That one is on Wojo

[GGGG]

I am not in the camp that says Wojo will be a good coach for us. He simply does not have an understanding of what it takes to win in a program like ours. We are not Duke. Every single player on our team is essential to being successful.  Wojo is simply not a leader of young men. At Marquette you can't just roll out the talent and hope to win. The coach needs to build kids up and not tear them down. Putting playersr in the dog house is simply not an option for us. Wojo had an outstanding endowment of talent to begin with. 3 have left and 2 are in and out of the dog house. We have an offense that is centered on one ball hogging chucker.  We are now 10-11. The numbers don't lie.

I don't want to live through the Dukiet years again.

You didn't live through them in the first place...so you're good.

[GGGG]

Good grief, Wojo is not there yet? Come on. How about this, the team is just not that good. Period. We are not a good team. It's not depth, Butler played 8 guys. We just dont have the right pieces.

I think a more seasoned and experienced coach could get more out of this team in late game situations.  I think he does a lot of very good things as a coach.  I think his game management needs some work.  I said the same thing about Buzz and he grew into his role too.

[axaguy]

Wojo can't shoot or play defense........... We lost to Butler because we blew too many basic, simple, elementary basketball moves throughout the game. Game should have been won in regulation. Our defense forced Butler into numerous stops and misses that we failed to convert on our end. At least 8 layups, bunnies, close in shots were missed during the game.
Why does Fischer, who's played the game a while and for different coaches along the way, insist on putting the ball on the floor every time he gets it???? He is not really athletic and certainly not a point guard. His moves around the basket do not tell of a highly rated "star" athlete from high school. The Butler post guy got 30 last night and wasn't a piece of artistic athleticism, either.
Duane missed at least one finger role layup on a break created by a good defensive play..........
We did not capitalize on turnovers and mistakes that Butler made.
Relax. Wojo and MU will be just fine. We are not a great offensive team but can win games but the guys have to "finish" plays with baskets and smart basketball. I just think the basketball IQ of the current group is a little sub par. Game's on the floor. Has to won by the guys on the floor.
We'll be fine but not in line for the NCAA this year.......

[Brewtown Andy]

Game's on the floor. Has to won by the guys on the floor.

And those guys, with the somewhat slight exception of Derrick & Juan, have only been playing together for 21 games.  Or, really, because of Luke, only 13 games.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I am not in the camp that says Wojo will be a good coach for us. He simply does not have an understanding of what it takes to win in a program like ours. We are not Duke. Every single player on our team is essential to being successful.  Wojo is simply not a leader of young men. At Marquette you can't just roll out the talent and hope to win. The coach needs to build kids up and not tear them down. Putting playersr in the dog house is simply not an option for us. Wojo had an outstanding endowment of talent to begin with. 3 have left and 2 are in and out of the dog house. We have an offense that is centered on one ball hogging chucker.  We are now 10-11. The numbers don't lie.

I don't want to live through the Dukiet years again.

That outstanding endowment of talent vastly underperformed last year.  Two years now, tellls me that talent was overrated.

[willie warrior]

You're a dope ... but you're our dope.

MU82 doing what he has learned best---name calling. Surprised he has not flaunted his MU degree yet, although to his credit, he has not done that lately. And there is nothing wrong with an MU degree--it's great---just don't flaunt it as making oneself holier than thou.

[79Warrior]

That outstanding endowment of talent vastly underperformed last year.  Two years now, tellls me that talent was overrated.

Exactly. Harsh reality for some to accept. At some point "talent" needs to show up.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I don't want to live through the Dukiet years again.

I forgot how Dukiet brought a consensus top 10 class in his first season as head coach.

Here's some light reading for you. Gruman nailed my feelings about the season right on the head:

http://www.foxsports.com/wisconsin/story/andrew-gruman-marquette-golden-eagles-fans-need-to-be-patient-013015

[SWARM!]

That outstanding endowment of talent vastly underperformed last year.  Two years now, tellls me that talent was overrated.

How anyone has a different opinion of our talent is mind blowing to me. Quick: someone cite to the high school rankings of Anderson, Wilson, Taylor,  or Johnson one more time. Unreal.  Our talent level is the second worst in the Big East and that's where we're gonna finish. Things will change.

[connie]

How anyone has a different opinion of our talent is mind blowing to me. Quick: someone cite to the high school rankings of Anderson, Wilson, Taylor,  or Johnson one more time. Unreal.  Our talent level is the second worst in the Big East and that's where we're gonna finish. Things will change.

