Is Shaka doubling down or just protecting his guys?

[NCMUFan]

I got to believe no point beating a lame horse.

[MuggsyB]

He's not going to do that in that setting. He's not going to publicly do that at all.

True.  But what is going to do after the season?  Because running it back with our incoming class seems like basically a crap shoot. 

[The Sultan]

True.  But what is going to do after the season?  Because running it back with our incoming class seems like basically a crap shoot. 

We will find out when it happens.

But people who think he needs to be publicly accountable or something aren't thinking clearly. That's not how this works.

[Viper]

Well, unless that coach is Rick Pitino.

was thinking the same...or maybe Bobby Knight back in the day.

[Viper]

We've spent all afternoon focusing on stuff that's important. Look at the title of the thread you're in: presser comments are literally what we're talking about.

Back to hammering the point home that Shaka has no grasp on roster construction I go.

...its Sultan. Just sayin'

[Viper]

It's a dumb and irrelevant topic.

...and yet you posted anyway. Good grief, man

[The Sultan]

...and yet you posted anyway. Good grief, man

Yep. I am educating people on what is important. If you were smart you would heed my wise words. But...

[Viper]

Getting used to this board is fairly easy once you realize that any thought or opinion you share is far more likely to be met with antagonism than constructive dialogue.

There's a guy on here named Tower who you could usually count on for the latter, but it seems he's on vacation this season. Lucky him.

cocktail of your choice is mandatory when scrolling through any Scoop thread. I'm sure you agree 🤣. (for that matter, cocktail of choice is mandatory while watching this current edition of Marquette basketball. Doing so, and hey, Caedin doesn't look so bad. Ben Gold even looks NBA worthy)

[JTJ3]

If you're expecting Shaka to walk into a press conference and start calling out individual players for playing terrible, you're crazy.  That's not productive at all.

But it sure is happening behind the scenes already.  Zaide was benched.  Hamilton was finally benched to start the 2nd half yesterday.  Phillips is playing over Owens now.  Plenty of examples of Shaka starting to make changes that we haven't seen him do in prior years.  And more will happen if the young guys keep outplaying vets.

Shaka was late to his postgame presser yesterday.  If you think it was all sunshine and rainbows in the locker room, you've never been in a locker room after a loss like yesterday.  Some guys were getting their asses chewed out for how they played in the biggest game of the year to date.

[The Sultan]

If you're expecting Shaka to walk into a press conference and start calling out individual players for playing terrible, you're crazy.  That's not productive at all.

But it sure is happening behind the scenes already.  Zaide was benched.  Hamilton was finally benched to start the 2nd half yesterday.  Phillips is playing over Owens now.  Plenty of examples of Shaka starting to make changes that we haven't seen him do in prior years.  And more will happen if the young guys keep outplaying vets.

Shaka was late to his postgame presser yesterday.  If you think it was all sunshine and rainbows in the locker room, you've never been in a locker room after a loss like yesterday.  Some guys were getting their asses chewed out for their effort in the biggest game of the year to date.

Absolutely. The locker room I think is actually where Shaka is the best as a coach. He's not drawing up complex plays out of a timeout, and yes he needs to get more talent in the door, but I have no doubts the guy can manage that aspect of the job.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

In the presser, he talked about how this roster needs to grow, pointing at the guys on the floor at the end. That was mostly younger guys. I don't disagree there. There's potential.

The issue: Is he going to tell the older guys they need to go so he can replace them with transfers? They're the problem. All 15 scholarships are spoken for next year. That needs to change.

That's the conundrum right now.  Shaka has created self-imposed limits on his flexibility, both in regards to the RGV model and using all 15 scholarships. 

I just get the feeling Shaka won't outright cut a kid (I don't think that's what happened with Ellis or Itejere). 

I don't have any info about how our NIL works - my rudimentary understanding is the classes get paid the same or similarly (not counting outside NIL deals) and you get a "raise" each season. 

So if you're looking at it from the perspective of a Tre Norman, his compensation would likely be higher his senior year at Marquette mostly riding the bench vs. transferring down and getting more playing time.  There's not the same incentive to transfer compared to when playing time was the main driver of that decision. 

If my understanding of the above is wrong, someone can correct me. 

In the future, it probably makes sense to use 14 scholarships and leave one for additional flexibility.  Of course, the fear is that one of the guys we actually want to stay makes the decision to leave. 

[WhiteTrash]

If you're expecting Shaka to walk into a press conference and start calling out individual players for playing terrible, you're crazy.  That's not productive at all.

Agreed, but neither is being a self righteous a-hole to the media and fans.

[The Sultan]

I just get the feeling Shaka won't outright cut a kid (I don't think that's what happened with Ellis or Itejere). 

I know Ellis saw the writing on the wall and wanted to be closer to home (Davenport, IA) which is why he initially transferred to Bradley. When that didn't work, he went wherever he could to get a scholarship, which is how he ended up in Louisiana.

Now it looks like he is at an NAIA school in Iowa, and even though he has been mentioned as playing in a couple of stories, doesn't look like he has any stats. So has he left the team??  Who knows...

[CountryRoads]

That's the conundrum right now.  Shaka has created self-imposed limits on his flexibility, both in regards to the RGV model and using all 15 scholarships. 

I just get the feeling Shaka won't outright cut a kid (I don't think that's what happened with Ellis or Itejere). 

