Shaka's ceiling

[MU82]

Smuggles and others have gone big on the worst-case scenario: Shaka will be the next Wojo.

What do folks think is the best-case scenario for Shaka Smart at Marquette? I'll start ...

Shaka takes what he did best at Texas (recruit great players) and combines it with what he did best at VCU (play an exciting brand of up-tempo basketball that forces opponents to succumb). Our program returns to consistent Buzz-level success, and perhaps even better because Shaka will recruit better than Buzz did. Having already proven to himself that basketball-coaching life isn't necessarily better at a "name" school or in a "major" conference, Shaka truly builds something lasting at Marquette. So even after he establishes himself as a top-10 coach, he is not looking to leave. He becomes our Mark Few, our Jay Wright. Every Marquette basketball game is an event again, and every season brings legitimate hope of something truly special happening.

[5DollarPitcher]

If we run a 1-2-1-1 full court press and recruit to that style, we will be a perennial top 3 team in the Big East and Shaka will stay here for 10+ years.

If we don't - we may get Wojo all over again.

[RushmoreAcademy]

Smuggles and others have gone big on the worst-case scenario: Shaka will be the next Wojo.

What do folks think is the best-case scenario for Shaka Smart at Marquette? I'll start ...

Shaka takes what he did best at Texas (recruit great players) and combines it with what he did best at VCU (play an exciting brand of up-tempo basketball that forces opponents to succumb). Our program returns to consistent Buzz-level success, and perhaps even better because Shaka will recruit better than Buzz did. Having already proven to himself that basketball-coaching life isn't necessarily better at a "name" school or in a "major" conference, Shaka truly builds something lasting at Marquette. So even after he establishes himself as a top-10 coach, he is not looking to leave. He becomes our Mark Few, our Jay Wright. Every Marquette basketball game is an event again, and every season brings legitimate hope of something truly special happening.

You had me at consistent.

[SWARM!]

Smuggles and others have gone big on the worst-case scenario: Shaka will be the next Wojo.

Haven't you also spewed the equivalent of that for the last week?

[Goose]

The BE was put on notice today that MU is back in the basketball business. I believe Shaka/MU can raise the bar to lofty levels. All of the pieces are in place and I truthfully believe MU has a chance to become a top ten program again. 

[MU82]

Haven't you also spewed the equivalent of that for the last week?

I have stated my position today. I choose to accentuate the positives.

Now, what do you think Shaka's ceiling is.

[SWARM!]

I have stated my position today. I choose to accentuate the positives.

Now, what do you think Shaka's ceiling is.

I believe his ceiling is probably in line with Bo Ryan, honestly. Or in the Buzz Williams neighborhood.  Here more than a decade, good recruiting to mesh with an exciting and successful system.  He's (most) likely not going to be the next Jay Wright.  But just don't think his floor is very low.  Compared to Wojo, it's almost nonexistent for me.  I'm excited.

[MU82]

I believe his ceiling is probably in line with Bo Ryan, honestly. Or in the Buzz Williams neighborhood.  Here more than a decade, good recruiting to mesh with an exciting and successful system.  He's (most) likely not going to be the next Jay Wright.  But just don't think his floor is very low.  Compared to Wojo, it's almost nonexistent for me.  I'm excited.

Very realistic.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

I believe his ceiling is probably in line with Bo Ryan, honestly. Or in the Buzz Williams neighborhood.  Here more than a decade, good recruiting to mesh with an exciting and successful system.  He's (most) likely not going to be the next Jay Wright.  But just don't think his floor is very low.  Compared to Wojo, it's almost nonexistent for me.  I'm excited.

Good to see you back as well as a few other posters today.

[SWARM!]

Good to see you back as well as a few other posters today.

#Scoop4ever!  Thanks - I am excited and optimistic he will thrive here.  Hopefully that means a lot of March wins.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

What's the height of the Fiserv Forum?

[4everwarriors]

Shaka's ceiling is 1 or more Nattys, aina?

[tower912]

I would put Shaka's ceiling at MU in the 'good-Buzz' range.   


And then the complaints will start that MU can't make the final 4.

[lawdog77]

[MU82]

Shaka's ceiling is 1 or more Nattys, aina?

You know, it's nice to see so many Scoopers so happy and so optimistic. It's been a while.

