Our Future/MUBB

[dgies9156]

Thought this would be an fun and interesting poll. By five years, the current incoming class will be in and mostly out of Marquette and either we've made it or we haven't. Here's a little more description on each.

1) Back on Top -- Our 2020 class is the real deal. Coach Wojo follows it up with an outstanding 2021 class, which gels and learns to play together exceptionally well. Wojo finds his legs as a developer of talent and Marquette begins to be a destination school for high quality basketball talent. Wojo makes the Sweet 16 twice and the team is on an upward trajectory. Coach Wojo rejects an offer to replace Coach K at Duke, claiming he "has to find his own path" at Marquette. The Jesuits open the Treasure Chest and make Coach Wojo one of the top five highest paid basketball coaches in the nation.

2) Good but Not Great -- Marquette finally wins an NCAA game. Our 2020-2021 team begins to gel and a complementary but not great recruiting class in 2021 makes us an NCAA team again. Dawson Garcia becomes a team leader but leaves after his sophomore year. The team recovers but the lack of strong, consistent recruiting keeps us from cracking the Sweet 16 or Elite 8. Marquette fades down the stretch of what otherwise would be a great 2022-2023 season and limps into the tournament only to lose to Miami of Ohio, the MAC Champion. The BOT resists calls to Fire Coach Wojo, even though an irate Warrior fan sends a moving truck to the Wojo home.

3) Fits and Spurts -- What you see is what you get. We make the NCAA and finally get a decent first round draw. We win one or two early round games over five years but the name Marquette is never seen on NCAA brackets after the first weekend. Our kids graduate but a lack of depth and consistency means we're splitting our post-season time between the NIT, Dayton and the 9th seed in the NCAA. We have an apocalypse in 2023 when freshman Newt Riley, a burger boy from West Bumfork, Texas, leaves the team claiming the offense is built all around Garcia and Carton. By 2025, facing declining attendance at the Computing Castle, MU puts Wojo on notice but retains him for another year.

4) Fired and Reconstructing -- Dawson Garcia leaves after his sophomore year. The team collapses in 2021-2022 and wins nine games. By season's end, the only people in the Computing Castle are Sweatervests over 70 and Jesuits on free passes. Marquette loses to DePaul twice. Transfers leave the team with four returning players. Marquette reaches out to Slick Rick Pitino, who rides into town in a white BMW wearing the white suit he used to wear on the Louisville sidelines. Coach Wojo ends up coaching the University of Alabama, where he leads them to a Final Four berth in his second year and causes them to ask, "Nick who?"

5) Does Marquette Have a Basketball Team -- Persistent mediocrity, highlighted by three losses in a row to DePaul, leads to widespread apathy. Coach Wojo is hired away by the University of Minnesota, which he turns into a Final Four contender based on the high school pipeline he has in the Twin Cities. Marquette conducts a nationwide coaching search and turns to Brian Wardle to revive its basketball fortunes. Coach Wardle learns very quickly that the tactics and recruiting of the MVC don't work in the Big East. But his players are Rhodes Scholars and Marquette has the highest basketball graduation rate in the NCAA. As Coach Wardle competes with Mike Deane and Bob Dukiet for the under among Marquette coaches, the women's team becomes a national championship contender.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

I don't forsee anything but frustration and mediocrity.  Wojo will do just enough to keep his job, but we will be nowhere near what the fans expect.  The admin will be happy because Wojo is bland and doesn't stir up trouble.  10-8 in conference will be the new norm and a S16 will be a cause for celebration.

[Galway Eagle]

I voted 2 but wish I voted 3 in retrospect

[BallBoy]

None of the above.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

I don't forsee anything but frustration and mediocrity.  Wojo will do just enough to keep his job, but we will be nowhere near what the fans expect.  The admin will be happy because Wojo is bland and doesn't stir up trouble.  10-8 in conference will be the new norm and a S16 will be a cause for celebration.

This. But I would argue we should always celebrate a s-16 (Even if we are good/great). 

[wadesworld]

I don't forsee anything but frustration and mediocrity.  Wojo will do just enough to keep his job, but we will be nowhere near what the fans expect.  The admin will be happy because Wojo is bland and doesn't stir up trouble.  10-8 in conference will be the new norm and a S16 will be a cause for celebration.

We've advanced to the Sweet 16 five times in the last 40 years and beyond it twice in the last 40 years.  I'll gladly celebrate a Sweet 16.

[4everwarriors]

Taught dis wuz gonna bee 'bout #Godblessamerica, aina?

[The Sultan]

I don't forsee anything but frustration and mediocrity.  Wojo will do just enough to keep his job, but we will be nowhere near what the fans expect.  The admin will be happy because Wojo is bland and doesn't stir up trouble.  10-8 in conference will be the new norm and a S16 will be a cause for celebration.

Yep. We will win our share on f recruiting battles making it seem like things are on the upswing. But it will just lead to frustration.

[Windyplayer]

This is friggin' great. Thank you.

(I did crack a smile reading #1; a boy can dream)

[muguru]

We've advanced to the Sweet 16 five times in the last 40 years and beyond it twice in the last 40 years.  I'll gladly celebrate a Sweet 16.

But 3 of those have been in the last 10 years. In fact it was 3 times in a row from 2010-2013. It had become the norm

[wadesworld]

But 3 of those have been in the last 10 years. In fact it was 3 times in a row from 2010-2013. It had become the norm

The peak is never the norm.

