For context...

[Vander Blue Man Group]

so, I question the roster, or recruiting, and I'm a 'curmudgeon'? Then so be it. What's wrong with questioning Shaka's recruiting? What's wrong with the take that Marquette's ceiling is higher than a Sweet 16?  Hell, Sultan had questioned...'can't a team take a step back?'. I'm like, so it's rebuild...already and again?  I've posted it before and will once again...I'm happy with Shaka. Absolutely!! Definitely better results than Wojo. I do think Wojo was the better recruiter, but Shaka the better coach. However, I feel MU can go higher. Jay Wright-type success. That's actually optimism, not curmudgeon-ism, right? Hence, my thoughts and/or opinions are labeled as negativity. Interesting.

You would have been demanding Jay Wright be fired after his first few years at Nova. 

[MDMU04]

so, I question the roster, or recruiting, and I'm a 'curmudgeon'? Then so be it. What's wrong with questioning Shaka's recruiting? What's wrong with the take that Marquette's ceiling is higher than a Sweet 16?  Hell, Sultan had questioned...'can't a team take a step back?'. I'm like, so it's rebuild...already and again?  I've posted it before and will once again...I'm happy with Shaka. Absolutely!! Definitely better results than Wojo. I do think Wojo was the better recruiter, but Shaka the better coach. However, I feel MU can go higher. Jay Wright-type success. That's actually optimism, not curmudgeon-ism, right? Hence, my thoughts and/or opinions are labeled as negativity. Interesting.

My brother, if we're going on the premise that early results portend future success, I would argue rather strongly that we are on a better course for "Jay Wright-type success" than if we had Jay actual Wright coaching the team.

Jay Wright's first 4 years at Villanova
01-02 - 19-13 overall, 7-9 Big East, NIT
02-03 - 15-16 overall, 8-8 Big East, NIT
03-04 - 18-17 overall, 6-10 Big East, NIT
04-05 - 24-8 overall, 11-5 Big East, 5 Seed NCAAT, Sweet 16, Highest ranking #19

Shaka Smart's first 4 years at Marquette
21-22 - 19-13 overall, 11-8 Big East, 9 Seed, R64, Highest ranking #18
22-23 - 29-7 overall, 17-3 Big East, Big East Regular Season Champions, Big East Tournament Champions, 2 Seed, R32, Highest ranking #6
23-24 - Preaseason ranked #5, 27-10 overall, 14-6 Big East, 2 Seed, Sweet 16, Highest ranking #3
24-25 - Preseason ranked #18, 23-10 overall, 13-7 Big East, 7 Seed NCAAT, TBD, Highest ranking #5

Additionally, here is what a career's worth of Jay Wright success looks like.

NIT
NIT
NIT
5 Seed, S16
1 Seed, E8
9 Seed, R64
12 Seed, S16
3 Seed, F4
2 Seed, R32
9 Seed, R32
No postseason
9 Seed, R64
2 Seed, R32
1 Seed, R32
2 Seed, NC
1 Seed, R32
1 Seed, NC
6 Seed, R32
5 Seed, S16
2 Seed, F4

In the middle of Jay's career, he had a 6 year span where he only won 4 NCAA tournament games despite earning two #2 seeds and a #1 seed. He also missed the tournament once, sandwiched by two years of #9 seeds. I can only imagine you bemoaning their "final four ceiling" had you been a Villanova fan.

Over the next 3 seasons, they won two National Championships.

[Viper]

My brother, if we're going on the premise that early results portend future success, I would argue rather strongly that we are on a better course for "Jay Wright-type success" than if we had Jay actual Wright coaching the team.

Jay Wright's first 4 years at Villanova
01-02 - 19-13 overall, 7-9 Big East, NIT
02-03 - 15-16 overall, 8-8 Big East, NIT
03-04 - 18-17 overall, 6-10 Big East, NIT
04-05 - 24-8 overall, 11-5 Big East, 5 Seed NCAAT, Sweet 16, Highest ranking #19

Shaka Smart's first 4 years at Marquette
21-22 - 19-13 overall, 11-8 Big East, 9 Seed, R64, Highest ranking #18
22-23 - 29-7 overall, 17-3 Big East, Big East Regular Season Champions, Big East Tournament Champions, 2 Seed, R32, Highest ranking #6
23-24 - Preaseason ranked #5, 27-10 overall, 14-6 Big East, 2 Seed, Sweet 16, Highest ranking #3
24-25 - Preseason ranked #18, 23-10 overall, 13-7 Big East, 7 Seed NCAAT, TBD, Highest ranking #5

Additionally, here is what a career's worth of Jay Wright success looks like.

