The streak

[NotAnAlum]

  This losing streak has been devastating and has come at the worst possible time.  The reactions on this board have been predictable.  Wojo can’t coach; Wojo has lost the team, Wojo can’t make adjustments; we need to cut our loses and fire him; fans who support Wojo are settling for MU being a mediocre program forever, etc, etc.  I’m very frustrated as well but after getting past the sting of losing a game I was almost sure we’d win, which turned out to be for a share of the BE title, I decided that before I give up on Wojo I really need to look at not the streak but the individual losses.  So here is my take

  MU @ Nova.  At this point it was Nova coming in with the 3 game losing streak.  MU had too many turnovers in this game but all in all I believe they looked like the better team.  They were beaten by a desperate team lead by guys and a coach that won the NC last year.  Nova was playing in a building they almost never lose in.  And the only reason they were in a position to win is that Samuels came out of nowhere to have the game of his life.  Maybe MU came in a little over confident and didn’t play with a sense of urgency knowing they weren’t in a must win situation.  But all in all, I really wasn’t concerned MU didn’t win this game as long as they weren’t blown out.

  Creighton @ MU.  This game was a complete disaster.  There is no reason MU should have lost this game.  But the reason they lost was TURNOVERS.  You can’t turn the ball over 22 times and expect to beat a high major team.  If there is a game that honestly raises concerns about “Can Wojo make in game adjustments” this was it.  Its hard to tell if Wojo had an effective offense or defense for this game because so many times the offense never got to run a play and the defense was backpedaling after a live ball turn over. 

  MU @ Seton Hall.  This one worried me before we even played Nova.  I expected it would be tough.  You could tell that SH and the crowd was really stoked for this game just by watching the first 5 minutes.  They knew they had to beat either MU or Nova in this home stand to get into the NCAA and it seemed like they felt MU was their best shot.  MU had too many turnovers but there seemed to be less unforced turnovers by MU in the second half.  The story of this game was Howard played poorly.  Sam shot out of his mind to keep MU in the game but when SH closed the gap and the crowd went nuts, MU panicked.  The percentages caught up with Sam’s 3s (he still shot 41% from 3) and with Markus and Sam both missing the team collapsed.  I hated losing the SH game because at the time it appeared to cost us a shot at the BE title.  BUT in a typical season if MU went into a late season road game against an opponent in a must win with a BE POY candidate in Powell a loss wouldn’t surprise me.

  GT @ MU.  Of course I thought we’d win this game and we would have if GT had not been unconscious from 3.  The GT starting lineup shot 64% from 3.  That’s absurd.  I don’t know how you beat a team when they are that hot.   GT put lots of pressure on the ball but MU didn’t turn it over (5 the whole game).  I think you’d have say there was at least some coaching focus on cutting down on turnovers against the pressure and it worked.  MU didn’t shoot well and Howard didn’t look like himself.  But all of that said if GT just shoots their AVERAGE of 36% from 3 they make 4 less 3s and MU wins by 10.
 
  So looking at it game by game the only game which would cause me to question if Wojo can coach sufficiently well is the Creighton game.  What it looks like to me is that scheduling and bad luck along with one really bad game put us in this position.  We really need a win in the BE tournament but so will whatever team we are going up against.  Whatever happens we need to keep it in prospective.     

[Herman Cain]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxUfg3uCBbg

[JakeBarnes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxUfg3uCBbg

[willie warrior]

  This losing streak has been devastating and has come at the worst possible time.  The reactions on this board have been predictable.  Wojo can’t coach; Wojo has lost the team, Wojo can’t make adjustments; we need to cut our loses and fire him; fans who support Wojo are settling for MU being a mediocre program forever, etc, etc.  I’m very frustrated as well but after getting past the sting of losing a game I was almost sure we’d win, which turned out to be for a share of the BE title, I decided that before I give up on Wojo I really need to look at not the streak but the individual losses.  So here is my take

  MU @ Nova.  At this point it was Nova coming in with the 3 game losing streak.  MU had too many turnovers in this game but all in all I believe they looked like the better team.  They were beaten by a desperate team lead by guys and a coach that won the NC last year.  Nova was playing in a building they almost never lose in.  And the only reason they were in a position to win is that Samuels came out of nowhere to have the game of his life.  Maybe MU came in a little over confident and didn’t play with a sense of urgency knowing they weren’t in a must win situation.  But all in all, I really wasn’t concerned MU didn’t win this game as long as they weren’t blown out.

