In the post game with Mac and Homer Wojo said:
"We are one of the few teams in the country getting better this time of year.
I assume he means that MU is playing its best ball in March, not some period earlier this year.
You agree?
It is a coach boosting his team.
I don't know how the other 350+ teams are playing, so I don't know if he's speaking the "truth." And probably neither does Wojo.
It's March 1, we are playing well, we just won a huge road game, we've won 3 of 4. So what does it matter?
Marquette is finding its identity and some players are responding and buying in better than early in the year
Quote from: MU82 on March 01, 2017, 10:49:25 PM
It is a coach boosting his team.
Came here to say the same thing. That's all that is.
Quote from: AZMarqfan on March 01, 2017, 10:51:05 PM
Marquette is finding its identity and some players are responding and buying in better than early in the year
+1 on identity. We are a flawed team - no question about it. But we're playing to our strengths right now and dictating the pace. XU fell into a trap trying to play our game early in this one, and we got a lead we wouldn't relinquish.
MU is healthy and has been very fortunate all year. The rotation is sorting itself out. The consistent pattern when MU wins is for MU to shoot well and play just enough defense. Last night, the defensive rotations were very good in the first half. The team is finding their way. Bottom line.... when MU moves the ball and shoots it well from 3, they are able to compete with nearly anybody. If MU gets in and makes 30 threes the first weekend, they could accidentally make it to the second weekend. If MU comes out shooting poorly, one and done.
Considering we are somewhere in the 200's in defense.....I would assume a bubble team would have no where but to go up in that area.....
Our offense has been above average all year......
Even in the last 8 minutes.....as soon as we get lazy on defense......X would go a 6 to 8 point run in less than a minute.....
Just terrible......
Great offensive game .....just awesome......We "Golden Stated them".......
We're trending favorably in comparison to X!!!
The one thing I see that's changed for me is that I'm not afraid of Matt needing to play 15-20 minutes on any given night.
Burger, I think we're about #150 in D. Not good admittedly but better than several weeks ago. And our offense is world class elite. Like top 10 in the country elite.
Quote from: jsglow on March 02, 2017, 07:17:03 AM
Burger, I think we're about #150 in D. Not good admittedly but better than several weeks ago. And our offense is world class elite. Like top 10 in the country elite.
140 in the country after last night and playing better of late, for sure.
#9 off, #211 def
Not sure if there's only a "few" that are getting better, but there are plenty of teams that are trending down or have not improved measurably and are ready for the season to end.
Quote from: chapman on March 02, 2017, 08:07:31 AM
Not sure if there's only a "few" that are getting better, but there are plenty of teams that are trending down or have not improved measurably and are ready for the season to end.
Our improvement has been step-wise, very difficult to understand, what's next? If we make a jump at this point the ceiling is very high.
What does our improvement curve look like? It's far from a smooth improvement.
If anyone sees a link to his post game presser, please post!
Thanks.
Edit: Found it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl-yNt7ClO4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl-yNt7ClO4)
What an effing season- :
So many twists and turns and through it all I couldn't feel better about the trajectory of this program . Early elation with the dismantling of Vandy - the face plant in NY - a solid run ended with a hard fought Wisco game - Katin doing a 180 from his early season hijinks - the WTF moments when traci and cohen leave - the Nova masterpiece - another face plant haani questions - and now a slow steady climb after some lineup adjustments - 6 top 50 wins with one or two more opportunities before the dance - a truly special offensive team that might only be now understanding how to be more than just a three point sniping team - an all country frosh (after losing one last year) - Sam looking like a four year stud already - heldts leap to productivity - so many amazing things coupled around a few hard to fathom losses but think how close this team is , with a little better D, to 13-4 in conf right now-
Passion is good as a fan, but the people who are just angry all the time don't make any sense to me - you want to win, and hate to lose, but be a goddamn fan and cheer no matter what, I've heard so many losers tell me they've written this team off many times this year it is hard to comprehend.
