing about driving your model T.  All of that stuff is irrelevant to modern college basketball.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 12, 2026, 11:12:55 AMOh, so having a shot clock, a 3pt basket and a 68 team field we should lower our expectations of competing for a natty and be satisfied to make the tournament every year or so? Competing for a title should be true today as it was back in Al's day, no? Especially in today's environment if you have the resources and will to acquire the talent to compete at the high D1 why would one lower their expectations?

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 12, 2026, 11:12:55 AMOh, so having a shot clock, a 3pt basket and a 68 team field we should lower our expectations of competing for a natty and be satisfied to make the tournament every year or so? Competing for a title should be true today as it was back in Al's day, no? Especially in today's environment if you have the resources and will to acquire the talent to compete at the high D1 why would one lower their expectations?

Quote from: wadesworld on March 12, 2026, 11:08:43 AMIt does.  There are currently 7 programs who have made more than 5 straight NCAA Tournament appearances.  And Baylor will drop that list down to 6, although I'm guessing some programs will be added.

That's the goal.  The expectation would be to make it most years, while understanding that very few programs make it every season.

Quote from: The Sultan on March 12, 2026, 11:19:12 AMNo I don't think bolded is accurate at all. The resource differences between conferences and programs makes it harder for a school like Marquette to compete like they could in the 1970s.

That doesn't mean they *can't.* It's just going to be harder.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 12, 2026, 11:31:56 AMSo, would you say Shaka and Co. met expectations this year, since missing the tournament and bad seasons are your expectation?

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 12, 2026, 10:19:14 AMOh? Please enlighten me.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 12, 2026, 11:16:20 AMI don't know what you're trying to say.  I'm saying to leave the past in the past.

Marquette is very clearly a nationally competitive team already.

Quote from: willie warrior on March 12, 2026, 11:45:07 AMOk Genius. Warriors at MU means more than a silly mascot. It stands for a long legacy, traditional some very good teams, a national title. Not just a mascot. The PC stuff ruined that Perhaps that was what the donor wanted to establish again. If you think mascots are silly or useless, then advocate schools get rid of them. Good luck with that. At MU it should be Warriors, not because some PC nuts wanted it differently.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 12, 2026, 11:48:36 AMAndrew in his article stated:

On the positive side of that line is every so often, you catch lightning in a bottle and you're competing for a Big East championship, ranked top 10 in the country, and considered to be a contender for the national championship. That's a rare case, not an expectation.

I took issue with that statement because in Al's day that was the expectation, but Andrew appears to have much lower expectations for the program moving forward. All I'm saying is why shouldn't we have that expectation today especially if we have the resources as many here say we have to acquire the best talent.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 12, 2026, 10:45:16 AMI think we're just using the word "expectation" slightly differently. I'm using it in an aspirational sense ... what the yearly outcome should be. He's using it in a predictive sense, i.e. what past performance should tell us about future outcomes.
I don't necessarily think either of us are wrong; just looking at it from different angles.

Quote from: willie warrior on March 12, 2026, 11:45:07 AMOk Genius. Warriors at MU means more than a silly mascot. It stands for a long legacy, traditional some very good teams, a national title. Not just a mascot. The PC stuff ruined that Perhaps that was what the donor wanted to establish again. If you think mascots are silly or useless, then advocate schools get rid of them. Good luck with that. At MU it should be Warriors, not because some PC nuts wanted it differently.

Quote from: Zog from Margo on March 12, 2026, 11:53:04 AMI agree. I think any year MU doesn't make the tournament should be considered a down year and a failure to meet expectations. I also agree with AE that this season was so abysmal that it should count as two down years and put Shaka on a warm seat next season.

Quote from: wadesworld on March 12, 2026, 11:36:28 AMNot sure where I said bad seasons are my expectation, but no this year did not meet expectations.

Quote from: UncleOliver on March 12, 2026, 11:51:06 AMCompromise: Change the nickname back to Warriors and replace the old mascot with Joan of Arc. She was a warrior and by far the coolest building on campus is named after her.

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 12, 2026, 11:54:25 AMSo it's just a mascot that you place undue significance upon over the name of the university you attended.

Also while I appreciate being referred to as a genius, I think anyone with an average IQ can spot an illogical pathos argument like yours from a mile away.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 12, 2026, 11:58:46 AMOK, "down" season, if we're going to split hairs.
Presumably if you expect down seasons, why is this past season not acceptable? Or are their degrees of down seasons?

To be clear, I accept that a bad season can happen occasionally. But we shouldn't set that as an expectation.

Quote from: Scoop Snoop on March 12, 2026, 12:04:18 PMI can think of an example of a team not living up to its mascot's rep. The Providence Friars, if they lived up to the name of the Dominicans, would be unbeatable. I went to Fenwick HS in Oak Park Il, and I can tell you that the 20th century Dominicans had just as fierce of a reputation as the Dominicans from the Spanish Inquisition. Sadistic bastards! 

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 12, 2026, 11:34:52 AMSo we are at a disadvantage when it comes to resources when competing for the best talent.

Quote from: willie warrior on March 12, 2026, 11:45:07 AMOk Genius. Warriors at MU means more than a silly mascot. It stands for a long legacy, traditional some very good teams, a national title. Not just a mascot. The PC stuff ruined that Perhaps that was what the donor wanted to establish again. If you think mascots are silly or useless, then advocate schools get rid of them. Good luck with that. At MU it should be Warriors, not because some PC nuts wanted it differently.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 12, 2026, 09:35:51 AMThat is an assumption, not a given.

Quote from: willie warrior on March 12, 2026, 11:45:07 AMOk Genius. Warriors at MU means more than a silly mascot. It stands for a long legacy, traditional some very good teams, a national title. Not just a mascot. The PC stuff ruined that Perhaps that was what the donor wanted to establish again. If you think mascots are silly or useless, then advocate schools get rid of them. Good luck with that. At MU it should be Warriors, not because some PC nuts wanted it differently.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 12, 2026, 01:51:35 PMYou know the offseason has begun when the nickname debate rears its ugly head.
Should Marquette bring back football? And when are we getting an on-campus arena?

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 12, 2026, 11:54:25 AMSo it's just a mascot that you place undue significance upon over the name of the university you attended.

Also while I appreciate being referred to as a genius, I think anyone with an average IQ can spot an illogical pathos argument like yours from a mile away.

Quote from: willie warrior on March 12, 2026, 02:08:11 PMExcept you are not a genius, but fancy you are. Doubt also if you really think; you don't respect history; you can't recognize logic; and likely have a below average IQ. But OK, you be you.

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 12, 2026, 02:19:12 PMWow, I must be really stupid then. Can't believe I was fooled so easily that you weren't calling me a genius when you called me a genius. That's so embarrassing. Gosh, what does that say about your Alma mater?

Quote from: willie warrior on March 12, 2026, 02:08:11 PMExcept you are not a genius, but fancy you are. Doubt also if you really think; you don't respect history; you can't recognize logic; and likely have a below average IQ. But OK, you be you.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 12, 2026, 10:03:58 AMSo you are conceding that we don't have the resources to compete for a Natty.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 12, 2026, 11:34:52 AMSo we are at a disadvantage when it comes to resources when competing for the best talent.

Quote from: brewcity77 on March 12, 2026, 08:58:23 AMAlso, Anonymous Eagle is spot on here. Shaka gets grace because of the work he did, but this season was so bad that it is strikes one and two. He can't miss the tourney next year.

You Won't See Shaka Smart's Name On Next Year's Hot Seat Lists...... But You Should (http://"https://www.anonymouseagle.com/marquette-mens-basketball/36011/golden-eagles-shaka-smart-head-coach-hot-seat-list-future-ncaa-tournament")

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 12, 2026, 09:16:18 AMThis. It's why I've been onto people that have been just saying "it's a bad season" 2018 or 2016 were bad seasons. Wojos first and last years were very bad seasons. I'd take any of those over this past year.

Quote from: Elonsmusk on March 12, 2026, 10:48:05 PMWhat a dumb take by that writer. The idiocy among some Marquette basketball fans is laughable.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 12, 2026, 11:58:46 AMOK, "down" season, if we're going to split hairs. Down season vs bad season is a distinction without difference to me.
Presumably if you expect down seasons, why is this past season not acceptable? Or are their degrees of down seasons?

To be clear, I accept that a bad season can happen occasionally. But we shouldn't set that as an expectation.

Quote from: Elonsmusk on March 12, 2026, 11:24:21 PMIf you can't see the arrow pointing up, after this blip of a bad year, and can't see Shaka is a massively beyond what Wojo was - you're an embarrassment.

