Wojo's Most Disappointing Year

[Farley36]

Yes.  We should not have been cheering on Marquette in the NIT.  We should have picketed the games and broke the windows at the Al.

No you should just not have cared.  NIT is meaningless.

[PointWarrior]

All five....   sad he has such a plethora of disappointing seasons in only 7 years...

[panda]

No you should just not have cared.  NIT is meaningless.

I went to the games at the AL that post season and had a good time knowing the games didn’t mean much. Looking ahead, I could see the potential of the young team on the court and what we could accomplish in future seasons.

If we were to make the NIT this season (LOL zero shot) I wouldn’t care. The program at this point is a rudderless ship. Talented players come in, but Wojo teams are incapable of playing remotely close to above their expectations. Rinse repeat. Talent doesn’t matter when opposing coaches can so easily scheme our top players out of games. 

Biggest disappointment is this season without a doubt. Fell way below expectations playing very poor basketball. No end in sight.

[MU82]

Thanks for the correction. Well, that changes my view somewhat.

As stated above, the 2018-2019 team was playing above their head. The computer numbers indicated that team wasn’t at their ranking.

This year, when Carton was eligible, I thought we’d at a minimum be Team Bubble Watch. Seeing the Big East down so much this year, I think it makes it even more disappointing.

Yep, this season was ripe for the pickin'. We simply had to win at least 2-3 of the close BEast games we lost, especially DePaul. Just win that one and the OT game vs Providence, and we're 10-9 in the conference (tied for 4th), 15-11 overall, with three great wins. If not a lock for the NCAAs, maybe just 1-2 BET wins away.

But we didn't. So we're left what-iffing, as fans of mediocre teams often are.

[Galway Eagle]

Yep, this season was ripe for the pickin'. We simply had to win at least 2-3 of the close BEast games we lost, especially DePaul. Just win that one and the OT game vs Providence, and we're 10-9 in the conference (tied for 4th), 15-11 overall, with three great wins. If not a lock for the NCAAs, maybe just 1-2 BET wins away.

But we didn't. So we're left what-iffing, as fans of mediocre teams often are.

That's sort of the crux of the issue. Wojo's teams are seemingly always "what if's" and can't win the close games that matter.

[MU82]

I went to the games at the AL that post season and had a good time knowing the games didn’t mean much. Looking ahead, I could see the potential of the young team on the court and what we could accomplish in future seasons.

If we were to make the NIT this season (LOL zero shot) I wouldn’t care. The program at this point is a rudderless ship. Talented players come in, but Wojo teams are incapable of playing remotely close to above their expectations. Rinse repeat. Talent doesn’t matter when opposing coaches can so easily scheme our top players out of games. 

Biggest disappointment is this season without a doubt. Fell way below expectations playing very poor basketball. No end in sight.

You can't see potential in a team with sophomores Garcia and Lewis, junior Carton, senior Elliott and freshmen Mitchell and Aidoo? Really? Not even "potential"?

[naginiF]

Yep, this season was ripe for the pickin'. We simply had to win at least 2-3 of the close BEast games we lost, especially DePaul. Just win that one and the OT game vs Providence, and we're 10-9 in the conference (tied for 4th), 15-11 overall, with three great wins. If not a lock for the NCAAs, maybe just 1-2 BET wins away.

But we didn't. So we're left what-iffing, as fans of mediocre teams often are.

That hit me right in the 'fan of the Vikings' spot

[panda]

You can't see potential in a team with sophomores Garcia and Lewis, junior Carton, senior Elliott and freshmen Mitchell and Aidoo? Really? Not even "potential"?

I could look back and see posts before the last seven seasons and see the exact same query.

Bottom line - The talent has always been there. That’s the least of my concerns.

To answer your question, yes there’s talent. Who’s going to play any defense?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

No you should just not have cared.  NIT is meaningless.

It's all meaningless really.  I will find joy in whatever I want.

[Galway Eagle]

It's all meaningless really.  I will find joy in whatever I want.

