[Cracked Sidewalks] Resume Builder's Last Call

[Uncle Rico]

Of course.

Always, always, always* play to win. The long-term stuff will take care of itself.

(*I admit that if by tanking one game I could draft Peyton Manning or Trevor Lawrence, I would do it as an organization. But despite the best attempts of some Scoopers to equate our situation to something like that, this ain't that.)

Playing and losing to Loyola is a huge risk for the players and coaches.  The players not graduating are partly at Marquette because of the staff (probably largely).  A loss only makes the flames hotter.  A win doesn’t change anyone’s opinions of the coach or where the program is, but I guarantee the players and staff would be incredibly satisfied

[panda]

I think it’s more likely MU schedules a “buy game” type opponent than a quality mid major.

I think the staff sees more value in a confidence builder type game than a risky game against a competitive team from a perceived lesser conference.

[Silent Verbal]

I think it’s more likely MU schedules a “buy game” type opponent than a quality mid major.

I think the staff sees more value in a confidence builder type game than a risky game against a competitive team from a perceived lesser conference.

This.

Guys, this is Wojo we're talking about here.  He's not a "high risk, high reward" type of guy.  With the way this season has gone so far, he's not gonna take the chance of scheduling a far inferior program that's having a good year and risk losing to them on his home floor.  I agree with everything Brew said about scheduling aggressively, but would be *shocked* if we played Loyola.  Crean might've done it, but not Wojo.  Now, if it happens, I'll gladly admit to being wrong.

[dgies9156]

The only way Marquette gets in is to win the Big East tournament. The best thing we can do for ourselves in that area is to schedule one or two VERY TOUGH opponents, play like hell and win.

Butler needs to be the beginning of the maddest, mad dash in Marquette history. It's one step at a time but we need swagger going into the BEast tournament. We get that by kicking ass and not taking names.

Big question: Can this team do it?

[brewcity77]

I think it’s more likely MU schedules a “buy game” type opponent than a quality mid major.

I think the staff sees more value in a confidence builder type game than a risky game against a competitive team from a perceived lesser conference.

I suspect you are right. But if they want any chance of getting in without a BET crown, they need to aim higher. Honestly, I'd put the odds of them scheduling Loyola about as high as the odds of them winning out. Pomeroy gives them a 6.8% chance of that happening, which is probably generous.

[dgies9156]

Playing and losing to Loyola is a huge risk for the players and coaches.  The players not graduating are partly at Marquette because of the staff (probably largely).  A loss only makes the flames hotter.  A win doesn’t change anyone’s opinions of the coach or where the program is, but I guarantee the players and staff would be incredibly satisfied

Spare me, Uncle Rico. They're so far down only a miracle mad dash can save 'em. When you have a buck left in Vegas, you bet it so you can win as much as possible. A buy game makes you feel good but does nothing. A nasty ass take no prisoners win against Loyola, North Carolina or someone else in Quad 1 is the beginning step in the maddest Warrior mad dash ever.

Win or go home STARTS NOW! Warriors don't go down easy!

[Uncle Rico]

Spare me, Uncle Rico. They're so far down only a miracle mad dash can save 'em. When you have a buck left in Vegas, you bet it so you can win as much as possible. A buy game makes you feel good but does nothing. A nasty ass take no prisoners win against Loyola, North Carolina or someone else in Quad 1 is the beginning step in the maddest Warrior mad dash ever.

Win or go home STARTS NOW! Warriors don't go down easy!

I’m agreeing with the idea the should play another game in the next 10 days against a quad 1 team.  They know the risks and I’m sure winning more games is all they care about.  It’d be awesome to do that

[MU82]

The only way Marquette gets in is to win the Big East tournament. The best thing we can do for ourselves in that area is to schedule one or two VERY TOUGH opponents, play like hell and win.

Butler needs to be the beginning of the maddest, mad dash in Marquette history. It's one step at a time but we need swagger going into the BEast tournament. We get that by kicking ass and not taking names.

Big question: Can this team do it?

Doubtful.

I say that not as a negative person, because I'm probably more optimistic than most, just a realist.

I wouldn't even bet on Nova winning all of their remaining games all the way through the BEast title game, so I certainly wouldn't bet on a team that has a losing record to do it.

[panda]

I suspect you are right. But if they want any chance of getting in without a BET crown, they need to aim higher. Honestly, I'd put the odds of them scheduling Loyola about as high as the odds of them winning out. Pomeroy gives them a 6.8% chance of that happening, which is probably generous.

Wojo and co. have been smart non conference schedulers ever since the Ellenson year where they won 20 games but were no where near the bubble because of such weak non con scheduling (may have still been some Buzz holdover games??)

I also think they're aware their approval rating is around 5-10% and if they don't win a perceived "buy" game, things could get uglier than they already are. Also, I don't know if they want to push the team through their bumps and bruises most likely opting for a 10 day break.

Not to say your idea isn't a good one, it is, but practically speaking, I don't see it happening.

[muwarrior69]

...and I thought this thread was going to be about Wojo's resume.

[wadesworld]

Loyola has much more to lose than Marquette. Right now as long as they don’t lose to anyone other than Drake (and they shouldn’t), they’re in the Tournament even if they do lose to Drake in their conference tournament. If they add Marquette and lose to the 10th place Big East team, and then win out until losing to Drake in the conference tournament final, they’re a coin flip to get in.