Quote from: brewcity77 on March 13, 2026, 06:40:44 AMIf this is was a blip, then yes. If they rebuild through the portal, reinforcing the core 3, and are back in single digit seed, fighting for protected seed territory next year, then yes. However that is clearly not a given and this season has shown that Shaka no longer gets the benefit of the doubt.

If we're 25-10 (14-6) after finishing top-3 in the league and playing on Saturday in the BET at this time next year, great. But if we're 17-16 (7-13) and dropped our first BET game while never seriously getting close to the bubble, then Shaka will be gone and deservedly so.

If he backs up the worst season in many of our living memories with success, he'll be back. But if he follows it up with more failure, he'll be gone. And it's absolutely crazy that you of all people don't see that clear as day.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 06:59:40 AMEveryone can say what they want, but it will come down to money.  If tickets aren't being sold, or there is zero excitement then he's gone.

If they lose a couple of close games, but the fans are still showing up they're absolutely going to keep him.

Money talks.

Quote from: panda on March 11, 2026, 09:21:14 PMBubble team

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 07:02:11 AMInterest didn't drastically dip during wojo's downturn. The results did and we changed course. Will be consistent here.

Quote from: brewcity77 on March 13, 2026, 06:40:44 AMIf this is was a blip, then yes. If they rebuild through the portal, reinforcing the core 3, and are back in single digit seed, fighting for protected seed territory next year, then yes. However that is clearly not a given and this season has shown that Shaka no longer gets the benefit of the doubt.

If we're 25-10 (14-6) after finishing top-3 in the league and playing on Saturday in the BET at this time next year, great. But if we're 17-16 (7-13) and dropped our first BET game while never seriously getting close to the bubble, then Shaka will be gone and deservedly so.

If he backs up the worst season in many of our living memories with success, he'll be back. But if he follows it up with more failure, he'll be gone. And it's absolutely crazy that you of all people don't see that clear as day.

Quote from: Elonsmusk on March 12, 2026, 10:57:56 PMWe've got 3 stud underclassmen as good/probably better than the Don/Wes/Jerel trio

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 07:51:15 AMyou sure bout that

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 08:07:27 AMYes - he was let go because of poor results and the perfect timing of shaka's availability/mutual interest. Not declining interest.

Quote from: brewcity77 on March 13, 2026, 06:40:44 AMIf this is was a blip, then yes. If they rebuild through the portal, reinforcing the core 3, and are back in single digit seed, fighting for protected seed territory next year, then yes. However that is clearly not a given and this season has shown that Shaka no longer gets the benefit of the doubt.

If we're 25-10 (14-6) after finishing top-3 in the league and playing on Saturday in the BET at this time next year, great. But if we're 17-16 (7-13) and dropped our first BET game while never seriously getting close to the bubble, then Shaka will be gone and deservedly so.

If he backs up the worst season in many of our living memories with success, he'll be back. But if he follows it up with more failure, he'll be gone. And it's absolutely crazy that you of all people don't see that clear as day.

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 07:02:11 AMInterest didn't drastically dip during wojo's downturn. The results did and we changed course. Will be consistent here.

Quote from: Elonsmusk on March 12, 2026, 10:57:56 PMGetting caught up on threads. Wow. This is a wild take. We've got 3 stud underclassmen as good/probably better than the Don/Wes/Jerel trio

Quote from: Elonsmusk on March 12, 2026, 10:57:56 PMWe've got 3 stud underclassmen as good/probably better than the Don/Wes/Jerel trio

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 08:11:44 AMHe was let go because money said so.  The other things worked out afterwards.

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 08:53:21 AMMediocre results were the driver

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 08:55:43 AMYes, mediocre results caused money to pull out.  The admin was very happy with wojo as long as the money faucet remained open.

I assure you, if the money faucet remained open despite the mediocre results, the school would not have cared.

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 08:58:08 AMDid they buy wojo's contract out with hugs and handshakes?

Quote from: Elonsmusk on March 12, 2026, 10:57:56 PMand that's worse than Year 1 or 7 of Wojo??

Quote from: Elonsmusk on March 12, 2026, 10:57:56 PMsome Top 100 underclassmen like Phillips, Ian, Sheek, and a likely immediate impact freshman Egbouno coming in to the program next year...

Quote from: Elonsmusk on March 12, 2026, 10:57:56 PMGetting caught up on threads. Wow. This is a wild take. We've got 3 stud underclassmen as good/probably better than the Don/Wes/Jerel trio

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 08:59:25 AMNo, money decided it was time for wojo to go.

Told you, admin didn't care, money did.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 08:59:25 AMNo, money decided it was time for wojo to go.

Told you, admin didn't care, money did.

Quote from: Zog from Margo on March 13, 2026, 09:26:44 AMI think you changed your argument. You originally tied Wojo's departure to tickets being sold and fan interest. Now you're saying that big money donors had had enough. Those are different things. You don't want to wait until fans stop renewing tickets. They'll find other things to do.

Quote from: brewcity77 on March 13, 2026, 06:40:44 AMIf this is was a blip, then yes. If they rebuild through the portal, reinforcing the core 3, and are back in single digit seed, fighting for protected seed territory next year, then yes. However that is clearly not a given and this season has shown that Shaka no longer gets the benefit of the doubt.

If we're 25-10 (14-6) after finishing top-3 in the league and playing on Saturday in the BET at this time next year, great. But if we're 17-16 (7-13) and dropped our first BET game while never seriously getting close to the bubble, then Shaka will be gone and deservedly so.

If he backs up the worst season in many of our living memories with success, he'll be back. But if he follows it up with more failure, he'll be gone. And it's absolutely crazy that you of all people don't see that clear as day.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 09:28:14 AMAre big money donors not fans?  They're certainly not profiting from their donations.

Quote from: Zog from Margo on March 12, 2026, 11:34:07 PM"Blip"? I think the worst MU season in memory is more than a blip.

As for "studs," MU has one returning player who made an All BE team. MU has one stud and two other players who have shown they are BE worthy. That's it for what's proven.

Quote from: Jay Bee on March 13, 2026, 08:44:04 AMbro, pass it

Quote from: Zog from Margo on March 13, 2026, 09:39:32 AMYou said tickets and fan interest. I'm guessing there was not a significant decline in season ticket renewals under Wojo. I also think fans remained interested though frustrated. The handful of fans who could contribute enough to make a dent in the buyout, however, is small.

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 13, 2026, 09:00:34 AMYes, I'd take a year where we actually beat some high majors in the non conference over one where didn't lol.

Quote from: Vander Blue Man Group on March 13, 2026, 10:04:50 AMIf Marquette is back to the level it should be at next season, it will be a blip, regardless of how horrendous the season was.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 13, 2026, 09:32:37 AMI agree with you, but my concern is even if we have a 24-8 season next year, is that anything to shout about as some here think Nova is not going to go far in the tournament because the league really stinks. If the league stinks how can you get those quad 1 wins. Many here think the Big East is a power conference, but if more than half the league continues to play .500 or sub .500 ball it will be just another mid major conference.

Quote from: Zog from Margo on March 13, 2026, 10:20:35 AMIf MU gets back next season by going to the portal, I still wouldn't view it as a blip. It would be confirmation that a change of course was required because the prior approach didn't work.

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 13, 2026, 10:19:46 AMMeh, to me any year where you're not even on the bubble is a failed year to me. It doesn't matter if you beat Maryland in November, if there's no post season in March for a team of Marquette's supposed level, that year is an absolute failure and the lowest grade you can receive.

Doesn't matter if its 12-20, 17-16, 3-27. Its the same F grade.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 13, 2026, 09:32:37 AMI agree with you, but my concern is even if we have a 24-8 season next year, is that anything to shout about as some here think Nova is not going to go far in the tournament because the league really stinks. If the league stinks how can you get those quad 1 wins. Many here think the Big East is a power conference, but if more than half the league continues to play .500 or sub .500 ball it will be just another mid major conference.

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 13, 2026, 10:24:06 AMReally? The biggest change in college sports in history? Shaka took a flier at doing things different, it didnt work. You're really going to hold a grudge over this one season if everything gets righted?

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 13, 2026, 10:35:35 AM2026: Day to day what did we get excited about? Blown out by IU, PU, and UW? Choking repeatedly against Dayton OU and Maryland? My daughter was born 12/10, we were in the hospital and my wife asked if I wanted to turn the Purdue game on jokingly because the season was already over.

If the ultimate goal is entertainment and fan engagement then the first two bad seasons are less bad fails than this past one.