The nihilist college basketball perspective.

[WhiteTrash]

You can't see potential in a team with sophomores Garcia and Lewis, junior Carton, senior Elliott and freshmen Mitchell and Aidoo? Really? Not even "potential"?

I for one don't. Last summer I predicted .500 this season. As it stands today, I don't think Wojo can coach well enough to get us past .500 next year, and that is with Wojo packing the non-con with cupcakes. If we have player defections I could see us in a dog fight with DePaul for last place next year.

I take no joy in being right about this season nor my outlook for next year.

Wojo is a dead man walking. He is in the last 13 months,or less, of his tenure. As others have predicted, I could see him back next year with no job security and he and the team mailing it in. What makes this sting even more is the fact that he and his players are class acts.

[Galway Eagle]

I for one don't. Last summer I predicted .500 this season. As it stands today, I don't think Wojo can coach well enough to get us past .500 next year, and that is with Wojo packing the non-con with cupcakes. If we have player defections I could see us in a dog fight with DePaul for last place next year.

I take no joy in being right about this season nor my outlook for next year.

Wojo is a dead man walking. He is in the last 13 months,or less, of his tenure. As others have predicted, I could see him back next year with no job security and he and the team mailing it in. What makes this sting even more is the fact that he and his players are class acts.

I don't think he or the team will mail it in. They're competitors and will try. Everything else I agree with.

[Billy Hoyle]

I for one don't. Last summer I predicted .500 this season. As it stands today, I don't think Wojo can coach well enough to get us past .500 next year, and that is with Wojo packing the non-con with cupcakes. If we have player defections I could see us in a dog fight with DePaul for last place next year.

I take no joy in being right about this season nor my outlook for next year.

Wojo is a dead man walking. He is in the last 13 months,or less, of his tenure. As others have predicted, I could see him back next year with no job security and he and the team mailing it in. What makes this sting even more is the fact that he and his players are class acts.

Or the opposite happens. He knows he is coaching for job and makes some changes off-season to put him in position to save himself.

Then, you have players who have strong loyalty to him (supposedly many love him but who knows if that's true) who take it up another notch to save their beloved coach's job.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Preseason KPom 36, currently 74. That’s at 49% which is an F.  Wojo needs a good final exam here for a passing grade. MU has some burn left.

[Galway Eagle]

Preseason KPom 36, currently 74. That’s at 49% which is an F.  Wojo needs a good final exam here for a passing grade. MU has some burn left.

We were preseason 36?!

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Preseason KPom 36, currently 74. That’s at 49% which is an F.  Wojo needs a good final exam here for a passing grade. MU has some burn left.

I believe this will mark the sixth time in seven seasons that he has underperformed his preseason KenPom number.  The only time he outperformed it, and it wasn't by much was 2017-18.

[MU82]

I for one don't. Last summer I predicted .500 this season. As it stands today, I don't think Wojo can coach well enough to get us past .500 next year, and that is with Wojo packing the non-con with cupcakes. If we have player defections I could see us in a dog fight with DePaul for last place next year.

I take no joy in being right about this season nor my outlook for next year.

Wojo is a dead man walking. He is in the last 13 months,or less, of his tenure. As others have predicted, I could see him back next year with no job security and he and the team mailing it in. What makes this sting even more is the fact that he and his players are class acts.

Again, I think Wojo should be gone. However ...

He has coached us to .500 in this disaster of a season, and well over .500 in every season but his first. Three NCAA bids, too. I'm not saying all that is great. AGAIN, I'd have fired him, on the spot, 6 weeks ago. But to say that there is absolutely no way a team with DJ, Garcia, Lewis, Elliott, Mitchell, Aidoo and a couple transfers can't be a .500 team ... because Wojo ... that's just silly.

As for everybody "mailing it in," that's even sillier. That would benefit nobody, and certainly not Wojo, who presumably would like to get another job someday.

And I wasn't talking about defections. I was saying that the 6 players I mentioned will all be on the team. I say there would be potential, even with Wojo as coach. Obviously, if there are defections, that's another story.

