What must Wojo do to keep his job?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Weren't they also very high this year?? afterall this was the best team he has had in his time at MU, and the BE was down.

You can go back and check. Preseason I said expectations were top 7 seed, top 3 finish in the Big East. My personal expectations were 5 seed and top 2 in the Big East. The how we got there was unexpected, but expectations were met. The slide at the end kept them from being exceeded.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Interesting phraseology "wojo haters". Exsctly what is a Wojo hater? Is that someone that is frustrated with the results of his coaching? Is that someone who is disappointed with the major meltdown? Or I'd it simply one who objectively looks st his results  with all the resources given to him and believes that there should be more  impressive results. Interesting phraseology  haters.

Funny, your definition of a Wojo is hater is close to what I assume other people mean about Wojo lover.

It's a good reminder though. I think very few people love or hate our coach. I think we all want to see Marquette do well. We just have different views on what the best path forward is for success.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Barring major injury, 3 seed and S16

Absent that, would need a BEAst regular season title with at least 2 of Dainja/Garcia/Burnett/Strawther/Johnson signed on top of Torrence

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Barring major injury, 3 seed and S16

Absent that, would need a BEAst regular season title with at least 2 of Dainja/Garcia/Burnett/Strawther/Johnson signed on top of Torrence

That's fine if those are your personal expectations but I'm letting you know that there is not a program in the country that would fire a coach after a top 3 seed and a loss in the round of 32 or a 4 seed with a S16, regardless of the recruiting class signed in 2020.

[muguru]

Those were the expectations, yes or no?  Everyone in the basketball universe knew the Big East was going to be down this year, yet all the experts picked us 2nd. That's where we finished, yes or no?

Expectations change as the year goes on..and I think that's fair for any fan base. Going into the season yes those were SOME people's expectations..However, I think on February 27th, everyone's expectations were different, and rightly so. So if crashing and burning down the stretch to get to preseason expectations, is the way you get to those expectations...well..I'm not sure that's a good thing.

You also have to recognize and understand that different people have different expectations at the start of the year. They were on their way to meeting my preseason expectations on February 27th...after that, they ended up falling far below where I thought/expected they would be.

[Silkk the Shaka]

That's fine if those are your personal expectations but I'm letting you know that there is not a program in the country that would fire a coach after a top 3 seed and a loss in the round of 32 or a 4 seed with a S16, regardless of the recruiting class signed in 2020.

Completely agree, just think if those aren't the results with the roster next year I personally will have seen enough to know it's probably not ever gonna happen

[Cheeks]

Expectations change as the year goes on..and I think that's fair for any fan base. Going into the season yes those were SOME people's expectations..However, I think on February 27th, everyone's expectations were different, and rightly so. So if crashing and burning down the stretch to get to preseason expectations, is the way you get to those expectations...well..I'm not sure that's a good thing.

You also have to recognize and understand that different people have different expectations at the start of the year. They were on their way to meeting my preseason expectations on February 27th...after that, they ended up falling far below where I thought/expected they would be.

We won some games early on we shouldn't have, things tend to even out.  I'm as disappointed in the finish as you are, I was also surprised we won some early games that we did.  This is where you take a step back and say, what were the expectations and goals.  They met mine if I do that honestly.  Yes, that doesn't take away the disappointment of what COULD HAVE BEEN, but what I expected...they met. 

[MU82]

What must Wojo do to keep his job?

Umm ... keep breathing?

[jficke13]

Funny, your definition of a Wojo is hater is close to what I assume other people mean about Wojo lover.

It's a good reminder though. I think very few people love or hate our coach. I think we all want to see Marquette do well. We just have different views on what the best path forward is for success.

You and I are dealing with very different people. I'm seeing pure, blind, loathing. An unhappiness so profound I cannot fathom why they still follow a program that they complain about with every single breath.

[willie warrior]

Someone that says a used car salesman is a better coach than Wojo....like you said...that would be a hater.

That foes not portray hate. It is hyperbole
Cant remember when it if I said that but it is a good comparison

[vogue65]

A better question might be, what does Marquette have to do to keep Wojo?

[Silkk the Shaka]

A better question might be, what does Marquette have to do to keep Wojo?

Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not, but if Wojo isn't confident he can win big with the roster he has next year to put a stamp on this program and set himself up for big recruiting wins down the road and salivating at the opportunity/challenge, then let him walk.

[Cheeks]

That foes not portray hate. It is hyperbole
Cant remember when it if I said that but it is a good comparison

Call it what you will, it was emotional and hate is an emotion.

We've all been emotional and say odd things regarding MU athletics and sports in general, yours truly included.  But when you do it over and over and over like you do, it sure feels like hatred...they aren't one offs.

[Marcus92]

Willie, I can't remember the last time you had anything positive to say about Wojo or the team. While I appreciate different perspectives, reading the same one-sided take time after time gets old fast.

[MU82]

What must Wojo do to keep his job?

Umm ... show up to work?

[willie warrior]

Willie, I can't remember the last time you had anything positive to say about Wojo or the team. While I appreciate different perspectives, reading the same one-sided take time after time gets old fast.

Ok. He seems like a nice guy and doing his best. He is just in over his head. Would be a nice assistant. Now that is positive.

[Marcus92]

I'd call that more condescending than positive. But you're entitled to your opinion.

[4everwarriors]

It don't matta ta me if da coach is 4-26, wins da conference tourney, den goes on a 6 game Big Dance winnin' streak and is NCAA Champ. In my opinion, da dude is golden. Won in March and dat's how eye judge, hey?

