What's been the most frustrating season in your lifetime?

[keefe]

Keefe, forgot about 78-79.  We were in control most of that game until Toone threw a court length pass that sailed OB, momentum changed and we never recovered.  We did lose to DU that year in Chicago, went to the game it was in essence Aguirre's coming out party, we used 1 ticket to get 4 people in and sat in the last row and were amazed at the freshman on DU.  I t still pales to 77-78 we were ranked in the top 4 all year and laied the giant egg.

I fully agree that '78 loss to Miami was far more painful. But '79 made clear that Ray Meyer was now signing the guys who automatically went to Marquette. Hank was an outstanding ambassador for Marquette but Denny Crum would have been the right choice.

[keefe]

What a year that could have been.  ND, DePaul and MU all could have been final four teams.  One of the best years of college bball, with magic, Larry and Penn joining DePaul in the FF that was. 

The three Catholic schools were all fantastic back then. ND had Tripucka, Woolridge, Hanzlik, Laimbeer, Jackson and Flowers while DU had Aguirre, Bradshaw, Garland, and Jackson. MU beats DU and we finally play #1 seed UCLA. Wow. We routinely breathed that air.

[dgies9156]

Keefe, forgot about 78-79.  We were in control most of that game until Toone threw a court length pass that sailed OB, momentum changed and we never recovered.  We did lose to DU that year in Chicago, went to the game it was in essence Aguirre's coming out party, we used 1 ticket to get 4 people in and sat in the last row and were amazed at the freshman on DU.  I t still pales to 77-78 we were ranked in the top 4 all year and laied the giant egg.

Sorry guys, Hank lost it for us. I've said this before and I'll say it again. A good coach settles his team and beats Rubesville of Ohio. Period.

One unmentioned disappointing season is 1968-1969. We were one free throw away from the Final Four. We were playing a good Purdue team with Rick Mount, who was a great shooter and eventually beat us in overtime. Had we hit a free throw we missed in regulation, Al would have had his first Final Four.

I was at the big games in 1985 -- notably the infamous North Carolina game. We lost because Rick was out-coached by one of the greatest, Dean Smith. Comparing that to the Final Four miss in 1969, the screw-up in 1971 or the Chones departure in 1972 almost isn't fair.

I find it amazing the differences in perceptions about disappointment between those of us who were around for the Al era and those that were not. It is like we are on different planets.

One thing about the 1971-1972 Warriors that compares to this team was the inability of the rest of the team to step-up. Chones may have been one of the best Warriors ever, but when he left for the pros, there was enough talent on that team that we should have filled the void. The 70-49 loss to Dickie V and the Detroit Titans the Saturday after Chones left was a dead giveaway that the Warriors then were extremely talented but the chemistry had not gelled. It took two more seasons and the arrival of Maurice Lucas (1973-1974) before the team chemistry was just right and we went to the National Championship.

[only a warrior]

The Majerus to Dukiet regimes.  Thank the Lord for KO

[mu-rara]

77-78 easy.

Expectation was a repeat NC.  Had 4 out of 5 starters returning from 77 NC team, with Bill Neary the only guy Hank had to replace.

Could not believe we lost in the 1st round.

The week after had a large cloud over it.

[SonofPianoMan]

let's see... at MU from '87-'91... yep, I'm going with my entire college career...

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

let's see... at MU from '87-'91... yep, I'm going with my entire college career...

I was thinking the same thing.

[GooooMarquette]

77-78 easy.

Expectation was a repeat NC.  Had 4 out of 5 starters returning from 77 NC team, with Bill Neary the only guy Hank had to replace.

Could not believe we lost in the 1st round.

The week after had a large cloud over it.

A couple of other interesting factoids.

While you're right that a repeat NC wouldn't seem unreasonable, the bracketing process would have made it really hard.  That was in the days before seeding, so #3 MU would have played #1 Kentucky in the second round.  That obviously became a moot point after the Miami loss, but I have always wondered if the Miami game was even close because MU was looking ahead a game.  (Side note - the lack of seeding hurt us in '76 as well, when #2 MU lost to #1 Indiana in the Mideast Regional Finals).

