Why can’t we be Marquette?

[Cuse1055]

It’s not like they have better resources or more money than we do. Shaka Smart is a hell of a coach.

 

[Sherman20]

I agree. But remember Marquette struggled for five years under Steve Wojo.
And even Shaka struggled at Texas and took a year to really get going at Marquette. See below.
He actually had a losing record at Texas in conference play! (though it may have been a bad fit.)
Sometimes it's important to be patient.

2015–16	Texas	20–13	11–7	4th	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2016–17	Texas	11–22	4–14	10th
2017–18	Texas	19–15	8–10	T–6th	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2018–19	Texas	21–16	8–10	6th	NIT Champion
2019–20	Texas	19–12	9–9	T–3rd	Postseason cancelled due to COVID-19
2020–21	Texas	19–8	11–6	3rd	NCAA Division I Round of 64
Texas:	109–86 (.559)	51–56 (.477)
Marquette Golden Eagles (Big East Conference) (2021–present)​
2021–22	Marquette	19–13	11–8	T–5th	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2022–23	Marquette	29–7	17–3	1st	NCAA Division I Round of 32
2023–24	Marquette	4-0

 

[Cuse1055]

I agree. But remember they struggled for five years or more under Steve Wojo.
And even Shaka struggled at Texas and took a year to really get going at Marquette. See below.
He actually had a losing record at Texas! (thought it may have been a bad fit.)
Sometimes it's important to be patient.

2015–16	Texas	20–13	11–7	4th	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2016–17	Texas	11–22	4–14	10th
2017–18	Texas	19–15	8–10	T–6th	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2018–19	Texas	21–16	8–10	6th	NIT Champion
2019–20	Texas	19–12	9–9	T–3rd	Postseason cancelled due to COVID-19
2020–21	Texas	19–8	11–6	3rd	NCAA Division I Round of 64
Texas:	109–86 (.559)	51–56 (.477)
Marquette Golden Eagles (Big East Conference) (2021–present)​
2021–22	Marquette	19–13	11–8	T–5th	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2022–23	Marquette	29–7	17–3	1st	NCAA Division I Round of 32
2023–24	Marquette	4-0

True, good points. Shaka showed he could coach at VCU though, so he was proven. I agree that Texas wasn’t a good fit.

 

[cuseattle]

Golden Eagles up 15 in the 2nd half.
17 Kansas turnovers

 

[UpstateSM]

True, good points. Shaka showed he could coach at VCU though, so he was proven. I agree that Texas wasn’t a good fit.

It's now Shaka Smart's offense that is causing havocHow Shaka Smart turbocharged Marquette basketball’s offense

Really good piece that I came across during one of my nerd-out-on-CBB-schemes periods

 

[44cuse]

The thing that Shaka has is a "brand" of basketball. Clearly we had that...like it or not...long athletes and the zone. The was JB's brand of basketball.

I actually don't mind losing. I was prepared for that and expecting year 1 growing pains. But what I thought we would see was organized, hard nosed basketball. Instead we have seen ANYTHING but that: can't get the ball inbounds, no rebounding, poor defense and literally nothing at all resembling an offense.

44cuse

 

[jncuse]

I agree. But remember Marquette struggled for five years under Steve Wojo.
And even Shaka struggled at Texas and took a year to really get going at Marquette. See below.
He actually had a losing record at Texas in conference play! (though it may have been a bad fit.)
Sometimes it's important to be patient.