  Creighton @ MU.  This game was a complete disaster.  There is no reason MU should have lost this game.  But the reason they lost was TURNOVERS.  You can’t turn the ball over 22 times and expect to beat a high major team.  If there is a game that honestly raises concerns about “Can Wojo make in game adjustments” this was it.  Its hard to tell if Wojo had an effective offense or defense for this game because so many times the offense never got to run a play and the defense was backpedaling after a live ball turn over. 

  MU @ Seton Hall.  This one worried me before we even played Nova.  I expected it would be tough.  You could tell that SH and the crowd was really stoked for this game just by watching the first 5 minutes.  They knew they had to beat either MU or Nova in this home stand to get into the NCAA and it seemed like they felt MU was their best shot.  MU had too many turnovers but there seemed to be less unforced turnovers by MU in the second half.  The story of this game was Howard played poorly.  Sam shot out of his mind to keep MU in the game but when SH closed the gap and the crowd went nuts, MU panicked.  The percentages caught up with Sam’s 3s (he still shot 41% from 3) and with Markus and Sam both missing the team collapsed.  I hated losing the SH game because at the time it appeared to cost us a shot at the BE title.  BUT in a typical season if MU went into a late season road game against an opponent in a must win with a BE POY candidate in Powell a loss wouldn’t surprise me.

  GT @ MU.  Of course I thought we’d win this game and we would have if GT had not been unconscious from 3.  The GT starting lineup shot 64% from 3.  That’s absurd.  I don’t know how you beat a team when they are that hot.   GT put lots of pressure on the ball but MU didn’t turn it over (5 the whole game).  I think you’d have say there was at least some coaching focus on cutting down on turnovers against the pressure and it worked.  MU didn’t shoot well and Howard didn’t look like himself.  But all of that said if GT just shoots their AVERAGE of 36% from 3 they make 4 less 3s and MU wins by 10.
 
  So looking at it game by game the only game which would cause me to question if Wojo can coach sufficiently well is the Creighton game.  What it looks like to me is that scheduling and bad luck along with one really bad game put us in this position.  We really need a win in the BE tournament but so will whatever team we are going up against.  Whatever happens we need to keep it in prospective.     

Excellent rationalization.

[MUEng92]

A Badger grad coworker of mine came up to me the morning after the Villanova game, having not talked basketball with me all season.  I remember thinking at the time how strange his comment was when he said, "it's just one game, it's not like they are going to lose the rest of their games..."

I lit into him yesterday morning telling him to knock that crazy Badger voodoo s&$@.

[mileskishnish72]

  This losing streak has been devastating and has come at the worst possible time.  The reactions on this board have been predictable.  Wojo can’t coach; Wojo has lost the team, Wojo can’t make adjustments; we need to cut our loses and fire him; fans who support Wojo are settling for MU being a mediocre program forever, etc, etc.  I’m very frustrated as well but after getting past the sting of losing a game I was almost sure we’d win, which turned out to be for a share of the BE title, I decided that before I give up on Wojo I really need to look at not the streak but the individual losses.  So here is my take

  MU @ Nova.  At this point it was Nova coming in with the 3 game losing streak.  MU had too many turnovers in this game but all in all I believe they looked like the better team.  They were beaten by a desperate team lead by guys and a coach that won the NC last year.  Nova was playing in a building they almost never lose in.  And the only reason they were in a position to win is that Samuels came out of nowhere to have the game of his life.  Maybe MU came in a little over confident and didn’t play with a sense of urgency knowing they weren’t in a must win situation.  But all in all, I really wasn’t concerned MU didn’t win this game as long as they weren’t blown out.

