RIP Marquette 2025-2026 Men's Basketball Season

[Pakuni]

What a dumb take by that writer. The idiocy among some Marquette basketball fans is laughable.

I mean, you're not exactly wrong.

[Elonsmusk]

OK, "down" season, if we're going to split hairs. Down season vs bad season is a distinction without difference to me.
Presumably if you expect down seasons, why is this past season not acceptable? Or are their degrees of down seasons?

To be clear, I accept that a bad season can happen occasionally. But we shouldn't set that as an expectation.

You and the other posters here all up in arms/put Shaka on the hot seat suggest 80% tournament rate at MU is good/aspirational. Shaka delivers that exact result, and one bad season and you and the other weird "hot seat for Shaka" clowns are in a tizzy?

If you can't see the arrow pointing up, after this blip of a bad year, and can't see Shaka is a massively beyond what Wojo was - you're an embarrassment.

We got better as the year went on. Have 3 stud underclassmen. Beat #4 UCONN in last regular season game. All 3 stud underclassmen unequivocally state they are coming back to MU (relationships maybe do matter), and you and the other drama kings here freak out?  Pure comedy.

[Zog from Margo]

"Blip"? I think the worst MU season in memory is more than a blip.

As for "studs," MU has one returning player who made an All BE team. MU has one stud and two other players who have shown they are BE worthy. That's it for what's proven.

[brewcity77]

If you can't see the arrow pointing up, after this blip of a bad year, and can't see Shaka is a massively beyond what Wojo was - you're an embarrassment.

If this is was a blip, then yes. If they rebuild through the portal, reinforcing the core 3, and are back in single digit seed, fighting for protected seed territory next year, then yes. However that is clearly not a given and this season has shown that Shaka no longer gets the benefit of the doubt.

If we're 25-10 (14-6) after finishing top-3 in the league and playing on Saturday in the BET at this time next year, great. But if we're 17-16 (7-13) and dropped our first BET game while never seriously getting close to the bubble, then Shaka will be gone and deservedly so.

If he backs up the worst season in many of our living memories with success, he'll be back. But if he follows it up with more failure, he'll be gone. And it's absolutely crazy that you of all people don't see that clear as day.

[panda]

If this is was a blip, then yes. If they rebuild through the portal, reinforcing the core 3, and are back in single digit seed, fighting for protected seed territory next year, then yes. However that is clearly not a given and this season has shown that Shaka no longer gets the benefit of the doubt.

If we're 25-10 (14-6) after finishing top-3 in the league and playing on Saturday in the BET at this time next year, great. But if we're 17-16 (7-13) and dropped our first BET game while never seriously getting close to the bubble, then Shaka will be gone and deservedly so.

If he backs up the worst season in many of our living memories with success, he'll be back. But if he follows it up with more failure, he'll be gone. And it's absolutely crazy that you of all people don't see that clear as day.

Precisely - he didn't inherit this situation, he created it himself. In a time of the availability of the quick fix, there is no reason he can't bring this team back to a highly competitive tournament level.

If he takes half measures this off season and the results are mediocre, he's gone.

[Hards Alumni]

Everyone can say what they want, but it will come down to money.  If tickets aren't being sold, or there is zero excitement then he's gone.

If they lose a couple of close games, but the fans are still showing up they're absolutely going to keep him.

Money talks.

[panda]

Everyone can say what they want, but it will come down to money.  If tickets aren't being sold, or there is zero excitement then he's gone.

If they lose a couple of close games, but the fans are still showing up they're absolutely going to keep him.

Money talks.

Interest didn't drastically dip during wojo's downturn. The results did and we changed course. Will be consistent here.

[PointWarrior]

Top 45ish

Bubble team

[Hards Alumni]

Interest didn't drastically dip during wojo's downturn. The results did and we changed course. Will be consistent here.

you sure bout that

[The Sultan]

If this is was a blip, then yes. If they rebuild through the portal, reinforcing the core 3, and are back in single digit seed, fighting for protected seed territory next year, then yes. However that is clearly not a given and this season has shown that Shaka no longer gets the benefit of the doubt.

If we're 25-10 (14-6) after finishing top-3 in the league and playing on Saturday in the BET at this time next year, great. But if we're 17-16 (7-13) and dropped our first BET game while never seriously getting close to the bubble, then Shaka will be gone and deservedly so.

If he backs up the worst season in many of our living memories with success, he'll be back. But if he follows it up with more failure, he'll be gone. And it's absolutely crazy that you of all people don't see that clear as day.

