Respect the Process

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Well first of all, your initial statement was inaccurate.  Our "black kids" can't stay in front of guys either.

Second, there is ZERO reason to insert race into it at all.

This

[KampusFoods]

Yeah, maybe rural kids opposed to inner city kids might have been a better comparison.

traditionals to non-traditionals a ina?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Well first of all, your initial statement was inaccurate.  Our "black kids" can't stay in front of guys either.

This was my first thought too, lol

[keefe]

Well first of all, your initial statement was inaccurate.  Our "black kids" can't stay in front of guys either.

Second, there is ZERO reason to insert race into it at all.

When asked why Marquette was dominating Wisconsin in hoops Al replied that John Powless recruited big white slow-footed Scandinavian farm kids while he signed quick black kids from the inner cities.     

[brewcity77]

And a lot has changed since the 1970s. Just because Al said something then doesn't make it gospel today. Anyone believing otherwise is a fool.

[ecompt]

I don't really see Wojo hightailing to the ACC, honestly.

At this point, what ACC team is dumping its coach for Wojo? Unless it's Duke or NC, he probably wouldn't leave anyway. If he takes MU to the tournament (AND wins two games there next season AND Coach K's back goes out), perhaps Duke calls. In which case he's gone.

[keefe]

And a lot has changed since the 1970s. Just because Al said something then doesn't make it gospel today. Anyone believing otherwise is a fool.

It was nothing more than a comment by Al.

Anyone looking for more is an idiot. But then, some here pretend to be experts on things which they have no real knowledge of.

[real chili 83]

Ok, here we go.......

[tower912]

Why?

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

It was nothing more than a comment by Al.

Anyone looking for more is an idiot. But then, some here pretend to be experts on things which they have no real knowledge of.

Lol

[buckchuckler]

I'd be all about Wojo leaving for a big time ACC program.  That would mean he had some great success at MU.

You just want to be able to have more "respect the process" posts and threads. 

[GGGG]

Anyone looking for more is an idiot. But then, some here pretend to be experts on things which they have no real knowledge of.

I know keefe.  But we put up with you anyway.

[forgetful]

So right now are we supposed to be calling for Wojo's head on the chopping block, or are we supposed to be afraid he is leaving to take over at Duke.

Can we maybe add a tab right above SOTG with a color code. 

Code Red:       Fire Wojo
Code Green:    Wojo takes over at Duke

We could add a:

Code Yellow:  Wojo stays at MU and continues to grow are program.

But it seems like no one ever considers that an option so it would be fruitless.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

I know keefe.  But we put up with you anyway.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

It was nothing more than a comment by Al.

Anyone looking for more is an idiot. But then, some here pretend to be experts on things which they have no real knowledge of.

It was a comment by Al in which he equated race to athleticism which was acceptable back then but isn't now.

[GoldenDieners32]

#TrustTheProcess

[wadesworld]

#TrustTheProcess

No.

[dgies9156]

Code Yellow:  Wojo stays at MU and continues to grow are program.

But it seems like no one ever considers that an option so it would be fruitless.

I do.

Where we're going is good to great and while the jury is still out, the facts are clear. Just to remind everyone:

1) Wojo inherited seven scholarship players on his first team. The kids played hard and lost several games because they ran out of gas. Period.

2) His second team included a Top 10 recruiting class. It won 20 games on a weak schedule.

3) His third team may well make the NCAA tournament. As I have said before, if Henry had stayed one more year, we probably would be a Top 15 and maybe a Top 10 team.

4) His fourth team is on the road to filling out many of the weaknesses we currently have.

Look, the guys are "getting it" and beginning to do it. I have no way of knowing, but the fact that Wojo sat by Coach K for nearly two decades and waiting until the Marquette offer arose, says volumes about how we are still regarded.  If he performs here -- and I think he will -- there will be a place for him at Marquette and I'm going to state for the record that Marquette will be his kind of place.

Just remember one thing about Duke: It's a National powerhouse and commends the attention of coaches that would never think of moving. Short of perhaps Roy Williams, Tom Izzo, Slick Rick and John Calipari, there isn't a coach in the country who would not jump at the chance to coach at Duke. Short of a national championship banner hanging in the Milwaukee Bucks Center, I don't see Coach Wojo being a top pick for Duke. Too many schools have gone down the slippery slope of decline by staying too close to their family tree instead of looking at the total of what's out there. I just don't see Duke doing that (See: Raymonds, Hank; Guthridge, Bill; or, Thompson III, John for starters).

[MU82]

But how about coaches that struggled, moved in a positive direction, but never were able to get over the hump of winning consistently.

There are plenty of those, too, yes. But most of us who cite the Coach Ks and Jay Wrights and KOs are the more optimistic types here on Scoop. We want Wojo to succeed and we think he deserves the same chance ... especially since it is obvious to all but the real haters that the trend is a good one for the Warriors.

