Bubble Watch

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

As bad as today was, literally every other bubble team that has played lost. So there's that.

[muguru]

As bad as today was, literally every other bubble team that has played lost. So there's that.

And...I'm one of the least optimistic people there is..BUT, I will say this..it was obvious to me that with the NCAA unveiling the top 16 seeds today, that they are placing a HUGE weight in top 50 wins(hence why UW wasn't in top 16). MU has two of the best you can have(4 overall) right now, with a chance to get up to 3 more yet. And those top 4 50 RPI wins compare well against any other team sitting on the bubble, and quite frankly are more than a lot of teams safely in have right now.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

And...I'm one of the least optimistic people there is..BUT, I will say this..it was obvious to me that with the NCAA unveiling the top 16 seeds today, that they are placing a HUGE weight in top 50 wins(hence why UW wasn't in top 16). MU has two of the best you can have(4 overall) right now, with a chance to get up to 3 more yet. And those top 4 50 RPI wins compare well against any other team sitting on the bubble, and quite frankly are more than a lot of teams safely in have right now.

Yah, I'm as down as I've been on this team this year, but it's still there for the taking. No one else has really done anything to move on front of us. This week off will be a blessing. Let other bubble teams lose the next seven days and come up with a game plan to beat X at get back on track.

I still think 9-9 gets us to Dayton even without a BET win, depenskng on how the final standings shake out. But right now 3-2 seems like a stretch. Really need to win the next two or 2/3.

[wadesworld]

We absolutely have the opportunity to get in. But the way we are playing there is no chance we do what we need to do to get into the Tournament. Is it possible to turn it around? Sure. But the way we've been playing it's hard to see it.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

We absolutely have the opportunity to get in. But the way we are playing there is no chance we do what we need to do to get into the Tournament. Is it possible to turn it around? Sure. But the way we've been playing it's hard to see it.

This is where I'm at. We haven't played our way out yet. Last games are all winnable. But the recent performances have changed my perspective on how good this team. This many performances near our floor has moved our average down. Gotta use this week off to get our heads straight.

[GoldenDieners32]

This is where I'm at. We haven't played our way out yet. Last games are all winnable. But the recent performances have changed my perspective on how good this team. This many performances near our floor has moved our average down. Gotta use this week off to get our heads straight.

Totally agree, the last games we have this season are winnable

[BM1090]

Palm and Lunardi haven't updated, but the updated ones I have seen today have us in the last four in/first four out range

[GoldenDieners32]

Palm and Lunardi haven't updated, but the updated ones I have seen today have us in the last four in/first four out range

i see us as a bubble team even if we win 3 of the last 5 games

[GoldenDieners32]

Bracketmatrix still has us as a 11 seed

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Bracketmatrix still has us as a 11 seed

Not only that, we're not even in Dayton for the first four.  Soft bubble.

[Windyplayer]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology/_/iteration/228

#11 seed, play-in game. Annnndddd, re-start the (clunky/rusty) optimism motor for Saturday!

[dw3dw3dw3]

I think Saturday is the biggest game of Wojo's tenure. 18k with a beatable top 25 opponent coming in and a week of prep.

Win, beat St J and Prov and we are on the right side of the bubble March 12. I don't like that we could potentially end on a 3 game losing streak, but the committee has done a good job of looking at seasons as a whole and not late stretches.

The players have to do it, but with 6 days of prep, coming off ugly losses, what happens under Wojo's watch this week will be telling. I know he will be giving it his all, but it won't matter if the message isn't getting through to the players.




 

[MU82]

I think Saturday is the biggest game of Wojo's tenure. 18k with a beatable top 25 opponent coming in and a week of prep.

Win, beat St J and Prov and we are on the right side of the bubble March 12. I don't like that we could potentially end on a 3 game losing streak, but the committee has done a good job of looking at seasons as a whole and not late stretches.

The players have to do it, but with 6 days of prep, coming off ugly losses, what happens under Wojo's watch this week will be telling. I know he will be giving it his all, but it won't matter if the message isn't getting through to the players.
 

As a Wojo backer and as a Scooper who considers himself (mostly) even-toned and rational, I find this to be a very fair assessment, dw3.

Any game can be the difference between making or missing the NCAAs, but this one has the real "feel" of a difference-maker, especially if it can launch a mini-winning streak as you say.

Here's hoping Wojo coaches 'em up real good and that the lads do their jobs.

I think they will!

[Windyplayer]

I think Saturday is the biggest game of Wojo's tenure. 18k with a beatable top 25 opponent coming in and a week of prep.

Win, beat St J and Prov and we are on the right side of the bubble March 12. I don't like that we could potentially end on a 3 game losing streak, but the committee has done a good job of looking at seasons as a whole and not late stretches.

The players have to do it, but with 6 days of prep, coming off ugly losses, what happens under Wojo's watch this week will be telling. I know he will be giving it his all, but it won't matter if the message isn't getting through to the players.




 

Well said. He'll have the backing of a raucous Saturday night crowd at the BC. Should be a hell of an environment.

[Golden Avalanche]

I think Saturday is the biggest game of Wojo's tenure. 18k with a beatable top 25 opponent coming in and a week of prep.

Win, beat St J and Prov and we are on the right side of the bubble March 12. I don't like that we could potentially end on a 3 game losing streak, but the committee has done a good job of looking at seasons as a whole and not late stretches.

