Quote from: wadesworld on January 14, 2026, 03:29:40 PMIf no legitimate Big East rotational pieces are added through the portal and there are no unexpected departures, they'll be better but not good enough to even be on the bubble.

You can build around Nigel.  I'd expect Egbuonu to be one of the better players on the team if the above is the case.  The ceiling would depend on whether Sheek can contribute right away and whether Stevens and Parham progress to legitimate Big East rotational players.

But if no portal players, then the lineup would probably be:

Two freshmen (Sheek, Egbuono)
Two sophomores (James, Stevens)
One Junior (Parham)

Of course that being maybe Owens stays and starts.

Then the excuse of losing, would be the same narrative that is currently being discussed as an excuse, too many young players against older experienced players.

Quote from: willie warrior on January 14, 2026, 03:25:35 PMSeems like 20 plus losses are becoming a thing with this team.

Absolutely, joyless willie!

20-plus losses every single season, year after year after year. Yup, truly a Marquette thing.

What is it now ... 14 straight 20-loss seasons?

I have no illusions about MU winning the BE tourny and much less expect that if they did they could make a run in the NCAA's.  All I am suggesting,contray to what seems the group think around here, is that this team has talent and if in the next 10 or 12 games can come together as a team they would be fun to watch.  Rosss and James had the best game together this year.  Parham had a nice game and Hamilton made what I think was a hook shot.  The freshmen and sophomores on this team are learning to play together which in the larger view was I think the goal for the season.  There is absolutly no reason to think that next season's edition of the team  won't be 15 games better.  James is a stud.  Stevens and Philoips are studs in the making.  Next year the the eagles soar and play like warriors.

We're gonna go 0-20 (update: 1-19). Shaka can't coach. Nobody can make a shot. We don't play intelligently. We have very little talent. We're total garbage.

But I'm worried we'll win the Big East Tournament.

So funny.

Im guessing this might be the smallest crowd in quite a while for an away Depaul game. Shame for them, they probably look forward to the stadium being reasonably full once a year.

Quote from: MarquetteMike1977 on January 14, 2026, 04:24:39 PMThe people I know who have seen Sheek play are bullish on him and feel he may start.

I hope so, but him beating out Josh and Caedin doesn't mean much to me at face value. Will he be able to compete with the Ejiofor's and Reed's of the world and whoever else the competition gets in the portal? Shaka always quotes Mike Tomlin so I guess we can say, "The standard is the standard." Right now we're way below it.

ESPN piling on.

Shaka Smart is a long way from his 2011 Final Four run with VCU. The current slide by Marquette, a team that started the season ranked 46th on KenPom, is the extreme opposite of the success he has enjoyed.

Picked to finish fifth in the Big East's preseason poll, injuries and the sudden departure of Zaide Lowery (8.1 PPG) have played a role in the Golden Eagles' slow start. But Smart's team has also failed to show proficiency on either end of the court. Marquette is currently one of the worst offensive (152nd in adjusted offensive efficiency) and defensive (92nd in adjusted defensive efficiency) high-major teams in the country. And there are no signs of immediate improvement for a program that has already suffered losses to Maryland and Georgetown. Marquette would need a kind of miracle to finish the season strong.

Quote from: Billy Hoyle on January 14, 2026, 03:56:41 PMConsidering what they were last year, the lack of NIL, and nearly being the unanimous pick to finish last in conference, what they've done to this point is miraculous.

1-16 from three last night. That's (Ben)...

Quote from: BCHoopster on January 14, 2026, 05:05:28 PMDid you see Sellers and Blackwell make a jump shot, MU has only James who can create is own shot.  Ross scores with his speed, when he goes to the hoop it's more of a disaster, much like the other players. Watch Brandon Smith tonight, he gets into the lane and can create. 

Why are people so obsessed with the players Wisconsin has?  If all we want is a guy who has 3 NCAA Tournament wins in 7 years (doesn't include the 2020 season) that he wasn't simply coaching Bo Ryan's roster then we can just keep relying on RGV and accepting that we can be good every 3 years when we have a good recruiting class that become upper classmen.

They're a bubble team this year.  We can do better and Shaka has done better.

Quote from: MU82 on January 14, 2026, 01:22:12 PMDo you even watch college basketball?

Did you see Sellers and Blackwell make a jump shot, MU has only James who can create is own shot.  Ross scores with his speed, when he goes to the hoop it's more of a disaster, much like the other players. Watch Brandon Smith tonight, he gets into the lane and can create.