Crow tastes good

[fjm]

I was at both these games. Was one of the first group of students to rush in game 1 and started the “We Are Marquette” chant from the last row in the building in game 2.

But even still, those felt different than this. I told the person I was with at the game that that was easily the most entertaining MU game I’ve been to in the last 7 years. Is that anti-Wojo bias? Maybe. But I’m sure I’m not the only one that walked out and said that.

Feels good to have a brand.

Hey I get the bias. Those were awesome games! I get your point dude. I promise.

Last night felt different for sure and a breath of fresh air.

If we coulda hit some free throws, could have been a 3-5 point victory. 

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

If you can catch your own pass and pass it to a teammate for a three, you can shin a ball to steal it

Again, if it is judged a shot by the ref, you can get your own rebound.  Unlike the NBA, it doesn't have to hit the rim or backboard.

And Kolek didn't kick it.  The dude dribbled it off his leg.

[MUfan12]

I'll echo the thoughts in this thread... that was an identity building performance. Not just because they won. That was a bonus. But the effort, fight, and ability to keep coming at Illinois when things looked dicey are what I'll take from this one.

I want Marquette to be a team that is a total pain in the ass to play against. That's how we've been at our best, and it's about damn time we get back to it. Last night was a great first step.

[MU82]

I saw smiles on fans faces I hadn’t seen in 10 years. 

I don't know about you, but I smiled a lot when we were beating Ben Simmons, when we were hoisting up the trophy at Barclays, when we beat Madison 4x, when we beat a top-10 Providence team on Hank's block, when we beat No. 7 Creighton and then followed with a storm-the-court win over No. 1 defending champion Nova, when we smacked down a top-15 Seton Hall team by 20, when Markus went off against K-State and Buffalo, when Sam hit that effen shot against Creighton and then Markus capped a 53-point game with a stellar OT, when we were going 20-2 over a 3-month stretch, when we crushed Butler on NMD, and when Justin tapped in the winner against Madison, among other occasions.

I also smiled plenty during the 2012-13 season, including while I was sitting at the MCI Center (or whatever it was called) and watching Marquette dismantle Miami to reach the Elite 8. These people you're referencing didn't smile then? That's an effen shame!

If you and other Marquette fans didn't smile when any of that was happening, that's on you and them.

I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled that we won last night, and I'm hoping that it's a Marquette-is-back-baby statement. I mostly am hoping that Shaka does prove to be the championship-level coach that his predecessor never came close to being. But I don't see why it is necessary to pretend that we didn't enjoy beating Nova and Creighton and Madison and UConn and Miami in past years -- that there was no reason to smile.

I'm hoping that this program, under this coach, does get it done because I'm a Marquette fan, just as I was hoping for the same under the previous coach and the previous coach and the previous coach.

I'm not trying to be a wet blanket. I'm a big believer in enjoying the moment, and I'm still celebrating last night's win. But I don't see why it's necessary to rewrite history to enjoy last night.

I had a pretty big smile on my face after Sam grabbed that rebound to seal the 2017 Nova win. If you didn't, I feel bad for you.

No one’s trying to dilute it.

Why must people compare this win to everything in the last 7 years? Your insistence in comparing this to Wojo is weird. But I get it. I’m a huge Shaka fan.

But I saw a LOT of people smiling when we beat #1 nova. I walked out of the Kohl Hole with a lot of smiling MUBB fans after the Howard throat slash game.

I get it! New era! I’m pumped. But to say we had no other big wins in the last 7 years isn’t true. And correcting that isn’t dilution.

This. Of course.

We Are Marquette!

[PGsHeroes32]

—that Stevie Mitchell D at the end of the game was great.

—get these kids on the free throw line. Sheesh.

—kam jones loves to shoot. Would be nice if a few more went in.

—it was good to see even Joplin and EE get in to play a bit in a tough game like this. Not a ton of minutes but important for their progression! They can say they played in this game and in this win. That’s huge for them mentally.

—loved how Justin Lewis ran out with the ball at the end. He definitely looks faster this year. And was able to escape what looked like was an attempted NFL tackle.

—curbello stinks. We got lucky playing them without Kofi.

—huge win in front of a huge crowd. The crowd was great last night! Was hoping for more students but still great! Hope this brings back all the fans. Too many upper deck seats open.

