Yesterday Was Fun but...

[MU82]

Agreed....but once Klesmit and others are having that type of game, would like to see a quicker adjustment by our D.

Totally agree. That it took until halftime for us to bother doing anything about Klesmit being 900-for-900 from 3 wasn't Shaka's shining coaching moment. And yep, similar happened in a couple other games too.

For me its when its a culmination of a Sean Jones type hitting shots against us while normal players are also hot or at least one player going nuclear.

Like with SJ making 3/5 against creighton unlucky for them? Yeah. But they were lucky the rest of the team couldnt hit water if they fell out of a boat for a half.

vs Nova, Armstrong cant shoot at all and looked like Rowsey. But it wa a unlucky game because their whole team made ungoldy amount of unguarded 3s as tAMU showed. Woulda been less unlucky if good shooters like Hausen or Dixon were off to offset it.

Klesmit going nuclear was much different than SJ hitting 3 big shots.

I went to the Seton Hall board during their prov game(due to hopkins injury) they basically didnt talk the injury every single post was about Dawes being a borderline mass murderer and the worse player in D1. He was first team NBA vs us.

When we have a guy with a good game the team itself is still like 33% at best. We seem unlucky because entire rosters cook us from deep a lot while we have objectively a really good D all around.

OK. I guess MU is just 3-jinxed this season. Maybe we need to bring in a couple extra priests with super-strong holy water to sprinkle on the 3-point arcs at Fiserv and select road arenas.

[Big Papi]

We are a better 3-point shooting team than what we have shown this year.

Kam, Kolek, Jop, Ross, SJ and Stevie have a worse 3pt % this year compared to last year.

Kam 36.0 vs 34.6
Kolek 39.8 vs 34.9
Jop 39.9 vs 38.2
Ross 32.3 vs 26.5
SJ 31.7 vs 25.7
Stevie 30.0 vs 21.2

This mini slump occurred when Kam and Kolek couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. 

[Judge Smails]

What's concerning about the shooting slumps is that many of the misses aren't even close to going in. These aren't in-and-out misses that are mere centimeters from dropping. Instead, the misses are many times clanks off the side of the rim.

[Scoop Snoop]

What's concerning about the shooting slumps is that many of the misses aren't even close to going in. These aren't in-and-out misses that are mere centimeters from dropping. Instead, the misses are many times clanks off the side of the rim.

I noticed that too. Whether it is "many" or above average for a high level team is the only part that I think is debatable, and both terms are ambiguous. We saw 2 made threes by Lowery and his 3rd attempt was just a tad off. Way too small of a sample size, but it gave me hope that at least one guy may be a high percentage shooter (but 67% umm...let's get real!). Too many bricks. Looks like a masons' contest sometimes. 

[willie warrior]

What's concerning about the shooting slumps is that many of the misses aren't even close to going in. These aren't in-and-out misses that are mere centimeters from dropping. Instead, the misses are many times clanks off the side of the rim.

That would be the next NBA talent Ben Gold

[MU82]

What's concerning about the shooting slumps is that many of the misses aren't even close to going in. These aren't in-and-out misses that are mere centimeters from dropping. Instead, the misses are many times clanks off the side of the rim.

The ugliest 3s by far against Nova were Kolek's first four attempts: 3 scuds that barely caught rim and an airball. Then, during crunch time, he swished a beauty that helped propel us to victory.

Here's hoping that last trey, combined with his return to the arena in which  he was the best player in the BET, ignites a nice hot streak for him TK shot 40% from 3 last season and was well up in the 40s this season before his slump began; it's not as if he can't shoot.

[PGsHeroes32]

The ugliest 3s by far against Nova were Kolek's first four attempts: 3 scuds that barely caught rim and an airball. Then, during crunch time, he swished a beauty that helped propel us to victory.

Here's hoping that last trey, combined with his return to the arena in which  he was the best player in the BET, ignites a nice hot streak for him TK shot 40% from 3 last season and was well up in the 40s this season before his slump began; it's not as if he can't shoot.

Nope

[PGsHeroes32]

Nope

Yup.

Well most of that second half, brilliant.

[MU82]

Yesterday was fun but ...

... so was today, ultimately.

[Goose]

82

You obviously have to look at the entire game and make an honest review, but I do not think some realize how beautiful this offense is when humming. This group has provided some simply amazing offensive spurts/runs of any group I can remember. Time will tell if there are more first half or second half performances moving forward. That said, I am very confident that they will have a ton of open shots in most/all of the remaining games.

[MU82]

82

You obviously have to look at the entire game and make an honest review, but I do not think some realize how beautiful this offense is when humming. This group has provided some simply amazing offensive spurts/runs of any group I can remember. Time will tell if there are more first half or second half performances moving forward. That said, I am very confident that they will have a ton of open shots in most/all of the remaining games.

It really is (almost) as simple as making shots. We won this game because our good shooters hit the same kind of wide-open 3s they missed in the first half. If we can just shoot what our percentage was before the slump started, we will be very difficult to beat in every game.

And I agree with you about how beautiful our offense can be. There was one TK-to-Oso play today that actually made me give a standing O in my TV room, and they had several others. Just masterful.

I get the frustrations of some folks. "Why can't we do that all the time?!?!" Because it's unrealistic to think we can. And because the other team has good players who desperately want to win, too. And in this case the other team has a Hall of Fame coach. It's not supposed to be easy.

[Goose]

82

The majority here does not believe they will shoot better and they might be right. If they are wrong, which I believe, MU can beat any team in the country. 14 more preseason games to go and then we will see what happens.
I am surprised that people do not comment often that MU only misses wide open three pointers. All they mention is the bad shooting %.

Hey, maybe your guy GE has an extra, extra, extra Covid semester and can come back and be that three pointer sniper for two months.