I don’t think it’s as easy to add a high quality non conference game on the fly in the middle of the conference season. It can happen, but it’s not just a matter of “does Marquette want it?”

[5DollarPitcher]

Marquette currently has more Q1 wins than North Carolina, Indiana, Drake, Boise State, St. Bonaventure, Colorado State, UConn, or Utah State, who are the last 8 in per Bracket Matrix. If they added a Q1 win (say Loyola) as well as a win at UConn, those 5 Q1 wins would be tough to keep out with a winning record of any kind.

What you’re not calculating here is that these teams you list that are already solidly above us (of which there are much more than 8) also have several opportunities at Q1 wins. Will all of them cash in? No. But your calculus assumes MU gains 2 Q1 wins for UConn and a game against Loyola Chicago that doesn’t even exist yet AND that none of those teams above us gain any Q1 wins in that same timeframe.

UConn has 2 Q1 win opportunities in front of them and guess what - if they lose them both and lose to MU - they aren’t even a Q1 team anymore themselves! They are currently 52 on WarrenNolan NET.

UNC has 3 Q1 win opportunities ahead of them.

Indiana has 3 Q1 win opportunities ahead of them.

Some other bubbles solidly ahead of us: Maryland with 2-3 more Q1 chances, Stanford with 2 more Q1 chances, Boise State has 2-3 more Q1 chances... the list goes on and on.

My point being - your hypothetical only works if essentially ALL of these teams lose out or go 1-X the rest of the way. That ain’t happening. And combine it with the fact that MU needs to go 4 or 5-0, we’ve now entered statistical impossibility.

The tournament is out of reach. Accept it, move on, fire Wojo.

[brewcity77]

The tournament is out of reach. Accept it, move on, fire Wojo.

If Marquette had 5 Q1 wins, that is more than North Carolina, Drake, Boise, St. Bonaventure, Colorado State, UConn, or Utah State could get if every one of them won out. As I said at the start, if they add a Q1 game and if they win out, they can put themselves in position for an at-large. I do not believe they will do the former and do not believe they are capable of the latter. But if the staff, administration, and players believe otherwise, they should make every effort to do so.

My expectation is if they add a game, it will be a meaningless buy game against Milwaukee or someone similar, they will go 0-3 in their remaining Big East games, then win the Wednesday BET game and get blown out on Thursday to end the season. I don't expect them to sniff the tournament. But these posts and this thread are not about what I would do or what I want, it's about what the people making the decisions should be doing if they have any aspirations at a season more successful than the 12-16 (6-13) I currently expect them to finish at, which I hope is bad enough to get Wojo fired.

[5DollarPitcher]

If Marquette had 5 Q1 wins, that is more than North Carolina, Drake, Boise, St. Bonaventure, Colorado State, UConn, or Utah State could get if every one of them won out.

Ok great. But all those teams you just named are firmly (extremely firmly) ahead of us already. If they win out and we win out - I don’t think the committee is going to be more impressed by our Loyola Chicago Q1 win to the point where that pecking order changes.

[BM1090]

Ok great. But all those teams you just named are firmly (extremely firmly) ahead of us already. If they win out and we win out - I don’t think the committee is going to be more impressed by our Loyola Chicago Q1 win to the point where that pecking order changes.

They are firmly ahead of us because their resumes are better. If we won out and they won out, our resume would be better.

If they win the next one I'll allow myself to dream a bit, but I think they get rolled by UCONN

[dgies9156]

Ok great. But all those teams you just named are firmly (extremely firmly) ahead of us already. If they win out and we win out - I don’t think the committee is going to be more impressed by our Loyola Chicago Q1 win to the point where that pecking order changes.

Of course they won't be impressed.

Only way to make the tournament is to get angry, take no prisoners and win out through the Big East championship. We'd be like a 14 seed, but they'd have to take us because we won the conference tournament.

This takes a wholly different attitude than what I've seen from our Warriors. We need to be p*ssed. We need to have no friends other than our own band of brothers and we need to be playing "in your face" basketball.

Marquette needs to be feared. You don't want to play us because we'll jam the ball down your throat -- and smile as you choke. We need to be the physical, powerful and nasty team. Mostly nasty. Like the McGuire era, you just didn't mess with us.

Right now, I'd guess the only team that's even modestly afraid of us is Butler.

[brewcity77]

Only way to make the tournament is to get angry, take no prisoners and win out through the Big East championship. We'd be like a 14 seed, but they'd have to take us because we won the conference tournament.

FWIW, we would likely be a 12, or a 13 at absolute worse. We currently have more Q1 wins (3) than the 22 teams listed on the 13-16 lines combined (0). But hey, a potential 12/5 upset, reversing our 2019 fortunes, would be fun, no?  Maybe we could get a rematch with Bucky!

[bilsu]

A savvy athletic department might look at the NET and realize "we can add a sure-fire Quadrant 1 game that we would likely win to bolster our resume."

http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2021/01/resume-builders-last-call.html

We might win, but we are not likely to win a quadrant 1 game.

I think we should take the chance, but the loss is just going to add more wood on the fire to get rid of Wojo.

[brewcity77]

We might win, but we are not likely to win a quadrant 1 game.

I think we should take the chance, but the loss is just going to add more wood on the fire to get rid of Wojo.

Add Colgate at home and we would likely win.