Ranking the Most Consistent College Basketball Programs in the Past Decadehttp://bleacherreport.com/articles/2122323-ranking-the-most-consistent-college-basketball-programs-in-the-past-decade/page/3Marquette's 2013-14 season feels like the end of an era. The Golden Eagles failed to win 20 games and make the NCAA tournament for the first time since joining the Big East in 2005. After the disappointing end, coach Buzz Williams bolted for the vacant job at Virginia Tech.
Still, Williams elevated his profile the old-fashioned way: by taking unheralded talent and molding it into skilled, cohesive teams.
As Tom Crean's stars—players like Wesley Matthews, Dominic James and Jerel McNeal—graduated, Williams was able to restock with capable replacements. Jimmy Butler, Darius Johnson-Odom, Jae Crowder and Vander Blue were the biggest names, but the teams always appeared greater than the sums of their parts.
Even as last season came tumbling down, Marquette preserved one impressive streak. A 9-9 conference record assured that MU would enter a 10th year without ever suffering a losing season in Big East play. Of course, the new Big East is hardly the minefield that the old one was, but trading blows with powers like Syracuse, Pitt and Louisville made Marquette's solid run all the more impressive.
Now that longtime Duke aide Steve Wojciechowski is in charge, Golden Eagle faithful know they're in the hands of a man who knows what winning feels like. Whether he's the guy to bring them back to a run like 2010-13 (seven NCAA tournament wins in three seasons) remains to be seen.
