What constitutes a good year?

[tower912]

If tOSU goes undefeated until losing in the national championship game, did they have a successful year?   Was last year a good year for us because of what that team accomplished with those players?  If Wiscy does what they always do, top 3 B? finish, earlier than expected NCAA flameout, did they have a good year?  Has SDSU already had a good year?    With all of their injuries, is this a good year for Louisville, even if they don't go deep in the tourney?  If I4 finishes .500, is it a good year for them?  If MU finishes like most hope, 11-7 in conference, 1-2 wins in the BEast tourney, how many tourney wins would they need for you to consider this a successful season?    Is a good season dictated by preseason expectations vs results?   Is an NIT championship a good year?

[BrewCity83]

If tOSU goes undefeated until losing in the national championship game, did they have a successful year?   Was last year a good year for us because of what that team accomplished with those players?  If Wiscy does what they always do, top 3 B? finish, earlier than expected NCAA flameout, did they have a good year?  Has SDSU already had a good year?    With all of their injuries, is this a good year for Louisville, even if they don't go deep in the tourney?  If I4 finishes .500, is it a good year for them?  If MU finishes like most hope, 11-7 in conference, 1-2 wins in the BEast tourney, how many tourney wins would they need for you to consider this a successful season?    Is a good season dictated by preseason expectations vs results?   Is an NIT championship a good year?

This.

It's all about the expectations.

[San Diego Warrior]

Right - it's all about expactations. 
I think, for most, at the beginning of the year, an NCAA bid/winning conference record would be considered a successful season for this team.  Expectations were not that high.

Since we've played so many highly ranked teams so tight and been in every game, my hope is that they'll be able to take the next step and become a team that can make a run in the NCAA and finish in the top half of the Big East.

[warthog-driver]

Beating Illinois, rushing the court, then having one's coach lead a hallway pep rally constitutes one heck of a year!

[bilsu]

My definition of a good year for MU, is finishing with less than 10 losses. We have not done this since Wade left. 25-10 is a nice year, but it short of my definition for a successful year for MU. 22-12 and an NCAA bid was nice, but it is nothing to brag about. I would not be satisfied, if that is what we did every year.

[wojosdojo]

2006-2007? Im pretty sure we lost 9 this year.

[RawdogDX]

If you are a 1-2 (as was expected in preseason) and make it to a eliete 8 or better. - good year.
If you are a 1-4 seed, that was picked to be a 9-11 seed in summer, you need to win at least 2 games.
If you are a 5-8 seed  and you weren't picked to be near the bottom of your conference then you only 1 win.

[brewcity77]

For me, it's progress. I was hoping for us to be a 25-28 win team this year. That probably won't happen unless we have a great Big East rourney or a deep March run. But if we end up squeaking in as an 11 seed with a 19-13 record, then upset a 6 and 3 seed to get to the Sweet Sixteen, I'll be pleased. Expectations are great, and exceeding them are great, but I know I'd probably be disappointed had we gone 28-6 and lost in our second Big East game and first NCAA game, and would feel more positive about a lesser record and a Sweet Sixteen. At the end of the day, the Big Dance is the last impression we get, and that's where I'll probably base my satisfaction with the year (unless we win a Big East conference tourney, in which case I'll be satisfied regardless).

[NavinRJohnson]

If MU does what I think they may do, and finish the regular season in the top 6-7 of the Big East, and ranked in the Top 25, then I think it will have been a successful season, and Buzz Williams' best coaching job of his first 3 seasons.

The NCAA tournament is so unpredictable, and so subject to seeds and match ups, unless you go to the Final Four or are a top seed that loses in the first round, I have a had time using it as too much of a barometer of how your season went. If a team like MU, or Wisconsin, or Louisville loses in the first round vs. the second or third, does it really matter?