3-2 zone

[Uncle Rico]

Shaka's post-game hit with Raft was interesting.  Essentially said the team needs to understand that they're really good AND still need to play with a level of desperation at all times.  For those who didn't see it he certainly wasn't inferring the team hasn't been playing hard but you did get the feeling they didn't expect to get punched in the mouth by Butler and Seton Hall.

Hopefully today flips a switch and they get some of that swag back.

Shaka is correct.

This team got spoiled last year by never having that "stretch".  The early season losses were all close where you could point to a thing or two bouncing your way, you win those games. 

This year, they've been thoroughly beaten and embarrassed in a few games.  It's important for them to remember how good they can be and have shown this year.  Time to start playing like it consistently

[Daniel]

Regarding #2, clearly he needs to slam them home. Didn't know he had hops like that.

Loved his jam!

[MU82]

When Kolek made his first two free throws, I was hoping that seeing the ball go in from more than layup distance might make the basket look a little bigger for him ... and he ended up swishing his final 3 attempt after several ugly scuds. Totally agree with Scoopers who re the benefit of him having the ball almost all the time again.

As for individual baskets, Zaide's two 3s were huge, huge, huge. We were down 6 and the game could have gotten away a little bit. Kid's got a ton of potential.

Stevie - what a great defensive player. He's the kind of player every coach wants on his team and every teammate loves. Maybe there are some games he can't play as much because you need an offensive lift, but he is such a tremendous team player. With the injuries, he's getting more  minutes now, so it was nice to see him have some offensive success, too.

Got some good minutes from Gold, despite his shot looking way off. Great to do other things to help the team win when the shot's not going.

As for Nova ... I was surprised about how easily we got to the hoop against them. They had won 5 of 6 and were playing some good basketball. I'll bet Neptune is furious at his team for their poor defensive intensity and positioning. Still, Marquette had to take advantage of it ... and our guys did!

[DoctorV]

Shaka is correct.

This team got spoiled last year by never having that "stretch".  The early season losses were all close where you could point to a thing or two bouncing your way, you win those games. 

This year, they've been thoroughly beaten and embarrassed in a few games.  It's important for them to remember how good they can be and have shown this year.  Time to start playing like it consistently

Sure, but when you're broke as a joke it'll happen to even the best teams.

Lost the 3pt makes battle to Providence -7, Creighton -3, SH -4, butler -5, Nova -7.

So that's 21, 9, 12, 15, 21 points to make up in Big East play, easy to figure out that that's an uphill battle in an tough conference even without help from the computers.
That's 5 of the 6 games, beat Georgetown going away.

They beat Creighton with offensive boards, they beat Nova with great spacing, ball movement and domination in the paint, winning the turnover battle.

The narrative is win any way, and this team has to find a way to win games like it did last season- with Tyler running the show and incredible spacing and ball movement that leads to easy buckets.

Until it finds a way to win the made 3s battles by making some shots, then things will really open up...
Hopefully in February and then even moreso in March.

[21Jumpstreet]

When that three went in for Tyler, you could see the relief and happiness on his face and in his body. That was huge, and I think it will only add to the momentum he got from this game. He was bullied a lot and kept his head almost the entire game, which is huge. He was engaged, he was supportive, he was assertive and committed with his passes and on his drives. Was a fun game to watch.

[DoctorV]

Nice post 82-

For Stevie- it seems like he actually gets a good burst and nice first step to the hoop, but he seems to have very little "touch" around the basket offensively.

Wish he would hang out with Kam a little more in the layup line and try to mimic his finishes- he just needs to slow his hands down in the final moment and let the ball go up softer when he's around the rim and it'll change his abilities offensively imo.

[MU82]

Thanks DrV.

I'm just glad Shaka and the guys decided to show up for the game despite the season being hopelessly lost.

[DoctorV]

Thanks DrV.

I'm just glad Shaka and the guys decided to show up for the game despite the season being hopelessly lost.

