This is what you're getting with Shaka

[dgies9156]

Somebody pointed this out and I'm going to say it again.

All of us -- or at least most of us -- have been in at least one job where we don't fit well with the culture, environment etc. Wasn't necessary a bad hire, but nobody saw that it was a bad fit.

My view is that was Texas and Shaka.

He's back to Marquette where he probably should have been seven years ago. He likely learned from his mistakes at Texas (like we all do) and has grown as a basketball coach. Will he make mistakes here -- of course. But what I like about him is he is a proven recruiter and has a past history. Keep in mind that the Big 12 had some tough competition in Texas Tech, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State during his tenure in Texas.

[naginiF]

Somebody pointed this out and I'm going to say it again.

All of us -- or at least most of us -- have been in at least one job where we don't fit well with the culture, environment etc. Wasn't necessary a bad hire, but nobody saw that it was a bad fit.

My view is that was Texas and Shaka.

He's back to Marquette where he probably should have been seven years ago. He likely learned from his mistakes at Texas (like we all do) and has grown as a basketball coach. Will he make mistakes here -- of course. But what I like about him is he is a proven recruiter and has a past history. Keep in mind that the Big 12 had some tough competition in Texas Tech, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State during his tenure in Texas.

'right guy, wrong job' happens all the time. Sometimes there is clear blame on one side or the other, sometimes it just wasn't the right move for either.....Shaka/TU very much feels like the latter.

[f/k/a humanlung]

How about making the tournament without relying on a generational scoring talent to carry the team, for starters.

This is an excellent point.

[MU82]

Somebody pointed this out and I'm going to say it again.

All of us -- or at least most of us -- have been in at least one job where we don't fit well with the culture, environment etc. Wasn't necessary a bad hire, but nobody saw that it was a bad fit.

My view is that was Texas and Shaka.

He's back to Marquette where he probably should have been seven years ago. He likely learned from his mistakes at Texas (like we all do) and has grown as a basketball coach. Will he make mistakes here -- of course. But what I like about him is he is a proven recruiter and has a past history. Keep in mind that the Big 12 had some tough competition in Texas Tech, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State during his tenure in Texas.

And the nice benefit of this is that had he taken Marquette the first time, he might have had his eye on his next stop. But he's been to that next stop, and he now knows it's not for him.

If the penalty for that was the Wojo Era, it will have been a small price to pay if Shaka delivers big over the next decade or two.

[f/k/a humanlung]

Yeah...we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that "no NCAA wins" wasn't the only mark against Wojo...at least for me. It was the total humiliation in the tournament along with late season collapses and lackluster performances in the BET.

Number of 15+ point losses per year:

Smart (Texas)

2015-2016: 1 (vs. 1 ranked team)
2016-2017: 3 (1 ranked)
2017-2018: 2 (1 ranked)
2018-2019: 1 (1 ranked)
2019-2020: 6 (2 ranked)
2020-2021: 0

Total:          13 (6 vs. ranked opponents, or 46.2%)

Wojo (MU)

2015-2016: 7 (2 ranked)
2016-2017: 2 (0 ranked)
2017-2018: 5 (3 ranked)
2018-2019: 2 (0 ranked)
2019-2020: 3 (1 ranked)
2020-2021: 4 (2 ranked)

Total:          23 (8 vs. ranked opponents, or 34.8%)

I might have a "15+ point loss" in the wrong year for MU due to the NCAA Tournament debacles but the totals are right. 

Not only did MU have far more blowout losses than Texas under Smart (23 to 13), but the quality of the opponent was far lower as well (34.8% of losses to ranked teams vs. 46.2% for Texas).

This isn't a perfect analysis but I would bet my last $1.00 that it is directionally correct even if looked at in greater detail.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

Number of 15+ point losses per year:

Smart (Texas)

2015-2016: 1 (vs. 1 ranked team)
2016-2017: 3 (1 ranked)
2017-2018: 2 (1 ranked)
2018-2019: 1 (1 ranked)
2019-2020: 6 (2 ranked)
2020-2021: 0

Total:          13 (6 vs. ranked opponents, or 46.2%)

Wojo (MU)

2015-2016: 7 (2 ranked)
2016-2017: 2 (0 ranked)
2017-2018: 5 (3 ranked)
2018-2019: 2 (0 ranked)
2019-2020: 3 (1 ranked)
2020-2021: 4 (2 ranked)

Total:          23 (8 vs. ranked opponents, or 34.8%)

I might have a "15+ point loss" in the wrong year for MU due to the NCAA Tournament debacles but the totals are right. 

