That Hurt. A lot.

[WhiteTrash]

I disagree that it has "shown that Shaka's strategy was a poor one." I think it has shown that his strategy can work, but not if you completely whiff on back-to-back recruiting classes.

I'd guess there a multiple P5 programs who have wiffed on back to back classes, but they replaced the misses with proven D1 players and thus are playing for the NCAA tournament.

I would agree that making HS recruits a primary pipeline for the program is sound. The failure is not using the portal to replace the misses.

[Billy Hoyle]

You don't think Marquette would be able to offer them $1 million?

The question is whether they will under RGV.

[WhiteTrash]

You don't think Marquette would be able to offer them $1 million?

I think it is funny how some here believe MU pays players so much that they will never transfer, and some believe MU has no resources to attract transfers. 

[Pakuni]

I disagree that it has "shown that Shaka's strategy was a poor one." I think it has shown that his strategy can work, but not if you completely whiff on back-to-back recruiting classes.

Unless you're recruiting alongside programs like Duke, there are always going to be recruiting whiffs. That's especially true when you're largely recruiting from a pool of players ranked in the 75 to 150 range. The portal allows programs to correct those whiffs. Shaka's strategy has been to not make those corrections. That's a poor strategy when all your competitors are trying to make corrections.
If you can guarantee there won't be whiffs, or they'll be very rare, then Shaka's strategy can work. But I don't think he can make that guarantee.

[wadesworld]

Many here are glossing over the fact Nigel will attract big time suitors this offseason. If we have any chance of keeping him, "win now" mode needs to be activated and we need to overhaul this roster.

I think we will add talent in the offseason.  I also think that as long as Shaka is here, we will pay enough to Nigel and his relationship with Shaka will keep Nigel here as well.  I'd never say I'd be shocked in today's day and age with instant transfers and money being thrown around, but if you listen to Nigel talk about Shaka, I have a hard time seeing him leaving if Shaka is around.

[wadesworld]

So what is your opinion on our recent upward trend? Is it silly to think we can judge the season in a more positive light because it's only a portion of the season and not reflective of the whole?

Hmm, would I rather be a 7 seed who finished tied for 4th in the Big East or a team that finishes something like 11-22 and whose NCAA Tournament hopes were over as of about November 28?  That's a really tough question for me to answer.

This season will never be looked at in a "positive light" for me.  Can I take some positives away from the season?  Of course.  I love the way Stevens, NJ, and Parham have played for much of this season.  The team is playing much better in the back half of the season.  But hell no this season is not a positive.

Even if Shaka adds the top 3 portal players in the country and we enter 1/1/2027 with an undefeated record, I'm not going to be saying, "What a great year last year was!"  Or consider the 2025-2026 season a "half good season."  I had never in my life as a sports fan heard calendar years referenced rather than sports season until this year, just so we could whine about a season we finished with a 7 seed and tied for fourth in the Big East.

[panda]

Hmm, would I rather be a 7 seed who finished tied for 4th in the Big East or a team that finishes something like 11-22 and whose NCAA Tournament hopes were over as of about November 28?  That's a really tough question for me to answer.

This season will never be looked at in a "positive light" for me.  Can I take some positives away from the season?  Of course.  I love the way Stevens, NJ, and Parham have played for much of this season.  The team is playing much better in the back half of the season.  But hell no this season is not a positive.

Even if Shaka adds the top 3 portal players in the country and we enter 1/1/2027 with an undefeated record, I'm not going to be saying, "What a great year last year was!"  Or consider the 2025-2026 season a "half good season."  I had never in my life as a sports fan heard calendar years referenced rather than sports season until this year, just so we could whine about a season we finished with a 7 seed and tied for fourth in the Big East.

Why was Marquette a 7 seed last year? What happened between being ranked 5th in the country and the end of the season?

[Scoop Snoop]

This season will never be looked at in a "positive light" for me.  Can I take some positives away from the season?  Of course.  I love the way Stevens, NJ, and Parham have played for much of this season.  The team is playing much better in the back half of the season.  But hell no this season is not a positive.

Nice. We agree on some things. (ALL that I copied)

[wadesworld]

This is the first time that philosophy will be put to the test.

I don't mean to repeat myself, but sunshine and rainbows works very well when you're playing/winning tournament games.

Big time contributors from highly competitive teams leave their teams all the time.

[CountryRoads]

I had never in my life as a sports fan heard calendar years referenced rather than sports season until this year, just so we could whine about a season we finished with a 7 seed and tied for fourth in the Big East.

I've always preferred the rolling 12 month record. 9-23 when taking out the buy games from Feb25-Feb26.

[wadesworld]

The question is whether they will under RGV.

They have been, so that's not the question.

[tower912]

I think it is funny how some here believe MU pays players so much that they will never transfer, and some believe MU has no resources to attract transfers. 

They paid Kam, TKo, etc enough to fend off other schools.   They refused to pay transfers more than players who had been at MU for years.  Pretty obvious.

[Billy Hoyle]

They paid Kam, TKo, etc enough to fend off other schools.   They refused to pay transfers more than players who had been at MU for years.  Pretty obvious.

But they were seniors when they got paid, and multiple people here have said NIL is structured for the upperclassmen to get more under the sacred RGV. IF that is true, is MU willing to change that policy for two rising sophomores?

[PJDunn]

Considering the paucity of upper classmen coming back... I bet that 2 rising sophomores do quite well. Shaka will pay attention to the "V" in RGV. As an aside, we met Nigel's mom after the home Villanova game (Marquette Mom's night), she was effusive in her praise for Shaka, Marquette, and this resilient team. I truly hope that she never reads scoop. Mainly because it will destroy whatever positive perception that she has of a Marquette education. Double digit IQs abound...

[tower912]

Uncharted territory.  Haven't had this situation under the current rules.  I assume they will, but lime.the rest of us, I don't know.

[wadesworld]

But they were seniors when they got paid, and multiple people here have said NIL is structured for the upperclassmen to get more under the sacred RGV. IF that is true, is MU willing to change that policy for two rising sophomores?

Kam got paid well before he was a senior.

[WhiteTrash]

They paid Kam, TKo, etc enough to fend off other schools.  They refused to pay transfers more than players who had been at MU for years.  Pretty obvious.

IMHO, MU has the resources to be competitive with 80% of the P5.