Best case scenarios

[MUDPT]

Now that these guys get paid, they can also get fined.  I'd give Jop 100 dribbles for the season.  If he exceeds that, or 10 per game, he loses $1000 of his NIL money per dribble.
If this was in place last year, it would have either prevented many drives to nowhere, or he'd have been one of the university's largest donors.

Completely disagree. With Ben as the primary 5, I expect to see even more 5 out offense with Kam and Ben on the side pick and roll with Chase and Stevie cutting to the basket. But I can see Jop playing the "booty ball" roll, backing his guy down, much like Sam Hauser did, to give different looks.

Really interested to see how the offense looks with Nevada staying, but his two offensive savants in the NBA.

[muwarrior69]

I rarely drink.  And I believe Ben is that skilled.  He just needs confidence.

Not just Ben, the whole team in my opinion. All teams have stinker games, but that sweet 16 stinker just smells to high heaven. That is not COLE, just an observation.

[DoctorV]

I think UCONN will still be more than competitive.

I'm sure they land the McNeeley kid and he's frosh of the year in the country and a top 10 pick.

[MU82]

No one except some Scoop Eeyores will be picking MU 9th in the Big East.

FIFY

[tower912]

You are wise.

[tower912]

Not just Ben, the whole team in my opinion. All teams have stinker games, but that sweet 16 stinker just smells to high heaven. That is not COLE, just an observation.

Yes, poor shooting games are no fun.

[Lennys Tap]

When you look at the turmoil and turnover in the other BEAST teams, it's hard to see how any of them will be better than MU.  Of course, some of the new free agents will gel with their teams and perform well, and other coaches will somehow create a whole that's greater than the sum of the parts.  I don't think any other team in the BEAST (the country???) has 8 guys returning and MU has 8 guys who got serious game minutes returning.

Trying to figure out which teams (Big East and elsewhere) will be better or worse next year (this far in advance, anyway) is impossible. The question that should concern MU fans is will we maintain the excellence of the last 2 years. Kam, Stevie and Ben improved this year - it's fair to expect that to continue. Jop treaded water - was what we got this year all there is or is there another gear? How much do we get from Tre and Zaide? Amadou and Hamilton? The incoming freshmen? Can it all make up for the loss of Kolek and Oso?

That will be a big hill to climb but I think we can get there or at least come close. If we do it will be proof that the program is at a point it hasn't been since the late 70s.

[tower912]

Lenny, I get the angst.   However, this is the  model that existed in college basketball for decades.   Seniors leave, young guys step up.  The circle of life. MU having 3 scholarship players in each year used to be the ideal.    A little bit of Christmas morning in each new season as you are never 100% sure what you are going to get.

Yes, the team has to fill two large holes.   But MU is returning 3 proven starters and have two known quantities stepping in.  The only real question is how quickly the young guys develop.

[Lennys Tap]

Lenny, I get the angst.   However, this is the  model that existed in college basketball for decades.   Seniors leave, young guys step up.  The circle of life. MU having 3 scholarship players in each year used to be the ideal.    A little bit of Christmas morning in each new season as you are never 100% sure what you are going to get.

Yes, the team has to fill two large holes.   But MU is returning 3 proven starters and have two known quantities stepping in.  The only real question is how quickly the young guys develop.

Tower
I agree with you - the gist of my post was that the top level programs climb these "mini mountains" regularly while up and downers have periods of feast and famine. I believe Shaka has us among the former and that succeeding next year in spite of our losses will prove that. Hope we're both right.

[Pepe Sylvia]

Trying to figure out which teams (Big East and elsewhere) will be better or worse next year (this far in advance, anyway) is impossible. The question that should concern MU fans is will we maintain the excellence of the last 2 years. Kam, Stevie and Ben improved this year - it's fair to expect that to continue. Jop treaded water - was what we got this year all there is or is there another gear? How much do we get from Tre and Zaide? Amadou and Hamilton? The incoming freshmen? Can it all make up for the loss of Kolek and Oso?