Quote from: Billy Hoyle on March 13, 2026, 10:47:39 AMCongrats on your daughter, Galway! I hope you gave her a good Irish name.

My cousin is a Purdue grad and shortly after the Oklahoma game asked if we'd be willing to pay around $100 for us to go to the Purdue game. I responded, "No, because we suck this year."

During the Wisconsin game a buddy texted me asking if we wanted his Purdue tickets for the MU game, no charge. My wife and I actually hesitated in saying yes; the enthusiasm for the season was already gone. We drove through a snowstorm for the game, hoping we wouldn't lose by more than 20. Sad to say, our expectations were exceeded that day - we *only* lost by 20.  I had to answer a lot of "what happened to Marquette" questions from the fans around us as they remembered the poleaxing we put on them the season before.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 08:59:25 AMNo, money decided it was time for wojo to go.

Told you, admin didn't care, money did.

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 11:00:22 AMThere was enough money to buy out Wojo as well as interest from money people to buy out Wojo. What am I missing.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 10:17:09 AMYes, fan interest clearly includes large donors, small donors, ticket sales.

Fans had, by and large, seen enough from Wojo.  Hell, our bloggers had to outline it for the admin WHY Wojo should not be Marquette's coach.  In the end, the money spoke and he was gone.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 11:02:14 AMI'm not sure.  Wojo was fired because the fans (and their money) wanted him out.  Not because the admin thought he was doing a bad job.

I thought I laid it out pretty clearly.

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 11:03:07 AMPoint is - Interest and care about the program still existed. I look at gtown and there is zero interest. Depaul zero interest. BC zero interest.

Marquette during Wojo was nothing like those programs.

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 11:05:21 AMFirings happen when you're not doing the job at the expected level. The admin acknowledged that with the buy out..

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 13, 2026, 10:59:56 AMThanks! Wife vetoed all Irish names for both girls except Maeve (maebh) and then our neighbor took that right before girl 1 so no Irish names here sadly

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 13, 2026, 10:35:35 AM2015 final record 13-19: You're saying day to day you weren't even a bit excited when we beat Georgia Tech, Tennessee, and ASU? Hell we were 10-6 (2-2) midway through January and I was still hopeful we could turn it into something despite the Omaha debacle.

2021 final record 13-14: You weren't the least bit excited when we beat Wisconsin on the Justin Lewis put back? I think it was Pakuni who said we were still considered a bubble team in December after the big Creighton win. I don't recall this necessarily but the point is the season wasn't over before Christmas.

2026: Day to day what did we get excited about? Blown out by IU, PU, and UW? Choking repeatedly against Dayton OU and Maryland? My daughter was born 12/10, we were in the hospital and my wife asked if I wanted to turn the Purdue game on jokingly because the season was already over.

If the ultimate goal is entertainment and fan engagement then the first two bad seasons are less bad fails than this past one.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 11:05:42 AMThat's a whole different thing from what I was talking about, but Marquette fans were angry.  Apathy would have been the next phase, and that's how you end up like Georgetown, BC, or DePaul.

Quote from: Zog from Margo on March 13, 2026, 10:43:37 AMNot sure where you got that. The point is that a self-inflicted program collapse, putting one of the worst teams in MU history on the floor, should not be viewed as just a blip. This season was attributable to a string of problems. First, there were numerous recruiting mistakes and failures to assess talent levels. Second, there was a failure to recognize that this team wasn't very good and do something about it before the program collapsed. Finally, there was the inexcusable defensive performance by returning players early in the season. Will all be forgiven if the ship is righted? Sure. But this season was a dumpster fire.

Quote from: brewcity77 on March 13, 2026, 06:40:44 AMIf this is was a blip, then yes. If they rebuild through the portal, reinforcing the core 3, and are back in single digit seed, fighting for protected seed territory next year, then yes. However that is clearly not a given and this season has shown that Shaka no longer gets the benefit of the doubt.

If we're 25-10 (14-6) after finishing top-3 in the league and playing on Saturday in the BET at this time next year, great. But if we're 17-16 (7-13) and dropped our first BET game while never seriously getting close to the bubble, then Shaka will be gone and deservedly so.

If he backs up the worst season in many of our living memories with success, he'll be back. But if he follows it up with more failure, he'll be gone. And it's absolutely crazy that you of all people don't see that clear as day.

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 11:16:54 AMYour original quote - "IF tickets arent being sold, or there is zero excitement then he's gone"

My first response - "Interest didn't drastically dip during Wojo's downturn. The results did and we changed course."

Ticket sales didn't drop, interest levels didn't severely drop. Performance levels did so a change was made.

Quote from: BM1090 on March 13, 2026, 11:20:41 AMI don't disagree with this, but I do think it's interesting that we had a lot of people comparing Wojo's trajectory with Jay Wright, insisting it takes time to build a program. I was actually onboard with some of these arguments even though it never materialized.

Shaka's first five years here mirror Nova from 06-12, minus the one final four. 13-19 season with a young but talented core in 2012, improved to 20-14 the following year, then the elite run started after that.

If Shaka misses the tournament next year but it's a 19-13 kind of year and it's pretty clear we'll be better the following year, he should be retained. As long as we see a willingness to change his strategy from what got us to this year, there's no reason to move on. He's a good coach that's brought us to regular season heights that I hadn't seen in my lifetime.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 11:21:45 AMSorry, forgot who I was engaging with here.

Have a good one.

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 13, 2026, 10:35:35 AM2015 final record 13-19: You're saying day to day you weren't even a bit excited when we beat Georgia Tech, Tennessee, and ASU? Hell we were 10-6 (2-2) midway through January and I was still hopeful we could turn it into something despite the Omaha debacle.

2021 final record 13-14: You weren't the least bit excited when we beat Wisconsin on the Justin Lewis put back? I think it was Pakuni who said we were still considered a bubble team in December after the big Creighton win. I don't recall this necessarily but the point is the season wasn't over before Christmas.

2026: Day to day what did we get excited about? Blown out by IU, PU, and UW? Choking repeatedly against Dayton OU and Maryland? My daughter was born 12/10, we were in the hospital and my wife asked if I wanted to turn the Purdue game on jokingly because the season was already over.

If the ultimate goal is entertainment and fan engagement then the first two bad seasons are less bad fails than this past one.

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 13, 2026, 11:13:53 AMWe beat #4 uconn on senior night. Were you not hyped?

We were "bubble" talent after losing to Villanova away in a close game according to half of scoop.

All the seasons were utter failures.

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 11:22:09 AMnot with the jay wright stuff again lol - especially given the completely different dynamics in college sports now.

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 13, 2026, 11:26:01 AMBy then it was pointless. I think you're missing the focus on the night of the win. Beating UConn as the second to last game of the year to go 12-19 was pointless. These are not equal situations. The question should be whether you were as engaged in the season on 1/13 after losing to SJU to drop to 6-12 (1-6) as you were on 1/14/15 after beating Creighton to go 10-6 (2-2). Yes as a season both of them are fails, but one still had a reason to be interested the other was long since over.

Quote from: BM1090 on March 13, 2026, 11:25:17 AMI agree on 2015. There was some hope there. The team just ultimately didn't have enough talent.

2021 I was pretty checked out. The Wisconsin win was fun. So was the win at Creighton shortly after that. But it was so clear we were never going to be anything more than an average BE program under Wojo by that point that the excitement felt muted.

We were stuck. Despite this bad year, it doesn't feel like we're stuck. It kind of feels like a new beginning. We know Shaka can get us to where we want to be because he's done it already. He just needs to alter his plan, and I can't imagine he won't do that.

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 13, 2026, 10:35:35 AM2015 final record 13-19: You're saying day to day you weren't even a bit excited when we beat Georgia Tech, Tennessee, and ASU? Hell we were 10-6 (2-2) midway through January and I was still hopeful we could turn it into something despite the Omaha debacle.

2021 final record 13-14: You weren't the least bit excited when we beat Wisconsin on the Justin Lewis put back? I think it was Pakuni who said we were still considered a bubble team in December after the big Creighton win. I don't recall this necessarily but the point is the season wasn't over before Christmas.

2026: Day to day what did we get excited about? Blown out by IU, PU, and UW? Choking repeatedly against Dayton OU and Maryland? My daughter was born 12/10, we were in the hospital and my wife asked if I wanted to turn the Purdue game on jokingly because the season was already over.

If the ultimate goal is entertainment and fan engagement then the first two bad seasons are less bad fails than this past one.

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 13, 2026, 11:13:53 AMWe beat #4 uconn on senior night. Were you not hyped?