[StillAWarrior]

I think that Shaka's ceiling is a national championship. For the record, I also think that Moser and Gates had the same ceiling. With Marquette's resources, I honestly think any quality coach has a shot at a championship (which is how I interpret the word "ceiling"). I'm not saying that I think a championship is likely -- winning it all is extremely difficult and, as some have said, the tournament is a crapshoot. But Marquette provides the resources and it's possible. I think that a FF is a much more realistic "ceiling" -- but once you're playing on the third weekend anything can happen.  I think that under Shaka, within a couple of years (if not sooner) we'll be very competitive in the Big East (i.e., consistently top 3-4 and making semis and finals in BET), in the NCAA tournament most years with occasional top 4 seeds and winning some games and playing on the second weekend. Again, I thought the same with Moser or Gates. I guess what I'm saying is that with Marquette's resources these are the things that I think a quality coach should be able to do. We were just in the enviable situation of having several quality coaches as candidates for the position.

The more I've thought about it today, I think that one of the real benefits of Shaka is not so much how high the ceiling is, but how high his floor is. Honestly, had I thought about this more in the last few days, maybe he would have been my first choice. I think that Shaka's floor is the same as what we had with Wojo overall. That sucked, and I don't recall ever being so down on MU basketball, but it could be worse. We know Shaka is going to recruit and he's shown he can coach. I really have a hard time imagining him lower than middle of the pack in the Big East with maybe an occasional really bad season near the bottom - kind of like Wojo. This wasn't acceptable from Wojo, and it won't be acceptable from Shaka.  But, with both Moser and Gates, there was a more significant downside risk that things would go really badly -- if Moser can't recruit high major talent or if Gates just can't coach at a high level. I don't think that either of those were likely, but they were risks because those guys are unknown entities as HC at the high-major level. If either of those occurred, things could be really, really ugly. I just don't see a risk of a total trainwreck with Shaka. Even with the performance at UT that caused some of us (including me) to not be terribly impressed, he was pretty competitive and really the only black mark was underperforming in March.

[Mu8891]

Ceiling ??

Top 25 again, BE title (s) and a FF

[MU82]

I think that Shaka's ceiling is a national championship. For the record, I also think that Moser and Gates had the same ceiling. With Marquette's resources, I honestly think any quality coach has a shot at a championship (which is how I interpret the word "ceiling"). I'm not saying that I think a championship is likely -- winning it all is extremely difficult and, as some have said, the tournament is a crapshoot. But Marquette provides the resources and it's possible. I think that a FF is a much more realistic "ceiling" -- but once you're playing on the third weekend anything can happen.  I think that under Shaka, within a couple of years (if not sooner) we'll be very competitive in the Big East (i.e., consistently top 3-4 and making semis and finals in BET), in the NCAA tournament most years with occasional top 4 seeds and winning some games and playing on the second weekend. Again, I thought the same with Moser or Gates. I guess what I'm saying is that with Marquette's resources these are the things that I think a quality coach should be able to do. We were just in the enviable situation of having several quality coaches as candidates for the position.

The more I've thought about it today, I think that one of the real benefits of Shaka is not so much how high the ceiling is, but how high his floor is. Honestly, had I thought about this more in the last few days, maybe he would have been my first choice. I think that Shaka's floor is the same as what we had with Wojo overall. That sucked, and I don't recall ever being so down on MU basketball, but it could be worse. We know Shaka is going to recruit and he's shown he can coach. I really have a hard time imagining him lower than middle of the pack in the Big East with maybe an occasional really bad season near the bottom - kind of like Wojo. This wasn't acceptable from Wojo, and it won't be acceptable from Shaka.  But, with both Moser and Gates, there was a more significant downside risk that things would go really badly -- if Moser can't recruit high major talent or if Gates just can't coach at a high level. I don't think that either of those were likely, but they were risks because those guys are unknown entities as HC at the high-major level. If either of those occurred, things could be really, really ugly. I just don't seek a risk of a total trainwreck with Shaka. Even with the performance at UT that caused some of us (including me) to not be terribly impressed, he was pretty competitive and really the only black mark was underperforming in March.

I love this insightful comment, and I agree.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

I think that Shaka's ceiling is a national championship. For the record, I also think that Moser and Gates had the same ceiling. With Marquette's resources, I honestly think any quality coach has a shot at a championship (which is how I interpret the word "ceiling"). I'm not saying that I think a championship is likely -- winning it all is extremely difficult and, as some have said, the tournament is a crapshoot. But Marquette provides the resources and it's possible. I think that a FF is a much more realistic "ceiling" -- but once you're playing on the third weekend anything can happen.  I think that under Shaka, within a couple of years (if not sooner) we'll be very competitive in the Big East (i.e., consistently top 3-4 and making semis and finals in BET), in the NCAA tournament most years with occasional top 4 seeds and winning some games and playing on the second weekend. Again, I thought the same with Moser or Gates. I guess what I'm saying is that with Marquette's resources these are the things that I think a quality coach should be able to do. We were just in the enviable situation of having several quality coaches as candidates for the position.

