Five Years To Judge

[Heisenberg]

On April 1, 2014, Wojciechowski was hired as the new Marquette head basketball coach, replacing Buzz Williams, who left for Virginia Tech.[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Wojciechowski

[Markusquette]

Hard to believe it's been 5 years already. For better and for worse.

[harryp]

In his first 5 years, Coach K was 73 - 59 and fans were hanging him in efegy

[willie warrior]

In his first 5 years, Coach K was 73 - 59 and fans were hanging him in efegy

Please.. stop the implied comparison between Wojo and K. Wojo was only kept around at Duke to ensure K's shoes had a high sheen on them.

[5DollarPitcher]

Please.. stop the implied comparison between Wojo and K. Wojo was only kept around at Duke to ensure K's shoes had a high sheen on them.

It doesn't really matter.  Duke's prowess, K's recruiting ability, allow the team to consistently hang around the Top 10.  However, K has been to 2 Final Fours in the last 15 years.  FIFTEEN YEARS.  With the talent that consistently comes through Duke, it seems that number should be much higher.  Especially this year.  And we got the ultra-discount Roundy's brand K...

[BallBoy]

It doesn't really matter.  Duke's prowess, K's recruiting ability, allow the team to consistently hang around the Top 10.  However, K has been to 2 Final Fours in the last 15 years.  FIFTEEN YEARS.  With the talent that consistently comes through Duke, it seems that number should be much higher.  Especially this year.  And we got the ultra-discount Roundy's brand K...

You left out he won two national championships in those 15 years. And 3 final fours in 16 years and his next final four will be the most by any coach. The message there is a final four isn't an every other year thing for the blue bloods either.

[GooooMarquette]

You left out he won two national championships in those 15 years. And 3 final fours in 16 years and his next final four will be the most by any coach. The message there is a final four isn't an every other year thing for the blue bloods either.

Yep.

Oh my god - only 2 Championships in the last 15 years. The horror!

[wadesworld]

It doesn't really matter.  Duke's prowess, K's recruiting ability, allow the team to consistently hang around the Top 10.  However, K has been to 2 Final Fours in the last 15 years.  FIFTEEN YEARS.  With the talent that consistently comes through Duke, it seems that number should be much higher.  Especially this year.  And we got the ultra-discount Roundy's brand K...

Why "especially this year?"  When you have nobody who can shoot the ball chances are you aren't winning a title.  I think I heard a stat somewhere that Duke would've been the worst 3 point shooting team in modern basketball to win a national title this year had they done so.

[MU82]

Why "especially this year?"  When you have nobody who can shoot the ball chances are you aren't winning a title.  I think I heard a stat somewhere that Duke would've been the worst 3 point shooting team in modern basketball to win a national title this year had they done so.

Well, that is the coach's fault, no? He is the talent procurer.

Not kicking K at all. One of the great coaches ever, obviously. Just throwing that out there.

[GoldenWarrior11]

I remember his introductory news conference like it was yesterday.  I remember Todd looking absolutely disinterested in the background as Wojo spoke, and having all of the players in the background was an odd look.  Wojo's introduction and Buzz's intro at VT just days earlier were like two completely different productions.

[Billy Hoyle]

I remember his introductory news conference like it was yesterday.  I remember Todd looking absolutely disinterested in the background as Wojo spoke, and having all of the players in the background was an odd look.  Wojo's introduction and Buzz's intro at VT just days earlier were like two completely different productions.

Todd knew the free ride was over.

[wadesworld]

Well, that is the coach's fault, no? He is the talent procurer.

Not kicking K at all. One of the great coaches ever, obviously. Just throwing that out there.

Yes, but everyone acted like Duke was some all time great team with an all time great recruiting class (see: "especially this year") when it was very clear from very early on that Duke could not shoot the rock...the, by far, most important aspect of basketball today.  Duke was a very good team for the 2018-2019 college basketball season, but they were one of the most overhyped teams I can remember as a college basketball fan.  All the talk about Duke being an all time great team, this being the best Duke team ever, this being the best recruiting class ever, etc. was insanely overblown.  Sure they could have 3 top 5 draft picks...in a terrible draft class past about #2.

Give me Wall, Cousins, Bledsoe, and Orton over this class any day.  Easily Odon, Conley, Cook, and Lighty too.  Felton, McCants, and May.  It's not even K's best class in the last half decade.  I'd take Okafor, Tyus Jones, Allen, and Winslow well over this class.  KAT, Lyles, Booker, Ulis.  No doubt the Fab Five.  Williams, Boozer, Dunleavy.

Obviously this isn't Coach K's best coaching job ever.  But people act like this is a catastrophically bad coaching job, a can't miss national championship team.

[MU82]

Yes, but everyone acted like Duke was some all time great team with an all time great recruiting class (see: "especially this year") when it was very clear from very early on that Duke could not shoot the rock...the, by far, most important aspect of basketball today.  Duke was a very good team for the 2018-2019 college basketball season, but they were one of the most overhyped teams I can remember as a college basketball fan.  All the talk about Duke being an all time great team, this being the best Duke team ever, this being the best recruiting class ever, etc. was insanely overblown.  Sure they could have 3 top 5 draft picks...in a terrible draft class past about #2.

