RIP Marquette 2025-2026 Men's Basketball Season

[Scoop Snoop]

Not what I said at all.  Bringing up Al in today's game is like reminiscing about driving your model T.  All of that stuff is irrelevant to modern college basketball.

I graduated only one year later than Scoop's official whiner and thoroughly enjoyed the Al Era. Now I enjoy the memories. As you have said, it is irrelevant to modern college basketball. 

[Galway Eagle]

It is more than a mascot, genius.

Oh? Please enlighten me.

[muwarrior69]

Which begs the question...

If Marquette misses the NCAA Tournament next year but Shaka gets the mascot changed back to the Warriors, is that enough to allow him back for another go around?

That is not the question and you know it. The question is are we going to spend the resources many here say we have to acquire the best talent to compete for a national title or not. If not, what is the point? I am not saying we have to win, but  that we can win should be the expectation. That is also a question for the Big East as well or does the league just become another mid major conference.

[Hards Alumni]

Oh? Please enlighten me.

Oh, you didn't know?  If you CALL yourself a warrior, you're instantly feared as a program, and your team is better.

This is known.

[Galway Eagle]

Yes, exactly.
I accept that there will be down seasons in which the team doesn't meet expectations. And if that's infrequent, it shouldn't put a coach whose been mostly successful on the hot seat. But if you're stacking those seasons, or it becomes a regular occurrence, then it's time to make a change.

I think I'm understanding your perspective of expectations. I do think the reason someone like me or DJOver might never align is because the timeframe. I think you're saying MU each season should expect to be in the tournament, it's a shorter immediate timeframe and I agree. However what DJOver is saying that aft about a decade we should expect to be in the tournament 80% of the time. Which is a much larger view of the program trend. Think of it as investing in a stock and expecting linear growth each day vs expecting growth over a 5 year period.

[Scoop Snoop]

Oh? Please enlighten me.

He posted it twice, so it must be true.

[Galway Eagle]

Oh, you didn't know?  If you CALL yourself a warrior, you're instantly feared as a program, and your team is better.

This is known.

I think some of the alumni that went to school during that time genuinely think the mascot name makes them tougher, more aggressive, and likely to be "winners". I've competed in enough violent sports to know that names like "warriors" or "hitman" make someone about as tough as calling a guy "sugar" makes them weak. 

[Billy Hoyle]

32 team tournament, no 3 point line, no shot clock.  Al has been dead for a quarter century.

Time to move on from the 70s, brother.

don't forget MU received an invitation to the tournament BEFORE our last game, which we lost to Michigan. If Al had not been retiring, would we have gotten in? Today, we'd be in Indiana's or Cincy's position, sweating out currently being on the wrong side of the bubble after losing our last game.

[Billy Hoyle]

I think some of the alumni that went to school during that time genuinely think the mascot name makes them tougher, more aggressive, and likely to be "winners". I've competed in enough violent sports to know that names like "warriors" or "hitman" make someone about as tough as calling a guy "sugar" makes them weak.

How can you doubt them? Animal mascots never win championships. Gators, Huskies, Bears,  Wildcats (generic housecats), Cardinals, Jayhawks. Never.

You need intimidating human mascots like Orangemen or Tar Heels to win a title. Just ask those pet and sled dogs who had to go against the Boilermakers and the Aztecs. They didn't have a chance.

[The Sultan]

True, it is an assumption, however it is also an assumption that Shaka will change his RGV philosophy by seeking studs in the portalIt is more than a mascot, genius.

True, it is an assumption, however it is also an assumption that Shaka will change his RGV philosophy by seeking studs in the portalIt is more than a mascot, genius.

This is hilarious.

[Pakuni]

I think I'm understanding your perspective of expectations. I do think the reason someone like me or DJOver might never align is because the timeframe. I think you're saying MU each season should expect to be in the tournament, it's a shorter immediate timeframe and I agree. However what DJOver is saying that aft about a decade we should expect to be in the tournament 80% of the time. Which is a much larger view of the program trend. Think of it as investing in a stock and expecting linear growth each day vs expecting growth over a 5 year period.

I think we're just using the word "expectation" slightly differently. I'm using it in an aspirational sense ... what the yearly outcome should be. He's using it in a predictive sense, i.e. what past performance should tell us about future outcomes.
I don't necessarily think either of us are wrong; just looking at it from different angles.

[Badgerhater]

I think some of the alumni that went to school during that time genuinely think the mascot name makes them tougher, more aggressive, and likely to be "winners". I've competed in enough violent sports to know that names like "warriors" or "hitman" make someone about as tough as calling a guy "sugar" makes them weak.

I like the Warrior name as much as the next middle-aged Xer, but nicknames for Marquette don't matter.

The team now is simply referred to and marketed as "Marquette basketball" with only brief mention of the Golden Eagle nickname.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

I like the Warrior name as much as the next middle-aged Xer, but nicknames for Marquette don't matter.

The team now is simply referred to and marketed as "Marquette basketball" with only brief mention of the Golden Eagle nickname.

"Marquette" with no nickname/mascot would be awesome, actually.

[wadesworld]

"When it comes to the general guideline of success for Marquette men's basketball, my baseline is "make the NCAA tournament every year."

