NCAA Tournament

[willie warrior]

Of course we are responsible.  I never shirk personal responsibility and that's why I'm still angry.

I am with you Muggsy. Pissed off about a wasted opportunity, which may not be there next year. So many reasons to be pissed; MU better than MSU; 3 BEast teams still dancing but not us. Couple of things really need to be looked at. Heard a stat that Shaka has lost 9 0f last 10 NCAA tourney games? Yikes. Past season, Shaka 0-3 against Big 10 teams. These are 2 things that must be addressed quickly. Dont believe current roster is built well for post season. Need a couple of banging bigs to help out.

[Uncle Rico]

I am with you Muggsy. Pissed off about a wasted opportunity, which may not be there next year. So many reasons to be pissed; MU better than MSU; 3 BEast teams still dancing but not us. Couple of things really need to be looked at. Heard a stat that Shaka has lost 9 0f last 10 NCAA tourney games? Yikes. Past season, Shaka 0-3 against Big 10 teams. These are 2 things that must be addressed quickly. Dont believe current roster is built well for post season. Need a couple of banging bigs to help out.

There's a couple of good points here.  The Big Ten builds their teams for tournament success.  Marquette should copy that formula.

Also, if we look at the Sweet 16, what do we see?  Teams with dominant big men, aircraft carriers, if you will.  One thing we've learned about the modern game is, big men anchor your offenses and defenses.  Houston and Gonzaga have made 4 straight Sweet 16's on the backs of their banging bigs. 

[Judge Smails]

The Big 10 may build their teams for tourney success but only 1 of their 9 teams remain while 3 of the 5 Big East teams remain.

[lawdog77]

There's a couple of good points here.  The Big Ten builds their teams for tournament success.  Marquette should copy that formula.

Also, if we look at the Sweet 16, what do we see?  Teams with dominant big men, aircraft carriers, if you will.  One thing we've learned about the modern game is, big men anchor your offenses and defenses.  Houston and Gonzaga have made 4 straight Sweet 16's on the backs of their banging bigs.

Did your printer run out of teal ink?

[Uncle Rico]

Did your printer run out of teal ink?

Shaka needs to figure it out

[DoctorV]

And this is why, when looking back at the season, I'm happy we won the conference title and the tournament title.  Sure, some of those games (home to X, @ CU, UConn @ MSG) could have really gone either way too, but the whole season doesn't come down to one off night or one coin flip game or weird turnover or hot shooting night from an opponent.  March is a crapshoot.  There's only so much you can take away from one loss.

I said, and even stressed this at the time.

It was because I knew that for this season there was 1 main goal- win a single game in the NCAA tournament.

However, as Marquette started to quickly form an elite, young/inexperienced team, it became obvious that a regular season conference championship would make the year a resounding success, no matter how it ended. The conference tourney double was a huge cherry on top.

All great things come to an end.
That win at home versus Xavier followed up by the road win at Creighton that led us to that Conference Championship in Shakas second season will never be forgotten.
Neither will the loss to MSU.

The regular season and conference titles, as well as winning that first game in the NCAAt, ensured that this season was a resounding success.

Now, on to new challenges because as we all know, there is no finish line.

[tower912]

Correct.  Izzo does not have an aircraft carrier and he is.the only Big 10 coach in the second weekend.   Athletic, versatile guards with size are the key, IMO.

For fun, off the tops of your heads, name the last three Big 10 coaches to win national championships.


After you figure it out, perhaps you will understand why you can't use the Big 10 as a model to win championships.

[Uncle Rico]

Correct.  Izzo does not have an aircraft carrier and he is.the only Big 10 coach in the second weekend.   Athletic, versatile guards with size are the key, IMO.

For fun, off the tops of your heads, name the last three Big 10 coaches to win national championships.


After you figure it out, perhaps you will understand why you can't use the Big 10 as a model to win championships.

Izzo, Fisher & Knight

All those teams were built inside out.  Dominant front courts with bruising bigs.  Get with it, Tower

[cheebs09]

Izzo, Fisher & Knight

All those teams were built inside out.  Dominant front courts with bruising bigs.  Get with it, Tower

Do they get to count Gary Williams now?

[Uncle Rico]

Do they get to count Gary Williams now?

That's another good example of a coach who won a national championship with bruising bigs. 

[tower912]

It took me a second to figure out the angle of this bit, Rico, but I have it now. 

[rocket surgeon]

Of course we are responsible.  I never shirk personal responsibility and that's why I'm still angry.

  yo mugs, i'm still licking my wounds.  we just picked a bad day to play one of our worst games of the year.  we played so well over the past couple months...even when we stumbled a little, we won.  sometimes a team needs to bruise themselves up a little bit right before the big dance, but we used/needed all of that positive energy to jump to #2 seed.  lose a game or so leading up to the BE, finishing 2nd or 3rd? getting a 3-4 seed in the dance?  who knows?  sometimes those late losses puts the chip back on the shoulders, reminds us of the infamous 9th place and re-energize the F'em attitude.  i remember 1977 and almost blowing it getting into the damn thing. 

   now i hope all of our returning guys have long long memories and the wounds from friday march 17, 2023 haven't quite healed yet only to become a war wound for next year

 

[DoctorV]

Rest up for November rocket surgeon.

