Shaka's 1st Marquette NCAA Test (Happy MU82?)

[1SE]

Will he pass or fail?

Without hyperbole this will be the most important game of the season and not just because it is the next one.

With a L, it's a season that had some high points, but ultimately ended up slightly above the median preseason expectation. No need to get out the pitchforks, but given where we were at the start of February, mildly disappointing to say the least.

With a W, despite the late trials and tribulations, we will have clearly exceeded expectations (though not by as much as we could have, unless we pull off a big 2nd round upset). Both Shaka and the program will have the NCAA win monkey off the back and we'll have taken an important step forward from the Wojo era in year 1 of the Shaka era. That's progress - that we can sell to the fanbase, students and recruits.

This could well be the most important MU game since March 30th, 2013.

Let's get it done.

[PointWarrior]

There is also some differentiation in a tough close lose vs a blowout loss.

[Dr. Blackheart]

#COLE

[Eye]

There is also some differentiation in a tough close lose vs a blowout loss.

Agreed Point. There is some difference between playing well and losing a close one and getting blown out. Part of what hurt the previous administration for me was getting blown out by both South Carolina and Murray State.

[ZiggysChestHair]

With a L, ended up slightly above the median preseason expectation
With a W, we will have clearly exceeded expectations 

This could well be the most important MU game since March 30th, 2013.

So no matter the result of the next game, we agree that Shaka and team has exceeded expectations.
Obviously everyone desires a win, but the state of the program is progressing nicely no matter the result.  Every team in the tournament can say their first round game is their most important of the season.  That's the nature of the tournament.

[1SE]

So no matter the result of the next game, we agree that Shaka and team has exceeded expectations.
Obviously everyone desires a win, but the state of the program is progressing nicely no matter the result.  Every team in the tournament can say their first round game is their most important of the season.  That's the nature of the tournament.

I think it's the biggest mover for Shaka's final season grade.

We lose (I'm not that much into the "close loss, moral win" camp but I guess if we lose on some last second miracle from half court..) and I think Shaka's grade is a "B-"

We win and I think we're easily at B+, probably A-.

No other game will move the scale that much. If we make the S16 that moves it to an "A", anything beyond that we start adding +s

[MarquetteVol]

I think it's the biggest mover for Shaka's final season grade.

We lose (I'm not that much into the "close loss, moral win" camp but I guess if we lose on some last second miracle from half court..) and I think Shaka's grade is a "B-"

We win and I think we're easily at B+, probably A-.

No other game will move the scale that much. If we make the S16 that moves it to an "A", anything beyond that we start adding +s

Wow. Remind me to never take a class you are teaching. I'd say wins over Nova (2), Providence (conference champs) and Illinois (B16 champ); multiple weeks in the Top 25 and a trip to the Big Dance can't be lower than a B+ regardless of next week.

It seems like your grading curve might have moved during the course of the season. Back in September, we had three returning players (one of which we were mildly confident in being a top contributer in J Lew) and a bunch of unknown players many of whom were new to the program.

Maybe I'm drinking the Kool Aid but a year ago I felt about as low as I could about MU hoops. And now, I'm excited to see where we get seeded on Sunday.

The future is bright.

[MDMU04]

This team was not expected to make the NCAA tournament.  They were picked to finish 9th in the conference, with many expecting them to be an NIT team.  Simply meeting those expectations would have been a C grade.

They finished 5th, and worked their way into the top 20 at one point in the season.  They are safely in the NCAA tournament.  If the season ended today, he's already earned a B.  If they win an NCAA tournament game, I don't see how this season could be seen as anything less than wildly exceeding any expectations.

If they make the S16, they're most likely going to have to knock off a #1 seed to do it.  With this roster, I feel like that would be a monumental achievement.

Given the recent play, I am not optimistic about the chances to win a game in the NCAA tournament.  But to get where we are now from where we were last March is very nice progress.

[rocky_warrior]

This team was not expected to make the NCAA tournament.  They were picked to finish 9th in the conference, with many expecting them to be an NIT team.  Simply meeting those expectations would have been a C grade.

