Omax declares

[avid1010]

We better win more than one tournament game next year, with or without OMax or an OMax replacement.

What if we don't?

[Jay Bee]

Why?

No one named “Wrightsill” was at MU, therefore they can’t “come back” to #muMbb

[brewcity77]

Why?

Because you may be the Sultan of Semantics, but Jay Bee is the Prince of Pedantics.

[Goose]

82

Time will tell what Shaka is thinking. IMO, I will be very surprised if there is not an addition made to the team. I have also said many times that one of the biggest things I loved about the Shaka hire was he still has a lot to prove in March for his resume to be complete. He has not had a stellar NCAA record over the past decade and that the one knock you can have about him. If he thinks this team is the real deal, I think he makes a portal addition in next couple of weeks. Winning in March would only enhance Shaka's resume and his ability to attract even better players.

[MU82]

82

Time will tell what Shaka is thinking. IMO, I will be very surprised if there is not an addition made to the team. I have also said many times that one of the biggest things I loved about the Shaka hire was he still has a lot to prove in March for his resume to be complete. He has not had a stellar NCAA record over the past decade and that the one knock you can have about him. If he thinks this team is the real deal, I think he makes a portal addition in next couple of weeks. Winning in March would only enhance Shaka's resume and his ability to attract even better players.

Well, I can't argue with a word of that about Shaka's resume. Should be an interesting coupla weeks.

[MUCam]

Goose - Here is the one place I lose you. Can we not live in a world where Shaka thinks this team has national contender potential next year but doesn’t add a player because he can’t?

It’s not like Shaka just snaps his fingers and says, “O-Max is gone, I’ll go to aisle six and pick a player up that is his equivalent in terms of skill, chemistry fit, willingness to play secondary defense role, etc.” The right player doesn’t just grow on trees waiting to be picked when Shaka wants to pick him.

How do you know that Shaka (a) doesn’t think this team has national contender potential, (b) doesn’t want a replacement for Omax, and (c) realizes there is no suitable replacement available?

It isn’t a black and white world. The fact that I haven’t yet gotten to play Augusta does not mean my golf game isn’t worthy (it isn’t) or that I won’t some day down the line.

I have zero doubt that Shaka would love to replace Omax through the portal with someone that can bring what Omax brought in terms of skill, defense, team chemistry, NIL considerations, etc. Based on the fact that he hasn’t yet done so, tells me (a) he has someone in mind but he’s still waiting for final confirmation from Omax, or (b) there isn’t such a player to be found that we can get to come to MU. I think it much less likely that Shaka doesn’t think the team is a real national contender, as he has brought in one year players before on lesser teams.

[Goose]

Cam

If the early preseason rankings are remotely accurate and MU is considered a top 5 team with Omax, where do you think they are without him in the rankings?

[The Lens]

I would be more surprised than not if we add someone of impact regardless of what O Max does.  Shaka is pretty explicit with his philoshy on NIL (current guys come first) and I would imagine that extends to PT & shots.  It was telling that Bill Scholl came out and told us Shaka asked if he could recruit who he wants.  I think Shaka is a draft & develop guy.  His team might be complete right now.  Improvement & replacement will come from within. 

Goose you're spot on about Shaka / March but I'm going to trust Shaka on roster construction.  17-3 + a BET shows me he can win big time.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Cam

If the early preseason rankings are remotely accurate and MU is considered a top 5 team with Omax, where do you think they are without him in the rankings?

If OMax doesn't return and there is not a significant portal addition, I still expect MU to be ranked between 5 - 10 preseason.

Just one person but Seth Davis did an up-to-date top 25 for The Athletic last week accounting for personnel changes so far and he had Marquette at #3 with the assumption that OMax is not coming back. 

Like others, I'm not worried about the offense but how his departure will impact the defense.   

[Herman Cain]

I am rooting for Omax to sign with an NBA team. It helps our program to continually place players in The Association.

We now have balanced classes , very confident that our next three players up (a Junior who was Big East 6th man of the year , a  Soph who played meaningful minutes and a lengthy defensive minded Freshman)fill their respective roles very well.