I’ll tell you right now. He stunk tonight(we get some credit for that)

But he’s a legit PG. Watched him a lot last year and the guy is a wizard with some of his passing and is so good at getting into the lane for a guy who can’t shoot a lick.

This win is gonna look better later on because Curbelo is gonna have a lot of great games down the road

[Uncle Rico]

Top 30 defensive turnover team.  Sub-200 offensive turnover team 2 of the last 3 years to 76th as of today.  Forcing all kinds of turnovers, too, not just steals.  An incredible difference in personality.

Top 20 at getting to the line but also putting the opponent at the line a lot.

Rebounding no bueno.  3-pt numbers on both sides of the ball no bueno.

Only 2 players +100 in efficiency.

3-0 with a lot of room to get better.  As good a start after 3 games they could have wished for

[Dr. Blackheart]

Top 30 defensive turnover team.  Sub-200 offensive turnover team 2 of the last 3 years to 76th as of today.  Forcing all kinds of turnovers, too, not just steals.  An incredible difference in personality.

Top 20 at getting to the line but also putting the opponent at the line a lot.

Rebounding no bueno.  3-pt numbers on both sides of the ball no bueno.

Only 2 players +100 in efficiency.

3-0 with a lot of room to get better.  As good a start after 3 games they could have wished for

32 deflections

[Goose]

MU82

I said many times that Wojo's best season was fool's gold and I still believe that. Yes, they won big games and I was very happy, but never did I think he was turning the corner with the program. I was very optimistic going into this season simply off Shaka and his system. I think MU turned the corner as a program the day Shaka was hired. Again, I never felt that Wojo's program was going anywhere. Not all big wins are equal, and IMO, last night was different. Everyone knows that we do not have top talent at the moment, but most now know this program is going to play tough on every possession.

[The Lens]

82, you’re right. 10 years is too much, don’t mean to wash away Buzz’s success.

But the last 7 years were done some other way.  It never felt ours.  We were borrowing some other culture and trying to rewrite who we were.  Tonight we announced We Are Back, We Play Defense, We Are a Problem and We Are MARQUETTE. 

[jesmu84]

Show us on the doll where the bad man touched you

 

[Skatastrophy]

I'm not trying to be a wet blanket. I'm a big believer in enjoying the moment, and I'm still celebrating last night's win. But I don't see why it's necessary to rewrite history to enjoy last night.

#TeamRocky

[5DollarPitcher]

I don't know about you, but I smiled a lot when we were beating Ben Simmons, when we were hoisting up the trophy at Barclays, when we beat Madison 4x, when we beat a top-10 Providence team on Hank's block, when we beat No. 7 Creighton and then followed with a storm-the-court win over No. 1 defending champion Nova, when we smacked down a top-15 Seton Hall team by 20, when Markus went off against K-State and Buffalo, when Sam hit that effen shot against Creighton and then Markus capped a 53-point game with a stellar OT, when we were going 20-2 over a 3-month stretch, when we crushed Butler on NMD, and when Justin tapped in the winner against Madison, among other occasions.

I also smiled plenty during the 2012-13 season, including while I was sitting at the MCI Center (or whatever it was called) and watching Marquette dismantle Miami to reach the Elite 8. These people you're referencing didn't smile then? That's an effen shame!

If you and other Marquette fans didn't smile when any of that was happening, that's on you and them.

I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled that we won last night, and I'm hoping that it's a Marquette-is-back-baby statement. I mostly am hoping that Shaka does prove to be the championship-level coach that his predecessor never came close to being. But I don't see why it is necessary to pretend that we didn't enjoy beating Nova and Creighton and Madison and UConn and Miami in past years -- that there was no reason to smile.

I'm hoping that this program, under this coach, does get it done because I'm a Marquette fan, just as I was hoping for the same under the previous coach and the previous coach and the previous coach.

I'm not trying to be a wet blanket. I'm a big believer in enjoying the moment, and I'm still celebrating last night's win. But I don't see why it's necessary to rewrite history to enjoy last night.

I had a pretty big smile on my face after Sam grabbed that rebound to seal the 2017 Nova win. If you didn't, I feel bad for you.

This. Of course.

We Are Marquette!

No one said no smiles. We said different smiles. Nice strawman, though.

[TheREALwrk]

2.    Despite bad rebounding, offensive flow.     But the defense was enough.

I, too, am concerned about the rebounds. But then I look at the box score and see 26 turnovers for UofI. Our defensive style doesn't lend well to rebounding. We throw bodies at the ball before it gets shot, resulting in being out of place for rebounding. I'm assuming it's a conscious decision Shaka has made - to give up one for the other.