They finished 5th, and worked their way into the top 20 at one point in the season.  They are safely in the NCAA tournament.  If the season ended today, he's already earned a B.  If they win an NCAA tournament game, I don't see how this season could be seen as anything more than wildly exceeding any expectations.

I agree with your grading scale, with the caveat that preseason expectations were so low, because Shaka's recruiting and transfer pickups were a solid D.  He needs to raise the recruiting grades to A/B level to get reasonable (to Marquette fans) preseason expectations.

[1SE]

Wow. Remind me to never take a class you are teaching. I'd say wins over Nova (2), Providence (conference champs) and Illinois (B16 champ); multiple weeks in the Top 25 and a trip to the Big Dance can't be lower than a B+ regardless of next week.

It seems like your grading curve might have moved during the course of the season. Back in September, we had three returning players (one of which we were mildly confident in being a top contributer in J Lew) and a bunch of unknown players many of whom were new to the program.

Maybe I'm drinking the Kool Aid but a year ago I felt about as low as I could about MU hoops. And now, I'm excited to see where we get seeded on Sunday.

The future is bright.

On February 3rd, 85% of us thought we would win at least one game in the NCAAT. It's the same team - we haven't had any injuries, mid-season transfers or letters.

https://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=62947.0

If we lose in the first round that's a "B-"

Good point on the S16, but also our road to the S16 shouldn't have had to go through a 1 or 2 seed based on where we were.

[Uncle Rico]

Any season that doesn't end with a title is an F. 

[MU82]

Thanks, 1SE, I'm deliriously happy.

Not gonna think about a season grade yet. The season's not over!

Looking forward to watching Shaka pass his first MU NCAAT test.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Any season that doesn't end with a title is an F.

I had classes where 50% of my final grade was based on the final exam. Why not for Shaka?

[The Equalizer]

I don't see that we were really better than expected.

At the start of the season, many seemed to buy into the 9th place hype, which frankly was based on probably about as much depth of analysis as "new coach, lot of new players, but we can't be DePaul or Georgetown bad, so 9th it is."

However, if you looked at what some of the same people predicted game by game, they almost always came up somewhere around .500. 

I said at the start of the season that there was no reason why we couldn't be competitive with the middle of the pack in the Big East--the five or six teams that finish a game or two above or below .500.  Sweep those below the pack (DePaul, Georgetown, and Butler), get swept by the elites (Villanova and UConn), and split with everyone else puts you at 11-9.  If you can manage to pick up a game or two in the pack, you have a good shot at 3rd. 

The only real surprise in the league this year is that Providence was able to leapfrog Villanova and UConn--otherwise, we've got the typical bunch-up in the middle-of-the-league with Creighton, Seton Hall, Marquette, Xavier and St. Johns.  We went 4-3 in this group, missing the game @ St. Johns. We swept Seton Hall, but we got swept by Creighton.  I'm neither impressed nor disappointed by this.

We beat Villanova twice but lost to Butler and DePaul.  Averages out to a middle-of-the-pack performance.

[RushmoreAcademy]

Any season that doesn't end with a title is an F.

Well then F doesn't seem to bad when 300+ schools are getting an F.

[panda]

Well then F doesn't seem to bad when 300+ schools are getting an F.

Everyone gets a title in this day and age

[ZiggysChestHair]

I had classes where 50% of my final grade was based on the final exam. Why not for Shaka?

Most of us signed up for this class with the belief there was not likely to be a final.  I view the remainder of the season as the ability to earn extra credit.  It's not something that determines 50% the grade.  Classes and grades will get much harder in the Shaka's second year.

[Newsdreams]

Any season that doesn't end with a title is an F.

Agree 100%

[Elonsmusk]

Shaka gets an A for this year regardless of what happens in the NCAA.  He inherited a bare cupboard and a program in decline.  Our last first year coach led us to a 13-19 record, 4-14 in the Big East, and he inherited 7 Top 100 players who had been in the program for 1+ year.

