What Are Your Expectations For Marquette As A Program?

[dad's couch]

I was on campus both in 1977 and 1978. While 1978 was a great regular season, what happened in the NCAA really clouded that season. We were never the same again.

I still contend if we're well run, there's no reason we can't be a Villanova, Gonzaga, Duke or even Georgetown in its heyday. We need coaching stability, strong recruiting and a commitment from the top down to excellence.

And if it was easy there would be no need to pay recruits, runners and family members.

[NCMUFan]

No expectations.  It is a form of recreation. 
I appreciate MU trying to put a winning program on the floor.
But seriously, why blow a fuse over something that has no significant bearing on one's life.

[Silent Verbal]

Top 25 every year.
Top 3 in conference every year.
In the Tournament every year and reach the second weekend once every 3-4 years.

For Marquette, I think these are high but completely reasonable expectations.  Obviously we'd fall short sometimes, but those years should be looked at as disappointments and outliers.

[Galway Eagle]

No expectations.  It is a form of recreation. 
I appreciate MU trying to put a winning program on the floor.
But seriously, why blow a fuse over something that has no significant bearing on one's life.

There's a correlation between the quality and quantity of applicants and school's sport success. If that in turn raises MU's perception as an institution it helps boost the value we get for our degree. That's why it's worth blowing a fuse

[NCMUFan]

There's a correlation between the quality and quantity of applicants and school's sport success. If that in turn raises MU's perception as an institution it helps boost the value we get for our degree. That's why it's worth blowing a fuse

Jeez, I bet MIT, Davidson or Ivy league grads are just crying  .

[Galway Eagle]

Jeez, I bet MIT, Davidson or Ivy league grads are just crying  .

Now you're getting it.

But more seriously since it's highly unlikely through investment alone MU somehow jumps to 50 in the rankings, I'll take whatever helps.

[The Lens]

My expectations?

Heart break.  I was born in 1975 and I'm proud say that only once did the program fail to meet my expectations. 

Of course some years are more heartbreaking than others. Having already lost Sam & Joey, I'm confident 2020 will be a banner year.  And that's saying something because getting to 24 wins in Feb and a Top 10 ranking helped make 2019 especially heart breaking.

[NorthernDancerColt]

And if it was easy there would be no need to pay recruits, runners and family members.

This is sad, but true. The HoopDreams anniversary article in another thread was eye opening in how it insinuated MU was no different than most all high D1 programs when it comes to making the sausage...ie recruiting and street runners. When someone referenced "goons on the street" in a tweet regarding MU hoops, that couldn't have been more obvious...people here on Scoop were trying to come up with other definitions lol.....we would NEVER play that game.

While I don't think we play the game to the level revealed by the recent FBI wiretaps case, it is naive to think we are spotless. I'm not telling anyone here anything when I say the whole system is corrupt. I would relish a Nick Nolte BLUE CHIPS moment where a real coach calls the whole thing out right at half time of a gigantic game he was coaching. I don't think anything will ever change. Too much $$$$ involved.

[4everwarriors]

Tired of fighting the endless fight. It is what it is, also known as apathy.

[Eye]

5 year cycle in no particular order.
NIT
NCAA one & done
2 sweet 16's
1 elite 8

I would like more, but realistically you have to think a really good team is going to lose a player who enters the draft. That is what happen after our last Elite 8.

You and I really close Bilsu.

Change one of those 1 and done's to a second-round appearance and that's about where I'd be. Final 4 once a decade. I'm 47. Another title before I die.

How many 5 years cycles have seen this?

93-97, 4 tourney's, 1 NIT, 2 2nd round, 1 Sweet 16, not quite there, but being what Dukiet left O' Neill left with, not too far away, Deane kept it going for a few years, but big fall off at end

02 - 06, 3 tourney's, 2 NITs, 1 Final 4, Final 4 helps make up for lack of other tourney success to some degree

09-13, 5 straight tourney's, 4 2nd round, 3 Sweet 16s, 1 Final 8, decent 5-year stretch

17 - 19, 2 tourney's, 1 NIT. So Wojo would need to make tourney next two years, at a minimum make 2nd weekend once to meet what I think MU should have as expectation for a program. Winning a tourney game next year and 2 2 years from now would indicate right trajectory.

Big East goals fall into place if you're doing enough damage in March. Top half almost every year. Compete for title more years than not.  Win title at least once every cycle. Advance to Final 4 of league tourney almost every year. In championship game once every 2 or 3 years. Win BET once per cycle. Be the 2nd team thought of nationally when people think of the BE.