NIT
NIT
NIT
5 Seed, S16
1 Seed, E8
9 Seed, R64
12 Seed, S16
3 Seed, F4
2 Seed, R32
9 Seed, R32
No postseason
9 Seed, R64
2 Seed, R32
1 Seed, R32
2 Seed, NC
1 Seed, R32
1 Seed, NC
6 Seed, R32
5 Seed, S16
2 Seed, F4

In the middle of Jay's career, he had a 6 year span where he only won 4 NCAA tournament games despite earning two #2 seeds and a #1 seed. He also missed the tournament once, sandwiched by two years of #9 seeds. I can only imagine you bemoaning their "final four ceiling" had you been a Villanova fan.

Over the next 3 seasons, they won two National Championships.

could have saved you the time. You have a job? Geesch! everything you just listed, i'm well aware of, my friend. MU wasn't in great shape after Wojo's final season, for sure. However, would any of us have had the patience w/Shaka that Nova did with Jay those first few years of JW's reign? Probably not. Shaka got us going right away. Bravo. All good. What I'm saying is...let's strive higher. Let's shoot for what JW did his final 10 yrs or so. Maybe Shaka duplicates Jay. It seems, however, that many on Scoop are good with current levels. I'm not. I see no reason why we can't have a JW run if Shaka recruits at a higher level than it appears he is currently. HS or portal. Do any of you disagree? If I'm wrong and you Scopers want the same as yours truly, post it. Or, whisper it to MarquetteMike and he'll post it. Instead, I get snark, counterpoint, laughable arguments and the classic "I'm obsessed with Gard" (Gard does know ball, but I digress)

[The Sultan]

could have saved you the time. You have a job? Geesch! everything you just listed, i'm well aware of, my friend. MU wasn't in great shape after Wojo's final season, for sure. However, would any of us have had the patience w/Shaka that Nova did with Jay those first few years of JW's reign? Probably not. Shaka got us going right away. Bravo. All good. What I'm saying is...let's strive higher. Let's shoot for what JW did his final 10 yrs or so. Maybe Shaka duplicates Jay. It seems, however, that many on Scoop are good with current levels. I'm not. I see no reason why we can't have a JW run if Shaka recruits at a higher level than it appears he is currently. HS or portal. Do any of you disagree? If I'm wrong and you Scopers want the same as yours truly, post it. Or, whisper it to MarquetteMike and he'll post it. Instead, I get snark, counterpoint, laughable arguments and the classic "I'm obsessed with Gard" (Gard does know ball, but I digress)

I think everyone wants us to shoot higher. But they just feel that more patience is in order.

[Its DJOver]

I think everyone wants us to shoot higher. But they just feel that more patience is in order.

As well as understanding both that success is not linear, as well as the fact that Shaka is building the program his own way and he's not going to disregard that to appease some anonymous online message board posters.

[NCMUFan]

I imagine every school's fan base wants to be doing their equivalence to a March down Wisconsin Avenue.

[MU82]

could have saved you the time. You have a job? Geesch! everything you just listed, i'm well aware of, my friend. MU wasn't in great shape after Wojo's final season, for sure. However, would any of us have had the patience w/Shaka that Nova did with Jay those first few years of JW's reign? Probably not. Shaka got us going right away. Bravo. All good. What I'm saying is...let's strive higher. Let's shoot for what JW did his final 10 yrs or so. Maybe Shaka duplicates Jay. It seems, however, that many on Scoop are good with current levels. I'm not. I see no reason why we can't have a JW run if Shaka recruits at a higher level than it appears he is currently. HS or portal. Do any of you disagree? If I'm wrong and you Scopers want the same as yours truly, post it. Or, whisper it to MarquetteMike and he'll post it. Instead, I get snark, counterpoint, laughable arguments and the classic "I'm obsessed with Gard" (Gard does know ball, but I digress)

Who says we - including Shaka - aren't "striving higher"?