2015–16	Texas	20–13	11–7	4th	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2016–17	Texas	11–22	4–14	10th
2017–18	Texas	19–15	8–10	T–6th	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2018–19	Texas	21–16	8–10	6th	NIT Champion
2019–20	Texas	19–12	9–9	T–3rd	Postseason cancelled due to COVID-19
2020–21	Texas	19–8	11–6	3rd	NCAA Division I Round of 64
Texas:	109–86 (.559)	51–56 (.477)
Marquette Golden Eagles (Big East Conference) (2021–present)​
2021–22	Marquette	19–13	11–8	T–5th	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2022–23	Marquette	29–7	17–3	1st	NCAA Division I Round of 32
2023–24	Marquette	4-0

There were the last 5 years of Wojo
2017 - #10 seed
2018 - NIT (sixth team out of the tournament)
2019 - #5 seed
2020 - #9 seed (per matrix at time of cancellation)
2021: 13-14

2017-2020 were probably below Marquette's expectations a bit, but it couldn't be by that much as they were a consistent tourney team. It was stronger and more consistent than anything we did since 2014. Then they had one bad year and smartly moved on.

Unlike here, where we had people blow of a final 4 and sweet 16 appearance and would argue regular seasons that were much more underwhelmingdon't matter... when in fact continually underwhelming regular seasons have much more predictive value of where we were at and where we are going.

The difference with Marquette is they didn't accept stuff that was way below expectations and probably moved on more quickly than us -- to their benefit.

 

[Oakland]

It’s not like they have better resources or more money than we do. Shaka Smart is a hell of a coach.

Smart is the one guy I wanted, but JB probably held on for one year too long to get him.

 

[wiCuse]

Aspiring to be Marquette is pretty low. I live outside of Milwaukee. They don't have a national brand and haven't been good for a long time. I'm amazed that they kept their team together from last year. They do pump a lot of money into their basketball program (and have for a while) and are well coached. They haven't sustained anything yet. Marquette will lose a lot after this season. It will be interesting if Smart stays, if he does can he keep it going.

 

[Ozone!]

Who’s to say, in time, we can’t be the equal or better than Marquette, in time. Right now we need patience, a new HC and the team is just learning the newly installed offenses and defenses. Plus, we lost a vital player, to injury, in Chance!

 

[Fly Rodder]

Sometimes it's important to be patient.

Sure, but we can't wait another 10 seasons for Red to figure out how to coach at this level. Syracuse hasn't been ranked during conference play for a decade. 10 years! UConn has had two natties in that same time frame.

 

[two3zone]

Aspiring to be Marquette is pretty low. I live outside of Milwaukee. They don't have a national brand and haven't been good for a long time. I'm amazed that they kept their team together from last year. They do pump a lot of money into their basketball program (and have for a while) and are well coached. They haven't sustained anything yet. Marquette will lose a lot after this season. It will be interesting if Smart stays, if he does can he keep it going.

Our national brand isn’t what it was 10 years ago let alone 20-30 years ago. We’ve been heading to irrelevance for awhile now.

 

[Bayside44]

I agree. But remember Marquette struggled for five years under Steve Wojo.
And even Shaka struggled at Texas and took a year to really get going at Marquette. See below.
He actually had a losing record at Texas in conference play! (though it may have been a bad fit.)
Sometimes it's important to be patient.

2015–16	Texas	20–13	11–7	4th	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2016–17	Texas	11–22	4–14	10th
2017–18	Texas	19–15	8–10	T–6th	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2018–19	Texas	21–16	8–10	6th	NIT Champion
2019–20	Texas	19–12	9–9	T–3rd	Postseason cancelled due to COVID-19
2020–21	Texas	19–8	11–6	3rd	NCAA Division I Round of 64
Texas:	109–86 (.559)	51–56 (.477)
Marquette Golden Eagles (Big East Conference) (2021–present)​
2021–22	Marquette	19–13	11–8	T–5th	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2022–23	Marquette	29–7	17–3	1st	NCAA Division I Round of 32
2023–24	Marquette	4-0

Solid research to answer a question!

 

[pfister1]

We’ve been heading to irrelevance for awhile now.

Ever since the ACC die was cast…..uuggghh. I’m a one hit wonder…..Thanks, I’ll be here all night.

 

[wiCuse]

Our national brand isn’t what it was 10 years ago let alone 20-30 years ago. We’ve been heading to irrelevance for awhile now.

We're far from irrelevance. Stop the hyperbole. I think we're in a final four 10 years ago. No one cares about MU outside of Milwaukee in Wisconsin.