Also important to keep in mind there will be 60-70 other players leaving their teams  for The NBA. So its how does MU prosper in that new roster environment for all teams.  Rather than how to we do in a vacuum with  just a Prosper subtraction .

[Spotcheck Billy]

Who in the transfer portal could be plugged in for OMax?

I'm starting to suspect that if OMax goes pro then Wrightsil will return.

[We R Final Four]

I would be more surprised than not if we add someone of impact regardless of what O Max does.  Shaka is pretty explicit with his philoshy on NIL (current guys come first) and I would imagine that extends to PT & shots.  It was telling that Bill Scholl came out and told us Shaka asked if he could recruit who he wants.  I think Shaka is a draft & develop guy.  His team might be complete right now.  Improvement & replacement will come from within. 

Goose you're spot on about Shaka / March but I'm going to trust Shaka on roster construction.  17-3 + a BET shows me he can win big time.

This. It interesting that people here are discounting Shaka’s approach after the year we just had.

[MU82]

Goose, in the "next MU player to NBA" thread, you said this:

Gold by a very margin, IMO. Aside from his skillsets, I think he has an edge to him that will suit him well moving forward.

Maybe Shaka agrees with you 100% about that ... and maybe he actually believes Gold's big breakout will be this upcoming season, meaning 25-30 solid minutes of PT per game for the Marquette player you think is most likely to be an NBAer.

Let me ask you this:

If Shaka landed someone from the transfer portal today who has Gold's skill set and "edge," and if Shaka believed that player is ready to consistently display those skills against good competition, wouldn't you be sky-high on the 2023-24 team's prospects for a March run?

Also, I think 9-9-9 and VBMG make solid points -- MU doesn't operate in a vacuum.

That O-Max was the only loss from the rotation to either the NBA or the transfer portal is a major, major win for Shaka compared to other Big East teams and most ranked teams. Add in Norman, and improvement from several guys thanks to a coaching staff that has proven its ability to develop players, and it's a reason to be realistically optimistic whether or not an O-Max replacement is brought in IMHO.

[Goose]

82

They lost a 29mpg guy that was a great defender, and that spot is open. I am 100% fine with whatever Shaka does, but seems silly to leave a spot vacant, especially when a top ten team. Again, let's see what happens.

[94Warrior]

ZW appears to be the contingency plan.

[MU82]

82

They lost a 29mpg guy that was a great defender, and that spot is open. I am 100% fine with whatever Shaka does, but seems silly to leave a spot vacant, especially when a top ten team. Again, let's see what happens.

Don’t get me wrong, Goose, I absolutely want to fill the spot, and I’ll be a little disappointed if we don’t. I want Shaka to get the best player available to fill that role.

But I have no choice but to trust his judgment re ability, chemistry, NIL, etc.

So I’m looking for reasons to be optimistic even if Shaka can’t find or get that guy. And if Ben Gold this season can come close to being as good as you think he will be, that would be a major reason for optimism.

[milwaukee ex-pat]

82

They lost a 29mpg guy that was a great defender, and that spot is open. I am 100% fine with whatever Shaka does, but seems silly to leave a spot vacant, especially when a top ten team. Again, let's see what happens.

I think this argument is clear - Some feel the need to add a big in the portal for depth or even a replacement for OMAX since with him we are a clear title contender.  The other side has various strains of the returning players and recruits + Shaka coaching development will allow the sum to be greater then than the individual parts. 

The way I would phrase side 2 is that the remaining 11 players with possible exception of Al Amadou (who would still serve in any of the past 40 years of MU basketball as a serviceable 4th big) - so lets say remaining 10 plyers are all GOOD high major basketball players with at least 3 who I would say are legit AAs (Kolek, Oso, K Jones).  You want to use that 29 minutes to keep your 10 committed, all getting some playing time in the first half as well as garbage time which is what Shaka did last year which probably hurt some of our metrics but is going to pay off big time this year, as it showed the whole team committed to each other, everyone considered a player, and resulting in everyone coming back (last year: Gold getting a minute or 2 in first halves in particular, but Sean and Ross getting minutes early also).

