The next game is the only game.
SJU used a 3 game run last year to surge back to (temporary) relevance, beating Duke (#9), Nova (#2) and MU.
They are desperate for a similar run now. They won at Creighton. At Duke (#2) Saturday and then MU (#9/10).
SJU win at Duke would be as great as it is unlikely (as my father might say, Duke has not lost a home noncon game since the Last Supper).
As unlikely as it may be, the best thing for us would be for the Johnnies to beat Duke, then get pounded by MU on Tuesday.
~Captain Obvious
Quote from: BrewCity83 on February 01, 2019, 04:56:46 PM
As unlikely as it may be, the best thing for us would be for the Johnnies to beat Duke, then get pounded by MU on Tuesday.
~Captain Obvious
Nah, they're gonna look past Duke to their big game.
SJU opened at -18.5 at Duke. I will be putting some good coin on sJu. That is ALOT of points.
Quote from: JamilJaeJamailJrJuan on February 01, 2019, 05:32:55 PM
SJU opened at -18.5 at Duke. I will be putting some good coin on sJu. That is ALOT of points.
Especially given that Zion is gonna have to chase around the perimeter
Quote from: mu03eng on February 01, 2019, 05:56:08 PM
Especially given that Zion is gonna have to chase around the perimeter
And who on SJU is going to keep Zion from getting to the rim?
Quote from: LloydsLegs on February 01, 2019, 04:45:41 PM
Duke has not lost a home noncon game since the Last Supper).
This is one of the most overrated things talked about in CBB, especially by Dickie V et al. There would be a lot of teams that would have long winning streaks at home in the noncon if they played schedules like they do. They really don't do home-and-homes with teams because they are in many made for TV events on neutral sites. So the only time they play anyone of significance in the noncon is in the Bi10/ACC challenge.
I think if you would go back over the past 20 years, there might be 15-20 major D1 teams that came in to play them at Cameron.
Biggest game of the season. Time for some revenge.
Quote from: JamilJaeJamailJrJuan on February 01, 2019, 05:32:55 PM
SJU opened at -18.5 at Duke. I will be putting some good coin on sJu. That is ALOT of points.
SJU opened
+18.5 at Duke. If they opened as the big favorite I would bet my house on Duke!
Quote from: VegasWarrior77 on February 01, 2019, 09:49:33 PM
SJU opened +18.5 at Duke. If they opened as the big favorite I would bet my house on Duke!
Yah, obviously what I meant
Quote from: tower912 on February 01, 2019, 06:02:32 PM
And who on SJU is going to keep Zion from getting to the rim?
Lots of doubles, Duke is not good at perimeter shooting
Quote from: JamilJaeJamailJrJuan on February 02, 2019, 03:47:30 AM
Yah, obviously what I meant
Its understandable, at these Times we're all Excited.
Jeez, I hope St. Johns get all of their hot shooting out today's game. They can't miss.
Clark blocks a shot with his elbow. Fans want a Flagrant.
Quote from: forgetful on February 02, 2019, 11:19:14 AM
Clark blocks a shot with his elbow. Fans want a Flagrant.
They called it a flagrant one, that is effing terrible.
Quote from: ChitownSpaceForRent on February 02, 2019, 11:23:11 AM
They called it a flagrant one, that is effing terrible.
I've often seen that called a clean block. No foul.
Thank you ESPN for allowing Vitale to absolutely ruin this otherwise very entertaining game
Quote from: Mr. Sand-Knit on February 02, 2019, 11:31:23 AM
Thank you ESPN for allowing Vitale to absolutely ruin this otherwise very entertaining game
Ponds has been beyond brutal in the first half
Ponds shut out in the first half which means he will probably drop about 40 on Marquette.
Johnnies trying to out-athlete a team of better athletes.
Entertaining game, but what's the STJ game plan on offense?
I know its duke but st John's just is not that good. Lots of guys throwing up tough shots. If it's not going in that look really bad.
Quote from: ChitownSpaceForRent on February 02, 2019, 11:52:26 AM
Ponds shut out in the first half which means he will probably drop about 40 on Marquette.
Wasn't he coming off an abysmal game last time we played them?
Quote from: NickelDimer on February 02, 2019, 12:19:10 PM
Wasn't he coming off an abysmal game last time we played them?
Scoring-wise, yes. Seton Hall held him to 8 points on 2-13 shooting including 1-6 from deep. He did have 6 boards, 7 assists, 5 steals, and 5 turnovers. So he had half a quintuple double.