  Creighton @ MU.  This game was a complete disaster.  There is no reason MU should have lost this game.  But the reason they lost was TURNOVERS.  You can’t turn the ball over 22 times and expect to beat a high major team.  If there is a game that honestly raises concerns about “Can Wojo make in game adjustments” this was it.  Its hard to tell if Wojo had an effective offense or defense for this game because so many times the offense never got to run a play and the defense was backpedaling after a live ball turn over. 

  MU @ Seton Hall.  This one worried me before we even played Nova.  I expected it would be tough.  You could tell that SH and the crowd was really stoked for this game just by watching the first 5 minutes.  They knew they had to beat either MU or Nova in this home stand to get into the NCAA and it seemed like they felt MU was their best shot.  MU had too many turnovers but there seemed to be less unforced turnovers by MU in the second half.  The story of this game was Howard played poorly.  Sam shot out of his mind to keep MU in the game but when SH closed the gap and the crowd went nuts, MU panicked.  The percentages caught up with Sam’s 3s (he still shot 41% from 3) and with Markus and Sam both missing the team collapsed.  I hated losing the SH game because at the time it appeared to cost us a shot at the BE title.  BUT in a typical season if MU went into a late season road game against an opponent in a must win with a BE POY candidate in Powell a loss wouldn’t surprise me.

  GT @ MU.  Of course I thought we’d win this game and we would have if GT had not been unconscious from 3.  The GT starting lineup shot 64% from 3.  That’s absurd.  I don’t know how you beat a team when they are that hot.   GT put lots of pressure on the ball but MU didn’t turn it over (5 the whole game).  I think you’d have say there was at least some coaching focus on cutting down on turnovers against the pressure and it worked.  MU didn’t shoot well and Howard didn’t look like himself.  But all of that said if GT just shoots their AVERAGE of 36% from 3 they make 4 less 3s and MU wins by 10.
 
  So looking at it game by game the only game which would cause me to question if Wojo can coach sufficiently well is the Creighton game.  What it looks like to me is that scheduling and bad luck along with one really bad game put us in this position.  We really need a win in the BE tournament but so will whatever team we are going up against.  Whatever happens we need to keep it in prospective.     

Panicking and collapsing aren't acceptable at this stage of development.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

While, I don't like the losses, individually, the @Nova and @Hall losses are totally understandable.  The vs. Gtown game we ran into a buzzsaw with respect to McClung, Akinjo, and the refs.  The Creighton game was a complete disaster.

I honestly feel like we have not had a 50/50 call to go our way in weeks. While I can't specifically point to the refs in the Creighton and Hall games because we turned the ball over 20+ times, the refs did us no favors.  I will say that the Gtown game was almost certainly decided by the refs.  Not just the missed call(s) at the very end, but all Gtown did the final 10 mins was drive into the lane, jump into a defender, flail, and get the call everytime....on MU's hom court.  Gtown did go to the line and knock down their free throws, which is something we couldn't do, and tip of the cap to them for that.  But the refs really decided that game.

I feel like the Big East refs have been giving the calls to the teams that "needed" wins towards the end of the season.  Every team we played over the last 4 has "needed" the win more than us, and in every case but @Nova, the other team REALLY needed the win.  Its stupid that makes a difference, but it clearly did.  Even when we played Nova, they were coming off 3 straight losses and really needed to right the ship.  Creighton, SHU and Gtown were all hanging from a thread with their tournament lives, and Creighton and Hall saved their seasons with those wins.  Gtown kept their faint hopes alive. 