I've been told having this expectation makes a person insane.

It does.  There are currently 7 programs who have made more than 5 straight NCAA Tournament appearances.  And Baylor will drop that list down to 6, although I'm guessing some programs will be added.

That's the goal.  The expectation would be to make it most years, while understanding that very few programs make it every season.

[muwarrior69]

Not what I said at all.  Bringing up Al in today's game is like reminiscing about driving your model T.  All of that stuff is irrelevant to modern college basketball.

Oh, so having a shot clock, a 3pt basket and a 68 team field we should lower our expectations of competing for a natty and be satisfied to make the tournament every year or so? Competing for a title should be true today as it was back in Al's day, no? Especially in today's environment if you have the resources and will to acquire the talent to compete at the high D1 why would one lower their expectations?

[Hards Alumni]

Oh, so having a shot clock, a 3pt basket and a 68 team field we should lower our expectations of competing for a natty and be satisfied to make the tournament every year or so? Competing for a title should be true today as it was back in Al's day, no? Especially in today's environment if you have the resources and will to acquire the talent to compete at the high D1 why would one lower their expectations?

I don't know what you're trying to say.  I'm saying to leave the past in the past.

Marquette is very clearly a nationally competitive team already.

[The Sultan]

Oh, so having a shot clock, a 3pt basket and a 68 team field we should lower our expectations of competing for a natty and be satisfied to make the tournament every year or so? Competing for a title should be true today as it was back in Al's day, no? Especially in today's environment if you have the resources and will to acquire the talent to compete at the high D1 why would one lower their expectations?

No I don't think bolded is accurate at all. The resource differences between conferences and programs makes it harder for a school like Marquette to compete like they could in the 1970s.

That doesn't mean they *can't.* It's just going to be harder.

[Pakuni]

It does.  There are currently 7 programs who have made more than 5 straight NCAA Tournament appearances.  And Baylor will drop that list down to 6, although I'm guessing some programs will be added.

That's the goal.  The expectation would be to make it most years, while understanding that very few programs make it every season.

So, would you say Shaka and Co. met expectations this year, since missing the tournament and bad seasons are your expectation?

[muwarrior69]

No I don't think bolded is accurate at all. The resource differences between conferences and programs makes it harder for a school like Marquette to compete like they could in the 1970s.

That doesn't mean they *can't.* It's just going to be harder.

So we are at a disadvantage when it comes to resources when competing for the best talent.

[wadesworld]

So, would you say Shaka and Co. met expectations this year, since missing the tournament and bad seasons are your expectation?

Not sure where I said bad seasons are my expectation, but no this year did not meet expectations.

[willie warrior]

Oh? Please enlighten me.

Ok Genius. Warriors at MU means more than a silly mascot. It stands for a long legacy, traditional some very good teams, a national title. Not just a mascot. The PC stuff ruined that Perhaps that was what the donor wanted to establish again. If you think mascots are silly or useless, then advocate schools get rid of them. Good luck with that. At MU it should be Warriors, not because some PC nuts wanted it differently.

[muwarrior69]

I don't know what you're trying to say.  I'm saying to leave the past in the past.

Marquette is very clearly a nationally competitive team already.

Andrew in his article stated:

On the positive side of that line is every so often, you catch lightning in a bottle and you're competing for a Big East championship, ranked top 10 in the country, and considered to be a contender for the national championship. That's a rare case, not an expectation.

I took issue with that statement because in Al's day that was the expectation, but Andrew appears to have much lower expectations for the program moving forward. All I'm saying is why shouldn't we have that expectation today especially if we have the resources as many here say we have to acquire the best talent.

[NCMUFan]

I thought the 2025-26 season was wonderful.  Without it, I would not have known how powerful relationship and growth was.  It made me feel like a winner.  And isn't that the real victory?

[UncleOliver]

Ok Genius. Warriors at MU means more than a silly mascot. It stands for a long legacy, traditional some very good teams, a national title. Not just a mascot. The PC stuff ruined that Perhaps that was what the donor wanted to establish again. If you think mascots are silly or useless, then advocate schools get rid of them. Good luck with that. At MU it should be Warriors, not because some PC nuts wanted it differently.

Compromise: Change the nickname back to Warriors and replace the old mascot with Joan of Arc. She was a warrior and by far the coolest building on campus is named after her.

[Hards Alumni]

Andrew in his article stated:

On the positive side of that line is every so often, you catch lightning in a bottle and you're competing for a Big East championship, ranked top 10 in the country, and considered to be a contender for the national championship. That's a rare case, not an expectation.

I took issue with that statement because in Al's day that was the expectation, but Andrew appears to have much lower expectations for the program moving forward. All I'm saying is why shouldn't we have that expectation today especially if we have the resources as many here say we have to acquire the best talent.

Because the game is far more competitive than it was in the 70s.  Everyone has that same goal in mind, and the gap between the best teams and the good teams is smaller now than ever.

There was a reason UCLA was a behemoth under John Wooden forever.  That gap was HUGE.  They won a lot more than they lost.

Now the gap between major programs is much smaller.  If throwing money at a problem solved everything then the solution would be simple.  It's more complicated than that, obviously.

This is why I said to leave the past in the past.