Are you feeling better about MU's loss?

[tower912]

Nobody else can survive SC's defensive pressure, either.  Everybody else looks soft, too.  SC gets touched, foul.  SC bumps and hacks, good defense.  Relentless to the basket, relentless on defense, being rewarded for their aggression.  Eventually, they break their opponent's will.

[brewcity77]

Nope. But that might just be me. I take no solace in how far our conquerers go, I'm just focused on what we do.

[wadesworld]

No. Never been one to buy into the whole, "the team we lost to went on a run" mindset.

But I never really felt bad about the loss. We had an okay team that struggled mightily against the physical type of teams they are. It was never a good matchup, even if they played how they had been going into the Tournament. Add to it we were playing them in South Carolina and it makes it even tougher.

[keefe]

Sounds like a description of Al's teams. Marquette's tradition is stifling defense. Sadly, we have lost that reputation.

[Daniel]

Just proves how good a team SC is and that defense wins a lot of tough games.  Hope MU ramps up its D to this level sometme soon. 

[T-Bone]

Yes.  I think I took their slumping at the end of their regular season as a sign of weakness. Any team Frank Martin coaches is going to be tough - look at his KState teams (minus a scrimmage).  I underestimated them and perhaps voters and the selection committee did too.

[wadesworld]

Sounds like a description of Al's teams. Marquette's tradition is stifling defense. Sadly, we have lost that reputation.

[tower912]

I never felt that bad about MU's loss, either.  I think MU will have the pieces to be tougher next year.  Not SC tough, but tougher than MU was in 16-17.

[muwarrior69]

68 go in. Only one comes out and the gamecocks could be the 79th winner of Americas Hunger Games.

[nyg]

Thornwell and Dozier are NBA prospects and have a good complement with Silva and the Europe kid Kotsar on the boards and in the paint. Felder and Polite are very good defenders also.  They play well as a team and coming together at just the right time.

Very impressed with play of Silva, who was a three star recruit out of high school and has progressed to a major component of the team.  Wish Heldt, a three star, could progress in that fashion. 

Good game.

[amen426]

I certainly don't feel worse. I'm very happy to see South Carolina make a deep run, and beat some very good teams along the way.

Having Duke, Baylor and Florida lose doesn't all of a sudden make our season more successful. But that's not terrible company to be in either. I feel much better than I would have if they would have gotten routed by Duke..

It could just be because I'm in an office with about 4 guys who went to Baylor. But they made the sweet 16, was the #1 team in the country at one point this season; played South Carolina on a neutral site, and got steamrolled from the tip.

Sometimes teams get hot. South Carolina is playing with confidence right now. Tip your cap.

[chapman]

I expected our first round opponent to get destroyed in their next game and they ended up being good enough to get to the Final Four.  It doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, but o course I feel a little better.

[Eldon]

I expected our first round opponent to get destroyed in their next game and they ended up being good enough to get to the Final Four.  It doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, but o course I feel a little better.

+1 exactly.

I watched and was rooting for them.

[GGGG]

I expected our first round opponent to get destroyed in their next game and they ended up being good enough to get to the Final Four.  It doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, but o course I feel a little better.

Yep.  Agreed.

[Benny B]

Bittersweet.

On one hand, it makes MU's loss more and more tolerable.

On the other hand, it seems more and more like a lost opportunity.

[The Lens]

Defense wins.  Hopefully the folks on 12th street are paying attention.

[Hards Alumni]

I expected our first round opponent to get destroyed in their next game and they ended up being good enough to get to the Final Four.  It doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, but o course I feel a little better.

Indeed.

[wadesworld]

Defense wins.  Hopefully the folks on 12th street are paying attention.

Well what's funny about that is South Carolina didn't start winning until their offense came around...

[GGGG]

Well what's funny about that is South Carolina didn't start winning until their offense came around...

Exactly.  You need balance.

[g0lden3agle]

Bittersweet.

On one hand, it makes MU's loss more and more tolerable.

On the other hand, it seems more and more like a lost opportunity.

I don't think I'm with you on this hand.  South Carolina matches up with these other teams way differently than we would have.  So yes it makes our loss more tolerable but in no way does it add to my "what could have been" sensation.

[Jay Bee]

Defense wins.  Hopefully the folks on 12th street are paying attention.

Actually, on average, the national champion is better on offense than they are on defense.

However, most are quite good at both offense and defense.

So, defense doesn't "win"... but a crappy defense or crappy offense puts your team in a difficult spot relative to being GREAT

[muguru]

Absolutely not...nothing should ever make you feel "good" or "better" about a loss. Personally to me, having a team like USC in the Final Four is a joke really..Are we really to believe they are one of the top 4 teams in the country?? I mean the possibility exists that we could have an Oregon(though I think/hope UNC puts that to rest) USC National Championship..that's quite honestly...disgusting. Who wants to see that National Championship??

[GGGG]

Absolutely not...nothing should ever make you feel "good" or "better" about a loss. Personally to me, having a team like USC in the Final Four is a joke really..Are we really to believe they are one of the top 4 teams in the country?? I mean the possibility exists that we could have an Oregon(though I think/hope UNC puts that to rest) USC National Championship..that's quite honestly...disgusting. Who wants to see that National Championship??

So you think the tournament should only have eight teams?

[RushmoreAcademy]

Somewhat, yes.
South Carolina has shown that they are very tough to beat in this tournament. Way better than if Duke had handed them a 20 point loss.

[wadesworld]

Actually, on average, the national champion is better on offense than they are on offense.

However, most are quite good at both offense and defense.

So, defense doesn't "win"... but a crappy defense or crappy offense puts your team in a difficult spot relative to being GREAT

National champions are, on average, better on offense than they are on offense?

#mindblown