That Maui field isn't for the faint at heart

[Uncle Rico]

It took me a second to figure out the angle of this bit, Rico, but I have it now.

Marquette went 0-3 against the Big Ten.  We'll never win the Big Ten that way

[MuggsyB]

Correct.  Izzo does not have an aircraft carrier and he is.the only Big 10 coach in the second weekend.   Athletic, versatile guards with size are the key, IMO.

For fun, off the tops of your heads, name the last three Big 10 coaches to win national championships.


After you figure it out, perhaps you will understand why you can't use the Big 10 as a model to win championships.

Tower, I respect you but your analysis is absurd.  I encourage you to watch the tape.  Watch our possessions once we took a 3pt lead in the 2nd half.  Watch the 10 turnovers we had in particular, I believe in like 14 possessions.  Are you honestly going to tell me Izzo and some fking scheme had something to do with that stretch of basketball?  That they played differently in the first 5 mins of the 2H but then Izzo magically took momentum from us with some genius plan???  Please.  Cut the absolute nonsense and simply watch what happened.  We had every opportunity to take control of the gane and laid an ostrich egg.  Period. 

[Hards Alumni]

I am with you Muggsy. Pissed off about a wasted opportunity, which may not be there next year. So many reasons to be pissed; MU better than MSU; 3 BEast teams still dancing but not us. Couple of things really need to be looked at. Heard a stat that Shaka has lost 9 0f last 10 NCAA tourney games? Yikes. Past season, Shaka 0-3 against Big 10 teams. These are 2 things that must be addressed quickly. Dont believe current roster is built well for post season. Need a couple of banging bigs to help out.

Zach Edey says hi.

[Hards Alumni]

It took me a second to figure out the angle of this bit, Rico, but I have it now.

Just assume he is never serious and you're good to go.

[Uncle Rico]

Just assume he is never serious and you're good to go.

Listen, Al McGuire said aircraft carrier once

[mugrad_89]

Listen, Al McGuire said aircraft carrier once

I'll take the blue plate specials please.

[MuggsyB]

I am with you Muggsy. Pissed off about a wasted opportunity, which may not be there next year. So many reasons to be pissed; MU better than MSU; 3 BEast teams still dancing but not us. Couple of things really need to be looked at. Heard a stat that Shaka has lost 9 0f last 10 NCAA tourney games? Yikes. Past season, Shaka 0-3 against Big 10 teams. These are 2 things that must be addressed quickly. Dont believe current roster is built well for post season. Need a couple of banging bigs to help out.

Willie,  I can't control if people want to live in la-la-land.  I'm obviously a MU Homer and have my biases.  This was the most enjoyable MU hoops season in 20 years, they were pure joy to watch.  I fully expect us to rebound and come back stronger.  But we have to be honest about what actually happened on tbe floor.  This team was so much better than what we witnessed, beat themselves, and it can't be denied.   It's just a fact, not an excuse at all. 

[Uncle Rico]

Tower, I respect you but your analysis is absurd.  I encourage you to watch the tape.  Watch our possessions once we took a 3pt lead in the 2nd half.  Watch the 10 turnovers we had in particular, I believe in like 14 possessions.  Are you honestly going to tell me Izzo and some fking scheme had something to do with that stretch of basketball?  That they played differently in the first 5 mins of the 2H but then Izzo magically took momentum from us with some genius plan???  Please.  Cut the absolute nonsense and simply watch what happened.  We had every opportunity to take control of the gane and laid an ostrich egg.  Period.

Michigan State played good defense.  They followed the game plan.  Two things about the game can be true.  Was it some incredible game plan?   No.  But it was executed

[TSmith34, Inc.]

There's a couple of good points here.  The Big Ten builds their teams for tournament success.  Marquette should copy that formula.

Also, if we look at the Sweet 16, what do we see?  Teams with dominant big men, aircraft carriers, if you will.  One thing we've learned about the modern game is, big men anchor your offenses and defenses.  Houston and Gonzaga have made 4 straight Sweet 16's on the backs of their banging bigs.

Get ready for a whoosing sound

[MuggsyB]

Michigan State played good defense.  They followed the game plan.  Two things about the game can be true.  Was it some incredible game plan?   No.  But it was executed

Other teams during the course of our 19 wins in 21 games played good defense.  I never said they didn't defend well.  What I am saying is our ineptitude was primarily self-inflicted.  The tape doesn't lie.  Watch the stretch after we went up 3 in the 2H.  And had like 6 possessions to extend it.  That was the game and we all know this is where we crapped the bed.  This is much, much, different than being outplayed and the main reason why it's so frustrating and upsetting.   Again, Mich St.  couldn't make an open three. 

[Uncle Rico]

Other teams during the course of our 19 wins in 21 games played good defense.  I never said they didn't defend well.  What I am saying is our ineptitude was primarily self-inflicted.  The tape doesn't lie.  Watch the stretch after we went up 3 in the 2H.  And had like 6 possessions to extend it.  That was the game and we all know this is where we crapped the bed.  This is much, much, different than being outplayed and the main reason why it's so frustrating and upsetting.   Again, Mich St.  couldn't make an open three.

I'm not disagreeing

[mugrad_89]

All I know now is that it's gonna suck seeing the Fighting Joeys take the floor at 5:30 tonite - definitely should've been us.