Halfway Prediction

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

If Markus has a long term absence, obviously all predictions are out the window.

Do we have any reason to believe that will be the case?  Worst case, he has a broken nose and a concussion and sits Saturday.  Imagine he would be fine by the vs. Butler game with a full 10 days off. 

[IrwinFletcher]

Seeing Wojo said after the game that it was not concussion related and simply that they couldn't stop the bleeding, I think Markus will be fine.

GE was doing pregame shooting drills at what appeared to be full speed.  Have to think he will be back for Butler.

[WhoaJoe2020]

So the 142 people who voted as of this reply are all fools and you are the only one here intelligent enough to withhold your precious vote. Got it!

If you think that was my point then I know at least one of the 142 is.

[WarriorFan]

Ever the optimist, I chose 11-7.

I don't mind if Markus misses the dePaul game - it means the other guys will focus and I believe they are more than good enough to beat dePaul.

Then, Markus returns and his magic propels MU to the remaining wins.  MU will lose at Nova and at St. Johns.

[MU82]

If Markus has a long term absence, obviously all predictions are out the window.

That's right ... because the cancer will have been cured, and we won't lose again this season!

[1SE]

If we don't win tomorrow, we'll end the season worse than 98.8% of us (those that responded) thought we would at the halfway point.

I'm firmly in the camp that Wojo should be coaching to save his job tomorrow. If he loses have the bus waiting to take him to the airport back to Raleigh-Durham. Give the reins to Stan, see what he can do in the BET and NCAA and then have a search ready to go the moment the season is over.

At the very least, Wojo d*mn well better unholy carnal knowledge ACT like his is coaching to save his job.

[NickelDimer]

If we don't win tomorrow, we'll end the season worse than 98.8% of us (those that responded) thought we would at the halfway point.

I'm firmly in the camp that Wojo should be coaching to save his job tomorrow. If he loses have the bus waiting to take him to the airport back to Raleigh-Durham. Give the reins to Stan, see what he can do in the BET and NCAA and then have a search ready to go the moment the season is over.

At the very least, Wojo d*mn well better unholy carnal knowledge ACT like his is coaching to save his job.

He's already coached his way out of a job. I don't think it can even be argued (although amazingly he still has his defenders). Beating a bad SJ team does nothing to change that. At this point in order to coach his way back into a job he needs to win a handful games starting tomorrow and ending with at least a 2nd weekend NCAA appearance.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

He's already coached his way out of a job.

Has he though? This is a results based business. When the dust settles his results over the last four years are going to be: NCAA, NIT, NCAA, NCAA. You can go back 20+ years and literally never find an example of a coach with those last four year results or better getting fired. We can argue until we are blue in the face about whether or not those results are good but unless you think Marquette should do something that no other program would do, I don't think we can say that he has done a fireable job.

The problem we have is not the results, it's the how. Two consecutive late season collapses that dropped us from a potential 3 seed/potential 4 seed to a 5 seed/7-10 seed sandwiching a locker room issue that led to two of the best players transferring. Those are red flags that cannot be ignored...but the results say he's earned another year. Scholl is not in an easy position.

[NickelDimer]

Has he though? This is a results based business. When the dust settles his results over the last four years are going to be: NCAA, NIT, NCAA, NCAA. You can go back 20+ years and literally never find an example of a coach with those last four year results or better getting fired. We can argue until we are blue in the face about whether or not those results are good but unless you think Marquette should do something that no other program would do, I don't think we can say that he has done a fireable job.

The problem we have is not the results, it's the how. Two consecutive late season collapses that dropped us from a potential 3 seed/potential 4 seed to a 5 seed/7-10 seed sandwiching a locker room issue that led to two of the best players transferring. Those are red flags that cannot be ignored...but the results say he's earned another year. Scholl is not in an easy position.