[jesmu84]

You and I really close Bilsu.

Change one of those 1 and done's to a second-round appearance and that's about where I'd be. Final 4 once a decade. I'm 47. Another title before I die.

How many 5 years cycles have seen this?

93-97, 4 tourney's, 1 NIT, 2 2nd round, 1 Sweet 16, not quite there, but being what Dukiet left O' Neill left with, not too far away, Deane kept it going for a few years, but big fall off at end

02 - 06, 3 tourney's, 2 NITs, 1 Final 4, Final 4 helps make up for lack of other tourney success to some degree

09-13, 5 straight tourney's, 4 2nd round, 3 Sweet 16s, 1 Final 8, decent 5-year stretch

17 - 19, 2 tourney's, 1 NIT. So Wojo would need to make tourney next two years, at a minimum make 2nd weekend once to meet what I think MU should have as expectation for a program. Winning a tourney game next year and 2 2 years from now would indicate right trajectory.

Big East goals fall into place if you're doing enough damage in March. Top half almost every year. Compete for title more years than not.  Win title at least once every cycle. Advance to Final 4 of league tourney almost every year. In championship game once every 2 or 3 years. Win BET once per cycle. Be the 2nd team thought of nationally when people think of the BE.

So, only 09-13 since Al. Got it.

[GooooMarquette]

There's a correlation between the quality and quantity of applicants and school's sport success. If that in turn raises MU's perception as an institution it helps boost the value we get for our degree. That's why it's worth blowing a fuse

I have seen correlations in quantity (i.e., our big jump in # of applicants post-2003)...but could you provide some info showing a correlation between success and the quality of applicants? Not being snarky - just haven't seen anything like that.

Also - assuming higher-quality applicants follow sports success - is there any indication that more of the higher-quality applicants actually matriculate at MU? Or do they just add us to the long list of institutions they apply to...only to go to places like Northwestern, Georgetown or Vanderbilt?

[Galway Eagle]

I have seen correlations in quantity (i.e., our big jump in # of applicants post-2003)...but could you provide some info showing a correlation between success and the quality of applicants? Not being snarky - just haven't seen anything like that.

Also - assuming higher-quality applicants follow sports success - is there any indication that more of the higher-quality applicants actually matriculate at MU? Or do they just add us to the long list of institutions they apply to...only to go to places like Northwestern, Georgetown or Vanderbilt?

As far as quality I suppose it doesn't necessarily mean better quality of applicants, my logical falacy was that the larger pool of applicants would be equally distributed among the top middle and bottom. But could be a bunch of never going to get in anyways applicants. It does increase selectivity either way which in turn boosts national rankings which, as flawed as they are, raises the profile of the university.

You'd need someone closer to the University to talk on matriculation

[🏀]

Top 25 every year.
Top 3 in conference every year.
In the Tournament every year and reach the second weekend once every 3-4 years.

For Marquette, I think these are high but completely reasonable expectations.  Obviously we'd fall short sometimes, but those years should be looked at as disappointments and outliers.

I'm with this, but I would change it to Top 5 in conference every year.

[MUBurrow]

Expectations:

--Consistently top half of BE, with frequent 1-3 finishes.
--NCAA most seasons (75%), with a second-weekend run (or more) every 3-4 years.
--Spend more weeks in the top 25 than out of it.
--People are far more surprised when we don't make NCAA than when we make it.
--aka Very high level program, but not a Blue Blood.

Hopes:

--Top 25 nearly all the time, with top 10 common.
--Top 1-3 in BE every year.
--NCAA second weekend at least 4 out of 5 years, and FF once or twice.
--aka Blue Blood

I lived through the Al era and sat in the Omni that night, and I would love for Wojo (or someone) to be the second coming of Al. But no amount of money can guarantee that, and I recognize that guys like Al, JTII, Wright or Few don't come along very often at smaller private schools.

Add me to the chorus of +1s on this.

[MomofMUltiples]

while I would love to see what Gooooo laid out, my "expectations" are a little different.

I expect MU basketball to be entertaining.  I expect the players to be good kids who love playing basketball, play well and don't get into off-court issues.  I expect to experience thrilling highs (like the Nova win two years ago) and upsetting lows (slide at the end of this season).  I expect wins AND losses, and I don't expect perfection.  I expect coaches to hustle on the recruiting trail, but I also expect "misses" and players that come and go.  I expect that I might not always be satisfied with a coach or a player, but those things were not my decision to make.  I expect to be a fan, to celebrate wins and commiserate with other fans on losses. 