[MU82]

It don't matta ta me if da coach is 4-26, wins da conference tourney, den goes on a 6 game Big Dance winnin' streak and is NCAA Champ. In my opinion, da dude is golden. Won in March and dat's how eye judge, hey?

Well, Al didn't win the championship until his very final game. You apparently spent a lot of years being dissatisfied with his work, including most certainly at points during that championship season.

[CTWarrior]

I voted avoid off the court issues, because I do not think his job is in jeopardy. 

I don't like saying things like we need to finish in 2nd place in the Big East, because our season doesn't happen in a vacuum.

For example, Tower said we met his expectations because we had a top 3 Big East regular season and a 5 seed.  If Tower knew how bad the Big East was going to be this year, would a third place Big East finish really be his expectation?  That expectation sounded reasonable to me in November, but when Villanova was losing to the likes of Furman and Penn, and the rest of the Big East was a pile of mediocrity, I think a 3rd place finish in the BE this year would have been badly underperforming and I don't think winning the Big East regular season would have been overperforming.  Second place was minimum acceptable.

I also don't get the logic of our 5 seed, we were a 7 or maybe an 8 IMHO (and every analytical metric and poll).  I don't like a judging system that says if you go 1-1 against a team you are better if you won on the road and lost at home rather than the reverse.  Shouldn't matter.

I would say next year assuming health and the return of Howard, I would expect us to be a legit top 5 seed (top 20 in the country on the committees list and in the polls and analytical systems).  How that translates in terms of Big East record, etc. depends on what some of our conference mates do, but that would probably make us the best team in the Big East and a first place finish, maybe second.  My expectations for the postseason are less well defined.  I expect us to play well in the postseason.  If we got beat while playing well against a hot team that would not make me want to part ways Wojo, but boy, the fan base really needs a successful Big East or NCAA tournament run.  While 2018-19 should have represented the crown of his first recruiting cycle, 2019-20 should be his summit.

Finally, I expect a good recruiting class for 2020 (top 20ish), to give a feeling of confidence that the ball will keep rolling. 

If all that happens, I would agree with the positive trajectory crowd.

[WhiteTrash]

Zero chance MU makes a change.  I doubt anyone is more upset with the end of the season than Wojo.  It cost him huge money.

[tower912]

I voted avoid off the court issues, because I do not think his job is in jeopardy. 

I don't like saying things like we need to finish in 2nd place in the Big East, because our season doesn't happen in a vacuum.

For example, Tower said we met his expectations because we had a top 3 Big East regular season and a 5 seed.  If Tower knew how bad the Big East was going to be this year, would a third place Big East finish really be his expectation?  That expectation sounded reasonable to me in November, but when Villanova was losing to the likes of Furman and Penn, and the rest of the Big East was a pile of mediocrity, I think a 3rd place finish in the BE this year would have been badly underperforming and I don't think winning the Big East regular season would have been overperforming.  Second place was minimum acceptable.

I also don't get the logic of our 5 seed, we were a 7 or maybe an 8 IMHO (and every analytical metric and poll).  I don't like a judging system that says if you go 1-1 against a team you are better if you won on the road and lost at home rather than the reverse.  Shouldn't matter.

I would say next year assuming health and the return of Howard, I would expect us to be a legit top 5 seed (top 20 in the country on the committees list and in the polls and analytical systems).  How that translates in terms of Big East record, etc. depends on what some of our conference mates do, but that would probably make us the best team in the Big East and a first place finish, maybe second.  My expectations for the postseason are less well defined.  I expect us to play well in the postseason.  If we got beat while playing well against a hot team that would not make me want to part ways Wojo, but boy, the fan base really needs a successful Big East or NCAA tournament run.  While 2018-19 should have represented the crown of his first recruiting cycle, 2019-20 should be his summit.

Finally, I expect a good recruiting class for 2020 (top 20ish), to give a feeling of confidence that the ball will keep rolling. 

If all that happens, I would agree with the positive trajectory crowd.

I thought the Big East would be down.  But I also expected Cain and Chartouny to be better.  I also thought Heldt would start at center and Morrow would play the 4.  I did not know how much the defense would improve.  Always surprises, but the end result was about what I expected.

[CTWarrior]

I thought the Big East would be down.  But I also expected Cain and Chartouny to be better.  I also thought Heldt would start at center and Morrow would play the 4.  I did not know how much the defense would improve.  Always surprises, but the end result was about what I expected.

I did not mean to say anything negative about your predictions.  I am not in the habit of studying the other teams until I see them play and at the beginning of the season I would just look at what we are and how that team would fare in a normal season.

Just makes more sense to look macro than micro, because variations tend to even out over a larger swath of teams.  I thought your initial expectations were reasonable/good (top 3 in Big East and 5 seed).  The 5 seed to me meant we would be 16-20 nationally (I did not offer a prediction but would likely have just said finish in the top 25). But I thought St Johns would be better than they were, so a top 3 Big East finish would mean to be in national 18-25 range along with SJU and Villanova, and SJU was not close to that.  If I knew what SJU was really going to be, I would have said top 2, not top 3.  That's why I wouldn't necessarily pin MU's conference position in an expectation.

[tower912]

I think we agree in principle.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Whole body of work is all that matters. Losing in the tournament sucks, but they're not going to fire a coach for losing 1 game. 

I think Wojo is like...completely safe.  But I would say the heat would get hot if he somehow misses the tourney next season.  But I doubt that happens.