Random Thoughts

[MulliganMusings]

Another season on the brink; it always seems that we are either a year away or a year behind. What would this team have been like with an outside shooter like Carlino (a year behind) or Rowsey (a year away)? What would that Marquette team, coming off an elite 8, have been with Vander Blue and a monster recruiting class including Jameel McKay?

I like this team and it has pretty much performed in a manner I thought it would. Experience cannot be taught only learned and this year’s trials will serve this team well next year. Frankly, I’ve been impressed with the way this team has held up in tight games and their solid performance is validated by their record. Sure there were some losses that are tough to swallow (DePaul @ home comes immediately to mind) but there’s a good chance this team finishes 9-9 (I had predicted 10-8). The unforeseen, as others have pointed out, has been Seton Hall and Creighton being significantly better than expected (although with Whitehead, Rodriguez and Degado the Hall shouldn’t have been that big or a surprise).

Next year will be different but I think it’s fully reasonable to expect a return to the NCAA tournament. Henry is gone. Get over it. The way he’s been physically assaulted who could blame him. If you’re going to be roughed up every night you might as well get paid. So thanks Henry for being a part of the program, behaving with class and playing at such a high level. I do hope Wally comes back. Is he a star? Of course not but he does bring an energy and spirit that is needed and let’s not shortchange him as a player, the dude has some game.

I think we’re going to see a 4 out 1 in offensive set and I expect JaJuan Johnson to have a breakout season. We’ve already seen the start of it late this year. This was a dude whose confidence had been shattered and has now been rebuilt. Let’s not forget this young man was a top 40 recruit. Duane Wilson will be another year older and wiser and I expect more of the moments of brilliance (of which he is capable) and fewer of the infuriating mental errors of which he is also capable. Cheatham will go down as one of the best to play at MU when everything is said and done and, were it not for an amazing season by Henry, we would all be talking much more about what a great season he has compiled. I think Rowsey will be a real difference maker. This is not Jake Thomas (not to take anything away from Jake). Rowsey averaged 19 per game in a D1 conference and saved his best games for the best competition. Unlike Jake, there were a number of D1 programs (including N C State, Cincy and Virginia Tech) who wanted him.

I’ve seen people ripping Traci on twitter which is just mind boggling to me. For a frosh he’s done quite well and that was before dropping 10 dimes in yesterday’s game vs Villanova. I think between Traci, Rowsey, Duane and Haney we’re pretty set for depth at guard. That said I take Markus Howard in a New York minute.

As for the frontcourt Luke will need to come up big and I think he has it in himself to do so. Cheatham, as noted, has already established himself and his just scratching his potential. The reclamation project will be Sandy Cohen who seems to have regressed and is clearly lacking confidence. There are definitely minutes there for Sam Hauser and I think we’ll see Matt Heldt emerge to play meaningful minutes in the post. Sacr remains a mystery to me. He’s shown some athleticism and might need to see some minutes at the 4 next year.

As for other issues, I see a lot of hate for the Badgers. Maybe it comes from never having lived in Wisconsin either before or after my 4 years @ MU but I really don’t care about the Badgers. That said they’re crazy if they don’t hire Gard who could, very easily, be named Big 10 coach of the year. People get pretty spun up about the moronic comments made by their fan base. Hey after 40+ years of ineptitude they’re finally experiencing some sustained success. Good for them; let’s see how long it lasts.

We do need to upgrade the schedule significantly. I do hope that this year's schedule was in place largely in recognition of this being the 8th youngest team in D1. That said we simply cannot afford to carry the number of low RPI teams because those victories do little to enhance our reputation. I would also like to see some geographic diversity in scheduling like maybe a couple of home and home series with Pac-10 or SEC/ACC schools (hey maybe even a home and home with a West Coast non-major like Gonzaga, San Diego State or St. Mary's).

I like where Coach Wojciechowski is taking this program. I like the quality (both on the court and off) of the individuals he’s brought into the program as well as those he is recruiting. I’m quite optimistic about the future and look forward to see how it unfolds.

[MUfan12]

I'll fully admit, I'm a Traci Carter apologist. And it bugs me to see (and hear) him get ripped on by our fans.

He's far from the finished article, but I see a lot of good things there. He certainly needs to get better at taking care of the basketball, as does Haani. But, he doesn't play scared, and looks to initiate offense right away. That's something MU has been missing from the PG spot since Junior graduated. And I love the edge he plays with.

He's been a typical freshman, the game is still slowing down for him. Most guys are able to play under a veteran for a year and learn the ropes. He hasn't had that luxury.

