No Blackledge tonight

[MarquetteBallin]

He wasn't even at the game. My guess is that he is gone. Good riddance, he had no business playing D-1 basketball and we are in better shape scholarship-wise for next year.

Tonight's loss was less than pathetic. It was atrocious. This team is firmly on the bubble and we have nobody to blame but ourselves. I could go on and on about how we don't recruit big men, don't recruit shooters, don't do this don't do that, but I'll save that for the idiots that don't know basketball. Bottom line, this is simply an average team who has won a few games we shouldn't have and are now being utterly and completely exposed. Anyone else as depressed about this team as me? Tonight just made me sick.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

He wasn't even at the game. My guess is that he is gone. Good riddance, he had no business playing D-1 basketball and we are in better shape scholarship-wise for next year.

Tonight's loss was less than pathetic. It was atrocious. This team is firmly on the bubble and we have nobody to blame but ourselves. I could go on and on about how we don't recruit big men, don't recruit shooters, don't do this don't do that, but I'll save that for the idiots that don't know basketball. Bottom line, this is simply an average team who has won a few games we shouldn't have and are now being utterly and completely exposed. Anyone else as depressed about this team as me? Tonight just made me sick.

I've heard from a source close to the team that he quit. Good luck to him, hopefully he will find a fit athletically and academically somewhere else.

As far as the team goes, I think you are right, this team has won some games they shouldn't have, and lost some games they shouldn't have.

The only thing I can say is that they are young and I expected that inconsistancy coming into the season.

I don't think they are on the bubble, however. I think they are a legit top 20 team that is streaky (one day they are a top 5 team, one day they are barely a top 40 team).

I'm still enjoying the season, but my stomach isn't feeling as good as when we were 8-3.

[lab_warrior]

Who cares?!  Make room on the roster for someone who can possibly score some points.  Only Niv Berkowitz was worse from what I've seen.

[Big Papi]

If true I guess we don't have worry about not having an extra ship for next year.

[maxpower773]

It's funny to hear you talk about how we aren't this or that...when we lose. Yet when we win you people disapear as if there wasn't a game. We have are weak points, as does any team. Players have good games and bad games, they are human after all. If we would have won what would you say about that? That we could shoot? That our players played well? We aren't a top team, and this year there are really only 3 or so that can even say they are at that level. It's a young team like mualum said, get used to it, they'll develop. It's actually been quite entertaining to watch certain people post the same things as always after a lose, yet some of those can't say a good thing after a win...which if I remember correctly we still have more wins than loses...which means we can't be that bad......

[augoman]

I hasten to remind everyone that we spend more money on men's bball than all but 4 teams in division one!  While you can't buy a good team, maybe you have a right to expect something better than giving up 7 point leads at game's end!

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I hasten to remind everyone that we spend more money on men's bball than all but 4 teams in division one!  While you can't buy a good team, maybe you have a right to expect something better than giving up 7 point leads at game's end!

If it bothers you how much money MU spends, then boycott MU (games, clothes, donations, etc.) and make a statement. If enough people feel the same way, you can force the university to make some changes.

[Marquette84]

I hasten to remind everyone that we spend more money on men's bball than all but 4 teams in division one! 

I'm growing increasinly tired of this argument.  Just how much do YOU contribute?  Are there at least seven numbers to the left of the decimal point on the check you write to MU to help pay for the basketball program?  The way you talk, I would expect there to be at least that many.

Perhaps we should reduce our spending to the level of, say, SLU or Santa Clara or Iona, or Fordham, or Dusquesne, or Detroit Mercy, or Dayton.  I'm sure THAT would make you happy.

[IAmMarquette]

I hasten to remind everyone that we spend more money on men's bball than all but 4 teams in division one!  While you can't buy a good team, maybe you have a right to expect something better than giving up 7 point leads at game's end!

-Who are those 4 schools above MU?
-What other means of national recognition do these schools have (other major sports, etc) that would reduce the necessity to spend on men's basketball?
-Have those 4 schools never once given up a 7-point lead at game's end?

You said it yourself. You can't buy results, no matter how much you spend. See the Knicks, Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, and Redskins as proof.

