2026 Transfer Portal

[MU82]

IMO, it is. After a season like this last one, it is pretty black and white.

You might want him gone under that scenario, but neither you nor any other Scooper has that power, thank goodness.

For me, it would be an "it depends" situation. For example, if Marquette ended up just on the wrong side of the bubble, and if our best players again committed to return, I'd likely want him back, and I'm guessing the powers-that-be would, too. If we weren't even on the bubble, and/or if he couldn't keep players, I'd think he'd be gone and that would be fine with me.

[nyg]

Would absolutely love this add.  Big wing who can really guard.  The shooting percentages are ugly, but on a low sample.  The form looks very solid so I think there's a lot of room to improve there.

Top 50 recruit, well coached by Rick Barnes.  Yes please.

He played in 35 games. He shot 22% from three and 57% from the line.
Again, Tre Norman numbers. Many here felt Norman was a good defender, so?

I have no knowledge of this guy and whether MU is actually courting him, but in a Shaka three point offense and hundreds of posters on this board pleading and praying for an outside shooter, why would Shaka and staff consider him with those numbers.
Now Shaka recruiting defensive specialists?

[Zog from Margo]

I find it amusing that a coach can firmly make the NCAA tournament in each of his first four years at a program (with a record of 3-4), but miss it once due to a bad season, and fans will immediately turn to saying that coach should be fired if he misses the tournament a second year in a row.

He put one of the worst teams in MU history on the floor. This wasn't just a "bad" season. I can't believe some people want to equate this past season to being on the bubble and just missing the tournament.

[#UnleashThePortal]

If Shaka were going to cut Clark and/or Hamilton loose, I would think he would have done it in a way that would maximize their chances at landing elsewhere. That means telling them so they can enter the portal as early as possible.

Hanging on to them and waiting until the portal has been open for a while and teams have started to fill their roster spots doesn't seem like an approach Shaka would take.

Lol. D1 basketball is cut throat.

[#UnleashThePortal]

You're entitled to your opinion, but realistically speaking, Shaka would not be fired were that to happen. While his seat would definitely start to get quite warm, I have no doubt he'd be given one final chance to turn things around.

And even if you could fire him next season, would you really want to risk losing Nigel James Jr too?

 

Wojoish thought pattern.

[panda]

Lol. D1 basketball is cut throat.

There will be plenty of room at the bottom wherever they (Clark) will end up.

[#UnleashThePortal]

There will be plenty of room at the bottom wherever they (Clark) will end up.

Could be a stud at whitewater!

[GoldenEagles03]

Hamilton still on the team after the banquet?

[Pakuni]

You're entitled to your opinion, but realistically speaking, Shaka would not be fired were that to happen. While his seat would definitely start to get quite warm, I have no doubt he'd be given one final chance to turn things around.

And even if you could fire him next season, would you really want to risk losing Nigel James Jr too?

You don't keep an underperforming coach for fear of losing a player. That's very shortsighted. Did UNC worry about losing players when they fired Hubert Davis?

I don't think missing the tournament again costs Shaka his job, but another losing season probably should. And if he has back-to-back losing seasons with Nigel, why would you believe he couldn't have a third?

[Vander Blue Man Group]

He put one of the worst teams in MU history on the floor. This wasn't just a "bad" season. I can't believe some people want to equate this past season to being on the bubble and just missing the tournament.

No one is doing that.

[K1 Lover]

He put one of the worst teams in MU history on the floor. This wasn't just a "bad" season. I can't believe some people want to equate this past season to being on the bubble and just missing the tournament.

You complain as if this season has wrought irrevocable damage on the future of Marquette basketball. Literally no one other than those on Scoop really know or care about how historically bad this season was. It'd be another thing if Shaka decided to stubbornly do things the exact same way and lead us to another terrible season. But he's clearly changing the approach, and the reality is no one will care about how bad last season was as long as next year turns out well.

[Pakuni]

You complain as if this season has wrought irrevocable damage on the future of Marquette basketball. Literally no one other than those on Scoop really know or care about how historically bad this season was.

You need to talk to more fans if you think Scoopers are the only people who care how historically bad the season was.

It'd be another thing if Shaka decided to stubbornly do things the exact same way and lead us to another terrible season. But he's clearly changing the approach

Let's wait a bit before deciding whether he's clearly changing the approach.

[K1 Lover]

Wojoish thought pattern.

Right. Because Wojo's career at Marquette was so much like Shaka's.

[K1 Lover]

Let's wait a bit before deciding whether he's clearly changing the approach.

If Shaka opting to use the portal doesn't represent a change to you, then I don't know what to tell you.

[Pakuni]

If Shaka opting to use the portal doesn't represent a change to you, then I don't know what to tell you.

Did I miss a big anouncement?
 
And even if/when he uses the portal, it's going to matter what kind of players he adds. If he's adding immediate starters, then that would represent a change.
Backups? Projects? Meh. More of the same.

