Steve Wojciechowski likes results of Marquette's practices

[HutchwasClutch]

I'm not into predictions, but I've said before and will say again- watch Steve Taylor take off this year under Wojo.  He's clearly demonstrated talent since his freshman season and to be out from under Buzz's weird ways, I think he'll flourish.  Plus he's one of the few post guys on a guard dominated team.  He's going to play a lot of minutes and get a ton of opportunities.  And I bet he's more than up to the challenge.  Most improved player for 2014-15, double digit scorer too.

[4everwarriors]

he looks like he should be petting a hairless cat in that picture... exxxcellent   

Correction: He looks like just got some, aina?

[HutchwasClutch]

Correction: He looks like just got some, aina?

I think the hairless cat petting description is more accurate.  And damn funny.

[Class71]

Think it is a bit too early to make predictions. Certainly we will not start the season in a position of strength. If Wojo can pull off some surprises it would be special but I think we need to be realistic and give Wojo a chance. He is digging out of a big hole that the previous wizard from Podunk Texas gave to us as his parting gift.

[Texas Western]

I think in today's media trained world, the world that even corporate executives have to go through now, they all say roughly the same thing.

Do I think he likes Milwaukee...sure.  Do I think he likes his team and wants only guys that want to be at Marquette.  Absolutely.  Do I think in 5 to 10 years he could substitute Milwaukee with Charleston, or Atlanta or Los Angeles and the other words be exactly the same?  YUP.

So it's a bit of both.  I just don't get sucked in with the "but but but he said he loved MU and Milwaukee" when it comes time he bolts.

That's why I thought Buzz's crap from day one was just that...crap.  It's crap with all of them in the sense that they are saying what wants to be heard or has to be said in that position.  Doesn't mean their isn't a hint of truth to what they are saying, but people shouldn't latch on to it like they are going to be here until they retire either.   Hell, 38% of folks that say I DO forever doesn't materialize either.  Just the nature of the world where contracts don't mean jack anymore, commitments aren't binding, and an entitlement society that pushes all.

I agree with the notion that Wojo is a sophisticated media savvy guy. It would be hard not to with the experience he has had. That said he is also smart enough to know that his past doesn't matter any more, and he is a newbie Head Coach in a high visibility job who has to prove himself. So given that I believe him to be genuine in his spirit and 100 per cent committed to the moment and place he is in now. He is spot on in the points he is making.

I think he will do a very good job with the returning players. His first milestone will be to work Carlino into the team. If he is successful with that we could surprise some people early.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Relevant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI

[MU82]

We'll have a quality program that'll see the NCAA tournament most of the time.  I don't expect to ever see a elite eight again, however.

Silliness.

Aside from the usual suspects who have the all-world talent to be good every season, dozens of other schools will have a legit chance to make the Elite 8 - or Final Four - every season.

Or maybe you saw Wichita State's 2013 run coming two years earlier.

Or VCU's 2011 run coming two years earlier.

Or Butler's 2010 (and 2011!) run coming two years earlier.

Or UConn's 2009 (and 2014!) run coming two weeks before the end of the regular season.

Or ...

You get my drift.

Hey, my unimpeachable sources say the NCAA tournament is a crapshoot!

[Dawson Rental]

Silliness.

Aside from the usual suspects who have the all-world talent to be good every season, dozens of other schools will have a legit chance to make the Elite 8 - or Final Four - every season.

Or maybe you saw Wichita State's 2013 run coming two years earlier.

Or VCU's 2011 run coming two years earlier.

Or Butler's 2010 (and 2011!) run coming two years earlier.

Or UConn's 2009 (and 2014!) run coming two weeks before the end of the regular season.

Or ...

You get my drift.

Hey, my unimpeachable sources say the NCAA tournament is a crapshoot!

Silliness?  Since the 1977 national title, Marquette has been to what? two elite eights?  I can think of the 2003 final four and 2013.  It's become clear to me that Buzz leaving (both his motivation and the schools) is largely about limiting the pool from which Marquette can recruit players.  Wojo has yet to show that he can put together a a season of coaching like Buzz did in 2010.  Wojo could bring a return to the limited recruiting of the Crean era.  A lot is still to be determined.  Marquette will remain a solid program.  The current BOT would be uncomfortable with the McGuire era.  The things that made Marquette basketball unique then (a coach at war with the NCAA, who constantly worked the officials and who got frequent technicals, a player cutting down the nets with a switchblade) would cause the current BOT to cringe.  I just feel that Marquette is becoming a vanilla program with great resources and a squeeky clean coach that will do well, but lacks what it takes to get to the next level.