I don't have any info about how our NIL works - my rudimentary understanding is the classes get paid the same or similarly (not counting outside NIL deals) and you get a "raise" each season. 

So if you're looking at it from the perspective of a Tre Norman, his compensation would likely be higher his senior year at Marquette mostly riding the bench vs. transferring down and getting more playing time.  There's not the same incentive to transfer compared to when playing time was the main driver of that decision. 

If my understanding of the above is wrong, someone can correct me. 

In the future, it probably makes sense to use 14 scholarships and leave one for additional flexibility.  Of course, the fear is that one of the guys we actually want to stay makes the decision to leave. 

I don't have any info about how our NIL works - my rudimentary understanding is the classes get paid the same or similarly (not counting outside NIL deals) and you get a "raise" each season. 

So if you're looking at it from the perspective of a Tre Norman, his compensation would likely be higher his senior year at Marquette mostly riding the bench vs. transferring down and getting more playing time.  There's not the same incentive to transfer compared to when playing time was the main driver of that decision.   

Would like to know how they do it as well. My best guess is that it's more role based than class based, which in a perfect world go hand in hand. If there's a disagreement on the player's role, the NIL talks probably don't even start and they'd enter the portal. If they're in agreement, then they offer them a competitive package in that range for the role with maybe a small bump for time in the program.

I think Shaka gives these guys a fair "growth plan" when they get here and won't throw a wrench in it by recruiting over them, but at some point you have to have a difficult conversation and acknowledge that they're just not on the trajectory you thought. Guessing several of those conversations will soon be taking place, if not already.

[WhiteTrash]

I think Shaka gives these guys a fair "growth plan" when they get here and won't throw a wrench in it by recruiting over them, but at some point you have to have a difficult conversation and acknowledge that they're just not on the trajectory you thought. Guessing several of those conversations will soon be taking place, if not already.

I agree with this. I would be more shocked if Shaka was promising playing time than if he turned over 10 players next year. These players come from an experience of performance begets playing time. I don't think very good players would come to MU if they believed playing time was predetermined by seniority.

As I've said before, some of our best players may move on if they don't see Shaka filling in the holes in the roster by any means possible. Players still like to win.

[JTJ3]

The "old guys" are already losing playing time to the freshman.  And based on recent performances it is going to keep happening even more.  Despite all the relationship talk in the program, some guys will move on since they don't want to have a reduced role for their last year or two of college.  It's not hard to speculate who that could be.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

The "old guys" are already losing playing time to the freshman.  And based on recent performances it is going to keep happening even more.  Despite all the relationship talk in the program, some guys will move on since they don't want to have a reduced role for their last year or two of college.  It's not hard to speculate who that could be.

With NIL in the mix I don't think it's that simple anymore.  Playing time isn't the only driver of that decision. 

[MuggsyB]

With NIL in the mix I don't think it's that simple anymore.  Playing time isn't the only driver of that decision. 

What a freaking mess. 

[WhiteTrash]

With NIL in the mix I don't think it's that simple anymore.  Playing time isn't the only driver of that decision. 

If Shaka is recruiting guys who care more about money than playing time or winning, then MU is screwed and Shaka is gone. This is a situation 180 degrees from RGV.

[Jay Bee]

If Shaka is recruiting guys who care more about money than playing time or wining, then MU is screwed and Shaka is gone. This is a situation 180 degrees from RGV.

Hopefully they are "winers" who kin spel!

[GoldenEagles03]

When did he say he isn't willing to change?

As I recall it, Kolek asked Shaka to get a guy from the portal and he said nah. "Why we recruit over X when we believe he can grow"

Even if someone does leave on their own accord, we'll still have someone else on the roster that Shaka will believe can grow into that role.

[Small Orange Soda]

As I recall it, Kolek asked Shaka to get a guy from the portal and he said nah. "Why we recruit over X when we believe he can grow"

Even if someone does leave on their own accord, we'll still have someone else on the roster that Shaka will believe can grow into that role.

And then you wake up one day and Caedin Hamilton is starting.

[WhiteTrash]

As I recall it, Kolek asked Shaka to get a guy from the portal and he said nah. "Why we recruit over X when we believe he can grow"

Even if someone does leave on their own accord, we'll still have someone else on the roster that Shaka will believe can grow into that role.

The beauty of this entire situation is Shaka job is to win games, so this will resolve itself in time.
For all of Wojo's positives, MU judged him on the results and not his process, system nor culture.

[GoldenEagles03]

And then you wake up one day and Caedin Hamilton is starting.

Yup!

I don't think Shaka is dumb enough to start Caedin forever, but he also doesn't have many options right now aside from Parham which he started in the 2nd half yesterday, and that's also his fault so I don't feel bad for him. I also don't think he will punt Caedin out of the program like most winning programs would do. Hoping Sheek is good enough to be a starter next year or we may be right back in the same spot but without Ben in the mix.

[Galway Eagle]

The beauty of this entire situation is Shaka job is to win games, so this will resolve itself in time.
For all of Wojo's positives, MU judged him on the results and not his process, system nor culture.

Umm Broeker gave an interview where he said he was surprised at how disappointed the MU fanbase was with Wojo's cumulative work. I'm apprehensive that he may not have his finger on the pulse of what winning expectations the fanbase has.