Two year honeymoon is over

[mu_hilltopper]

I'm as frustrated as anyone .. 3 depressing Selection Sundays in a row, and quite possibly a 4th next year.

But I think Wojo was a decent hire to date.   

Recruiting is an A-. 
Player Development B+.
Game coaching, hard to tell, but let's say B. 
Program Ambassador A. 
Improving the Program, C+.
Post-Season: F.  (NIT berth earns you a C.)

If "Improving the program" and Post-season remain those grades after 2 more seasons, then yes, he flunks out.

[willie warrior]

There are so many whining babies on this board. Wojo's had one year to bring in talent and it was a top tier level recruiting year. He is on year two. The program is moving forward and Wojo is also doing it right. He's bringing in quality players, but also quality young men that have high character. In time we will be a consistent NCAA team under his direction. Additionally, MU made a good decision in upping his contract. He is not just a game coach. He is creating a culture for the program and for the university. Winning is a priority, but it's not the only thing. In time the whiners will be silenced. Then they will claim they were always MU "fans". Wojo is a winner, and several posters on this board are just the opposite.

No, Wojo has had 2 years to bring in talent, admittedly, he lost some time the first year because he was a late hire. Thanks to the phony cowboy. There is no question that Wojo is a very good recruiter, but he has not jelled the talent.  His ass should be getting warm, because the team should have done better with that talent. I  along with many others blame the phony cowboy for most of the mess, but many of Wojo's key players were buzz adds. Jjj, wilson, big fish, cohen. The talent is there, Wojo has not produced to the level of that talent. His ass should feel the heat.

[ChicosBailBonds]

No, Wojo has had 2 years to bring in talent, admittedly, he lost some time the first year because he was a late hire. Thanks to the phony cowboy. There is no question that Wojo is a very good recruiter, but he has not jelled the talent.  His ass should be getting warm, because the team should have done better with that talent. I  along with many others blame the phony cowboy for most of the mess, but many of Wojo's key players were buzz adds. Jjj, wilson, big fish, cohen. The talent is there, Wojo has not produced to the level of that talent. His ass should feel the heat.

Give me a break.  He's had one recruiting class, so he hasn't had 2 years to bring in talent.  The first year was grab whatever you can in a graduate transfer.

48% of our minutes this year played by freshmen.   

Some of you guys are just pissy about not making the post season 3 straight years.....well you can blame the guy in Virginia for that.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Some of you guys are just pissy about not making the post season 3 straight years.....well you can blame the guy in Virginia for that.

Why do you give Pilarz & Larry a pass? 

[tower912]

It's Buzz, it's buzz. 

[3Mer]

Give me a break.  He's had one recruiting class, so he hasn't had 2 years to bring in talent.  The first year was grab whatever you can in a graduate transfer.

48% of our minutes this year played by freshmen.   

Some of you guys are just pissy about not making the post season 3 straight years.....well you can blame the guy in Virginia for that.

I'm just mystified how anyone ISN'T pushing the panic button right now. 

With the talent on this team this season, not to make the NI-frickin'-T is just mind-boggling.

I liked the Wojo hire, but that seat better be hot next season - Ellenson or no Ellenson.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Why do you give Pilarz & Larry a pass?

Not a pass, but Pilarz and Larry's reactions were caused by one thing.....the dumb actions of Buzz's guys that became very newsworthy.  If Buzz's guys weren't in the news so often for the wrong reasons, many of those reactions wouldn't have happened by the administration.

Look, no coach is perfect, no player, no administration.  All programs have their share of troubles, but Buzz's put MU in the news for the wrong reasons and repeatedly.  The administration reacted, the alumni reacted....would they have reacted if players weren't involved in sexual assaults, punching students, being cited, coaches lying during an investigation, etc, etc?

Uhm, no. 

[keefe]

I was not totally on board when they hired Wojo, but I am now. I have no real reason to be other than just a feeling. Somebody above mentioned the word "winner" and I think that's as good an explanation as any. He's got something and I can't wait to see it manifest itself.

How you say...Je ne sais quoi, no?

[mu-rara]

I'm just mystified how anyone ISN'T pushing the panic button right now. 

With the talent on this team this season, not to make the NI-frickin'-T is just mind-boggling.

I liked the Wojo hire, but that seat better be hot next season - Ellenson or no Ellenson.

3Mers usually aren't so short sighted.   You're not really a 3Mer, you're 1SE.

First, schedule was a little weak.  Not all on Wojo.