I think he has, yes. I think last year was our ceiling with Wojo and it brought us a late season collapse, a first round NCAA drubbing (that had a lot to do with coaching, or lack of) and the departure of two core players. I've never been a fan but was willing to give him his chance to succeed. I haven't seen anything from him to believe we'll achieve real success under him.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I think he has, yes. I think last year was our ceiling with Wojo and it brought us a late season collapse, a first round NCAA drubbing (that had a lot to do with coaching, or lack of) and the departure of two core players. I've never been a fan but was willing to give him his chance to succeed. I haven't seen anything from him to believe we'll achieve real success under him.

There's a difference though between "I think he's hit his ceiling and won't get better" and "he's done a bad enough job to get fired." One is a prediction, the other is based on results. I think both need to happen before there's any consideration of poleaxing.

[Marcus92]

Rick Barnes made the NCAA tournament 16 times during his 17 seasons at Texas. He led the Longhorns to 19 tourney wins, a Final Four, 2 Elite Eight and 2 Sweet 16 appearances. Also, 3 Big 12 championships.

For comparison, Marquette made the NCAA tournament 10 times during the same period -- with 13 tourney wins, a Final Four, an Elite Eight and 2 Sweet 16 appearances. Also, 2 conference championships (1 in Conference USA and 1 in the Big East).

In other words, Barnes delivered better results than MU's post-Al golden era. And he got fired.

That's not a prediction. Additionally, it's fair to question the wisdom of that decision. Since firing Barnes, Texas hasn't won an NCAA game and could miss the tournament altogether for the 3rd time in 5 seasons.

You just never know.

[NickelDimer]

There's a difference though between "I think he's hit his ceiling and won't get better" and "he's done a bad enough job to get fired." One is a prediction, the other is based on results. I think both need to happen before there's any consideration of poleaxing.

Not really. Both are opinions. There's no threshold for getting fired or keeping your job. In my opinion he's done a poor enough job to warrant firing. Or another way of saying it; he hasn't done enough to earn keeping his job. Either way I'm counting the days until he's gone whether it's this year or next, etc.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Rick Barnes made the NCAA tournament 16 times during his 17 seasons at Texas. He led the Longhorns to 19 tourney wins, a Final Four, 2 Elite Eight and 2 Sweet 16 appearances. Also, 3 Big 12 championships.

For comparison, Marquette made the NCAA tournament 10 times during the same period -- with 13 tourney wins, a Final Four, an Elite Eight and 2 Sweet 16 appearances. Also, 2 conference championships (1 in Conference USA and 1 in the Big East).

In other words, Barnes delivered better results than MU's post-Al golden era. And he got fired.

That's not a prediction. Additionally, it's fair to question the wisdom of that decision. Since firing Barnes, Texas hasn't won an NCAA game and could miss the tournament altogether for the 3rd time in 5 seasons.

You just never know.

Yes, Barnes is the one example of a non-blue blood firing a coach after making the NCAA. And even his last four years were: NCAA, CBI, NCAA, NCAA.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Not really. Both are opinions. There's no threshold for getting fired or keeping your job. In my opinion he's done a poor enough job to warrant firing. Or another way of saying it; he hasn't done enough to earn keeping his job. Either way I'm counting the days until he's gone whether it's this year or next, etc.

Yes both are opinions. But one is impossible to "prove" one way or the other. No one knows what will happen in the future. For example, I'm sure no one expected Majerus to become a HOFer after his time at MU but he did. The other you can compare Wojo's record to other coaches who got fired. Wojo's record in the last 4 years (or last 3 or last 2 or last 1) is better than any other besides maybe Barnes. So you can have the opinion that Wojo has done bad enough to be fired....but only if you expect MU to do something that no other program would do in the same situation.

[1SE]

And that's the ball game. 179/182 of us thought the season would finish better as of the conference midway point.

[5DollarPitcher]

I'll say right now I was one of the two (8-10) votes.  I'm right more often than people here like to admit.