Are You Scared?????

[dgies9156]

For the first time since it was obvious Bob Dukiet was WAY over his head, I'm beginning to worry about our program. We are on the verge of recapturing what we once had -- a perennial Top 10 team -- and now an important components of our success is crumbling out from underneath us.

I'm scared because if things don't play out just right, we'll end up another Loyola of Chicago. That's a once-proud program with a national championship 1.5 generations ago that's now an after-thought in the Horizon League.

I'm scared because some of the talk has us grouped with Dayton, St. Louis, Detroit, DePaul and other mid-majors. My God, Milwaukee already has one mid-major. It doesn't need another!

I'm scared because Buzz is brining top talent and excelling at Marquette. Can we keep him if we're playing half our games against Valpo, Dayton and Cleveland State?

And, yes, I'm concerned that as we move forward, the chances for us to be a competitive, aggressive and "chip on our shoulder" program that slays monsters (such as Badgers, Wolverines, Huskies, Golden Bears, Longhorns, Wildcats, Hoosiers, Bulldogs etc.) diminishes everytime I open this board.

Maybe I'm fatalistic, but as my friend Brew points out, football is driving everything! I don't begrudge the Jesuits' decision to end Marquette football in 1960. In fact, given the cost/benefit of small college Division 1 football (aka, vanderbilt, Duke etc.), the Jesuits were visionary. But the decision the Jesuits made in 1960 to end football is really hurting our basketball program now. Perhaps it is inevitable and an outgrowth of the professionalization and profitability of big-time college athletics, but I sure hope we beat the odds and keep the basketball program the way it is.

[reinko]

List of things I am scared of.

1. Being prison raped
2. Rabid dogs
3. Ghosts
256. College basketball realignment.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Worst case scenario I see for us is Xavier, which is not very far from what we are now, if it's really a step down at all.  We'll be fine, but I agree this does hurt a bit of the momentum Buzz had going.  I saw us trending towards Louisville/Michigan State territory but there is a chance that that is no longer realistic.  As long as Buzz stays with us through thick and thin here, I think we're in good hands.  I have no doubts about what he can do for our program.

[Litehouse]

4. Clowns
5. That evil monkey in my closet

[Canadian Dimes]

OMG...what was that?  I'm scared too!

I have been an MU fan since I was a little kid in the mid 70's, lived in Beloit from '71 to '79( born in '69).

MU has certainly gone thru many different varaitions since that time.  The only thing that has been consistant is MU has maintained itself as a traditional basketball power.  We have had some ups and downs. I was in school during Dukiet and Oneill, n dont recall missing a game.

Things may chnage but MU will remain a basketball force, it is part of MU's core.  I dont feel that will change.

Annoyed , yes. Scared, no.

Also...this original post gets my vote for worst thread ever.

[Dr. Blackheart]

6.

[Silkk the Shaka]

OMG...what was that?  I'm scared too!

I have been an MU fan since I was a little kid in the mid 70's, lived in Beloit from '71 to '79( born in '69).

MU has certainly gone thru many different varaitions since that time.  The only thing that has been consistant is MU has maintained itself as a traditional basketball power.  We have had some ups and downs. I was in school during Dukiet and Oneill, n dont recall missing a game.

Things may chnage but MU will remain a basketball force, it is part of MU's core.  I dont feel that will change.

Annoyed , yes. Scared, no.

Also...this original post gets my vote for worst thread ever.

Keep in mind it was written by the same guy who claimed after the Seton Hall loss and Louisville Big East tournament loss that we would be nothing but "cannon foddler" in the Big East and NCAA tournaments.  Classic over-reactor.

[Canadian Dimes]

huh?

[lab_warrior]

I'M SO...STARTLED!!!

[bobnoxious]

7)

[MUMac]

6.

Proof positive that HD is not for everyone!

[MUMac]

Scared?  No, not at all.  I have confidence that MU will land on it's feet and continue to build a strong program with Buzz at the helm.

I am concerned about the future of the BE.  Until that implodes and MU lands where they land, why be scared?

[Aughnanure]

Why do people keep forgetting that Marquette had a basketball program before the Big East?

[StillAWarrior]

For the first time since it was obvious Bob Dukiet was WAY over his head, I'm beginning to worry about our program. We are on the verge of recapturing what we once had -- a perennial Top 10 team -- and now an important components of our success is crumbling out from underneath us.

I'm scared because if things don't play out just right, we'll end up another Loyola of Chicago. That's a once-proud program with a national championship 1.5 generations ago that's now an after-thought in the Horizon League.

I'm scared because some of the talk has us grouped with Dayton, St. Louis, Detroit, DePaul and other mid-majors. My God, Milwaukee already has one mid-major. It doesn't need another!

