Loyola

[GooooMarquette]

Not that I agree or disagree, but most would disagree with your statement. Just look at the ratings. Football is far superior.

"Superior" and "higher ratings" are not the same thing.

[Silkk the Shaka]

if I am reading you correctly, the reason we don't have the players Loyola has is that we failed to recognize them and identify them as quality players and even if we did they didn't fit our coach's system. Shouldn't we be getting the best possible players and tailor the system to fit the talent?  I mean, we are Marquette and we're sitting at home while players we could have probably had have advanced to the final four!  What's wrong with this picture?

Why didn't all 75 other power conference teams get them either?

[Mr. Nielsen]

"Superior" and "higher ratings" are not the same thing.

Tell that to the helmet head shows. Tell that to most who say college hoops is a three week sport.

[Floorslapper]

The Ners of ScoopLoyola would have declared Moser a total failure years ago.

"I just know there's no way this guy can even lead us into the NIT, let alone the NCAA Final Four. And that's a fact."

Loyola has been irrelevant for 35 years.  "Patience" at a school like Loyola makes sense.  Plus, Moser is a local guy with ties to the area.

Where did I ever say Wojo is a total failure?  I've said he's a mediocre coach (that doesn't have the "it" factor it takes to juice a team to a few more wins per year.)  We don't shoot elite, we don't win.  There's been no other "punch" or way for us to win games.  I have said he's improved and gotten better with his substitutions after being, what I felt, abysmal his first couple of years.

If we aspire to be a bubble program, I have no doubt Wojo can achieve bubble status at MU.  My goal for the program is a consistent NCAA team, with runs to Sweet 16 every few years.

[Galway Eagle]

Loyola has been irrelevant for 35 years.  "Patience" at a school like Loyola makes sense.  Plus, Moser is a local guy with ties to the area.

Where did I ever say Wojo is a total failure?  I've said he's a mediocre coach (that doesn't have the "it" factor it takes to juice a team to a few more wins per year.)  We don't shoot elite, we don't win.  There's been no other "punch" or way for us to win games.  I have said he's improved and gotten better with his substitutions after being, what I felt, abysmal his first couple of years.

If we aspire to be a bubble program, I have no doubt Wojo can achieve bubble status at MU.  My goal for the program is a consistent NCAA team, with runs to Sweet 16 every few years.

33 years

[Avenue Commons]

Congrats to Loyola. Extremely well coached team. Great kids. Happy for our fellow Jesuit school. And if they can do it, we can again too.

[NickelDimer]

Kstate sucks they were never winning this easy

I sure wish we sucked as bad as K St does

[WarriorDad]

Loyola of Chicago is the 4th best team in the country, at worst.   Despite being an 11 seed, despite being ranked 30th in Ken Pom, despite losing by 34 points to Boise State, despite losing to Milwaukee by 17, despite losing to Indiana State, Bradley and Missouri State, so goes the crazy talk this time of year.   Perfect bracket destruction for them and they take advantage of it.  Luck has always played a role for some teams, the good kind and the bad kind of luck.

It is the tournament, anything can happen.  I hope they win the tournament, but rest assured that makes them the NCAA Tournament Champion.

[ATWizJr]

Why didn't all 75 other power conference teams get them either?

i don't care about the other 75 power conference teams.

[WarriorDad]

i don't care about the other 75 power conference teams.

If that last second shot in game one was this much longer  |-----------------------------------|  it hits the back rim and Loyola loses in the first round.


Think about that for a moment as so many get overly excited or depressed on the outcome of basketball games in a tournament on a given day when anything can happen.

[D'Lo Brown]

Loyola of Chicago is the 4th best team in the country, at worst.   Despite being an 11 seed, despite being ranked 30th in Ken Pom, despite losing by 34 points to Boise State, despite losing to Milwaukee by 17, despite losing to Indiana State, Bradley and Missouri State, so goes the crazy talk this time of year.   Perfect bracket destruction for them and they take advantage of it.  Luck has always played a role for some teams, the good kind and the bad kind of luck.

It is the tournament, anything can happen.  I hope they win the tournament, but rest assured that makes them the NCAA Tournament Champion.

