Marquette Basketball: What does an NIT run mean for Steve Wojciechowski?

By Brian Foley | Mar 19, 2018

GREENVILLE, SC - MARCH 17: Head coach Steve Wojciechowski of the Marquette Golden Eagles reacts in the first half against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 17, 2017 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

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ANNAPOLIS, MD – NOVEMBER 11: Head coach Steve Wojciechowski of the Marquette Golden Eagles looks on against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the Veterans Classic at Alumni Hall on November 11, 2016 in Annapolis, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Back to the original question – what does an NIT run mean for Wojciechowski?

In the end, probably not a whole lot. A deep NIT run definitely would ease the nerves of Wojo supporters, who can point to these wins as signs of improvement against solid teams. But on the other side, even if Marquette wins the entire tournament, Wojo haters will crow “NCAAs or bust.”

And really, neither argument is wrong. The Golden Eagles have already proven they can beat decent major conference teams under Wojo, which is no small feat, but they haven’t taken the next step towards consistently competing with and defeating teams in the top-tier of college basketball. And there is nothing the NIT will do to change that.

So far, you can say Wojo’s teams have varied from slight underachievers to playing at their expected level. His tenure has been nowhere near the abject failure that some Marquette fans want to believe, but he also hasn’t built a team that plays above its talent level.

Going forward, next year is the year for Wojo and the program. This is the roster that he has been building towards since he arrived.

Everyone except for Rowsey will return in 2018-19. The two short guards excuse is gone, and Marquette will add talented size in transfer Ed Morrow and freshman Joey Hauser. MU brings back two stars in rising juniors Howard and the elder Hauser, while the rest of the Big East loses many of its top players to graduation and/or the NBA. Next year might not be officially ‘make or break’ for Marquette, but it’s very close. 2018-19 should be about establishing a single-digit NCAA tournament seed rather than worrying about one’s bubble chances.

Next: Ranking the Sweet Sixteen teams

Marquette entered the revamped Big East as one of the league’s torch-carrying programs. Instead, Marquette has watched Villanova carry the conference while the Golden Eagles slip towards the back half of the Big East. With the conference in flux next season, it’s time for Marquette to grab the reigns and make a significant push up the standings. That starts at the top with Wojciechowski.

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