I'm scared because Buzz is brining top talent and excelling at Marquette. Can we keep him if we're playing half our games against Valpo, Dayton and Cleveland State?

And, yes, I'm concerned that as we move forward, the chances for us to be a competitive, aggressive and "chip on our shoulder" program that slays monsters (such as Badgers, Wolverines, Huskies, Golden Bears, Longhorns, Wildcats, Hoosiers, Bulldogs etc.) diminishes everytime I open this board.

Maybe I'm fatalistic, but as my friend Brew points out, football is driving everything! I don't begrudge the Jesuits' decision to end Marquette football in 1960. In fact, given the cost/benefit of small college Division 1 football (aka, vanderbilt, Duke etc.), the Jesuits were visionary. But the decision the Jesuits made in 1960 to end football is really hurting our basketball program now. Perhaps it is inevitable and an outgrowth of the professionalization and profitability of big-time college athletics, but I sure hope we beat the odds and keep the basketball program the way it is.

I think it's pretty hard to figure out how true the bolded statement is...if at all.  First of all, it's impossible to know whether Marquette would have ever been a "perennial Top 10 team" if it had kept football, much less had any opportunity to recapture that level of success.  We'll never know, so that's a pointless debate.

A lot of football schools are going to get left out of the "super conferences."  While it's also impossible to know what kind of program Marquette would have had if it had continued with football (or what conference they might have been in), I think the composition of the "super conferences" that are developing suggests that even if it had kept football, Marquette likely still would have been on the outside looking in.  Simply put, with relatively few exceptions, the teams that are forming these conferences are public universities.  Looking at the exceptions, almost all of the private schools have been in the conferences for a long, long time (Stanford - 1918; USC - 1922; Northwestern - 1896; Duke - 1953; Wake - 1953; and Vandy - 1932).  The other two (Miami and BC) are outliers.  I'll admit it's possible that Marquette might have developed into an elite football program, but I honestly think it's far more likely that they would have been a middle of the road program that still would have been on the outside looking in.  Incidentally, this is exactly the same reason why I think it would be pointless to start a football program now.

[john31]

Not scared. All we need to do is keep finishing in the Sweet 16 or better for the next couple of years. We currently have good talent and more in the pipeline. I know that is no easy task but doable.

[wadesworld]

For the first time since it was obvious Bob Dukiet was WAY over his head, I'm beginning to worry about our program. We are on the verge of recapturing what we once had -- a perennial Top 10 team -- and now an important components of our success is crumbling out from underneath us.

I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but I don't understand how people keep saying we are on the verge of being a perennial top 10 team, getting the program back to where we were in the Al era, etc.  We just made it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003, and we did it as an 11 seed.  Let's have 1 year where we finish in the top 10 and then maybe we can think about being there every year.  I think we're closer to being a perennial top 25 team than we are top 10.

[StillAWarrior]

Although I have some concerns and wonder where we'll end up, I'm not scared.  If nothing else, the past 15+ years have shown us that Marquette is committed to having a quality basketball program.  Marquette did not just get good by accident or because it had a lucky recruiting class.  Marquette returned to prominence because the leaders of the University decided that they were going to make that happen (and invested heavily to ensure that it happened).  Our conference is not going to determine whether we're a successful program or not -- it might make it more challenging, but it won't be the deciding factor.  In other words, we're not going to become Loyola of Chicago unless the administration decides to let that happen.  And if they make that decision, no conference affiliation will save us.

[Henry Sugar]

Zombies

The apocalypse

Zombie Apocalypses

[StillAWarrior]

Zombies

The apocalypse

Zombie Apocalypses

The dreaded Zombocalypse!

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

First post = http://www.youtube.com/embed/bflYjF90t7c

For the first time since it was obvious Bob Dukiet was WAY over his head, I'm beginning to worry about our program. We are on the verge of recapturing what we once had -- a perennial Top 10 team -- and now an important components of our success is crumbling out from underneath us.

I can count on one hand the number of times we've been ranked in the Top 10 since joining the Big East. Perennial Top 10 teams tend to get past the Sweet 16 more than once every 8 years.

I'm scared because if things don't play out just right, we'll end up another Loyola of Chicago. That's a once-proud program with a national championship 1.5 generations ago that's now an after-thought in the Horizon League.

I'm scared because some of the talk has us grouped with Dayton, St. Louis, Detroit, DePaul and other mid-majors. My God, Milwaukee already has one mid-major. It doesn't need another!

