Brian Hamilton / The Athletic Article on MU

[The Lens]

Another good look at the program / Shaka.  It goes into how Shaka probably felt pressure to sign every 5 Star possible at Texas and he proactively addressed a different recruiting style with Scholl during the interview process. 

https://theathletic.com/2905571/2021/10/26/if-you-do-it-do-it-shaka-smart-is-building-his-ideal-version-of-a-program-at-marquette/

I found this tidbit ironic:

When Smart wants ball pressure, he screams for Heat! over and over. To kickstart another drill, Smart holds the ball and barks Marquette! and his players respond in unison with Defense! and slap the floor before he tosses the rock into play and the Golden Eagles close out on their marks. It's all canon. It's all been done and said before.

Warning: This article does not do a good job of covering GAA / Boxing / Rugby

[JakeBarnes]

Another good look at the program / Shaka.  It goes into how Shaka probably felt pressure to sign every 5 Star possible at Texas and he proactively addressed a different recruiting style with Scholl during the interview process. 

https://theathletic.com/2905571/2021/10/26/if-you-do-it-do-it-shaka-smart-is-building-his-ideal-version-of-a-program-at-marquette/

I found this tidbit ironic:


Warning: This article does not do a good job of covering GAA / Boxing / Rugby

You missed F1.

Nice to see another good article on marquette. Hope to see some soon that cover our successes.

[GoldenWarrior11]

Another great piece on the trajectory of the program and leadership of Shaka.  Impressed that Shaka has appeared to learn and change as a result of experiences at Texas. Hope it works very well in our favor.

[StillAWarrior]

Love the quote from Berry: "What I always thought of Marquette was just toughness, man. Just this blue-collar street fight. You just know you're going to be in a war when you go to play Marquette. I think that's [Smart] at the end of the day. That's who he is."

I hope so. I want Marquette to have great young men who represent the university well. But I also want them to be the toughest, nastiest SOBs on the floor every night.

Play Violent!

[Galway Eagle]

Another good look at the program / Shaka.  It goes into how Shaka probably felt pressure to sign every 5 Star possible at Texas and he proactively addressed a different recruiting style with Scholl during the interview process. 

https://theathletic.com/2905571/2021/10/26/if-you-do-it-do-it-shaka-smart-is-building-his-ideal-version-of-a-program-at-marquette/

I found this tidbit ironic:


Warning: This article does not do a good job of covering GAA / Boxing / Rugby

I went to read it expecting IPL and AFL references but got none.

[Shooter McGavin]

Love the quote from Berry: "What I always thought of Marquette was just toughness, man. Just this blue-collar street fight. You just know you're going to be in a war when you go to play Marquette. I think that's [Smart] at the end of the day. That's who he is."

I hope so. I want Marquette to have great young men who represent the university well. But I also want them to be the toughest, nastiest SOBs on the floor every night.

Play Violent!

Agreed, I was smiling when I read that quote.
That is Marquette's identity at it best.  Go MU!   

[roadwarrior3]

Another good look at the program / Shaka.  It goes into how Shaka probably felt pressure to sign every 5 Star possible at Texas and he proactively addressed a different recruiting style with Scholl during the interview process. 

https://theathletic.com/2905571/2021/10/26/if-you-do-it-do-it-shaka-smart-is-building-his-ideal-version-of-a-program-at-marquette/

Will be very interesting watching how that recruiting approach ages. Obviously right now, before any games in the Shaka era have been played, it's all good and exciting. I like his philosophy of trying to build a program through player development instead of a revolving door of transfers and one-and-dones.

Over the next few years though if the results don't follow, his seat could get hot quickly and this approach doesn't give him the star studded incoming recruiting class to buy more time. Feel like with Wojo, the last few years were constant battle between disappointing results but hope because there was a stud prospect coming in next year. Bringing in 3 star guys who are mostly going to take a year or two to really develop doesn't give that same cushion.

[dgies9156]

Love the quote from Berry: "What I always thought of Marquette was just toughness, man. Just this blue-collar street fight. You just know you're going to be in a war when you go to play Marquette. I think that's [Smart] at the end of the day. That's who he is."

I hope so. I want Marquette to have great young men who represent the university well. But I also want them to be the toughest, nastiest SOBs on the floor every night.

Play Violent!

A worthy successor to AL!

Al must be looking down from Heaven and barking at the Angel Gabriel, "finally, someone who gets it!"

[MU82]

A worthy successor to AL!

Al must be looking down from Heaven and barking at the Angel Gabriel, "finally, someone who gets it!"

Buzz didn't get it?

The vast majority of Scoopers will be thrilled to death if Shaka achieves the level of success we had from 2010-13.

Indeed, all the talk of culture and toughness reminds me of the Best of Buzz.

I know, I know ... you'll just shrug your shoulders if we go S16-S16-E8 because nothing matters if you don't win championships like Al did year after year.

