MUScoop

MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: ChicosBailBonds on February 16, 2009, 08:06:33 PM

Title: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: ChicosBailBonds on February 16, 2009, 08:06:33 PM
We'd be back in first place by ourselves after the Pitt win.

Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: MUWarrior06 on February 16, 2009, 08:22:33 PM
Woulda shoulda coulda.

We didn't.

Get over it.

Had UCONN not lost to G Town we wouldn't even be having this conversation.

Had Louisville not laid an egg vs ND they'd be in first
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: dsfire on February 16, 2009, 08:23:31 PM
Rutgers?
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: LastWarrior on February 16, 2009, 08:26:25 PM
We'd be back in first place by ourselves after the Pitt win.



Let it go... no need to keep bringing it up.  It was a bad loss and we all know the ramifications of the loss.  Let it go... please!
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: buckchuckler on February 16, 2009, 08:27:47 PM
What year did Uconn lose to rutgers?
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: MUWarrior06 on February 16, 2009, 08:28:07 PM
Rutgers?

My mistake, I saw their schedule wrong. GT
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: SERocks on February 16, 2009, 08:41:21 PM
The way I see it is that we have to play UConn, Pitt and Louisville yet. 

We control our own destiny from this point forward.

Florida has nothing to do with anything.
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: ATWizJr on February 16, 2009, 09:25:58 PM
chico's is right. lost opportunity.
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: MuMark on February 16, 2009, 09:52:32 PM
We weren't good enough to avoid a stumble for the entire season.

Dissappointing but not really surprising when you have the smallest team in major college basketball.

Other teams have the ability to overcome their weaknesses by physically dominating other teams. They have Thabeet to block 9 shots, alter 9 more and get 20 rebounds to overcome bad shooting. They have Blair or Hansboro or Griffin to get cheap points on offensive rebounds.

We have Dwight Burke and Pat Hazel.

I mean come on.

We should be happy as hell that have only 2 losses with 6 games to go in probably the best conference in the country.
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: Pakuni on February 16, 2009, 09:54:45 PM
If MU hadn't lost to Dayton, Tennessee, South Florida and Villanova, they'd be #1 in the country right now.
Lost opportunity.
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: ATWizJr on February 16, 2009, 10:01:47 PM
Disingenuous to mention USF in the same breath with Tennessee, Dayton and Villanova, wouldn't you say?
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: IAmMarquette on February 16, 2009, 10:11:07 PM
Disingenuous to mention USF in the same breath with Tennessee, Dayton and Villanova, wouldn't you say?


Disingenuous, perhaps, but equally poignant.
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: Tugg Speedman on February 16, 2009, 10:11:23 PM
No this is an internet discussion so nothing is unreasonable.  

That fact that we are not undefeated at all is a sign of how poor a choice Buzz was as our coach.  Keno Davis would have us 24 and 0 right now.  

The fact that we actually lose games ever now and then is also a warning we might not win the national championship.
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: Pakuni on February 16, 2009, 10:18:22 PM
Disingenuous to mention USF in the same breath with Tennessee, Dayton and Villanova, wouldn't you say?

Why? Would MU be ranked #1 with losses to Dayton, Tennessee and Villanova, but a win over USF?

Seriously, what's the lost opportunity?
The opportunity to be in first place on Feb. 16? Do they give out trophies for that? Would the former coach have hung a banner reading "2-16-09"?
Why is it remotely important to be all alone in first place with a third of the schedule left to play? Particularly when the regular season title is, for all intents, meaningless.
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: ATWizJr on February 17, 2009, 06:34:27 AM
Well, it's disingenuous to compare a loss to a team with an 8-16 record to losses to teams whose combined record is 59-16.  Not analogous.

And, of course, the bad loss affected our RPI, our national ranking, our BE standing, and made it tougher to win the conference, to finish in the top four, and to gain the bye-bye.

I'm not a Buzz detractor or a Crean lover, and the loss is not a catastrophe.  Nor is it being portrayed as such. Just a lost opportunity.  Surely you can agree to that. (and yes, I am calling you Shirley!)
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: The Lens on February 17, 2009, 07:36:28 AM

Would the former coach have hung a banner reading "2-16-09"?