I really hope to be proven wrong.

[Nukem2]

I think he will do a very good job with the returning players. His first milestone will be to work Carlino into the team. If he is successful with that we could surprise some people early.

Do not not discount Duane Wilson.

[The Lens]

Silliness?  Since the 1977 national title, Marquette has been to what? two elite eights?  I can think of the 2003 final four and 2013.  It's become clear to me that Buzz leaving (both his motivation and the schools) is largely about limiting the pool from which Marquette can recruit players.  Wojo has yet to show that he can put together a a season of coaching like Buzz did in 2010.  Wojo could bring a return to the limited recruiting of the Crean era.  A lot is still to be determined.  Marquette will remain a solid program.  The current BOT would be uncomfortable with the McGuire era.  The things that made Marquette basketball unique then (a coach at war with the NCAA, who constantly worked the officials and who got frequent technicals, a player cutting down the nets with a switchblade) would cause the current BOT to cringe.  I just feel that Marquette is becoming a vanilla program with great resources and a squeeky clean coach that will do well, but lacks what it takes to get to the next level.

I really hope to be proven wrong.

I think there's a lot of truth to what you write.  On one hand you see this in business a lot, once you achieve a measure of success, people think it's easy and they get greedy.  There's sometime a tendency to reduce the investment (expenses) in the product to maximize profit.  Here we were looking the other way on some grades, admissions etc and the cost is our prestige.  With 3 straight S16s and a E8 it seems as the Admin is trying to cut costs while hoping for the same profit. 

Or they realized 3 straight S16s are just fads in march and not worth it.  Either way there seems to be a shift at MU and it wasn't just Big Larr and Fr. Pilarz.  McKay left right as Fr. Wild arrived.  Who knows if those two events are related...

I expect Wojo's marching orders are a very solid, competitive program that makes the NCAAs nearly every year.  He will be given nearly every physical resource that money can by but he needs to maintain our academic integrity as much or more so than any coach we have had since KO. 

Look at where Duke assistants are coaching:

Harvard
Stanford
ND
Northwestern

I don't think it's a coincidence that we joined that club.

[wadesworld]

I think there's a lot of truth to what you write.  On one hand you see this in business a lot, once you achieve a measure of success, people think it's easy and they get greedy.  There's sometime a tendency to reduce the investment (expenses) in the product to maximize profit.  Here we were looking the other way on some grades, admissions etc and the cost is our prestige.  With 3 straight S16s and a E8 it seems as the Admin is trying to cut costs while hoping for the same profit. 

Or they realized 3 straight S16s are just fads in march and not worth it.  Either way there seems to be a shift at MU and it wasn't just Big Larr and Fr. Pilarz.  McKay left right as Fr. Wild arrived.  Who knows if those two events are related...

I expect Wojo's marching orders are a very solid, competitive program that makes the NCAAs nearly every year.  He will be given nearly every physical resource that money can by but he needs to maintain our academic integrity as much or more so than any coach we have had since KO. 

Look at where Duke assistants are coaching:

Harvard
Stanford
ND
Northwestern

I don't think it's a coincidence that we joined that club.

They were not.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I think there's a lot of truth to what you write.  On one hand you see this in business a lot, once you achieve a measure of success, people think it's easy and they get greedy.  There's sometime a tendency to reduce the investment (expenses) in the product to maximize profit.  Here we were looking the other way on some grades, admissions etc and the cost is our prestige.  With 3 straight S16s and a E8 it seems as the Admin is trying to cut costs while hoping for the same profit. 

Or they realized 3 straight S16s are just fads in march and not worth it.  Either way there seems to be a shift at MU and it wasn't just Big Larr and Fr. Pilarz.  McKay left right as Fr. Wild arrived.  Who knows if those two events are related...

I expect Wojo's marching orders are a very solid, competitive program that makes the NCAAs nearly every year.  He will be given nearly every physical resource that money can by but he needs to maintain our academic integrity as much or more so than any coach we have had since KO. 

