X

[tower912]

1.   That is what a focused, well-rested, hitting on all cylinders, potential final 4 team looks like. 
2.    That is what an out-manned, outsized, tired from big minutes the night before team looks like. 
3.   I hope the young guys were taking notes.   
4.   The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores.    Unless they declare for the draft.   
5.    My hat is tipped to Xavier.
6.   Thank you, guys, for a never dull season. 

[GGGG]

Yeah there really isn't much to say.  They lost to an all around better team.  Had to get hot early, but the foul trouble on Ellenson just made that so hard. 

[WarriorFan]

Nice job X.  Great team, great coaching, well executed.

[Dr. Blackheart]

• Won two of the Four Factors. Lowest turnover rate game rate of the season.
• Five straight defensive stinkers.
• Two of the three worst MU eFG% games this season against Xavier. Other was against Seton Hall.  Need to be a lot more physical to win in the BE.
• Thank you, Hank.

[macman320]

How do you fix defense? Coaching, mindset, training, or is this string of games foreshadowing for next year?

[ecompt]

How do you fix defense? Coaching, mindset, training, or is this string of games foreshadowing for next year?

You need a coach who stresses it every day for five months. If Wojo did that, he's an awful communicator and teacher. This team was worse defensively in March than it was in December, and Wojo has to take some heat for that. It didn't help that he had three of the worst on-ball defenders in the conference in Duane, Hank and Fish. If he doesn't get two Bob Lackey and Maurice Lucas types, I can't see this team being much better defensively next year.

[RushmoreAcademy]

You need a coach who stresses it every day for five months. If Wojo did that, he's an awful communicator and teacher. This team was worse defensively in March than it was in December, and Wojo has to take some heat for that. It didn't help that he had three of the worst on-ball defenders in the conference in Duane, Hank and Fish. If he doesn't get two Bob Lackey and Maurice Lucas types, I can't see this team being much better defensively next year.

Days like this make me hate scoop.

[ecompt]

Days like this make me hate scoop.

Me too. But you cannot put a positive spin on the defense the last two weeks. People scored on us at will.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Bill Murray was at the game wearing an X hat.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Bill Murray was at the game wearing an X hat.

His son is a X assistant coach, for those not watching on TV.

[Da 'Lanche]

How do you fix defense? Coaching, mindset, training, or is this string of games foreshadowing for next year?

Let kids play actually play it....the new NCAA rules are brutal and it is killing the college game.   I'm not saying that as an excuse for Marquette giving up a ton of points the last 4 games, but, I do think it has an impact.   The teams that were tough as hell in prior years would be leading the league in fouls.

I thought our interior defense was fairly decent with Luke and Ellenson on the floor but our perimeter defense really had lapses at times throughout the year.

[connie]

• Won two of the Four Factors. Lowest turnover rate game rate of the season.
• Five straight defensive stinkers.
• Two of the three worst MU eFG% games this season against Xavier. Other was against Seton Hall. Need to be a lot more physical to win in the BE.

[/b]

• Thank you, Hank.

While I agree, I also think it difficult to adjust from the touch-fest against St. John's to last night where a fair amount of contact was allowed.  Overall, it is clear we need to get stronger.

[RubyWiscy]

X (and even St. John's) displayed what tournament play is all about. Stepped up intensity by a factor of 4 or 5. Good learning experience for a young team. Thanks for the fun season. Hope we get a few more games in NIT.

[brewcity77]

Maybe some will see this as picking a nit, but I'm really disappointed Michael Mache didn't get into the game. Will the kid ever have another chance to play at MSG in his life? Probably not. That game was over long before the final buzzer, he should have played. He's our only senior and he hasn't played a minute in his last 10 games. Okay, fine, the GT game was too close on his senior night, but he should have played in the blowout loss at Butler in the last regular season game of his college career and he should have played last night in what could well be the last game of his college career.

Mache stepped up and joined the team when we were in a desperate need for bodies last year and earned a scholarship this year. I know he's a walk-on, but the kid has been there for Wojo and really should have got in one of these last few games when the result was no longer in doubt.

[CTWarrior]

Maybe some will see this as picking a nit, but I'm really disappointed Michael Mache didn't get into the game. Will the kid ever have another chance to play at MSG in his life? Probably not. That game was over long before the final buzzer, he should have played. He's our only senior and he hasn't played a minute in his last 10 games. Okay, fine, the GT game was too close on his senior night, but he should have played in the blowout loss at Butler in the last regular season game of his college career and he should have played last night in what could well be the last game of his college career.

