Why I'm still optimistic

[MU82]

what I’m uptight about is that we are on year 9 of mediocre to bad basketball. MU is falling into the DePaul-zone. Needing yet another year or two? Brutal to even think about. And living here in mke, I can tell you MU hoops isn’t even making back page news these days. Not to mention all things Wisconsin Badgers is suffocating. I know it can be turned around quickly, but I can’t shake my pessimism.

I understand all of that.

But the first 8 years aren’t on Shaka. We hired him with him promising only hard work and a culture being built. He is delivering on his promise so far.

This team sucks.

That’s harsh.

Now, if we end up 11-22 like Shaka’s second Texas season, I’ll agree with you.

[GooooMarquette]

I was at MU 84-88, so I lived those years. And I disagree that we are in the same rancid water trench that only the ‘Lanche could help us survive.

You can’t equate Dukiet and Deane with Wojo and Shaka. The first two were evidence of weak support by the MU administration and investment in the program. O’Neill was the wake up coach, where the admin understood the deep value of men’s b-ball. The latter demonstrate the commitment (and one might argue that Wojo’s firing proved that MU, finally, does have the willingness to cut rope when expectations are not being met) of the university.

True that the last 8+ years have been mediocre, but they have been much, much better than the D & D years, in many ways.

Agreed. I would add that we were considered by many a mid-major program during parts of the earlier stretch, and often played a mid-major level schedule. Today, we are in one of the top conferences in the country and playing a clearly high-major schedule.

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

SMH. 14 games in.

[NCMUFan]

Well, we have been playing better.
Not well enough to win, but better.
Keep some optimism.

[FartyEightHours]

When we hire a coach that was essentially just fired, hard not to start with a show me attitude before optimism kicks in.