[TheSultan]

I think next year is very key for Wojo. As much as I have liked what he has done off the court, including obviously with recruiting, and there have been marginal improvements on court, I think there needs to be more noticeable improvement on court. Next year will see a talented team with more experience, and I think will need to be more competitive. Otherwise his seat will be getting warm.

[MUfan12]

Next year will see a talented team with more experience, and I think will need to be more competitive. Otherwise his seat will be getting warm.

And to this point, I think the spring signing period is crucial to making that jump. They gotta land a PF. I know MU has won in the past with small guys at the 4, but they were built like football players. I don't see anyone like that on this roster.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

Next year will be tough because we will need to replace everything that Henry does. That is not going to be an easy task, have to hope that Rowsey can come in and provide some scoring, and then everyone can collectively make up the difference between Henry and Rowsey's scoring. The rebounding is the part that I think we will struggle with, even if we do find a PF, they will be a freshman and will take time to adapt.

[TheSultan]

Next year will be tough because we will need to replace everything that Henry does. That is not going to be an easy task, have to hope that Rowsey can come in and provide some scoring, and then everyone can collectively make up the difference between Henry and Rowsey's scoring. The rebounding is the part that I think we will struggle with, even if we do find a PF, they will be a freshman and will take time to adapt.


Maybe not. Grad transfer or JUCO a possibility.

[Markedman]

Coaching changes can be difficult. Wojo inherited a mess and then lost an entire recruiting class outside of Cohen. Then he lost Burton and Taylor.

Team made progress this year but as the 8th youngest team in the country it isn't going to lead to a tournament berth.

Slow and steady wins the race...changing coaches every 3 or 4 years isn't the answer.

You have to believe in the guy you have hired even when the results might not be apparent.

[MUBasketball]

Coaching changes can be difficult. Wojo inherited a mess and then lost an entire recruiting class outside of Cohen. Then he lost Burton and Taylor.

Team made progress this year but as the 8th youngest team in the country it isn't going to lead to a tournament berth.

Slow and steady wins the race...changing coaches every 3 or 4 years isn't the answer.

You have to believe in the guy you have hired even when the results might not be apparent.

Bingo.

[pbiflyer]

Coaching changes can be difficult. Wojo inherited a mess and then lost an entire recruiting class outside of Cohen. Then he lost Burton and Taylor.

Team made progress this year but as the 8th youngest team in the country it isn't going to lead to a tournament berth.

Slow and steady wins the race...changing coaches every 3 or 4 years isn't the answer.

You have to believe in the guy you have hired even when the results might not be apparent.

I agree with everything you said. I like the Wojo hire.
It is just difficult to see both our previous coaches(Buzz, Crean) doing well and our previous potential target coaches(Smart, Cunzo, Howland) doing well. A bit frustrating. Not saying we should or could have had any of them, just that it is frustrating to see them succeeding where we are not.

[TheSultan]

To clarify, I in no way shape or form think Wojo should be fired next year no matter what. All I said was they need to be "more competitive," or else his seat "will be getting warm." I don't think that is an unreasonable expectation, nor do I think it is an unreasonable result.

[jpvegas52]

Coaching changes can be difficult. Wojo inherited a mess and then lost an entire recruiting class outside of Cohen. Then he lost Burton and Taylor.

Team made progress this year but as the 8th youngest team in the country it isn't going to lead to a tournament berth.

Slow and steady wins the race...changing coaches every 3 or 4 years isn't the answer.

You have to believe in the guy you have hired even when the results might not be apparent.

+ 1

[IrwinFletcher]

To clarify, I in no way shape or form think Wojo should be fired next year no matter what. All I said was they need to be "more competitive," or else his seat "will be getting warm." I don't think that is an unreasonable expectation, nor do I think it is an unreasonable result.

You say "more competitive". We have been more competitive as only a 3 games or so we were out of it early.

If we are "better" we win the Belmont, DePaul and Creighton games and we are talking about an NCAA bid. I don't think being competitive is the issue.

[kneelb4zerg]

I agree with everything you said. I like the Wojo hire.
It is just difficult to see both our previous coaches(Buzz, Crean) doing well and our previous potential target coaches(Smart, Cunzo, Howland) doing well. A bit frustrating. Not saying we should or could have had any of them, just that it is frustrating to see them succeeding where we are not.

This is garbage, starting with the idea that Howland is doing well.

[pbiflyer]

This is garbage, starting with the idea that Howland is doing well.

I was too lazy to look up his record, I admit it. The others are certainly doing better. Hell, Buzz has been without his top two players all season and is .500 in the ACC with a win over a top 10 team.
The rest (sans Howkand) will likely be dancing. How exactly is that garbage? Sounds. Like they are doing better than Marquette. That's all I claimed.