Give me Wall, Cousins, Bledsoe, and Orton over this class any day.  Easily Odon, Conley, Cook, and Lighty too.  Felton, McCants, and May.  It's not even K's best class in the last half decade.  I'd take Okafor, Tyus Jones, Allen, and Winslow well over this class.  KAT, Lyles, Booker, Ulis.  No doubt the Fab Five.  Williams, Boozer, Dunleavy.

Obviously this isn't Coach K's best coaching job ever.  But people act like this is a catastrophically bad coaching job, a can't miss national championship team.

All reasonable. I thought they'd have just enough shooting to win but I was wrong. I certainly didn't consider them anything close to an all-time best team.

[5DollarPitcher]

Why "especially this year?"  When you have nobody who can shoot the ball chances are you aren't winning a title.  I think I heard a stat somewhere that Duke would've been the worst 3 point shooting team in modern basketball to win a national title this year had they done so.

Ok sure, three point shooting.  They had Zion, Barrett, and Reddish and BARELY made it out of the Round of 32.  Zion is pretty clearly one of the most dominant college players of all time.  It genuinely seemed like their whole gameplan (if we're agreeing they had one) was to give Zion the ball and let him go 1v5 to the bucket.  Eerily similar to Wojo's treatment of Markus.

[wadesworld]

Ok sure, three point shooting.  They had Zion, Barrett, and Reddish and BARELY made it out of the Round of 32.  Zion is pretty clearly one of the most dominant college players of all time.  It genuinely seemed like their whole gameplan (if we're agreeing they had one) was to give Zion the ball and let him go 1v5 to the bucket.  Eerily similar to Wojo's treatment of Markus.

Well it was either that or if the ball got to RJ's hands it was going to be RJ going 1 on 5, so I'll take my chances with Zion doing it over RJ.

[rocket surgeon]

  " Duke was a very good team for the 2018-2019 college basketball season, but they were one of the most overhyped teams I can remember as a college basketball fan."

  these guys and gonzaga-had  the zags losing right where they did.  because they beat duke at the maui-wowie, they were over-hyped as well, imho

[WarriorDad]

It doesn't really matter.  Duke's prowess, K's recruiting ability, allow the team to consistently hang around the Top 10.  However, K has been to 2 Final Fours in the last 15 years.  FIFTEEN YEARS.  With the talent that consistently comes through Duke, it seems that number should be much higher.  Especially this year.  And we got the ultra-discount Roundy's brand K...

The most any school has in the last 15 years is four (Louisville had more, but vacated three of them for cheating).  It isn't easy to get there.

[MUMonster03]

The most any school has in the last 15 years is four (Louisville had more, but vacated three of them for cheating).  It isn't easy to get there.

In the last 15 years UNC has been to 5 Final Fours and won 3 championships.

In that same time period Kansas 3 (1NC), UCLA 3, Kentucky 4 (1NC), Duke 2 (3 if not counting this season yet)(2NC), Arizona 0, UConn 2 (3 if not counting this year)(2 or 3NC), Syracuse 2, Indiana 0, Michigan State 4 (5 counting this year), Villanova 3 (2NC)

So while a Final Four is not a given, to be considered a top program you should be going every 5 years or so.

[Class71]

Is this a Wojo or Coach K thread?

[RushmoreAcademy]

Is this a Wojo or Coach K thread?

It's neither. It's the worst thread of all..... completely unnecessary!!!

[Heisenberg]

In the last 15 years UNC has been to 5 Final Fours and won 3 championships.

In that same time period Kansas 3 (1NC), UCLA 3, Kentucky 4 (1NC), Duke 2 (3 if not counting this season yet)(2NC), Arizona 0, UConn 2 (3 if not counting this year)(2 or 3NC), Syracuse 2, Indiana 0, Michigan State 4 (5 counting this year), Villanova 3 (2NC)

So while a Final Four is not a given, to be considered a top program you should be going every 5 years or so.

And then your recruiting pitch is if you stay all four years you have a good chance of playing in a FF.  Or you leave early and get paid by the league.

When you can say this, and back it up with a track record, then you become an elite program.

[willie warrior]

And then your recruiting pitch is if you stay all four years you have a good chance of playing in a FF.  Or you leave early and get paid by the league.

When you can say this, and back it up with a track record, then you become an elite program.

Hmmmm...We have a fair ways to go.

[D'Lo Brown]

Aren't there more interesting topics beyond rehashing this argument for the millionth time.

[WarriorDad]

In the last 15 years UNC has been to 5 Final Fours and won 3 championships.

In that same time period Kansas 3 (1NC), UCLA 3, Kentucky 4 (1NC), Duke 2 (3 if not counting this season yet)(2NC), Arizona 0, UConn 2 (3 if not counting this year)(2 or 3NC), Syracuse 2, Indiana 0, Michigan State 4 (5 counting this year), Villanova 3 (2NC)

So while a Final Four is not a given, to be considered a top program you should be going every 5 years or so.

I missed UNC, thought it was 4.  You are correct.