Is Marquette An NCAA Tournament Team?

[mubbnation]

http://marquettenation.com/2016/01/19/is-marquette-an-ncaa-tournament-team/

Discuss.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

This has been discussed ad nauseam in other threads, but I'll bite.

Today? Nah.

In early March? I hope so. 11-7 is a lock, but that requires 9-3 in the final 12. 10-8 probably requires a win in the BET. 9-9 and a visit to the BE finals would be necessary to even sneak into the perhaps the last four in.  Anything less and MU would need to win the BET. Some here would say this isn't the case, but there is ZERO chance an 11-7 BE team isn't a lock, and 10-8 is probably a lock too.   

These next three conferences games are critical.  If they can take all three and be sitting at 5-4 at the midway point, things will be looking much better.   

[bilsu]

They are not an NCAA tournament team this year or next year, even if Ellenson comes back

[jsglow]

This has been discussed ad nauseam in other threads, but I'll bite.

Today? Nah.

In early March? I hope so. 11-7 is a lock, but that requires 9-3 in the final 12. 10-8 probably requires a win in the BET. 9-9 and a visit to the BE finals would be necessary to even sneak into the perhaps the last four in.  Anything less and MU would need to win the BET. Some here would say this isn't the case, but there is ZERO chance an 11-7 BE team isn't a lock, and 10-8 is probably a lock too.   

These next three conferences games are critical.  If they can take all three and be sitting at 5-4 at the midway point, things will be looking much better.  

Yep.  Revisit in a couple of weeks.  We'll know more.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

They are not an NCAA tournament team this year or next year, even if Ellenson comes back

This is the most clueless comment i've seen on here in a while, and that is saying something.

This will probably be a top 20 team preseason next year if Ellenson returns, and probably a team that will be in the top 15 most of the season.

[KampusFoods]

They are not an NCAA tournament team this year or next year, even if Ellenson comes back

Gotta think they're in next year with Henry back.

[WarriorPride68]

They are not an NCAA tournament team this year or next year, even if Ellenson comes back

This should go over well

[tower912]

No.

[jsheim]

The obvious logical answer is NO.
But what fun is that for a fan?...its not like its a fool's hope. It can be imagined in the realm of possibility.

* Beat DePaul at home
* and STJ away (yes difficult)
* then Butler at home (conceivable).

>>>>    BE: 5-4 at the half. Along the way dispatch Stetson.

Second half. Wins:
* DePaul away
* Creighton home
* Georgetown home
* 2 of these (@Seton Hall, @Creighton, @Butler, Prov home) (tough I know).
Losses:
* Nova at home and @Xavier

>>>>  BE: 10-8 (BE Top 5?)

BET 1-1   -   finish 22-11  (RPI around 65)

or if we drop one during BE play perhaps  BET 2-1 (again Tough)

or if all else fails win the BET!

[MomofMUltiples]

No.

This.

[CTWarrior]

The obvious logical answer is NO.
But what fun is that for a fan?...its not like its a fool's hope. It can be imagined in the realm of possibility.

* Beat DePaul at home
* and STJ away (yes difficult)
* then Butler at home (conceivable).

>>>>    BE: 5-4 at the half. Along the way dispatch Stetson.

Second half. Wins:
* DePaul away
* Creighton home
* Georgetown home
* 2 of these (@Seton Hall, @Creighton, @Butler) (tough I know).
Losses:
* Nova at home and @Xavier

>>>>  BE: 10-8 (BE Top 5?)

BET 1-1   -   finish 22-11  (RPI around 65)

or if we drop one during BE play perhaps  BET 2-1 (again Tough)

or if all else fails win the BET!

Boy, looking at the above an NCAA bid seems like a very tall order, especially 2 out of 3 of @Seton Hall, @Creighton, @Butler.

[jsheim]

Boy, looking at the above an NCAA bid seems like a very tall order, especially 2 out of 3 of @Seton Hall, @Creighton, @Butler.

sorry corrected it:
 2 out of 4 of @Seton Hall, @Creighton, @Butler, Prov home

still tough I know.

[Dawson Rental]

When I read threads like this, one reaction I have is that few scoopers must have watched a Creighton game.  Most posts on this board consistently underrate Creighton's improvement from last year.  They will be a very tough out.

[bradley center bat]

When I read threads like this, one reaction I have is that few scoopers must have watched a Creighton game.  Most posts on this board consistently underrate Creighton's improvement from last year.  They will be a very tough out.

