Losing the Fight

[Newsdreams]

Sounds like something Chico's would say.

Chico's is the Sybil of Scoop

[wadesworld]

Genuinely all he does on this board.

Doesn't take much to get you. Just about everyone does.

[dgies9156]

Not to break anyone's bubble, but here's the likely reality at Marquette as we speak.

1) Shaka Smart is everything Marquette wants in a head coach. He's low-key, caring about his players, focused on good citizens and involved in both the university and greater Milwaukee communities. Plus, he's won in his first four years.The FiServ has been full and Marquette has been, until this year, consistently near the the Top 3 in the Big East. From a personal standpoint, Shaka is "cool" and the "anthesis-Al" and certainly the "anthesis-Kevin O'Neill!"

2) For those of you who want Shaka gone: from where will the money for Shaka's buyout  come? I'm sure the buyout is huge! If a rich donor steps up and does a Coach Wojo v2.0, what's that going to do to program-related contributory resources necessary to maintain a Top 20 program? Under these circumstances, who other than a speculative hire looking to build a name will come to Marquette?

3) For those of you puking at RGV (me included), could the need for RGV be more than just Shaka being stubborn? Could the university be going "cheap" on the basketball program again? While I think we have the resources to do whatever we want with basketball, I also believe Marquette's leadership is telling AD Broeker what it expects in contribution to the general fund from basketball net profits. That vision is likely based on historical rather than current or predictive trends. Managing for a contribution margin may mean Marquette can't pay "big-time" recruits and our portal capability is limited.

4) What's unknown is the importance President Kimo Ah Yun places on basketball. We benefitted from Father Wild's and the late President Lovell's passion for our Warriors. I'm yet to be convinced President Yun shares the passion for it, but I could be wrong.

Of these issues, Item 3 is the one most feared, for many reasons. The biggest is defining basketball's role in the greater university. Is it strictly a cash cow, or is it being used to raise the university's profile. If it's a cash cow and the bean counters get at it, we'll be Depaul faster than anyone can say, "Blue Demons North!" 

Ultimately, Shaka will be given the opportunity to right the ship. Whether that's two, three or four years is a function of the financial impact losing has on basketball net contribution and possibly, what it does to Marquette's ability to capture potential student interest.

[BM1090]

In most other cases, yes. Give him another season as he's earned it through his previous body of work.

However - this performance is so egregious, and about two years of horrendous decision making that it is unforgivable. Marquette should never, ever have a season like this and it is completely within bounds to terminate him following the ineptitude.

He ignored a major roster building opportunity which led to a collapse last year and the worst season in modern Marquette basketball history this year. Next year doesn't look much better *barring major roster overhaul.

I don't disagree with your last paragraph, but I still think you give him a shot. The best way at becoming a really good program and a destination job is to have someone be here for 15-20 years. Yes, he could tank. But I think if we want to get to where we all hope we can be consistently long term, letting him have a shot to fix it is the best course of action.

Plus, the guy did bring us the most regular season success we've had since Al.

[onepost]

Doesn't take much to get you. Just about everyone does.

"You're right, I was wrong" would be a great 2026 resolution for you.

[onepost]

Not to break anyone's bubble, but here's the likely reality at Marquette as we speak.

1) Shaka Smart is everything Marquette wants in a head coach. He's low-key, caring about his players, focused on good citizens and involved in both the university and greater Milwaukee communities. Plus, he's won in his first four years.The FiServ has been full and Marquette has been, until this year, consistently near the the Top 3 in the Big East. From a personal standpoint, Shaka is "cool" and the "anthesis-Al" and certainly the "anthesis-Kevin O'Neill!"

2) For those of you who want Shaka gone: from where will the money for Shaka's buyout  come? I'm sure the buyout is huge! If a rich donor steps up and does a Coach Wojo v2.0, what's that going to do to program-related contributory resources necessary to maintain a Top 20 program? Under these circumstances, who other than a speculative hire looking to build a name will come to Marquette?