Nothing starts off a rational discussion quite like a worst-case scenario with cherry-picked information. Most of those "CYO Conference" proposals also have us playing Xavier, Georgetown, Notre Dame, and Villanova.

I'm scared because Buzz is brining top talent and excelling at Marquette. Can we keep him if we're playing half our games against Valpo, Dayton and Cleveland State?

I see two Horizon League teams. We should ask Butler to see if you can succeed nationally while playing in the Horizon League.

And, yes, I'm concerned that as we move forward, the chances for us to be a competitive, aggressive and "chip on our shoulder" program that slays monsters (such as Badgers, Wolverines, Huskies, Golden Bears, Longhorns, Wildcats, Hoosiers, Bulldogs etc.) diminishes everytime I open this board.

Based on this thread, I can only assume that we'll be the best Cinderella Darling Perennial Top 10 team out there.

Maybe I'm fatalistic, but as my friend Brew points out, football is driving everything!

Thanks, Brew!

I don't begrudge the Jesuits' decision to end Marquette football in 1960. In fact, given the cost/benefit of small college Division 1 football (aka, vanderbilt, Duke etc.), the Jesuits were visionary. But the decision the Jesuits made in 1960 to end football is really hurting our basketball program now.

Those damn visionary jesuits!

Perhaps it is inevitable and an outgrowth of the professionalization and profitability of big-time college athletics, but I sure hope we beat the odds and keep the basketball program the way it is.

I would hope we improve, because last year sucked a lot.

[StillAWarrior]

And, yes, I'm concerned that as we move forward, the chances for us to be a competitive, aggressive and "chip on our shoulder" program that slays monsters (such as Badgers, Wolverines, Huskies, Golden Bears, Longhorns, Wildcats, Hoosiers, Bulldogs etc.) diminishes everytime I open this board.

For the love of God, then, stop opening this board!

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but I don't understand how people keep saying we are on the verge of being a perennial top 10 team, getting the program back to where we were in the Al era, etc.  We just made it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003, and we did it as an 11 seed.  Let's have 1 year where we finish in the top 10 and then maybe we can think about being there every year.  I think we're closer to being a perennial top 25 team than we are top 10.

+1.

I'm very optimistic about this season and the recruits... but we need to be realistic here.

Long way to go to get to "perennial top 10".

[Benny B]

+1.

I'm very optimistic about this season and the recruits... but we need to be realistic here.

Long way to go to get to "perennial top 10".

How many perennial top 10 teams have there been over the last 15 years?

EDIT: Appearances in the AP top 10 since 2000:

Duke 90%
KU 66%
UNC 52%
UCONN & Pitt 42%
Florida 41%
MSU 40%
KY, TX & AZ 37%
nobody else cracks one-third.

I suppose it depends on how you define the term, but I see perhaps one "perennial top 10" team since 2000.

[NersEllenson]

Personally - I don't have an issue with this thread, or the content of the original post.  The Big East implosion is NOT a good thing as everyone here can agree on.

I don't believe the administration at MU has *MUCH* to do with any of the success the MU basketball program has had the last 15 years.  It has to do with big time donors like Dick Strong, getting Tom Crean here for 9 years, who got D-Wade, which got us a Final Four, (and the Al McGuire center funded by donors/alums - and not administration) which made entry into the Big East an option.  Even though in the Big East, Crean still felt leaving MU for Indiana was a better option.

Fast forward now - we have a GREAT young coach/recruiter - who we know many schools covet, who just turned down a lot of options to return closer to his native home, and coach at a school that has a major football program (stability).  Big East has been a huge selling point to recruits - now that it is unraveling - that changes the complexion/intensifies the recruiting challenges MU already faces.

MU will only be as good in hoops as is the quality of its coach.  It has nothing to do with administration's commitment to the program, etc.  Why did the program begin to fall after KO left and Deane took over?  Cause Deane couldn't recruit at a high level.  Crean comes in, and recruits well, and program rises again.  Buzz carries that same torch forward, and we are in good hands.  But now we potentially are losing a big selling point on the recruiting trail.

Yes, I am a little scared - mostly about if Buzz decides the material change in the landscape at Marquette - changes his mind to remain at MU.  At that point...look out...and I hope to GOD it doesn't happen.

[MerrittsMustache]

Fast forward now - we have a GREAT young coach/recruiter - who we know many schools covet, who just turned down a lot of options to return closer to his native home, and coach at a school that has a major football program (stability).  Big East has been a huge selling point to recruits - now that it is unraveling - that changes the complexion/intensifies the recruiting challenges MU already faces.

Texas A&M's move to the SEC could be headed to court and Oklahoma's future/the Big 12's future is somewhat up in the air. I wouldn't necessarily define any of that as stable.