Which would be disappointing since almost every Big East game is on FS1, FS2, CBSSN and FSN

[MUfan12]

The sooner people get the idea of MU as a tournament team out of their heads, the better. They're not that good. Just enjoy the surprise wins and leave it at that. It makes their 8 minute chuckfests a little easier to deal with.

[Benny B]

Keep in mind that MU:

a) Is a 6-loss team right now (7 teams in top 50 RPI have at least six losses; 10 more have 5 losses)
b) Has one quality and one good road win
c) Has one quality and one good neutral-site win
d) Has no losses to >150RPI teams
e) Has only two losses against 100-150RPI teams, at least one of which (GU) will be in the top 100 by end of season, the other of which (Belmont) may end up in the tourney any way.
f) Three of six losses are against top 10 RPI teams.
g) Has an RPI that has climbed about 15 places over the past week despite two losses in that time.

'F' is interesting... top 10 losses are easily overlooked by the committee, so take those three games (IA, Nova, X) away for a moment and look at MU's remaining resume objectively.  Granted, RPI and SOS still suck, but 2-2 in Big East, 10-1 non-con, and 12-3 overall seems pretty solid.

Since scoring margin only matters when the committee is giving a team the benefit of doubt in a close loss, the bottom line is that other than RPI (90) and SOS (108) - which can and will, respectively, be improved over the next 7 weeks - there aren't any black marks on MU's resume, and in a year with a lot of mediocre teams in the 8-13 seed pool, that could be quite advantageous to MU.

MU still has a lot of work to do just to get onto the bubble... but if they can find their way there, I'd feel pretty good about their prospects for sneaking an at-large bid.

[jsheim]

The sooner people get the idea of MU as a tournament team out of their heads, the better. They're not that good. Just enjoy the surprise wins and leave it at that. It makes their 8 minute chuckfests a little easier to deal with.

MUfan12 - can't figure out the "12"...was that the last year you were a "fan".
I'm curious, when did you stop hoping MU would get in the tournament this year? before season started? after Belmont? after SH?

I guess there comes a time when we give up hope...last year around GT#2, I threw in the towel...but still .. before the BET Nova game...maybe?

Anyway the point is.....its just to easy to play the intellectual CYA game ... MU is gonna lose this and that and not get in the tournament.

When MU got down by 8 to providence was there anything in your soul that hoped they would come back...or were things going as planned?

[MuMark]

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2016/01/19/2016-ncaa-tournament-bubble-watch-acc-sec-pac-12

[MUfan12]

MUfan12 - can't figure out the "12"...was that the last year you were a "fan".
I'm curious, when did you stop hoping MU would get in the tournament this year? before season started? after Belmont? after SH?

I've been going to MU games since 88-89. Lived and died with the team from a young age. Haven't missed a home game in 13 years. But by all means, question my fandom because I don't think this is a tournament team.

There was no "moment." I thought they'd have a decent shot at a tourney bid before the season, but I didn't think the BE would be as strong as it is. Creighton and Hall are way better than I thought they'd be. With the cupcake parade dragging down the RPI, winning 10-11 in the league is a little too much for this group, given their youthful mistakes and struggles with physicality.

I'd love to be wrong about that.

[WarriorPride68]

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2016/01/19/2016-ncaa-tournament-bubble-watch-acc-sec-pac-12

"Marquette, DePaul and St. John’s won’t come anywhere near the field without a dramatic, highly unexpected turn of events. That leaves five teams, divided into two tiers."

[jsheim]

I'm still hoping on a "dramatic, highly unexpected turn of events."  too early to give up.

[chapman]

They are not an NCAA tournament team this year or next year, even if Ellenson comes back

Not this year.  Yes, next year.  Buzz isn't the coach, so most players will develop and show marked improvement year over year.

[forgetful]

We're going undefeated from here on out.  We're going to win the next 50 straight.

[MU82]

They are not an NCAA tournament team this year or next year, even if Ellenson comes back

Agree about this year.

Not sure why you'd say that about next year. Makes no sense, a whole year in advance, to write off a good young team with everybody returning a couple solid additions coming in.

[bilsu]

This is the most clueless comment i've seen on here in a while, and that is saying something.

This will probably be a top 20 team preseason next year if Ellenson returns, and probably a team that will be in the top 15 most of the season.

We will see how clueless this ends up being. Of course, if Wojo can bring in another contributor in the spring class, I reserve the right to change my prediction. However, right now with what they have my prediction is that they will not make the tournament next year.