Big East previews: Wojo's Marquette is young but on the uptick
NEW YORK -- Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski thought he had a pretty good handle on what it would take to coach in the Big East.
He had competed against Big East teams as a player at Duke. And he sat beside Mike Krzyzewski for 15 years as an assistant, watching the Blue Devils get beat by UConn in Final Fours and witnessing St. John's winning in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Feb. 26, 2000, the last time a non-conference team beat the Blue Devils in the House That Coach K Built.
But in his first season in Milwaukee, Wojo got wiser.
"The thing that was the most eye-opening to me was the experience of the league,'' he told FOXSports.com. "The older, better players were the teams that were winning big.''
Toughness and experience have always been the trademarks of successful Big East teams, which is one reason Wojciechowski went 13-19 in his first season at Marquette. The other factors had more to do with X's and O's: He didn't have a good offensive team, and we're being kind here. The Golden Eagles finished last in scoring.
Wojciechowski has quickly solved one problem. He signed one of the nation's top recruiting classes, led by 6-foot-10 forward Henry Ellenson. Traci Carter has all the traits to be great college point guard and Haanif Cheatham is a Duke-like wing player, oozing with athleticism.
"Obviously we're not where we want to be but we're much closer than where we were,'' Wojciechowski said.
When asked for Marquette's destination, Wojciechowski made it sound as if he wants to do for Marquette what Coach K has done for Duke.
"I want to be a program of relevance year in and year out,'' he said. "There's a history here. It's a place that over 50, 60 years has had great coaches, great teams and great individual players. I want to add another decade or two.''
Wojciechowski is correct. From former coach Al McGuire, to Dwyane Wade, to the 1977 national championship team led by the fearless Butch Lee, Marquette has a history to flaunt. Wojciechowski used that on the recruiting trail along with consistently selling recruits on the belief that Marquette is as committed as any program to helping a player develop on and off the court.
Coach K should get royalties, but Wojciechowski paid his dues in Durham.
Now Wojciechowski wants to reap some rewards of his own, but he faces the toughest challenge. How can you win in a league where experience rules with a young, albeit, talented team? The Big East coaches were so impressed by Wojo's top 10 class, they voted Marquette sixth in the preseason poll.
"They have the talent to impact the game in a positive way,'' said Wojciechowski. "They are guys that have a passion for the game. They're gym rats. They're going to find a way to win big at the college level.''
The question is, how soon will they find the way?
