First Test

[1SE]

2014-2015 @Ohio State L
2015-2016 Belmont L
2016-2017 Debatable - Vandy W by (N) Michigan L
2017-2018 Purdue L
2018-2019 @ Indiana L

Uuggghh. So *maybe* 1 win in our "test" in the last 5 seasons. Why can't Wojo get his guys ready to play early in the year?

I really hope we turn it around and become the Top 10, 4 seed everyone here thinks is a lock. But this loss just feels all too familiar.

[skianth16]

2014-2015 @Ohio State L
2015-2016 Belmont L
2016-2017 Debatable - Vandy W by (N) Michigan L
2017-2018 Purdue L
2018-2019 @ Indiana L

Uuggghh. So *maybe* 1 win in our "test" in the last 5 seasons. Why can't Wojo get his guys ready to play early in the year?

I really hope we turn it around and become the Top 10, 4 seed everyone here thinks is a lock. But this loss just feels all too familiar.

Wojo is just patient about winning. He just needs time. Expectations just need to be tempered.

If we see similar things against Kansas, K-State, etc. I wonder how the pro-Wojo camp will respond. There seem to be some that refuse to see faults in his coaching abilities/decisions, but there has to be a point where the kool-aid runs out, right?

So far, I find it hard to defend Wojo's decisions to run Markus at PG while limiting JC (why bring the guy on?), start Brendan over Jamal or Joey, and severely limit our most senior player in Heldt. This is supposed to be Wojo's breakout year, and so far, he's off to another bumpy start.

[Galway Eagle]

Wojo is just patient about winning. He just needs time. Expectations just need to be tempered.

If we see similar things against Kansas, K-State, etc. I wonder how the pro-Wojo camp will respond. There seem to be some that refuse to see faults in his coaching abilities/decisions, but there has to be a point where the kool-aid runs out, right?

So far, I find it hard to defend Wojo's decisions to run Markus at PG while limiting JC (why bring the guy on?), start Brendan over Jamal or Joey, and severely limit our most senior player in Heldt. This is supposed to be Wojo's breakout year, and so far, he's off to another bumpy start.

I'm off the wojo train if this happens against KState and Louisville. Kansas ok.

[1SE]

Plenty of opportunity for redemption for sure - let's see....

[ATL MU Warrior]

Wojo is just patient about winning. He just needs time. Expectations just need to be tempered.

If we see similar things against Kansas, K-State, etc. I wonder how the pro-Wojo camp will respond. There seem to be some that refuse to see faults in his coaching abilities/decisions, but there has to be a point where the kool-aid runs out, right?

So far, I find it hard to defend Wojo's decisions to run Markus at PG while limiting JC (why bring the guy on?), start Brendan over Jamal or Joey, and severely limit our most senior player in Heldt. This is supposed to be Wojo's breakout year, and so far, he's off to another bumpy start.

Matt Heldt?  Did you see Matt Heldt out on the court last night?  Wojo is using Matt Heldt exactly as he should. Other than being a good guy he provides nothing of value. At least Theo will give some hard fouls. 

[jsglow]

Interesting topic. I think we might be right in the wheelhouse of '4-5 years to judge'.

[WarhawkWarrior]

Team Grade:  F

[NickelDimer]

This is the first year we truly find out if Wojo can coach because he has no excuses. That was not a promising start

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

This is the first year we truly find out if Wojo can coach because he has no excuses. That was not a promising start

Not really but I agree with the latter part. 

[GGGG]

Wojo is just patient about winning. He just needs time. Expectations just need to be tempered.

If we see similar things against Kansas, K-State, etc. I wonder how the pro-Wojo camp will respond. There seem to be some that refuse to see faults in his coaching abilities/decisions, but there has to be a point where the kool-aid runs out, right?

So far, I find it hard to defend Wojo's decisions to run Markus at PG while limiting JC (why bring the guy on?), start Brendan over Jamal or Joey, and severely limit our most senior player in Heldt. This is supposed to be Wojo's breakout year, and so far, he's off to another bumpy start.

It's not really kool aid.  I've seen him get better as a coach since he has been here and have said that this year I expect a significant step forward (top three in BE and 5-seed) and another one the year after.

[NickelDimer]

Not really but I agree with the latter part.

Well that's giving him every benefit of the doubt (which many have been willing to give). Speaking from my perspective I agree with you. Ive been doubting his ability to coach for a long time now

[4everwarriors]

Wojo flunked miserably, hey?

[Goose]

While many on here believe there is a great deal of talent on the team, I am under the belief there is a great deal of role players. This team will go as far as Wojo can coach the role players into a unit. There is not enough go-to talent to win solely on talent.

Way to early to write off a season, especially with the BE being way down this year. That said, I did not see a big uptick coming this season and do not have the optimism that many felt going into the season.

