Quote from: tower912 on Today at 10:32:43 AMFor me, the team defense is the most puzzling part of this season.  Ben is part of that, but he is a deck chair on the Titanic of the defensive issues.

I think the explanation is that this team doesn't have the talent needed to defend as the scheme demands. When your justification is that "Ben is the best defender on the team" that should require some examination of the "team."  I think it faint praise.  Again, this was something that was obviously coming--although I think the scale of the defensive collapse is even more surprising than the offensive.

Quote from: Aircraftcarrier on Today at 11:31:17 AMI am not going to tell you who said this to me.I said to this person last week the team is playing better.The person said we need two bigs to really compete.

Oh. Well, that settles it! lol, wtf??

Bruh, Shaka's BEST def reb team ever — many moons ago - was ranked #147.

Quote from: Jay Bee on Today at 11:22:48 AMTwo years? No. Always.

Look at Shaka's career. If you want good defensive rebounding, you've got the wrong coach. NEVER happens.

I am not going to tell you who said this to me.I said to this person last week the team is playing better.The person said we need two bigs to really compete.

Quote from: Aircraftcarrier on Today at 10:49:11 AMDePaul had 15 offensive rebounds. MU can't rebound. It has been a problem for two years. What was the excuse last year. Our perimeter was pretty good.

Last season's downward spiral began when Stevie got banged up (surgery), Chase injured his thumb (surgery), and Ben's injuries (shin splints, broken finger) stacked up.   

For fun, name all of the MU teams over the years that have been successful with average guard play but really good post play. 

MU, like all teams, needs good guard play and enough versatile players up front.  It is possible to win a lot with merely adequate play up front if the guards are good enough.   It is nearly impossible to win with average guard play.   

So, if there are no more departures and therefore only room for one player to come in, I want a guard with size and experience playing point.

Quote from: Scoop Snoop on Today at 11:02:34 AMF RGV! I don't think Shaka will completely give it up, and I do not believe that RGV 2.0 or a patched-up version of it will bring us back to prominence. My guess is that going forward, our ceiling would be 6th place in the BE. The analogy of a building that has to be scheduled for demolition because it is structurally unsound fits here. College bball is a business, and the rules of the marketplace are what they are. Coaches cannot write their own and expect success.

If John Gasaway, author of Miracles on the Hardwood, decided to write a book about Shaka's tenure at Marquette, I would propose as a title The Tale of Two Shakas, and begin page one with:

         It was the best of Marquette basketball. It was the worst of Marquette basketball.

IMO, the issues are lack of talent, lack of players with high basketball IQs, and lack of players who fit how MU wants to play. (I also wonder how easy it is to find players that both fit Shaka's pressure style of defense and Smith's 3-focused offense.) MU needs to fix those issues and I don't really care how they do it. That said, to do that quickly so my season tickets are somewhat worth it next year, Shaka has to hit the portal.

Quote from: Aircraftcarrier on Today at 10:49:11 AMDePaul had 15 offensive rebounds. MU can't rebound. It has been a problem for two years. What was the excuse last year. Our perimeter was pretty good.

Two years? No. Always.

Look at Shaka's career. If you want good defensive rebounding, you've got the wrong coach. NEVER happens.

Quote from: Shooter McGavin on Today at 11:11:58 AMIsn't that the former SunTimes columnist and 670 the score Mully and Hanley show Brian Hanley.

Maybe but not sure. Knew a Brian Hanley at Marquette University who passed away from I believe cancer. We both used to date Dorothy Murphy in college.

Quote from: muwarrior69 on Today at 06:59:33 AM... and a coaching staff that can evaluate major D1 talent.

...because the current staff is unwilling or incapable of evaluating major D1 talent. We are now a low major with a high major budget and resources. What is the solution?

77 - Right.  Hamilton is AWFUL. He's a low D1 player ( Horizon or below ).

It's the coaching malpractice by SS that puts him out there. 

Isn't that the former SunTimes columnist and 670 the score Mully and Hanley show Brian Hanley.