Quote from: Mr. Sand-Knit on February 02, 2019, 11:31:23 AM
Thank you ESPN for allowing Vitale to absolutely ruin this otherwise very entertaining game
Love how Vitale always..always..gushes all over K, like a golden shower!
Quote from: willie warrior on February 02, 2019, 12:42:24 PM
Love how Vitale always..always..gushes all over K, like a golden shower!
I dont even care what he says if he could just shut the F up for a few seconds to let the pounding in my ears and brain subside. Is this SOB gonna have to die before espn stops having him destroy bball games? His sctick was old in 1983. And has just gotten worse.
Quote from: GooooMarquette on February 01, 2019, 05:16:54 PM
Nah, they're gonna look past Duke to their big game.
Like I was saying....
Hopefully SJU is still shellshocked from Zion dunking all over them
Quote from: Mr. Sand-Knit on February 02, 2019, 02:29:57 PM
I dont even care what he says if he could just shut the F up for a few seconds to let the pounding in my ears and brain subside. Is this SOB gonna have to die before espn stops having him destroy bball games? His sctick was old in 1983. And has just gotten worse.
And now we have imitators all over the place jumping out of their jocks. That and the endless trite "big fella" comments.
Quote from: Mr. Sand-Knit on February 02, 2019, 02:29:57 PM
I dont even care what he says if he could just shut the F up for a few seconds to let the pounding in my ears and brain subside. Is this SOB gonna have to die before espn stops having him destroy bball games? His sctick was old in 1983. And has just gotten worse.
Totally disagree. While Vitale may lack the analytical take we all crave now, that guy played a major role in the surge in popularity of college b-ball. I LOVED listening to him growing up. His energy was infectious and he kept me super engaged as I'm sure he did with several other young viewers. I know he hasn't really evolved with the game, but let's not disparage him like this (a) because of his importance to the game up until this point and (b) he's a human being. I'll enjoy him until his last game knowing I can pull a thousand articles up after and before the game that delve into the weeds.
I'm sorry but I'm not going to pretend to enjoy Vitale just because of what he did in the past. In the past he was also quite with it as an analyst with good points of view mixed in with the energy. Now he just praises his friends, makes canned points and shouts unnecessarily. I'm sure ESPN is keeping him on because he does draw some viewers and doesn't want the backlash of letting him go and that's fine, but he is so far from what he was that it just distracts from the game.
Quote from: Fluffy Blue Monster on February 03, 2019, 09:03:31 AM
I'm sorry but I'm not going to pretend to enjoy Vitale just because of what he did in the past. In the past he was also quite with it as an analyst with good points of view mixed in with the energy. Now he just praises his friends, makes canned points and shouts unnecessarily. I'm sure ESPN is keeping him on because he does draw some viewers and doesn't want the backlash of letting him go and that's fine, but he is so far from what he was that it just distracts from the game.
Fair enough. You shouldn't pretend.
Well ive been listening to Vitale since 1982? When he started at ESPN i was younger and thought his schtick was also good for the game and i had no real issues with him while many of my friends hated him as he talked over the game. He became very famous and had all his catch phrases which is all fine and well. The problem with him is he began to belive that any phrase he said once or twice a game and became well known was then all that much better if he said it 30 times a game. Or over n over n over again. Additionally instead of preparing for games he just showed up and blurted catchnphrases over n over again.
Good for him and good for his family that he has been so financially successful. A true american success story there is no doubting that.
My personal opinion is he is insufferable and greatly distracts from the game. First vitale game that i have watched in a very long time and he was even more horrible than i remembered. Ruined the game for me, i was looking for a duke or sju tuned in broadcast to sync
Quote from: Mr. Sand-Knit on February 03, 2019, 10:11:11 AM
Well ive been listening to Vitale since 1982? When he started at ESPN i was younger and thought his schtick was also good for the game and i had no real issues with him while many of my friends hated him as he talked over the game. He became very famous and had all his catch phrases which is all fine and well. The problem with him is he began to belive that any phrase he said once or twice a game and became well known was then all that much better if he said it 30 times a game. Or over n over n over again. Additionally instead of preparing for games he just showed up and blurted catchnphrases over n over again.
Good for him and good for his family that he has been so financially successful. A true american success story there is no doubting that.
My personal opinion is he is insufferable and greatly distracts from the game. First vitale game that i have watched in a very long time and he was even more horrible than i remembered. Ruined the game for me, i was looking for a duke or sju tuned in broadcast to sync
Points well taken. And to be honest, I haven't sat through a Vitale broadcast for quite some time due largely to not having time or no interest in the teams. Perhaps, it has become insufferable. Allow me to rephrase - I will make it a point to watch his last telecast because of what he's done for the game and for nostalgia.