The players have to do it, but with 6 days of prep, coming off ugly losses, what happens under Wojo's watch this week will be telling. I know he will be giving it his all, but it won't matter if the message isn't getting through to the players.

Well said. He'll have the backing of a raucous Saturday night crowd at the BC. Should be a hell of an environment.

I don't see the evidence to suggest a sellout raucous crowd on Saturday night. The last "opportunity" for a crowd to influence the game was against Butler and it was an embarrassment. Even marquee Saturday games earlier in the season didn't have a sellout crowd with great atmosphere.

I'd put coin on a token enthusiasm early thanks to late start and full day of drinking but if it's a close game throughout then the crowd will more likely have a tension set in during the second half which would contribute negatively to an already tight group of players.

Only a first half performance like DePaul at home would alleviate any hint of the tension.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology/_/iteration/228

#11 seed, play-in game. Annnndddd, re-start the (clunky/rusty) optimism motor for Saturday!

As I've been saying for weeks.....

Honestly though, between now and when we tip Saturday, tons of teams just in front of us and just behind will be losing, like they've done all season.  MU just needs to take care of business on this homestand, and go in PC 8-7 and in decent shape again. Now whether or not they can do that remains to be seen. 

[Litehouse]

I don't see the evidence to suggest a sellout raucous crowd on Saturday night. The last "opportunity" for a crowd to influence the game was an embarrassment against Butler. Even marquee Saturday games earlier in the season didn't have a sellout crowd with great atmosphere.

Sat. night is a sellout.  Go ahead and look for tickets on ticketmaster, there's only a few scattered singles left, and prices on stubhub are ridiculous.  If the team doesn't fall apart it's going to be a great atmosphere.

[cheebs09]

As someone who will be going to the MKE games, they wouldn't give UW a 5 seed in Milwaukee right? Especially to play 4 seed Duke.

Our top 50 wins are keeping us in, but we have to stop the bleeding this weekend. A good stretch run at the end and we could put ourselves safely in. However, that means a big turnaround in our quality of play.

[bradley center bat]

Sat. night is a sellout.  Go ahead and look for tickets on ticketmaster, there's only a few scattered singles left, and prices on stubhub are ridiculous.  If the team doesn't fall apart it's going to be a great atmosphere.

Yep, many single tickets left for Xavier on Saturday. 1200 seats left for Senior Day vs Creighton.

[bradley center bat]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology/_/iteration/228

#11 seed, play-in game. Annnndddd, re-start the (clunky/rusty) optimism motor for Saturday!

Joey Brackets has Wisconsin as a 5 seed in Milwaukee vs the 4 seed Duke. 

[Golden Avalanche]

Sat. night is a sellout.  Go ahead and look for tickets on ticketmaster, there's only a few scattered singles left, and prices on stubhub are ridiculous.  If the team doesn't fall apart it's going to be a great atmosphere.

We've had this discussion on Scoop endlessly regarding crowds. Firstly, if there are tickets available it is not a sellout. Secondly, I'm not talking a ticket sellout. I'm talking the kind of sellout where there is a person in each and every seat when the ball is tipped.

Marquette does very well with tickets sold. Not so well with people actually attending relative to the tickets sold.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

We've had this discussion on Scoop endlessly regarding crowds. Firstly, if there are tickets available it is not a sellout. Secondly, I'm not talking a ticket sellout. I'm talking the kind of sellout where there is a person in each and every seat when the ball is tipped.

Marquette does very well with tickets sold. Not so well with people actually attending relative to the tickets sold.

Dude, you're wrong here.  Its National MU day.  The place will be rocking.

[bradley center bat]

We've had this discussion on Scoop endlessly regarding crowds. Firstly, if there are tickets available it is not a sellout. Secondly, I'm not talking a ticket sellout. I'm talking the kind of sellout where there is a person in each and every seat when the ball is tipped.

Marquette does very well with tickets sold. Not so well with people actually attending relative to the tickets sold.

I hate to break it to you put everything college and pro in attendance goes by tickets sold. By your standard nothing would be soldout. That includes the Packers and the Super Bowl.

[Litehouse]

We've had this discussion on Scoop endlessly regarding crowds. Firstly, if there are tickets available it is not a sellout. Secondly, I'm not talking a ticket sellout. I'm talking the kind of sellout where there is a person in each and every seat when the ball is tipped.

Marquette does very well with tickets sold. Not so well with people actually attending relative to the tickets sold.

The no-shows are usually season-ticket holders that skip the lower profile games.  People that bought an individual ticket for just this game are more likely to show up.  It's NMD, and a lot of people travel here for the game.  Try looking for a hotel downtown that night.  With a long afternoon for pre-game festivities the crowd will be ready, I'm just hoping the team gives us something to cheer for.

[SaveOD238]

As I've said over and over again, as long as our resume is demonstrably better than the last team IN, we're ok.

Right now that's Seton Hall: 15-9, 5-7 in conference, wins @ Iowa, vs. Cal, vs. South Carolina, losses @SJU, @PC, and vs. Stanford

Marquette: 15-10, 6-7 in conference, wins @Georgia, @Creighton, vs. Nova, losses @SJU, vs PC, Pitt (N)

We're ahead of them in top wins and have roughly the same in terms of bad losses.  We split our matchups and are still ahead in the standings.  The two resumes are pretty close right now.  If we can stay above Seton Hall, we should be ok.

Oh, and Clemson is still "IN" at 3-9 in conference.