Mache stepped up and joined the team when we were in a desperate need for bodies last year and earned a scholarship this year. I know he's a walk-on, but the kid has been there for Wojo and really should have got in one of these last few games when the result was no longer in doubt.

I was thinking this with about 2 minutes to go and agree whole-heartedly.

[rocky_warrior]

Will the kid ever have another chance to play at MSG in his life?

In the NIT final four - DUH!

[MerrittsMustache]

Maybe some will see this as picking a nit, but I'm really disappointed Michael Mache didn't get into the game. Will the kid ever have another chance to play at MSG in his life? Probably not. That game was over long before the final buzzer, he should have played. He's our only senior and he hasn't played a minute in his last 10 games. Okay, fine, the GT game was too close on his senior night, but he should have played in the blowout loss at Butler in the last regular season game of his college career and he should have played last night in what could well be the last game of his college career.

Mache stepped up and joined the team when we were in a desperate need for bodies last year and earned a scholarship this year. I know he's a walk-on, but the kid has been there for Wojo and really should have got in one of these last few games when the result was no longer in doubt.

That's definitely nit-picking...but I agree with you, particularly about last night's game. Throw him out there in garbage time and maybe even run a play for him to try to get a shot. Honestly, the team was getting blown out, why not try to end the game on a somewhat positive note?

I'm not sure Wojo's wired that way and perhaps it simply wasn't something that entered his mind, which would be completely fine, but it could have been a nice moment for the team in an otherwise ugly evening. I actually think that could be the type of move that comes with more coaching experience.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

I actually think that could be the type of move that comes with more coaching experience.

Am I the only one that get's upset at this narrative cutting across a few of our disappointments this year?  We gave someone the keys to a pretty nice program.  If this is a problem - get some experience on the bench. 

[barfolomew]

Am I the only one that get's upset at this narrative cutting across a few of our disappointments this year?  We gave someone the keys to a pretty nice program.  If this is a problem - get some experience on the bench.

We're speculating Wojo missed something here.
That's possible, but it's also possible that the coaches discussed it before the game and didn't get Mache in because they know it's not the last game of the year.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

We're speculating Wojo missed something here.
That's possible, but it's also possible that the coaches discussed it before the game and didn't get Mache in because they know it's not the last game of the year.

Understood.  I was more referring to the "Wojos learning" narrative to why we missed things this year. 

[CountryRoads]

Mache had as many points in the big east tournament last year as Cohen did this year.

[Goose]

They are a very good, balanced team and jealous on how good they really are this year.

[GOO]

Come on guys... scoop is better than this...  There is concern about not playing a walk on...?  Seriously!  Does anyone really think the coach's talked about if Mache should play before the game as one poster suggested.  Geeez, I sure hope not.  Mache knows the deal like all walk ons.  The coaches have other things to watch, communicate and talk about.  If anything, put in guys who will be around next year.  This isn't a charity show.

I think our coach's had other things to be thinking about, and I sure as heck don't want them worrying about if a walk on plays or not.  Mache got a scholarship for the semester.  That is thinking about and taking care of the player at the appropriate time and in the appropriate way. 

Maybe I'd feel differently, if we had a veteran team and we were winning by 25 instead of both of those being the opposite..,. just to protect starters from injury...

[GGGG]

Mache got a free semester of education.  Good enough for me.

[wildbillsb]

Maybe some will see this as picking a nit, but I'm really disappointed Michael Mache didn't get into the game. Will the kid ever have another chance to play at MSG in his life? Probably not. That game was over long before the final buzzer, he should have played. He's our only senior and he hasn't played a minute in his last 10 games. Okay, fine, the GT game was too close on his senior night, but he should have played in the blowout loss at Butler in the last regular season game of his college career and he should have played last night in what could well be the last game of his college career.

Mache stepped up and joined the team when we were in a desperate need for bodies last year and earned a scholarship this year. I know he's a walk-on, but the kid has been there for Wojo and really should have got in one of these last few games when the result was no longer in doubt.

+100  What, he didn't earn a minute in MSG?  Give me a break.  This one's on wojo.