Shaka’s mess

[Mu8891]

Shaka has created a mess. And, unfortunately he and MU have tripled down on it ...

In the last few weeks MU had a big story in their Alumni magazine about Shaka and his refusal to use the portal. Worse yet, the NYT wrote an article on the same topic.

It seems to me that he and MU (Kimo) are just SO in love with being holier than all of college hoops that they have backed themselves into a serious corner.

This team is Shaka's , and the team is flat out terrible. He's assembled a roster that has ( at most ) four or five BE caliber players; Ross, Gold, James and Zaide.  After that ?  Meh.  Nothing

He wants the team to shoot tons of threes, but they CAN'T shoot ! They play no defense... they turn the ball over way too much... and oh - are so badly coached they can't get a shot off in 17 seconds!

I hope I'm wrong, but this is a .500 team at best.  Likely worse.

And now what ?  How does he change course? Or is he too stubborn? Does he change his mind and use the Portal?

The whole premise of outright refusal to use the portal is insane.  For us to
" trust Shaka " means we have to believe that he's smarter than every other D1 coach. Really... think about that. He knows better than Hurley, Pitino, IZZO, etc etc


Did he not see this coming ?  Does he think Hamilton is a BE center?  Why is Tre still on the team ?  And Owens? Just awful

Where does he go from here ?

[DoctorV]

Great questions, what do you suggest

[CountryRoads]

If the whole team (except for the seniors) entered the portal tonight, which players get scooped up by top 35 (at large level) teams?

[DoctorV]

If the whole team (except for the seniors) entered the portal tonight, which players get scooped up by top 35 (at large level) teams?

Nigel

Adrien should but he wouldn't

[LAZER]

Great questions, what do you suggest

Use the portal. Pretty obvious to me. Even if some guys develop this season and emerge as key contributors, I don't think that's enough to believe they're better off without the portal.

[jfp61]

People and media are gonna waste so much time screaming about how "Shaka needs to do transfers"

When really he needs to be grilled about why this team doesn't follow his culture doc, and why the talent of some of the players is questionable

[DoctorV]

People and media are gonna waste so much time screaming about how "Shaka needs to do transfers"

When really he needs to be grilled about why this team doesn't follow his culture doc, and why the talent of some of the players is questionable

Some people aren't smart enough, some not able enough, some not bright lights enough.

The ability to follow the culture doc isn't zero sum. You recruit elite players, you bring in some not as elite that you think will get it sooner than later, but at the end of the day you just don't know.

This year, the culture doc needs some friends to jump on the wagon and help row the sinking ship

[rocky_warrior]

the talent of some of the players is questionable

*some* is always questionable regardless of recruiting or portaling.

All except for 4-6 is the problem (at their current states of development).

[Mutaman]

I'm confused about something: when Shaka got here the first thing he did was convince Kolik  and Prosper to transfer into the program. After striking gold using this method, why did he suddenly decide to stop pursuing transfers? I don't get it.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I'm confused about something: when Shaka got here the first thing he did was convince Kolik  and Prosper to transfer into the program. After striking gold using this method, why did he suddenly decide to stop pursuing transfers? I don't get it.

The only way he could field an actual team his first year was with transfers. He had no other options.

[rocky_warrior]

The only way he could field an actual team his first year was with transfers. He had no other options.

That is not true.  Also, you pretend he couldn't spend the same $ on portal transfers as he does returning players (commiserate with class year).  Also not true.

[Pakuni]

The only way he could field an actual team his first year was with transfers. He had no other options.

That's fair, but that wasn't the question.
The question is, after striking gold in the transfer market, why did he decide that the transfer market is not for him? One might think he'd be willing to dip his toe into an area in which he had a great deal of success, especially relative to his high school recruiting.
I mean, his biggest transfer successes are TK, OMax and Morsell. His high school successes (to date) are Joplin, Chase, Gold.
Which way would you lean?

[DoctorV]

I'm confused about something: when Shaka got here the first thing he did was convince Kolik  and Prosper to transfer into the program. After striking gold using this method, why did he suddenly decide to stop pursuing transfers? I don't get it.

He knew very early that at Marquette, the way to win was to get old and stay old.

The first few years he struck gold when he got in the lab and brought in some elite transfers, and retained and coached up some Wojo recruits.

Then he brought in his own guys- guys in the 75-125 range in the rankings that would fit his retention yet not dropping heavy cash mold and grow old and stay old method.

He knows what he's doing, he has a plan, but like all of us he expected someone like Damarius to become a star, and Royce to follow suit. He expected more out of almost everyone on this roster, and he's been let down.

So, now he has to adjust

[Vander Blue Man Group]

That is not true.  Also, you pretend he couldn't spend the same $ on portal transfers as he does returning players (commiserate with class year).  Also not true.

Please share the roster he would have had his first season if he didn't include transfers.

I don't pretend a thing. Not sure where you're getting that sh*t from.

[Mr. Nielsen]

I'm confused about something: when Shaka got here the first thing he did was convince Kolik  and Prosper to transfer into the program. After striking gold using this method, why did he suddenly decide to stop pursuing transfers? I don't get it.

The end of Skaka first season ended rough. Shaka talked about culture. Was he talking about Kur Kuath & Darryl Morsell? I don't know. Makes you wonder.

[rocky_warrior]

Please share the roster he would have had his first season if he didn't include transfers.

I don't pretend a thing. Not sure where you're getting that sh*t from.

First year.  I'm not saying it would have been good (much like this year) , but he could have had a team without transfers.

Sh*t? Likely from how far you've got your head up Shaka's A$$

[lostpassword]

He knows what he's doing, he has a plan, but like all of us he expected someone like Damarius to become a star, and Royce to follow suit. He expected more out of almost everyone on this roster, and he's been let down.