This team will have 10 high quality players with AAs among them.  They have plenty of quality size, definitely more than the vast majority of MU teams over the past 40 years. Shaka and the coaches can make that work.  I think Ross will get plenty of play if he explodes like Kam and Jop and Oso and Kolek did last year.  3 and 4 guard lineups can work if Ross becomes a Butler like monster on both ends of the floor.  Every year in CBB teams lose great players and a different mix steps up.  I would rather not add anyone outside of a Wrightsill or end of bench big for practice and emergency purposes.  Keep the Shaka formula - if Kolek didn't get hurt I think we were a final 4 team.  This coming year I think we will have the depth to succeed with an injury - look how well X did after Freemantle etc.  10 very good to great high major players, all committed is enough.  That's my take.

[MU90620]

This. It interesting that people here are discounting Shaka’s approach after the year we just had.

I think there are more people here that got the wrong impression from that Athletic article than there are discounting Shaka’s approach. He followed up that article with some comments on the Marquette Basketball weekly show.

He said he thought too many people were interpreting that article as “I’ll never use NIL to get a transfer”. He said what he really was saying was that he did not feel there was anyone in the portal last year that he felt was a better option than what he already had on the roster. So why give money to them when he can give it to his guys who he feels are better anyway.

He said he would be more than open to using NIL to attract someone who would fill a hole or give the team something they don’t have that would help them meet their goals.

I just thought that needed to be pointed out because so many people keep saying that Shaka has said he wouldn’t use NIL to recruit. The Athletic article implied that but Shaka corrected it later.

[Uncle Rico]

Programs like Virginia, UW-Madison, Purdue, Houston under Sampson have been consistently good by retention and development. 

Their best years, they have first rounders on the roster.

Gonzaga was this way for a long time, too.  I don’t see this staff taking “quick fix” approaches to roster construction.  Not to start another debate about what constitutes success, but I’m good with how the staff is building the program.  Sustained winning and tournament appearances will lead to greater opportunities at the big prize. 

Maybe there is a short-term transfer option this cycle that is a difference maker immediately but it’s far more likely anyone added isn’t a plug-and-play for OMax. 

I know instant gratification is what is wanted and maybe it can still happen as is, but I’m good with big picture thinking and taking a bite of the apple next March (ducks).

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I think there are more people here that got the wrong impression from that Athletic article than there are discounting Shaka’s approach. He followed up that article with some comments on the Marquette Basketball weekly show.

He said he thought too many people were interpreting that article as “I’ll never use NIL to get a transfer”. He said what he really was saying was that he did not feel there was anyone in the portal last year that he felt was a better option than what he already had on the roster. So why give money to them when he can give it to his guys who he feels are better anyway.

He said he would be more than open to using NIL to attract someone who would fill a hole or give the team something they don’t have that would help them meet their goals.

I just thought that needed to be pointed out because so many people keep saying that Shaka has said he wouldn’t use NIL to recruit. The Athletic article implied that but Shaka corrected it later.

He'll use NIL to recruit...but he won't throw more NIL at a recruit than the top guys he already has on his roster are getting

[Jay Bee]

He said he thought too many people were interpreting that article as “I’ll never use NIL to get a transfer”. He said what he really was saying was that he did not feel there was anyone in the portal last year that he felt was a better option than what he already had on the roster. So why give money to them when he can give it to his guys who he feels are better anyway.

He said he would be more than open to using NIL to attract someone who would fill a hole or give the team something they don’t have that would help them meet their goals.

I just thought that needed to be pointed out because so many people keep saying that Shaka has said he wouldn’t use NIL to recruit. The Athletic article implied that but Shaka corrected it later.

I highly doubt this.

[MU90620]

He'll use NIL to recruit...but he won't throw more NIL at a recruit than the top guys he already has on his roster are getting

Much better way of saying what I was trying to say.

[MU90620]

I highly doubt this.

I understand why you doubt this. Because it is illegal to use NIL to recruit which is what my post said while trying to paraphrase what Shaka said.  He was just just correcting the impression the article gave that he would not use the portal.

[Tyler COLEk]

If O-Max goes, I’m 100% in favor of the return of Wrightsil. His impact as a teammate was clear, even while sidelined. There’s value in his leadership. Even if he only ends up getting 10-15 min/game.

[Coleman]

What if we don't?

Would be a massive disappointment