We were "bubble" talent after losing to Villanova away in a close game, according to half of the scoop.

All the seasons were utter failures.

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 13, 2026, 11:29:58 AM100% I'm only debating that all fails aren't equal. Definitely agree about the trajectory during/post 20-21 season, I'm only including it because someone had mentioned we were a bubble team halfway through it. It's 2015, 2016, 2014, 2018 (and 2005) I am much more passionate about those being lesser fails than this past crapshow.

Quote from: BM1090 on March 13, 2026, 11:27:40 AMTo be clear, I don't like the comparison at all. I'm not comparing them. I'm just saying I think it's interesting that Wojo got those comparisons from some and Shaka, whose trajectory matches Wright more than Wojo, isn't getting the same from the same people.

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 13, 2026, 11:31:16 AMSecondly

Georgia Tech went 12-19 (3-15) in 14-15

Tennessee went 16-16 (7-11)

Asu went 18-16 (9-9)


Two of these games were neutral sites, the other was at home. None of those teams went to the tournament.

All 3 were bad teams. The only excitement from those games was the hype that they were part of power conferences.

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 13, 2026, 11:19:18 AMWhat's not clicking for you?

Shaka attempted the RGV strategy where he hoped that the chemistry between the team would be much better then that of teams who bought players.

It became apparent early on that it didn't work.


Shaka went against the grain in year 1 of free agent ball.

Now if he rights the ship, this will be nothing more then a "oh ya, we need to compete in the transfer portal, remember 25-26?

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 11:16:54 AMYour original quote - "IF tickets arent being sold, or there is zero excitement then he's gone"

My first response - "Interest didn't drastically dip during Wojo's downturn. The results did and we changed course."

Ticket sales didn't drop, interest levels didn't severely drop. Performance levels did so a change was made.

Quote from: MUDPT on March 13, 2026, 12:09:13 PMTechnically, ticket sales did drop significantly the last year of Wojo. MU had one? home game with fans.

But ticket sales are already way down. Plenty of lowers and uppers available for the UConn game.

Quote from: MUDPT on March 13, 2026, 12:09:13 PMTechnically, ticket sales did drop significantly the last year of Wojo. MU had one? home game with fans.

But ticket sales are already way down. Plenty of lowers and uppers available for the UConn game.

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 11:36:22 AMWojo's mediocrity lent itself to lots of what if scenarios.

Shaka completely self torpedoed his roster for two seasons which led to this atrocious year. I don't think he deserves much leeway for that.

Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 13, 2026, 10:59:56 AMThanks! Wife vetoed all Irish names for both girls except Maeve (maebh) and then our neighbor took that right before girl 1 so no Irish names here sadly

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 11:23:10 AMOnce again - someone who can't face the music when I present them with their own words. smh

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 01:33:57 PMNo, you're just an insufferable twat.  You're not worth my time or effort.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 13, 2026, 09:32:37 AMI agree with you, but my concern is even if we have a 24-8 season next year, is that anything to shout about as some here think Nova is not going to go far in the tournament because the league really stinks. If the league stinks how can you get those quad 1 wins. Many here think the Big East is a power conference, but if more than half the league continues to play .500 or sub .500 ball it will be just another mid major conference.

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 01:42:42 PMAnother one bites the dust. I respectfully engage you while you ultimately go to the lowest common denominator of insults. Says a lot more about you than me.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 02:04:56 PMThere's the difference.  Your constant need for validation isn't something that I am concerned with.  I don't respect you.  If you expect me to argue with your nonsense arguments all day long, you've found the wrong guy.

You, and your opinions do not matter to me because I do not value them whatsoever.

You'll notice a lot of people around here feel this way, but they're too nice to come out and say it.

You can pretend whatever your current argument happens to be as some sort of win for you, but no one cares, and no one is keeping score.  Just your own ego.

Hang a banner if it makes you feel better, just don't expect anyone to care.

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 02:07:50 PMYou're spending a lot of time and mental energy on something and someone who "doesnt matter"

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 02:08:46 PMSorry, you needed to hear it.  Took me less than a minute.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 02:08:46 PMTook me less than a minute.

Quote from: Jay Bee on March 13, 2026, 02:11:47 PM...story of my life.

Quote from: withoutbias on March 13, 2026, 02:13:37 PMYeah, and you're even by yourself.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 02:11:26 PMInteresting song choice, big fan of The Troubles?  Or did you misunderstand another thing today?

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 02:11:26 PMInteresting song choice, big fan of The Troubles?  Or did you misunderstand another thing today?

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 02:21:16 PMYou're the one misunderstanding

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 02:34:30 PMNo, I understood perfectly well what you were trying to say.  That you're in my head.  Which is why I thought it was interesting.

You don't understand what the song is about, I guess.  That's fine.  It's okay to admit you don't know everything.   ;)

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 02:36:56 PMSo you understood what I was talking about and then presumed I don't know what the song is about? Is it fair to say you may be looking too much into this? I am in your head. I am not talking about conflict in Ireland lol

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 02:38:30 PMSee, this is exactly what I'm talking about.  Your ego is in the way of you being a normal person.

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 02:40:14 PM"You, and your opinions do not matter to me because I do not value them whatsoever."

Lots of time and effort spent on this since you posted this. Once again, your own words. Be true yourself man.

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 13, 2026, 03:57:06 PMScoop acting like off season scoop already.

Quote from: MU86NC on March 13, 2026, 04:23:00 PMHard on and Panda Bear need to be locked up in a dark closet with a 1/2 gallon of liquor before we let them out!

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 04:37:39 PMDon't push your fantasies on me.

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 04:40:54 PMIf I'm locked in a closet with a half gallon of liquor we ain't fightin...

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 04:42:12 PMMake out party?

Quote from: Hards Alumni on March 13, 2026, 04:44:05 PMIt's dark, we're drunk... look, this is MU86NC's fantasy, not mine!

Quote from: Jay Bee on March 13, 2026, 05:49:10 PMThis is quickly turning into a Dayton chat board...er, transitioning to

Quote from: BM1090 on March 13, 2026, 11:20:41 AMI don't disagree with this, but I do think it's interesting that we had a lot of people comparing Wojo's trajectory with Jay Wright, insisting it takes time to build a program. I was actually onboard with some of these arguments even though it never materialized.

Shaka's first five years here mirror Nova from 06-12, minus the one final four. 13-19 season with a young but talented core in 2012, improved to 20-14 the following year, then the elite run started after that.

If Shaka misses the tournament next year but it's a 19-13 kind of year and it's pretty clear we'll be better the following year, he should be retained. As long as we see a willingness to change his strategy from what got us to this year, there's no reason to move on. He's a good coach that's brought us to regular season heights that I hadn't seen in my lifetime.

Quote from: Jay Bee on March 13, 2026, 08:44:04 AMbro, pass it

Quote from: brewcity77 on March 13, 2026, 06:40:44 AMIf this is was a blip, then yes. If they rebuild through the portal, reinforcing the core 3, and are back in single digit seed, fighting for protected seed territory next year, then yes. However that is clearly not a given and this season has shown that Shaka no longer gets the benefit of the doubt.

If we're 25-10 (14-6) after finishing top-3 in the league and playing on Saturday in the BET at this time next year, great. But if we're 17-16 (7-13) and dropped our first BET game while never seriously getting close to the bubble, then Shaka will be gone and deservedly so.

If he backs up the worst season in many of our living memories with success, he'll be back. But if he follows it up with more failure, he'll be gone. And it's absolutely crazy that you of all people don't see that clear as day.

Quote from: panda on March 13, 2026, 04:47:04 PMWhatever happens happens. I'm along for the ride. Make up make out is the best kind of make out

Quote from: Elonsmusk on March 13, 2026, 06:54:26 PMThis wasn't our worst season in many poster's living memories.  Wojo Year 1 and 2 were worse teams at least according to KenPom.  Yet, you were a Projo for 5 years?  Haven't you also been a progress isn't always linear guy?

Quote from: Elonsmusk on March 13, 2026, 06:54:26 PMThis year was an outlier.  I'm confident Shaka will get it turned around within 1 year, and even if he doesn't I'm still giving him another year.  Fire Shaka after next season and I'd put it at 80%+ chance that all of Nigel, Adrien, and Royce are done at MU too.

Quote from: Elonsmusk on March 13, 2026, 06:54:26 PMI just don't get why you don't acknowledge all the good Shaka did Years 1-4 (way beyond what Wojo accomplished), but you're a hot seat for Shaka guy because of this season?