Look at where Duke assistants are coaching:

Harvard
Stanford
ND
Northwestern

I don't think it's a coincidence that we joined that club.

Or, the more simple answer, they were cutting someone off at the pass before he put the program behind the 8 ball and a few giant steps backward.

Let's not forget before Stanford of the last 6 years, they were on a hell of a run of NCAA appearances, a Final Four, etc. 

The world has changed.  The internet didn't exist with Al McGuire, nor did today's 24/7 cycle.  Schools are going to protect their brand and try to portray what they feel is right for their mission.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Silliness?  Since the 1977 national title, Marquette has been to what? two elite eights?  I can think of the 2003 final four and 2013.  It's become clear to me that Buzz leaving (both his motivation and the schools) is largely about limiting the pool from which Marquette can recruit players.  Wojo has yet to show that he can put together a a season of coaching like Buzz did in 2010.  Wojo could bring a return to the limited recruiting of the Crean era.  A lot is still to be determined.  Marquette will remain a solid program.  The current BOT would be uncomfortable with the McGuire era.  The things that made Marquette basketball unique then (a coach at war with the NCAA, who constantly worked the officials and who got frequent technicals, a player cutting down the nets with a switchblade) would cause the current BOT to cringe.  I just feel that Marquette is becoming a vanilla program with great resources and a squeeky clean coach that will do well, but lacks what it takes to get to the next level.

I really hope to be proven wrong.

Every current BOT would be uncomfortable with the McGuire program. That breed of coach doesn't exist anymore. Years of helicopter parents and clean up television campaigns have killed this part of college athletics.

I am just fine with the direction Marquette is heading.

FWIW, I believe the Wojo means every word of what he says, 100%. That being said, anyone who thinks that it will keep him from leaving one day is mistaken.

[The Lens]

Or, the more simple answer, they were cutting someone off at the pass before he put the program behind the 8 ball and a few giant steps backward.

Let's not forget before Stanford of the last 6 years, they were on a hell of a run of NCAA appearances, a Final Four, etc. 

The world has changed.  The internet didn't exist with Al McGuire, nor did today's 24/7 cycle.  Schools are going to protect their brand and try to portray what they feel is right for their mission.

Joining the schools I mentioned is not joining SLU.  There's dual success at those schools.  I believe in Northwestern.

[bilsu]

Coaches come and go, that does not mean they do not mean what they say when they say it. Buzz's style was to try to motivate players by saying they were not any good. That resulted in a lot of transfers, but also resulted in players with toughness like Crowder and Butler excelling. That is one style. Wojo seems to want to motivate the players by being positive. I like Wojo's style better. As far as talent Duane, JJJ, Burton and Fischer were all easily top 100 players. Taylor and Anderson were close. I not sure about Carlino, but I suspect he was a top 100. Cohen is a top 100. The team has talent. Size is a concern, but last year was the first year we really had any size. In reality we are not that much smaller than we were last year.

[Lennys Tap]

Or, the more simple answer, they were cutting someone off at the pass before he put the program behind the 8 ball and a few giant steps backward.

Please stop with this BS. We're still waiting for all the stuff you said was on the verge of coming out months ago.

[GGGG]

Or they realized 3 straight S16s are just fads in march and not worth it.  Either way there seems to be a shift at MU and it wasn't just Big Larr and Fr. Pilarz.  McKay left right as Fr. Wild arrived.  Who knows if those two events are related...

I do.  They are not related in the least. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

Please stop with this BS. We're still waiting for all the stuff you said was on the verge of coming out months ago.

Months ago....try again.

Lenny, there is a reason MU made zero attempt at retaining Brent. 

[MU82]

Silliness?  Since the 1977 national title, Marquette has been to what? two elite eights?  I can think of the 2003 final four and 2013.  

That's 2 within a 10-year span. And yet you're now predicting that it will NEVER happen again.

[keefe]

I do.  They are not related in the least. 

I heard McKay left suddenly because he felt that during recruitment he was sold a different role, position, and employment than what Bert offered once he was on campus. This was all about Bert.

[Dawson Rental]

That's 2 within a 10-year span. And yet you're now predicting that it will NEVER happen again.

In your mind, perhaps "I don't expect" = "I predict NEVER", but I consider "I don't expect" a few shades short of "I predict NEVER".

