Chip a wa-y to win

[tower912]

Or, sign a 4 star seven footer, get him to skip his final year of high school, and pay him to redshirt and develop with the players, coaches, and training staff.

[wadesworld]

Or, sign a 4 star seven footer, get him to skip his final year of high school, and pay him to redshirt and develop with the players, coaches, and training staff.

Right.  Shaka misplayed his hand this season.  Let's see how he responds before we decide a guy with a Final Four to his name and some great results in his first four seasons here doesn't know what he's doing in this era of college basketball.

[MU82]

Sure.

Chad Venning. Averaged double figures at Boston College as a grad transfer after leaving St. Bonaventure.

Baba Miller. Though I guess we don't have the money to out bid Florida Atlantic.

David Skogman, a Wisconsin kid and grad transfer who averaged 6 and 5 for DePaul after averaging 13 and 5 as a senior (or maybe we can't outbid DePaul).

There are three guys who could have contributed more than Hamilton and Clark to a team that badly needed a center that may have prevented a first-round exit last year.

In this new era of college basketball, playing the long game and hoping for development isn't like it was 5 years ago

20/20 hindsight.

But sure, Shaka could have had both Venning and Clark on last year's 15-man roster, with Venning giving us valuable minutes and Clark redshirting. But what we really needed last year IMHO was a veteran backup PG and better shooting. Of course, that's 20/20 hindsight on my part, because Shaka thought Jones was coming back and didn't foresee Kam and Jop suddenly being unable to hit 3s.

Again though, sorry for actually saying something positive about one player ... which you interpreted as "anointing" him.

[tower912]

It is all hindsight.  And, not to single you out, but it is fan fiction hindsight based on a model that Shaka has so far chosen not to use.

If the Brewers had just signed Ohtani...

[Shooter McGavin]

Right.  Shaka misplayed his hand this season.  Let's see how he responds before we decide a guy with a Final Four to his name and some great results in his first four seasons here doesn't know what he's doing in this era of college basketball.

Yep, just have to reset expectations this year and maybe, but hopefully not, next.  The player assessments weren't spot on for the Senior and Junior classes aside from Chase.  The sophomore class assessment is TBD. 

If the sophomores develop this year into special players and Shaka has truly hit on the freshman (which it looks like he may have) and the following class, MU will be back to a top 25 level team within the next two to three years. 

I'm willing to be patient.  Shaka is not a good, but a great representative of our University.  I personally think it may have been difficult to recruit behind 3 and 4 year All-American/NBA players.  But I know that's an excuse and doubt that Shaka thinks that way.

If Shaka can accelerate the time frame back to a top 25 team through the portal if a couple players leave, great!  If not, I'll still be watching.

If somehow this team turns it around this year and develops enough to be a tournament team, then I will reiterate that it will be his best coaching job at Marquette and likely will blow away the job he did to win the Big East title.

[The Sultan]

20/20 hindsight.

It is all hindsight. 

Of course, but Spaniel asked Billy for names. So he gave him names. It was meant to be hindsight!

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Given his proven ability to identify somewhat overlooked/underrated gems in the transfer market, shouldn't we have faith that Shaka can find portal players who would succeed at Marquette?
His hit rate on transfers at MU has been much better than on high schoolers, no?

I think you may be overestimating the importance of minutes. Sure, kids want to play. But they also want to be on good teams with postseason possibilities, in good environments and with good coaches, teammates and support staff. If 25 mpg at BC or DePaul is more appealing than 18 mpg at Marquette, then we're doing something wrong.

It's true that I might be overestimating the importance of minutes but it might depend on the kid and their individual goals.  I think the majority that transfer are doing so for a bigger role and more minutes.  Additionally, NIL is a consideration because of Shaka's philosophy.

If Shaka went into the portal I think he would do fairly well.  However, for example, it's not like most envisioned OMax being a first round pick 2 years after averaging 2PPG at Clemson. 