Teams come together at the right time, they are hitting on all cylinders. They just destroyed a high major team in an Elite 8 game and previously beat a 3 and a 6 seed.

I'm not really sure whether you're just mad they got this far, or what.

[WarriorDad]

Congrats to Loyola. Extremely well coached team. Great kids. Happy for our fellow Jesuit school. And if they can do it, we can again too.

Congratulations for sure.  Experience is the key.  Well coached, but older kids that listen and apply experience on the court matters.  Cannot wait until we have that type of experienced leadership on the court.

[WarriorDad]

Teams come together at the right time, they are hitting on all cylinders. They just destroyed a high major team in an Elite 8 game and previously beat a 3 and a 6 seed.

I'm not really sure whether you're just mad they got this far, or what.

I am thrilled for them.  What I don't buy into is the coaching is the reason, these are seasoned kids with a junior and senior dominated team. I had them over Miami and didn't think it was much of an upset at all, Ken Pom has them rated below Loyola.  Tennessee was a nice win.  Nevada toss up game and toss up result. Kansas State is ranked 42nd in Ken Pom, lower than Loyola.  Was it even an upset?

I want the Ramblers to win the whole thing.  For all the P5 jerks out there that say only their schools should be in the tournament, it is runs like this that remind the sports conscious of this country how awful of an idea that would be.  Go Ramblers. 

[MU82]

Loyola has been irrelevant for 35 years.  "Patience" at a school like Loyola makes sense.  Plus, Moser is a local guy with ties to the area.

Where did I ever say Wojo is a total failure?  I've said he's a mediocre coach (that doesn't have the "it" factor it takes to juice a team to a few more wins per year.)  We don't shoot elite, we don't win.  There's been no other "punch" or way for us to win games.  I have said he's improved and gotten better with his substitutions after being, what I felt, abysmal his first couple of years.

If we aspire to be a bubble program, I have no doubt Wojo can achieve bubble status at MU.  My goal for the program is a consistent NCAA team, with runs to Sweet 16 every few years.

If I mischaracterized your feelings about Wojo's coaching ability, I apologize.

[Floorslapper]

If I mischaracterized your feelings about Wojo's coaching ability, I apologize.

Well...understandable as I've been 90 percent critical/bearish. But..not to level of thinking Wojo is a failure. No apology necessary.

I think you may confuse my criticism of Wojo as me rooting against the guy. That is not the case whatsoever. Always want MU to win and will be totally thrilled if Wojo can get it done on a consistent level - NCAA team vast majority of years with an occasion run in tourney.

[Sheriff]

Fast break on the lake!

[rocky_warrior]

Possibly.  Yet considering Weber made the NCAA his first two years at K-State, he earned a little more grace.

Really, have you not seen what k-state fans think of him?  This was posted in Feb 2016 (follow the comments)
https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/fire-bruce-weber-restore-k-state-basketball

Plus there are "fire bruce weber" twitter and facebook accounts created by k-state fans. 

He earned none of the grace you suggest he *should* have at k-state.

Anyhow, sorry for the derail. 

Congrats to Loyola - glad their fanbase can keep enjoying this.

[NorthernDancerColt]

Really, have you not seen what k-state fans think of him?  This was posted in Feb 2016 (follow the comments)
https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/fire-bruce-weber-restore-k-state-basketball

Plus there are "fire bruce weber" twitter and facebook accounts created by k-state fans. 

He earned none of the grace you suggest he *should* have at k-state.

Anyhow, sorry for the derail. 

Congrats to Loyola - glad their fanbase can keep enjoying this.

Gentile Center capacity: 4900

Wish Rahm,  Madigan et al  could've built Wintrust at the other end of Lake Shore Drive.

[Herman Cain]

I have been saying for several years we need to be doing some kind of series with 2:1 3:1 etc with Loyola. Maybe this year can give some momentum.

[brewcity77]

Really, have you not seen what k-state fans think of him?  This was posted in Feb 2016 (follow the comments)
https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/fire-bruce-weber-restore-k-state-basketball

Plus there are "fire bruce weber" twitter and facebook accounts created by k-state fans. 

He earned none of the grace you suggest he *should* have at k-state.

