Most disappointing season in MU history?

[Galway Eagle]

Posted this to settle a debate amongst some older alums at work.

I personally think 08-09 because we went from final four contenders to out in the second round. 

The other options were chosen for what should be pretty obvious reasons given the year before. 

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

This is a good question. I think last year was up there. 08-09 didn't seem disappointing to me taken as a season...more a disappointing finish.

[Nukem2]

This is a good question. I think last year was up there. 08-09 didn't seem disappointing to me taken as a season...more a disappointing finish.

Not so much a disappointing finish as a case of what might have been if DJ had stayed healthy.  That group was really flowing until then.

[mu-rara]

77-78, and it ain't close

We were 24-3, ranked 2-3 most of the season, returning 4 of 5 starters from the NC team.  Upset by Miami of FOhio.  C'mon man.

[willie warrior]

A big thank you, Bert!!!!!

[WarriorInNYC]

Voted 13-14 as being a younger alum, I really only experienced this one and 08-09.  

While 08-09 did have very lofty expectations, those expectations drastically changed with Dom James' injury.  And yeah, maybe you could argue that should play into it, but for me personally, it altered the disappointment.

13-14, the expectations were maybe not as high as 08-09, but they were not much lower.  Many of us here (including myself) were expecting another deep tourney run and a league title.  To go from that to missing the tournament was a drastic disappointment.  But then to add on that and not even get invited to the NIT?  That makes this by far the most disappointing.

And again, maybe the other options prior to 08-09 have every reason to be more disappointing than 13-14, and yeah I could do more research myself to understand those better.  But I voted on disappointment that I felt personally

[Galway Eagle]

Voted 13-14 as being a younger alum, I really only experienced this one and 08-09.  

While 08-09 did have very lofty expectations, those expectations drastically changed with Dom James' injury.  And yeah, maybe you could argue that should play into it, but for me personally, it altered the disappointment.

13-14, the expectations were maybe not as high as 08-09, but they were not much lower.  Many of us here (including myself) were expecting another deep tourney run and a league title.  To go from that to missing the tournament was a drastic disappointment.  But then to add on that and not even get invited to the NIT?  That makes this by far the most disappointing.

And again, maybe the other options prior to 08-09 have every reason to be more disappointing than 13-14, and yeah I could do more research myself to understand those better.  But I voted on disappointment that I felt personally

I'd agree with this on some levels but I factored the D james injury into the disapoontment. 

[BCHoopster]

77-78, and it ain't close

We were 24-3, ranked 2-3 most of the season, returning 4 of 5 starters from the NC team.  Upset by Miami of FOhio.  C'mon man.

A team that could win the National Championship was one of  the worst loss's in MU history.  That team was good, really good.  The ref again was an issue on the technical, but I would say
the worst loss in MU history, no doubt about it was the Ohio St. loss, the ref even admitted he took the game from MU.  Dean Memminger in 91 games never fouls out, gets 3 charging
fouls on him in the game and fouls out, they were like 28-0 or something then, think 70-71 year.

[GooooMarquette]

I think it depends on how you define the disappointment - i.e., whether you're talking about a time when the season came to a sudden and unexpected end, or whether you're including something that happens earlier in the season to weaken the team and lead to an end that we see coming, but didn't see at the beginning of the season.

As for the former, I'd say 77-78.  70-71 is also in the discussion...but we knew Ohio State was really good, so it wasn't quite the shock of losing the "gimme" over Miami in 78.

As for the latter, I'd argue that 71-72 was the biggest disappointment.  Undefeated, ranked 1 or 2, and on a possible collision course with UCLA.  Then Chones goes pro.  We were still a good team, but no longer a NC contender.  The loss of Dominic James in 08-09 was similar to this (different reason, same result), but I'd still put it lower.  In that year, we looked like we had the pieces of a Final Four team when we lost an All Conference caliber player...whereas in 71-72 we looked like a Final Four lock when we lost a consensus All American.

[Pakuni]

For me, it was 03-04.
Went from the Final Four to the NIT, losing to the likes of TCU (twice!) and Southern Miss (by 22 points in a virtual home game) along the way.
Granted the team had lost Wade and Jackson, but they still had a pair of future NBA players (Diener and Novak), two more senior starters (Merrit and Sanders), another senior getting lots of minutes off the bench (TT) a top 50 recruit (Mason) and a JUCO All-American (MJax) on that roster. A deep NCAA run may have been unlikely, but finishing 6-9 down the stretch with some really bad losses was brutal.