That will be a big hill to climb but I think we can get there or at least come close. If we do it will be proof that the program is at a point it hasn't been since the late 70s.

I will guarantee you UConn will be worse without Clingan. That guy scared me more than any player I've ever seen MU go up against. I think with all the praises he's received he's still somehow underrated.

[Goose]

tower

The Shaka model has worked well and hopefully that continues. But I think there definitely is room to question how that model will work the further we go down the portal path. Shaka is running a program unlike any other top twenty program, and we all hope that he is correct. That said, maintaining a top tier program is going to take some luck under Shaka's approach.

After MU lost to NC State, I started a thread about the next level of the program. I believe Shaka can keep MU as a top 25 program under his system and will likely have top ten years from time to time. I do not believe he can maintain the same level we have seen the last two years simply via recruiting HS kids and retaining players.

I am all in for however Shaka wants to run this program and try not to second guess his decisions. That said, if he stays the path he is currently on, my expectations of MU having more top ten years than top 25 years drops a good deal. The only questions I have is, and they are big ones, if the NIL deals change to less wild west and how things look without guys having the covid years. Shaka's model may look very, very smart a couple of years down the road and programs will be scrambling to copy MU. I think we will have clearer view of things a year from now.

[Lennys Tap]

I will guarantee you UConn will be worse without Clingan. That guy scared me more than any player I've ever seen MU go up against. I think with all the praises he's received he's still somehow underrated.

Sylvia
Zach Edey on line one for you. Hurley played Edey honestly, rarely double teaming. Painter did the same vs Clingan. Edey (37,10) dominated Clingan (11,5). UCONN dominated the other 4 positions and won going away but at the 5, mano a mano, Edey was superior.

[Lennys Tap]

tower

The Shaka model has worked well and hopefully that continues. But I think there definitely is room to question how that model will work the further we go down the portal path. Shaka is running a program unlike any other top twenty program, and we all hope that he is correct. That said, maintaining a top tier program is going to take some luck under Shaka's approach.

After MU lost to NC State, I started a thread about the next level of the program. I believe Shaka can keep MU as a top 25 program under his system and will likely have top ten years from time to time. I do not believe he can maintain the same level we have seen the last two years simply via recruiting HS kids and retaining players.

I am all in for however Shaka wants to run this program and try not to second guess his decisions. That said, if he stays the path he is currently on, my expectations of MU having more top ten years than top 25 years drops a good deal. The only questions I have is, and they are big ones, if the NIL deals change to less wild west and how things look without guys having the covid years. Shaka's model may look very, very smart a couple of years down the road and programs will be scrambling to copy MU. I think we will have clearer view of things a year from now.

Goose

As Tower points out, Shaka is building his program the traditional way, a way that's been successful for as long as we've watched college basketball. But will it work without tweaks given the new realities? I want as much continuity as is reasonably possible but my guess is that Shaka will adapt when need be. I think his goal is perennial top 10, not top 25.

[BCHoopster]

I do not have a problem with Shaka's idea of building a program, but with 1700 kids in the portal there is not one kid that could make the team better? You have 13 scholarships so use them if you can.

[We R Final Four]

I do not have a problem with Shaka's idea of building a program, but with 1700 kids in the portal there is not one kid that could make the team better? You have 13 scholarships so use them if you can.

There may be......however with Shaka's approach, I don't think he is willing to overspend for someone that he hopes can come in here for 7-9 months., at the risk of upsetting what he's laying down. I believe he would rather put that effort and energy into Zaide, for example, as opposed to telling a player like Zaide that he is being passed over/split time this year and to practice hard everyday and maybe by Junior/Senior year you will play alot more.
What you are suggesting maybe a better approach....but its not Shaka's.

[The Sultan]

The fact that Marquette has kept all of its players out of the transfer portal (so far) is a testament to Shaka and how MU, BTD and him have used the NIL resources available to him.