Quote from: Fluffy Blue Monster on February 03, 2019, 09:03:31 AMIn the past he was also quite with it as an analyst with good points of view mixed in with the energy.
He came across this way, but it wasn't true. I remember talking to someone who worked behind the scenes for ESPN. One day Vitale comes into the studio and says "hey, tell me about ________!"
It was some mid-major school. So the guy does some quick research and gets the name of their star player and a couple stats. Vitale goes on camera and dives into his schtick. "Oh baby, watch out for _________! I love these guys, they space you out and shoot the lights out. As a team they hit XX from three and can make life tough for any of the big boys. And don't forget *Star Player Name*, he's a diaper dandy as good as anyone in the country. They could be taking someone to upset city, baby!"
Don't get me wrong, he made the sport accessible and exciting to the casual fan, but he didn't possess nearly the breadth of knowledge he espoused. That he didn't end up actually calling games for those teams in the tourney kept him from getting exposed on the fly.
Quote from: brewcity77 on February 03, 2019, 11:34:19 AM
He came across this way, but it wasn't true. I remember talking to someone who worked behind the scenes for ESPN. One day Vitale comes into the studio and says "hey, tell me about ________!"
It was some mid-major school. So the guy does some quick research and gets the name of their star player and a couple stats. Vitale goes on camera and dives into his schtick. "Oh baby, watch out for _________! I love these guys, they space you out and shoot the lights out. As a team they hit XX from three and can make life tough for any of the big boys. And don't forget *Star Player Name*, he's a diaper dandy as good as anyone in the country. They could be taking someone to upset city, baby!"
Don't get me wrong, he made the sport accessible and exciting to the casual fan, but he didn't possess nearly the breadth of knowledge he espoused. That he didn't end up actually calling games for those teams in the tourney kept him from getting exposed on the fly.
Given the number of teams he covers, there is no way he could be up to date on as many schools as he sees.
That's why God invented producers and researchers, which means there are some jobs for wannabe sportscasters and writers. Which means there is a reason for Journalism schools.
a friend and I had a conversation with Dickie at his breakfast place on Siesta Key, mentioned we were MU alums and he had to remind us that he (Detroit) beat us at the Arena in '77. I then told him I was at the game, watched him dance at middle court after the win and that it was probably the biggest win of his college coaching career.
He became an imitator of Al, using funny expressions for players, etc, but not nearly as clever. I never could tolerate his screaming to be noticed and have looked forward to games without him.
Quote from: augoman on February 03, 2019, 02:01:23 PM
a friend and I had a conversation with Dickie at his breakfast place on Siesta Key, mentioned we were MU alums and he had to remind us that he (Detroit) beat us at the Arena in '77. I then told him I was at the game, watched him dance at middle court after the win and that it was probably the biggest win of his college coaching career.
He became an imitator of Al, using funny expressions for players, etc, but not nearly as clever. I never could tolerate his screaming to be noticed and have looked forward to games without him.
You beat me to it. He took advantage of the door Al opened as an announcer. Al was quirky, clever and genuine. Dickie V just became irritating because it seemed fake/staged.
Dickie V = unwatchable. I actually mute the TV if I'm watching an ESPN game he's broadcasting.
The justification that there are too many teams for him to learn about ... Jay Bilas does it, and so do other good analysts. It's their effen job.
Quote from: augoman on February 03, 2019, 02:01:23 PM
a friend and I had a conversation with Dickie at his breakfast place on Siesta Key, mentioned we were MU alums and he had to remind us that he (Detroit) beat us at the Arena in '77. I then told him I was at the game, watched him dance at middle court after the win and that it was probably the biggest win of his college coaching career.
He became an imitator of Al, using funny expressions for players, etc, but not nearly as clever. I never could tolerate his screaming to be noticed and have looked forward to games without him.
I agree Augie, I always thought he tried to imitate Al and did a poor job of it.
Quote from: Windyplayer on February 03, 2019, 08:57:28 AM
Totally disagree. While Vitale may lack the analytical take we all crave now, that guy played a major role in the surge in popularity of college b-ball. I LOVED listening to him growing up. His energy was infectious and he kept me super engaged as I'm sure he did with several other young viewers. I know he hasn't really evolved with the game, but let's not disparage him like this (a) because of his importance to the game up until this point and (b) he's a human being. I'll enjoy him until his last game knowing I can pull a thousand articles up after and before the game that delve into the weeds.
