Marquette Basketball Thread 20-21

[patrickgpe]

Got to watch bits and pieces of the 2 games last week and I think they are definitely a team that got better by not having so much of their offense going through one player. The new players look really good.

 

Garcia and John will be a great tandem inside. Very impressed by Carlton so far.

 

Then you got Cain, McEwen, Torrence and Elliot, whom I have expected to improve their level of play this season. I am not sure the depth is there this year, but I think you got 6-7 solid players and they should be better than expected this year.

 

Can't wait for Friday as a early season measuring stick.

[owbc]

Marquette looks completely lost against OSU's zone defense. 22 turnovers and a whole lot of missed 3-pointers.

[LouisEly]

Needed Markus Howard tonight to shoot over their zone defense.

 

That being said, Oklahoma State plays really good defense.

[patrickgpe]

I think this is the most athletic and the best defensive team wojo has had but in the end of the day when you need someone to make a shot, you don’t have anyone. It’s early and this was their first good opponent. Once they switched to a zone, Marquette had no answers.

[FVBrewerFan]

I think this is the most athletic and the best defensive team wojo has had but in the end of the day when you need someone to make a shot, you don’t have anyone. It’s early and this was their first good opponent. Once they switched to a zone, Marquette had no answers.

 

Yea, credit to OSU. But it wasn't necessarily shot making, they didn't move the ball at ALL. How many times did Carton or whoever just stand there and dribble down to 2 seconds on the shot clock. Just no attacking the gaps in the zone, passing quickly around the horn, etc. Yea, they don't have knock down shooters but move the ball to get good looks and they would have had a chance at least. I just don't think Wojo is a good coach, but I've been saying that for a while.

 

College teams should play zone more often, everyone struggles against it since these guys grew up in AAU and may have never seen a zone once.

[patrickgpe]

I just don't think Wojo is a good coach, but I've been saying that for a while.

 

College teams should play zone more often, everyone struggles against it since these guys grew up in AAU and may have never seen a zone once.

 

100% agreed. They could not adjust to it at all. I know we will see it on Friday against UW.

 

I feel like in college basketball specifically coaches are retained way longer than they should because the school doesn't want to lose recruits / current players who are their to play for that coach. When Buzz left, it literally took 2 years to actually have a college basketball program again. That first year of wojo, i think they had 6 scholarship players.

[owbc]

I'd like to see some names of coaches who would be a realistic upgrade over Wojo. As a whole the program is in pretty good shape right now, recruiting is solid. Yes, Wojo is not a very good Xs and Os coach, but neither was Crean. I think it looks especially bad right now because (1) Buzz was the opposite and (2) Wisconsin is really good right now.

 

Even if they get crushed by Wisconsin on Friday, which they probably will, it doesn't change the fact that Marquette has a fairly high ceiling this year.

[patrickgpe]

my personal opinion is that stan johnson is more responsible for the success of the program than wojo. They recruit well and talent does win games.

 

I understand at Marquette the best you are going to get is a lower division coach looking to get into the power 6 or a power 6 assistant.

 

I also think Marquette will give Wisconsin a game. Like I said, the team plays good defense and is athletic.

[homer]

I don't think UW will crush them. Or at least I'll be surprised if they do. Wouldn't be shocked to see Marquette win either depending on how shooting for UW goes.

[OldHeidelberg]

It seems to me like Wojo's teams have really underperformed, at least when measured by how well they have recruited. He did get burned by the Hauser brothers on what would have been his best team but that situation reflects on him as well. I don't follow them as much as I used to, and maybe my opinion about how well they have recruited is off, but I think the fans expect him to make more tourneys and get out of the first round. But I agree not sure I would tear things down

 

I haven't seen Marquette yet this year but the Wisconsin-Marquette rivalry seems to be split the last couple of decades despite the Badgers having more team success over that period, I sure don't expect the Badgers to cruise tonight. Looking forward to the game.

[DHonks]

It seems to me like Wojo's teams have really underperformed, at least when measured by how well they have recruited. He did get burned by the Hauser brothers on what would have been his best team but that situation reflects on him as well. I don't follow them as much as I used to, and maybe my opinion about how well they have recruited is off, but I think the fans expect him to make more tourneys and get out of the first round. But I agree not sure I would tear things down

 

I haven't seen Marquette yet this year but the Wisconsin-Marquette rivalry seems to be split the last couple of decades despite the Badgers having more team success over that period, I sure don't expect the Badgers to cruise tonight. Looking forward to the game.

 

I feel they've underperformed in the post-season, but they play in one of the best leagues in the country, top-to-bottom. Even DePaul hasn't been a slouch lately. The cupboard was bare when Wojo took over, and he finally has players staying all 4-5 years to built his culture. This team is clearly the most athletic we've had at MU in a long time (since the McNeal, James, Matthews, Hayward, Butler year). This is going to be a fun year

[patrickgpe]

 

Even if they get crushed by Wisconsin on Friday, which they probably will, it doesn't change the fact that Marquette has a fairly high ceiling this year.