Now that is not to say the refs are solely to blame.  Our late game execution has been horrific.  Markus hasn't been good.  Sam, outside of the Hall game, hasn't been good.  Sacar stopped hitting the floaters we were getting accustomed to.  Theo can't stay out of foul trouble.  We've done ourselves zero favors, and we're clearly playing out worst basketball of the season at the wrong time.  But we were leading under 5 in all 4 games; the games were there for the taking.  We won our fair share of games that could have gone the other way during the first 25 or so games of the season, so I try to look at it as things evening out. 

It is time to turn the page.  I honestly think the best thing that could happen to this team is to get out of the Big East.  Play some teams that have had a limited amount of time to prepare for Marquette.  And for the love of jesus, some non-Big East referees will be wonderful.  I still think the team can make the 2nd weekend, and make a deep run depending on matchups.  I haven't given up all hope. 

[Its DJOver]

I thought the reffing for the Gtown game was bad, but for the first 39:58 they were at least consistent.  That game had zero flow, and I think that hurt us more than them, and while I wouldn't blame the loss on the reffing, the amount of whistles was pretty ridiculous.  The 51 combined fouls and 75 combined FTA were both the second most that either team had in the season, and the most that either had in conference play.  The only game where there were more total fouls that we played in was K-State, and that included 3 Ts, and while we won that game, there was a pretty clear consensus that the refs consistently were too quick with the whistle.  The only game that Gtwon had with more total fouls was against Arkansas-Little Rock, and that game had 4 Ts, and went to OT. 

This is the Big East, the refs can't go blowing the whistle every time McClung flails his arms about, I was actually surprised that Markus didn't get the call on his step back three attempt, where he clearly just lost the ball, because he flailed his arms so much.  I would think that if McClung had done that, there wold have been a whistle for sure. 

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I thought the reffing for the Gtown game was bad, but for the first 39:58 they were at least consistent.

Not sure I agree with that.  Maybe the first 25-30 mins were consistent.  But those last 10 minutes, I would venture a guess that 75-80% of Gtown offensive possessions ended in free throws.  Some were fouls, some definitely were not.  We had some chances at the line as well (and missed way too many of them, and frankly that was the difference), but I don't know what MU was supposed to do defensively.  McClung would just drive with his head down, out of control, into traffic and get the call everytime.  It was awful to watch. 

[nyg]

While, I don't like the losses, individually, the @Nova and @Hall losses are totally understandable.  The vs. Gtown game we ran into a buzzsaw with respect to McClung, Akinjo, and the refs.  The Creighton game was a complete disaster.

I honestly feel like we have not had a 50/50 call to go our way in weeks. While I can't specifically point to the refs in the Creighton and Hall games because we turned the ball over 20+ times, the refs did us no favors.  I will say that the Gtown game was almost certainly decided by the refs.  Not just the missed call(s) at the very end, but all Gtown did the final 10 mins was drive into the lane, jump into a defender, flail, and get the call everytime....on MU's hom court.  Gtown did go to the line and knock down their free throws, which is something we couldn't do, and tip of the cap to them for that.  But the refs really decided that game.

I feel like the Big East refs have been giving the calls to the teams that "needed" wins towards the end of the season.  Every team we played over the last 4 has "needed" the win more than us, and in every case but @Nova, the other team REALLY needed the win.  Its stupid that makes a difference, but it clearly did.  Even when we played Nova, they were coming off 3 straight losses and really needed to right the ship.  Creighton, SHU and Gtown were all hanging from a thread with their tournament lives, and Creighton and Hall saved their seasons with those wins.  Gtown kept their faint hopes alive. 

Now that is not to say the refs are solely to blame.  Our late game execution has been horrific.  Markus hasn't been good.  Sam, outside of the Hall game, hasn't been good.  Sacar stopped hitting the floaters we were getting accustomed to.  Theo can't stay out of foul trouble.  We've done ourselves zero favors, and we're clearly playing out worst basketball of the season at the wrong time.  But we were leading under 5 in all 4 games; the games were there for the taking.  We won our fair share of games that could have gone the other way during the first 25 or so games of the season, so I try to look at it as things evening out. 