Well said. I used to think he was a phony....until I met him at the Broken Egg down in the Sarasota FL area. He is truly passionate and full of life, and a decent human being. Make no mistake, he knows he is a stage act. His bosses want him yapping at full speed about only the blue bloods (he told me as much) but he loves Marquette.
Quote from: NorthernDancerColt on February 03, 2019, 04:13:02 PM
Well said. I used to think he was a phony....until I met him at the Broken Egg down in the Sarasota FL area. He is truly passionate and full of life, and a decent human being. Make no mistake, he knows he is a stage act. His bosses want him yapping at full speed about only the blue bloods (he told me as much) but he loves Marquette.
I have met him and talked with him, and to the best of my knowledge he is a nice guy. I have heard other stories similar to yours -- that he is good to the "regular folks."
But I still can't stand listening to him as an analyst.
Quote from: willie warrior on February 02, 2019, 12:42:24 PM
Love how Vitale always..always..gushes all over K, like a golden shower!
Love how he said Zion will be a good 3 point shooter because he wants to be one
I was the Eagle for the 2006 CBE game against Duke. Vitale was calling the game and they wanted me in the background for one of the shots. Vitale was just a normal guy speaking in a normal voice during the breaks until those lights went on and he turned it up to 100. If he just was his normal self I think he wouldn't be bad. But I guess that's not what ESPN pays him for.
Quote from: TallTitan34 on February 03, 2019, 05:11:41 PM
I was the Eagle for the 2006 CBE game against Duke. Vitale was calling the game and they wanted me in the background for one of the shots. Vitale was just a normal guy speaking in a normal voice during the breaks until those lights went on and he turned it up to 100. If he just was his normal self I think he wouldn't be bad. But I guess that's not what ESPN pays him for.
If you go way back in his early ESPN days, he didn't project his voice and energy. He did games straight up. Been a long time.
Quote from: TallTitan34 on February 03, 2019, 05:11:41 PM
I was the Eagle for the 2006 CBE game against Duke. Vitale was calling the game and they wanted me in the background for one of the shots. Vitale was just a normal guy speaking in a normal voice during the breaks until those lights went on and he turned it up to 100. If he just was his normal self I think he wouldn't be bad. But I guess that's not what ESPN pays him for.
AND YOU WERE THE BEST EAGLE EVER!
That's why there is a volume button on the TV- to turn OFF the volume when VITALE does a game-any game
Quote from: wiscwarrior on February 03, 2019, 03:53:59 PM
I agree Augie, I always thought he tried to imitate Al and did a poor job of it.
Yep, poor man's Al, Al wannabe. Al never talked about being pals with Ray Meyer, Dean Smith, etc., etc., but the love and respect his coaching contemporaries had for him was clear. Dickie V, on the other hand, was a name dropper extraordinaire. Seemed a bit insecure (as a lot of the loudest ones are), almost felt sorry for him.
And at any MU game he does, he mentions the fact that Detroit, which he coached, beat Al and MU. Repeatedly.
MU opens minus 7.5
Quote from: MU82 on February 03, 2019, 03:27:03 PM
Dickie V = unwatchable. I actually mute the TV if I'm watching an ESPN game he's broadcasting.
Totally agree. I'd forgotten how tired I'd gotten of his act since I so seldom watch ESPN games anymore. I hit mute after about five minutes of the Duke/St. John's game on Saturday.
Quote from: brewcity77 on February 03, 2019, 11:34:19 AM
He came across this way, but it wasn't true. I remember talking to someone who worked behind the scenes for ESPN. One day Vitale comes into the studio and says "hey, tell me about ________!"
It was some mid-major school. So the guy does some quick research and gets the name of their star player and a couple stats. Vitale goes on camera and dives into his schtick. "Oh baby, watch out for _________! I love these guys, they space you out and shoot the lights out. As a team they hit XX from three and can make life tough for any of the big boys. And don't forget *Star Player Name*, he's a diaper dandy as good as anyone in the country. They could be taking someone to upset city, baby!"
Don't get me wrong, he made the sport accessible and exciting to the casual fan, but he didn't possess nearly the breadth of knowledge he espoused. That he didn't end up actually calling games for those teams in the tourney kept him from getting exposed on the fly.
