Marquette Hiring Shaka Smart

[Big East Fa]

Wondering how the Marquette players are going to react to this. Hopefully they can keep DJ Carton and Dawson Garcia on their roster, but it’s never easy to keep players after a coaching change. Seems like DJ Carton went there specifically to play for Wojo so I wouldn’t be surprised if he left.

 

[rollskies]

Wow! That’s awesome news for the team. If he can keep a lot of the team in tact and add a couple more pieces we are looking at a completely different Marquette team next year. Garcia is one of my favorite non-UConn players in the conference to watch.

IMHO, I think a lot of Marquette’s issues this year were coaching issues rather than talent issues, i’m expecting a tougher fight from them next season under Shaka.

 

[freescooter]

That's a very good hire. Getting Marquette back to a consistent winner is huge for the Big East

I have always liked Shaka, but when I suggested him as a potential replacement for Ollie I was told by all “the experts” that he was not a good coach. Now he goes to Marquette and once again he is a great coach. LOL. You guys are unbelievable. Somebody, I think super John, told me he flamed out at Texas. As if going to 3 NCAA tournaments and winning the NIT in five years is flaming out. If he does that at Marquette they will name a building after him.

But yeah, Texas is a sort of odd place. They care only a little about basketball but to the extent that they do, they want to win it all, but they don’t really care that much. But hey, at least they don’t root for other UT teams to fail like UConn fans do.

 

[Ajs120102]

I love many things about Hurley. We are in such a better place, a completely diff area code than before. Thankful for that...But some young coach warts have been exposed...

1) In-game adjustments: why are we always playing other team's style?
2) Too many gritty guys that can't shoot, need more offensively skilled guys. I don't care if they're from NJ/Philly. Can they get buckets?
3) Too loyal to under-talented players (esp. guards that won't get us back to being UConn).
4) Offensive gameplan is atrocious, pound ball outside 3-pt line


I think he will adjust but man he has so some serious warts. I think we found a potential long-term guy and super excited about the trajectory. Loss to Creighton and Maryland have me a bit concerned he is stubborn to his guys and like many of us, a thinker that takes too long to make adjustments.

If I was a betting man, I'd say he gets it fixed. These 3 scholarships will tell us a lot. Will they be gritty, under-talented but system guys or guys that can put the ball in the hoop?

I’d be lying if I didn’t say in the back of my head I wasn’t thinking the same thing. I wanna say “you’re being a nuts UConn fan! Give the man a chance” well we are probably gunna have a downer year compared to this one. So I hope he gets more shooters. I think there were glimmers of what it could be. The games against Marquette and Georgetown. But again for me I’m readjusting my expectations of what UConn is. UConn to me is a top 15 school with potential for sweet sixteens and better if the talent is there. I don’t think this is a Rudy gay, top ten 247 guy place anymore. So I’d like to see Hurley land some transfers that can shoot. Ideally would just like to avoid sloppy play. But the man got us to the tournament. After what it was. That’s a great success. I personally think he can get to top 15 by year 5 and then see what happens.

That being said this was a cool fit hire for Marquette and wishing him well.

 

[superjohn]

Shaka Smart did not win a single tournament game at the University of Texas and people are talking about him like he's Red Auerbach and these same posters are suggesting Hurley has to look himself in the mirror and may be on the hot seat without a tournament run next year.

Texas made one final 4 since the NCAA expanded to 64 teams, actually since before the field expanded to 16 teams, that's 74 years. It's just not a place people win at. It's a great hire, Hurley was a great hire for UConn.

 

[freescooter]

It's probably better than Marquette could do otherwise but as many have pointed out, Smart hasn't been good at Texas. Not sure he'll work any wonders at Marquette but he's certainly worth a shot.

3 NCAA bids and an NIT title in 5 years (probably would have gotten a bid in 2020 too). Man tall about your failures.

 

[superjohn]

I have always liked Shaka, but when I suggested him as a potential replacement for Ollie I was told by all “the experts” that he was not a good coach. Now he goes to Marquette and once again he is a great coach. LOL. You guys are unbelievable. Somebody, I think super John, told me he flamed out at Texas. As if going to 3 NCAA tournaments and winning the NIT in five years is flaming out. If he does that at Marquette they will name a building after him.

But yeah, Texas is a sort of odd place. They care only a little about basketball but to the extent that they do, they want to win it all, but they don’t really care that much. But hey, at least they don’t root for other UT teams to fail like UConn fans do.

You're making this up, I remember most everyone on the board wanted UConn to hire Shaka from VCU. I originally wanted Hurley hired at UConn. When it looked to be between Shaka and Ollie I favored Shaka but when it became increasingly likely Ollie was going to be the guy I was all on board.