It is time to turn the page.  I honestly think the best thing that could happen to this team is to get out of the Big East.  Play some teams that have had a limited amount of time to prepare for Marquette.  And for the love of jesus, some non-Big East referees will be wonderful.  I still think the team can make the 2nd weekend, and make a deep run depending on matchups.  I haven't given up all hope.

May be bit over the top, but in order to verify your statement, it would mean that the referees met prior to the games and agreed to provide the "needed" teams with the benefit of the doubt on fouls, just because they were behind in the standings.  Did the same referees work the CU, SHU and GU games?  If not, then nine referees have had the same discussion amongst themselves in this conspiracy. I realize the refs have been a point of contention/excuses over the years, but to basically state the refs are throwing games in the direction of "needed" teams might be off base.   

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

May be bit over the top, but in order to verify your statement, it would mean that the referees met prior to the games and agreed to provide the "needed" teams with the benefit of the doubt on fouls, just because they were behind in the standings.  Did the same referees work the CU, SHU and GU games?  If not, then nine referees have had the same discussion amongst themselves in this conspiracy. I realize the refs have been a point of contention/excuses over the years, but to basically state the refs are throwing games in the direction of "needed" teams might be off base.

It doesn't need to be 1 set of referrers.  It could be that refs in general tend to favor the teams that need the wins late in the season as opposed to the ones that don't.  I am not suggesting it is just 2 or 3 refs doing it.  Obviously our opponents the last 4 games needed the wins more than MU. 

I am not alone in this theory.  Pretty sure it was Jeff Goodman who tweeted a day or two ago that a high major coach told him pretty much the same thing...that he is convinced that refs consistently favor teams that need wins late in the season.  Unlikely to be directly Big East related, he didn't name the coach or anything. 

[Its DJOver]

Not sure I agree with that.  Maybe the first 25-30 mins were consistent.  But those last 10 minutes, I would venture a guess that 75-80% of Gtown offensive possessions ended in free throws.  Some were fouls, some definitely were not.  We had some chances at the line as well (and missed way too many of them, and frankly that was the difference), but I don't know what MU was supposed to do defensively.  McClung would just drive with his head down, out of control, into traffic and get the call everytime.  It was awful to watch.

Per ESPN play-by-play (which is not always exact) from the 10 minute mark until we started fouling with 15 seconds left to extend, we out free throw attempted them 18-12 (30 FTA in a 10 minute stretch is ridiculous).  I agree that some of the calls that Gtown got were extremely generous, (McClung had 4 fts in about a 45 second span and neither were fouls IMO), but at the same time we got some generous calls too (Sacar hit 4 fts in about a 20 second span and neither were fouls IMO).  The were blowing the whistle far too much, but they were calling it both ways until the last 2 seconds, any other time in the game and that that would have been a foul and Sam would have gone to the line with a chance to tie, refs decided to swallow the whistle at the wrong time.

Again, I don't think they decided the game, because we missed too many open shots, but it was not a well officiated game.

[nyg]

It doesn't need to be 1 set of referrers.  It could be that refs in general tend to favor the teams that need the wins late in the season as opposed to the ones that don't.  I am not suggesting it is just 2 or 3 refs doing it.  Obviously our opponents the last 4 games needed the wins more than MU. 

I am not alone in this theory.  Pretty sure it was Jeff Goodman who tweeted a day or two ago that a high major coach told him pretty much the same thing...that he is convinced that refs consistently favor teams that need wins late in the season.  Unlikely to be directly Big East related, he didn't name the coach or anything.

If thats your belief, OK, so be it.  Its one thing to rate the refs as incompetent, maybe get full-time, etc., but totally another to imply that that they are throwing games for the needy.  If they are giving the calls, on purpose for that fact, then it is throwing games. 