[Galway Eagle]

Darn I forgot about the coulda been perfect season year. That's my bad guys but I'm too lazy to edit this

[Tums Festival]

For me the most disappointing season was 87-88, Dukiet's second year. First losing season in over 20 years and not much of any hope on the horizon.

[NersEllenson]

For me, it was 03-04.
Went from the Final Four to the NIT, losing to the likes of TCU (twice!) and Southern Miss (by 22 points in a virtual home game) along the way.
Granted the team had lost Wade and Jackson, but they still had a pair of future NBA players (Diener and Novak), two more senior starters (Merrit and Sanders), another senior getting lots of minutes off the bench (TT) a top 50 recruit (Mason) and a JUCO All-American (MJax) on that roster. A deep NCAA run may have been unlikely, but finishing 6-9 down the stretch with some really bad losses was brutal.

About on par with last season..coming off an Elite 8..with more returning experience than ever before..no injuries of any consequence...and MISSING the damn NIT after being picked to win the conference. 

[Johnny B]

13-14, its like no one wanted to win.

[NotAnAlum]

03-04 no question.  I was so juiced from the final 4 I couldn't wait for basketball to start.  Sure we lost Wade but I felt we'd finally broken through the glass ceiling.  Returning to the NIT. bummer.

[PJDunn]

Worst coaching performances since Al:

- 03/04, a complete too tanned tommy abortion
- 13/14, Buzz completely loses a team
- Every year Dukiet coached

MU BBall gives both pain and joy in generous quantities.

[RubyWiscy]

Can we count all the Bob Dukiet years as one?

Also, I totally agree on the 03-04 season. The NIT game was the only time I have ever prayed for MU to lose just to end the pain and humiliation.

[Galway Eagle]

surprised that 94-95 has only one vote.  I figured some of you 90s alums would be ranting about how it seemed like MU was about rebound with the back to back appearances and sweet 16 but then flopped and didn't even win the NIT

[Dawson Rental]

For me the most disappointing season was 87-88, Dukiet's second year. First losing season in over 20 years and not much of any hope on the horizon.

This.  Had to seriously wonder whether Marquette days being relevant for basketball were over.

[Cooby Snacks]

Can we count all the Bob Dukiet years as one?

Also, I totally agree on the 03-04 season. The NIT game was the only time I have ever prayed for MU to lose just to end the pain and humiliation.

I think you're thinking of 04-05 and Western Michigan. 03-04 was a loss at Iowa St. in the NIT quarterfinals.

Both bad seasons, though.

[MU82]

77-78, and it ain't close

We were 24-3, ranked 2-3 most of the season, returning 4 of 5 starters from the NC team.  Upset by Miami of FOhio.  C'mon man.

I agree with this, both the choice and "it ain't close."

2003-04 was pretty damn bad, though.

[River rat]

surprised that 94-95 has only one vote.  I figured some of you 90s alums would be ranting about how it seemed like MU was about rebound with the back to back appearances and sweet 16 but then flopped and didn't even win the NIT

I actually never felt that way that season.  I thought desne did a good job with a team that had lost alot from the year before.  We started off very slow, but deane slowed the tempo and our defense was outstanding as our inexperienced guys became prime time player we really became an excellent team.  That team was far better than some teams in the ncaa tourney that year but could not overcome our early losses.  The NIT final was an absolte heartbreaker, the charged call on Pieper 20 years later is still a despressingly horrible call.  Amazing game if u were impartial.

[Pakuni]

surprised that 94-95 has only one vote.  I figured some of you 90s alums would be ranting about how it seemed like MU was about rebound with the back to back appearances and sweet 16 but then flopped and didn't even win the NIT

I'm surprised that year was on the list, to be honest.
Having lost Mac, Key and Logtermann (40 points/19 boards per game the previous season), not to mention KO, I don't think anyone was expecting big things out of the 94-95 team.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

None of the above. 2011-12 was a final 4 team had Otule not gotten hurt. Our biggest weakness that year was interior defense and Patrick Young made us pay.

[Johnny B]

None of the above. 2011-12 was a final 4 team had Otule not gotten hurt. Our biggest weakness that year was interior defense and Patrick Young made us pay.

I dont think so.