Sorry but talk of a B- if we lose in Round 1 of the NCAA is just absurd.  Fug, we had people thinking Wojo was the goods still after he got blasted by 30 in Year 3 of his regime in Round 1, and not to mention people still thought he was the goods after Year 5 and getting pummeled by Murray State as a 5 seed.

[MU82]

"The goods" 😂

[Newsdreams]

Shaka gets an A for this year regardless of what happens in the NCAA.  He inherited a bare cupboard and a program in decline.  Our last first year coach led us to a 13-19 record, 4-14 in the Big East, and he inherited 7 Top 100 players who had been in the program for 1+ year.

Sorry but talk of a B- if we lose in Round 1 of the NCAA is just absurd.  Fug, we had people thinking Wojo was the goods still after he got blasted by 30 in Year 3 of his regime in Round 1, and not to mention people still thought he was the goods after Year 5 and getting pummeled by Murray State as a 5 seed.

Shaka gets an F+ if no NC, period.

[1SE]

Shaka gets an A for this year regardless of what happens in the NCAA.  He inherited a bare cupboard and a program in decline.  Our last first year coach led us to a 13-19 record, 4-14 in the Big East, and he inherited 7 Top 100 players who had been in the program for 1+ year.

Sorry but talk of a B- if we lose in Round 1 of the NCAA is just absurd.  Fug, we had people thinking Wojo was the goods still after he got blasted by 30 in Year 3 of his regime in Round 1, and not to mention people still thought he was the goods after Year 5 and getting pummeled by Murray State as a 5 seed.

A already? You'd better get your drambuie ready for the pluses when we win the title.

[jimmybutlerfanatic]

Would love to see a NCAA win but we need to look at the reality of where this team is.

They peaked too early. There's no shame in this. Happens to a young team. If they peaked in March they'd be Cinderella and everyone's Dark Horse pick.

They're not playing the type of basketball you need to be playing in March to be successful or even win a game in the NCAA tournament.

Can they recapture that January type of play where it looked like they could beat any team in the country? I sure hope so.

Am I expecting that to happen. Honestly I'm not. I'm expecting another disappointing blow out in their 1st game.

There's no shame in it, but it is disappointing.

This team and staff deserves our appreciation and credit for a fantastic year when everyone thought it was going to be a disaster.

Let's hope they rattle off 3 or 4 wins in a row, but let's be realistic and not be disappointed if we bow out after game 1.

[MU82]

Would love to see a NCAA win but we need to look at the reality of where this team is.

They peaked too early. There's no shame in this. Happens to a young team. If they peaked in March they'd be Cinderella and everyone's Dark Horse pick.

They're not playing the type of basketball you need to be playing in March to be successful or even win a game in the NCAA tournament.

Can they recapture that January type of play where it looked like they could beat any team in the country? I sure hope so.

Am I expecting that to happen. Honestly I'm not. I'm expecting another disappointing blow out in their 1st game.

There's no shame in it, but it is disappointing.

This team and staff deserves our appreciation and credit for a fantastic year when everyone thought it was going to be a disaster.

Let's hope they rattle off 3 or 4 wins in a row, but let's be realistic and not be disappointed if we bow out after game 1.

What if January was only a peek at an eventual March peak?

[1SE]

Would love to see a NCAA win but we need to look at the reality of where this team is.

They peaked too early. There's no shame in this. Happens to a young team. If they peaked in March they'd be Cinderella and everyone's Dark Horse pick.

They're not playing the type of basketball you need to be playing in March to be successful or even win a game in the NCAA tournament.

Can they recapture that January type of play where it looked like they could beat any team in the country? I sure hope so.

Am I expecting that to happen. Honestly I'm not. I'm expecting another disappointing blow out in their 1st game.

There's no shame in it, but it is disappointing.

This team and staff deserves our appreciation and credit for a fantastic year when everyone thought it was going to be a disaster.

Let's hope they rattle off 3 or 4 wins in a row, but let's be realistic and not be disappointed if we bow out after game 1.

The COLE is alive and well!