3) For those of you puking at RGV (me included), could the need for RGV be more than just Shaka being stubborn? Could the university be going "cheap" on the basketball program again? While I think we have the resources to do whatever we want with basketball, I also believe Marquette's leadership is telling AD Broeker what it expects in contribution to the general fund from basketball net profits. That vision is likely based on historical rather than current or predictive trends. Managing for a contribution margin may mean Marquette can't pay "big-time" recruits and our portal capability is limited.

4) What's unknown is the importance President Kimo Ah Yun places on basketball. We benefitted from Father Wild's and the late President Lovell's passion for our Warriors. I'm yet to be convinced President Yun shares the passion for it, but I could be wrong.

Of these issues, Item 3 is the one most feared, for many reasons. The biggest is defining basketball's role in the greater university. Is it strictly a cash cow, or is it being used to raise the university's profile. If it's a cash cow and the bean counters get at it, we'll be Depaul faster than anyone can say, "Blue Demons North!"

Ultimately, Shaka will be given the opportunity to right the ship. Whether that's two, three or four years is a function of the financial impact losing has on basketball net contribution and possibly, what it does to Marquette's ability to capture potential student interest.

2. Money is not an issue. Donors have been willing and able to spend but have been rebuffed by Shaka in lieu of RGV, from what I know.

3. No, it's not Marquette being cheap. It's Shaka actively choosing RGV and it proving to be a huge mistake when coupled with his lousy recruiting.

4. Totally agree with you on this. No idea what his personal priorities are, but hard to imagine it's anything close to the passion and dedication Lovell had.

[dgies9156]

2. Money is not an issue. Donors have been willing and able to spend but have been rebuffed by Shaka in lieu of RGV, from what I know.

3. No, it's not Marquette being cheap. It's Shaka actively choosing RGV and it proving to be a huge mistake when coupled with his lousy recruiting.

4. Totally agree with you on this. No idea what his personal priorities are, but hard to imagine it's anything close to the passion and dedication Lovell had.

I really hope you are right on 2 and 3. I rather believe the money is there as needed, but my enthusiasm is tempered by the cheapness and bad decisions we endured beginning in the late 1970s and lasting for a decade.

Shaka is a smart man who already has shown a knack to find the "right" people in the portal.  I'm sure he'd rather start from the ground up, but today's reality suggests RGV only works if a coach has almost no recruiting misses.

Here's hoping the ship is "righted" in the off-season.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

You're going to drop the two most experienced players - the leading scorer and only competent big, no less - from one of the worst P5 programs in the country, replace them with a few unheralded freshmen and maybe one portal guy ... and that makes this team competitive?
There's a line between optimism and Pollyannaism, and this seems to be on the wrong side of it.

Remind me where I said "maybe one portal guy"?  Maybe count the players I listed, subtract that from 15, and do the math. 

[79Warrior]

The performance this season warrants intervention.

So stupid. Shaka is well respected in the business. If MU intervenes, good luck getting another coach worth a crap.I am as unhappy as most fans, but he gets another year. Do not expect any interference from the university. It is his program to run.

If there is no improvement next season, then I would expect a change.

[Viper]

2. Money is not an issue. Donors have been willing and able to spend but have been rebuffed by Shaka in lieu of RGV, from what I know.

3. No, it's not Marquette being cheap. It's Shaka actively choosing RGV and it proving to be a huge mistake when coupled with his lousy recruiting.

4. Totally agree with you on this. No idea what his personal priorities are, but hard to imagine it's anything close to the passion and dedication Lovell had.

IMO, if the Prez took the job with indifference to men's hoops and the importance to the University in the bigger picture, he's the wrong guy for the job. The HC, AD and Prez need to be aligned.

[SOSW]

The president loves Marquette hoops and clearly knows how important it is to the community.

[Warrior of Law]

I think Shaka quits after the season. He can blame it on the system changing, etc. His system/concept on how to get better takes a long time and there is zero reason to believe they'll be better in 26-27. He can call it a retirement or career transition. Either way, MU should be prepared to move quickly in April.