[Its DJOver]

Who says we - including Shaka - aren't "striving higher"?

Yep, the ones that whine and cry about not winning chips assumes that no one else wants to win chips because no one else is whining and crying about it. Some want all of the successes that a Wright had, without any of the struggles he had to go through to get said success, and it just doesn't work that way.

[MU82]

Yep, the ones that whine and cry about not winning chips assumes that no one else wants to win chips because no one else is whining and crying about it. Some want all of the successes that a Wright had, without any of the struggles he had to go through to get said success, and it just doesn't work that way.

Yep. Let's say we throw away Wright's first several years when he was just building the program and learning how to coach at the major level.

From Year 4 thru Year 8, it looked like he really had figured it all out, making steady progress that included two S16s, an E8 and a FF appearance in that 5-year stretch.

I think most of us would be pretty happy about similar results at Marquette, regardless of the coach.

But then, look what happened over the next 6 years:

2 Seed, R32
9 Seed, R32
No postseason
9 Seed, R64
2 Seed, R32
1 Seed, R32

I'm sure a segment of Scoop would handle a similar trend at Marquette really well.

I can already hear the demands for an aircraft carrier!

Never mind that when Wright did win championships, he did so without a dominant big man.

[wadesworld]

My brother, if we're going on the premise that early results portend future success, I would argue rather strongly that we are on a better course for "Jay Wright-type success" than if we had Jay actual Wright coaching the team.

Jay Wright's first 4 years at Villanova
01-02 - 19-13 overall, 7-9 Big East, NIT
02-03 - 15-16 overall, 8-8 Big East, NIT
03-04 - 18-17 overall, 6-10 Big East, NIT
04-05 - 24-8 overall, 11-5 Big East, 5 Seed NCAAT, Sweet 16, Highest ranking #19

Shaka Smart's first 4 years at Marquette
21-22 - 19-13 overall, 11-8 Big East, 9 Seed, R64, Highest ranking #18
22-23 - 29-7 overall, 17-3 Big East, Big East Regular Season Champions, Big East Tournament Champions, 2 Seed, R32, Highest ranking #6
23-24 - Preaseason ranked #5, 27-10 overall, 14-6 Big East, 2 Seed, Sweet 16, Highest ranking #3
24-25 - Preseason ranked #18, 23-10 overall, 13-7 Big East, 7 Seed NCAAT, TBD, Highest ranking #5

Additionally, here is what a career's worth of Jay Wright success looks like.

NIT
NIT
NIT
5 Seed, S16
1 Seed, E8
9 Seed, R64
12 Seed, S16
3 Seed, F4
2 Seed, R32
9 Seed, R32
No postseason
9 Seed, R64
2 Seed, R32
1 Seed, R32
2 Seed, NC
1 Seed, R32
1 Seed, NC
6 Seed, R32
5 Seed, S16
2 Seed, F4

In the middle of Jay's career, he had a 6 year span where he only won 4 NCAA tournament games despite earning two #2 seeds and a #1 seed. He also missed the tournament once, sandwiched by two years of #9 seeds. I can only imagine you bemoaning their "final four ceiling" had you been a Villanova fan.

Over the next 3 seasons, they won two National Championships.

Would love to hear how Jay/Nova trended throughout his time there from Willie (after his politics ban) and Viper with that list above. Nova shouldn't have accepted Jay's downward trends. Only coaches who partake in roster malpractice have downward trends, and Jay had them.

[Uncle Rico]

Would love to hear how Jay/Nova trended throughout his time there from Willie (after his politics ban) and Viper with that list above. Nova shouldn't have accepted Jay's downward trends. Only coaches who partake in roster malpractice have downward trends, and Jay had them.

Look how Jay left the Villanova roster.  Let that be a warning about something.  Fill in as you see fit

[muwarrior69]

My brother, if we're going on the premise that early results portend future success, I would argue rather strongly that we are on a better course for "Jay Wright-type success" than if we had Jay actual Wright coaching the team.