Guess mine is not the first heart broken
My eyes are not the first to cry
I'm not the first to know
There's just no getting over you

I know I'm just a fool who's willing
To sit around and wait for you
But baby, can't you see there's nothing else for me to do?
I'm hopelessly devoted to you!

-MUScoop to MUbb

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

1. Props to Shaka for calling the opening set play to get Oso a lob.  Getting Oso involved early really opened things up. 

2. On several of Kam's and Tyler's layups, I noticed help defenders unwilling to leave Oso.  That left an uncontested layup at the rim.

3. Villanova is a good matchup for us.  Very little size to clog the middle or challenge at the rim.

4. I hate to say this, but did the injuries to Chase and Sean make us better?  By being forced to play the starters more, Marquette is at its best more often, at least on offense.

5. The defense definitely missed Chase and Sean today.  Today felt a lot like last season: 40 minutes of offense, 10 minutes of defense down the stretch.

6.  Zaide and Tre both made some plays today.  They looked less tentative than they were earlier in the season.

7.  This team has to have a hot shooting night from 3 eventually.  Don't they?

8.  Nice win, not just for confidence but also for our metrics and resumé.

[Goose]

Shooter

I feel very badly that Sean got hurt and look forward to watching him run the offense next season, but I think TK has to run the show with the makeup of the current roster. I definitely believe that Kolek playing off the ball as much as he has over the past month hurt the offense. My feelings on this are simple, TK and Oso are two very unique type of players, and they need to be involved early and often to make this offense click.

Give me 30+ minutes of TK running the show and I'll take my chances on them running high octane offense. Him standing around and directing traffic or standing in the corner seemed like playing four on five to me.

[Judge Smails]

Glad to hear Shaka tell the guys to keep driving it in the huddle - it was working all day.

[Viper]

Only three turnovers is crazy
Mitchell is crazy on defense and hustle. His deflection today were unreal.
Nice game by Kolek. Hope that made three gets him back on track.  It's what Gold needs to see.

MU so much better when Oso gets involved on offense.

Thing noticed is that Shaka hardly subbed in second half. Gold and Norman a few minutes and I don't think Lowery played at all. Am I right?

Shaka gave props to Norman and Lowery on the post game w/Homer & TSmith

[Scoop Snoop]

Sure, but when you're broke as a joke it'll happen to even the best teams.

Lost the 3pt makes battle to Providence -7, Creighton -3, SH -4, butler -5, Nova -7.

So that's 21, 9, 12, 15, 21 points to make up in Big East play, easy to figure out that that's an uphill battle in an tough conference even without help from the computers.
That's 5 of the 6 games, beat Georgetown going away.

They beat Creighton with offensive boards, they beat Nova with great spacing, ball movement and domination in the paint, winning the turnover battle.

The narrative is win any way, and this team has to find a way to win games like it did last season- with Tyler running the show and incredible spacing and ball movement that leads to easy buckets.

Until it finds a way to win the made 3s battles by making some shots, then things will really open up...
Hopefully in February and then even moreso in March.

In addition to getting our recent, bad 3 point shooting up to at least 30%, more like 35%, I noticed that defending against the three in the second half, our guys were on Nova in a microsecond when Nova wanted to shoot 3s. They still made 5 (including the futile one in the closing seconds...really, Neptune?), but I think could have duplicated their first half performance without MU getting right in their faces. It would be a good guess that Shaka got on them at halftime. Nova bailed out and passed the ball in a number of times with our quick defense on the three point line.

[We R Final Four]

10. Jason Bennetti is our good luck announcer.

Let me know when he properly pronounces Kolek, not Koh-lack. Not that difficult of a name.

[Lennys Tap]

Let me know when he properly pronounces Kolek, not Koh-lack. Not that difficult of a name.

Jason's a big Telly Savalas fan.

[muwarrior69]

In addition to getting our recent, bad 3 point shooting up to at least 30%, more like 35%, I noticed that defending against the three in the second half, our guys were on Nova in a microsecond when Nova wanted to shoot 3s. They still made 5 (including the futile one in the closing seconds...really, Neptune?), but I think could have duplicated their first half performance without MU getting right in their faces. It would be a good guess that Shaka got on them at halftime. Nova bailed out and passed the ball in a number of times with our quick defense on the three point line.