[MulliganMusings]

I was too lazy to look up his record, I admit it. The others are certainly doing better. Hell, Buzz has been without his top two players all season and is .500 in the ACC with a win over a top 10 team.
The rest (sans Howkand) will likely be dancing. How exactly is that garbage? Sounds. Like they are doing better than Marquette. That's all I claimed.

Gotta love Kneel; always so unequivocal :) I get pbiflyer's point, don't agree with it but get it and see where others might feel the same way. Personally, I am happy Buzz is doing well (and I agree he is). Unlike others I don't dislike Buzz and only have gratitude for his contribution to my alma mater. I wish him well but, frankly, I think we've got the best guy, for the job. I like the culture Coach Wojciechowski is building. I think we will see him build a program that sustains consistent excellence which I define as perennially competing for a Big East championship and appearing the NCAA tournament.

That's not a backhanded shot at Buzz as I enjoyed his culture as well. I never had a problem with the JUCO kids particularly when you consider that one of Marquette University's missions is to attract students who will be the first in their family to attend college. That's not to say that situation applied to all of the JUCOS but, generally, the JUCO kids had faced some adversity and played and approached life with a chip on their shoulders that served them well. Regardless of whether it was Joe Fulce, Jae Crowder, Jimmy Butler or DJO they all left it all on the court and have gone on to have success post graduation (success can be measured in different ways).

My hope is that we can attract a grad transfer. We know Sam is on board and we know Brandon Bailey is not coming on board until 2018 leaving another scholarship open which I hope will be filled by Markus Howard. Henry is leaving opens up one other scholarship which I am hoping will result in a grad transfer PF or even a JUCO PF my concern being that the high school ranks have largely been picked over and anyone we offer will likely have a development curve similar to Matt Heldt (who I think will become a good player). Ideally we could get someone who would be an immediate contributor but, at the end of the day, I trust Wojo and what he is building.

[TheSultan]

You say "more competitive". We have been more competitive as only a 3 games or so we were out of it early.

If we are "better" we win the Belmont, DePaul and Creighton games and we are talking about an NCAA bid. I don't think being competitive is the issue.


I think we need to be "more competitive" than hanging around .500 in conference play. All I am saying is that if we are near that same mark next year, especially if we see some of the same turnover fests we have seen this year, then more questions will rightfully be asked.

[Phantom Warrior]

And just why might we see "the same turnover fests we have seen this year"?

There is a huge difference between freshmen and sophomores - just look at Seton Hall this year. Combined, freshmen are getting between 80 and 90 minutes in most games, over 90 minutes in some games.

We don't have a single senior on the roster this year. We add a veteran guard in Rowsey who will be a fourth-year junior.

If Henry leaves, and I am still not convinced he will leave, we will be very small, and rebounding will be a major issue - unless we pull in a grad transfer at the 4 - but we should be a much better shooting team next year with the additions of Rowsey and Sam. By the way, I would not be all that surprised if Sam ends up being nearly as good next year as Haanif is this year. He can shoot; he can pass; he can handle the ball. I'm not saying Sam will averaged 30 mpg or double figures in scoring, but I think he will be a solid addition who will contribute.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

It's hard to say Buzz is doing better than Wojo so far... To me they are about the same... Hell VT's RPI is 110 and we are 113... Both are NIT teams, and both are rebuilding. I'll give you Crean and Shaka but Crean has been there for years now and it isn't fair to compare, and Shaka walked in to a better situation than Wojo.

[unclejohn]

I think we need to be "more competitive" than hanging around .500 in conference play. All I am saying is that if we are near that same mark next year, especially if we see some of the same turnover fests we have seen this year, then more questions will rightfully be asked.I see gre

This Year, I am content with .500 in conference play. Win Creighton and DePaul at home and we are above that, in one of the toughest conferences in the country. Under Buzz, some of those .500 conference seasons got us into the Dance. I see great progress from this team from the beginning of the year. Much depends on luck and circumstance. I could see being satisfied with this team being a few games under .500 in the conference. I think Wojo has gotten about as much as could be expected out of this bunch.

Most years in a tough conference, if the team is at or about .500 in the BE, we will be doing OK, give or take. If you have ten competitive teams, someone is going to wind up below .500. Unless we do it on a regular basis, I am not too upset.