However, it can and should be better than it has been through 3 games.

[brewcity77]

32 deflections

Shaka said in the Inside Marquette Basketball interview on Thursday that they focus on 32 deflections because his teams are 100-1 when they reach that number. When I saw they got to 30 last night with a few minutes left, I was really wondering if that was going to go to 100-2 because of our shooting but they managed to pull it out to get to 101-1.

That one loss? It was against Tom Crean and Georgia in 2019 because of absolutely scorching shooting from UGA. Crean's team hit 64.5% of their twos and 70.6% of their threes. They had a staggering 100 eFG% for the game.

[5DollarPitcher]

Shaka said in the Inside Marquette Basketball interview on Thursday that they focus on 32 deflections because his teams are 100-1 when they reach that number. When I saw they got to 30 last night with a few minutes left, I was really wondering if that was going to go to 100-2 because of our shooting but they managed to pull it out to get to 101-1.

That one loss? It was against Tom Crean and Georgia in 2019 because of absolutely scorching shooting from UGA. Crean's team hit 64.5% of their twos and 70.6% of their threes. They had a staggering 100 eFG% for the game.

Wow - didn’t know that. That’s awesome!

[StillAWarrior]

I don't know about you, but I smiled a lot when we were beating Ben Simmons, when we were hoisting up the trophy at Barclays, when we beat Madison 4x, when we beat a top-10 Providence team on Hank's block, when we beat No. 7 Creighton and then followed with a storm-the-court win over No. 1 defending champion Nova, when we smacked down a top-15 Seton Hall team by 20, when Markus went off against K-State and Buffalo, when Sam hit that effen shot against Creighton and then Markus capped a 53-point game with a stellar OT, when we were going 20-2 over a 3-month stretch, when we crushed Butler on NMD, and when Justin tapped in the winner against Madison, among other occasions.

I also smiled plenty during the 2012-13 season, including while I was sitting at the MCI Center (or whatever it was called) and watching Marquette dismantle Miami to reach the Elite 8. These people you're referencing didn't smile then? That's an effen shame!

If you and other Marquette fans didn't smile when any of that was happening, that's on you and them.

I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled that we won last night, and I'm hoping that it's a Marquette-is-back-baby statement. I mostly am hoping that Shaka does prove to be the championship-level coach that his predecessor never came close to being. But I don't see why it is necessary to pretend that we didn't enjoy beating Nova and Creighton and Madison and UConn and Miami in past years -- that there was no reason to smile.

I'm hoping that this program, under this coach, does get it done because I'm a Marquette fan, just as I was hoping for the same under the previous coach and the previous coach and the previous coach.

I'm not trying to be a wet blanket. I'm a big believer in enjoying the moment, and I'm still celebrating last night's win. But I don't see why it's necessary to rewrite history to enjoy last night.

I had a pretty big smile on my face after Sam grabbed that rebound to seal the 2017 Nova win. If you didn't, I feel bad for you.

This. Of course.

We Are Marquette!

This is pretty much exactly what I was thinking. Well said. Super happy Wojo is gone. Even more happy Shaka is here. Go Warriors!

[Pakuni]

Context is key. MU fans have had their program high jacked from them by trust fund elites (Duke grads) who didn’t get what #mubb is all about.  Our identity was stripped away. 

We’ve been irrelevant since the NBE.  Sure Kevin, Mike & Buzz all won HUGE games in the past 30 years.  So yes, I’m indulging in some hyperbole but this was a game where we announced to America that we’re back.  The MU that people saw during Buzz & KO is once again cooking.   I saw smiles on fans faces I hadn’t seen in 10 years. 

Last night was step one on a magical journey. 

We’re back. 
We play defense, and we’re a problem.

We are Marquette.

Yeah, it was a fantastic win. And Shaka deserves most of the credit for drawing up the game plan to win it. I said that in this thread. But under the circumstances, I'm not ready to put it alongside wins against #1 Nova, or #2 UConn in MU's first BE game, or beating Notre Dame on a  last-second three by Novak, or beating a top 10 Syracuse team in the Jake Thomas game, etc., as one of the greatest wins in the past three decades. 
It's OK to be thrilled about last night's win without having to measure it up against, and force it to be better than, anything good that happened in the past.