[WarriorDad]

None O Above

[MUUWUWM]

One of the  best polls put out in recent memory!

[WarriorDad]

But 3 of those have been in the last 10 years. In fact it was 3 times in a row from 2010-2013. It had become the norm

Since when is a 3 year run on 100 years of basketball the norm?  The 7 straight years before it with no Sweet 16 were the norm, too. 

[tower912]

Wojo will win 100 more games over the next five years.   Unless he leaves for Duke.

[muguru]

Wojo will win 100 more games over the next five years.   Unless he leaves for Duke.

Hang a banner??

[mu_hilltopper]

This thread explains why there was such a long line at Arby's today.

[tower912]

Hang a banner??

Only if there is a conference championship.   Or a sweet 16.

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

So tired

[MU82]

I'd suggest there's something between 1 and 2, and most would argue that's where we were during the Crean-Buzz Era, especially Buzz.

We certainly hadn't regained blueblood status, not even close really. But going S16-S16-E8 was better than good, no?

Do I think Wojo can get us there? Probably not.

[dgies9156]

Since I wrote the poll, I'll acknowledge how I voted.

I voted "1".

Why else would a die-hard follow a team like Marquette? You put your heart and soul into it because you believe the administration has something special built and we're waiting for the rose to bloom.

I admit that the growth curve to date has been far slower than any of us had hoped. But we hired an assistant coach who, in some ways, is learning on the job. I personally think he has some growing to do and has to still learn the whole world isn't Duke. But my candid fear is that if we cut him loose, he'll take the lessons of this job and make someone else a world-class winner. You'll notice that where he went after Marquette in Items 4 and 5, the teams ended up quite successful. He's shown he can recruit and as he learns to tailor his coaching to the players he has, I expect, hope and even pray we get better and better.

We're probably still a couple years away. We need a couple of recruiting classes like this last one, but I still believe in Coach Wojo. I'm hopeful this is not misplaced.

[MU82]

Since I wrote the poll, I'll acknowledge how I voted.

I voted "1".

Why else would a die-hard follow a team like Marquette? You put your heart and soul into it because you believe the administration has something special built and we're waiting for the rose to bloom.

I admit that the growth curve to date has been far slower than any of us had hoped. But we hired an assistant coach who, in some ways, is learning on the job. I personally think he has some growing to do and has to still learn the whole world isn't Duke. But my candid fear is that if we cut him loose, he'll take the lessons of this job and make someone else a world-class winner. You'll notice that where he went after Marquette in Items 4 and 5, the teams ended up quite successful. He's shown he can recruit and as he learns to tailor his coaching to the players he has, I expect, hope and even pray we get better and better.

We're probably still a couple years away. We need a couple of recruiting classes like this last one, but I still believe in Coach Wojo. I'm hopeful this is not misplaced.

A vote for optimism. I love it, my friend.

[Shooter McGavin]

Since I wrote the poll, I'll acknowledge how I voted.

I voted "1".

Why else would a die-hard follow a team like Marquette? You put your heart and soul into it because you believe the administration has something special built and we're waiting for the rose to bloom.

I admit that the growth curve to date has been far slower than any of us had hoped. But we hired an assistant coach who, in some ways, is learning on the job. I personally think he has some growing to do and has to still learn the whole world isn't Duke. But my candid fear is that if we cut him loose, he'll take the lessons of this job and make someone else a world-class winner. You'll notice that where he went after Marquette in Items 4 and 5, the teams ended up quite successful. He's shown he can recruit and as he learns to tailor his coaching to the players he has, I expect, hope and even pray we get better and better.

We're probably still a couple years away. We need a couple of recruiting classes like this last one, but I still believe in Coach Wojo. I'm hopeful this is not misplaced.

I voted 3 but love your optimism.   Hope it works out.  Having a team out perform expectations this year would be encouraging.

[Eye]

I'd love to be able to vote 1 or 2, but honesty compels me to report I voted for 3. And I'm generally an optimist.

And Wojo would probably win 100 games if he's at MU the next 5 years. But 20 wins a season is far from a big deal anymore. Over the last four full seasons with a full postseason, an average of 128 teams a year have won 20 games. In the top 6 leagues, over the last two full seasons with a full postseason, an average of 44 teams a year have won 20 games. So winning 20 games right now puts you at about the 40th percentile in a top 6 league.

[Herman Cain]

Since I wrote the poll, I'll acknowledge how I voted.

I voted "1".

Why else would a die-hard follow a team like Marquette? You put your heart and soul into it because you believe the administration has something special built and we're waiting for the rose to bloom.

I admit that the growth curve to date has been far slower than any of us had hoped. But we hired an assistant coach who, in some ways, is learning on the job. I personally think he has some growing to do and has to still learn the whole world isn't Duke. But my candid fear is that if we cut him loose, he'll take the lessons of this job and make someone else a world-class winner. You'll notice that where he went after Marquette in Items 4 and 5, the teams ended up quite successful. He's shown he can recruit and as he learns to tailor his coaching to the players he has, I expect, hope and even pray we get better and better.

We're probably still a couple years away. We need a couple of recruiting classes like this last one, but I still believe in Coach Wojo. I'm hopeful this is not misplaced.

I appreciate your optimism . However , I don't think Wojo is Rick Majerus  version 2.0. Rick did a solid job at MU and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and was smart enough to bail out to The Bucks when he did. I think Wojo is Mike Deane Version 2.0 and will have a winning career for a long time without being outstanding.