We are not a top 25 team

[MU NY]

Call it venting but I am certain that by the end of the year we'll be on the outside looking in.  The long season is beginning to show consistently that we do not protect the ball (15 turnovers last night) are not an inside-high percentage offensive threat and we have a point guard who is far to infrequently able to put up double digit assists night to night.  He's also got a long way to go from the free throw line which for someone who should be penetrating the lanes and breaking zones has and will continue to  prove a liability. 

Shoot all you want DJ...we'll see you Junior year!!!

[Djgoldnboy]

Not ranked, cmon, we were tied with less than a minute left.  We hit our free throws everything above is negated and we come out with a "W"....did you feel the same way when we beat Pitt at home, or even the Lousiville game, which is looking like a better win every day now.

We take care of business at home and we'll be top 10-15 at the end of the season (that would be wins over Louisville, Villanova and Pitt), road wins (even at the BC south) are hard to come by.

[MU NY]

We didn't find a way to win a game we should win last night. Same story.

Pitt win on the road was miraculous...we practically gave it away at the end, luckily went to OT and had to hit 100% of our FT to win it...pretty lucky now that you mention it because our FT % is nowhere near 100%

Louisville was an impressive road win given their turn around but it was several weeks ago so I am not sure what to think of round two.

Look, we'll go one or two and done in the BE tourney, get an 8 or 9 seed in the NCAA, likely go one or two and done there.  DJ will be gone but if not for the sad state of the NBA he'd be back for sure.

[IAmMarquette]

Call it venting but I am certain that by the end of the year we'll be on the outside looking in.  The long season is beginning to show consistently that we do not protect the ball (15 turnovers last night) are not an inside-high percentage offensive threat and we have a point guard who is far to infrequently able to put up double digit assists night to night.  He's also got a long way to go from the free throw line which for someone who should be penetrating the lanes and breaking zones has and will continue to  prove a liability. 

Shoot all you want DJ...we'll see you Junior year!!!

What PG at what level puts up 10+ assists on a nightly basis?

[ONeills Barstool]

We didn't find a way to win a game we should win last night. Same story.

Same story?  USF?  Valpo? Pitt (not that Pitt was a game that we "should" have won)?

Call it venting but I am certain that by the end of the year we'll be on the outside looking in. 

I'll call it venting.  This is a pretty good basketball team - a young team with some flaws that are going to get exploited now and again.  I'm not happy with the loss either but lets put it in perspective.

[Djgoldnboy]

get an 8 or 9 seed in the NCAA, 

Now that is hilarious.

Your Honor I rest my case.

[MU NY]

we won't be top 10-15 team end of season...we aren't now...I suppose you have us as a three seed or something like that...4 if we lose out the rest of the season your worst case?

[LastWarrior]

After we finish up the season at 3-1 (wins vs. Pitt, UL, & Nova and a loss at ND) our ranking will reflect a top 15 ranking.

Our success in the BE & NCAA Tourneys will be dependent on how well we can shoot FT's.  With an offense focused on driving to the basket, we'll need to punish teams for fouling with a higher FT %.  We're gonna need those extra 3-4 points on the neutral tournament courts.

[CTWarrior]

get an 8 or 9 seed in the NCAA, 

Now that is hilarious.

Your Honor I rest my case.

An 8 or 9 seed is not as far fetched as you might think.  We are 20-6 now (remember, the win over Hillsdale doesn't count as anything as far as the NCAA is concerned).  A 1-3 finish (figure lose to Pitt and at ND and split the home games with Louisville and Villanova) with a 1-1 BE tournament would put us at 22-10, 9-7 (with 4-6 in our last 10).  That would be an 8 or 9.  Remember that our big non-con wins over Duke and Texas Tech aren't as impressive as they seemed to be a month ago.

I think we'll do a little better than that, but 3-3 would make us 23-9 and a 6 or 7.  And as a 6 or 7 we'll be lucky to get more than 1 win.

[Marquette84]

We are 20-6 now (remember, the win over Hillsdale doesn't count as anything as far as the NCAA is concerned).  

This isn't correct. The reports the committte receives will include all games.   Hillsdale is not included in the RPI, but it is a real game and will be reflected in our record.  The game is not expunged.

with a 1-1 BE tournament would put us at 22-10, 9-7 (with 4-6 in our last 10).  That would be an 8 or 9. 

This simply isn't in line with past history.

West Virginia was 4-10 in its last 10, 19-10 overall, and 0-1 in the BE tournament.  Six seed.

MU was 19-11 overall, 5-5 in the last ten, no non-conferece marquee wins approachin the level of TT, and 0-1 in the BET.  Seven seed.

Georgetown was 21-9, 5-5 in the last ten, 2-1 in the BET.  Seven seed.

The only way we drop to an 8 or a 9 in your scenario is if a whole bunch of other teams suddenly get hot, and none of the teams ahead of us get cold--which is unlikely since the definition of "getting hot" is beating a top 25 team.

I'm not saying it can't happen, but if we finish 23-9, even if we go 4-6 in the last 10, past history suggests a 6 or 7 seed.

[BigSky]

I didn't know not being in top 10-15 meant not being ranked.  When did they cut off the rankings at 15???  I thought it was 25.

[Mayor McCheese]

this is nuts... its the same story... we win, and everyone on here thinks we are great, we lose, our season is over....  lets face it, your already marking Pitt a loss... we beat them @ PITT, who says we can't beat them in the BC... in my opinion, Pitt is a tad overrated.  Tonights game against Louisville will be tough, but I think it will lead to a win, MU just needs a home game, two road losses in a row to Georgetown (in my opinion best team in the BE) and against DePaul, who beat Kansas on that same floor (MU NY areyou going to tell me that Kansas isn't a top 25 team since they lost to DePaul too?)  Nova will be a tough game, however watching the Nova v GT game today, I think we match up real well with Nova, and I think we will outmatch them with our bench play.  I also think @ ND is a very winnable game, I see 3-1 last 4 or 4-0.... maybe its homer, maybe its optimism, but I am not going to drop a 21-6 team as quickly as everyone else.  This board has more ups and downs than the American Eagle at Six Flags

[Tampa Warrior]

This board has more ups and downs than the American Eagle at Six Flags

Yep. Remember the wailing and gnashing of teeth after the Rutgers loss last year.

The team has proven to be pretty resilient. Let's just see what happens on the floor.

[Big Papi]

Just today:

No. 20 Arizona loses at home by 15
No.18 Oklahoma St. bad loss at home to Mizzou by 11
No. 20 Kentucky loses by 11
No. 24 Indiana with a loss at Michigan
No. 13 Butler loses at home by 4

I know Arizona and Butler played ranked teams but so did we when we lost at Georgetown.  After the top 4 or 5 teams everyone else is in one big jumbled mess where anyone can beat anyone on any given day.  You got to bring it every game and other than maybe the rodents, no one else can say that they do.  We definitely have some tough games ahead but so does everyone else.  We just need to bring it every game and what happens happens.  Dont forget that MU has won 21 games so far so if you base future expectations from the entire season, I would expect a few more wins before the season is over.  There is no shame in achieving a 10-6 record in conference and that is a realistic expectation.

[chapman]

I wish we wouldn't be ranked come monday.  Last time that happened a lot of people thought the Big East tournament wasn't a lock and then we reeled off 8 in a row.  I have a feeling it'll be somewhere in the 20's though.

[MU NY]

I think its fair to say we don't deserve a top 25 ranking after this weeks performance.  If you could be ranked by some of the excuses on the board for not scoring more points at the end of the game than your opponent, I think we'd be #1.