Quote from: Elonsmusk on March 13, 2026, 06:54:26 PMThis year was an outlier.  I'm confident Shaka will get it turned around within 1 year, and even if he doesn't I'm still giving him another year.  Fire Shaka after next season and I'd put it at 80%+ chance that all of Nigel, Adrien, and Royce are done at MU too.

Quote from: Elonsmusk on March 13, 2026, 06:44:39 PMSo you loved Jerel's 87 O-Rating as a freshman?  Or Wes's 99?  And you think Dominic James is better than Nigel James?

Stephens turned in 112.4, on albeit on less usage than Wes.  Parham clocked a 114 O-Rating on 20% usage

If either Chase or Ben Gold played like Novak did as a senior with the Big 3. this team would have been similarily good.  Instead?  Both players regressed offensively.

Larger point is that there is a lot to like about our underclassmen, and you are a massive Damarius fanboy...so that should excite you.  I like DO, but I like Mike Phillips better.  Think he'll take a nice step up next season.

Quote from: Jay Bee on March 13, 2026, 08:11:12 PMLook at the specifics, including usage, and understand that the average points per possession in the current era is wildly different than then. If you want to argue Wilt didn't hit enough threes, then sure.

And, yes, I still roll with Damarius.

Quote from: Elonsmusk on March 13, 2026, 06:44:39 PMSo you loved Jerel's 87 O-Rating as a freshman?  Or Wes's 99?  And you think Dominic James is better than Nigel James?

Stephens turned in 112.4, on albeit on less usage than Wes.  Parham clocked a 114 O-Rating on 20% usage

If either Chase or Ben Gold played like Novak did as a senior with the Big 3. this team would have been similarily good.  Instead?  Both players regressed offensively.

Larger point is that there is a lot to like about our underclassmen, and you are a massive Damarius fanboy...so that should excite you.  I like DO, but I like Mike Phillips better.  Think he'll take a nice step up next season.

Quote from: Elonsmusk on March 13, 2026, 06:54:26 PMThis year was an outlier.  I'm confident Shaka will get it turned around within 1 year, and even if he doesn't I'm still giving him another year.  Fire Shaka after next season and I'd put it at 80%+ chance that all of Nigel, Adrien, and Royce are done at MU too.

Quote from: brewcity77 on March 13, 2026, 07:25:27 PMThere was no point in years 1-5 where changing course made sense.

2015: Sucked
2016: Clear progress, no tourney but competitive
2017: Tourney bid
2018: Narrowly missed, but 7 of top-9 players were freshmen/sophomores
2019: Made top-10, 5-seed, should've won league
--Hausers leave, from Feb 2019 was the first notable downturn in progress--
2020: Disappointing, but no one was getting fired after COVID
2021: Sucked, fired

Probably an outlier. And if it was he'll be fine. If it wasn't, there's absolutely zero chance anyone affiliated with Marquette should want a third year like this one.

I disagree with your 80% assessment

He did well. But no one gets two years like this at Marquette. Not Wojo, not Shaka, not Al, not Jesus Christ. We're better than that. And I can't fathom any sane Marquette fan disagreeing with that.

Quote from: Small Orange Soda on March 13, 2026, 11:36:06 PMWojo was simply a bad coach. Not up to snuff for the job.

The concern with Shaka is his judgment. "I'll be the one guy who doesn't take transfers while also signing guys who don't get D-1 offers"

He absolutely has not done enough in his career to ever justify that attitude. And yes, he's going to change, but that's a pretty poor inherent trait. He's good, but there are plenty of coaches who have accomplished more who didn't need a year like this to understand that college basketball is in an ever changing landscape and being stubborn means seasons like this.

Quote from: Vander Blue Man Group on March 14, 2026, 12:54:14 AMFeels like you're making a lot of excuses for Wojo. A lot of what if's and context, which can be fair at times.

But you're certainly not doing the same for Shaka.

Quote from: The Sultan on March 14, 2026, 06:58:19 AM??? He isn't in the least. Is he advocating for Shaka to be fired now or something?

Quote from: Vander Blue Man Group on March 14, 2026, 07:23:26 AMI didn't say or infer that he was advocating for Shaka to be fired right now.

Quote from: Vander Blue Man Group on March 14, 2026, 12:54:14 AMFeels like you're making a lot of excuses for Wojo. A lot of what if's and context, which can be fair at times.

But you're certainly not doing the same for Shaka.

Quote from: The Sultan on March 14, 2026, 07:28:43 AMYou said that he was making excuses for Wojo but not Shaka. That is not what he is doing.

Wojo was fired the first time that made sense for him to be fired. Shaka hasn't reached that point, and hopefully never will. He's being very consistent.

Quote from: brewcity77 on March 14, 2026, 08:02:41 AMNo, I'm not, because what happened to Wojo with a poor year 1 roster that at one point didn't have enough players to run 5-on-5 practices is what happened to Shaka in year 5 when he finally had a roster completely of his own construction.

In addition, the staff and admin were adamant that this was their path to success, which led to RGV basically becoming a toxic phrase because it symbolized what looked like a stubborn adherence to a failing model.

I'm heartened that Shaka is admitting he was wrong about their roster build and talent identification, even if not saying it in so many words. I'm hopeful that he will turn things around and am more than willing to support efforts to modernize our roster building approach, which I did not believe he would do 2 months ago but am now convinced he will.

But regardless, no one gets two seasons like this past year. No one. We aren't DePaul or Butler where you can scrape along stacking losing seasons. Even Providence fired Kim after two losing seasons.

If this happens again, it won't be me putting Shaka on the hot seat, it'll be Shaka putting Shaka on the hot seat. I'd also admit that in an era where you can flip an entire roster and culture in one offseason, I'm less inclined to support prolonged failure. What used to take 2-4 years a decade ago can now be accomplished in weeks of savvy portal recruiting. So no, I'm not as patience with this as I once was.

Quote from: Vander Blue Man Group on March 14, 2026, 08:48:11 AMIt's fine to disagree but my impression is it's not apples-to-apples when it comes to analyzing Shaka's tenure and his job security moving forward. 

I agree that if next season is nearly as bad as this one Shaka would likely be fired.  I wouldn't have any issue with that.  However, I think he's earned some goodwill from the first 4 years.

Personally, I expect a tourney team next season.  However, if we see a lot of improvement but end up on the wrong side of the bubble, I think firing him would be shortsighted.

Quote from: Vander Blue Man Group on March 14, 2026, 08:48:11 AMLet's do a side-by-side of their first 5 years.

2015: Wojo: Sucked  Shaka: Tourney
2016: Wojo: Clear progress, no tourney but competitive Shaka: Tourney 2 seed
2017: Wojo: Tourney bid  Shaka: Tourney 2 seed
2018: Wojo: Narrowly missed, but 7 of top-9 players were freshmen/sophomores  Shaka: Tourney
2019: Wojo: Made top-10, 5-seed, should've won league --Hausers leave, from Feb 2019 was the first notable downturn in progress-  Shaka: Horrendous season
2020: Wojo: Disappointing, but no one was getting fired after COVID  Shaka: TBD

Sorry but "Narrowly missed, but 7 of top-9 players were freshmen/sophomores" is an excuse.

"Made top-10, 5-seed, should've won league --Hausers leave, from Feb 2019 was the first notable downturn in progress-" I don't see Brew changing the framing for Shaka last season where the team made the top 5 and was a 7 seed. 

When you look at their first 5 years side-by-side the difference is pretty stark.  Wojo never achieved consistent results.  He always provided barely just enough reason to keep him in spite of mediocre results.  Even his best team fell apart during the season and imploded after.

It's fine to disagree but my impression is it's not apples-to-apples when it comes to analyzing Shaka's tenure and his job security moving forward. 

I agree that if next season is nearly as bad as this one Shaka would likely be fired.  I wouldn't have any issue with that.  However, I think he's earned some goodwill from the first 4 years.

Personally, I expect a tourney team next season.  However, if we see a lot of improvement but end up on the wrong side of the bubble, I think firing him would be shortsighted. 

Quote from: Pakuni on March 14, 2026, 09:01:27 AMI don't think anyone here is/has made the argument that Wojo is a better or equal coach.
What they're saying is:
1. There were valid and defensible reasons Wojo wasn't fired earlier.
2. There are valid and defensible reasons that Shaka would be fired after another losing season in 2026-27.

Beyond that, the ongoing insistence of some here to make Wojo the standard by which we judge Shaka makes zero sense. Wojo ultimately failed to meet the standards and expectations here. Doing better than that should be the Shaka's floor, not ceiling.
Do we think Kentucky fans are defending Mark Pope being on the hot seat next year by saying "but he's better than Billy Gillespie?"