 

[freescooter]

Texas made one final 4 since the NCAA expanded to 64 teams, actually since before the field expanded to 16 teams, that's 74 years. It's just not a place people win at. It's a great hire, Hurley was a great hire for UConn.

Agreed. They are also in a brutal conference.

 

[freescooter]

You're making this up, I remember most everyone on the board wanted UConn to hire Shaka from VCU. I originally wanted Hurley hired at UConn. When it looked to be between Shaka and Ollie I favored Shaka but when it became increasingly likely Ollie was going to be the guy I was all on board.

LOLOL! You are precious.

 

[navery12]

LOLOL! You are precious.

If only there were a way to find out if what he's saying were true, and you even make an appearance so we know you saw his post at the time

 

[xclamations]

If only there were a way to find out if what he's saying were true, and you even make an appearance so we know you saw his post at the time

View attachment 66305

lmaoo

 

[superjohn]

LOLOL! You are precious.

What's precious about the truth?

If only there were a way to find out if what he's saying were true, and you even make an appearance so we know you saw his post at the time

View attachment 66305

Thanks for having my back. It's funny looking back on things. I knew Ollie was a dangerous hire but early on I was all about Ollie and Herbst, the early returns were incredible and then the wheels fell off. Still wouldn't trade the '14 championship for anything.

 

[tzznandrew]

What's precious about the truth?
Thanks for having my back. It's funny looking back on things. I knew Ollie was a dangerous hire but early on I was all about Ollie and Herbst, the early returns were incredible and then the wheels fell off. Still wouldn't trade the '14 championship for anything.

It's not hard to go back to posts from 2012 to see people excited about the possibility of Shaka coming here. And he may well have then if JC didn't force KO. Who knows how Shaka would have done. There were rumors in 2012 that Shaka was eying UConn as an ideal destination. I'll take the title.

I was skeptical of KO, didn't like how it happened, but like you was won over, and I defended him longer than I probably should have because of the injuries, but was happy to see him go (though I didn't believe it would happen) by the time he did.

 

[dennismenace]

He was 52-56 in the Big 12 and at or below .500 in conference 4 of his 6 years there.

I have him on my team as one of those guys you think are better than they really are because they have a cool name. Captain of that team is Tony Romo.

The record with the recruits he had speaks for itself as you point out. Coming from VCU he had that full court press thing going (HAVOK sp?) which apparently got figured out in the new era of guard/wing type teams with lots of ballhandlers. I never really followed him once he got to Texas so I don't know if he continued that. I loved that style when JC was here but he stopped using it as much when he got high ranked recruits and had more versatility. Anyone know if Smart continued that style of play?

 

[HooperScooper]

Getting out while the getting is good.

Marquette made a great move to land Shaka Smart as coach, but what he did by leaving Texas was pure genius

Smart's shrewd move to leave the Longhorns, made in the spirit of career preservation, was the right call

www.cbssports.com

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Getting out while the getting is good.

Face saving, homeward bound, and financially rewarding to boot.

 

[huskeynut]

Great hire by Marquette. Great move by Smart to get out of Dodge, really Austin, before he gets run out.

Glad he will be coaching in the Big East.

Texas seems to be a death bed for coaches. Too much money and to many entitled boosters who think they know what's up.

 

[CL82]

Whoa, that seems like a great hire. How did they lure him away from a good gig at Texas?

Supposedly he's been on the hot seat at Texas. I think he's only gone to the NCAA 3 times and hasn't won a game yet.

Remember when some on the board preferred him to Ollie?

 

[CL82]

Hope he can afford a haircut ......

Lol, yeah I was thinking "What? When did that happen?"

 

[CL82]

Marquette is a very good job.

Why?

 

[huskymedic]

 

[auror]

Why?

Basketball-focused school with history and prominent alum. They spend about as much as we do on basketball. Fertile Chicago recruiting region (less than 2hr drive). Good basketball-focused conference. Play in an NBA arena (15th largest arena in D-1) in downtown Milwaukee, had a top 10 attendance in 2019.

 

[UKemba15]

Basketball-focused school with history and prominent alum. They spend about as much as we do on basketball. Fertile Chicago recruiting region (less than 2hr drive). Good basketball-focused conference. Play in an NBA arena (15th largest arena in D-1) in downtown Milwaukee, had a top 10 attendance in 2019.

Plus...Dwayne Wade.

 

[JMick]

I like the hire for Marquette. He might have used up all his magic at VCU and then Marquette is just in the same spot they are now anyway. Or he does some soul searching and surrounds himself with assistants that help with his deficiencies. He will definitely recruit talent into the conference and that's a win for everyone.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Death. Taxes. @freescooter self-owns