And I mentioned that I was at the MU-Miami game.  I was of course assuming a MU win in the first game...and looking forward to seeing a freshman phenom named Earvin Johnson play for Michigan State against Providence in the late game.  Alas, I was so dazed and disappointed after MU's stunning loss that my brother and I left Market Square Arena and wandered aimlessly around Indanapolis for a couple of hours.  Just couldn't bear to watch any more hoops that day.

[willie warrior]

A couple of other interesting factoids.

While you're right that a repeat NC wouldn't seem unreasonable, the bracketing process would have made it really hard.  That was in the days before seeding, so #3 MU would have played #1 Kentucky in the second round.  That obviously became a moot point after the Miami loss, but I have always wondered if the Miami game was even close because MU was looking ahead a game.  (Side note - the lack of seeding hurt us in '76 as well, when #2 MU lost to #1 Indiana in the Mideast Regional Finals).

And I mentioned that I was at the MU-Miami game.  I was of course assuming a MU win in the first game...and looking forward to seeing a freshman phenom named Earvin Johnson play for Michigan State against Providence in the late game.  Alas, I was so dazed and disappointed after MU's stunning loss that my brother and I left Market Square Arena and wandered aimlessly around Indanapolis for a couple of hours.  Just couldn't bear to watch any more hoops that day.

Yes, that Miami loss was shocking. As I recall, it was quite a shock to much of the basketball media at the time.

[Eye]

Of 03-04 and 04-05, I was more disappointed in 03-04. 04-05 would've made the tourney had Diener not gotten hurt. No such excuses the previous year.

I also thought of 97-98. Started 10-0, Hutch might've been the college MVP the first 10 games, won at the Rodents, blew out Notre Dame, Wardle's miracle at UL. Then under .500 the rest of the year, including 4 home losses. Was extremely happy after the loss in the NIT at Minnesota that I wasn't going to have to watch one of the seniors play ever again.

[The Lens]

Of 03-04 and 04-05, I was more disappointed in 03-04. 04-05 would've made the tourney had Diener not gotten hurt. No such excuses the previous year.

I also thought of 97-98. Started 10-0, Hutch might've been the college MVP the first 10 games, won at the Rodents, blew out Notre Dame, Wardle's miracle at UL. Then under .500 the rest of the year, including 4 home losses. Was extremely happy after the loss in the NIT at Minnesota that I wasn't going to have to watch one of the seniors play ever again.

What did Richard Shaw ever do to you?

[Eye]

Not Richard Shaw.

[cnse70]

As a freshman in 1985-86, I was watching that game at McCormick and little did I know then how true that would be. Unfortunately for those in my graduating class, that UNC loss would not be just the best memory from that year, but for all 4 years we were there. Hands-down, the worst team(s) in the last 50 years were the 87-88 and 88-89 teams. I was at nearly every home game and, with the exception of Tony Smith and (arguably) Trevor Powell, those teams were a collection of Division II athletes that Dukiet slapped together out of desperation. I remember when Majerus left after '86, the Marquette Tribune accused him of "leaving the cupboard bare", and although he vehemently denied it, it really was true. I think Majerus knew early in the 85-86 season that he was leaving for the NBA and just kinda gave up on recruiting. So when Dukiet got there he had no choice but to fill the void with some low-end recruits from the New Jersey area that he had been pursuing at St. Peters - Mark Anglavar, Joe Nethen, and Anthony Candelino. Dukiet actually managed to recruit a couple top 100 guards the next year (Gerald Posey and Corey Floyd) but Posey quit the team and Floyd never set foot on campus due to academics. With injuries, redshirts, academic issues, and guys quitting because they didn't like Dukiet, we played most of the 87-88 season with only 1 active player over 6-6. Things were so bad in 88-89 that the student section would break out into applause simply because they managed to get the ball over half-court without turning it over.  We were getting blown out by teams like Cleveland State, Iona, Fordham, and the dreaded Evansville Purple Aces with their short sleeve jerseys. It was definitely the low point of the post-Eddie Hickie years. You had to be there to "appreciate" how frustrating it was. Thank god for Kevin O'Neill!!

OMG, I never thought I'd re-live that nightmare again.  Yes, the Purple Aces long sleeves...too funny.  Being drunk at games helped a lot.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

What did Richard Shaw ever do to you?

