What would make you show Shaka the door in March?

[panda]

Shift the goal posts?  Laughable as you invented a scenario of John Scheyer quitting Duke to try to find an example of where Shaka wouldn't be at the top of the list for a call.  Also, nice to throw out another blueblood (KU) who just got $300M donated to their athletic department.

Question:  Do you think the LSU football program and MU basketball program are in the same hierarchy of prestige as coaching destinations within their sport?

Why would TJ Otzelberger leave Iowa State?  And you think Chris F'in Gerlufsen is a more attractive coaching candidate than Shaka??  Thanks for confirming you are clueless.

What will your opinion of Shaka be if he retains the majority of this years roster going into next season?

[Pakuni]

Shift the goal posts?  Laughable as you invented a scenario of John Scheyer quitting Duke to try to find an example of where Shaka wouldn't be at the top of the list for a call.  Also, nice to throw out another blueblood (KU) who just got $300M donated to their athletic department.

You're the guy who literally wrote that Shaka would be a "top candidate" to "all" P4 job openings. Don't backtrack now. Own it.

Question:  Do you think the LSU football program and MU basketball program are in the same hierarchy of prestige as coaching destinations within their sport?

That's irrelevant to your point. You claimed that good coaches will avoid going to places where their predecessor was fired despite past success. That's clearly false. Coaches get fired all the time despite past success. And good coaches replace them all the time.

Why would TJ Otzelberger leave Iowa State?

For the same reason Matt Campbell did. Do you think Iowa State is his forever job?

And you think Chris F'in Gerlufsen is a more attractive coaching candidate than Shaka??  Thanks for confirming you are clueless.

If Shaka refuses or is unable to adapt and/or the program continues on its current trajectory, yes, Chris Gerlufsen is a more attractive coaching candidate. I mean, you'd have to be an idiot to hire a highly successful coach from a program like San Francisco. Just ask Florida.

And as always, when Ners loses, he resorts to petty insults.

[Elonsmusk]

What will your opinion of Shaka be if he retains the majority of this years roster going into next season?

I'd be disappointed if he didn't bring in at least 1 proven contributor to help bridge the gap in development of Nigel, Adrien, Phillips, Ian, Nash Walker, Alex Egbouno, and Sheek.

I'm okay with Sean Jones as a backup PG, and Zaide being in the mix if he sticks around.  I'd probably vote to keep Caedin over Tre just because we are deeper at guard than in the frontcourt - and I still think Caedin can develop into a serviceable 15-20 minute Big East player.

But, if he keeps all of them, and all want to stay - I won't begrudge Shaka for staying the course to honor the promise of RGV to those players.  However, the RGV branding needs to fade to the background, and not be at the forefront of our program at this specific moment in time until we return to being an NCAA team.

[Elonsmusk]

You're the guy who literally wrote that Shaka would be a "top candidate" to "all" P4 job openings. Don't backtrack now. Own it.


That's irrelevant to your point. You claimed that good coaches will avoid going to places where their predecessor was fired despite past success. That's clearly false. Coaches get fired all the time despite past success. And good coaches replace them all the time.

For the same reason Matt Campbell did. Do you think Iowa State is his forever job?


If Shaka refuses or is unable to adapt and/or the program continues on its current trajectory, yes, Chris Gerlufsen is a more attractive coaching candidate. I mean, you'd have to be an idiot to hire a highly successful coach from a program like San Francisco. Just ask Florida.

And as always, when Ners loses, he resorts to petty insults.

The only poster losing here, is you.  Chris Gerlfusen?  A guy whose high water mark in 4 years as a coach at San Fran is 66 in KenPom last year, and he's at 97 this year?

Matt Campbell??  WTF are you comparing college football programs to college basketball?  Last post it was LSU football to Marquette hoops.  Now its Iowa State football coach?  But yet again, do you think Penn State football holds a higher stature on the college football landscape than Marquette does in college basketball?

I think most honest sports fans could understand a college football coach preferring to take the Penn State job versus continuing in an inferior conference at an inferior program.  And most honest sports fans would say the head coach of Penn State football is a higher profile, more desirable job than being the Marquette basketball coach.

And as for all openings at the end of the season comment - making up a scenario where John Scheyer quits Duke, the biggest blueblood of them all, to try to discredit my post that said Shaka would be at the top of the list of Power 4 openings this offseason - that's a perfect straw man argument.  But, that's all you've got, because your way out over your skis once again - just like you were when you thought Wojo was gonna be a great coach for MU!