But hey, if you want to spend the next 8 months before next season even starts thinking we'll go 0-31, that's cool too. Hopelessness and joylessness sounds like fun!

[WhiteTrash]

Again, I think Wojo should be gone. However ...

He has coached us to .500 in this disaster of a season, and well over .500 in every season but his first. Three NCAA bids, too. I'm not saying all that is great. AGAIN, I'd have fired him, on the spot, 6 weeks ago. But to say that there is absolutely no way a team with DJ, Garcia, Lewis, Elliott, Mitchell, Aidoo and a couple transfers can't be a .500 team ... because Wojo ... that's just silly.

As for everybody "mailing it in," that's even sillier. That would benefit nobody, and certainly not Wojo, who presumably would like to get another job someday.

And I wasn't talking about defections. I was saying that the 6 players I mentioned will all be on the team. I say there would be potential, even with Wojo as coach. Obviously, if there are defections, that's another story.

But hey, if you want to spend the next 8 months before next season even starts thinking we'll go 0-31, that's cool too. Hopelessness and joylessness sounds like fun!

I for one did not predict 0-31. I feel like .500 is the ceiling. Maybe 'mailing it in' was too strong but a general feeing of apathy surrounding the program next year.

Like everyone else here, this is just my opinion. As always, I'll hope for the best.

[MU82]

I for one did not predict 0-31. I feel like .500 is the ceiling. Maybe 'mailing it in' was too strong but a general feeing of apathy surrounding the program next year.

Like everyone else here, this is just my opinion. As always, I'll hope for the best.

Yeah, don't confuse the fact that many fans are mailing it in with competitive athletes and coaches mailing it in. The latter happens only very rarely. This year's team had many chances to mail it in and yet I believe their competitiveness has been one of the few real positives of the season.

I know you didn't predict 0-31. I was using hyperbole ... and I at first thought you were too when you said they won't go .500 next season even with a bunch of cupcakes on the schedule. Especially given that they went .500 this season without many cupcakes and with a litany of problems.

Won 4 of their last 5. The opposite of mailing it in.

[JakeBarnes]

It's all meaningless really.  I will find joy in whatever I want.

This jumps past the nihilism and right into Camus's absurdism. I approve.

[BM1090]

Preseason KPom 36, currently 74. That’s at 49% which is an F.  Wojo needs a good final exam here for a passing grade. MU has some burn left.

Currently 60 on T-rank, preseason 71. That would be a solid grade.

Just a matter of TRank being too low at the beginning and Kenpom being too high. The reality was always somewhere in the middle.

[rocky_warrior]

Currently 60 on T-rank, preseason 71. That would be a solid grade.

Just a matter of TRank being too low at the beginning and Kenpom being too high. The reality was always somewhere in the middle.

I think you've mostly got it.  As fans, I think we can objectively say/think MU underperformed this season.  However, using preseason computer numbers as PROOF of over/under performance is dumb.  Computers are probably worse than humans at projecting the value of an incoming player when that player has no college stats.

Put simply, MU ended the season ranked EXACTLY where the computers should have predicted they would have been preseason!  The computers guess was just way off.

[Farley36]

Whether they over performed or under performed really doesn’t matter.   The only thing that really matters is their actual performance which is well below what should be acceptable at Marquette.  To make it worse poor seasons are the trend rather than an anomaly. 

[MarquetteDano]

Definitely go with 18-19 year as the most disappointing.  This year would be second worst.  Going into this season my expectations were at right where we are now.  However,  knowing the new players talent level?  Very disappointing.  Really feel like a good coach would have us on the bubble.  Alas,  we need to win the BET to do it now.

Some teams that per KenPom numbers would beat us on a neutral floor (admittedly less home court advantage this year):

• 9-14 Northwestern
• Wright State
• Mississippi State
• Boise State
• Toledo

[willie warrior]

All five....   sad he has such a plethora of disappointing seasons in only 7 years...

Yes it is sad  but more importantly, unacceptable