Quote from: The Sultan on March 14, 2026, 09:40:31 AMImagine typing all these words and not addressing my point.

Quote from: brewcity77 on March 14, 2026, 09:11:33 AMNo, it's not apples to apples and I said as much because the ability to flip a roster has completely transformed the sport. So the first two years that Wojo largely got a pass for shouldn't exist anymore because as Shaka showed in 2021, you can go out and add 4 heavy rotation guys with immediate impact. That wasn't possible in 2014.

And I do think that Shaka was feeling real job pressure this year. The comments to Greenberg before Providence were not an accident. Panning to visiting GM Broeker while talking about the new roster philosophy was not an accident. It was a message to big donors that Mike & Shaka know they need to win next year and need to use the portal and donor funds available to them to do that. It was also a message saying "give us money and this time we will use it."

Shaka earned enough grace his first four years to allow him the opportunity to pivot back to the portal. But I think there are a lot of people here who don't realize just how much of that grace he lit on fire with this past season. Had he doubled down on this roster and indicated he was going to run it back with the same guys, I think there's a real chance he'd be gone already. And there's no way he can do this again next year and remain employed at Marquette.

Quote from: brewcity77 on March 14, 2026, 09:11:33 AMNo, it's not apples to apples and I said as much because the ability to flip a roster has completely transformed the sport. So the first two years that Wojo largely got a pass for shouldn't exist anymore because as Shaka showed in 2021, you can go out and add 4 heavy rotation guys with immediate impact. That wasn't possible in 2014.

And I do think that Shaka was feeling real job pressure this year. The comments to Greenberg before Providence were not an accident. Panning to visiting GM Broeker while talking about the new roster philosophy was not an accident. It was a message to big donors that Mike & Shaka know they need to win next year and need to use the portal and donor funds available to them to do that. It was also a message saying "give us money and this time we will use it."

Shaka earned enough grace his first four years to allow him the opportunity to pivot back to the portal. But I think there are a lot of people here who don't realize just how much of that grace he lit on fire with this past season. Had he doubled down on this roster and indicated he was going to run it back with the same guys, I think there's a real chance he'd be gone already. And there's no way he can do this again next year and remain employed at Marquette.

Quote from: Stretchdeltsig on March 14, 2026, 10:55:20 AMWill the roster restructuring mean the dismissal of Norman, Jones and Hamilton? Their production and contributions have been minimal.

Quote from: The Sultan on March 14, 2026, 09:40:31 AMImagine typing all these words and not addressing my point.

Quote from: Elonsmusk on March 14, 2026, 10:26:41 AMImagine being so dumb about basketball that you couldn't recognize Wojo wouldn't succeed as a coach for 5 years.

Imagine suggesting a coach with Shaka's track record should be on the hot seat after 1 bad season out of 5, and fired should he have a 2nd bad seasons at MU - a program that hadn't won an NCAA game for 10 years prior to his arrival.  Yet, imagine trying to justify the loser that came before Shaka not being fireable until Year 7.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 14, 2026, 11:29:52 AM...add Clark as well. If he showed any potential he would have gotten more playing time than he did. If Shaka wants to keep any of these guys the only one I would keep is Tre and let him finish his Senior Year.

Quote from: brewcity77 on March 14, 2026, 09:11:33 AMNo, it's not apples to apples and I said as much because the ability to flip a roster has completely transformed the sport. So the first two years that Wojo largely got a pass for shouldn't exist anymore because as Shaka showed in 2021, you can go out and add 4 heavy rotation guys with immediate impact. That wasn't possible in 2014.

And I do think that Shaka was feeling real job pressure this year. The comments to Greenberg before Providence were not an accident. Panning to visiting GM Broeker while talking about the new roster philosophy was not an accident. It was a message to big donors that Mike & Shaka know they need to win next year and need to use the portal and donor funds available to them to do that. It was also a message saying "give us money and this time we will use it."

Shaka earned enough grace his first four years to allow him the opportunity to pivot back to the portal. But I think there are a lot of people here who don't realize just how much of that grace he lit on fire with this past season. Had he doubled down on this roster and indicated he was going to run it back with the same guys, I think there's a real chance he'd be gone already. And there's no way he can do this again next year and remain employed at Marquette.

Quote from: Vander Blue Man Group on March 14, 2026, 11:49:53 AMOf course Shaka was feeling pressure.  Of course the comments to Greenberg were intentional and intended to send a message.  I never said otherwise.

Wojo got 7 years and was almost brought back for an 8th despite only 2 tourney appearances with no tourney wins. 

Shaka has 4 tourney appearances in 5 years, two 2-seeds, a conference championship, a conference tourney championship, and a Sweet 16.  He's shown repeatedly he can win at a high level, and even more importantly, wants to stay long-term.

This season was unacceptable.  Unless next season is also an unmitigated disaster, Shaka should not be on the hot seat.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 14, 2026, 11:52:10 AMWojo is not the baseline.
Wojo is not the baseline.
Wojo is not the baseline.

Quote from: Vander Blue Man Group on March 14, 2026, 11:55:47 AMNo, Wojo is not the baseline of what should be expected of the basketball program.  But he is also the most recent data point so let's not act like it's not relevant to compare. 

Quote from: Warrior of Law on March 14, 2026, 11:43:06 AMI do believe there's a path to keep Norman and Hamilton. If MU picks up two spots from the portal, then there is still a roster spot for them. Both can be 8-10th guys and serve a purpose. With the redshirts and incoming frosh, there will be robust competition for minutes.

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 14, 2026, 12:25:30 PMYears later people still trying to defend the horrible hiring and late firing of a coach who was clearly out of his league.


Oh my.

Quote from: Vander Blue Man Group on March 14, 2026, 11:49:53 AMShaka has 4 tourney appearances in 5 years, two 2-seeds, a conference championship, a conference tourney championship, and a Sweet 16.  He's shown repeatedly he can win at a high level, and even more importantly, wants to stay long-term.

This season was unacceptable.  Unless next season is also an unmitigated disaster, Shaka should not be on the hot seat.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 14, 2026, 12:28:31 PMExactly when would you have fired Wojo?

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 14, 2026, 12:35:04 PMDay 1. Day 2. Day 3.

When he forgot the score and had us foul.

When Marquette lost to Seton hall in the big east tournament and Howard was 1-15 for shooting, and sprinted down the court and shot the last shot.


A week later when they were throttled by Murray state.

When the team emploded due to his inability to manage the locker room.

When he lost to Belmont at home.

When he lost to Omaha at home.

Wojo was a horrible move in every aspect. No head coaching experience, entitled attitude, and if he was successful, he was clearly going to leave for Duke when K retired, and make Marquette a skipping stone school like Crean did.


He was a panic hire after the original Shaka deal fell through.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 14, 2026, 12:41:31 PMI was hoping for a serious answer.
Oh, well.

Quote from: Vander Blue Man Group on March 14, 2026, 11:49:53 AMThis season was unacceptable.  Unless next season is also an unmitigated disaster, Shaka should not be on the hot seat.

Quote from: WhiteTrash on March 14, 2026, 12:46:19 PMIt seem most (all?) are in agreement that a repeat of this season's "unmitigated disaster" will cost Shaka his job; so the debate is really how bad can next year be to cost him his job. Miss post season? Below .500? 18 losses?

Personally, I think the chance of MU being so bad that Shaka is on the hot seat is too remote to spend time putting thought into the exact tipping point of dismissal.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 14, 2026, 12:01:38 PMThe most recent data point of what ... what it takes to get fired?
Fine, Wojo was fired after back-to-back underwhelming seasons.
What does that data point tell us is the appropriate outcome if Shaka has another underwhelming season?

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 14, 2026, 12:43:22 PMMust have been a fan in the 80s? You enjoy and are fine with mediocrity. 7 years, winless in the ncaas.

Quote from: WhiteTrash on March 14, 2026, 12:46:19 PMIt seem most (all?) are in agreement that a repeat of this season's "unmitigated disaster" will cost Shaka his job; so the debate is really how bad can next year be to cost him his job. Miss post season? Below .500? 18 losses?

Personally, I think the chance of MU being so bad that Shaka is on the hot seat is too remote to spend time putting thought into the exact tipping point of dismissal.

Quote from: WhiteTrash on March 14, 2026, 12:46:19 PMIt seem most (all?) are in agreement that a repeat of this season's "unmitigated disaster" will cost Shaka his job; so the debate is really how bad can next year be to cost him his job. Miss post season? Below .500? 18 losses?

Personally, I think the chance of MU being so bad that Shaka is on the hot seat is too remote to spend time putting thought into the exact tipping point of dismissal.

