Things I love about this team

[AlumKCof93]

1. The fight. It can’t be overstated.
2. Tyler’s craftiness and feistiness.
3.  Morsell’s leadership. Best defensive game tonight.
4.  Elliott’s shotmaking.
5. Kuath’s defense and understanding of his role.
6.  Justin Lewis skill and leadership.  Hard to believe he’s only a sophomore.  Plays beyond his years.
7.  Oso.  Love him, but couple of rough games of late.
8. Sparks by Kam, Mitchell and Joplin.
9. Team defense.  It gets stingier as the game goes along and that’s how you win close games.
10. Shaka.  While I’ve known of Shaka, I’ve never followed VCU and Texas.  I’m all in. 

The chemistry on this team is what makes them special.  It results in great effort, trust and instilling confidence in each other.  It’s been a rough ride for us the past 8 years.  It’s  fun to start believing again.

[nyg]

Nice run, yes.  Momentum, yes. 

But I’ll hold off until Feb. 8th after UConn game.

Three away games and Nova again at home, out of the next five game gauntlet. 

[Hards Alumni]

This team doesn't quit.  They're not rattled.

[mileskishnish72]

Love #1.

[Goose]

I agree with all of the above.

[We R Final Four]

1. The fight. It can’t be overstated.
2. Tyler’s craftiness and feistiness.
3.  Morsell’s leadership. Best defensive game tonight.
4.  Elliott’s shotmaking.
5. Kuath’s defense and understanding of his role.
6.  Justin Lewis skill and leadership.  Hard to believe he’s only a sophomore.  Plays beyond his years.
7.  Oso.  Love him, but couple of rough games of late.
8. Sparks by Kam, Mitchell and Joplin.
9. Team defense.  It gets stingier as the game goes along and that’s how you win close games.
-0. Shaka.  While I’ve known of Shaka, I’ve never followed VCU and Texas.  I’m all in. 

The chemistry on this team is what makes them special.  It results in great effort, trust and instilling confidence in each other.  It’s been a rough ride for us the past 8 years.  It’s  fun to start believing again.

Love all of this.
Only issue I have is that JLew is either a Frosh, or best case a RS Freshman. Can’t be a Soph after playing last year….just can’t be.

[rocky_warrior]

Only issue I have is that JLew is either a Frosh, or best case a RS Freshman. Can’t be a Soph after playing last year….just can’t be.

At best a 3rd year HS senior.

[Daniel]

Loved when Morsell was redirecting Lewis on the baseline when VN was inbounding.   And Lewis listened. And it worked.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

They make nolongerwarriors cry, often.

[MUBurrow]

I have a ton of crow to eat on Greg Elliott.  He's looked great - hitting a ton of big shots, playing within himself.  Early in the year I saw him as taking minutes that could have gone to younger player but he has made a complete fool out of me and I couldn't be happier.

[1SE]

Were having this success because- despite the griping about Shaka's recruiting- he did what Wojo was never able to do - he put together a complete TEAM

Pass-first PG - check
Defensive stopper - check
Rim protector - check
Switchable 4 - check/inherited
3pt specialist- check/inherited
Go-to guy - inherited

The only piece we're really missing is a monster on the glass, and that may get come back to bite us, but this is as complete of a TEAM as we've seen in a long time

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Were having this success because- despite the griping about Shaka's recruiting- he did what Wojo was never able to do - he put together a complete TEAM

Pass-first PG - check
Defensive stopper - check
Rim protector - check
Switchable 4 - check/inherited
3pt specialist- check/inherited
Go-to guy - inherited

The only piece we're really missing is a monster on the glass, and that may get come back to bite us, but this is as complete of a TEAM as we've seen in a long time

Yup, Wojo could definitely recruit talent, but tip of the hat to Tower who said early on that his teams were always less than the sum of the parts.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I think this is my favorite Marquette team since 2011-12

Just such a good vibe from them.

[Markusquette]

I think this is my favorite Marquette team since 2011-12

Just such a good vibe from them.

Shaka has them all bought-in to the team concept. You can tell they're fighting for each other on court and not themselves. Not really the way many of Wojo's teams played.

[BCHoopster]

What Shaka is doing the last 2 weeks gives MU great PR on all national networks.  He is showing he can win, have fun doing it, which will really help recruiting.  I think big things on the recruiting trail  will happen the next 2 years.  Issue is he does not have lots of open spots.  I do believe he will get one or even 2 grad transfers.   

[MU82]

What Shaka is doing the last 2 weeks gives MU great PR on all national networks.  He is showing he can win, have fun doing it, which will really help recruiting.  I think big things on the recruiting trail  will happen the next 2 years.  Issue is he does not have lots of open spots.  I do believe he will get one or even 2 grad transfers.

Even before free agency for college athletes, teams found themselves with openings in April that they might not have expected in January. With free agency, it will only happen more.

Shaka will have open spots to bring in excellent players.

[BCHoopster]

Agreed transfers happen but there is a great camaraderie with this group. Unfortunately kids want to play, not sure there is room for everybody.  These are One year renewals now. 

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

One other thing…they almost always make the right defensive rotation. After years of mistake after mistake on the defensive end, it is so nice to see that players know where they are supposed to be.