I appreciate your expectations -- mine are the same -- but to say MU spends too much on the program because we lost a few games in a row (1 on the road to a VERY good GTown team while we were less than 100%; 1 on the road to one of our oldest rivals, who also happen to be pretty good; and just 1 at home, by 2 on a last-second NBA-range three, mind you) is just plain silly.

I hope you've perfected the "tuck-and-roll" for your dive off the bandwagon, otherwise you might get hurt. 

[augoman]

easy, 'Iam', I'm simply pointing out an interesting item.  BTY, Virginia(9,043,477), Duke(7,400,722), Michigan State(6,297,369), and Texas Tech(5,994,864).  Possibly more interesting that we beat two of those teams, eh? 
If I kept my tickets thru the bob dukiet years, I'm hardly contemplating jumping off the band wagon..., however, that being said, I've seen some tremendous play from average talent and some average play from tremendous talent.  You tell me which you think you saw at the end of the game.

[bma725]

I hasten to remind everyone that we spend more money on men's bball than all but 4 teams in division one!  While you can't buy a good team, maybe you have a right to expect something better than giving up 7 point leads at game's end!

You might want to remember that the source for that information doesn't have a clue what they're talking about.  MU as a private institution doesn't have to and didn't actually release the information.  It was a guess, and a wrong one at that.

[mu_hilltopper]

I hasten to remind everyone that we spend more money on men's bball than all but 4 teams in division one! 

Augoman:  That report listing MU as #5 in spending is completely flawed.  MU is no where near the top 5.  Zero credence should be given to that report. 

[IAmMarquette]

easy, 'Iam', I'm simply pointing out an interesting item.  BTY, Virginia(9,043,477), Duke(7,400,722), Michigan State(6,297,369), and Texas Tech(5,994,864).  Possibly more interesting that we beat two of those teams, eh? 
If I kept my tickets thru the bob dukiet years, I'm hardly contemplating jumping off the band wagon..., however, that being said, I've seen some tremendous play from average talent and some average play from tremendous talent.  You tell me which you think you saw at the end of the game.

Augoman - no disrespect intended. Those figures, if correct, are interesting at face value, but I'm arguing that spending does not equal results. Assuming those figures are accurate, you could use them to support my point, aside from Duke (who isn't having a great year by Duke standards either)
-Michigan State is in the midst of a few 'disappointing' seasons
-Texas Tech is firmly on the bubble
-Virginia won 17in a row to start the season, but what have they done as a program?

As for last night, I'd have to say tremendous talent & average play (at least on a few late possessions), and I think that's where so much of the frustration and "this team is a joke" style posts come from. (Note that I'm not crediting any specific post to you, just using one particularly ridiculous post as an example).

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

easy, 'Iam', I'm simply pointing out an interesting item.  BTY, Virginia(9,043,477), Duke(7,400,722), Michigan State(6,297,369), and Texas Tech(5,994,864).  Possibly more interesting that we beat two of those teams, eh? 

How MU plays on the court in season doesn't really have much to do with the budget at all.

You could make the argument that having a large budget could allow MU to attract top coaching talent with a high salary and great facilities which could lead to better players and performance on the court over a period of years (I think we have seen that). I think that argument has some validity, but it has to be looked at in the long term (years, not on a per game basis).

To bring up budget after a last second shot beats MU is silly. If MU had spent more or less, I don't think it would have had any effect on Jerry Smith's shot.

If I kept my tickets thru the bob dukiet years, I'm hardly contemplating jumping off the band wagon..., however, that being said, I've seen some tremendous play from average talent and some average play from tremendous talent.  You tell me which you think you saw at the end of the game.

In-game execution has NOTHING to do with the $ MU spends. The players are playing their balls off and the coaches are working hard... stuff just isn't going right. Who is to blame? Well, I'm not sure exactly who/what at this point. I think this staff and players have shown they are a good group and I think we can ride this out until they start to improve again. I think this team has a very high ceiling and we be very good over the next 2.5 seasons. I guess I'm an optimist.

Would you be happier if MU was in the "bottom 4" of college spending? Would you then say that MU is a great bargin? I doubt it.