[NCMUFan]

Seems if you love coaching, a change on how you obtain and develop players is something you could adapt to.

[Pakuni]

I think Shaka quits after the season. He can blame it on the system changing, etc. His system/concept on how to get better takes a long time and there is zero reason to believe they'll be better in 26-27. He can call it a retirement or career transition. Either way, MU should be prepared to move quickly in April.

He's a 48-year-old man who's built his life and identity around being a basketball coach.
What exactly is he going to do with the rest of his life that will provide the same identity, not to mention income? Is he going to take a 95% pay cut to go call games on ESPNU and CBS Sports Network? Go coach D-III for $50K a year?

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I think Shaka quits after the season. He can blame it on the system changing, etc. His system/concept on how to get better takes a long time and there is zero reason to believe they'll be better in 26-27. He can call it a retirement or career transition. Either way, MU should be prepared to move quickly in April.

Not happening.

[brewcity77]

Dry your eyes and get over yourself.  Shaka will return next season for certain.  This is an off year full stop.  Next year already looks better.

Don't think I need to go any further than this. How does next year look better? Whether you use PORPAGATU! or BPR, we are losing 3 of our 6 best players and only have one scholarship to fill. The trajectory of most of our non-freshmen expected to return is flat to negative (Norman, Parham, Owens, Hamilton, Jones).

This year is, in comparison to the years preceding it, the worst season in Marquette history. Dukiet and Wojo had some bad years, but had mediocre teams and missed tournaments preceding those seasons so there was reason to expect it. But while I can see excusing one bad season, the problem here is there's no way to course correct using the recruiting model our coach built an entire failed brand around.

This is the worst team I've watched in my years as a Marquette fan at this point of the season and it's not close. But the bigger problem is that next year looks to be a significantly worse team than this one. That's the problem most of the critics have right now. It isn't just how bad this one-off season is, it's the most likely outcome next year being that it's significantly worse.

[Markusquette]

Don't think I need to go any further than this. How does next year look better? Whether you use PORPAGATU! or BPR, we are losing 3 of our 6 best players and only have one scholarship to fill. The trajectory of most of our non-freshmen expected to return is flat to negative (Norman, Parham, Owens, Hamilton, Jones).

This year is, in comparison to the years preceding it, the worst season in Marquette history. Dukiet and Wojo had some bad years, but had mediocre teams and missed tournaments preceding those seasons so there was reason to expect it. But while I can see excusing one bad season, the problem here is there's no way to course correct using the recruiting model our coach built an entire failed brand around.

This is the worst team I've watched in my years as a Marquette fan at this point of the season and it's not close. But the bigger problem is that next year looks to be a significantly worse team than this one. That's the problem most of the critics have right now. It isn't just how bad this one-off season is, it's the most likely outcome next year being that it's significantly worse.

Yeah I don't see where the optimism is coming from. As much as I like James there isn't much else that feels certain. The redshirts and newcomers aren't very likely to be needle-movers when it comes to forging a competitive team quickly. I will say I'm most intrigued by guys like Pearson and Egbuono.

So that leaves the portal. 1 spot won't do it (although it's a start, and all that's available at the moment). And even if it ends up as three guys, we still have to trust the staff to find talent with NIL that can step in and help turn the program around.

My stance is the leash lengthens for Shaka if he embraces the portal. If next year is RGV on repeat then I may have to find a new winter hobby.

[DFW HOYA]

Question: how much of Marquette's "enrollment management" (applications, acceptances, and yield) is dependent on basketball success?  Would enrollment potentially decline in an extended run of poor records?

Some schools can draw a direct line between team success and enrollment gains (TCU, James Madison); at other schools, there's little or no impact whether a team wins five games or 25.

[Warrior of Law]

Majerus left MU and stayed in basketball. Sometimes timing is everything. Maybe Billy Donovan will take him on.