Second, many spots in NIT were taken by mid major conference champs who screwed the pooch in their conference tourney.  That's on the NCAA.   Weakens the NIT imho.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Not a pass, but Pilarz and Larry's reactions were caused by one thing.....the dumb actions of Buzz's guys that became very newsworthy.  If Buzz's guys weren't in the news so often for the wrong reasons, many of those reactions wouldn't have happened by the administration.

Fair enough - when I see the people who are supposed to be the adults in the room over-react and essentially leave the program with a similar result you would expect from an NCAA sanction - I place my blame elsewhere.

If it were as bad as you paint they should have gone the decisive route and fired him -- but they didn't - they were too weak to fire him because he was winning and instead punished him passive aggressively.   

Leaders make decisions...and there is a reason some of those leaders are gone

[3Mer]

First, schedule was a little weak.  Not all on Wojo.

A "little" weak?  Really.  "Marquette also played a non-conference schedule ranked 330th out of 351 teams."  http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/371940711.html

Take all the personal shots at me you want, but try to include some facts.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'm just mystified how anyone ISN'T pushing the panic button right now. 

With the talent on this team this season, not to make the NI-frickin'-T is just mind-boggling.

I liked the Wojo hire, but that seat better be hot next season - Ellenson or no Ellenson.

Simple, because I don't panic anymore.  When I was younger, sure....not anymore.   I see it for what it is.  A team that had freshmen play almost 50% of the minutes, that competed in a tough league, got to 20 wins, had some excellent wins, some bad losses...that's what freshmen teams do. 

His seat will not be hot next season.  He inherited a mess from Buzz, who bailed partly because he wasn't wanted and partly because he knew what he had recruited were the wrong pieces.  Buzz was never a good general manager when it came to high school talent evaluation.  Sure, he did ok with DG....everyone knew VB's talents to lets not go overboard there.  Let's hope Wojo is a good talent evaluator, I don't know. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

With the talent on this team this season, not to make the NI-frickin'-T is just mind-boggling.

I keep hearing this but don't understand it. I don't think our team is very talented right now. I think they have a lot of potential, all the players have high ceilings (except for Wally who makes up for it by being able to jump through the ceiling) but talent to me talks about what level a player is at right now. Do people really believe that this team was an NCAA team but Wojo is so bad a coach that he held them back?

Our team wasn't good enough for the NCAA this season (they were good enough for the NIT but scheduling and AQs screwed us). Give em a year to grow up and add Howard, Hauser, Rowsey, and a potential grad transfer (assuming HE goes pro) and they will be.

[mu-rara]

A "little" weak?  Really.  "Marquette also played a non-conference schedule ranked 330th out of 351 teams."  http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/371940711.html

Take all the personal shots at me you want, but try to include some facts.

The schedule was made up for a team that was very inexperienced.  Looking in the mirror it should have been stronger, and I will admit that.  Again, Wojo is not in control of the schedule.  I'm sure he has input but it's not solely his responsibility.

I apologize for the cheap shot.  I am losing my tolerance for posters who would short circuit the rebuilding process for short term gain.

The biggest reason MU did not make the NIT (this year) is that the  NCAA took over the NIT.  They have decided that it is a consolation prize for mid and small majors that screwed the pooch in their conference tournament.  MU is a better team than some NIT teams, but losing conference champs took many spots.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Fair enough - when I see the people who are supposed to be the adults in the room over-react and essentially leave the program with a similar result you would expect from an NCAA sanction - I place my blame elsewhere.

If it were as bad as you paint they should have gone the decisive route and fired him -- but they didn't - they were too weak to fire him because he was winning and instead punished him passive aggressively.   

Leaders make decisions...and there is a reason some of those leaders are gone

Agreed....and Buzz was also one of those leaders...and he, is also gone.  He left the program in worse shape than the gift he inherited, which is sad.

[willie warrior]

Give me a break.  He's had one recruiting class, so he hasn't had 2 years to bring in talent.  The first year was grab whatever you can in a graduate transfer.

48% of our minutes this year played by freshmen.   

Some of you guys are just pissy about not making the post season 3 straight years.....well you can blame the guy in Virginia for that.