Quote from: CAGASS24 on March 02, 2017, 09:52:02 AM
What an effing season- :
So many twists and turns and through it all I couldn't feel better about the trajectory of this program . Early elation with the dismantling of Vandy - the face plant in NY - a solid run ended with a hard fought Wisco game - Katin doing a 180 from his early season hijinks - the WTF moments when traci and cohen leave - the Nova masterpiece - another face plant haani questions - and now a slow steady climb after some lineup adjustments - 6 top 50 wins with one or two more opportunities before the dance - a truly special offensive team that might only be now understanding how to be more than just a three point sniping team - an all country frosh (after losing one last year) - Sam looking like a four year stud already - heldts leap to productivity - so many amazing things coupled around a few hard to fathom losses but think how close this team is , with a little better D, to 13-4 in conf right now-
Passion is good as a fan, but the people who are just angry all the time don't make any sense to me - you want to win, and hate to lose, but be a goddamn fan and cheer no matter what, I've heard so many losers tell me they've written this team off many times this year it is hard to comprehend.
Sandy and Traci leaving seems so long ago. That being said if I had to pick 1 of the 2 that I wish we had had in a few games my answer now is not what I would have thought back when the xfers happened. Ask me back then and I say Traci every single time but seeing Kaitin, Rowsey, Howard, even Hauser help break the press last night I am not so sure how Traci would have gotten minutes. Definitely early season saw him as a change of pace guy from Howard. In many games this year (especially during JJJ's troubled stretches) I think another 6 ft 6/ 6 ft 7 guy with range out to 3 and athletic like Sandy definitely could have helped. That being said...this team has fought back and looks to have each other's backs...Evidence last night with that JP flagrant.
Quote from: Clam Crowder on March 02, 2017, 09:58:59 AM
Sandy and Traci leaving seems so long ago. That being said if I had to pick 1 of the 2 that I wish we had had in a few games my answer now is not what I would have thought back when the xfers happened. Ask me back then and I say Traci every single time but seeing Kaitin, Rowsey, Howard, even Hauser help break the press last night I am not so sure how Traci would have gotten minutes. Definitely early season saw him as a change of pace guy from Howard. In many games this year (especially during JJJ's troubled stretches) I think another 6 ft 6/ 6 ft 7 guy with range out to 3 and athletic like Sandy definitely could have helped. That being said...this team has fought back and looks to have each other's backs...Evidence last night with that JP flagrant.
Traci would have gotten less and less minutes as the season wore on, but with Howard/Rowsey are foul prone, and I still think he could have played an important role in a couple of our close losses. I just don't think Sandy fit the pace/style we want to play.
Quote from: burger on March 02, 2017, 06:48:19 AM
.....as soon as we get lazy on defense......X would go a 6 to 8 point run in less than a minute.....
Just terrible......
I'd point out two things:
1) Xavier is a talented, experienced and well-coached team playing at home in front of a capacity crowd. They're going to make runs.
2) Even after each of those runs, Xavier never got closer than 9 points — and that was at the 13 minute mark of the 2nd half. We led by at least 10 the entire rest of the way. That's a strong win anywhere in the country, let alone in an arena where we've never won before.
Quote from: Jay Bee on March 02, 2017, 07:44:51 AM
#9 off, #211 def
Is this raw #, not adjusted? Just curious. Kenpom has us at #7 and #140
Quote from: Jay Bee on March 02, 2017, 06:57:44 AM
We're trending favorably in comparison to X!!!
The one thing I see that's changed for me is that I'm not afraid of Matt needing to play 15-20 minutes on any given night.
One of my keys to the season was the ability to get 15 quality minutes from Matt, which we definitely are.
Quote from: tower912 on March 02, 2017, 04:55:51 AM
MU is healthy and has been very fortunate all year. The rotation is sorting itself out. The consistent pattern when MU wins is for MU to shoot well and play just enough defense. Last night, the defensive rotations were very good in the first half. The team is finding their way. Bottom line.... when MU moves the ball and shoots it well from 3, they are able to compete with nearly anybody. If MU gets in and makes 30 threes the first weekend, they could accidentally make it to the second weekend. If MU comes out shooting poorly, one and done.
Agree with this, except with one minor nit ...
We are the No. 1 3-point shooting team in the nation (statistically as of today) and we average 10+ threes per game. We have had 12 games in which we have made at least 12 threes, and have hit 14 twice. I think it would be at least as big an "accident" for us to make only 10 threes in a weekend as it would for us to make 30.
Go wander around Hawaii in the rain some more. ;D And you're not wrong.