Shaka interview with Rothstein

[Pakuni]

Everyone (including Shaka) knows that the misevaluation of 18 was an unmitigated disaster. It's only been stated as such 89,447 times on Scoop. The horse has been dead for months and months, yet it's still getting beaten repeatedly.

I'd like to share your optimism about this, and yet despite the unmitigated disaster, we're heading into the season one injury away from Caedin getting significant minutes, if not starting. Or two early fouls from him having to play 10 minutes in a half. And so on.
Obviously losing Sheek came as a surprise, but there was time and opportunity for Shaka to pivot. Regardless of the reason, he chose not to. And that, to me, doesn't scream acknowledgement that the evaluation of 18 was an unmitigated disaster. At worse, it tells me Shaka thinks Caedin is a servicable backup. Maybe he grows this offseason and becomes that. I woudn't risk the season over it, though.

[MU82]

I'd like to share your optimism about this, and yet despite the unmitigated disaster, we're heading into the season one injury away from Caedin getting significant minutes, if not starting. Or two early fouls from him having to play 10 minutes in a half. And so on.
Obviously losing Sheek came as a surprise, but there was time and opportunity for Shaka to pivot. Regardless of the reason, he chose not to. And that, to me, doesn't scream acknowledgement that the evaluation of 18 was an unmitigated disaster. At worse, it tells me Shaka thinks Caedin is a servicable backup. Maybe he grows this offseason and becomes that. I woudn't risk the season over it, though.

I understand your concern. I'm hoping that our biggest problem in the upcoming season is that our backup center, who plays 5-10 mpg, is substandard. But sure, if Fru gets hurt or is consistently in foul trouble, necessitating that 18 plays a bigger role than anticipated, we could be in trouble.

I don't follow the transfer portal enough to know which bigs were still available after Shaka learned Sheek was transferring, which of them would have been willing to be a 10 mpg backup here, and which of them MU could afford ... but if you say there were some, I have no reason to doubt you.

So maybe Shaka really didn't learn enough lessons and that he really screwed up royally again. If so, and the team fails again, it probably will be the last time Shaka is allowed to oversee an unmitigated disaster at Marquette.

Regardless, it's important that multiple Scoopers keep stating over and over and over and over and over and over that misevaluating Hamilton doomed us last season, and that keeping him on the roster for 2026-27 could play a role in us being doomed again. Because why not?

[tower912]

I hope Coach Crawford is successful in his efforts to toughen up the MU big men and make the defense more physical.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I'd like to share your optimism about this, and yet despite the unmitigated disaster, we're heading into the season one injury away from Caedin getting significant minutes, if not starting. Or two early fouls from him having to play 10 minutes in a half. And so on.
Obviously losing Sheek came as a surprise, but there was time and opportunity for Shaka to pivot. Regardless of the reason, he chose not to. And that, to me, doesn't scream acknowledgement that the evaluation of 18 was an unmitigated disaster. At worse, it tells me Shaka thinks Caedin is a servicable backup. Maybe he grows this offseason and becomes that. I woudn't risk the season over it, though.

While I would have preferred Shaka added another big after Sheek left, if Fru is lost for a significant amount of time, no one still available was going to save our season.

Not sure why it is so difficult to accept that reality.  Same goes for if Nigel gets hurt. 

[Pakuni]

While I would have preferred Shaka added another big after Sheek left, if Fru is lost for a significant amount of time, no one still available was going to save our season.

We've been through the names, and I don't believe this to be true. I don't think a player of equal value/ability to Fru was out there, but there were (IMO) better options than what we have now and who would have provided a less steep drop-off in play.
But hey, maybe the backups take leaps and prove my skepticism wrong.

[Pakuni]

Regardless, it's important that multiple Scoopers keep stating over and over and over and over and over and over that misevaluating Hamilton doomed us last season, and that keeping him on the roster for 2026-27 could play a role in us being doomed again. Because why not?

I don't disagree with this, but in my case, I'm not complaining about last season. I'm complaining about what it means for this coming season.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

We've been through the names, and I don't believe this to be true. I don't think a player of equal value/ability to Fru was out there, but there were (IMO) better options than what we have now and who would have provided a less steep drop-off in play.
But hey, maybe the backups take leaps and prove my skepticism wrong.

And did those better options fit in our pay structure and want to come to a school to potentially play 10-15 MPG?

Because a couple of those options may have existed doesn't mean there was actually a fit when everything was said and done.