I think all announcers do that. He used to make cogent points about what was happening in the game with some strategy tidbits, etc. The kind of stuff I personally like to hear announcers talk about. We are 20 years removed from him doing that, if not more. He is just nails on the blackboard for me now. I just want to watch the game, you know? Talk to me like I was sitting next to you and make comments that you would think I want to hear. Let the play-by-play guy describe who did what.
Another favorite ploy of his is to (loudly) pronounce: "Oh, man, you need a time-out, Coach!"
when he sees (off-camera) that a coach is standing for a TO.
My wife just leaves the room when he's on.
OK, I appreciate the interest he generated in the past, but his schtick is lame beyond belief now.
Quote from: MuMark on February 04, 2019, 02:42:28 PM
MU opens minus 7.5
Damn. Have a feeling that line will drop a bit
Quote from: mileskishnish72 on February 04, 2019, 03:23:14 PM
Another favorite ploy of his is to (loudly) pronounce: "Oh, man, you need a time-out, Coach!"
when he sees (off-camera) that a coach is standing for a TO.
My wife just leaves the room when he's on.
OK, I appreciate the interest he generated in the past, but his schtick is lame beyond belief now.
I just wanna hear,
"TIME FOR A T-O, JAMIE BAA-BEE!!!" a coupla times on Saturday.
Quote from: MuMark on February 04, 2019, 02:42:28 PM
MU opens minus 7.5
Looking forward to the meltdowns after our comfortable 8 point win.
Quote from: CTWarrior on February 04, 2019, 03:15:02 PM
I think all announcers do that. He used to make cogent points about what was happening in the game with some strategy tidbits, etc. The kind of stuff I personally like to hear announcers talk about. We are 20 years removed from him doing that, if not more. He is just nails on the blackboard for me now. I just want to watch the game, you know? Talk to me like I was sitting next to you and make comments that you would think I want to hear. Let the play-by-play guy describe who did what.
I think thats the point. All announcers key in on a player or two from smaller schools they aren't used to. But they will read a scouting report, look at stat lines, etc... Obviously play up their strengths so you almost fear the dude averaging 14 from Oral Roberts, but they don't fall into generic exaggerations. Calling random dudes Diaper Dandies and PTPers when they are not even mid major stars or just the 5th starter on a good ACC team makes him look like a hack.
Like Jon Rothstein and his copy/paste Twitter sayings
I said this in another recent thread, but y'all pay a lot more attention to the announcers than I do.
Quote from: wadesworld on February 01, 2019, 06:56:16 PM
Biggest game of the season. Time for some revenge.
I get why Wojo or Markus might say this. But as a fan, this doesn't make sense. Tonight's game is nowhere near as important as the Nova game this weekend. As much as I want to see our guys beat up on the one conference team that beat us so far, it won't move the needle for us in rankings or seedings the way Saturday's game will.
Quote from: skianth16 on February 05, 2019, 08:56:52 AM
I get why Wojo or Markus might say this. But as a fan, this doesn't make sense. Tonight's game is nowhere near as important as the Nova game this weekend. As much as I want to see our guys beat up on the one conference team that beat us so far, it won't move the needle for us in rankings or seedings the way Saturday's game will.
Well, Saturday's game will be a lot more meaningful if we will have beaten StJ first because it will will be for the conference lead, no?
But let's not get all semantical here ... Warriors are gonna win da boata dem (as my Sout-Side Chicago fadder-in-law says), anyway!
Quote from: skianth16 on February 05, 2019, 08:56:52 AM
I get why Wojo or Markus might say this. But as a fan, this doesn't make sense. Tonight's game is nowhere near as important as the Nova game this weekend. As much as I want to see our guys beat up on the one conference team that beat us so far, it won't move the needle for us in rankings or seedings the way Saturday's game will.
A home loss and sweep by St. John's will do much more damage than a home loss to Nova, absolutely no doubt about that.
Saturday doesn't mean nearly as much if you go into it with a 2nd conference loss already.
Quote from: wadesworld on February 05, 2019, 09:08:35 AM
A home loss and sweep by St. John's will do much more damage than a home loss to Nova, absolutely no doubt about that.
Saturday doesn't mean nearly as much if you go into it with a 2nd conference loss already.
Unless you sweep Nova. Then the St. John's losses don't matter. Discounting the other conference games of course.
But yes, lets win tonight. Hot take I know.
Quote from: TAMU Eagle on February 04, 2019, 08:28:49 PM
I said this in another recent thread, but y'all pay a lot more attention to the announcers than I do.
I don't particularly pay attention to the announcers. But Vitale is impossible to ignore. You have to listen to help keep track of fouls, etc.