We all are frustrated with the recent losses, but lets look at what is actually happening... don't grasp onto the budget to look for answers or a spot to criticize.   

[augoman]

some good responses to my post..., many with valid points.  certainly, I don't think a team's quality is in direct relation to the dollar spent, and, of course, I'm glad we've finally loosened the purse strings, but, along with the outflow of dollars comes an expectation that, real or not, causes a certain amount of impatience.  we had a 7 point lead, 4 time outs(to loovills none) and hadn't lost a starter to fouls.  that = frustration.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

You could make the argument that having a large budget could allow MU to attract top coaching talent with a high salary and great facilities which could lead to better players and performance on the court over a period of years (I think we have seen that). I think that argument has some validity, but it has to be looked at in the long term (years, not on a per game basis).    

You could say that about the staff, but you'd be wrong. The fact of the matter is we have damn near 100 percent staff turnover every year. I am not saying our coaches are not at a top level, but we're not bringing in "top coaching talent." One of our donors is giving MU a discount on gold Hummers (nice judgement there), but I wouldn't call that a tremendous perk -- especially for a guy like Jerry Sichting. I am assuming he has better taste than to drive around in something so gaudy.

Honestly, I don't care about our budget. I would like to know where our ticket prices stack up against the rest of NCAA Division 1 basketball though.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

You could make the argument that having a large budget could allow MU to attract top coaching talent with a high salary and great facilities which could lead to better players and performance on the court over a period of years (I think we have seen that). I think that argument has some validity, but it has to be looked at in the long term (years, not on a per game basis).   

You could say that about the staff, but you'd be wrong. The fact of the matter is we have damn near 100 percent staff turnover every year. I am not saying our coaches are not at a top level, but we're not bringing in "top coaching talent." One of our donors is giving MU a discount on gold Hummers (nice judgement there), but I wouldn't call that a tremendous perk -- especially for a guy like Jerry Sichting. I am assuming he has better taste than to drive around in something so gaudy.

Honestly, I don't care about our budget. I would like to know where our ticket prices stack up against the rest of NCAA Division 1 basketball though.

I agree that I'd like to see less coaching turnover, but I think that is part and/or nature of the business. Some teams are able to get by with less coaching turnover, some have more. I think its just part of the industry, not a direct reflection on what MU spends. As far as being critical about Hummers... whatever ... I'll just add that to the list of things you don't like about MU. If I recall correctly Bergstrom is a pretty big donor, so this is the deal they've got. It's better than nothing.

I'd also like to see ticket prices compared to the rest of the teams, but you also have to remember that a lot of schools require donations to even purchase season tickets, so most of the time the ticket face value doesn't reflect the actual cost.

Like I said, I hate to sound like an apologist, but I'm pretty happy with the product over the years. These last 2 losses have been EXTREMELY frustrating... but I don't think they are because the team isn't trying hard and/or isn't talented.

I think the losses come from a general lack of experience and upperclassman leadership. I think its reletively easy for the sophs to lead when the team is playing well, but it becomes tough when they face adversity.

I will say it's all part of the learning curve for these players and I like MU's chances in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 tourny.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

some good responses to my post..., many with valid points.  certainly, I don't think a team's quality is in direct relation to the dollar spent, and, of course, I'm glad we've finally loosened the purse strings, but, along with the outflow of dollars comes an expectation that, real or not, causes a certain amount of impatience.  we had a 7 point lead, 4 time outs(to loovills none) and hadn't lost a starter to fouls.  that = frustration.

I agree that everybody is frustrated, and that's why EVERY aspect of the program gets questioned (I'm suprised anybody hasn't talked about DJ's new shoes yet).

I just hope people realize that this is the ebb and flow of college hoops, especially with a young team.

They are going to win some they shouldn't (PITT, DUKE, UCONN) and lose some they shouldn't (NDSU, Louisville, SU).

College basketball has a lot of parity right now and if the team doesn't come with it's best game EVERY night, they will lose. Plain and simple.

Hopefully the coaching staff gets them performing at peak levels again.