Not only did MU have far more blowout losses than Texas under Smart (23 to 13), but the quality of the opponent was far lower as well (34.8% of losses to ranked teams vs. 46.2% for Texas).

This isn't a perfect analysis but I would bet my last $1.00 that it is directionally correct even if looked at in greater detail.

Put this on the list as well....

Shaka Smart has 18 top 100 recruits in the past 6 years

His 3 tourney losses with Texas have been by a combined 8 points

Marquette's 2 tournament losses under Wojo were by a combined 39 points

[Autoengineer]

Look, I was hoping for Moser too.

But this is a very good hire.

Never was going to be Moser.  Not after the Scholl press conference last week.

[The Sultan]

Never was going to be Moser.  Not after the Scholl press conference last week.

That's not accurate.

[MU82]

His 3 tourney losses with Texas have been by a combined 8 points

Marquette's 2 tournament losses under Wojo were by a combined 39 points

I'm on board with Shaka, but the point differentials on these games can tell all kinds of things. For example, many intelligent people believe that winning or losing close games is directly affected by the quality of the coach. For another, need to look at the opponents.

Two of Shaka's NCAAT losses were to a Northern Iowa team with zero pro prospects; and a 14th-seeded Abilene Christian team with few if any players who could have cracked a P5 roster.

Wojo's NCAAT losses were to a South Carolina team that got to play at home, that went on to play in the Final Four, and that included 3 future NBA players; and a Murray State team that included the following season's NBA Rookie of the Year.

I'm not excusing Wojo's decisive losses and not throwing shade on Shaka's narrow defeats, but it's not apples to apples to talk about the point differentials.

[f/k/a humanlung]

I'm on board with Shaka, but the point differentials on these games can tell all kinds of things. For example, many intelligent people believe that winning or losing close games is directly affected by the quality of the coach. For another, need to look at the opponents.

Two of Shaka's NCAAT losses were to a Northern Iowa team with zero pro prospects; and a 14th-seeded Abilene Christian team with few if any players who could have cracked a P5 roster.

Wojo's NCAAT losses were to a South Carolina team that got to play at home, that went on to play in the Final Four, and that included 3 future NBA players; and a Murray State team that included the following season's NBA Rookie of the Year.

I'm not excusing Wojo's decisive losses and not throwing shade on Shaka's narrow defeats, but it's not apples to apples to talk about the point differentials.

MU, I hear what you're saying but I disagree to a large extent.

We got smoked in the regular season by some utterly crap BE yeans like DePaul and St. John's, to name two.  Both of these were WITH Marcus.  Scoring differentials are not the end-all-be-all but they do matter, imo.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

MU, I hear what you're saying but I disagree to a large extent.

We got smoked in the regular season by some utterly crap BE yeans like DePaul and St. John's, to name two.  Both of these were WITH Marcus.  Scoring differentials are not the end-all-be-all but they do matter, imo.

Yes, you know you're not a good coach when Dave Leitao owns you.

[StillAWarrior]

MU, I hear what you're saying but I disagree to a large extent.

We got smoked in the regular season by some utterly crap BE yeans like DePaul and St. John's, to name two.  Both of these were WITH Marcus.  Scoring differentials are not the end-all-be-all but they do matter, imo.

And - stating the obvious here - it just really sucks to get your ass kicked.

[mileskishnish72]

Wasn't high on Shaka after the Donedeal fiasco and his job in TX. Certainly wish him well, and certainly can't argue that he is more experienced than the other two presumptive hires that got a lot of attention here.

The big event happened March 19th. We could have hired a ham sandwich and we'd still be better off than we were on March 18th.

Good luck, Shaka.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

You mean people are allowed to have different opinions on different matters?

Did I say anything different? Im genuinely enjoying this.