[MU82]

82

The majority here does not believe they will shoot better and they might be right. If they are wrong, which I believe, MU can beat any team in the country. 14 more preseason games to go and then we will see what happens.
I am surprised that people do not comment often that MU only misses wide open three pointers. All they mention is the bad shooting %.

Hey, maybe your guy GE has an extra, extra, extra Covid semester and can come back and be that three pointer sniper for two months.

I don't regard the Big East season as the "preseason," because I personally hate preseason games in every sport but I love watching Marquette play these games. I'm an enjoy-the-journey kind of guy. But I know what you're getting at, and I agree that what happens after Selection Sunday is the only way this team ultimately will be judged.

Your line about Elliott made me laugh. We sure could use another shooter, though. Maybe your guy Rosenberger has a few months of eligibility left!

[Goose]

82

There were very few players in the Al era that I disliked as a player and you named one that is high on the dislike list. He was a very good shooter but that was about it.

[MU82]

82

There were very few players in the Al era that I disliked as a player and you named one that is high on the dislike list. He was a very good shooter but that was about it.

Interesting. Anyway, pick any great shooter from the past - Novak? Tatum? - and insert for Rosenberger, and the point is the same. If only we could do that!

I actually like our shooters now just fine. Kam, TK, Joplin, maybe Zaide ... we can win (and have won) a lot of games with them knocking down 3s. It's not like it's a pipe dream - they've done so as recently as earlier this season and most of last season.

[Goose]

82

Like you, my concern about the shooting is not that great. If it does not improve, expectations will likely not be met. That said, my expectations remain the same, a deep run in March.

[MU82]

You got that right, Goose.

[wisblue]

I honestly feel sorry for anyone who views 4 months of competitive and entertaining basketball as "preseason games" and puts all of their emotional eggs in the basket of a crapshoot tournament.

I don't think it's right, or fair, to judge or remember a team just for what it does in the NCAA tournament.

I would take a season like last year's MU season over Creighton's advance to the quarterfinals any time. I sure wouldn't spring for season tickets if I thought the NCAA tournament was all that mattered.

[The Sultan]

I honestly feel sorry for anyone who views 4 months of competitive and entertaining basketball as "preseason games" and puts all of their emotional eggs in the basket of a crapshoot tournament.

I don't think it's right, or fair, to judge or remember a team just for what it does in the NCAA tournament.

I would take a season like last year's MU season over Creighton's advance to the quarterfinals any time. I sure wouldn't spring for season tickets if I thought the NCAA tournament was all that mattered.

Last year was fun, and by and large I agree with you. But I would rather make the Elite 8 this year than winning the BET.

[MU82]

I think there is a middle ground on this topic.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Marquette's Shaka Renaissance. Year 1 was a wonderful surprise, last season was special, and this season has been special in its own way. I plan each week around watching MU basketball, I have trips scheduled to attend 4 games this season, it's so much fun to see my wife and kids and friends get so into MU hoops, and I savor every win.

But I don't think it's "wrong" to ultimately judge the success of this season on NCAA tournament success. We've waited a long time for that. We have an outstanding team, and wanting - even expecting - NCAAT success is not "wrong."

I say that knowing that there will be some luck involved - who we get matched up against, how healthy we are, whether shots are falling, etc.

So if we lose early in the NCAAT, I won't threaten to quit loving Marquette basketball, or call for Shaka to be fired, or say the entire season was a failure. But I will be very disappointed - moreso than the last 2 years. Personally, it will be harder for me to shrug and say, "Oh well ... it's a crapshoot anyway."

Meanwhile, I'm just focused on enjoying the journey. For example, I happen to think yesterday's win was great, as was the win over Nova.

[Goose]

Sultan

I know I am in the minority on this, but I do not care if MU ever wins the BET again. I broke my own rule last season and got very caught up in the BET and I will never do that again. Give me an E8 over BET all day long.

[MU82]

I know I am in the minority on this, but I do not care if MU ever wins the BET again. I broke my own rule last season and got very caught up in the BET and I will never do that again. Give me an E8 over BET all day long.

I've never cared much about conference tournaments -- I've always thought a regular-season league title was 10x as important, as was advancing in the NCAAT -- but I, like you, definitely got caught up in last year's MSG fun. I won't say "never again" because if our guys have another great BET run this year, I'll probably get into it again ... but I truly won't be even a little disappointed if we go out in the first round of the BET.

[CountryRoads]

I've never cared much about conference tournaments -- I've always thought a regular-season league title was 10x as important, as was advancing in the NCAAT -- but I, like you, definitely got caught up in last year's MSG fun. I won't say "never again" because if our guys have another great BET run this year, I'll probably get into it again ... but I truly won't be even a little disappointed if we go out in the first round of the BET.

It was really cool to see them finally win it. On multiple occasions, Shaka mentioned how that was one of the goals of the team last year. It definitely felt like the pinnacle last year and mentally it may have felt that way for the players in some respect (MSG, confetti, trophies, etc). We won't hear any of that talk this year. As annoying as a loss in that tournament would be for me, I think the quicker the team can get their focus on the NCAAT, the better. Though I'm not sure there's much correlation to good conference tournament success equaling worse ncaa tournament success. 

[Dr. Blackheart]

Being the first non-East Coast team to win the BET EVER was a huge accomplishment for the program. One for the ages. The pastings MU took under Wojo showed just how far the program had fallen.

I was in Columbus for that MSU debacle. I have rewatched every game from last season at least five times. I will NEVER watch that MSU game.

[Goose]

Dr. B

I am glad they won the BET and was caught up in the moment. Plus, I think there was a personal motivation for Shaka to win it and am glad they did. Now, they do not need to do it again this season to keep my attention.