[tower912]

MU is a team with flaws and weaknesses.   When the coaches are able to minimize our weaknesses, (inside game, inconsistent 3pt shooting) and maximize our strengths, we win.   When other teams have the personnel and patience to exploit our weaknesses, we lose.  No one has predicted a national championship for this team.   That is next year .   What we know is that when we play to the best of our ability, we can hang with and beat anybody.   If any facet of our team takes the night off, we look bad and frequently lose.    To paraphrase Dennis Green, we are what we think we are.   There aren't any surprises.

[AlumKCof93]

I think our recent losses can be attributed to one thing: DJ's new shoes.  They suck.

[AlumKCof93]

Even with my frustration over these past two games (and I had trouble sleeping on Saturday despite taking Nyquil for my cold), I would say that our program is in pretty good shape overall and many of these posts are the result of two terribly frustrating losses.  Our team is very young and has a chance to make some noise in the tournament this year.  We appear to have good recruits coming in and unless I don't know something that everyone else knows, I like the players on the team as far as how the conduct themselves and represent MU which I think is very important.

That said, the transfer issue is a big deal.  If Blackledge quit on his own accord (if his leaving the program is indeed true) fine.  But it makes me wonder the timing of his leaving the program given James performance the last few games and our need to open up a scholarship.

One last thing, I thought L-ville played pretty well on Saturday.  This was a tough loss and we did blow it, but I thought L-ville looked really good and much better than they did only a few weeks ago.  They have some talent over there.

[arotc90]

Who wins every game, & never has  a slump?
I get the feeling that a lot of you had us in the NCAA finals a couple weeks ago.  C'mon.  We're never as good/bad as others say.
We lost on a last second shot. If he missed many of you would be ecstatic that the "slump" is over.
I'm happy with the season and yes, losses hurt. They're supposed to.  The sun came up today as it did yesterday, and  will tomorrow.

[Untucked]

I don't think fans are seeing a pattern here.

I think Crean has done a great job at Marquette. Look at where the program was when he was hired and look at it now. Some criticize his recruiting (I don't think that's not the problem, his talent has led MU to be ranked in the top ten several times for the first time since the 70's). The problem is his in-game strategy.

Here is the pattern that has developed.   

MU is beating a really good team by about 5 or 6 , there is about 4-5 minutes left to go in the game, Crean then goes into that dribble or pass around the perimeter until there is 5 seconds on the shot clock and then throw up a "Hail Mary" shot from 25 feet. The opponent ends the game on a 11-2 scoring run or scoring the last 7 points of the game. It has happened numerous times this year as well as in the previous seasons. They loss all their aggressiveness. If you play the first 35 minutes of a game and are winning, why do you change your style of play? (It's like playing a prevent defense in football) Crean plays not to lose, instead of playing to win.

You don't stall until you no longer need to score any more points to win the game!! I'm not saying play recklessly with the lead, just don't go into the deep freeze.

The Pittsburgh game this year was the same thing, but Crean was bailed out by Dominic. They only won that game because they had to come from behind in OT.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

MU is beating a really good team by about 5 or 6 , there is about 4-5 minutes left to go in the game, Crean then goes into that dribble or pass around the perimeter until there is 5 seconds on the shot clock and then throw up a "Hail Mary" shot from 25 feet. The opponent ends the game on a 11-2 scoring run or scoring the last 7 points of the game. It has happened numerous times this year as well as in the previous seasons. They loss all their aggressiveness. If you play the first 35 minutes of a game and are winning, why do you change your style of play? (It's like playing a prevent defense in football) Crean plays not to lose, instead of playing to win.

I guess I know that it looks that way, but it's a little more complicated than that. There are a lot of different parts of the game that we as fans need to admit that we don't know. Sometimes MU's players are tired and we are trying to save some wind, sometimes it's stragedy to slow the other team down, sometimes its an effort to save energy for defense... it's a lot of things.

Even the 02-03 team that everybody proclaims as saints had its issues holding leads. It's part of college hoops... that's why you see big combacks every saturday.

I admit that what they have been doing hasn't been that effective, but I also know that it's not that simple. AND, sometimes it just comes down to if a shot falls or not.

McNeal's 3pter rimmed out on Wed., Jerry Smith's went in on Saturday. If the opposite were true in both cases we would be praising the team.