[brewcity77]

There are plenty of those, too, yes. But most of us who cite the Coach Ks and Jay Wrights and KOs are the more optimistic types here on Scoop. We want Wojo to succeed and we think he deserves the same chance ... especially since it is obvious to all but the real haters that the trend is a good one for the Warriors.

I don't cite those guys because I'm an optimist, but rather because I think the cost of starting over is too high. Say we miss the tourney this year and fire Wojo, what happens? Here's my fear:

• Stan Johnson goes west: When MU refuses to give him the head job, he instead lands at Washington and retains key recruit Michael Porter.
  
• Transfers galore: Duane Wilson and Andrew Rowsey both leave as grad transfers. Markus Howard follows Stan to Washington. Sam Hauser gives the new coach a chance, but with a severe talent drop-off, he leaves for Virginia in December.
  
• Recruiting class lost: Theo John and Jamal Cain both go elsewhere. Ike Eke stays but isn't nearly ready, however a lack of depth forces him to start until Froling is available.
  
• Wojo to Georgetown: JTIII misses the tournament for the third time in four years and is fired. Wojo takes their job, getting closer to home. He keeps Tremont Waters and the current roster intact, leading the Hoyas to a NCAA berth his first year before landing a top-10 recruiting class in 2018, headlined by Joey Hauser, David McCormack, and TJ Moss.
  
• Marquette stagnates: The new coach takes over a threadbare roster with Cheatham, Hauser, Heldt, Froling, and Anim the only returning scholarship players. Ike Eke and Philip Flory highlight the recrutiing class, but neither are ready to contribute at this level. The team is worse than 2014-15 and Hauser leaves as a mid-season transfer. We land a grad transfer, but not close to the level of Carlino. We spend our first two years looking up in the standings at DePaul, St. John's, and a resurgent Georgetown squad.

Any changeover at this point would lead to mass departures and a depleted roster. It would lead to starting over from both a talent and recruiting perspective. It would have us chasing grad transfers just to cobble a viable roster together. How is any of that good?

We saw it with Buzz, when recruits departed and players were kicked off the team only to be begged to return later. We saw it with Wojo, where Buzz may have left "Seven top-100 recruits", but three of those were Juan Anderson, Steve Taylor, and Sandy Cohen, and another wouldn't make it to the new year on the roster (Burton).

Maybe Wojo will succeed. Maybe he won't. But now is not the time to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We went from an abysmal 2015 to a 20-win 2016 to a likely NCAA berth in 2017. We're clearly getting better. We're not where we want to be, but you have to walk before you can run and I sure as hell enjoy watching this team more than I did that 2015 wreck (and frankly, more than Buzz's last team in 2014).

I don't want next year to be worse than 2 years ago, which would almost undoubtedly happen if we changed course. If Wojo doesn't get over the hump, you make the change when we haven't yet made a tournament after a year in the new arena. If he can't get there with Cheatham, Howard, and Hauser as upperclassmen, along with the added talent and a potential big 2018 recruiting class, then by all means, start looking. But that's not today. That's a question for two years from now.

[HoopsterBC]

Brew, all great points.  There is no reason to even think Wojo is in any trouble right now, or even if the team falls on its face the next 10 games.  Can MU do better?
Not sure,  it is really hard to get free agents to the Bucks or even the Pack, so recruiting MU is not easy either.  The new arena is going to be the best selling point
for WOJO the next 2 years and 2018 will be a critical recruiting year.  He might already have 2 in his head, so he needs to find one other.  If he can not do that, there
might be an issue moving forward then.

[GGGG]

Recruiting so that Marquette can be a solid, competitive basketball team with regular NCAA appearances is completely doable.  At the elite level?  No, but the only way you do that is to start winning at an elite level.

And recruiting free agents to the Bucks and the Packers isn't hard either if you have the $$ and the chance at winning titles.  For years people have used this excuse and that's all it really is.

[jsglow]

Recruiting so that Marquette can be a solid, competitive basketball team with regular NCAA appearances is completely doable.  At the elite level?  No, but the only way you do that is to start winning at an elite level.

And recruiting free agents to the Bucks and the Packers isn't hard either if you have the $$ and the chance at winning titles.  For years people have used this excuse and that's all it really is.

Great point.  Remember when most folks believed the Pack would never compete again and that minority players wouldn't come?  Reggie and winning changed a lot.  It's now one of the handful of places any football player would love to be.

[GGGG]

Great point.  Remember when most folks believed the Pack would never compete again and that minority players wouldn't come?  Reggie and winning changed a lot.  It's now one of the handful of places any football player would love to be.

If Green Bay would ever try to sign some...

[HoopsterBC]

If Green Bay would ever try to sign some...

Exactly, they sure seem to gravitate to New England.  He wants to win every year and seems to be able to fill easier than the Pack.  I do believe there is a difference
in GB, if you are a single person, do you want to go to a bigger city or GB?  Pack have to over pay to get some free agents to GB,  plus easier if they are married.  Then
you have Ted....

The Bucks, name me a free agent in the upper tier that wants to come here??  Let's see if Parker wants to stay her in the future.