This.  I'd add Hamilton and S. Jones as well.  Someone else remarked after Maryland, but it seems the staff had convinced themselves Jones and Hamilton were the breaktrough stars this year.  Far from it.

[CountryRoads]

First year.  I'm not saying it would have been good (much like this year) , but he could have had a team without transfers.

Sh*t? Likely from how far you've got your head up Shaka's A$$

"We would have loved to have 3 project redshirt freshmen, but unfortunately we had to field a team so we instead we got a fringe lottery pick, a top 40 pick and all American, the big ten defensive player of the year, and another 7 foot senior."

[Vander Blue Man Group]

First year.  I'm not saying it would have been good (much like this year) , but he could have had a team without transfers.

Sh*t? Likely from how far you've got your head up Shaka's A$$

I suppose I could have said "competitive team" but it seemed pretty logical that was inferred, unless someone just wanted to be pedantic.

Yeah, sh*t. Comprehension seems to be an issue for you. My head is not up his a**. All I've ever said is based on how he's described his approach, that he's not going to use the portal aside from specific and unlikely circumstances. 

[rocky_warrior]

Comprehension seems to be an issue for you.

I don't think I'm the problem here. 

[Mutaman]

I don't think I'm the problem here. 

Well to be fair, this team hasn't been the same since the dentists were run off. Coinkydink?

[GB Warrior]

He knew very early that at Marquette, the way to win was to get old and stay old.

The first few years he struck gold when he got in the lab and brought in some elite transfers, and retained and coached up some Wojo recruits.

Then he brought in his own guys- guys in the 75-125 range in the rankings that would fit his retention yet not dropping heavy cash mold and grow old and stay old method.

He knows what he's doing, he has a plan, but like all of us he expected someone like Damarius to become a star, and Royce to follow suit. He expected more out of almost everyone on this roster, and he's been let down.

So, now he has to adjust

With respect to this year's team, what did he know and when did he know it?

[brewcity77]

Did he not see this coming ?  Does he think Hamilton is a BE center?  Why is Tre still on the team ?  And Owens? Just awful

Where does he go from here ?

This is one of my biggest worries. Shaka talked up Caedin every chance he got. Has compared his passing to Oso. That is either a gross misevaluation and a completely unfair expectation to put on the kid.

This comes after hearing since January that Sean was ready and would be a difference maker. Owens was supposed to be sixth starter good last year. Norman wasn't remotely one of the biggest problems yesterday, but overall he's never met the expectation coming in.

In order for RGV to work, if we're redshirting 3, you need around a 75% hit rate on recruits. 12 scholarships, 9 guys to contribute (8 man rotation + 1 good enough to offset injuries). Doesn't seem like much is expected of freshmen Clark or Phillips this year, so that's two that are misses for this season. Norman, Owens, Parham, Hamilton, and SJ are all not matching production expectations based on previous Shaka era players in the same stage of development.

I don't see how this model works with that many evaluation misses, or how it gets better next year with Ross & Gold leaving.

[Stretchdeltsig]

Shaka has created a mess. And, unfortunately he and MU have tripled down on it ...

In the last few weeks MU had a big story in their Alumni magazine about Shaka and his refusal to use the portal. Worse yet, the NYT wrote an article on the same topic.

It seems to me that he and MU (Kimo) are just SO in love with being holier than all of college hoops that they have backed themselves into a serious corner.

This team is Shaka's , and the team is flat out terrible. He's assembled a roster that has ( at most ) four or five BE caliber players; Ross, Gold, James and Zaide.  After that ?  Meh.  Nothing

He wants the team to shoot tons of threes, but they CAN'T shoot ! They play no defense... they turn the ball over way too much... and oh - are so badly coached they can't get a shot off in 17 seconds!

I hope I'm wrong, but this is a .500 team at best.  Likely worse.

And now what ?  How does he change course? Or is he too stubborn? Does he change his mind and use the Portal?

The whole premise of outright refusal to use the portal is insane.  For us to
" trust Shaka " means we have to believe that he's smarter than every other D1 coach. Really... think about that. He knows better than Hurley, Pitino, IZZO, etc etc


Did he not see this coming ?  Does he think Hamilton is a BE center?  Why is Tre still on the team ?  And Owens? Just awful

Where does he go from here ?

.

You sound like its the end of the world. The sky is falling. For God's sake calm down. Let this team develop. Shaka will coach and mold them into a competitive group. Hang in there.

[MuggsyB]

There's no doubt things look pretty bleak. I get Sean got injured but the truth is we have in many ways looked worse since the IU game.  There's just not a lot of things we do well offensively, and defensively we've been absolutely awful.  Depending on steals to win games is a recipe for disaster.  Losing the game yesterday with Dayton coughing it up like crazy amplifies how this isn't a winning formula. 

I thought our speed and depth would be our calling card, but clearly we have fewer guys capable of major contributions than I thought.  Worse, I don't see much growth whatsoever from our returning guys.  Chase to a degree, but no one else has looked better at all. 

We can't shoot, but more importantly can't pass or create opportunities in our h-c offense.  NJ will get there, but when we do attack and there's no open space, we seemingly have no idea what to do.  It's astonishing.  We just play off of one foot and hope to draw fouls or brick inside.  Our spacing is garbage and our vision and movement off the ball is worse.

Defensively, we have to fully 🪓 the hard hedge imo.  It's killing us.  We're also atrocious at getting around screens and screening on offense.  Fundamentally this tean is truly awful, there's no way to sugarcoat it.  So when I look at remedies for this group, I'm sadly at a loss.  The probs are immense right now and it's extremely depressing.