OK We've Vented.... Now What?

[dgies9156]

Season is over and everyone in here is disappointed. We've vented our frustration, disappointment and anger about the Thursday game.

Now what..?

Let's get real. Coach Wojo isn't going anywhere. No school in their right mind who just experienced what Marquette did in 2018-2019 would fire their head coach. Period. Think about it.... 5 seed in the tournament, strong visibility and finished second in the Big East, ranked a good part of the year and near sell-outs for most of our games at the Computing Castle. Yah, the ending was bad, but in looking at Coach Wojo's whole body of work. Most schools admittedly would kill for what we had this year.

For what it's worth, nobody in the private sector would fire a leader with Coach Wojo's record from 2018-2019. Well, except perhaps the House of Steinbrenner in New York.

Besides, if we chased Coach Wojo, who would we backfill him with? Who worth their salt would come to a university who fired a coach for accomplishing what we did this year?  And what would it do for the critical 2020-2021 freshman class and what Coach Wojo has done on the recruiting trail. That's even scarier. Assuming the "new" guy was worth his salt, we would not be relevant after next year until 2023-2024. That's well, ugh!

That said, here's some ideas for what I suspect should be our goals for next year:

1) Finish 2018-2019's unfinished business and win the Big East outright. Win the tournament as well.

2) Make the Elite 8 at a minimum.

3) Stretch goal of the Final Four.

4) Fix the point guard problem. Unlike Joe Chartouney, Coach Wojo knows what he has with Koby McEven and Greg Elliott. They've been practicing with the team all of their red shirt season and they're integrated in the Marquette program. They should be good to go next year or else we should be looking for a point guard, pronto!

5) Make sure Joey and Brendan progress. We know the best thing about freshmen. There's a lot of work for both that needs to be done. Hopefully it gets done because these guys are the future.

6) Get some offense out of center.

7) Figure out where you really have depth. Is Jamal Cain the answer? Will Ike ever play again for us? We really need to go about nine deep to make a deep run.

Before you think I'm nuts about goals and stretch goals, think of it this way: We have four returning seniors in Sacar, Markus, Sam and Ed Jr. Theo will be a junior and Brendan/Joey will a sophomore. If Coach Wojo can't get us past the first weekend of the NCAA with what's coming back (assuming no professional changes), then we do have problems and his seat should get warm.

This year, we squandered a lot of progress in the last three weeks of the season. Coach Wojo and his staff should build on it  and look at Sam and Markus, particularly, and ask them to define what their legacy will be to Marquette. Are they good players who scored a lot of points or, like some of our stars before, are they great players who will lift the team to heights worthy of their talent and four-year contribution to our program.

Time will tell.

[f/k/a humanlung]

1 through 25 on the list should be, "Add an experienced coach with an excellent reputation for game prep and in-game adjustments."

This is a joke but bring Mike Deanne out of retirement.  Couldn't recruit work a damn but won more games, during games, by outsmarting opponents than I can remember.

[Cheeks]

Make Elite 8 at a minimum?  Oh boy.   Not knowing who we play, where we play, what happens on the other side of the bracket.  Fun goal, but too much out of our control.

I'd prefer to concentrate on what is knowable.



Others you have are good.  I would like to see a deeper rotation, wear others down and don't wear ourselves down.  I brought up a month and a half ago the minutes guys were logging....can't keep that up.  Need to be fresher. 

[Pakuni]

Elite 8 as a goal is great, but probably not a reasonable expectation. Too much would have to break right. But playing into the second weekend seems entirely reasonable, should everyone return.

[BCHoopster]

Add a athletic forward, simple

[tower912]

I don't  think the venting is done yet.

[withoutbias]

now we bench 250 lbs 50 times run 10 miles vertical climb 4,000 feet with 140 lbs on your back and swim 2 miles!

[dgies9156]

I don't  think the venting is done yet.

What more can be said?

[tower912]

Whatever is said will be said ad nauseum.  With gusto.

[dgies9156]

1 through 25 on the list should be, "Add an experienced coach with an excellent reputation for game prep and in-game adjustments."

This is a joke but bring Mike Deanne out of retirement.  Couldn't recruit work a damn but won more games, during games, by outsmarting opponents than I can remember.

I agree.

Hey Cheeks -- here's why I think Elite 8 is doable. Assuming we fix what needs to be fixed and have a point guard, we should be a good bet to compete for the Big East title and maybe the tournament championship. That should land us a "3" or a "4" seed. I am assuming a schedule as tough as the one we had this year, with fewer slip-ups like Indiana and St. John's.

Heck, we were dreaming about a "2" before the collapse happened. That should get us well into the second week and to the Elite 8.

[Cheeks]

I agree.

Hey Cheeks -- here's why I think Elite 8 is doable. Assuming we fix what needs to be fixed and have a point guard, we should be a good bet to compete for the Big East title and maybe the tournament championship. That should land us a "3" or a "4" seed. I am assuming a schedule as tough as the one we had this year, with fewer slip-ups like Indiana and St. John's.

Heck, we were dreaming about a "2" before the collapse happened. That should get us well into the second week and to the Elite 8.

Sure, anything is the tournament is doable, and is a nice goal.

[Pakuni]

What more can be said?

Welcome to Scoop, where no dead horse goes unbeaten.

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

I don't  think the venting is done yet.

Made me LOL!

