Empty Calories

[Viper]

Playing to your seed is tough when you're a 2 seed. Making an Elite 8 is always tough, 1 seed, 2 seed, whoever. And we've otherwise had an 8 and 10 seed. Those games aren't quite tossups, but they're close.

I'll take getting the best seed in program history in back to back years with disappointing results in years 2 and 3 and then a bit of a step back in year 4. A step back was always coming.

Questioning the identity of our program after going 8 seed, 2 seed, 2 seed, 7 seed in Shaka's first 4 years is a choice. But hey, it's Scoop.

it's about wins in March. Folks have expectations. Nothing wrong with that. Marquette is an exceptional basketball program. Seeds? Ok. But it's about wins, in March. Ncaat wins. I loved that regular season conf title. Seems long ago at this point. Things change quickly. Taking a step back, already? You see the team, the roster. You know as well as anyone that if nothing changes YOY, nothing changes YOY.

[Viper]

Do you think the portal is a guarantee?

How'd that go for IU and Kansas this season?

maybe so, but let's try it

[PointWarrior]

Roster construction and building year to year is much different now than it was even four years ago. The portal allows teams to stay competitive every year.

The CoS believes no portal player could ever be better than one of Shaka's recruits.

[StillWarriors]

In 2 of the 3 Tournaments that are completed so far the team we have lost to made it to the Final Four. And the third was to a Tom Izzo coached team, who notoriously overperforms in March.

After 7 years of no Tourney wins you'd think our fanbase would appreciate having legitimate shots to make runs. But instead we just cry. Sure it's frustrating losing in the Tournament. But much like Texas, careful what you wish for.

And "most teams play to seed" is just wildly inaccurate. When do we ever have Elite 8s of 1s and 2s?

Last year was a frustrating lost opportunity. People seem to be forgetting Kolek's thumb injury likely played a huge part in the poor performance against MSU. He had been playing at such a high level consistently prior to that.

[Viper]

Except when it doesn't of course.

Look, I am hardly against the portal. However I am for trusting the coach who has been hired to lead the program until he proves he shouldn't be.

And he hasn't.

Sultan, this team went 3-7 vs StJ, UConn, CU and X and is once again a quick ncaat out. I know you know what returns. You know the incoming recruits. Trusting Shaka to make the changes necessary to go next level, i.e. consistent ncaat 2nd weekend? Not sure I do at this point. I'm not convinced Shaka will adapt and adjust. I feel like MU is stuck in 'he's better than Wojo'.

[Viper]

Who was the back-up 4/5 that would have made a big difference, genius?

You have so much tunnel vision it's comical.

why can't you make points and counter points without being so argumentative all the time? Plus, the name calling. What's up with that? Seriously? Are you like this in your home life? At the office? You call a sales guy a 'Bif' if he falls short of goal? IT guy idea gets met with 'dork'? Come on, man!

[panda2.0]

The CoS believes no portal player could ever be better than one one Shaka recruits.
[/quote

The CoS believes no portal player could ever be better than one one Shaka recruits.

It is very odd, because some of our best players in the Shaka era are portal guys.

I do believe Shaka is much smarter than the mopes on this board and will utilize the portal this off season to make this team competive next year.

[83ENG]

Early season wins against Wisconsin and Maryland was fools gold. Team lost Kolek and Oso and replaced them with sophomores and freshman who contributed little. The idea that we were going to make a tournament run without any inside game was suspect at best. Not enough weapons to compete in the tournament. Ok results in a somewhat down Big East. Probably what we should have expected.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Sultan, this team went 3-7 vs StJ, UConn, CU and X and is once again a quick ncaat out. I know you know what returns. You know the incoming recruits. Trusting Shaka to make the changes necessary to go next level, i.e. consistent ncaat 2nd weekend? Not sure I do at this point. I'm not convinced Shaka will adapt and adjust. I feel like MU is stuck in 'he's better than Wojo'.

Being better than Wojo is a low bar.  Shaka is MUCH, MUCH better than Wojo. 

It's fair to have concerns about next year's roster - there are a lot of questions.  That's also part of the intrigue to me. 

It's fair to question the tourney performance. I'm much less disappointed in last night's loss than what happened the previous two seasons, where we had our best player hurt and then the following season go 4-31 from 3.  I personally have a hard time putting those losses entirely on Shaka. 

I also think some lack perspective and patience and don't take into account how a perceived quick fix could either backfire or have negative ramifications. 

Maybe staying the course next season results in a step back but then leads to a huge step forward the following season. Why is this never a consideration?

I expect a tourney berth every season but I think people expecting top 4 seeds year in and year out are delusional.  People that don't realize that progress isn't linear are delusional. 

[wadesworld]

Texas since Shaka left Texas for Marquette:
2022: 6-seed, beat 11, lost to 3.
2023: 2-seed, beat 15, beat 10, beat 3, lost to 5.
2024: 7-seed, beat 10, lost to 2.
2025: 11-seed, lost to 11.

