Another Pointless Thread

[Dish]

I could have added these thoughts to another already curated thread, but what the hell...

The biggest problem for me is trying to figure out how/when this gets better. It's not going to be soon, it just isn't. MU is going to go 8-25 in Shaka's fifth year on the job. There's no lottery pick awaiting as a reward for this terrible season.

I'd like to say apathy set in, but I'm well beyond that. I half heartedly watched tonight and I don't know much more I can watch. A Midwest winter not consuming Marquette basketball seems unfathomable, but here we are.

I can't imagine they fire Shaka after this season, but he certainly is giving the athletic department every reason to at least ponder the situation. I don't know what that in game coaching was tonight. MU was probably not going to win against Georgetown, but Shaka sure as heck helped make that a certainty. I don't care how poor MU's record is, that coaching effort tonight was unacceptable and borderline incompetence.

It's clearly broken right now. The guy in charge is going to have to do a total 180 to make it right. His money in the bank from his first four years is being withdrawn at a rapid pace. I'm the guy that jokingly/not jokingly fires coaches (over in the Superbar) when they're clearly done with that school/organization. I'm not firing up that post for Shaka yet, but it's truly incredible that we're here right now.

[willie warrior]

Something better change for the better to this circus.

[NCMUFan]

Always room on the bus for another fan expressing their opinion.
That is what MUSCOOP is all about.

[connie]

I don't get how this year was allowed to happen with how the remainders played down the stretch last year.  There were obvious talent issues after Kam and Stevie (and Chase). I know this system relies on continual improvement--but for there to be so little improvement (and some regression) spread out amongst so many to leave us with this dreck is really stunning.

[BCHoopster]

It's obvious Shaka has an enormous ego, thinking his returning players would take the next step. Last night you saw the 2 seniors showing there average players at best.  What confuses me more is having 3 redshirts on the team, if they can not play on this team right now, how good are they?  Its going to be interesting in April!

[The Equalizer]

I don't get how this year was allowed to happen with how the remainders played down the stretch last year.  There were obvious talent issues after Kam and Stevie (and Chase). I know this system relies on continual improvement--but for there to be so little improvement (and some regression) spread out amongst so many to leave us with this dreck is really stunning.

In looking at last year's schedule, I'm not sure I agree there was some obvious letdown at the end of last season.

The last 10 games included both matchups against St. Johns, both matchups against UConn, road games at Creighton and Villanova, drawing St. Johns in the 2nd round of the BET. The schedule was set by the league to create meaningful games in the last month and keep the championship race interesting. We piled up wins in the easy part of the schedule and lost tough games at the end. 

It's the same reason the ACC saves the Duke/UNC games for late in the season.

[We R Final Four]

It's obvious Shaka has an enormous ego, thinking his returning players would take the next step. Last night you saw the 2 seniors showing there average players at best.  What confuses me more is having 3 redshirts on the team, if they can not play on this team right now, how good are they?  Its going to be interesting in April!

There/their/they're.
You would think even by chance you would get this right some of the time......but no.

[MuggsyB]

Not pointless at all.  The crazy thing is with our back to back #2 seeds, we 100% underachieved in the tournament.   With two disastrous performances. 

[MU1in77]

We were at the game last night - when we were walking to our car after the game my bride mentioned how glad she was that we are now splitting our tickets with another couple. It was also one of the quietest crowd if seen at an MU game in a long time.

[Viper]

Not pointless at all.  The crazy thing is with our back to back #2 seeds, we 100% underachieved in the tournament.  With two disastrous performances. 

...those back-2-back 2's are a fart in the wind. Last year was a foreshadowing...although to this extent was not anticipated by anyone. Running a storied college  basketball program into an iceberg with no room in the lifeboat unless two or three  are sacrificed. (Viper's expertise commentary is free of charge, of course)

[ATL MU Warrior]

...those back-2-back 2's are a fart in the wind. Last year was a foreshadowing...although to this extent was not anticipated by anyone. Running a storied college  basketball program into an iceberg with no room in the lifeboat unless two or three  are sacrificed. (Viper's expertise commentary is free of charge, of course)

Ahem

I know this staff hangs their hats on development, but I just don't see how we are going to be any good next year. We are losing too much and there just doesn't seem to be anything behind them.  I hope I'm wrong.

[MuggsyB]

I never imagined we'd be in this situation, even with our issues midway through last year.  I thought this would be a team fighting to make the tournament, not a unmitigated disaster.   And again, I'm a big Shaka guy.  That said, as others have mentioned, we cannot have a team that could very well be dead last in the BEast and with 7 or 8 wins.  Especially in light of the fact this is a down year for our conference. 

[BCHoopster]

There/their/they're.
You would think even by chance you would get this right some of the time......but no.

Seriously this is a blog on MU, not Wnglish 101, do I care no!

[The_Blaze]

Pre-season expectations were clearly over stated by most but they are underachieving. The team has talent and young players with high potential for the future.  Unlikely they will do a full 180 this year but I am not as worried as others about next season and beyond. 

Adrien, Nigel, Parham & Owens are a very nice young guard / forward core. Plenty of other talent coming back and coming in.  Yes they all need to progress but the clear issue is the lack of a quality big man in the next few years.  Clark has plenty of size but I will trust the coaches on why he rarely plays and Sheek is listed as a power forward, and is talented, but power is not his game or will not be for at least a few years. 

And yes I said Owens - he showed what he is capable of yesterday, is very athletic, and has the highest ceiling on the team. I still believe that Owens can be a starter next season and a top player by his senior season.  It will be up to him.  Owens is smart, talented and ultra-athletic - sprinkle in plenty of hard work, humility and a team-first approach (Oso style) and it will take him far.   

MU has the potential to be a good team the next 2 years with one good power forward or center transfer this off season.  A Robert Jackson clone would do.

[BLWarrior91]

Not pointless at all.  The crazy thing is with our back to back #2 seeds, we 100% underachieved in the tournament.   With two disastrous performances. 

To be fair, the first one had Kolek with the thumb injury and the second one they went to the S16 and ran into a red-hot NC State team that went to the FF.  Not sure if that was underperforming or just bad luck.

But the first round exits have been brutal.  Yet compared to this year we will look back fondly on those years.

[Markusquette]

Pre-season expectations were clearly over stated by most but they are underachieving. The team has talent and young players with high potential for the future.  Unlikely they will do a full 180 this year but I am not as worried as others about next season and beyond. 

Adrien, Nigel, Parham & Owens are a very nice young guard / forward core. Plenty of other talent coming back and coming in.  Yes they all need to progress but the clear issue is the lack of a quality big man in the next few years.  Clark has plenty of size but I will trust the coaches on why he rarely plays and Sheek is listed as a power forward, and is talented, but power is not his game or will not be for at least a few years. 

And yes I said Owens - he showed what he is capable of yesterday, is very athletic, and has the highest ceiling on the team. I still believe that Owens can be a starter next season and a top player by his senior season.  It will be up to him.  Owens is smart, talented and ultra-athletic - sprinkle in plenty of hard work, humility and a team-first approach (Oso style) and it will take him far.   

MU has the potential to be a good team the next 2 years with one good power forward or center transfer this off season.  A Robert Jackson clone would do.

Like the optimism. I need to see a lot more from Owens to feel good about his future, but yesterday was a step in the right direction. He does have some good tools and athleticism to be a difference maker.

Unfortunately I think they need two high-level transfers to dream of being a good team next year. If we think this year's senior class is underwhelming, just wait for 2026.

[BM1090]

Pre-season expectations were clearly over stated by most but they are underachieving. The team has talent and young players with high potential for the future.  Unlikely they will do a full 180 this year but I am not as worried as others about next season and beyond. 

Adrien, Nigel, Parham & Owens are a very nice young guard / forward core. Plenty of other talent coming back and coming in.  Yes they all need to progress but the clear issue is the lack of a quality big man in the next few years.  Clark has plenty of size but I will trust the coaches on why he rarely plays and Sheek is listed as a power forward, and is talented, but power is not his game or will not be for at least a few years. 

And yes I said Owens - he showed what he is capable of yesterday, is very athletic, and has the highest ceiling on the team. I still believe that Owens can be a starter next season and a top player by his senior season.  It will be up to him.  Owens is smart, talented and ultra-athletic - sprinkle in plenty of hard work, humility and a team-first approach (Oso style) and it will take him far.   

MU has the potential to be a good team the next 2 years with one good power forward or center transfer this off season.  A Robert Jackson clone would do.

What proof do we have that Owens is smart? I'm not writing him off. The talent is there. But the kid really has no idea how to play basketball right now. Hopefully he gets a lot of minutes the rest of the year to figure it out. Yesterday was a nice start

[The_Blaze]

What proof do we have that Owens is smart? I'm not writing him off. The talent is there. But the kid really has no idea how to play basketball right now. Hopefully he gets a lot of minutes the rest of the year to figure it out. Yesterday was a nice start

BIG EAST All-Academic Team.


It may be fair to be concerned about his overall performance so far this season given his high expectations, regardless of his injuries last season, but I am confident that someone who "has no idea how to play basketball" would not put up 15 points, 7 rebounds and 0 turnovers in 27 minutes of play in a Big East game.