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

If thats your belief, OK, so be it.  Its one thing to rate the refs as incompetent, maybe get full-time, etc., but totally another to imply that that they are throwing games for the needy.  If they are giving the calls, on purpose for that fact, then it is throwing games.

Don't shoot the messenger.  When a guy like Jeff Goodman is quoting a high major coach as saying the same thing....I would take those 2 guys opinion over most. 

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Per ESPN play-by-play (which is not always exact) from the 10 minute mark until we started fouling with 15 seconds left to extend, we out free throw attempted them 18-12 (30 FTA in a 10 minute stretch is ridiculous).  I agree that some of the calls that Gtown got were extremely generous, (McClung had 4 fts in about a 45 second span and neither were fouls IMO), but at the same time we got some generous calls too (Sacar hit 4 fts in about a 20 second span and neither were fouls IMO).  The were blowing the whistle far too much, but they were calling it both ways until the last 2 seconds, any other time in the game and that that would have been a foul and Sam would have gone to the line with a chance to tie, refs decided to swallow the whistle at the wrong time.

Again, I don't think they decided the game, because we missed too many open shots, but it was not a well officiated game.

That's fair.  Thanks for the additional details.  I am definitely not an impartial viewer, so perhaps the exact details escape me a bit a few days later.  I certainly won't subject myself to rewatching those last 10 mins.

I did, however, have 2 completely impartial co-workers who know I am a big MU fan say that they watched the last several minutes of the game and thought the game was completely decided by refereeing. 

[nyg]

Don't shoot the messenger.  When a guy like Jeff Goodman is quoting a high major coach as saying the same thing....I would take those 2 guys opinion over most.

Understand, but you stated "I believe" and was going on that.  Goodman quoting one coach is non viable to me.

If that's the belief, then MU should have been the more "needy" team when it played Georgetown.  Three straight losses, playing for a BE Title and keeping MU and a BE team in the upper rankings.  Much more important than having a probable non bid Georgetown team from needing a win.  The thought of refs talking about which teams get the calls prior to the opening tipoff is just absurd to me and would actually be illegal.  Other than that, we are good. 

[Its DJOver]

That's fair.  Thanks for the additional details.  I am definitely not an impartial viewer, so perhaps the exact details escape me a bit a few days later.  I certainly won't subject myself to rewatching those last 10 mins.

I did, however, have 2 completely impartial co-workers who know I am a big MU fan say that they watched the last several minutes of the game and thought the game was completely decided by refereeing.

I think that's totally fair, and I can understand if an unbiased person had that viewpoint, I just think it's slightly different when you follow a team as closely as we do.  When your second best player shoots 2-11 overall and 1-7 from 3 I think it's hard to put too much blame on the refs.  Again, I thought the reffing was decidedly poor, but if any of Sam, Akinjo, or McClung shoot their normal percentages we win.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Understand, but you stated "I believe" and was going on that.  Goodman quoting one coach is non viable to me.

If that's the belief, then MU should have been the more "needy" team when it played Georgetown.  Three straight losses, playing for a BE Title and keeping MU and a BE team in the upper rankings.  Much more important than having a probable non bid Georgetown team from needing a win.  The thought of refs talking about which teams get the calls prior to the opening tipoff is just absurd to me and would actually be illegal.  Other than that, we are good.

We can certainly agree to disagree. But not sure how you could conclude that Mu needed that win over Gtown.

Gtown has 0% chance for an at large with a loss. They now probably have like a 15-20% chance. The game was meaningless for MUs tournament chances. Obviously as MU fans and for the team losing 4 in a row in the fashion they did is brutal, but that was by no means a must win game for Marquette.

[muwarrior97]

This needs a better name "The Streak" sounds positive.....let's crowd-source a new name

[BrewCity83]

This needs a better name "The Streak" sounds positive.....let's crowd-source a new name

The skid.