What Shaka wants to avoid is what Greg Gard is going through. You bring in AJ Storr, who is more talented than Connor Essegian for sure, but ended up getting them nothing significant - except discord in the locker room apparently. Now Essegian has transferred and Hepburn is in the portal.

Do you think that Gard would have made a different decision re: Storr if he knew then what he does now? I certainly do.

Is Seth Trimble or Tyrese Hunter worth that headache? Extremely doubtful.

[Goose]

BC


I agree 100% that there has to be one player in the portal that fits the culture and could make the team better. There has to be a good number of former recruits in the portal, and he recruited them because they were guys that would fit his culture. I am surprised he has not brought in a former recruit via the portal.

[PGsHeroes32]

Ya idk why people are still complaining about this.

Could shakas strategy become an issue? Sure. But so far it's working. We are keeping everyone off note every year(unless they go pro) and we are having good teams.

He's trusting his talent evaluation and development.

Now if we fast forward to this time 2026. And we've done two years of Ben, Chase, Tre, Zaide all not improving much. Yeah he  may need to start being more flexible.

But right now he's earned the right to believe in a player like Zaide rather than run him off.

[The Sultan]

BC


I agree 100% that there has to be one player in the portal that fits the culture and could make the team better. There has to be a good number of former recruits in the portal, and he recruited them because they were guys that would fit his culture. I am surprised he has not brought in a former recruit via the portal.

Like who? I'm not being critical here, but who is a former Shaka recruit, who is in the portal, that meets an obvious need and would be an upgrade?

The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Aidoo, but I don't think Shaka really recruited him outside of trying to retain him as a MU commit when he started.

Down the line, perhaps Kon meets those criteria.

[Uncle Rico]

Like who? I'm not being critical here, but who is a former Shaka recruit, who is in the portal, that meets an obvious need and would be an upgrade?

The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Aidoo, but I don't think Shaka really recruited him outside of trying to retain him as a MU commit when he started.

Down the line, perhaps Kon meets those criteria.

Hard pass on Kon.  No guys with extended family playing hoops in Wisconsin.  #ProgramKillers

[Goose]

Fluff

I have ZERO idea how many different players that Shaka has either hard or soft recruited over the past four years. I would assume that he has recruited every position multiple times over and one or more of those former recruits have hit the portal. My post was in general terms, and I stand by my thoughts on the topic.

[MU82]

There may be......however with Shaka's approach, I don't think he is willing to overspend for someone that he hopes can come in here for 7-9 months., at the risk of upsetting what he's laying down. I believe he would rather put that effort and energy into Zaide, for example, as opposed to telling a player like Zaide that he is being passed over/split time this year and to practice hard everyday and maybe by Junior/Senior year you will play alot more.
What you are suggesting maybe a better approach....but its not Shaka's.

Yep, I think this nails what we know about Shaka's approach.

It doesn't mean he won't consider a portal addition; it means that he's not gonna give that player big money to the detriment of team chemistry, and it means that player would have to fit the culture.

Otherwise, he's determined to keep doing what he's doing until the results suggest it won't work. Maybe that'll happen as soon as next season. Maybe it'll never happen, or at least not until there are enforceable rules governing the NIL/portal era.

[Shooter McGavin]

No one will be picking MU 9th in the Big East.   Some will be picking MU 9th in the country.

Agreed, the national media will be more aware this time around.

[MUfan12]

Marquette fans, 2005-2023: "God, the effing Badgers always have some guy come out of nowhere and they end up being good every year. Why can't we have that?"

Some Marquette fans, 2022-present: "Sure some guys have developed and won a league title and got to a Sweet 16, but retaining and developing guys won't work. Gotta clear some room and hit the portal."

[Uncle Rico]

Marquette fans, 2005-2023: "God, the effing Badgers always have some guy come out of nowhere and they end up being good every year. Why can't we have that?"

Some Marquette fans, 2022-present: "Sure some guys have developed and won a league title and got to a Sweet 16, but retaining and developing guys won't work. Gotta clear some room and hit the portal."

Nods knowingly