Is there reason to believe MU will be better in '26-27?

[Warrior of Law]

Next year's team will be younger than this year's team particularly if Jones and Norman are not invited back. There has been minimal growth by Parham, Hamilton, and Owens and there's zero reason to believe they'll improve. Next year's team will be reliant the current frosh, recruits and redshirts. This may take a few seasons. Someone convince me otherwise before I renew for next season.

[mileskishnish72]

Depends on what our coach does in March and April.

[Johnny B]

Invited back huh...

[wadesworld]

If no legitimate Big East rotational pieces are added through the portal and there are no unexpected departures, they'll be better but not good enough to even be on the bubble.

You can build around Nigel.  I'd expect Egbuonu to be one of the better players on the team if the above is the case.  The ceiling would depend on whether Sheek can contribute right away and whether Stevens and Parham progress to legitimate Big East rotational players.

[#UnleashMalik]

RGV 2.0

[Galway Eagle]

On one hand we won with Kam, Stevie, Justin, Oso, Omax & Tyler playing a lot of minutes as freshmen/sophomores

Though that group had Darryl, Gregg, & Kur to be a steadying presence. So the question to me is whether anyone who'd be an upper classmen could replicate the contributions those three gave us.

Instinct is no we'll be the same or worse in 26/27 as it stands now.

[Tha Hound]

Not unless Shaka hits the portal, which I have to imagine he will.

[#UnleashMalik]

On one hand we won with Kam, Stevie, Justin, Oso, Omax & Tyler playing a lot of minutes as freshmen/sophomores

Though that group had Darryl, Gregg, & Kur to be a steadying presence. So the question to me is whether anyone who'd be an upper classmen could replicate the contributions those three gave us.

Instinct is no we'll be the same or worse in 26/27 as it stands now.

It would actually be incredibly hard to beat whatever record marquette finishes with this season. Surely they'll play a much weaker non conference.

[CountryRoads]

Need 8/9 rotational players:

1. Nigel
2.
3.
4.
5. Parham
6. Stevens
7. Sheek
8. Egbuono
9. Existing player on this team

List is basically minutes ranking or player ranking, whatever.

Nigel somewhere in the top 4. Ideally the others listed would be in the 5-8 range for next year. So, need 3 new players who would be in our top 4 to compete for a bid. Once you start promoting players who belong in 5-8 range up to 1-4 range, that's how you end up with seasons like this. Exactly what happened this year.

Looks expensive though. I guess that's the cost of completely whiffing on multiple recruiting classes.

[BM1090]

Next year's team will be younger than this year's team particularly if Jones and Norman are not invited back. There has been minimal growth by Parham, Hamilton, and Owens and there's zero reason to believe they'll improve. Next year's team will be reliant the current frosh, recruits and redshirts. This may take a few seasons. Someone convince me otherwise before I renew for next season.

Parham has shown clear improvement. Owens shows flashes. Agree on Hamilton.

To answer your question, yes I think there is reason to believe they'll be better. They are better than they were 3 weeks ago, and I'd except they keep improving. How much? Who knows.

[MarquetteMike1977]

Need 8/9 rotational players:

1. Nigel
2.
3.
4.
5. Parham
6. Stevens
7. Sheek
8. Egbuono
9. Existing player on this team

List is basically minutes ranking or player ranking, whatever.

Nigel somewhere in the top 4. Ideally the others listed would be in the 5-8 range for next year. So, need 3 new players who would be in our top 4 to compete for a bid. Once you start promoting players who belong in 5-8 range up to 1-4 range, that's how you end up with seasons like this. Exactly what happened this year.

Looks expensive though. I guess that's the cost of completely whiffing on multiple recruiting classes.

Believe Marquette will be better since it is difficult to imagine us being any worse.
The people I know who have seen Sheek play are bullish on him and feel he may start.
Also feel Nash Walker will be a rotational player. Miletic will add needed shooting too.

[panda]

Parham has shown clear improvement. Owens shows flashes. Agree on Hamilton.

To answer your question, yes I think there is reason to believe they'll be better. They are better than they were 3 weeks ago, and I'd except they keep improving. How much? Who knows.

Parham looks better because everyone around him stinks. Ideally, he would be a 7th guy on a good team. I wouldn't mind if he stays but he shouldn't play a prominent role. Owens is a big time CYA.

This team is in need of a major roster overhaul if we are competing next year.

[Markusquette]

If you asked me a month ago I would have said hell no. But I do see improvement next year. However without 2-3 high level transfers they are not even close to a tournament team.