The more I've thought about it today, I think that one of the real benefits of Shaka is not so much how high the ceiling is, but how high his floor is. Honestly, had I thought about this more in the last few days, maybe he would have been my first choice. I think that Shaka's floor is the same as what we had with Wojo overall. That sucked, and I don't recall ever being so down on MU basketball, but it could be worse. We know Shaka is going to recruit and he's shown he can coach. I really have a hard time imagining him lower than middle of the pack in the Big East with maybe an occasional really bad season near the bottom - kind of like Wojo. This wasn't acceptable from Wojo, and it won't be acceptable from Shaka.  But, with both Moser and Gates, there was a more significant downside risk that things would go really badly -- if Moser can't recruit high major talent or if Gates just can't coach at a high level. I don't think that either of those were likely, but they were risks because those guys are unknown entities as HC at the high-major level. If either of those occurred, things could be really, really ugly. I just don't seek a risk of a total trainwreck with Shaka. Even with the performance at UT that caused some of us (including me) to not be terribly impressed, he was pretty competitive and really the only black mark was underperforming in March.

Yes, Smart has a higher floor than most of the other coaching candidates and is still quite young.  It was the safe hire who just happened to be a Wisco native as well.  There's a good chance he could be here the rest of his coaching career. 

On the flipside, keep an eye on Dennis Gates at Cleveland St.  He could be the next "Elite Level Coach"

[StillAWarrior]

Yes, Smart has a higher floor than most of the other coaching candidates and is still quite young.  It was the safe hire who just happened to be a Wisco native as well.  There's a good chance he could be here the rest of his coaching career. 

On the flipside, keep an eye on Dennis Gates at Cleveland St.  He could be the next "Elite Level Coach"

I actually voted for Gates on the thread that had a poll. I was back and forth between him and Moser. I really do think he'll be a great coach somewhere.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

I actually voted for Gates on the thread that had a poll. I was back and forth between him and Moser. I really do think he'll be a great coach somewhere.

I wanted Gates as well, but I think he was too much risk for MU.  MU wanted the homegrown guy who would make this his final destination while being competitive.  After reading about Gates, he just seems to have that "Elite Quality" about him. 

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I mean hell, Al didn't exactly light it up at Belmont Abbey either.

Young exciting coach with a lot of potential coming in with a chip on his shoulder. Who knows? But it does inject some life into the program.

[Nukem2]

I mean hell, Al didn't exactly light it up at Belmont Abbey

Yeah, Al rather drove the Abbey into the ground year by year.  His 7 seasons there chronologically:

24-3
21-2
19-5
17-6
15-8
7-21
6-18

Al got out before the sheriff arrived.  A miraculous hire by MU!

[GooooMarquette]

I think that Shaka's ceiling is a national championship. For the record, I also think that Moser and Gates had the same ceiling. With Marquette's resources, I honestly think any quality coach has a shot at a championship (which is how I interpret the word "ceiling"). I'm not saying that I think a championship is likely -- winning it all is extremely difficult and, as some have said, the tournament is a crapshoot. But Marquette provides the resources and it's possible. I think that a FF is a much more realistic "ceiling" -- but once you're playing on the third weekend anything can happen.  I think that under Shaka, within a couple of years (if not sooner) we'll be very competitive in the Big East (i.e., consistently top 3-4 and making semis and finals in BET), in the NCAA tournament most years with occasional top 4 seeds and winning some games and playing on the second weekend. Again, I thought the same with Moser or Gates. I guess what I'm saying is that with Marquette's resources these are the things that I think a quality coach should be able to do. We were just in the enviable situation of having several quality coaches as candidates for the position.

The more I've thought about it today, I think that one of the real benefits of Shaka is not so much how high the ceiling is, but how high his floor is. Honestly, had I thought about this more in the last few days, maybe he would have been my first choice. I think that Shaka's floor is the same as what we had with Wojo overall. That sucked, and I don't recall ever being so down on MU basketball, but it could be worse. We know Shaka is going to recruit and he's shown he can coach. I really have a hard time imagining him lower than middle of the pack in the Big East with maybe an occasional really bad season near the bottom - kind of like Wojo. This wasn't acceptable from Wojo, and it won't be acceptable from Shaka.  But, with both Moser and Gates, there was a more significant downside risk that things would go really badly -- if Moser can't recruit high major talent or if Gates just can't coach at a high level. I don't think that either of those were likely, but they were risks because those guys are unknown entities as HC at the high-major level. If either of those occurred, things could be really, really ugly. I just don't see a risk of a total trainwreck with Shaka. Even with the performance at UT that caused some of us (including me) to not be terribly impressed, he was pretty competitive and really the only black mark was underperforming in March.

I agree with this.

Very high ceiling...just like Moser and Gates. Reasonably high floor...probably highest of the three.

[marquette20]