[K1 Lover]

You don't keep an underperforming coach for fear of losing a player. That's very shortsighted. Did UNC worry about losing players when they fired Hubert Davis?

I don't think missing the tournament again costs Shaka his job, but another losing season probably should. And if he has back-to-back losing seasons with Nigel, why would you believe he couldn't have a third?

Some advice: check your assumptions.

You're assuming that what I'm saying is, "if next year is as poor as this season was, keeping NJ should take precedence over finding a new coach". Not only do I completely disagree with that, but I'm not saying that at all, because frankly, I don't think we'll be in that bad of a situation to begin with. I expect us to be a competitive bubble team that benefits from a rising NJ, hence why I said it wouldn't make sense to fire Shaka and therefore risk losing a player and team headed in the right direction, solely due to the black-and-white basis of missing the tournament which Zog insists on.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

https://x.com/i/status/2042559363580043434

[avid1010]

Did I miss a big anouncement?
 
And even if/when he uses the portal, it's going to matter what kind of players he adds. If he's adding immediate starters, then that would represent a change.
Backups? Projects? Meh. More of the same.

You don't keep an underperforming coach for fear of losing a player. That's very shortsighted. Did UNC worry about losing players when they fired Hubert Davis?

This makes the exact opposite point in my opinion.

1.  I fully support Shaka based on his overall success at MU.

2.  MU isn't UNC.  They can't fire Shaka, and drop bags and blue chip status on transfers.

3.  If UNC wanted Malone, why didn't they do it immediately.  They had to wait to get turned down from everyone else first.

So who is this coach that is going to replace Shaka and come in and bag a bunch of high skilled transfers next year at MU given where our NIL spend is at compared to others?

[GoldenEagles03]

https://x.com/i/status/2042559363580043434

He was born in 2002. Just thought I'd throw that out there for anyone getting ready to complain that he is a Freshman.

[Pakuni]

This makes the exact opposite point in my opinion.

1.  I fully support Shaka based on his overall success at MU.

2.  MU isn't UNC.  They can't fire Shaka, and drop bags and blue chip status on transfers.

3.  If UNC wanted Malone, why didn't they do it immediately.  They had to wait to get turned down from everyone else first.

So who is this coach that is going to replace Shaka and come in and bag a bunch of high skilled transfers next year at MU given where our NIL spend is at compared to others?

Keeping a failing coach - and consecutive losing seasons at Marquette is a failure - because you're afraid of who you can get to replace him is a loser mindset. Losing is better than the unknown, I guess.
And if you don't trust your AD to find a coach that can win, then you should probably fire him, too.

What's our NIL spend compared to others? Which others? Names and numbers, please.

[Billy Hoyle]

If Shaka opting to use the portal doesn't represent a change to you, then I don't know what to tell you.

It depends on how Shaka uses the Portal. Is he doing it by choice? Is he going into is half-hearted and only looking for players who won't play over his RGV poster boys, Hamilton and Clark?

"But look, he used the Portal" isn't enough to calm the concerns many of us have about the trajectory of the program.

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

He was born in 2002. Just thought I'd throw that out there for anyone getting ready to complain that he is a Freshman.

[Viper]

I find it amusing that a coach can firmly make the NCAA tournament in each of his first four years at a program (with a record of 3-4), but miss it once due to a bad season, and fans will immediately turn to saying that coach should be fired if he misses the tournament a second year in a row.

since 1/1/25 Shaka has coached MU to not even .500 ball. 5 or 6 games under, actually. Bad trend to end 24/25 with 25/26 historically bad. Yeah, suck in 26/27 he should be gone. As I'm sure you agree, this level of pro ball is a win now era like never before...losing places you in that out of sight out of mind camp, especially taking into account the $ involved...and quite frankly, why pay a HC $4M per to lose? A lot of programs would have let Shaka walk after our last game this season. At MU, he gets 26/27 to bounce back. Miss the tourney again next season, would you want him back? If so, why?

[Hards Alumni]

It depends on how Shaka uses the Portal. Is he doing it by choice? Is he going into is half-hearted and only looking for players who won't play over his RGV poster boys, Hamilton and Clark?

"But look, he used the Portal" isn't enough to calm the concerns many of us have about the trajectory of the program.

This is my primary concern as well.  Until we see what we've got in the next couple of weeks, I'm going to withhold crucifixion or praise.

Say it with me guys:

5 weeks to judge.

[tower912]

I am operating under the assumptions that MU's budget to pay the players on the men's basketball team is in the $15 million neighborhood.   Based on what appear to be market rates, as listed in that X post, I assume MU has between 6 and 7 million tied up in NJ, AS, and Royce.   I assume the other returnees and incoming freshmen account for another 4-5 million.   To me, that math means that MU has between 3 and 5 million available for the 3 remaining spots.