I am a fan because I want to be a fan - nobody forces anyone to cheer for a particular sports team.  I view fandom mainly as a supportive endeavor, and I don't do the bandwagon thing.  My teams are my teams, good or bad, win or lose.  That's just how it is for me.

[MUfan12]

Win Every Day
Remain not dismayed
Recruit one sub-6 foot chucker in every class
Stay competitive for at least 10 minutes of a tourney game

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

For those who have high expectations, GOOD. You should have high expectations. As fans, we should never be content with where the program is and always be pushing for more. If we get back to Buzz level success? Great but we should want more. Get to Villanova level success? Great but we should want more. Get to Al level success? Great but we should want more. The goal of the basketball program should be to always be building the program. Fortunately, we have an administration that believes that and recognizes the importance of basketball to the university.

I liked what Brother Dgies said, there is no reason we can't build a Duke level program here. What do they have that we don't? There is something.....multiple decades of success. Duke wasn't born with blue blood or a silver spoon in their mouths. It had to be built over decades to get to the level it is at now. That is the level of success we should be striving for but also need to recognize the steps required to get there. It won't be done in a few years. It will take decades to build. But just because we aren't content doesn't mean we can't enjoy the ride.

Honestly, I don't think anyone here has different expectations. We all want Marquette to be the best damn program in the country and challenging for national titles every season....and winning them! We just disagree on how to get there.

[Lennys Tap]

Win Every Day
Remain not dismayed
Recruit one sub-6 foot chucker in every class
Stay competitive for at least 10 minutes of a tourney game

Winning conference record 40% of the time
NCAA tournament 40% of the time
First round loss by 19 or 20
No more than 2 starters transferring in any year

[brewcity77]

Win another national championship in my lifetime. That gives them probably between 30-50 years.

[muguru]

Win another national championship in my lifetime. That gives them probably between 30-50 years.

If I had that kind of time left, I'd be a heck of a lot more patient then I am...unfortunately, father time isn't going to give me that long.

[auburnmarquette]

so you've not been happy since 78...

You beat me too it. And if we can throw in that during the next few decades we averaged one sweet 16 every 16 years to make the math easier.

If Wojo isn't allowed to work the juco circuit - the way that Buzz did it - I believe making the tournament once every two years is likely par for all big East teams. I believe if Wojo is here at least another decade we will exceed that, but if we end up rotation coaches every 5 or so years then I think making the tournament about half the time and winning a first round d game every four years or so will be the norm.

[Cheeks]

Winning conference record 40% of the time
NCAA tournament 40% of the time
First round loss by 19 or 20
No more than 2 starters transferring in any year

Be picked first and not even make any tournament of any kind
Tell the press you wouldn't wipe your nose with your contract
Preach character revealed so the saps eat it up, then do many character revolting things behind the scenes
Get involved in a sexual Assault investigation by directly talking to the victim
Drive down a one way street the wrong way and crash the car in the process
Someone that will resign in mid June giving us no chance to sign any coach of any quality for the future

I can dream

[muguru]

You beat me too it. And if we can throw in that during the next few decades we averaged one sweet 16 every 16 years to make the math easier.

If Wojo isn't allowed to work the juco circuit - the way that Buzz did it - I believe making the tournament once every two years is likely par for all big East teams. I believe if Wojo is here at least another decade we will exceed that, but if we end up rotation coaches every 5 or so years then I think making the tournament about half the time and winning a first round d game every four years or so will be the norm.

This false narrative that people are spewing that because a new Coach comes in it AUTOMATICALLY means a rebuild has got to stop. It really pisses me off to be honest..it depends on who the Coach is that is brought in. Why don't people understand that? Just because a school hires a new Coach does NOT automatically mean every recruit will ask out of his LOI, and every player will transfer. That's absurd, and not reality. I'm tired of seeing people say that. How many left when Buzz took over?? Exactly! It all depends on the Coach that is brought in, it's really that simple.

[Cheeks]

This false narrative that people are spewing that because a new Coach comes in it AUTOMATICALLY means a rebuild has got to stop. It really pisses me off to be honest..it depends on who the Coach is that is brought in. Why don't people understand that? Just because a school hires a new Coach does NOT automatically mean every recruit will ask out of his LOI, and every player will transfer. That's absurd, and not reality. I'm tired of seeing people say that. How many left when Buzz took over?? Exactly! It all depends on the Coach that is brought in, it's really that simple.

How many.  Let's see, two of the incoming recruits, including one that played at Kansas.  Then there was Scott Christopherson who left days after Buzz was hired, he ended up all Big 12.  That's three by my count.