[GGGG]

While many on here believe there is a great deal of talent on the team, I am under the belief there is a great deal of role players. This team will go as far as Wojo can coach the role players into a unit. There is not enough go-to talent to win solely on talent.

Way to early to write off a season, especially with the BE being way down this year. That said, I did not see a big uptick coming this season and do not have the optimism that many felt going into the season.

I thought some of the predictions were out of hand.  Time will tell regarding the talent.  I think people had some rosy rememberances of some players (like Cain) and didn't remember some of his downside.  We will see if they grow.

[1SE]

While many on here believe there is a great deal of talent on the team, I am under the belief there is a great deal of role players. This team will go as far as Wojo can coach the role players into a unit. There is not enough go-to talent to win solely on talent.

Way to early to write off a season, especially with the BE being way down this year. That said, I did not see a big uptick coming this season and do not have the optimism that many felt going into the season.

I had this thought too. While I love Sam as much as we all do, he isn't really the player that will step up and take over a game, at least on a consistent basis.

With no second go-to guy, it seems we'll really need balanced scoring - 6 guys averaging close to double figures. So far we've only had 4 players in double figures in any game. And that's with two cupcakes under our belt.

Hopefully we get it figured out.

[Goose]

1SE
Rowsey's presence provided a lot of open looks for Sam, Sacar and others last season. I had no hopes for defensive improvement going into the season and was concerned on how to get open looks for guys who need open looks to score. This team needs a stud x's and o's guy to make them mesh.
IMO, this might end up looking like HE one year here, with the Hauser boys playing the role of HE.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Why is Vandy debatable? They were an NCAA tournament team on a neutral court. Especially when Belmont is considered a first test. That was just a bad loss.

As for Kool Aid, none of that, just realism. I predicted MU would lose to Indiana and they lost to Indiana. By a little more than I expected which is a negative data point. But it's one data point. My guess is that it becomes one of  the low points in a pretty good season

[brewcity77]

I'm not going to give up on this team after one bad loss. That said, I wasn't disappointed that we lost as much as I was how we lost. Punched in the mouth early, matador defense, too many turnovers, and after going down big, never got it back to even a 2-possession game. Markus' hero ball efforts looked like bad Rowsey from last year.

Come out of NYC with at least one win, go 10-3 or better in non-conference, it'll be okay. But more efforts like this and I'm sure I won't be alone withdrawing my support for this staff. On paper, we addressed every issue we had going on. Toughness and rebounding? Check. Long, defensive minded ballhandler? Check. Multiple options on offense? Check.

If this isn't a top-75 to 100 defense, if we can't run an offense that isn't 1-2 guys shot hunting, if we can't succeed without one of the All Americans that keep putting us second, then it might be time to move on.

Let's beat Presbyterian and hope NYC goes better than last night did.

[Babybluejeans]

The "here we go again" responses are confusing. We're in year 5 so excuses are out the window.

Some of us want to see results. We haven't seen them yet and last night's outcome indicates we may not see them. Yes, it's one game. The sky isn't falling. But it was a bad game and people are entitled to feel let down by this coach so far.

[nyg]

I'm not going to give up on this team after one bad loss. That said, I wasn't disappointed that we lost as much as I was how we lost. Punched in the mouth early, matador defense, too many turnovers, and after going down big, never got it back to even a 2-possession game. Markus' hero ball efforts looked like bad Rowsey from last year.

Come out of NYC with at least one win, go 10-3 or better in non-conference, it'll be okay. But more efforts like this and I'm sure I won't be alone withdrawing my support for this staff. On paper, we addressed every issue we had going on. Toughness and rebounding? Check. Long, defensive minded ballhandler? Check. Multiple options on offense? Check.

If this isn't a top-75 to 100 defense, if we can't run an offense that isn't 1-2 guys shot hunting, if we can't succeed without one of the All Americans that keep putting us second, then it might be time to move on.

Let's beat Presbyterian and hope NYC goes better than last night did.

I had them losing to IU, Kansas, Kansas St, then two in NYC.
After the growing pains, I have them going great in BE play, believing that Morrow, Joe C. and Joey all get used to playing with the other teammates and determining their roles.  I didn't expect the defense to be as bad as past years, so again adjustments of some sort have to be made.  Otherwise, even with a weaker BE, it will cause concerns and this place will go nuclear. 

[dgies9156]

One game does not a season make.

[tower912]

MU failed last night. One out of 31.   There will be more disappointments.  There always are.

[MU86NC]

Ouch.... that was painful to watch on so many levels.   The comment that stood out most to me from everyone's posts was "Wojo looked like a deer in Headlights".   He really did...

[GGGG]

The "here we go again" responses are confusing. We're in year 5 so excuses are out the window.

Some of us want to see results. We haven't seen them yet and last night's outcome indicates we may not see them. Yes, it's one game. The sky isn't falling. But it was a bad game and people are entitled to feel let down by this coach so far.

No one is telling you that you can't feel let down by the coach.