Neptune was pretty annoyed when the officials were not calling the intentional fouls with what 20 seconds left and down 13 points.

[MU82]

My 4-year-old grandson was there today - his first Marquette game! My son just decided this morning to drive up from Chicago; got tix at Stubhub.

So I give Jack all credit for the big win!!

[DoctorV]

My 4-year-old grandson was there today - his first Marquette game! My son just decided this morning to drive up from Chicago; got tix at Stubhub.

So I give Jack all credit for the big win!!

Nice! He might've bought mine, especially if he works for aspenbaypartners.

I had to pull out because we decided my little guy is just too young for that cold.
Going to make it up to him for the Xavier game

[Scoop Snoop]

Neptune was pretty annoyed when the officials were not calling the intentional fouls with what 20 seconds left and down 13 points.

He was the BE coach who pissed off Shaka last year by saying something to him on the sidelines. There was another BE coach who he pissed off also by some remark. I think it was Cooley. Neptune seems like a real jerk. Rather than accepting that Marquette simply wanted to run the clock out, he screwed around by telling his players to keep fouling. He was probably upset about the Marquette crowd booing, although he richly deserved it.

[Viper]

Shooter

I feel very badly that Sean got hurt and look forward to watching him run the offense next season, but I think TK has to run the show with the makeup of the current roster. I definitely believe that Kolek playing off the ball as much as he has over the past month hurt the offense. My feelings on this are simple, TK and Oso are two very unique type of players, and they need to be involved early and often to make this offense click.

Give me 30+ minutes of TK running the show and I'll take my chances on them running high octane offense. Him standing around and directing traffic or standing in the corner seemed like playing four on five to me.

Goose, when you say you look forward to Sean running the offense next season, do you mean when Sean is subbing in for TK? Or, are you inferring that TK is not returning to MU next season? (I would be bummed if TK left MU for another program. I don't see TK leaving MU for the GLeague or Euro unless he's had enough of college ball after this season.)

[Uncle Rico]

Goose, when you say you look forward to Sean running the offense next season, do you mean when Sean is subbing in for TK? Or, are you inferring that TK is not returning to MU next season? (I would be bummed if TK left MU for another program. I don't see TK leaving MU for the GLeague or Euro unless he's had enough of college ball after this season.)

No, he'll be in the NBA

[Scoop Snoop]

No, he'll be in the NBA

I'm not expecting Kolek back. Going pro somewhere. Hope I'm wrong.

Honest question-Would Sean be fully recovered by late summer to get ready for the '24-'25 season? Those damn ACLs (assuming that's what it is-have not seen a formal statement) seem to take so long to heal, or whatever the correct term is. Nova's Moore is an example of what I fear will be Sean's recovery time. So....IF Sean is not the guy, who is?

[Uncle Rico]

I'm not expecting Kolek back. Going pro somewhere. Hope I'm wrong.

Honest question-Would Sean be fully recovered by late summer to get ready for the '24-'25 season? Those damn ACLs (assuming that's what it is-have not seen a formal statement) seem to take so long to heal, or whatever the correct term is. So....IF Sean is not the guy, who is?

Shaka will have to go into the portal

[wadesworld]

He was the BE coach who pissed off Shaka last year by saying something to him on the sidelines. There was another BE coach who he pissed off also by some remark. I think it was Cooley. Neptune seems like a real jerk. Rather than accepting that Marquette simply wanted to run the clock out, he screwed around by telling his players to keep fouling. He was probably upset about the Marquette crowd booing, although he richly deserved it.

They showed Shaka and Neptune hugging and chatting before the game, and then they hugged in the handshake line. They seem like two guys that are very close to each other and have a mutual respect for each other.

[Scoop Snoop]

They showed Shaka and Neptune hugging and chatting before the game, and then they hugged in the handshake line. They seem like two guys that are very close to each other and have a mutual respect for each other.

I was referring to last season. Agree that after the game, they seemed just as you said.