[Goose]

82

Give me Buzz success, Buzz quality players and entertainment value and I will sign up today.

[Galway Eagle]

82

Give me Buzz success, Buzz quality players and entertainment value and I will sign up today.

Yeah I'm Aok with a sustainable version of that. Sure eventually expectations would rise but I'll take that any day.

[Pakuni]

The Athletic continues to be worth every penny.

[dgies9156]

I know, I know ... you'll just shrug your shoulders if we go S16-S16-E8 because nothing matters if you don't win championships like Al did year after year.

Al did it without the drama associated with Buzz.

While Al didn't win "year after year," our team consistently was a Top 10 team and we were in two Natty games and on the cusp of a couple Final Fours. Even Duke doesn't win every year, but they are competitive every year.

That's what I want.

[muwarrior69]

82

Give me Buzz success, Buzz quality players and entertainment value and I will sign up today.

I guess those Wojo years have lowered our expectations. I want more than Buzz success. I just want a team that is competitive and has a realistic shot at the championship.

[cheebs09]

Al did it without the drama associated with Buzz.

While Al didn't win "year after year," our team consistently was a Top 10 team and we were in two Natty games and on the cusp of a couple Final Fours. Even Duke doesn't win every year, but they are competitive every year.

That's what I want.

Without the drama? Al tried to leave for the Bucks and publicly called out the president of the university. He punched a player in the locker room.

[Galway Eagle]

Without the drama? Al tried to leave for the Bucks and publicly called out the president of the university. He punched a player in the locker room.

I'm guessing he's referring to the rapes, two recruiting violations (minor), him trying to leave every year not just once, the bar/qdoba fights, the crazy transfers every year (buzz was ahead of the game there)

[Silkk the Shaka]

I guess those Wojo years have lowered our expectations. I want more than Buzz success. I just want a team that is competitive and has a realistic shot at the championship.

Sustain Buzz style success for a decade+ and that's how a program like ours makes the major breakthrough

[cheebs09]

I'm guessing he's referring to the rapes, two recruiting violations (minor), him trying to leave every year not just once, the bar/qdoba fights, the crazy transfers every year (buzz was ahead of the game there)

Oh, I don't disagree that the Buzz era was drama filled. One of the things I do appreciate about the Wojo era. Just that I wouldn't exactly cite Al as a low-drama coach.

[StillAWarrior]

Buzz didn't get it?

The vast majority of Scoopers will be thrilled to death if Shaka achieves the level of success we had from 2010-13.

Indeed, all the talk of culture and toughness reminds me of the Best of Buzz.

I know, I know ... you'll just shrug your shoulders if we go S16-S16-E8 because nothing matters if you don't win championships like Al did year after year.

I was going to say something similar. Berry graduated from college in 2003. He's not remembering Al's teams. Hell, I don't remember Al's teams. He's thinking of Buzz's guys. He's thinking of guys like JFB and Jae. Buzz's teams had a reputation for being tough, and more than a couple of his guys got into the NBA on that reputation.

[Jockey]

I was going to say something similar. Berry graduated from college in 2003. He's not remembering Al's teams. Hell, I don't remember Al's teams. He's thinking of Buzz's guys. He's thinking of guys like JFB and Jae. Buzz's teams had a reputation for being tough, and more than a couple of his guys got into the NBA on that reputation.

We always point to Jimmy and Jae when we talk about the tough guys at MU.

No one ever mentions Wes. He made it to the NBA because of his toughness and willingness to guard anyone. It was that toughness that got him on the floor where he could show his shooting prowess.

[avid1010]

to steal from pj tucker...we need some "dogs." wade, diener, jimmy, jae, djo, etc. were those guys.  the hausers, howard, carton, garcia, ellenson, etc. were good players...but they weren't dogs. 

[MUfan12]

One quibble... even though he took a lot of threes, Markus Howard was a tough-ass player. He took a beating going to the rim, got run through screens on the other end, but still managed to maintain enough intensity and stamina to run all over the court. His fitness levels were insane. Soft guys wouldn't be able to handle that.

[StillAWarrior]

We always point to Jimmy and Jae when we talk about the tough guys at MU.

No one ever mentions Wes. He made it to the NBA because of his toughness and willingness to guard anyone. It was that toughness that got him on the floor where he could show his shooting prowess.

You're absolutely right, and Wes remains one of my favorite Marquette players. Admittedly, I was focusing more on Buzz's players, but Wes was definitely a warrior and tough as nails.

[Dr. Blackheart]

You're absolutely right, and Wes remains one of my favorite Marquette players. Admittedly, I was focusing more on Buzz's players, but Wes was definitely a warrior and tough as nails.

Deane, Crean and Buzz players were all tough.

[Galway Eagle]

Deane, Crean and Buzz players were all tough.

I thought Deane just recruited crap and all his good players were O'Neil's?