Comparing the performance of former coaches or other potential coaches seems pointless to me. This team is much better than Ix4 was Crean's second year. That is not much of a commentary on either coach. Crean inherited about as bad a situation as he could get. But comparing where Ix4 is today to where we are today makes little sense. I am glad for Buzz's success. I really did think he would finish his career at Marquette. I thought he did a great job. I thought there were things he did better than Wojo. But that is not what happened for a number of reasons. Two different coaches, two different approaches. So good for Buzz, but he is gone and I do not wish for his return. I was hoping Cuonzo would get the job. Apparently, the hiring committee was more impressed with Wojo. So there is no telling what he would have done here, and comparing what he is doing at another program does not make sense to me. I dreaded the thought of Howland getting the job. The guy can coach. He also seems to wear out his welcome and alienate his players. I did not think he would be a good fit for Marquette. And we all know what happened with Shaka.

So we got the guy we got. Never mind what someone else would have done. He has done a good job, and opposing coaches keep talking about how good of a job. I like the players he has recruited, how hard they play, and how he represents the university. So good luck to other candidates, but so what?

[pbiflyer]

It's hard to say Buzz is doing better than Wojo so far... To me they are about the same... Hell VT's RPI is 110 and we are 113... Both are NIT teams, and both are rebuilding. I'll give you Crean and Shaka but Crean has been there for years now and it isn't fair to compare, and Shaka walked in to a better situation than Wojo.

Buzz's top two players are out. Imagine of any two of our contributors were out for the season.
And by no means am I saying that we should be doing as well as the others. It is just frustrating to see them doing well while we are not.
I like Wojo. I like the way he runs the program. I am excited about our long term prospects.
I was a student when Majerus was here. One thing I learned from his time with us and beyond. Not only do players get better from year to year (at least hopefully), but so do new coaches. I think Wojo will continue to grow and become a better head coach. Our staff in general will continue to grow and get better.

Another court ready 4 would be nice for next year.

[79warrior]

I was too lazy to look up his record, I admit it. The others are certainly doing better. Hell, Buzz has been without his top two players all season and is .500 in the ACC with a win over a top 10 team.
The rest (sans Howkand) will likely be dancing. How exactly is that garbage? Sounds. Like they are doing better than Marquette. That's all I claimed.

Howland has not even been there a year yet. He has recruited very well. You are not wrong.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

Buzz's top two players are out. .

Hill & Outlaw are the only two guys I see that are out for the year for VT, and neither is their best player. LeDay and Bibbs in my opinion are better than those two. Now they were certainly expected to be contributors, but lets not over state it. However with that being said, Buzz has a FAR more experienced team than we have also. In my opinion Buzz, if any coach, is the one who should be blamed for the last three years, he is who put us in this situation as a coach, not Wojo. I have honestly been impressed with the progress Wojo has shown over this season, this is a very young team and I know we are all hungry for some success after a futile few years, but we also have to understand that we aren't a blue blood that can just reload over night... We have to give Wojo till year 4 when its all his guys, then we can truly judge the progress. So far year 1 was rough, but it wasn't really about him, year 2 has shown obvious improvement, and year 3 is TBD.

[Djgoldnboy]

Hill & Outlaw are the only two guys I see that are out for the year for VT, and neither is their best player. LeDay and Bibbs in my opinion are better than those two. Now they were certainly expected to be contributors, but lets not over state it. However with that being said, Buzz has a FAR more experienced team than we have also. In my opinion Buzz, if any coach, is the one who should be blamed for the last three years, he is who put us in this situation as a coach, not Wojo. I have honestly been impressed with the progress Wojo has shown over this season, this is a very young team and I know we are all hungry for some success after a futile few years, but we also have to understand that we aren't a blue blood that can just reload over night... We have to give Wojo till year 4 when its all his guys, then we can truly judge the progress. So far year 1 was rough, but it wasn't really about him, year 2 has shown obvious improvement, and year 3 is TBD.

Agreed this is on Buzz more than anyone, didn't help his foot was half out the door his last year either. That being said, I do appreciate what he did for us in his tenure here.

I actually consider this to be Wojo's first year. First year with the players he actually had time to go out and get, all his recruits. We are trending in the right direction.

[Nukem2]

Agreed this is on Buzz more than anyone, didn't help his foot was half out the door his last year either. That being said, I do appreciate what he did for us in his tenure here.

I actually consider this to be Wojo's first year. First year with the players he actually had time to go out and get, all his recruits. We are trending in the right direction.
Yep, last year was rather meaningless other than getting the program on the right foot.

[ValiantSailor]

One thing I learned from his time with us and beyond. Not only do players get better from year to year (at least hopefully), but so do new coaches.

IIRC, Al was 14-12 his second year.

VS

[russguss]

even coach K had 10-17 in 2nd yr and 11-17 in his 3rd yr... made the NCAA in his 4th yr :cool: