Besides a National Championship, what would have pleased the posters on here?

[Mayor McCheese]

Honestly, Lets face it, yesterday sucked, but, we have one of the youngest teams that were in the tournament, learn and move on... You all want Crean gone, due to lack of results from high expectations, however without Crean, these high expectations wouldn't have come.  Our team is good due to the recruiting that Crean has done and the work he does with these players, lets face it, we might be one of the only teams in the nation whose top 7 scorers are coming back next year....  just think, it could be worse, we could be watching our team in the NIT like Syracuse or Kansas St...

[77ncaachamps]

I would have been happy with getting past the first round. (I didn't pick MU in my brackets.)
Heck, I'd crap in my pants if we'd upset UNC!!!

I think you need to do a poll for this topic. 

[CTWarrior]

How about playing a competetive game against a good team in postseason?

Really, all this fan base needs is a little postseason excitement.  A win over MSU and a game that was still in doubt with 10 minutes to go against UNC would have been great for me.  This year, I was hoping we'd take the next step and win an NCAA game.  Other than 2003, we've lost as a 6 to an 11, a 7 to a 10 and an 8 to a 9 in the NCAAs.  I'd like us to at least win the games we're supposed to.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

A 2 point field goal in the first half.

[Mayor McCheese]

A 2 point field goal in the first half.

because when it comes down to it... its Crean's fault right... either by gameplan or not recruiting a 7'0"... right PRN?  Not that we couldn't catch passes, couldnt make easy buckets, couldn't penetrate.  Nope, Crean's fault, fire him

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

You asked what would have pleased me and I answered.

[CWSKeith]

because when it comes down to it... its Crean's fault right... either by gameplan or not recruiting a 7'0"... right PRN?  Not that we couldn't catch passes, couldnt make easy buckets, couldn't penetrate.  Nope, Crean's fault, fire him

Easy buckets?  Were we watching the same game?  Marquette's offensive gameplan consisted of dribbling around the perimeter and looking for a three point shot as the clock wound down.

Outside of Burke and Ooseman missing about three-four bunnies, we didn't have any chances for easy buckets because the offense we were running didn't allow for easy buckets.

And who is the person who calls the plays?

[augoman]

there's no reason for that embarassment except that the coach failed to adjust his game plan... or didn't have one.

I would have been pleased to have been competitive w/ a lower seed.

[Mayor McCheese]

because when it comes down to it... its Crean's fault right... either by gameplan or not recruiting a 7'0"... right PRN?  Not that we couldn't catch passes, couldnt make easy buckets, couldn't penetrate.  Nope, Crean's fault, fire him

Easy buckets?  Were we watching the same game?  Marquette's offensive gameplan consisted of dribbling around the perimeter and looking for a three point shot as the clock wound down.

Outside of Burke and Ooseman missing about three-four bunnies, we didn't have any chances for easy buckets because the offense we were running didn't allow for easy buckets.

And who is the person who calls the plays?

Hayward missed some easy buckets... and to tell you the truth, I see James call the plays a lot, Crean might call out a play, but many times James dribbles a bit after Crean calls the play, and he switches up the play, directing traffic.

[NavinRJohnson]

I would have been pleased to watch an MU game on St. Patrick's Day.



Unfortunately MU chose last night to wax their shillelaghs, so that won't be possible.

[mu_hilltopper]

One win would have made me completely happy.

My bare minimum was that MU showed up with at least its "B" game and was competitive for a good chunk of the game.

..one other thing .. whenever I see the comment that we're a young or the youngest team .. Our three sophomores aren't like most sophomore trios.  These guys started nearly every game for two years, and played 30+ minutes per game. 

Not sure if these stats could be found, but I'll bet in the universe of freshmen, they average under 10 minutes/game and a handful of starts.  By minutes played, I'm guessing our guys are more like average mid-year juniors, easy.

[SoCalwarrior]

A win. 

mu-hilltopper's micro/macro argument was the best I have read.  If we had gone to the sweet sixteen last year, then a first round, 8/9 loss without our best player wouldn't be so bad.  But, I also can relate to PRN.  Wanting a two point field goal is akin to wanting a competitive game, and that has not happened in the Crean era tourney games more often than not.  I would have LOVED for MU to have beaten Kansas, Western Michigan, Alabama and MSU, but I can handle them losing...  As to the question, what would have pleased you...  I guess a few lead changes.  In other words, a descent game.

[chapman]

Not sure if these stats could be found, but I'll bet in the universe of freshmen, they average under 10 minutes/game and a handful of starts.  By minutes played, I'm guessing our guys are more like average mid-year juniors, easy.

Very good point.  For a good example, look at Wisconsin's freshmen guards.  Keep in mind these guys were about as highly recruited as our 3 sophmore guards...

Jason Bohannon G 14.5 mpg 4.3 ppg highs: 27 minutes, 11 points
Trevon Hughes G 7.8 mpg 1.4 ppg highs: 18 minutes, 8 points
J.P. Gavinski C DNP redshirted
Also no starts among them.

Compare to:
2005-06:
Dominic James 32.5 mpg 15.2 ppg (14.9 this year)
Jerel McNeal 27.5 mpg 11.1 ppg
Wesley Matthews 24.9 mpg 9.0 ppg
Dwight Burke 5.3 mpg .8 ppg

James and McNeal started every game, Matthews started every game up until conference play.

2006-07:
David Cubillan 21.2 mpg 5.5 ppg
Lazar Hayward 16.2 mpg 6.6 ppg

Cubillan had one start, Hayward had 16.

The big three were given loads of minutes as freshmen and even more this year.  Even our freshmen this year played much more compared to their UW counterparts.  Much of it is recruiting edge that UW played seniors over these freshmen, but it should be disturbing if Bohannon or Hughes outproduces our guards in the next two years given that they are a year older and have so much more in-game experience.

I would argue that our three guards (even McNeal, though maybe not quite as much) have a lot of maturing to do in the next few months, because they don't necessarily play like juniors yet even though they've gotten more minutes in their first two years than many players of their level get in three.

For those who are really troubled by Crean's inability to recruit big men, it's really disturbing to look at Bo Ryan's recruiting of big men.  Brian Butch and J.P. Gavinski redshirted at UW when they would llikely have earned serious playing time as freshmen at Marquette, considering Dwight Burke was given over 5 mpg as a freshmen.  Butch hasn't played like a McDonald's All-American in college and 4-5 star recruit Greg Steimsma hasn't lived up to expectations either.  Still Wisconsin big men choose to go to UW when they're recruited by Marquette.

[mviale]

a win against MSU would have gotten these guys going.  We continue to lose these games in the first 10 min - I remember this was true for Alabama, Kansas & MSU.

Cant a coach do something to shake the team up? What happened out there - I only had access to the scoreboard

[79Warrior]

in the tourney would be great.

Everybody on this board was upset with our seeding. To a certain extent, MU has to prove we belong. Our record gets us in. for us to get better respect, ya gotta win som games. For all the crying on the boards about seeding, we certainly are not proving anyone wrong by our post season play.

In general, Tom is not getting in done in the post season. Sure the team is young, but there are other young teams playing very well. And guess what, we are not that young anymore.

I rmember watching Tom huddle with the 3 freshmen last year in SD after the game. I thought this was a great experience for them and nexy year will be better.

Well, no huddle this year, same result. I hope next year will be better.

[CWSKeith]

Hayward missed some easy buckets... and to tell you the truth, I see James call the plays a lot, Crean might call out a play, but many times James dribbles a bit after Crean calls the play, and he switches up the play, directing traffic.

If James was calling plays, Crean should have taken those "keys" away at halftime after that pathetic first half.

And I echo hilltopper's sentiments.  I thought, at the very least, we should have competed for a 'W' with MSU.  It speaks volumes that CBS changed the game (in Chicago) with around ten minutes left to play.

[mviale]

It drives me nuts that Wisconsin laid an egg in their 1st half and then recovered in the 2nd half with a blowout.  All done with small ball - take note.

[mu72warrior]

for dj to have had a fantastic year and go pro. the 3 guard offense sucks when they can't hit from the outside and are up against quality big men.

[Pakuni]

It drives me nuts that Wisconsin laid an egg in their 1st half and then recovered in the 2nd half with a blowout.  All done with small ball - take note.

You think quality of competition might have factored into the equation somewhat?
I'd bet a pretty large sum Uw would not have been able to come back from 18 down against MSU.

[downtown85]

sweet 16 would've made me happy.   a first round win would have been good. 

next year is another story.  my expectations are even higher for next year.

[The Lens]

I've always been a play to your seed guy.  So this year one win or since we were 8/9 just being competitive in the game would have been enough for me. 

[PaintCrew93]

Reading all of these posts and your original question, I must say that just being competitive is what I am asking.  I am not calling for TC's head, but it is not great that of the 4 years we have been in the NCAA's 3 of them we have not played up to our seeding.  Am I pleased where the program is now compared to the deane years?  of course.  But we should be upset whenever we don't play like we should and we have not for the past few years (for whatever reason) .  i am still buying my season tix, and I think we should be better next year but don't tell me I should be grateful when we crap the bed in the tournament.  Its not gonna happen.