[brewcity77]

Regarding Kur, I think Illinois was a far better matchup for him than our first two opponents who were both undersized. Classic ineffective big man due to nobody to match up against.

Not saying he played well in first two games at all but he was in a better situation to do his thing last night.

Very good point. I think as we get closer to league play he will become more useful. Last night really showed how good he can be when he's staying home as a rim protector. I think he struggles when he's drawn further from the hoop.

[jesmu84]

This is pretty much exactly what I was thinking. Well said. Super happy Wojo is gone. Even more happy Shaka is here. Go Warriors!

Nailed it

[jesmu84]

Yeah, it was a fantastic win. And Shaka deserves most of the credit for drawing up the game plan to win it. I said that in this thread. But under the circumstances, I'm not ready to put it alongside wins against #1 Nova, or #2 UConn in MU's first BE game, or beating Notre Dame on a  last-second three by Novak, or beating a top 10 Syracuse team in the Jake Thomas game, etc., as one of the greatest wins in the past three decades. 
It's OK to be thrilled about last night's win without having to measure it up against, and force it to be better than, anything good that happened in the past.

Also nailed it

[panda]

What an incredible game. This is truly a testament to the mentality that Shaka has instilled from day one. There were multiple points in the game last night where MU had their backs against the wall and they never quit. It shows what a tenacious defensive attitude can do. Even though there were scoring droughts, the intensity on the defensive end never relented and eventually led to easier baskets, thusly closing the gap which was approaching double digits in the second half.

Awesome individual performances which show the talent level at the top of this roster. Kolek, Lewis and Morsell are big time players, but the game was won with excellent roster management. The freshmen and Oso all played big time minutes spelling starters. Kur was everything Shaka wanted him to be last night. A human wall at the basket allowing for super high intensity pressing higher up the floor.

An absolute perfect game plan and huge in game adjustments to slow down U of I during their runs.

[tower912]

A great night.  A great win.    I am going to enjoy it and not get into an argument comparing wins.

Watching the game this morning, we definitely got some home cooking calls.    But aggressive home teams seem to get a lot of 50-50 calls.    And the team played their butts off and earned them.   

[Scoop Snoop]

What an incredible game. This is truly a testament to the mentality that Shaka has instilled from day one. There were multiple points in the game last night where MU had their backs against the wall and they never quit. It shows what a tenacious defensive attitude can do. Even though there were scoring droughts, the intensity on the defensive end never relented and eventually led to easier baskets, thusly closing the gap which was approaching double digits in the second half.

Awesome individual performances which show the talent level at the top of this roster. Kolek, Lewis and Morsell are big time players, but the game was won with excellent roster management. The freshmen and Oso all played big time minutes spelling starters. Kur was everything Shaka wanted him to be last night. A human wall at the basket allowing for super high intensity pressing higher up the floor.

An absolute perfect game plan and huge in game adjustments to slow down U of I during their runs.

You found the words that describe my take on the game better than I could have on my own. The entire mindset that Shaka has instilled is the foundation upon which Marquette will find success. It is about much more than recruiting, game planning, and innate talent. I have to confess that I was losing hope when we fell behind by 12 points late in the game and when the FTs were missed.

[YaBlueIt]

The return of the MU brand may sound dramatic but I felt the same way. This game felt way different than anything I've seen during the Wojo era.

It was the way we won the game. Tough, hard-nosed defense. Scrappy plays. Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Over the last 7 years I watched our defensive possessions with despair, anticipating the inevitable open shot. Last night I was excited to see what kind of tough shot or turnover we would force.

High powered offense and chucking 3s are fun if you're winning. AWFUL if you're losing. It's more fun to win this way, and it's a way that will keep us in games and not shoot us out of them.

[dgies9156]

Brothers and Sisters:

I'm as big a Marquette loyalist as anyone in here. But what will be important isn't that we beat Illinois. Every blind pig finds an acorn on in awhile. What I hope is is the first step in Marquette being F-E-A-R-E-D again.

We won big games with Wojo. No doubt. But we weren't feared. People knew if they double or triple teamed Markus, we wouldn't make 'em pay. Nobody played defense worth a damn. Theo got clobbered inside because our perimeter defense was so bad and fouled his way out of way too many games.

My view is this team soon will be feared. The Illinois turnover number is telling. We start hitting 35 percent-plus of our threes and we will be kicking ass.

MAKE MARQUETTE FEARED AGAIN!!!!!!!!