So that's 5 wins for Texas vs 3 wins for Shaka.
Texas has advanced farther in the tournament than Shaka (E8 vs S16)
Texas has beaten a 3. Shaka's best win is a 10.

So what's your point?

They made one run with a coach they're about to fire. 3rd coach coming since Shaka left 4 years ago.

[Dish]

To be clear, I'm not calling for Shaka to be fired. The below tweet takes into account his run to the Final Four with VCU, and he's still dead last in March seed expectations. I don't know if it's coaching to a marathon and not a sprint, stubbornness to roster build, or just plain bad luck.

https://x.com/wezekowitz/status/1903261765867028538?s=46&t=nX9__T6F5tmMsEFTze2ANQ

[Pakuni]

They made one run with a coach they're about to fire. 3rd coach coming since Shaka left 4 years ago.

Little misleading, don't you think?

[wadesworld]

Little misleading, don't you think?

What's misleading about it?

[Pakuni]

What's misleading about it?

We both know that if not for an off-court incident, the guy who replaced Shaka would still be there, and probably thriving there.

And you're implying that Texas is somehow flailing/struggling/regressing in the post-Shaka era. That's not true.
In reality, they've won 5 tournament games in four years post-Shaka vs 0 in five years with Shaka (excluding the COVID tournament).
They've finished the season ranked twice, vs once with Shaka.
They've averaged 22.8 wins per season post Shaka; averaged 17.8 in the four full seasons (i.e. not COVID-impacted) with him.

Go do a poll on a Texas board about whether they regret letting Shaka go.

[wadesworld]

We both know that if not for an off-court incident, the guy who replaced Shaka would still be there, and probably thriving there.

And you're implying that Texas is somehow flailing/struggling/regressing in the post-Shaka era. That's not true.
In reality, they've won 5 tournament games in four years post-Shaka vs 0 in five years with Shaka (excluding the COVID tournament).
They've finished the season ranked twice, vs once with Shaka.
They've averaged 22.8 wins per season post Shaka; averaged 17.8 in the four full seasons (i.e. not COVID-impacted) with him.

Go do a poll on a Texas board about whether they regret letting Shaka go.

Which changes, what, exactly? Will they not be looking for their 3rd coach since Shaka left? I'm confused about what was misleading here.

The coach they replaced Shaka with beat his girlfriend and got fired. The guy that took over his roster in the interim went on one Tournament run. They're now about to fire him. It'll be the...third coach since he left.

[manny31]

Empty calories make Scoopers cranky..

[willie warrior]

Empty calories make Scoopers cranky..

Sort of like a really empty season. Disappointing season. Frustrating season.

[Pakuni]

Which changes, what, exactly? Will they not be looking for their 3rd coach since Shaka left? I'm confused about what was misleading here.

The coach they replaced Shaka with beat his girlfriend and got fired. The guy that took over his roster in the interim went on one Tournament run. They're now about to fire him. It'll be the...third coach since he left.

To quote you, "much like Texas, careful what you wish for."
Texas fans aren't regretting what they wished for.

[NickelDimer]

Love Shaka as much as any coach since I've been alive but...not great
https://x.com/jonathanwieser/status/1903259151884529878?s=46

[GoldenEagles03]

Love Shaka as much as any coach since I've been alive but...not great
https://x.com/jonathanwieser/status/1903259151884529878?s=46

None of that matters at all to Marquette

[NickelDimer]

None of that matters at all to Marquette

Maybe you didn't actually read the tweet. This is a pattern that he needs to break
https://x.com/jonathanwieser/status/1903259152958304720?s=46

[GoldenEagles03]

Maybe you didn't actually read the tweet. This is a pattern that he needs to break
https://x.com/jonathanwieser/status/1903259152958304720?s=46

Again. Doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is what he does here, and he's done well in just 4 seasons.

4 tournaments.
A second weekend appearance.
1 Big East Regular Season Title.
1 Big East Tournament Title.

[NickelDimer]

Again. Doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is what he does here, and he's done well in just 4 seasons.

4 tournaments.
A second weekend appearance.
1 Big East Regular Season Title.
1 Big East Tournament Title.

Not sure who you think you speak for but it's not "Marquette" nor anyone else. So if you'd said it doesn't matter to you that's cool but I think his history of early exits to lower seeds matters a lot to many

[GoldenEagles03]

Not sure who you think you speak for but it's not "Marquette" nor anyone else. So if you'd said it doesn't matter to you that's cool but I think his history of early exits to lower seeds matters a lot to many

Your 1st message showed results from VCU and Texas lmao

[NickelDimer]

Your 1st message showed results from VCU and Texas lmao

Do you know how to operate tweets? Also you didn't answer my question.