Senior Leadership

[The Sultan]

There are two problems:
a) Joplin.   When he doesn't have the ball, he's like a 6th defender.  His screens are terrible and he brings his defender into the action to help on the ball which takes opportunities away from Kam.  When he does have the ball, he's a turnover.  Jop is the worst player on the team bar the walkons and just needs to sit.  You can see that he's causing chemistry problems because he's taking opportunities away from better players.  Sit him, replace him with anyone, and the team will improve.  Give him a little run after the first tv timeout and if he makes his first shot he can play longer.  If he drives or misses, he gets yanked. 
b) There is no offensive system.  I see others saying that the system is fine.  The system is now out of date and too easy to defend.  Look at Xavier and Creighton and (god forbid - with a guy I think is a horrible head coach) Villanova.  They have an offensive system that gets easy buckets and open 3's.  Nevada Smith has to go and Shaka needs to hire an offensive coordinator to put in a system.  Last year's system was better because 15 PNR per game is tough to defend.  Why they don't run more PNR this year is a mystery. 
I'm not anti-Shaka yet because I think culture is important, but if there are not changes immediately - changes which are sooooo obvious - then I'll have to stop supporting Shaka.  Both of the above problems are on Shaka. 

Lol. Yes.  It's amazing these changes that are "sooo obvious" can't be seen by the head coach. 🙄🙄🙄

One month of bad ball and Scoopers want to throw out what has been successful for the previous three seasons.

Again the collective resilience of tissue paper.

[Warrior of Law]

It is remarkable who poorly this team shoots from 3. Joplin is shooting less than 30% after hitting nearly 40% as a soph. Kam's percentage decline is similar.

MU is 262nd in the country for 3 point percentage.

If either one was shooting at a rate that is remotely close to what they did in the past, it would be a totally different season and trajectory.

[tower912]

Yes.  If Kam and Joplin hit 3's at a rate consistent with their first 3 seasons, most of the angst would never have happened.   Alas.

[rocky_warrior]

Again the collective resilience of tissue paper.

We've all been Marquette fans longer than tissue paper has.  Sorry that you dislike people venting after a frustrating loss. 

[tower912]

One of those cases where both things can be true.   It is a message board and fans come here to vent after losses. And some only come to vent after losses.
The team is 20-7 with (checking notes)  (this will take a minute)
-no PG
-no shooting
-no rebounding
-no bench
-no hope
-no center
-no senior leadership
-no offensive system
-no defensive system
-no adjustments
-no coaching
-no magic player from the portal


Should change the name of the school to Hogwarts, as magic is the only explanation for 20-7, 95-37.

[Viper]

Lol. Yes.  It's amazing these changes that are "sooo obvious" can't be seen by the head coach. 🙄🙄🙄

One month of bad ball and Scoopers want to throw out what has been successful for the previous three seasons.

Again the collective resilience of tissue paper.

I think it's more about Shaka not adjusting. I know Shaka can see that things are stale. Try something different. Jop is Jop, go with someone else (Parnham). Gold, regardless of why, is hurting the team with his below mediocre play. Maybe give Hamilton an extended run on Tuesday. Or, do nothing and hope for auto-correct. Villanova is not a bad team but the loss, imo, is more about what Marquette didn't do than what 'nova did. MU won at Maryland and blew out Purdue and Wisconsin, so winability is there. This malaise is correctable, but will take some change, probably in the lineup.

[Viper]

One of those cases where both things can be true.   It is a message board and fans come here to vent after losses. And some only come to vent after losses.
The team is 20-7 with (checking notes)  (this will take a minute)
-no PG
-no shooting
-no rebounding
-no bench
-no hope
-no center
-no senior leadership
-no offensive system
-no defensive system
-no adjustments
-no coaching
-no magic player from the portal


Should change the name of the school to Hogwarts, as magic is the only explanation for 20-7, 95-37.

so, roll with 20-7 because we must be good, we're 20-7? You watch the games, you can see the fade at this point. Games at UConn and home for StJ's aren't exactly looking like W's at this point. Shaka on the radio post-game...just by his tone I could tell he knows change is needed, but he seemed lost as to what. So, do nothing 'cause hey, we are 20-7?

[Viper]

Yes.  If Kam and Joplin hit 3's at a rate consistent with their first 3 seasons, most of the angst would never have happened.   Alas.

but Kam is not. Probably playing point guard is why. And, he had TK getting him the ball last season. Jop? Some regression combined with a need for a true pg we don't seem to currently have. Alas...season is slowly fading away.

[GB Warrior]

Lol. Yes.  It's amazing these changes that are "sooo obvious" can't be seen by the head coach. 🙄🙄🙄

One month of bad ball and Scoopers want to throw out what has been successful for the previous three seasons.

Again the collective resilience of tissue paper.

No idea what the answer is, but last night felt like a seminal moment. The SH game was clearly a sugar high rather than a get right game.

It's been a good run, but at this point, Shaka riding with the horses that got him here feels foolish given what the seniors have put on tape of late.

[tower912]

I sense a longing for a return to the Wojo years when, after a frustrating stretch, he announced that every position was open and would be determined by the effort in practice the next week.  Of course, the only change was JjJ dnp/cd-ing, as he showed up late for one of those practices.

Get healthy, stay healthy, hit 3's, develop the bench.  My mantra all season.  The bench part is coming along.

[GB Warrior]

Tower, the bench is by no means a strength yet, but it's not why we got boat raced last night or have sputtered the last two months either.

[tower912]

Tower, the bench is by no means a strength yet, but it's not why we got boat raced last night or have sputtered the last two months either.

It is far less of a liability.