[JTJ3]

The Otz talk is the same reason Campbell left, NIL and Rev Share resources.  Iowa State is having major issues with it right now.  Otz was ready to leave due to it last offseason.

I'm not saying Otz would come home, but he has the Milwaukee connections so it makes sense.  And he'd have more resources here to work with.  He would be the first call.

[panda]

I'd be disappointed if he didn't bring in at least 1 proven contributor to help bridge the gap in development of Nigel, Adrien, Phillips, Ian, Nash Walker, Alex Egbouno, and Sheek.

I'm okay with Sean Jones as a backup PG, and Zaide being in the mix if he sticks around.  I'd probably vote to keep Caedin over Tre just because we are deeper at guard than in the frontcourt - and I still think Caedin can develop into a serviceable 15-20 minute Big East player.

But, if he keeps all of them, and all want to stay - I won't begrudge Shaka for staying the course to honor the promise of RGV to those players.  However, the RGV branding needs to fade to the background, and not be at the forefront of our program at this specific moment in time until we return to being an NCAA team.

Your big change to the team from this season is to remove the RGV branding, bring in one player and stick with Caedin Hamilton??

You've officially lost the plot 

[brewcity77]

MU needs Shaka far more than Shaka needs MU. 

I'll be honest, after 7 years of Wojo, I NEVER would've pegged you as the blind faith, coach walks on water, dedicated slurper you've become. Good lord, we can't even have a good faith discussion about the state of the program under Shaka without you getting apoplectic in lemming support. Of all the people...

[Elonsmusk]

I'll be honest, after 7 years of Wojo, I NEVER would've pegged you as the blind faith, coach walks on water, dedicated slurper you've become. Good lord, we can't even have a good faith discussion about the state of the program under Shaka without you getting apoplectic in lemming support. Of all the people...

LOL - I'll slurp a winner like Shaka who has some skins on the wall, brought a lot of success to MU, and is trying to navigate the rapidly changing landscape of college basketball in a way that he felt could make success sustainable at MU.

A loser like Wojo?  Not a chance.  Help me understand why for 5 years you preached patience with Wojo, but 2 months in for Shaka, after massively exceeding anything Wojo did in their first four years on the job, respectively - you are among the leaders of the Shaka sucks sentiment?

You have patience to back losers, but fly off the rails when a winner struggles?  And do you recall if we pursued Owen Freeman in the portal this past off season?  You do realize just because you pursue a player, doesn't mean you land them, correct?

[MU82]

It's not 2023 any more. If Shaka were a stock, he'd be more Pfizer than Nvidia.
Recency bias weighs heavily in coaching searches, and a coach coming off a 18- to 20-loss season in the Big East isn't going to be a hot name on the P4 carousel. And that's not even considering Shaka's stance on transfers and agents. You think Kentucky is hiring a guy who says "I don't talk to agents"?

This.

Shaka has made a brand out of being the one non-portal guy among all high-major coaches. He's been vocal about it and  proud of it. In the days leading up to this season, our university president was crowing about how we're doing things "right" because under Shaka, Marquette is the non-portal, recruit-develop-retain basketball school.

The current version of Shaka would have 0% chance to land a job at any major school that takes pride in its basketball program.

Would Shaka change his philosophy to land a good P5 job? Maybe, he has changed his philosophy before. (And now we all wish he would do so again at Marquette.) Could he convince a school president and AD to hire the New Improved Happy-To-Portal Shaka, even coming off a disastrous season here? Maybe, he's a good salesperson.

But this current, Marquette version of Shaka? A blueblood would laugh at the prospect, as would most "basketball schools." He has severely, perhaps even fatally, damaged this particular brand of his. Even Ners knows it, though he tippy-toes around it.

[GoldenEagles03]

This.

Shaka has made a brand out of being the one non-portal guy among all high-major coaches. He's been vocal about it and  proud of it. In the days leading up to this season, our university president was crowing about how we're doing things "right" because under Shaka, Marquette is the non-portal, recruit-develop-retain basketball school.

The current version of Shaka would have 0% chance to land a job at any major school that takes pride in its basketball program.

Would Shaka change his philosophy to land a good P5 job? Maybe, he has changed his philosophy before. (And now we all wish he would do so again at Marquette.) Could he convince a school president and AD to hire the New Improved Happy-To-Portal Shaka, even coming off a disastrous season here? Maybe, he's a good salesperson.