I can't figure out why Ners can't follow this logic. Another season like this past one, and he will be gone. I don't know why that is even a controversial take.

Note that I don't think anyone is predicting that he will have such a season...but no one was predicting that for this season back in October.

[The Sultan]

We've got 3 stud underclassmen as good/probably better than the Don/Wes/Jerel trio

Whew, I am not ready to make that statement yet. James is IMO better than Dom at this point, but we will have to see about Stevens and Parham v. Matthews and McNeal.

[panda]

you sure bout that

Yes - he was let go because of poor results and the perfect timing of shaka's availability/mutual interest. Not declining interest.

[Hards Alumni]

Yes - he was let go because of poor results and the perfect timing of shaka's availability/mutual interest. Not declining interest.

He was let go because money said so.  The other things worked out afterwards.

[#UnleashThePortal]

If this is was a blip, then yes. If they rebuild through the portal, reinforcing the core 3, and are back in single digit seed, fighting for protected seed territory next year, then yes. However that is clearly not a given and this season has shown that Shaka no longer gets the benefit of the doubt.

If we're 25-10 (14-6) after finishing top-3 in the league and playing on Saturday in the BET at this time next year, great. But if we're 17-16 (7-13) and dropped our first BET game while never seriously getting close to the bubble, then Shaka will be gone and deservedly so.

If he backs up the worst season in many of our living memories with success, he'll be back. But if he follows it up with more failure, he'll be gone. And it's absolutely crazy that you of all people don't see that clear as day.

In the era of free agent ball, this isn't ever going to be a given ever again.

[#UnleashThePortal]

Interest didn't drastically dip during wojo's downturn. The results did and we changed course. Will be consistent here.

Thank God the fans didn't stop showing up (mostly..) wojo being actively booed at home games probably helped the money bags pony up.

[#UnleashThePortal]

Getting caught up on threads. Wow. This is a wild take. We've got 3 stud underclassmen as good/probably better than the Don/Wes/Jerel trio

Wild statement for a team coming off their worst season in my life.

[WhiteTrash]

Ohhh the sweet, sweet song of "wins no matta" lulls some MU fans into complacency.

Wojo slept every night to that lullaby, until MU woke him with a 2x4 to the head.

[Jay Bee]

We've got 3 stud underclassmen as good/probably better than the Don/Wes/Jerel trio

bro, pass it

[panda]

He was let go because money said so.  The other things worked out afterwards.

Mediocre results were the driver

[Hards Alumni]

Mediocre results were the driver

Yes, mediocre results caused money to pull out.  The admin was very happy with wojo as long as the money faucet remained open.

I assure you, if the money faucet remained open despite the mediocre results, the school would not have cared.

[panda]

Yes, mediocre results caused money to pull out.  The admin was very happy with wojo as long as the money faucet remained open.

I assure you, if the money faucet remained open despite the mediocre results, the school would not have cared.

Did they buy wojo's contract out with hugs and handshakes?

[Hards Alumni]

Did they buy wojo's contract out with hugs and handshakes?

No, money decided it was time for wojo to go.

Told you, admin didn't care, money did.

[Galway Eagle]

and that's worse than Year 1 or 7 of Wojo??

Yes, I'd take a year where we actually beat some high majors in the non conference over one where didn't lol.

some Top 100 underclassmen like Phillips, Ian, Sheek, and a likely immediate impact freshman Egbouno coming in to the program next year...

What does a bunch of recruits and red shirts have to do with this year?

Getting caught up on threads. Wow. This is a wild take. We've got 3 stud underclassmen as good/probably better than the Don/Wes/Jerel trio

Possible they will be, but the last three amigos were able to take their freshman team to the tournament. That group wasn't so again this seems like something more future related than about this past season.

[Galway Eagle]

No, money decided it was time for wojo to go.

Told you, admin didn't care, money did.

Yeah I'll never forget the AD interview where he was like 'I'm surprised people were so unhappy, obviously the year didn't go as planned but I thought we were ok'

[CTWarrior]

I know this year was as bad as it could be, and some performances were downright brutal, I personally think there is a lot of promise on the current roster moving forward.  Other than a true rim protecting big man, the potential for our other needs may already be on the current projected roster, between returnees, redshirt guys and incoming freshman.

Problem is, all those young guys means another steep learning curve, so despite the promise we need to dip into the portal to get a big guy who is strong enough to not get pushed around, grab rebounds and score a little around the basket, as well as a proven guard who can shoot 35%+ from 3 and also maybe handle PG duties for 10 minutes a game.  Given those two things, I think we're back in the tournament next year, with better things coming in the years that follow.