Quote from: Vander Blue Man Group on March 14, 2026, 12:50:13 PMHow do you define "underwhelming"?  That's a subjective term that means different things to different people, including the decision makers. 

You can't make the decision in a vacuum.  Each season is a data point and then you have to project the future with or without Shaka.

Again, unless next season is another sh#tshow, he shouldn't be on the hot seat.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 14, 2026, 12:55:11 PMIt's OK if you don't want to answer the question.

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 14, 2026, 12:49:52 PMIf Marquette is not in the bubble discussion or higher. Fired.

Quote from: Small Orange Soda on March 14, 2026, 01:04:39 PMShaka can narrowly miss the tournament and stick around, but then he's officially on the hot seat and it's really difficult to get off of that. You have to go on a serious run for a string of years to not get fired for another bad season. For Shaka's sake, he needs to make the tournament and show everyone this year was just a blip.

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 14, 2026, 01:27:27 PMDeflection lol.

Quote from: Vander Blue Man Group on March 14, 2026, 11:49:53 AMUnless next season is also an unmitigated disaster, Shaka should not be on the hot seat.

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 14, 2026, 12:26:59 PMWHY WHY WHY WHY would Marquette use valuable funds to pay two players who clearly cannot play in the big east?

Quote from: wadesworld on March 14, 2026, 02:27:11 PMBecause there's no rule that you have to pay every player on the roster.

But no, Norman and Tre will not be our 8th-10th man.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 14, 2026, 02:35:32 PMDo you think Shaka is likely to tell "his" guys that they can stay, but they're losing their income if they do?

Quote from: Pakuni on March 14, 2026, 02:35:32 PMDo you think Shaka is likely to tell "his" guys that they can stay, but they're losing their income if they do?

Quote from: WhiteTrash on March 14, 2026, 02:47:46 PMThat seems reasonable, but more likely a "minimal" NIL deal.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 14, 2026, 03:03:58 PMI can see that.
I can't see Shaka telling them "I expect you to do everything I've paid you to do for the last three years, but only now, I expect you to do it for free and with no hope of playing time."

I think he's far more likely to help them find a home at a mid/low-major where they might get a little income and some time on the floor than the "stay for no pay" scenario. Honestly, as critical we are of these guys, I think they could find themselves sought-after commodities in a decent mid- to low-major program. A Big West program could definitely sell itself on bringing in a California kid who started 17 games at Marquette last season. They may not command six figures, but high fives isn't out of the question, and high fives is better than nothing.

Quote from: wadesworld on March 14, 2026, 03:08:39 PMRight. I think Shaka could, again, assuming he feels enough other spots opened up to field the team he needs to compete next year, will give Caedin or Tre the option to help them find a lower level landing spot, or they can remain on the roster but they'll only get NIL money they can go out and find themselves. I don't think Shaka is required to offer everyone the money they've received in the past.

Quote from: wadesworld on March 14, 2026, 02:27:11 PMBecause there's no rule that you have to pay every player on the roster.

But no, Norman and Caedin will not be our 8th-10th man.

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 14, 2026, 03:40:45 PMNorman and caedin would stay if they didn't get paid?

Quote from: Pakuni on March 14, 2026, 03:38:43 PMNo, he's not required to offer anyone money.
But I would expect he respects his players too much to cut their income to zero, strap them to the end of the bench and then ask them to put forth the same effort as everyone else.

Quote from: wadesworld on March 14, 2026, 03:08:39 PMRight. I think Shaka could, again, assuming he feels enough other spots opened up to field the team he needs to compete next year, will give Caedin or Tre the option to help them find a lower level landing spot, or they can remain on the roster but they'll only get NIL money they can go out and find themselves. I don't think Shaka is required to offer everyone the money they've received in the past.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 14, 2026, 05:45:31 PMThis is the first year for revenue sharing which I assume to be different than NIL, but I could wrong about that. Are there any rules regarding revenue sharing?

Quote from: wadesworld on March 14, 2026, 05:47:45 PMCertainly not that you need to give every player on your roster money. It's up to the school to distribute it how they want.

Quote from: wadesworld on March 14, 2026, 05:47:45 PMCertainly not that you need to give every player on your roster money. It's up to the school to distribute it how they want.

Quote from: WhiteTrash on March 14, 2026, 05:05:28 PMExcept for the pay part, that has happened in all sports above Jr. High forever.

If Shaka can't be the heavy, but fair and honest, with his players, MU has to move on right away.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 14, 2026, 06:10:41 PMSo when they sign their LOI with the school, the amount "distributed" in not in that LOI and in subsequent years when scholarships are renewed, or is that a "separate" contract? I cannot imagine what revenue share a player will get is not in writing. So I doubt players will not receive no payments.

Quote from: brewcity77 on March 14, 2026, 02:07:17 PMMissing the tournament, given this season, would qualify. Regardless, if he can have another season that would warrant dismissal, then he's coaching for his job, thus he's on the hot seat.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 14, 2026, 01:15:17 PMHow do you define sh#tshow? That's a subjective term that means different things to different people, including the decision makers.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 14, 2026, 01:15:17 PMAnd what's the point of having data points if each season is it's own, unique data point?

Quote from: Pakuni on March 14, 2026, 01:15:17 PMI think we know from program history that no coach will survive back-to-back losing seasons. So we can start there with the minimum Shaka needs to do to avoid firing. If we're on the wrong side of .500 this time next year, Shaka's seat is more likely to be empty than hot.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 14, 2026, 01:15:17 PMFrom there, I'd say it depends. Making the tournament should be the expectation, but whether failure to do so gets him fired depends on injury luck, how the schedule shakes out, etc. If MU wins 17 games but  doesn't make the tournament because Nigel and Royce each missed a few weeks, that's a mitigating factor in Shaka's favor. If we're playing in the Crown next year with a 17-16 record despite a healthy roster and the promised portal additions, it may be the end of the road. If we win 19-20 games but end up just on the wrong side of the bubble, he's likely safe.

Quote from: Pakuni on March 14, 2026, 01:15:17 PMI've read a whole lot here in recent weeks about how this team has three young studs to build around, at least one high-end freshman coming in, three promising redshirts joining the active roster, and Shaka ready and willing to add key pieces through the portal.
How are we thinking/accepting anything other than "Tournament or bust"?

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 14, 2026, 06:10:41 PMSo when they sign their LOI with the school, the amount "distributed" in not in that LOI and in subsequent years when scholarships are renewed, or is that a "separate" contract? I cannot imagine what revenue share a player will get is not in writing. So I doubt players will not receive no payments.

Quote from: Mu8891 on March 14, 2026, 06:38:46 PMTrash - Shaka sure as hell can't be the
" heavy " ..

I'm convinced he ( almost ) runs it back
w/ maybe two additions.  Zaide and hopefully Sean's spots. 

Quote from: Billy Hoyle on March 14, 2026, 08:33:19 PMFirst, there is no more NLI (not LOI), they are Financial Aid Agreements between the school and the student-athlete. It is much easier for a kid to get out of a FA Agreement than it was with the NIL. And, those just cover institutional grants in aid. Revenue Share is a separate contract. More are one-year deals, but schools are starting to have athletes sign multi-year deals. There are also contracts with collectives or other boosters on top of revenue share - see the Darien Mensah situation at Duke. That's how you get to a $7 million number like Dybansta has.

Quote from: Jay Bee on March 14, 2026, 08:54:39 PM#FakeNews #Lies

"Revenue sharing" isn't sharing of revenue. It's spending of money, up to a cap, if schools so wish. MU could spend a ton on men's bball - they choose not to, and will continue to not spend anywhere near that cap.

Traditional NLI absolutely exists, but has more rigor around the deals -- but that could change any second.

 

Quote from: wadesworld on March 14, 2026, 05:47:45 PMCertainly not that you need to give every player on your roster money. It's up to the school to distribute it how they want.

Quote from: Billy Hoyle on March 14, 2026, 08:33:19 PMFirst, there is no more NLI (not LOI), they are Financial Aid Agreements between the school and the student-athlete. It is much easier for a kid to get out of a FA Agreement than it was with the NIL. And, those just cover institutional grants in aid. Revenue Share is a separate contract. More are one-year deals, but schools are starting to have athletes sign multi-year deals. There are also contracts with collectives or other boosters on top of revenue share - see the Darien Mensah situation at Duke. That's how you get to a $7 million number like Dybansta has.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 15, 2026, 07:19:18 AMAre Financial Aid Agreements considered scholarships and subject to the scholarship limit of 15? Secondly, walk-ons can play garbage minutes but these players do not have scholarships/Financial Aid Agreements. So I guess a school could get around the scholarship limit by offering a walk-on a separate revenue share contract. Since there are no rules anymore I guess that is a possibility to get a high valued player without offering a scholarship?