You must have been (mercifully) absent from this place for a long, long time, or you think reality has some place in this (yes, THIS, we end up talking about the same thing in every thread) discussion.

[eg021]

Like others have mentioned, this team is going to continue to fall apart late in the game if we continue to change our offensive strategy down the stretch. We're not successful scoring late in the shot clock, so taking the air out of the ball with a lead for us ends in wasted possessions. We start pounding the ball near half court until 10 is on the shot clock and never end up with good looks at the basket. We completely ignore Luke late in the game as well which makes our offense even more stagnant. Until we figure out how to execute during winning time on offense, we'll continue to have these let downs.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

I think our collapse at the end of games comes, in part, because of exhaustion. Duane missed that layup because he just didn't get enough elevation. He was not able to get the ball over the rim. From 8 minutes on I kept expecting guys to get some kind of blow: specifically  Duane

[Brewtown Andy]

I think our collapse at the end of games comes, in part, because of exhaustion. Duane missed that layup because he just didn't get enough elevation. He was not able to get the ball over the rim. From 8 minutes on I kept expecting guys to get some kind of blow: specifically  Duane

Everyone was missing layups short all game long.

[mu-rara]

LOL. I'd say the wonders he's done are:  I wonder if a coach could do worse.  The good news for Wojo is the by default his team will stand a chance next year as he won't be married to Derrick for 33 minutes. Just because Wojo's team at Duke could win with Wojo being a Derrick caliber player - doesn't mean it can work when the talent around you isn't McDonalds All Amercans. Next season can't get here soon enough. Don't care who runs the PG for is - it won't get worse. Team will be fun to watch again.

I'm sure you will rain on that parade too.

[HutchwasClutch]

That last series with a full shot clock to work with(til the end of regulation) was the perfect time to use the triple team Matt draws and find Duane or Sandy wide open.

We didn't even remotely try it.

Yeah, that's just a great point - Duane and Sandy were on fire yesterday, 6-20 combined, and 0-4 from three.  Not to mention they're freshman and freshman are normally highly reliable with the game on the line.  Boy, Wojo has a lot to learn.  Unfrickinbelievable how smart so many on this board are and how dumb Wojo is after playing and coaching with Coack K for 19 years.   

[HutchwasClutch]

Good grief, Wojo is not there yet? Come on. How about this, the team is just not that good. Period. We are not a good team. It's not depth, Butler played 8 guys. We just dont have the right pieces.

Everybody looks for someone to blame. It's not the players fault, they are what they are. Wojo is fine, he is working his tail off. He just does not have the players.

This sums up everything you need to know about this year.  But some here insist on making coaching decisions a topic.  Probably because it's boring to point out the obvious that we're just not very damn good at all.  

[HutchwasClutch]

  Even the last play of regulation, I was hoping for something different, but you could tell it was going to be the exact same thing.

It sure would have been nice if Carlino wouldn't have fumbled out of bounds so whatever was drawn up by Wojo would have had a  chance at least, wouldn't it?   

[HutchwasClutch]

I am not in the camp that says Wojo will be a good coach for us. He simply does not have an understanding of what it takes to win in a program like ours. We are not Duke. Every single player on our team is essential to being successful.  Wojo is simply not a leader of young men. At Marquette you can't just roll out the talent and hope to win. The coach needs to build kids up and not tear them down. Putting playersr in the dog house is simply not an option for us. Wojo had an outstanding endowment of talent to begin with. 3 have left and 2 are in and out of the dog house. We have an offense that is centered on one ball hogging chucker.  We are now 10-11. The numbers don't lie.

I don't want to live through the Dukiet years again.

You truly have become the comic relief on the board this season.  Thank-you for the good laughs you've provided,  I'm certain you've got many more gems to come.  

[HutchwasClutch]

That outstanding endowment of talent vastly underperformed last year.  Two years now, tellls me that talent was overrated.

I agree to a point with this.  I don't think Fischer, Duane, and Cohen are in any way overrated, just inexperienced.  

[Class71]

I think a more seasoned and experienced coach could get more out of this team in late game situations.  I think he does a lot of very good things as a coach.  I think his game management needs some work.  I said the same thing about Buzz and he grew into his role too.

