Quote from: WhiteTrash on Today at 08:36:24 AMI found this quote interesting from Billy Donovan after their last loss (7th in a row). Not sure I've ever heard a HC publicly explain his strategy so truthfully. I'm used to the typical " we're trying to win games, make the playoffs, ect." or "this year is about developing young players, etc". But this is Billy's motivation for the Bull's season:

"The [only] way I worry about it right now is, how about the guys that are going into the last year of a contract? How about taking care of those guys? That would be my mentality [as a teammate]. We have an opportunity to go in there every single night and say, 'You know what? I know he's going into the last year. I'm going to try and do everything I can to make sure he gets taken care of, man. He's open — I'm going to find him. And you know what? I'm going to help this guy block out . . .' That's really what you do."

Has competing for playing time and winning games become "old school" and taboo in basketball. Is the main objective just to get guys paid?

I mean, he clearly has no concerns about his job security, so might as well do his guys a favor and get them financial security in future seasons like he has.

6 out of last 7 weeks facing a back up QB, including 4 rookies.  That's insane luck.


Week 9, Marcus Mariota: He filled in for the Commanders when start Jayden Daniels left the game with a dislocated elbow.

Week 10, Jacoby Brissett: He started for the Cardinals in place of injured Kyler Murray.

Week 12, Cam Ward: Seattle faced the Titans' No. 1 overall draft pick.

Week 13, Max Brosmer: The undrafted rookie threw four interceptions filling in for injured starter J.J. McCarthy

Week 14, Kirk Cousins: The 37-year-old in his 14th season started in place of injured starter Michael Penix.

Week 15, Riley Leonard: The rookie Notre Dame is expected to start after Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles injury on Sunday. Expected backup Anthony Richardson is also out for the season for Indy.

Quote from: MU82 on December 08, 2025, 09:33:20 PMNot nearly enough, Mr. Obsessive. I hope the Seahawks play backup QBs every week from now through the Super Bowl.

Quote from: vogue65 on Today at 08:25:06 PMLooks like all the talent is now on four or five teams and we're not one of them. 

Yep, Michigan, Indiana, Maryland, Oklahoma, Dayton and Wisconsin have all the talent. 

Keeping score in sports has run it's course. Time for us to elevate our thinking.

Quote from: Elonsmusk on Today at 07:00:52 PMI suspect if MU had someone come in with, hell, just a $100 million dollar donation for Men's Basketball, you may see a different approach.  In the linked article Kansas got a $300 million donation, Illinois a $100M donation.

You can fantasize all you want and think MU has a bunch of mega wealthy alums that care about basketball, but the truth is as compared to Power 4 schools - yeah, not so much.

So, what we can do is brand ourselves as a place where you won't get recruited over, we will invest in you, and give you time to develop as a player and person.  As the recruits quality increases (and it has with Nigel, Adrien, Sheek, Egbouno), maybe you can compete with Power 4 schools with payrolls of $20M and big time donors of $100M+.

I think you've got some inaccurate/misleading info baked into this argument here.
These huge donations you're citing aren't a "go buy basketball players" slush fund. The Kansas money, for example, is primarily to pay for football stadium improvements and related facilities enhancements. Of the Michigan State donation, much of it is going to football, with other sports divvying up the rest. The $100 million to Illinois is going almost exclusively to football.

Which leads to the next point ... most of this donation/NIL arms race is all about football. And that's not an arms race Marquette needs to be a part of. MU doesn't need a $400 million donation, or $100 donation, to be competitive at basketball. Marquette actually has an advantage in that it doesn't have divided loyalties among its alumni and donor base. We don't need to support a hockey program (check out with MSU is paying these days for that) or a football team or a baseball team. It's men's basketball and pretty much only men's basketball (sorry, women's hoopers). Yes, we have a smaller base to fundraise from than some of these big state schools, but we also need far less money and have fewer programs to divide that money amongst.

And yes, MU does need money, but there's really no excuse not to be able to go get it. Our basketball program matches and surpasses some of the biggest schools in the country in attendance, we have an extremely loyal and engaged fan base and our alumni/graduates aren't a bunch of paupers. Beyond that, we're one of only three major sports teams in a top 40 media market (sorry, UWM) with a significant commercial/corporate base. The money is out there if MU can go get it! And if Marquette can't go get it, the way other schools across the country are, that's a Marquette problem, not an NIL/college sports problem, and the university needs to put better people in charge.

Look, nobody is suggesting Marquette will, or can, have a $20 million roster. But the reality is we've never competed on an equal field in terms of resources with programs like Kentucky or UNC or Kansas. And we're not going to now. But there's no reason Marquette can't maintain a successful, top 25 basketball program.

It feels very much that you're just trying to find a rationalization/justification for slavish devotion to a strategy that isn't working right now.

We are not alone.
Villanova got blown out tonight by M.
Looks like all the talent is now on four or five teams and we're not one of them. 
Who is the best of the rest?

What about the friends we make along the way?

Dybantsa is the #1 pick.  He can do it all. 

Quote from: WhiteTrash on Today at 06:52:55 PMCan you point me to a sport where the main objective is to win?

I think the main objective is relationships. Or is it growth?

Clemson has 9 pts in the 2H in 13 mins.