[real chili 83]

Season is over and everyone in here is disappointed. We've vented our frustration, disappointment and anger about the Thursday game.

Now what..?

Let's get real. Coach Wojo isn't going anywhere. No school in their right mind who just experienced what Marquette did in 2018-2019 would fire their head coach. Period. Think about it.... 5 seed in the tournament, strong visibility and finished second in the Big East, ranked a good part of the year and near sell-outs for most of our games at the Computing Castle. Yah, the ending was bad, but in looking at Coach Wojo's whole body of work. Most schools admittedly would kill for what we had this year.

For what it's worth, nobody in the private sector would fire a leader with Coach Wojo's record from 2018-2019. Well, except perhaps the House of Steinbrenner in New York.

Besides, if we chased Coach Wojo, who would we backfill him with? Who worth their salt would come to a university who fired a coach for accomplishing what we did this year?  And what would it do for the critical 2020-2021 freshman class and what Coach Wojo has done on the recruiting trail. That's even scarier. Assuming the "new" guy was worth his salt, we would not be relevant after next year until 2023-2024. That's well, ugh!

That said, here's some ideas for what I suspect should be our goals for next year:

1) Finish 2018-2019's unfinished business and win the Big East outright. Win the tournament as well.

2) Make the Elite 8 at a minimum.

3) Stretch goal of the Final Four.

4) Fix the point guard problem. Unlike Joe Chartouney, Coach Wojo knows what he has with Koby McEven and Greg Elliott. They've been practicing with the team all of their red shirt season and they're integrated in the Marquette program. They should be good to go next year or else we should be looking for a point guard, pronto!

5) Make sure Joey and Brendan progress. We know the best thing about freshmen. There's a lot of work for both that needs to be done. Hopefully it gets done because these guys are the future.

6) Get some offense out of center.

7) Figure out where you really have depth. Is Jamal Cain the answer? Will Ike ever play again for us? We really need to go about nine deep to make a deep run.

Before you think I'm nuts about goals and stretch goals, think of it this way: We have four returning seniors in Sacar, Markus, Sam and Ed Jr. Theo will be a junior and Brendan/Joey will a sophomore. If Coach Wojo can't get us past the first weekend of the NCAA with what's coming back (assuming no professional changes), then we do have problems and his seat should get warm.

This year, we squandered a lot of progress in the last three weeks of the season. Coach Wojo and his staff should build on it  and look at Sam and Markus, particularly, and ask them to define what their legacy will be to Marquette. Are they good players who scored a lot of points or, like some of our stars before, are they great players who will lift the team to heights worthy of their talent and four-year contribution to our program.

Time will tell.

I think we need to hotly debate this at Soft Pines, then take a slow pontoon ride to the Dockside for further debate. What say you?  This would be Hooks approved.

GO CUBS!

[dgies9156]

GO CUBS!

The Cardinals are coming man.

When that frustrated little Cubbie bear is cleaning bird crap off his windshield, just remember you heard it here first.

[MU82]

I don't  think the venting is done yet.

Indeed. Nearly 6 hours after dg started this thread, pilot started another thread congratulating Goose for pointing out that not only did we suck, but also that every opponent we played this season sucked.

I'm thinking the venting about this season might -- might! -- be over by midnight madness. Or, if Ners is allowed back on the board, somewhere around never.

[The Lens]

Indeed. Nearly 6 hours after dg started this thread, pilot started another thread congratulating Goose for pointing out that not only did we suck, but also that every opponent we played this season sucked.

I'm thinking the venting about this season might -- might! -- be over by midnight madness. Or, if Ners is allowed back on the board, somewhere around never.

I've got a few more sarcastic and passive aggressive new posts in me. 

[connie]

Indeed. Nearly 6 hours after dg started this thread, pilot started another thread congratulating Goose for pointing out that not only did we suck, but also that every opponent we played this season sucked.

I'm thinking the venting about this season might -- might! -- be over by midnight madness. Or, if Ners is allowed back on the board, somewhere around never.

Well we would have been much better with Dawson at point.  Just sayin'

[MU82]

Well we would have been much better with Dawson at point.  Just sayin'

Love it!

A month after we beat Creighton this season, Ners was still ripping Wojo for the successful play we ran. That was Ners at his best/worst ... at least since he claimed that Magic Dawson was better than Rowsey.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Love it!

A month after we beat Creighton this season, Ners was still ripping Wojo for the successful play we ran. That was Ners at his best/worst ... at least since he claimed that Magic Dawson was better than Rowsey.

Well, Magic Dawson University did make the Round of 32, hey?

[wadesworld]

Well, Magic Dawson University did make the Round of 32, hey?

Magic would've graduated by now had he stayed.

Or been an early entry into the NBA Draft if Wojo used him right.

[dgies9156]

So where do we go from here?

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

So where do we go from here?

[MU82]

You know, back in the aughts, they used to have a sliced chicken club sammich that I really liked.

When they took that off the menu, Arbys' was dead to me.

(I hope the banhammer isn't too severe after saying that.)

[rocket surgeon]

Indeed. Nearly 6 hours after dg started this thread, pilot started another thread congratulating Goose for pointing out that not only did we suck, but also that every opponent we played this season sucked.

I'm thinking the venting about this season might -- might! -- be over by midnight madness. Or, if Ners is allowed back on the board, somewhere around never.

I hear the dogs howling in the distance