He was dating an RA in McCormick my freshman year.  Hot RA, IIRC.  they walked in one day around lunch time and everyone starts going wild for Richard Shaw (might have been Dick Shaw).  He told us all to f-ck off, or something similar.

In conclusion, that is what Richard Shaw did to me.

[WarriorFan]

let's see... at MU from '87-'91... yep, I'm going with my entire college career...

Yep, agreed.  The only enjoyable part of that era was torching Anthony Candelino when he showed up to play at the rec center.  Flory, Powell, and Tony Smith were the only decent players.

[warriorfred]

Yep, agreed.  The only enjoyable part of that era was torching Anthony Candelino when he showed up to play at the rec center.  Flory, Powell, and Tony Smith were the only decent players.

Tyrone Baldwin wasn't bad either, he had an awesome put-back dunk against UW that is still one of the best dunks I have ever seen.  Mercifully, I was at MU for most of the Kevin O'Neil era, but 1988-89 was an awful season, and probably the lowest point, ever, for Marquette basketball.

[PE8983]

Back to 1986, the day before that dreadful ending that resulted in a loss to UNC, they beat Dayton (didn't lose to them).

[Goose]

'77-'78 season. I agree with Keefe and knowing our run had ended. I believe we were ranked #1 in late Jan or early Feb and lost to Loyola on the road. Does anyone remember if it was Loyola or DePaul?

[SonofPianoMan]

I was thinking the same thing.

It was brutal to say the least but rarely missed a game... and I'm a bigger fan than ever. I still remember rushing the court for the ND win and getting my picture on the cover of the MU Magazine... I also remember a bunch of jack ass Phi Caps turning me in to the security guards for the beer I snuck in. It's hard to sneak in a case of Old Milwaukee in an overcoat...

[4everwarriors]

'77-'78 season. I agree with Keefe and knowing our run had ended. I believe we were ranked #1 in late Jan or early Feb and lost to Loyola on the road. Does anyone remember if it was Loyola or DePaul?

It was to Loyola F uckin' Ramblers. I remember it today like it was yesterday.

[Lennys Tap]

It was to Loyola F uckin' Ramblers. I remember it today like it was yesterday.

A bad night at the Chicago Amphitheater.

[DoggyDaddy]

Those near misses in the 70's were not frustrating seasons but horrible endings of truly remarkable seasons. The 1970-71 team may have been the best ever. Dean Meminger picks up a very questionable fifth foul and for the first time in his entire MU career he is not handling the ball at the end of a game.  A turnover by Allie McGuire ends the season.  But 1977-78 was even more painful because it came in the first round against a truly inferior opponent.  And it served to remind us Al was indeed gone.  
     

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'm going to go with '04-'05. We'd dealt with the crushing feeling of going from a Final Four to the NIT the year before, but things looked better initially in 04-05. Diener was a senior, Novak was coming into his own as a junior, everyone expected Dameon Mason to take a giant leap forward ... By the end of the year Rob Hanley was our starting point guard, Marcus Jackson was bringing the ball up the floor, Mason showed little to nothing. The team couldn't even inbound the ball against TCU in the Conference USA tournament (read that sentence again and weep). It all ended with an opening NIT loss to Western Michigan and at a half-empty Bradley Center.

Never again.

Frustration to me is tied to expectations.  If you lose a ton of guys from the previous year then frustration isn't the word I would use....frustration to me is when we're supposed to be good and we aren't.  Or, as you mention, a key injury happens.

I agree with someone in this thread with the DJ injury.  That team was capable of a lot, and the DJ injury was crushing not only due to the position, but when it happened. 

I suppose this year I could lump in on both regards...not playing as well as we could and Duane's injury (though we have never seen Duane play so it's hard to gauge that, especially with Buzz's minutes for freshmen at times).

[77ncaachamps]

The Diener injury and the DJ injury seasons were frustrating. Not BAD but frustrating.
The fact the kids didn't even have a chance to come back to finish the season (forget DJ's "comeback") was a blow to the team's psyche and postseason prospects (with a healthy DJ, they may have gone farther).

[ChicosBailBonds]

let's see... at MU from '87-'91... yep, I'm going with my entire college career...

Same time period for me (except one year longer)....that about summed it up.