[rocket surgeon]

for a coach to take a group of players who have never player together, play together as they are doing, is the sign of a very good coach-i proclaim shaka the b-ball "chemist"

[Scoop Snoop]

Were having this success because- despite the griping about Shaka's recruiting- he did what Wojo was never able to do - he put together a complete TEAM

Pass-first PG - check
Defensive stopper - check
Rim protector - check
Switchable 4 - check/inherited
3pt specialist- check/inherited
Go-to guy - inherited

The only piece we're really missing is a monster on the glass, and that may get come back to bite us, but this is as complete of a TEAM as we've seen in a long time

I really like this, but I think one more thing- an intangible-needs to be added. Shaka is a master of applied psychology. He knows how to get these guys to a level that even they did not know existed within themselves. The monsters(s) we need will be available as transfers. Shaka will not have problems getting them to choose MU over another school.

[kclem]

I have a ton of crow to eat on Greg Elliott.  He's looked great - hitting a ton of big shots, playing within himself.  Early in the year I saw him as taking minutes that could have gone to younger player but he has made a complete fool out of me and I couldn't be happier.

I give Shaka and the coaching staff a lot of credit on this. I imagine that GE had high hopes coming into this season, healthy for the first time in his MU career. With a new coach establishing a new system with so many new players, it was obvious that GE wasn't going to be the top priority. When he came back after his suspension, it didn't look to me like his heart was totally into the team. Now he is hustling, showing some leadership, and enjoying himself and his teammates. Kudos to him for the maturity and to the staff for working him into Shaka's culture.

[MUfan12]

One other thing…they almost always make the right defensive rotation. After years of mistake after mistake on the defensive end, it is so nice to see that players know where they are supposed to be.

THIS.

In addition, what's super impressive to me is how well they recognize when to switch, when to show, how they fake help and recover. That takes so much connectivity and communication to pull off effectively.

Felt like so many times over the past seven seasons, it was five guys in the same uniform defending as individuals.

[pbiflyer]

At the start of the year, I had a wish list:

Play hard - check
Fun to watch - check
Sum greater than the total of the parts - check
Improve throughout the year - check so far. I suspect it will continue!

I could not ask for more this year.

[JakeBarnes]

At the start of the year, I had a wish list:

Play hard - check
Fun to watch - check
Sum greater than the total of the parts - check
Improve throughout the year - check so far. I suspect it will continue!

I could not ask for more this year.

It was fun last night to watch Nova and Marquette play on defense last night. Both defenses are really connected and try to punch you in the mouth to get out of your element.

[connie]

I think this is my favorite Marquette team since 2011-12

Just such a good vibe from them.

Agreed.  They have a "feel," and it's fun to share with them.

[Daniel]

This is an unselfish team with no hero ball.   They share, pass and play for each other every minute of the game.   Impressive and fun to watch!

[Jockey]

What Shaka is doing the last 2 weeks gives MU great PR on all national networks.  He is showing he can win, have fun doing it, which will really help recruiting.  I think big things on the recruiting trail  will happen the next 2 years.  Issue is he does not have lots of open spots.  I do believe he will get one or even 2 grad transfers.

We need to change OUR way of thinking re: recruiting. Grad transfers are a major part of recruiting now.

Think MU without Kuath, Morsell, and Kolek this year. That's how important grad transfers (or any transfer) are now. Literally the difference between a last place BE team and being 1/2 game out of 1st place.

[Hards Alumni]

We need to change OUR way of thinking re: recruiting. Grad transfers are a major part of recruiting now.

Think MU without Kuath, Morsell, and Kolek this year. That's how important grad transfers (or any transfer) are now. Literally the difference between a last place BE team and being 1/2 game out of 1st place.

Kolek isn't a grad transfer.

[Jockey]

Kolek isn't a grad transfer.

"That's how important grad transfers (or any transfer) are now."

[CTWarrior]

My problem with this team early on was all the quick 3s and the full court pressure leading to easy baskets and the turnovers caused by pace of play.  One by one the team has been rectifying or at least improving on those issues. 

I was impressed with the effort from the start.

What I love most about this team is ball movement and unselfish play which is continuously getting better.  My favorite thing to watch is sharing the ball with lots of movement, with the absolute best thing being the dish for the easy dunk. 

This team defends so much better than Wojo's teams, in large part because we have athletes who can defend everywhere, and we don't have to hide anyone.  When Kuath gets stuck on the perimeter guarding a guard, its not just a blow by for a layup or easy pass off.  Just nice to watch after all these years.

[Hards Alumni]

"That's how important grad transfers (or any transfer) are now."

But then you forgot OMP. 

[Goose]

Another thing I love about this team, they are winning and beating quality opponents.

[JakeBarnes]

Another thing I love about this team, they are winning and beating quality opponents.

100%  Goose. And not by one guy going off randomly, but by true team efforts that takes away some of the "fluke" feeling around it. Last night the defense was connected and the team played for each other. Finally we're the team causing the scoring droughts for the other team.

Loving every minute of it. And a great team to watch and root for. Maybe my favorite in a long time.

[Spotcheck Billy]

One thing I'm NOT loving is giving up far too many offensive rebounds otherwise no complaints at all!

[MU82]

One thing I'm NOT loving is giving up far too many offensive rebounds otherwise no complaints at all!

We don't get many offensive boards, either. Had zero for the first 27 minutes last night, and finished with 2. If I heard correctly, the announcers said we were ranked 300-something in the nation in offensive rebounding.

I guess it's the mix of players we have and system we play, but you'd think we'd get more than 2 offensive boards by accident in a game in which we're playing as hard as we did.

[hawk]

MU doesn't follow the shots to the glass, almost never.  That alone would increase offensive boards.  On the other hand if you are negative nine on the glass but plus 11 on steals/turnovers I guess its a push