Buzz had good game management skills or did he have seasoned players who took the initiative? Buzz was a recruiter and motivator after that it was paint touches, drives, passes and kick-outs. Did I miss something other than awe shucks?

[ChicosBailBonds]

I agree to a point with this.  I don't think Fischer, Duane, and Cohen are in any way overrated, just inexperienced.  

That was partially my point in saying two years in a row....meaning the talent last year is still struggling a year later in their second year.  Fischer, Duane and Cohen are all first year MU players. 

[NersEllenson]

I'm sure you will rain on that parade too.

LOL - Go back and take a look at my early posting history.  Initially was grateful about what Crean accomplished at MU (until Chicos started to bash Buzz on anything and everything), as incredibly supportive of Buzz - and made fun of by many who still to this day here disagree with me - for actually supporting Buzz and the team through and through. (Although I was critical of Vander early, and again my same "friends" here jumped all over me for that.)

I became critical of Buzz and the team last season in late November - the first time - in my posting history here I'd EVER been critical of Buzz.  Complained, bitched, lamented, the whole 9 yards last season that Buzz wasn't right, if change wasn't made we'd be a disaster - and unfortunately - I was right.

Now this season - I was optimistic and bullish on Wojo heading into the season.  However, once seeing how he coached the team, allocated playing time - it's given me pause for concern.  Sorry.  I like MU winning just as everybody here does.  When I see a very flawed approach (in my opinion) that could be corrected - that doesn't get corrected - it is very frustrating to me to see the losses mount, when in my opinion there was a clear and necessary alternative course of action that could have been taken to help the team perform better.  Thankfully - next season - the biggest source of our team's performance/problems the last two years simply won't be an option.  And I suspect we will be better next year - even though we lose our leading scorer in Carlino - and perhaps will be down to only Duane remaining as part of what would have been our Junior class.  Ellenson of course will help.  But we will be even more inexperienced next season - yet still feel with Duane likely running the point - we should be better.  Hopefully JJJ sticks around.

[mu03eng]

I am not in the camp that says Wojo will be a good coach for us. He simply does not have an understanding of what it takes to win in a program like ours. We are not Duke. Every single player on our team is essential to being successful.  Wojo is simply not a leader of young men. At Marquette you can't just roll out the talent and hope to win. The coach needs to build kids up and not tear them down. Putting playersr in the dog house is simply not an option for us. Wojo had an outstanding endowment of talent to begin with. 3 have left and 2 are in and out of the dog house. We have an offense that is centered on one ball hogging chucker.  We are now 10-11. The numbers don't lie.

I don't want to live through the Dukiet years again.

You might want to talk to Ners on this one.....he has carried on about how Wojo never plays the talent we have, but you seem to imply that he just puts the talent on the floor and doesn't coach.

Players have to live up to expectations as both players and as citizens, if players aren't doing that they should be in the dog house.

With apologizes to Ben Franklin....if a fan gives up principles to secure winning, they deserve neither principles nor winning.

[NersEllenson]

You might want to talk to Ners on this one.....he has carried on about how Wojo never plays the talent we have, but you seem to imply that he just puts the talent on the floor and doesn't coach.

Players have to live up to expectations as both players and as citizens, if players aren't doing that they should be in the dog house.

With apologizes to Ben Franklin....if a fan gives up principles to secure winning, they deserve neither principles nor winning.

Actually what he is implying is that Marquette isn't Duke.  And though Derrick is a less talented clone of Wojo as a player - when you aren't surrounded by McDonald's All American level talent - you can't expect an overmatched guy like Derrick in his playing days to lead you to wins. 

And yes, sorry Eng, I do feel JJJ is a much more talented basketball player than Derrick Wilson.

[forgetful]

Actually what he is implying is that Marquette isn't Duke.  And though Derrick is a less talented clone of Wojo as a player - when you aren't surrounded by McDonald's All American level talent - you can't expect an overmatched guy like Derrick in his playing days to lead you to wins. 

And yes, sorry Eng, I do feel JJJ is a much more talented basketball player than Derrick Wilson.

This is an interesting statement.  Let's look at it rationally.

Better shooter:  Sadly Derrick
Better defender:  Derrick
Better leader:  Derrick
Better passer:  Derrick
Better rebounder:  Close, slight edge to Derrick
Better attacker:  JJJ
More TO prone (related to the above):  JJJ
More consistent:  Derrick

What aspects does JJJ beat Derrick in again?