This take didn’t age well.

[patrickgpe]

 

Even if they get crushed by Wisconsin on Friday, which they probably will, it doesn't change the fact that Marquette has a fairly high ceiling this year.

This take didn’t age well.

[folly412]

Really great win over Creighton in Omaha. This team is the most fun to watch in years, very balanced and good chemistry.

[FVBrewerFan]

Really great win over Creighton in Omaha. This team is the most fun to watch in years, very balanced and good chemistry.

 

Yea, great game. I'm a fan of both UW and MU, but really haven't watched much regular season NCAA hoops in recent years. For whatever reason, I've seen 4 MU games this year. They are beasts on the boards. Interesting though, they shot 57% from 3 and still had to hang on to win.

[patrickgpe]

Interesting though, they shot 57% from 3 and still had to hang on to win.

Creighton is ranked #9 for a reason.

[patrickgpe]

I know this isn't the greatest spot to talk Marquette hoops in town, but I am genuinely interested to see if Wojo survives this offseason. He has been here for 7 years and will have only made 2 NCAA tournaments and have not won a game yet. Last 2 years the team faded down the stretch and this year, they really never got going once conference season started after some nice non- conference wins.

 

College basketball is odd that you can bet that a bunch of key players will ask to transfer if Wojo leaves, but Mike Dean was fired for less. I think Marquette can do better.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

The Big East should be a really attractive landing spot for coaches. You'll be the highest priority on campus athletics-wise, play against a real blue blood in Villanova, and be in a league that's going to regularly send half its teams to tge tourney.

 

Given the talent in Milwaukee and Chicago, I'd say Wojo has underachieved. Still, are there quality candidates out there? Porter Moser from Loyola might be a fit, but I can see MU giving Wojo another year and hoping for a more traditional carousel in 2022 should that not work out.

[patrickgpe]

I think a top candidate would be Brian Wardle. I can't speak to what candidates are around, but March always produces a good half dozen of hot candidates. Marquette is a good job but its not a destination job. I get that. Still they have a great practice facility on campus and probably play in the best arena in all of college basketball. Marquette coaches have been compensated in the top 10 in all of NCAA in the past, and you are the top dog on campus.

[PinaMadness]

I know this isn't the greatest spot to talk Marquette hoops in town, but I am genuinely interested to see if Wojo survives this offseason. He has been here for 7 years and will have only made 2 NCAA tournaments and have not won a game yet. Last 2 years the team faded down the stretch and this year, they really never got going once conference season started after some nice non- conference wins.

 

College basketball is odd that you can bet that a bunch of key players will ask to transfer if Wojo leaves, but Mike Dean was fired for less. I think Marquette can do better.

Once they get rid of the Pukie coaching the team, I can go back to rooting for them.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

I think a top candidate would be Brian Wardle. I can't speak to what candidates are around, but March always produces a good half dozen of hot candidates. Marquette is a good job but its not a destination job. I get that. Still they have a great practice facility on campus and probably play in the best arena in all of college basketball. Marquette coaches have been compensated in the top 10 in all of NCAA in the past, and you are the top dog on campus.

 

Wardle's a good name. Bradley's a tough place to win, and they've had some talent recently. I guess if I'm Marquette, though, the question is: who's better than Wojo? Gregg Marshall has big baggage. Maybe Leon Rice at Boise? Casey Alexander from Belmont? Richie P is probably toast at Minnesota....I wouldn't be making a lateral move amidst all this uncertainty.

 

I'd stand pat unless you can bring in either a real young, rising star or maybe Archie Miller, who could probably benefit from a scene change at this point.

[patrickgpe]

if wojo is fired, which i am not certain he will, marquette does always seem to go the assistant route. Only coach in the last 30 years to be hired that was a head coach the year prior was Deane.

[patrickgpe]

looks like MU's season is ending today, under 500, no postseason. Hopefully they do the right thing and find a new coach.

[nate82]

They have a few good wins but being under .500 and being one in done in the conference tournament is a killer.

 

I don't think it is a coaching problem at least not strategy wise. Though the coaching isn't getting the full potential from the recruiting.

[LouisEly]

I think people under-rate how tough the Big East conference is. Marquette dominated UNC at UNC and UNC is 10-6 in the ACC and 10-1 at home this year; yes, Marquette was their only home loss. Marquette's two non-conference losses were to #12 Oklahoma State (who just beat #6 WVU without OSU's best player and possible #1 overall draft pick) and to UCLA (17-8 overall, 13-6 in conference; Lunardi has them as a 10-seed).

 

Marquette's strength of schedule is somewhere between #29 and #34 in the country. Wisconsin is between #6 and #11 (and all of the top 6 are Big Ten schools). ESPN has 12 Big Ten teams amonng the top 13 in SOS.