Here's your break--you just made my point. 48% of the minutes were played by his talented recruits. And the result was marginal improvement from last year's debacle. One of those 48%ers is an NBA lottery pick.
And the results were: a third consecutive year with no tourney--not even the NI frickinT.
Wojo's ass needs to feel the heat. Not excuses and contract extensions. I blame the phony cowboy for plenty--but not now. Oh, I get it--it still is Bush's fault.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Here's your break--you just made my point. 48% of the minutes were played by his talented recruits. And the result was marginal improvement from last year's debacle. One of those 48%ers is an NBA lottery pick.
And the results were: a third consecutive year with no tourney--not even the NI frickinT.
Wojo's ass needs to feel the heat. Not excuses and contract extensions. I blame the phony cowboy for plenty--but not now. Oh, I get it--it still is Bush's fault.

Talented....but freshmen.  Some guy you may have heard of once said the best thing about freshmen is they become sophomores.  Also zero seniors on this team.

It matters....context is everything.  I'll be happy to get on Wojo when the time is appropriate...this early in, that time has not arrived. 

[MU82]

I'm just mystified how anyone ISN'T pushing the panic button right now. 

With the talent on this team this season, not to make the NI-frickin'-T is just mind-boggling.

I liked the Wojo hire, but that seat better be hot next season - Ellenson or no Ellenson.

Because panicking solves nothing. It just makes one look and/or sound immature and idiotic.

And it's nice to see another hollow threat here on Scoop.

If Wojo's seat isn't hot next year, what are you going to do? Run into mommy's room and cry? Circulate a petition for everybody to be fired? Stop buying game tickets? Get Cliven Bundy to take over The Al? What?

[3Mer]

Because panicking solves nothing. It just makes one look and/or sound immature and idiotic.

And it's nice to see another hollow threat here on Scoop.

If Wojo's seat isn't hot next year, what are you going to do? Run into mommy's room and cry? Circulate a petition for everybody to be fired? Stop buying game tickets? Get Cliven Bundy to take over The Al? What?

Immature and idiotic applies to the poster who relies only on ad hominem attacks rather than supporting logic.

My threat isn't empty.  I don't have to shell out year after year for season tickets and seat licenses to watch what MU has been putting on the floor the last three seasons. 

All excuses aside, this was a talented team that underachieved miserably.  If MU doesn't recognize that reality, certainly the fans and the recruits will.  Certainly, you don't have to be Cliven Bundy to notice all the empty seats during a season when MU had an NBA lottery pick playing for the team.

What happens next year when HE is gone? It better be some coaching that gets the team to overachieve.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

My threat isn't empty.  I don't have to shell out year after year for season tickets and seat licenses to watch what MU has been putting on the floor the last three seasons.

The horror! Show some mercy! I'm sure MU is quaking their boots!

Immature and idiotic applies to the poster who relies only on ad hominem attacks rather than supporting logic.

The irony here is palpable.

[MU82]

My threat isn't empty.  I don't have to shell out year after year for season tickets and seat licenses to watch what MU has been putting on the floor the last three seasons. 

See ya!

It better be some coaching that gets the team to overachieve.

Nice. One more threat for the road!

[3Mer]

I'm sure MU is quaking their boots!

You're right.  You razor sharp wit is overwhelming.  Why would MU be worried about three consecutive lousy years and the corresponding attendance that goes along with it?

[Benny B]

Gee, that rant was worth it's own thread.  What, you couldn't have just added "+1" to one of the other bitter betty rants?

What, you couldn't have just merged this thread with one of the other bitter betty rants?

[dgies9156]

The horror! Show some mercy! I'm sure MU is quaking their boots!

For a single STH, probably not. But, I gotta think the bean counters at what passes for O'Hara Hall today have some concern over the net profitability of the basketball team if the current slide isn't arrested soon.

The fact remains that we have had three very unsatisfying years in a row after several very high performing seasons. Losses on the floor translate into losses of cash flow. The fastest way for Wojo to find his seatwarmer turned to the high position would be for there to be continued drop-off in season tickets, contribution to the B&G fund and loss of local interest.

Trust me, the Jesuits may have taken a personal vow of poverty, but they understand money as well as any Fortune 500 CEO does!

I don't think Coach Wojo is even close to this point, yet. But it's coming if the cash flow slows.

[Nukem2]

Talented....but freshmen.  Some guy you may have heard of once said the best thing about freshmen is they become sophomores.  Also zero seniors on this team.

It matters....context is everything.  I'll be happy to get on Wojo when the time is appropriate...this early in, that time has not arrived.

As they said on the Selection Show yesterday, this season was about Seniors rather than Freshmen this year.  And, MU's juniors were not that experienced eith (along with Luke coming off shoulder surgery).  Just what it is.