Game 23: @Marquette (FS1, 570 AM)

Instead of criticizing our players when they have an off game or two (i.e. Hammer today, Simon last few days, Gil Scott tomorrow) why don't we embrace and love them all for what they are?

Talented but incomplete players busting their a$$ every game, and most likely every practice, for our university comprising the best and most exciting starting five we've had in quite some time.

Big resume boosting win. Need to go 5-3 down the stretch and win a BE tourney game to get about a 10 seed. 4-4 and a BE tourney win and we probably get in as a 12/13 seed.

We were a 9/10 seed before the win.  If we hold serve at home (except for Nova), we will move up even further.  It would really help the league if the bottom could steal a couple of games against Nova and Marquette.

We were a 9/10 seed before the win.  If we hold serve at home (except for Nova), we will move up even further.  It would really help the league if the bottom could steal a couple of games against Nova and Marquette.

ESPN and CBS had us as an 11 seed in the play-in game prior to the win

Bracketmatrix.com had us as a 10.  We were on 100 of 102 brackets (much more than teams around us).  I didn't dive deep, but seemed 9 and 10's more than 11's.

We were a 9/10 seed before the win.  If we hold serve at home (except for Nova), we will move up even further.  It would really help the league if the bottom could steal a couple of games against Nova and Marquette.

No we weren't. More in the 11/12 range. You along with some others are overrating our seeding. Similar to those who said we should easily be 11-7 in conf this season. How's that prediction holding up? Not looking good at this point.

Like I predicted before conf play began, I said we would end up 9-9 or 10-8 at best. We are tracking exactly that way.

Think 7 seed is still in play with a strong finish.

It would have to be a real strong finish to have any shot at a 7 seed IMO. Like 6-2 down the stretch kind of good.

It would have to be a real strong finish to have any shot at a 7 seed IMO. Like 6-2 down the stretch kind of good.

I think that’s probably a good assessment but we should have a strong finish.

We should prove ourselves worthy with a run in the BE. It has got to be our turn eventually. If we go 6-2, we’ll finish at 11-7, and then I think it’s reasonable to expect 2 wins in the BE tourney.

That would put us at 25-9. Depending on how many more quad 1 wins we get, a 7 seed or possibly higher is in play.

I think that’s probably a good assessment but we should have a strong finish.

We should prove ourselves worthy with a run in the BE. It has got to be our turn eventually. If we go 6-2, we’ll finish at 11-7, and then I think it’s reasonable to expect 2 wins in the BE tourney.

That would put us at 25-9. Depending on how many more quad 1 wins we get, a 7 seed or possibly higher is in play.

Sure that's possible. Probable? Not likely. This would be by far their best case scenario.

No we weren't. More in the 11/12 range. You along with some others are overrating our seeding. Similar to those who said we should easily be 11-7 in conf this season. How's that prediction holding up? Not looking good at this point.

Like I predicted before conf play began, I said we would end up 9-9 or 10-8 at best. We are tracking exactly that way.

It wasn't my opinion.  Bracketmatrix had us at 10 (in every bracket but 1) and a range of 8 to 12.  9 and 10 were the most common numbers.  We now range from 7 to 11 in brackets after Marquette win.

It wasn't my opinion.  Bracketmatrix had us at 10 (in every bracket but 1) and a range of 8 to 12.  9 and 10 were the most common numbers.  We now range from 7 to 11 in brackets after Marquette win.

So then take a stand and have your own opinion. Bracketmatrix? WTF is that? Gimme CBS and ESPN over bracketmatrix anyday lol

It would have to be a real strong finish to have any shot at a 7 seed IMO. Like 6-2 down the stretch kind of good.

So like I said, with a strong finish a 7 seed is in play.

The new NET makes this year difficult to predict, but we should have more info after the top 16 are released this weekend.  I would say we are an 8/9 right now.  Our rankings across (RPI, NET, KenPom) are fairly stable, but there are teams with wide disparity (80+).  NET loves the ACC and Big Ten and if the committee adheres to NET then that might push us down a line or 2.  BTW Lunardi and Palm historically are fairly poor prognosticators amongst published brackets.  With an easier schedule I think we are at least 5-3 to finish conference, but wouldn't be surprised with 6-2 or even 7-1.

I think I had us at 10-8 or 11-7, think both are very much in play, predicted us as better than 7 seed, still very much in play.

It has got to be our turn eventually. 

I told you already.  It's never our turn.

So like I said, with a strong finish a 7 seed is in play.

Yup. I don't see that happening but hopefully it does.

We can go 6-2 in our remaining games. Providence cannot score with us IF we play defense the way we played against Marquette.
Xavier’s size scares me though.

Only head scratching move was why not have the team in position to challenge the shot or rebound off the missed free throw at the end? Didn’t understand the rationale. Why give up a uncontested shot at the basket?

We can go 6-2 in our remaining games. Providence cannot score with us IF we play defense the way we played against Marquette.
Xavier’s size scares me though.

Only head scratching move was why not have the team in position to challenge the shot or rebound off the missed free throw at the end? Didn’t understand the rationale. Why give up a uncontested shot at the basket?

To avoid a stupid foul.

Only head scratching move was why not have the team in position to challenge the shot or rebound off the missed free throw at the end? Didn’t understand the rationale. Why give up a uncontested shot at the basket?

We've reached the point where we forced the opposing team into having to make a 75 footer from near the sideline to win and people are questioning the strategy behind it

We've reached the point where we forced the opposing team into having to make a 75 footer from near the sideline to win and people are questioning the strategy behind it

He nearly made it. We have seen those shots be made no matter how low of a percentage shot it is.

To avoid a stupid foul.

That has to be it. I rather tell them not to foul.