Actually, that's 2 within a 37-year span.  Oh, and neither coach stayed on.  They both chose to leave for what they considered greener pastures due to concerns over recruiting to Marquette.  The first elite eight only happened due to an incredible stroke of recruiting luck, the second due to recruitment of player(s) that Buzz was concerned he could no longer get enrolled at Marquette.

I do hope to be proven wrong.  But - particularly in recruiting - Wojo is going to have to find his own way.  And he'll have a reduced pool of players to recruit from, so he'll have to recruit better than Buzz did just to have the same caliber of player.  Coach K did wonders at Duke, can Wojo repeat that success here?  Well, while Wojo was selective about the job he took, he'll have lees to work with than Coach K did at Duke.  Coach K was reviving a school with a strong tradition of success in men's basketball, and he was doing it in what was then and is now again the preeminent men's basketball conference.  Realistically, Marquette will not challenge Duke as an academic institution any time soon, so that was another advantage Coach K could sell.

Maybe Wojo challenges Duke for recruits (I doubt it), maybe Marquette becomes the "safe school" for players who wanted to go to Duke but ultimately didn't get an offer (there's incredible competition for even that spot).  Wojo was a very solid hire with some great potential, but the challenge he faces is daunting.  I don't sell either Wojo or the challenge he faces short.  When I see a couple of top 20 recruiting classes, I'll start to open up my expectations.

[bilsu]

I heard McKay left suddenly because he felt that during recruitment he was sold a different role, position, and employment than what Bert offered once he was on campus. This was all about Bert.

I always felt the problem arose, because Buzz was giving Gardner a chance to play the four. Gardner wanted to play the four even though it is not his real position. Buzz played Gardner at the four in preseason practice, which resulted in McKay playing Gardner's center position spot. Appeasing Gardner made McKay unhappy. In the end Gardner did not play much 4 during the season and it was not worth pissing off McKay to give Gardner the chance.

[GGGG]

I heard McKay left suddenly because he felt that during recruitment he was sold a different role, position, and employment than what Bert offered once he was on campus. This was all about Bert.

He was upset about his role.  Neither you nor I have no idea what Buzz told him, or what he chose to hear, during the recruiting process.

It had nothing to do with him being a Juco...Fr. Wild...etc.

[Class71]

In your mind, perhaps "I don't expect" = "I predict NEVER", but I consider "I don't expect" a few shades short of "I predict NEVER".

Actually, that's 2 within a 37-year span.  Oh, and neither coach stayed on.  They both chose to leave for what they considered greener pastures due to concerns over recruiting to Marquette.  The first elite eight only happened due to an incredible stroke of recruiting luck, the second due to recruitment of player(s) that Buzz was concerned he could no longer get enrolled at Marquette.

I do hope to be proven wrong.  But - particularly in recruiting - Wojo is going to have to find his own way.  And he'll have a reduced pool of players to recruit from, so he'll have to recruit better than Buzz did just to have the same caliber of player.  Coach K did wonders at Duke, can Wojo repeat that success here?  Well, while Wojo was selective about the job he took, he'll have lees to work with than Coach K did at Duke.  Coach K was reviving a school with a strong tradition of success in men's basketball, and he was doing it in what was then and is now again the preeminent men's basketball conference.  Realistically, Marquette will not challenge Duke as an academic institution any time soon, so that was another advantage Coach K could sell.

Maybe Wojo challenges Duke for recruits (I doubt it), maybe Marquette becomes the "safe school" for players who wanted to go to Duke but ultimately didn't get an offer (there's incredible competition for even that spot).  Wojo was a very solid hire with some great potential, but the challenge he faces is daunting.  I don't sell either Wojo or the challenge he faces short.  When I see a couple of top 20 recruiting classes, I'll start to open up my expectations.

Agree with the above but I also agree with MU's direction for the school. To survive in a more competitive environment for the university they need to have both a good basketball team with a top 50 academic program. Right now we are in the 70's and it is unknown if we can obtain both a good basketball program and excellent academics. Wojo is one of the first steps toward the goals of MU. I hope most can support these duel objectives.

[GGGG]

I would argue that Marquette doesn't need a top 50 academic program to survive.  In fact I think it could make a big mistake trying to enter that market.  It does not have the resources right now to compete for the faculty and students that this would require.