[tower912]

so, roll with 20-7 because we must be good, we're 20-7? You watch the games, you can see the fade at this point. Games at UConn and home for StJ's aren't exactly looking like W's at this point. Shaka on the radio post-game...just by his tone I could tell he knows change is needed, but he seemed lost as to what. So, do nothing 'cause hey, we are 20-7?

Yes, I choose to focus on the positive.  And it is a healthy sign that Shaka is ticked.   It would be odd if he wasn't. 
Looking back at the 40 seasons I have been following MU, almost every team has flat spots, rough patches.  None have ended their season with a victory.  This team is in a rough patch.  The ceiling hasn't changed.

[willie warrior]

No idea what the answer is, but last night felt like a seminal moment. The SH game was clearly a sugar high rather than a get right game.

It's been a good run, but at this point, Shaka riding with the horses that got him here feels foolish given what the seniors have put on tape of late.

A major shake up has been needed and still is needed. For sure Gold and Jop need to be on bench. They can come in as part of the rotation. Probably Mitchell also. Doubt if Shaka will do that though. Maybe Gold and that will be it.

[The Sultan]

We've all been Marquette fans longer than tissue paper has.  Sorry that you dislike people venting after a frustrating loss. 

Vent away. I don't care. But some of the statements are more than venting. And show a complete lack of perspective much less good basketball thought.

[#UnleashSean]

It seems like each of our upper classman outside of Ross has regressed to their ability and role they had last year.

[#UnleashSean]

There are two problems:
a) Joplin.   When he doesn't have the ball, he's like a 6th defender.  His screens are terrible and he brings his defender into the action to help on the ball which takes opportunities away from Kam.  When he does have the ball, he's a turnover.  Jop is the worst player on the team bar the walkons and just needs to sit.  You can see that he's causing chemistry problems because he's taking opportunities away from better players.  Sit him, replace him with anyone, and the team will improve.  Give him a little run after the first tv timeout and if he makes his first shot he can play longer.  If he drives or misses, he gets yanked.  /quote]

My hot take with Jop is that he only starts and plays over Lowery because he's a senior.

[rgoode57]

I would be shocked if Shaka made any changes to the starting lineup. He may get Zaide, Owens, and Parham a lot more playing time, but the starting group will remain the same. Hamilton also needs more time so Shaka can figure out if he can really play or not. At this point, it is all about next year.

[tower912]

Which is what happened last night.

[HutchwasClutch]

but Kam is not. Probably playing point guard is why. And, he had TK getting him the ball last season. Jop? Some regression combined with a need for a true pg we don't seem to currently have. Alas...season is slowly fading away.

I think burden of being both primary scorer and ball handler, with no one taking the load off, has worn down Kam's energy over the course of the season.  He's carried a very heavy burden that has taken its toll this deep in the season.

[BM1090]

I sense a longing for a return to the Wojo years when, after a frustrating stretch, he announced that every position was open and would be determined by the effort in practice the next week.  Of course, the only change was JjJ dnp/cd-ing, as he showed up late for one of those practices.

Get healthy, stay healthy, hit 3's, develop the bench.  My mantra all season.  The bench part is coming along.

My opinion only, but I think if we're going to make a run this year some tweaks are needed. Jop, Stevie and Ben still need to play and be a big part of what we're doing. But Zaide and Owens add a different dimension that we don't have right now. Length, athleticism, confident shooting.

Try the tweaks. We have 5 games. Maybe we find something. Maybe we don't. But it doesn't seem to me that Stevie and Ben are healthy enough to be the difference makers they can be when healthy. If it doesn't work we can always go back to the original 5 in the BET and beyond.

[tower912]

The problem with shutting down Stevie and Ben is that you are now dressing
8 scholarship players and hoping to get better by relying on freshmen and sophomores.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

There are two problems:
a) Joplin.   When he doesn't have the ball, he's like a 6th defender.  His screens are terrible and he brings his defender into the action to help on the ball which takes opportunities away from Kam.  When he does have the ball, he's a turnover.  Jop is the worst player on the team bar the walkons and just needs to sit.  You can see that he's causing chemistry problems because he's taking opportunities away from better players.  Sit him, replace him with anyone, and the team will improve.  Give him a little run after the first tv timeout and if he makes his first shot he can play longer.  If he drives or misses, he gets yanked. 
b) There is no offensive system.  I see others saying that the system is fine.  The system is now out of date and too easy to defend.  Look at Xavier and Creighton and (god forbid - with a guy I think is a horrible head coach) Villanova.  They have an offensive system that gets easy buckets and open 3's.  Nevada Smith has to go and Shaka needs to hire an offensive coordinator to put in a system.  Last year's system was better because 15 PNR per game is tough to defend.  Why they don't run more PNR this year is a mystery. 
I'm not anti-Shaka yet because I think culture is important, but if there are not changes immediately - changes which are sooooo obvious - then I'll have to stop supporting Shaka.  Both of the above problems are on Shaka. 

LOL

[ATL MU Warrior]

I sense a longing for a return to the Wojo years when, after a frustrating stretch, he announced that every position was open and would be determined by the effort in practice the next week.  Of course, the only change was JjJ dnp/cd-ing, as he showed up late for one of those practices.

Get healthy, stay healthy, hit 3's, develop the bench.  My mantra all season.  The bench part is coming along.

Honestly, at this point this season feels like a replay of 2018-2019, so we may have traveled back in time to the Wojo years.  That's what's so frustrating to me.

[tower912]

Well, if we find out after the fact about infighting and a team divided, sure.  Of course, Sam, Joey, and Markus were all banged up that season, too.   But injuries are just an excuse, not a reason, when a player is wearing an MU uniform.