Jay Wright's first 4 years at Villanova
01-02 - 19-13 overall, 7-9 Big East, NIT
02-03 - 15-16 overall, 8-8 Big East, NIT
03-04 - 18-17 overall, 6-10 Big East, NIT
04-05 - 24-8 overall, 11-5 Big East, 5 Seed NCAAT, Sweet 16, Highest ranking #19

Shaka Smart's first 4 years at Marquette
21-22 - 19-13 overall, 11-8 Big East, 9 Seed, R64, Highest ranking #18
22-23 - 29-7 overall, 17-3 Big East, Big East Regular Season Champions, Big East Tournament Champions, 2 Seed, R32, Highest ranking #6
23-24 - Preaseason ranked #5, 27-10 overall, 14-6 Big East, 2 Seed, Sweet 16, Highest ranking #3
24-25 - Preseason ranked #18, 23-10 overall, 13-7 Big East, 7 Seed NCAAT, TBD, Highest ranking #5

Additionally, here is what a career's worth of Jay Wright success looks like.

NIT
NIT
NIT
5 Seed, S16
1 Seed, E8
9 Seed, R64
12 Seed, S16
3 Seed, F4
2 Seed, R32
9 Seed, R32
No postseason
9 Seed, R64
2 Seed, R32
1 Seed, R32
2 Seed, NC
1 Seed, R32
1 Seed, NC
6 Seed, R32
5 Seed, S16
2 Seed, F4

In the middle of Jay's career, he had a 6 year span where he only won 4 NCAA tournament games despite earning two #2 seeds and a #1 seed. He also missed the tournament once, sandwiched by two years of #9 seeds. I can only imagine you bemoaning their "final four ceiling" had you been a Villanova fan.

Over the next 3 seasons, they won two National Championships.

...and that is how Jay will be remembered. Also the college basketball landscape is so different today when Jay was coach: mega conferences, NIL, transfer rule.

When Shaka wins two titles for Marquette nothing else will matter.

[Galway Eagle]

Who predicted after losing the 3 amigos and lazar in two years that we were about to go on our best multi year run outside of the Al years?

We spent 5 years building up to that, you have to walk before you can run. Yes it'd be awesome to finally be one of those dream runs, but barring that I'll take the high floor with incremental progress.

[Newsdreams]

...and that is how Jay will be remembered. Also the college basketball landscape is so different today when Jay was coach: mega conferences, NIL, transfer rule.

When Shaka wins two titles for Marquette nothing else will matter.

No, he will trend down afterwards, sad

[willie warrior]

Would love to hear how Jay/Nova trended throughout his time there from Willie (after his politics ban) and Viper with that list above. Nova shouldn't have accepted Jay's downward trends. Only coaches who partake in roster malpractice have downward trends, and Jay had them.

Wow. Comparing Shaka to Jay Wright based on first 4 years. I am impressed and sold. Jay Wright success coming to MU
I will never again question Shakas MO and deeply apologize to all those scoopers who have been offended by questioning progress of Shaka. To all of us who know that brilliance and infallability of Shaka need not be questioned but trust in his divine process is the order of the day, I deeply apologize. I just did not see the mirror image of Jay Wrights progression and Shakas. We will always be full speeding ahead under Shaka.
Thank you.

[The Sultan]

Wow. Comparing Shaka to Jay Wright based on first 4 years. I am impressed and sold. Jay Wright success coming to MU
I will never again question Shakas MO and deeply apologize to all those scoopers who have been offended by questioning progress of Shaka. To all of us who know that brilliance and infallability of Shaka need not be questioned but trust in his divine process is the order of the day, I deeply apologize. I just did not see the mirror image of Jay Wrights progression and Shakas. We will always be full speeding ahead under Shaka.
Thank you.

No one is offended by anything you say because no one takes you seriously.

[Hards Alumni]

No one is offended by anything you say because no one takes you seriously.

He's like a 15 year old who thinks every idea that pops into his head is original and clever.

[Shooter McGavin]

I think everyone wants us to shoot higher. But they just feel that more patience is in order.

This.  Shaka's career and Marquette win percentage is all we need to know.  He will get it done (final four level) if MU continues to give him the resources he needs.

[willie warrior]

This.  Shaka's career and Marquette win percentage is all we need to know.  He will get it done (final four level) if MU continues to give him the resources he needs.

Agreed. Who determines the resources he needs? Does he have the resources he needs right now or is there more he needs?

[Uncle Rico]

Agreed. Who determines the resources he needs? Does he have the resources he needs right now or is there more he needs?

Batman

[Newsdreams]

Batman

Nooo Bruce!!!