Anyhow, sorry for the derail. 

Congrats to Loyola - glad their fanbase can keep enjoying this.

I am positive there are Kansas State fans disappointed with this run because it probably buys Weber a couple more years. There's definitely a faction that still adamantly wants him out, and I'd say they are larger and more vocal than our own Wojo bashers.

[Babybluejeans]

Loyola used to have a hobo mascot. Bo Rambler. This happened and I wish it was still happening: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-loyola-ncaa-tournament-mascot-bo-rambler-20180313-story,amp.html

[rocket surgeon]

if I am reading you correctly, the reason we don't have the players Loyola has is that we failed to recognize them and identify them as quality players and even if we did they didn't fit our coach's system. Shouldn't we be getting the best possible players and tailor the system to fit the talent?  I mean, we are Marquette and we're sitting at home while players we could have probably had have advanced to the final four!  What's wrong with this picture?

ok, first off, i like wojo and i really want to see him do well here for all the obvious reasons.  my comment leaned more to why loyola is hitting on all cylinders right now.  porter moser, maybe with the exception of having some modest success at arkansas-little rock(54-34/3years) he struggled at illinois st.(51-67/4 years).  with the exception of 2014-15(24-13), he has not done all that well in loyola. so this seems to be the year, his 14th year coaching overall and 7th at loyola.  he is 226-211 overall.  good on him however-persistence directed in the right way as he believed, is working out.  do we have this kind of patience with wojo?  i'm not on the board, but just throwing that out there...

  i haven't followed them enough, but my point is that he stuck to and trusted his system and got the players doing the same.  also, in order to get to where a loyola is today in the ncaa tourney, there is a thing called-everything coming together at the right moment. either all the players are playing above their potential and are "clicking" and/or when one is down, another picks it up.  injuries usually at a minimum.  and then the "dagger" SISTER JEAN" almost makes it no fair(that was a joke for those of you in...)
  this(the sister jean thing) will be interesting;  how it will be treated at a national level given the polarity religions seem to cause.  particularly Catholicism.  so far as i see it, the media is doing really well with it.  the next week will be telling as it hits the epitome of the spotlight being down to 4 teams of course, but i digress-

  whether or not porter's system will be considered genius remains to be seen.  even if he doesn't win it all, going forward with different players, will he have continued success?  we have (here in scoop) discussed this quite a bit-someone did bring up that whole analysis of head coaches and the ones who have gone on to become standout coaches were not necessarily "savants" right out of the gate.  there were growing pains before they showed a consistency.  where they were able to attract the "A" or high "B" level talent over time.  unless loyola comes over to the big east(is that really a possibility?) i doubt porter will be there long enough to prove some of my theories. 

   1960's-70's  loyola, depaul and MU created 3 of the greatest local rivalries around.  george ireland, the meyer father-son duo and Al-what a great group of coaches that was. 

     

[4everwarriors]

Loyola of Chicago is the 4th best team in the country, at worst.   Despite being an 11 seed, despite being ranked 30th in Ken Pom, despite losing by 34 points to Boise State, despite losing to Milwaukee by 17, despite losing to Indiana State, Bradley and Missouri State, so goes the crazy talk this time of year.   Perfect bracket destruction for them and they take advantage of it.  Luck has always played a role for some teams, the good kind and the bad kind of luck.

It is the tournament, anything can happen.  I hope they win the tournament, but rest assured that makes them the NCAA Tournament Champion.

Total crapshoot, aina?

[GooooMarquette]

Tell that to the helmet head shows. Tell that to most who say college hoops is a three week sport.

You completely missed my point.

"Higher ratings" is an objective measure. "Superior" is a subjective judgment. 

Like I said, they are not the same thing....

[tower912]

Rocket, how did the media treat Villanova being a Catholic school?     Sister Jean is just a fun story.    You are correct about Moser's overall record.    Who here would have been championing Moser a month ago, a year ago?   Or even if Loyola had missed the shot against Miami.    A great story.    An awesome story.    Everybody loves a Cinderella story.     But for anybody to say 'we need a coach like Moser' means they are missing the big picture and his overall record as a head coach and what he had accomplished before this year.