But this current, Marquette version of Shaka? A blueblood would laugh at the prospect, as would most "basketball schools." He has severely, perhaps even fatally, damaged this particular brand of his. Even Ners knows it, though he tippy-toes around it.

Marquette should laugh at it as well but I'm afraid they are in too deep with it too.

We got the Freshman of the Year in A-10, an NBA player from Clemson, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and a Starting Center from Oklahoma in one portal session with Kolek, Prosper, Morsell, and Kuath. One session!

That could happen every year and probably should when we have years like this. I hope they can successfully reset.

[Billy Hoyle]

Tyler Nickel, the one transfer we were mentioned with, is also having a good year at Vanderbilt. 15ppg on almost 50% shooting from 3. Top 20 team.

well there's the problem. Our academic standards are too high so he had to settle for Vanderbilt.

[Billy Hoyle]

Thanks for making my point about some MU fans being ignorant.  Tom Crean hit the lottery with a kid who couldn't qualify academically and three options - Illinois State, DePaul and Marquette - He certainly couldn't sustain any kind of success at MU, and also didn't see MU as a forever job - even with The Al McGuire Center an the vast "resources" at MU.

Buzz Williams?  Best coach since Al, yet MU brass and those self righteous fans sent him packing due to off court issues.

You are delusional if you don't think Shaka would be at the top of the list for any/all off season coaching openings in the Power 4.

Yes, TC had two down years after the Final Four, yet we were on the bubble each year, and probably in the tourney before Travis went down in 2005, leaving us with no PG because Niv Berkowitz tucked tail back home and Brandon Bell was shown the door and sent packing for Detroit. How did Crean react? The Amigos, after we stepped up in competition by joining the Big East, went to three straight tourneys (the Jerel injury killed us in 2007).

Buzz could have stayed; in fact, he had all the power after he got rid of Larry Williams, but he decided he couldn't win at MU because of the NBE's formation and us not having football. He bailed when he was afraid the going was going to get tough. And don't blame MU, he had everything he wanted at Va Tech and A&M and still left. That's who he is.

[MU82]

So was he misleading or did he actually believe his guys improved?

That's a legit question. Either would not be good.

He did say during the Creighton post-game presser that several guys practice better than they play, perhaps suggesting that they are still fooling him.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

That's a legit question. Either would not be good.

He did say during the Creighton post-game presser that several guys practice better than they play, perhaps suggesting that they are still fooling him.

I think he has seen enough games to see who have a better chance to produce and I can't believe he isn't getting staff in his ear

[Billy Hoyle]

I want to give Shaka the benefit of the doubt, but this is a massive dropoff. It's a worse drop-off from the previous season and from expectations than Deane's fifth year. At least that team beat some power 4 programs.

[brewcity77]

You have patience to back losers, but fly off the rails when a winner struggles?  And do you recall if we pursued Owen Freeman in the portal this past off season?  You do realize just because you pursue a player, doesn't mean you land them, correct?

I'm not off the rails. The simple reality is Shaka has built his program around RGV and it is clearly a failed model, and he can't retool the roster the way it needs to be retooled without betraying everything he's said the last 4 years. I take him at his word, which means either he compromises his morals and promises to players, he doesn't compromise and we continue to suck, or he leaves.

I don't think he'll do the first option, I don't think the second is acceptable, which leaves only the third. It's not that he's not capable, it's that he's painted himself into a corner and can't stay at Marquette and quickly turn this around without betraying all the trust he's built up.

And no, we didn't pursue Owen Freeman or any other transfers. We haven't seriously pursued a D1 transfer in years.

[Elonsmusk]

I'm not off the rails. The simple reality is Shaka has built his program around RGV and it is clearly a failed model, and he can't retool the roster the way it needs to be retooled without betraying everything he's said the last 4 years. I take him at his word, which means either he compromises his morals and promises to players, he doesn't compromise and we continue to suck, or he leaves.

I don't think he'll do the first option, I don't think the second is acceptable, which leaves only the third. It's not that he's not capable, it's that he's painted himself into a corner and can't stay at Marquette and quickly turn this around without betraying all the trust he's built up.

And no, we didn't pursue Owen Freeman or any other transfers. We haven't seriously pursued a D1 transfer in years.