LOL
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: tower912 on February 17, 2009, 07:57:54 AM
Yeah, it sucks for the first time in basketball history, a team lost a game it should have won.   Never before has a team lost a conference road game to an inferior foe.   To honor our disgrace, we should cancel the rest of the season, since obviously we have nothing left to strive for.     Win tonight, go 2-3 or (miraculously 3-2) over the last 5, take our double bye and move on.    And yes, I believe 13-5 gets us the double bye. 
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: RubyWiscy on February 17, 2009, 09:26:40 AM
Every loss is a lost opportunity. I don't really get your point. As meaningless to wish we won the game as wishing we had a great big man. Doesn't exist so quit worrying about it.

Gotta look forward. Pleanty of time and opportunity left to control our own destiny and that is the most any team can ask for.

This is gonna be a fun next few weeks.


(Wow, what strange sentence configuration. I need to contact my English teacher for a refresher course.)
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: MUfan12 on February 17, 2009, 09:29:44 AM
We'd be back in first place by ourselves after the Pitt win.

Pope Catholic. Sky Blue. Economy Sucks.

Film at 11.
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: ChicosBailBonds on February 17, 2009, 09:45:20 AM
If MU hadn't lost to Dayton, Tennessee, South Florida and Villanova, they'd be #1 in the country right now.
Lost opportunity.

 ::)  Except that MU was picked to lose to Tennessee and Nova, and Dayton is now a top 25 team.  Nor were those three conference games. 

Other than that, dead on.

Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: ChicosBailBonds on February 17, 2009, 09:47:02 AM
No this is an internet discussion so nothing is unreasonable.  

That fact that we are not undefeated at all is a sign of how poor a choice Buzz was as our coach.  Keno Davis would have us 24 and 0 right now.  

The fact that we actually lose games ever now and then is also a warning we might not win the national championship.

I would have made the lost opportunity comment if Al McGuire was the head coach.  I don't know why everyone is getting so defensive.  It was a lost opportunity, no matter how you cut it.  And yes, it looms a little larger every time one of the top 4 teams in this league lose another game because they are losing to other top teams, where we are the only one in the group that has a loss to a bottom four team.

Those types of losses knock you down in seeding, again don't know how it can be construed as anything but a lost opportunity.  No one is saying bad losses don't happen, of course they do.  Doesn't make the loss any less of a killer, however.  MU has to grab one now that they aren't supposed to, which is a much bigger challenge.
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: Ready2Fly on February 17, 2009, 10:01:13 AM
I said after Mbakwe left that the makeup of this team is such that we would probably lose two games we "shouldn't" lose in conference and win two games we "shouldn't."  @USF was one of those we shouldn't lose, but it was a road game, and a classic trap game.  I flew down for it, and it sucked, but it was something I expected at some point from the beginning of the season.  Would you rather have lost @ND, with that being considered before the season a game we were expected to lose?  Not me.  There's one more game we could win that we're not supposed to.  @L'Ville, @Pitt, UConn, or @G'Town.  Let's go out and get it.  Of course, there's also a game out there we're expected to win that we could still lose......

If someone told me before the season we'd start off 10-2 in conference, I'd have taken that in a hearbeat, regardless of where the losses came from.
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: NYWarrior on February 17, 2009, 10:04:38 AM
It was a lost opportunity, no matter how you cut it.  And yes, it looms a little larger every time one of the top 4 teams in this league lose another game because they are losing to other top teams, where we are the only one in the group that has a loss to a bottom four team.

Those types of losses knock you down in seeding, again don't know how it can be construed as anything but a lost opportunity.  No one is saying bad losses don't happen, of course they do.  Doesn't make the loss any less of a killer, however.  MU has to grab one now that they aren't supposed to, which is a much bigger challenge.

Of course, after starting off 9-0 in the league one can rightly argue that MU already grabbed one "that they weren't supposed to".....see Syracuse at PC, Ville at ND, UConn losing at home to a 4-8 Georgetown team, UC coughing up a home game against PC.  Only Pitt has yet to stub its toe in this regard.  The other 15 have.