 

[Fly Rodder]

We're far from irrelevance.

Haven't been ranked during conference play in a decade. 10 years. No one other than old SU fans and alums have much interest in this program outside of central NY. The kids on the team now were toting their spidey man lunch boxes to the bus stop the last time SU was relevant as a powerhouse and not as a scrappy mid-major bubble team with a gimmick defense.

 

[two3zone]

We're far from irrelevance. Stop the hyperbole. I think we're in a final four 10 years ago. No one cares about MU outside of Milwaukee in Wisconsin.

FAU was in the final four last year and nobody cares just like nobody knows or cares about our final fours outside this fanbase.

 

[Day2]

Well, for starters, we didn’t conduct a national coaching search.

 

[cuseattle]

Go Quette

 

[Sherman20]

There were the last 5 years of Wojo
2017 - #10 seed
2018 - NIT (sixth team out of the tournament)
2019 - #5 seed
2020 - #9 seed (per matrix at time of cancellation)
2021: 13-14

2017-2020 were probably below Marquette's expectations a bit, but it couldn't be by that much as they were a consistent tourney team. It was stronger and more consistent than anything we did since 2014. Then they had one bad year and smartly moved on.

Unlike here, where we had people blow of a final 4 and sweet 16 appearance and would argue regular seasons that were much more underwhelmingdon't matter... when in fact continually underwhelming regular seasons have much more predictive value of where we were at and where we are going.

The difference with Marquette is they didn't accept stuff that was way below expectations and probably moved on more quickly than us -- to their benefit.

I wasn’t trying to make an argument about Wojo. I was just trying to make the point that programs struggle with transitions sometimes, even good ones like Marquette and Cuse. But I disagree with your assessment. Cuse’s results in the same period were very similar to Marquette’s under Wojo from 2017-2021. We made three NCAA tourneys (2018, 2019 and 2021), with two Sweet 16s (2018 and 2021) in the same period, plus a Bubble bursting NIT in 2017. Move it out one more year to 2016 and you add a Final Four in there for Cuse. Very similar results.

 

[Sherman20]

FAU was in the final four last year and nobody cares just like nobody knows or cares about our final fours outside this fanbase.

This is an absurd comment. Of course tourney success matters, and of course people care. A hell of a lot. Look at Purdue and all the crap they take for not making a Final Four in 40+ years. Gonzaga was similar for a long time. People considered them a Cinderella mid major for two decades until they broke through that ceiling to the title game a few years ago. Tourney success absolutely matters.

 

[two3zone]

This is an absurd comment. Of course tourney success matters, and of course people care. A hell of a lot. Look at Purdue and all the crap they take for not making a Final Four in 40+ years. Gonzaga was similar for a long time. People considered them a Cinderella mid major for two decades until they broke through that ceiling to the title game a few years ago. Tourney success absolutely matters.

Don’t think I’ve had a conversation about Purdue missing the final four last year or FAU being in it since UCONN won the title. It’s great for prestige and hanging banners on the wall. Not one of our recruits cares we were in the final four a little less than 10 years ago, they don’t care Jimmy V ran around a court kissing and hugging dudes.

While we’re sitting here saying “Hey! We made the final four 10 years ago!!!!!” other schools are getting smarter and better, including a team EVERYONE around here said was as good as dead winning a title.

I get tired hearing about how great we were, who cares, it’s done and over with, fix what I’m watching now.

 

[Dave]

It’s not like they have better resources or more money than we do. Shaka Smart is a hell of a coach.

Why can’t we be Syracuse again?

 

[two3zone]

Why can’t we be Syracuse again?

MSGA!!!

 

[wiCuse]

FAU was in the final four last year and nobody cares just like nobody knows or cares about our final fours outside this fanbase.

I guess that's your opinion. I'll take our final fours. People still seem to notice our brand and have a certain level of respect for the basketball program. We're still invited to prestigious preseason tournaments and can be found all over national TV. You're right FAU cannot say any of this.