A Collective Failure

[Mu8891]

Viper - yes ... less and less
" optimists of dumbassery " around to defend Shaka.  Unfortunately my guess would be that Kimo and Broeker are two of them ...

[illiniwarriors]

Marquette University has been ranked as high as #20 on what they spend on their Men's basketball program in recent years. We have the resources to be competitive.
The problem is we have a coach who chooses not to take advantage of the new rules in college basketball.
If we keep the coach and he doesn't adapt to the new landscape of college basketball we are Doomed to fail.
No one will watch this crap on tv or pay $$ to attend games.
Contributions to the Blue & Gold fund will dry up.
Shaka needs to address the issues not only to the administration but the fans.
The scarry part is the coaching staff sees the talent level of the players every day in practice and yet they
believe these players can succeed in the Big East.

[geps]

I was being facetious with Shaka's annoying ass cliches and platitudes.

Yes in all seriousness you're 1000% right. You know it's bad when FS1 has graphics ready for our awful layup percentages and we manage to hit that average.

Anyone know what national average is for layup %? I have no idea.

[Shooter McGavin]

Shaka and the coaches were enamored with the development of the original secondary NBA and high major players on their roster and thought they could do the same with similarly "ranked" high school players that were not in anyway similar in talent. 

Many scoopers, including myself, had said that since the end of last year the roster didn't look good enough , with the caveat the we HOPED Shaka and many on the board were right in their assessments that this new wave of players were good enough.  But it was pretty obvious we didn't have any alphas mentally or elite basketball skills on the roster (elite passers, elite shooters, elite rebounders, elite basketball instincts of any sort). 

Huge lesson for everyone that stats don't lie and really, the eye test doesn't lie.  To be a consistent top 25 team in the future we all should feel REALLY confident that 3-4 players are ELITE at something on our team.  Not HOPE they will be. 

I'll start.  On next years team Nigel is an elite ball handler. 

Thats it.  Thats the entirety of the list so far for next year.  So Shaka and the coaches have some work to do. 

[Norm]

This reminds me of MU being one of the last schools to join a conference and we had to join the MCC.

By not utilizing the portal for the last 3 years MU has put themselves behind other teams when it comes to rebuilding a roster. I expect the results of this season will change that.

[NCMUFan]

What is that swinging from the left side of his face?

[dpucane]

Marquette University has been ranked as high as #20 on what they spend on their Men's basketball program in recent years. We have the resources to be competitive.
The problem is we have a coach who chooses not to take advantage of the new rules in college basketball.
If we keep the coach and he doesn't adapt to the new landscape of college basketball we are Doomed to fail.
No one will watch this crap on tv or pay $$ to attend games.
Contributions to the Blue & Gold fund will dry up.
Shaka needs to address the issues not only to the administration but the fans.
The scarry part is the coaching staff sees the talent level of the players every day in practice and yet they
believe these players can succeed in the Big East.

I have actually heard in the last couple days that Marquette's NIL chest was low this year and possibly a mess. Sounds like they need to hire a GM to get the actual collective organized.

I don't know how much that has to do with Shaka's RELATIONSHIPS with the money guys or if that goes above him.

Unfortunately this program is equally in deep bantha poodoo whether this is all true or not

[willie warrior]

This reminds me of MU being one of the last schools to join a conference and we had to join the MCC.

By not utilizing the portal for the last 3 years MU has put themselves behind other teams when it comes to rebuilding a roster. I expect the results of this season will change that.

Maybe. But the gap has become a galactic chasm.

[NCMUFan]

Uphill.  But what has changed?
Shaka put together a NCAA Tourney team his first year.  I have confidence he can right the ship. 

[willie warrior]

Uphill.  But what has changed?
Shaka put together a NCAA Tourney team his first year.  I have confidence he can right the ship. 

How is that working these days?

[NCMUFan]

Everyone makes mistakes.
In my opinion, worth giving him the opportunity to redeem.

[79Warrior]

Everyone makes mistakes.
In my opinion, worth giving him the opportunity to redeem.

Shaka will be back unless he decides otherwise. He has built a lot of goodwill within the university. A repeat of this season in 26-27 and then it might be game over. Adjustments will be made. He is not an idiot.

[Badgerhater]

Sometimes you recruit athletes and sometimes you recruit ballplayers.

Those who are both are special and rare.

The recent good teams had a good mix, especially with a very good ballplayer in Kolek running the show.

Today's team is definitely athlete (some are speculative on their athletic development) heavy with far less collective basketball skill. 

The portal is a tactic to address this inbalance, but the overall recruiting strategy needs to shift to a balance between athlete and ballplayer.

[Billy Hoyle]

Everyone makes mistakes.
In my opinion, worth giving him the opportunity to redeem.

The problem is he's built his brand (and MU leadership has doubled down on it) with his mistakes. Going into the Portal would be an admission that RVG hasn't worked and would result in a bunch of kids in Guatemala wearing "RVG" branded gear. Is Shaka (and Broker and Kimo) willing to do that?

[WhiteTrash]

The problem is he's built his brand (and MU leadership has doubled down on it) with his mistakes. Going into the Portal would be an admission that RVG hasn't worked and would result in a bunch of kids in Guatemala wearing "RVG" branded gear. Is Shaka (and Broker and Kimo) willing to do that?

100% yes. I can't believe that is a real question.

The concept that MU is a bumbling Summit League university without leadership and  that will piss away millions and their jobs is crazy. Seriously crazy.

[SOSW]

The problem is he's built his brand (and MU leadership has doubled down on it) with his mistakes. Going into the Portal would be an admission that RVG hasn't worked and would result in a bunch of kids in Guatemala wearing "RVG" branded gear. Is Shaka (and Broker and Kimo) willing to do that?

They'd all lose their jobs otherwise.

[Mu8891]

Trash - I hope you're right that SS will pivot on the RGV BS, but I think you're underestimating his hubris.

And, ( unlike the prior Admin ) I have
zero faith in Kimo and Broeker.  Neither of them has any experience in their current roles and I think they both are likely in over their heads.

[Pakuni]

The problem is he's built his brand (and MU leadership has doubled down on it) with his mistakes. Going into the Portal would be an admission that RVG hasn't worked and would result in a bunch of kids in Guatemala wearing "RVG" branded gear. Is Shaka (and Broker and Kimo) willing to do that?

It's a choice between staying employed at a P5 program with excellent support and good resources (plus $3 million-plus salary) or unemployment followed by a stint back in the A-10 or maybe American or Mountain West, for between a quarter and a third of the money.
I don't think it's all that hard of a decision.

[WhiteTrash]

Trash - I hope you're right that SS will pivot on the RGV BS, but I think you're underestimating his hubris.

And, ( unlike the prior Admin ) I have
zero faith in Kimo and Broeker.  Neither of them has any experience in their current roles and I think they both are likely in over their heads.

If true, then MU alumni and employees have more to worry about than basketball.

[illiniwarriors]

Gentlemen
Our beloved basketball program is in a world of hurt as we all know.The way out is clear and doable but will Shaka admit he was wrong and start using the portal and bring in some mercenaries.The days of student athletes and loyalty to a school and program are forever Gone.
As I sit here watching the Rose Bowl you can see how a young energetic coach with access to a lot of $$$ to use for pay to play and NIL from Mark Cuban can turn a losing culture for 40 + years into America's team.
And lets face it it is so much harder to do in football as compared to basketball.
If you want to win in the current landscape of college basketball you Must deal with agents and use the portal.
If Shaka is uncomfortable doing it then he needs to hire a GM or resign and find an Ivy league job.Who does he think he's fooling.