Nigel will make more of an impact as a sophomore than Ross does as a senior. If Sheek can at least equal Gold's output that's a win (big if, as a frosh). I do think Royce will also be better than senior Gold but he's not on Par with what we need as a top 3 guy. Don't have any expectations out of either senior and also low expectations for Owens and Clark. So really at a minimum two of those four need to pack up at Humphrey Hall.

Nash, Miletic have some experience here and hopefully a much needed skill set in shooting. Egbuono comes with high praise. I predict Johnston is the next redshirt. Lots of uncertainties. Will be interesting.

[CountryRoads]

The people I know who have seen Sheek play are bullish on him and feel he may start.

I hope so, but him beating out Josh and Caedin doesn't mean much to me at face value. Will he be able to compete with the Ejiofor's and Reed's of the world and whoever else the competition gets in the portal? Shaka always quotes Mike Tomlin so I guess we can say, "The standard is the standard." Right now we're way below it.

[nyg]

If no legitimate Big East rotational pieces are added through the portal and there are no unexpected departures, they'll be better but not good enough to even be on the bubble.

You can build around Nigel.  I'd expect Egbuonu to be one of the better players on the team if the above is the case.  The ceiling would depend on whether Sheek can contribute right away and whether Stevens and Parham progress to legitimate Big East rotational players.

But if no portal players, then the lineup would probably be:

Two freshmen (Sheek, Egbuono)
Two sophomores (James, Stevens)
One Junior (Parham)

Of course that being maybe Owens stays and starts.

Then the excuse of losing, would be the same narrative that is currently being discussed as an excuse, too many young players against older experienced players.

[muwarrior69]

Depends on what our coach does in March and April.

Which cannot come soon enough!

[MU82]

All IMHO:

James, Stevens, Parham and possibly others will be more experienced and better after getting a baptism under fire.

Egbuonu and Sheek will be valuable contributors. Other newbies might be, too.

Shaka will bring in at least two good players via the transfer portal.

So sure, lots of reasons to believe MU will be better, probably a lot better.

Or if it makes folks feel "better" ...

Nah, nobody will improve, the newcomers will suck, Shaka will stubbornly refuse to add transfers, and we'll stink again. Whee!

[Jay Bee]

Next year's team will be younger than this year's team particularly if Jones and Norman are not invited back. There has been minimal growth by Parham, Hamilton, and Owens and there's zero reason to believe they'll improve. Next year's team will be reliant the current frosh, recruits and redshirts. This may take a few seasons. Someone convince me otherwise before I renew for next season.

You could play a couple of Scoopers major minutes next season and have a better win-loss result compared to this season.

[tower912]

Ners for one.  Who else?

[Jay Bee]

Ners for one.  Who else?

I was just talking about slight improvement. Now you're talking natty.

[Jockey]

If Shaka gets 2-3 guys from the portal, we will be much, much better. If he sticks to his guns, we will settle in as a fair to average BE team at best.

[Daniel]

We have the Lowery  schollie.    I am guessing we will have 1-2 more open schollies.  Perfect time and a great excuse to use the portal.   Really, what difference does it make if you recruit high school kids, and the freshmen you recruit are better than other players you recruited before.   And they play.  So, in essence you recruited over existing players.    Same with portal.   Use it.  It's ok

[MU82]

We have the Lowery  schollie.    I am guessing we will have 1-2 more open schollies.  Perfect time and a great excuse to use the portal.   Really, what difference does it make if you recruit high school kids, and the freshmen you recruit are better than other players you recruited before.   And they play.  So, in essence you recruited over existing players.    Same with portal.   Use it.  It's ok

I'm guessing some (perhaps even Shaka) would argue that it's not a matter of a recruit (or transfer) earning playing time over a returning player because the recruit (or transfer) proves he's better than the returnee ... it's a matter of paying a recruit (or transfer) more than a returnee.

I'm not saying that school of thought is "right." IMHO, if we are to return to prominence, Shaka (or whoever the coach is) very well might need to pay a proven, talented transfer and/or a high-ranked recruit more than what returnees will be paid.

Returnee Jones got a clean bill of health and some Scoopers assumed he'd move back into the starting lineup even though freshman James was playing well; they were wrong. Fairly early in the season, Shaka benched returnee Lowery in favor of freshman Stevens. So obviously Shaka was willing to use recruits over returnees. But did James and Stevens receive more financial compensation than Jones and Lowery? I haven't seen the books, but I'd bet the answer's no.