The Future - No Horses - No Horse Race

[MU 1971]

Shaka Smart has accomplished just about everything he needed to do these past four years.  But, the final step is to attract the very best recruits as Al did begining in 1967 with Dean Meminger.
 
In quick succession, we recruited Jim Chones, Maurice Lucas, McNeal, Earl Tatun, Bo Ellis, Butch Lee, Jerome Whitehead...

It is much more difficult in 2025 than in the 1970's but to make the final advance he must find a way to raise the level of talent just a little more. 

No horses, no horse race!  Yes, I know, I have a firm grip on the obvious, but without it .........

[Uncle Rico]

Thanks

[Jay Bee]

Best thing about going back to the 60s would be no more sh1tty 3 point shooting nights!

[drbob]

You forgot it started with George Thompson !!

[MU82]

So in order to win, Shaka has to bring in a bunch of dead horses?

[MU 1971]

yup, you got it!

[rocky_warrior]

Best thing about going back to the 60s would be no more sh1tty 3 point shooting nights!

If we're lucky, we'll land in the years where dunking was banned too.  Good riddance.

[Scoop Snoop]

Shaka Smart has accomplished just about everything he needed to do these past four years.  But, the final step is to attract the very best recruits as Al did begining in 1967 with Dean Meminger.
 
In quick succession, we recruited Jim Chones, Maurice Lucas, McNeal, Earl Tatun, Bo Ellis, Butch Lee, Jerome Whitehead...

It is much more difficult in 2025 than in the 1970's but to make the final advance he must find a way to raise the level of talent just a little more. 

No horses, no horse race!  Yes, I know, I have a firm grip on the obvious, but without it .........

As much as I love my memories of the Al era, they are just that- memories. Let Al R.I.P. and Shaka be Shaka without reference to Al. He may or may not win a natty, but if he does, he will do it his own way.

As dgies has pointed out several times, Al put Marquette on the basketball map. Very true. But then was then and now is now. NIL and the portal make "just raise the level of talent a little more"" much easier said than done. Especially with the route Shaka is taking.

[Galway Eagle]

This would require a weird bit of stars aligning in the NIL era plus Shakas philosophy and culture.

You'd need a top recruit who comes from a pretty financially secure background to the point where a bag drop wouldn't need to be an ego boost, you'd need them to be an enigma like Markus where their body size, injury, etc holds them back from being an immediate 1 and done, and you'd need for them to come in being Stevie level interested in defense in order to see the floor or else Shaka won't give them a ton of time.

I think it's more likely he gets a crop of juniors and seniors like last year who don't go ice cold against NC St than the above happening

[Newsdreams]

I was doing more drugs in late 70's than now