Quote from: The Sultan on March 15, 2026, 07:26:21 AMFinancial Aid Agreements replaced NLIs. It's basically a contract that ties the school and athlete together with some stipulations.

As I understand it, walk-ons aren't really going to be a thing in the future. There will be 15 scholarship players on a team. The current walk-ons just need to get through their eligibility.

Quote from: wadesworld on March 14, 2026, 05:47:45 PMCertainly not that you need to give every player on your roster money. It's up to the school to distribute it how they want.

Quote from: Billy Hoyle on March 15, 2026, 10:27:16 AMThe 15 is the roster cap; not every player has to get a full scholarship or even any scholarship. Some schools are still budgeting 13 scholarships, with some guys getting partials combined with academic money, much like the equivalency sports used to do. Certainly not every player on a roster is getting revenue share dollars. As you said, it's up to the schools to determine how to distribute it. My guess is MU is around $6 to $7 million in hoops rev share and I would hope that next year Caedin and Clark aren't getting the same amount as Nigel and Royce.

Quote from: Billy Hoyle on March 15, 2026, 10:27:16 AMThe 15 is the roster cap; not every player has to get a full scholarship or even any scholarship. Some schools are still budgeting 13 scholarships, with some guys getting partials combined with academic money, much like the equivalency sports used to do. Certainly not every player on a roster is getting revenue share dollars. As you said, it's up to the schools to determine how to distribute it. My guess is MU is around $6 to $7 million in hoops rev share and I would hope that next year Caedin and Clark aren't getting the same amount as Nigel and Royce.

Quote from: wadesworld on March 15, 2026, 12:31:39 PMI'm pretty sure Pepperdine, along with maybe other schools, had to vacate wins and even national titles because they were giving both athletic and academic scholarships to student athletes and they can only receive one or the other.

Quote from: wadesworld on March 15, 2026, 12:31:39 PMI'm pretty sure Pepperdine, along with maybe other schools, had to vacate wins and even national titles because they were giving both athletic and academic scholarships to student athletes and they can only receive one or the other.

Quote from: BCHoopster on March 15, 2026, 03:43:12 PMShaka really tries to buy into relationships with his players and there families.  It will be hard to tell juniors to take a hike.  Only person I see leaving is JONES, who might graduate.  One portal transfer is not enough, let's see if Shaka has the balls to get rid of more dead weight

Quote from: GoldenEagles03 on March 15, 2026, 03:49:02 PMYou are drastically underestimating the power of coaching for your job at a P5 level.

Quote from: Billy Hoyle on March 15, 2026, 03:53:19 PMWe may also be underestimating the power of Boeker and (especially) President Kim being total Shaka fanboys.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on March 14, 2026, 06:10:41 PMSo I doubt players will not receive no payments.

Quote from: GoldenEagles03 on March 15, 2026, 03:49:02 PMYou are drastically underestimating the power of coaching for your job at a P5 level.

Quote from: BCHoopster on March 15, 2026, 03:43:12 PMShaka really tries to buy into relationships with his players and there families.  It will be hard to tell juniors to take a hike.  Only person I see leaving is JONES, who might graduate.  One portal transfer is not enough, let's see if Shaka has the balls to get rid of more dead weight

Quote from: The Sultan on March 15, 2026, 03:56:19 PMThe people writing the checks have told them to wake up from their happy little dream.

Quote from: WhiteTrash on March 15, 2026, 04:01:21 PMIMO, Shaka doesn't need any pressure to make changes to win. I genuinely believe he an ultra competitive guy who will do what he needs to do to win without outside motivation.

Quote from: GoldenEagles03 on March 15, 2026, 04:20:22 PMExternal noise clearly was a motivating factor in this change though.

Quote from: Scoop Snoop on March 15, 2026, 04:42:32 PMAnd this is what really gets me. Without "external noise" (weird words, but they work here) I wonder if Shaka would have rerun RGV this coming season without transfers. The money people needed to give him a wake-up call.

Quote from: Warrior of Law on March 15, 2026, 05:57:56 PMOne of the nice parts, and perhaps the only one, of NIL/Portal world is that everyone's on a one-year deal.

Quote from: Scoop Snoop on March 15, 2026, 04:42:32 PMAnd this is what really gets me. Without "external noise" (weird words, but they work here) I wonder if Shaka would have rerun RGV this coming season without transfers. The money people needed to give him a wake-up call.

Quote from: wadesworld on March 15, 2026, 08:49:51 PMHe didn't need a wake up call. I cannot believe people here think that a guy as competitive as Shaka just wants to sit around and go 12-18 as long as he can sing Koombyah. If Shaka needed to be told how to build his roster by those who write the checks, he'd be looking for a soft landing spot right now.

Quote from: Small Orange Soda on March 15, 2026, 09:19:02 PMHe definitely needed a wake up call. It wasn't, 'you need to recruit this guy or that guy', it was 'you need to not be the only high major coach to not use the portal when you know improvement is necessary'

Quote from: wadesworld on March 15, 2026, 08:49:51 PMHe didn't need a wake up call. I cannot believe people here think that a guy as competitive as Shaka just wants to sit around and go 12-18 as long as he can sing Koombyah. If Shaka needed to be told how to build his roster by those who write the checks, he'd be looking for a soft landing spot right now.

Quote from: MU82 on March 15, 2026, 09:51:45 PMSeriously, how do you know he didn't realize that himself fairly early this season? Were you in his meetings with others? Were you in his brain?

It's not just you. We have a lot of Scoopers who claim to know exactly what Shaka was thinking and when he was thinking it and who made him think it.

What we haven't seen is any evidence of any of it.

Quote from: MU82 on March 15, 2026, 09:51:45 PMSeriously, how do you know he didn't realize that himself fairly early this season? Were you in his meetings with others? Were you in his brain?

It's not just you. We have a lot of Scoopers who claim to know exactly what Shaka was thinking and when he was thinking it and who made him think it.

What we haven't seen is any evidence of any of it.

Quote from: MU82 on March 15, 2026, 04:05:13 PMIt must be exhausting to be a 24/7 Eeyore.

Also, "their" families.

Also, if JONES leaves as you are speculating, it would be a minimum of two spots for incoming transfers.

Also, your interest in Shaka's genitalia is disturbing.

Quote from: #UnleashThePortal on March 15, 2026, 11:11:05 PMSean being out for the season the same time that Nigel became the starter is kind of telling.

Quote from: Scoop Snoop on March 15, 2026, 10:17:24 PMFair. We don't know. But we do know Shaka shoehorned the word "growth" into pressers, after the near disastrous Valpo game when he had just a brief moment to comment, after the UW fiasco (We believe in growth"  :o  ::) and a steady stream of RGV talk-"growth" being his favorite word- throughout the season. He didn't need to abandon RGV talk, but I think by not toning it down he seemed to be saying "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!" This is my personal take. I heard nothing to convince me that he was recognizing any need to change his M.O.

Quote from: Scoop Snoop on March 15, 2026, 09:58:00 PMI do not question Shaka's competitive spirit, nor do I believe that he is satisfied with this horrendous season that was the result over more than "one bad year" of his insisting that he could create projects like Hamilton into BE caliber starters. And I do not need yet another recital of his very impressive accomplishments since coming to Marquette to counterbalance criticisms of this past season. I believe that he can once again bring Marquette to prominence, but not if he chose to continue with what I consider an obsession with developing home-grown talent.

The point of my post was that we will never know whether or not he would have tried to go forward without bringing in transfers because of the statement came from the Athletic Department, not Shaka himself. Could he have been planning on transfers from early on this season? Maybe. But the way this played out was not a good look.
 

Quote from: MU82 on March 16, 2026, 12:22:36 AMSOS and Snoop ...

Again, do either of you (or any other Scooper) know exactly what happened for Shaka to change

Quote from: Scoop Snoop on March 16, 2026, 07:57:22 AMBut we do know that there was a public announcement.

Quote from: Small Orange Soda on March 15, 2026, 09:59:57 PMWell, he himself admitted that they decided four years ago to not take any D-1 transfers after the first year. So we know he thought that.

It's pretty well known that there were donors who made their voices heard.

Then we get a clearly planted report during a game that things will now change.

Was he literally forced to change? Doubt it. But he had chances to improve this team before that way and decided not to.

We're no different than any college fan base. The people with money matter.