Gotta move on.
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: Shack on February 17, 2009, 10:06:00 AM
I agree that USF was a huge lost opportunity but if the team keeps focusing on it there will be a few more lost opportunities the rest of the season.   Need to get that game out of their head (if they haven’t already) ASAP.  
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: Pakuni on February 17, 2009, 10:10:49 AM
::)  Except that MU was picked to lose to Tennessee and Nova, and Dayton is now a top 25 team.  Nor were those three conference games. 

Other than that, dead on.



So, if I understand this correctly, losing games when you're "picked to lose" (by who?) is not a lost opportunity.
Losing games to teams that, 11 weeks later, enter the top 25 do not qualify as lost opportunities.
Gotcha.

p.s. I'm pretty sure the game at Villanova was a conference game. At least that's what the standings to my left suggest.
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: MarquetteVol on February 17, 2009, 10:42:30 AM
If "ifs and buts" were candy and nuts then everyday would be Christmas.

Let's put a beatdown on Gonzo and the Hall tonight.
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: MuMark on February 17, 2009, 11:00:54 AM
I just don't understand what the purpose is of dwelling on it?

We won't know how much of a "killer" it was until the season is over. If we miss a bye by one game then I guess it was a killer(unless of course we go on a run in the conference tournament then maybe it wasn't).

If we miss the Big East championship by one game it was a killer I guess but its not like we didn't show up in the SF game. We played ok.

We just missed shots.... lots of shots....it happens...especially when you are a shrimpy team and rely on jump shots, 3 pointers and no post game.

If we have a bad shooting night we will lose again so I guess the answer is......don't shoot it bad..... :o



Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: ATWizJr on February 17, 2009, 01:39:52 PM
Hey Tower, nobody said it was a disgrace...but you.  Try reading the posts before you comment.  Press #1 for english.
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: tower912 on February 17, 2009, 03:23:07 PM
Hey, Atwiz, lack of teal does not equal lack of sarcasm....
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: MU in Miami on February 18, 2009, 08:38:45 AM
Slight change of subject...I saw this USF stat mentioned on Hoyatalk and thought it significant:

"USF is not as good as the Hall and they'd be our first loss outside the top 100 teams in the country. The only thing they do well is have their opponents miss free throws (their opponents are shooting 63.6% from the line, the 10th lowest percentage in the country)."

I am beginning to think that their annoying, giant inflatable brick that they pass around like a beach balloon has had an actual affect.  I know it annoyed & distracted me when they were carrying it out in the middle of the first half.
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: lab_warrior on February 18, 2009, 08:40:34 AM
That's the thing with bad losses, yeah, they loom.  But what's done is done.  I'm just glad we only have 1 bad loss.  Could be WAY worse.
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: ATWizJr on February 18, 2009, 08:48:38 AM
Tower, really?  You were kidding?  Thanks for the clarification. (teal intended).
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: NavinRJohnson on February 18, 2009, 08:50:56 AM
Slight change of subject...I saw this USF stat mentioned on Hoyatalk and thought it significant:

"USF is not as good as the Hall and they'd be our first loss outside the top 100 teams in the country. The only thing they do well is have their opponents miss free throws (their opponents are shooting 63.6% from the line, the 10th lowest percentage in the country)."

I am beginning to think that their annoying, giant inflatable brick that they pass around like a beach balloon has had an actual affect.  I know it annoyed & distracted me when they were carrying it out in the middle of the first half.

I'd be interested to see how that percentage compares home and away. A big brick is one thing, but I suspect that a lack of focus can also occur when players from NY, WI, PA, etc. head to South Florida in Jan/Feb...warm temperatures, scantily clad blonds, etc.
Title: Re: USF game looms a little larger tonight
Post by: MU in Miami on February 18, 2009, 10:50:04 AM
I'd be interested to see how that percentage compares home and away. A big brick is one thing, but I suspect that a lack of focus can also occur when players from NY, WI, PA, etc. head to South Florida in Jan/Feb...warm temperatures, scantily clad blonds, etc.

Florida had a cold front come in during that time, so weather was not the factor that night.  Blondes?, hmmm, could be a factor...will give it 20%.  I'm still leaning to the brick.  Not sure what the real explanation is.