Well the good news is for a measured guy like you (who apparently isn't off the rails) and who formerly preached patience, and gave Wojo 5 years - Shaka will have 5 years to show that he's getting things on the right "trajectory."  He, far more than a guy like Wojo, should get 5 years, since he's already accomplished a crap ton at MU in his first 4 years.

So, lets call this Year 1 of Wojo, essentially.  To argue Shaka has to fix it in one year is silly - much like you, TAMU and other Projos suggested needing to give Wojo time to improve versus firing him after 1 or 2 years - and he didn't even have any skins on the wall for credentials of a Final Four, Sweet 16, 4 straight NCAAs at MU out of the gate before tailing off.

[Pakuni]

Well the good news is for a measured guy like you (who apparently isn't off the rails) and who formerly preached patience, and gave Wojo 5 years - Shaka will have 5 years to show that he's getting things on the right "trajectory."  He, far more than a guy like Wojo, should get 5 years, since he's already accomplished a crap ton at MU in his first 4 years.

So, lets call this Year 1 of Wojo, essentially.  To argue Shaka has to fix it in one year is silly - much like you, TAMU and other Projos suggested needing to give Wojo time to improve versus firing him after 1 or 2 years - and he didn't even have any skins on the wall for credentials of a Final Four, Sweet 16, 4 straight NCAAs at MU out of the gate before tailing off.

So, we're just going to ignore how and why we got here?
Pray tell, how did we get to the point where this program needs multiple years of fixing? Who is accountable for that (hint: the correct answer is not Wojo)?

[Billy Hoyle]

Well the good news is for a measured guy like you (who apparently isn't off the rails) and who formerly preached patience, and gave Wojo 5 years - Shaka will have 5 years to show that he's getting things on the right "trajectory."  He, far more than a guy like Wojo, should get 5 years, since he's already accomplished a crap ton at MU in his first 4 years.

So, lets call this Year 1 of Wojo, essentially.  To argue Shaka has to fix it in one year is silly - much like you, TAMU and other Projos suggested needing to give Wojo time to improve versus firing him after 1 or 2 years - and he didn't even have any skins on the wall for credentials of a Final Four, Sweet 16, 4 straight NCAAs at MU out of the gate before tailing off.

Wojo did not have the advantage of immediate eligibility for transfers to rebuild the roster, nor did he have NIL and Rev Share to help attract recruits.

[GB Warrior]

Well the good news is for a measured guy like you (who apparently isn't off the rails) and who formerly preached patience, and gave Wojo 5 years - Shaka will have 5 years to show that he's getting things on the right "trajectory."  He, far more than a guy like Wojo, should get 5 years, since he's already accomplished a crap ton at MU in his first 4 years.

So, lets call this Year 1 of Wojo, essentially.  To argue Shaka has to fix it in one year is silly - much like you, TAMU and other Projos suggested needing to give Wojo time to improve versus firing him after 1 or 2 years - and he didn't even have any skins on the wall for credentials of a Final Four, Sweet 16, 4 straight NCAAs at MU out of the gate before tailing off.

That makes no sense. This was his first year of resetting from a veteran roster that he didn't recruit but that he mentored. This is year one of next gen and it's an abject disaster. This won't turn in an offseason, but we should expect to see much more of year 1 Shaka , who portaled out of necessity, and we should expect to see a diametrically different level of competence than what we've witnessed from everyone.

Look, there are coaches across all of college sports who have left the college scene because they didn't like what it's become. Shaka staked a bet he could survive in spite of it. The next bet he makes needs to hit -- whatever that is. 

[WhiteTrash]

Well the good news is for a measured guy like you (who apparently isn't off the rails) and who formerly preached patience, and gave Wojo 5 years - Shaka will have 5 years to show that he's getting things on the right "trajectory."  He, far more than a guy like Wojo, should get 5 years, since he's already accomplished a crap ton at MU in his first 4 years.

So, lets call this Year 1 of Wojo, essentially.  To argue Shaka has to fix it in one year is silly - much like you, TAMU and other Projos suggested needing to give Wojo time to improve versus firing him after 1 or 2 years - and he didn't even have any skins on the wall for credentials of a Final Four, Sweet 16, 4 straight NCAAs at MU out of the gate before tailing off.

You make some valid points, if this was April 2025. 

Professional sports are results based businesses and this season is doing harm to the MU brand. That said, I want Shaka back if he wants to be back and commits to stewarding the MU program like it deserves to be.