Marquette "What Ifs"

[muwarrior69]

What if Al took the Bucks job in '69.

[HutchwasClutch]

What if Al took the Bucks job in '69.

Best one of the thread. If I remember correctly, he said he wanted it at the time too.  What a seismic turn our basketball history would have taken had it happened.

[Newsdreams]

What if Al took the Bucks job in '69.

We would probably be a D3 program

[dgies9156]

What if Al took the Bucks job in '69.

Different times. Different values.

Back then, a contract as a contract. Father Raynor reminded Al of that when he said no.

[Skip Intro]

what if Devin Harris hadn't spent his entire OV talking s--t about Travis and other members of the team and Crean didn't pull his offer at the request of the team? Harris, Diener, and Novak would have been one hell of a big three.

Sure, he would would have been nice to have in 03-04, but would he have played nice during the Wade years?  Between him, Diener, and Wade, a very talented player is  getting fewer touches than they'd like/deserve.  Basically, someone is the Wes Matthews of that scenario. 

[swoopem]

I started at MU in 2006 so pretty much all of the major "what if's" during my time have been mentioned but another big one is what if Otule doesn't break his knee vs Washington at MSG? That team was loaded and could've used a true big man vs Florida in the tournament.

Also, speaking of Washington. What if Jimmy could've stopped Pondexter just once in the 2010 tournament. If I recall we would've had a cake walk to the elite 8

[muwarrior69]

Different times. Different values.

Back then, a contract as a contract. Father Raynor reminded Al of that when he said no.

...but what if Fr. Raynor said we wish Al all the best in his new endeavor.

[4everwarriors]

What if a 3-way with Lisa and Gail, hey?

[Galway Eagle]

I started at MU in 2006 so pretty much all of the major "what if's" during my time have been mentioned but another big one is what if Otule doesn't break his knee vs Washington at MSG? That team was loaded and could've used a true big man vs Florida in the tournament.

Also, speaking of Washington. What if Jimmy could've stopped Pondexter just once in the 2010 tournament. If I recall we would've had a cake walk to the elite 8

Cake walk to Sweet 16, we would've played that WVU team that beat us at the buzzer around New Years that year. Though yeah that one drive is still the most painful choke in my memory. 

I do agree about that 2012 team since we at least would've had some height down low though as rough as it was with Young destroying us down there it was Beal that showed why DJO and Vander were borderline NBA players.

[Hards Alumni]

What if a 3-way with Lisa and Gail, hey?

You'd have been as lost then as you are now, aina?

[MUfan12]

What if Crean figured out a zone, and MU played IU in the Elite 8 instead of Syracuse?

Yes, they had Dipo and Zeller, but I think MU wins that game.

[BCHoopster]

What if Scooter McCray and Rodney had come to MU,  not sure how we lost him $$ to Louisville.

[Dr. Blackheart]

What if Scooter McCray and Rodney had come to MU,  not sure how we lost him $$ to Louisville.

If only MU didn't supply Kleenex in Scooter's dorm room during his official.

[Galway Eagle]

What if Crean figured out a zone, and MU played IU in the Elite 8 instead of Syracuse?

Yes, they had Dipo and Zeller, but I think MU wins that game.

Agreed on this. Or what if we didn't shoot record low % that day?

[dgies9156]

...but what if Fr. Raynor said we wish Al all the best in his new endeavor.

He would have been sent on a Jesuit mission to outer Mongolia to minister to shepherds and reflect on the awful sacrilege he had committed.

[The Thing]

What if we had never changed our name from Warriors?

[The Sultan]

What if we had never changed our name from Warriors?

Scoop traffic would be down 50% and the mods wouldn't be living their life of luxury.

Other than that, not much.

[Galway Eagle]

What if we had never changed our name from Warriors?

We'd have won every national championship since 94 and every 5 star recruit would be lining up to commit to marquette, and those that couldn't get a scholarship would beg to be walk ons.

[dgies9156]

What if: Kevin O'Neill had stayed?

This one is intriguing. Coach O'Neill rebuilt Marquette basketball from a low mid-major to a power to be reckoned with. Excellent recruiter, solid bench coach and proven winner. Coach O'Neill was coming off his best run, an NCAA sweet 16, inclusive of a nasty thumping to Kentucky and a close game with Duke when the Tennessee Volunteers came calling.

As I understand, O'Neill later acknowledged he didn't realize how good a gig he had at Marquette. Had he stayed, the revolving door of coaches that continues to the present moment might never have happened. Coach O'Neill would have built on his 1990s success in both recruiting and performance, and built our Warriors back into a preeminent national power. Reasonably confident O'Neill could have built on his recruiting success and attracted four and five star players back to Marquette.

Contrarians would have argued that O'Neill ultimately would have left for Arizona once Lute Olsen retired. Possibly true, given that had his success at MU been consistent and growing, Arizona would have fought to get him. Other contrarians would argue that Coach O'Neill was a flash in the pan and never replicated his Marquette success at Tennessee, Northwestern, USC or in the NBA. Perhaps, but it sure would have been fun to watch.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Love KO for turning around an absolutely sinking MU program, but he had a losing record at every other stop excluding the one year he filled in at AZ with Lute's players. IMO, that many chances and consistently below .500 results are an accurate barometer of KO's overall recruiting and coaching ability.

He was the right guy at the right time for MU, but his lack of success elsewhere leads me to believe he would have had the same poor trajectory over time at MU.

[The Sultan]

And his success at MU was basically due to one great recruiting class. 

[dgies9156]

Love KO for turning around an absolutely sinking MU program, but he had a losing record at every other stop excluding the one year he filled in at AZ with Lute's players. IMO, that many chances and consistently below .500 results are an accurate barometer of KO's overall recruiting and coaching ability.

He was the right guy at the right time for MU, but his lack of success elsewhere leads me to believe he would have had the same poor trajectory over time at MU.

Question I have though is whether his roaming nature and professed desire to replace Lute worked against him. I really thought if he'd stayed at Tennessee for the long-haul, he would have established himself and built something akin to what he was doing at Marquette. But, as I understand, he was in a fourth position in the Tennessee sports hierarchy behind football, spring football and women's basketball. That and the fact that unlike Uncle Phil (Fulmer) or Pat Summit, he was not a son or daughter of Tennessee.

[Billy Hoyle]

And his success at MU was basically due to one great recruiting class.

Though Deane's success was tied to KO's recruits like Miller, Pieper, Crawford, Amal, and Hutch.

A related what if: What if Will Gates doesn't rip up his knee in high school?

[The Sultan]

Though Deane's success was tied to KO's recruits like Miller, Pieper, Crawford, Amal, and Hutch.

A related what if: What if Will Gates doesn't rip up his knee in high school?

Yes that's a good point.

It seems strange to say in retrospect, but KO was considered one of the best recruiters in the country when MU landed him.

[Galway Eagle]

Though Deane's success was tied to KO's recruits like Miller, Pieper, Crawford, Amal, and Hutch.

A related what if: What if Will Gates doesn't rip up his knee in high school?

This, if KO had stayed it's reasonable to expect that we'd have been better in the immediate future given what Deane achieved with those guys but I doubt we hit what Crean and Buzz brought us.