The staff needs to take an honest look in the mirror about why things have unfolded like they have this season

Both recruiting and development need to improve because there's a slim margin for error with this approach. 

[Scoop Snoop]

Both recruiting and development need to improve because there's a slim margin for error with this approach. 

This one sentence explains many of Marquette's current problems in a nutshell.

[Pakuni]

It is all hindsight.  And, not to single you out, but it is fan fiction hindsight based on a model that Shaka has so far chosen not to use.

If the Brewers had just signed Ohtani...

The Brewers didn't choose not to sign Ohtani. He was never an option. If he were an option and the Brewers said, "Nah, we're going to build rosters exclusively through our farm system," then I imagine they'd be criticized for that.

[Markusquette]

The Brewers didn't choose not to sign Ohtani. He was never an option. If he were an option and the Brewers said, "Nah, we're going to build rosters exclusively through our farm system," then I imagine they'd be criticized for that.

Such a laughable comparison

[The Sultan]

The Brewers didn't choose not to sign Ohtani. He was never an option. If he were an option and the Brewers said, "Nah, we're going to build rosters exclusively through our farm system," then I imagine they'd be criticized for that.

Not only that, but the Brewers have largely built their teams through trades. Not drafting and developing.

[brewcity77]

FWIW, 9 of the other 10 Big East programs start big men who transferred into their programs. Providence is the lone exception with a top-40 (or so) big man Oswin Erhunwumse, who does platoon with transfer big man Cole Hargrove.

If literally every other Big East program can find a big to play major minutes in the middle, I'm sure we could find someone who could at least provide positive contributions in our system.

[wadesworld]

FWIW, 9 of the other 10 Big East programs start big men who transferred into their programs. Providence is the lone exception with a top-40 (or so) big man Oswin Erhunwumse, who does platoon with transfer big man Cole Hargrove.

If literally every other Big East program can find a big to play major minutes in the middle, I'm sure we could find someone who could at least provide positive contributions in our system.

Aren't we crying about how awful the Big East is and has been the last couple of years around here?

[The Sultan]

Aren't we crying about how awful the Big East is and has been the last couple of years around here?

Well, if we finish in the bottom half, what does that tell you?

[wadesworld]

Well, if we finish in the bottom half, what does that tell you?

It tells you that Shaka didn't put together a good enough roster.  And that some mediocre center transfer probably wouldn't have changed that.

[The Sultan]

It tells you that Shaka didn't put together a good enough roster.  And that some mediocre center transfer probably wouldn't have changed that.

Right. So how do you correct your "good enough" roster for the future? You can recruit more 18 year olds, recruit transfers who have proven they can play at the D1 level, or a combination of both.

Right now we are only doing the first.

[wadesworld]

Right. So how do you correct your "good enough" roster for the future? You can recruit more 18 year olds, recruit transfers who have proven they can play at the D1 level, or a combination of both.

Right now we are only doing the first.

Yup.  But I'm not going to sit here and cry because all but 1 other team in the Big East, almost all of who we think aren't doing enough, were willing to bring in a transfer center.  Or cry because even Providence took a "star" transfer - when their results are more or less the same we've had this year.

I'll trust that Shaka will figure it out.  He has a lot to lose if he doesn't, and seems to be a pretty competitive guy who likes winning games.

[The Sultan]

Yup.  But I'm not going to sit here and cry because all but 1 other team in the Big East, who almost all of who we think aren't doing enough, were willing to bring in a transfer center.  Or cry because even Providence took a "star" transfer - when their results are more or less the same we've had this year.

No one is crying. People are concerned that this year's roster isn't competitive enough and believe that there are ways that it could have been prevented. Sure there are some engaging in hyperbole, but most of the discussion has been pretty level headed and reasonable.

[WhiteTrash]

I'm like Shaka, old school. The best ways always prevail in the end.
+No freshmen on varsity, no dunking, no transfers, and quality set shots.

[brewcity77]

Aren't we crying about how awful the Big East is and has been the last couple of years around here?

This literally has nothing to do with what I posted.