Quote from: wadesworld on February 05, 2019, 09:08:35 AM
A home loss and sweep by St. John's will do much more damage than a home loss to Nova, absolutely no doubt about that.
Saturday doesn't mean nearly as much if you go into it with a 2nd conference loss already.
Then I guess the DePaul game next Tuesday is the most important game of the year since that can hurt us more than any other game the rest of the year.
And a win Saturday, regardless of the outcome tonight, absolutely matters for our tournament resume. And it matters in the fight for the conference championship. And for seeding in the BET. I just don't see any way Saturday's game means less in the long run than tonight.
Quote from: skianth16 on February 05, 2019, 08:56:52 AM
I get why Wojo or Markus might say this. But as a fan, this doesn't make sense. Tonight's game is nowhere near as important as the Nova game this weekend. As much as I want to see our guys beat up on the one conference team that beat us so far, it won't move the needle for us in rankings or seedings the way Saturday's game will.
Actually its every bit as big a game as Saturday. This teams sole focus should be on winning a BE title. Therefore they all count the same.
Quote from: skianth16 on February 05, 2019, 10:22:18 AM
Then I guess the DePaul game next Tuesday is the most important game of the year since that can hurt us more than any other game the rest of the year.
And a win Saturday, regardless of the outcome tonight, absolutely matters for our tournament resume. And it matters in the fight for the conference championship. And for seeding in the BET. I just don't see any way Saturday's game means less in the long run than tonight.
Every game matters in the quest to win the BE. We are in great position now. Just keep winning.
Quote from: Mr. Sand-Knit on February 05, 2019, 10:40:21 AM
Actually its every bit as big a game as Saturday. This teams sole focus should be on winning a BE title. Therefore they all count the same.
Come on. They don't all count the same. On March 17, when the committee is discussing seeding, do you think they'll bring up a win over St. John's or a win over Nova? A loss to either is probably not even mentioned. Same for the conference championship and conference seeding. A win over Villanova matters more because they are the only team we're really competing with at this point. Plus, just from a fan standpoint, beating the reigning national champ and defending conference champ means a heckuva lot more than beating St. John's.
I expect Wojo and the team to offer the PR puffery to the press about every game counting the same and how the next game is always the most important. But we all know they care more about the Villanova game. Teams circle some games on the calendar. Nova at home on NMD is one of them. As fans, we don't have the same PR standard. It's OK to acknowledge one game being bigger or more important than another. That's part of the fun of being a fan.
As MU sits today, every game is a really big game. They have put themselves in a A+ position and need to take care of business. While I picked SJU in the Scoop contest, if MU shoots the ball well, I think they get the win. In watching a lot of ball of late, MU's shooting is a very high level compared to many teams. That really is the biggest take away I have had watching other games. A lot of teams really struggle to put it in the net.
Quote from: skianth16 on February 05, 2019, 10:50:32 AM
Come on. They don't all count the same. On March 17, when the committee is discussing seeding, do you think they'll bring up a win over St. John's or a win over Nova? A loss to either is probably not even mentioned. Same for the conference championship and conference seeding. A win over Villanova matters more because they are the only team we're really competing with at this point. Plus, just from a fan standpoint, beating the reigning national champ and defending conference champ means a heckuva lot more than beating St. John's.
I expect Wojo and the team to offer the PR puffery to the press about every game counting the same and how the next game is always the most important. But we all know they care more about the Villanova game. Teams circle some games on the calendar. Nova at home on NMD is one of them. As fans, we don't have the same PR standard. It's OK to acknowledge one game being bigger or more important than another. That's part of the fun of being a fan.
If St. John's beats us tonight they sit 3 games back in the standings but would have the tiebreaker with us having the sweep. So it's in essence a 2 game difference, which is the difference between Marquette and Villanova if Marquette loses tonight.
I'd sure hope the team isn't looking to Nova as a bigger game than tonight. If so there are some issues. Have some pride, SJU made a mockery of you a month ago, and it's your only conference loss. If there's a game Marquette should've had circled it should've been this one.
Having said that, tonight is the biggest game of the year. We'll revisit the statement in 11 hours or so.
Quote from: skianth16 on February 05, 2019, 10:50:32 AM
Come on. They don't all count the same. On March 17, when the committee is discussing seeding, do you think they'll bring up a win over St. John's or a win over Nova? A loss to either is probably not even mentioned. Same for the conference championship and conference seeding. A win over Villanova matters more because they are the only team we're really competing with at this point. Plus, just from a fan standpoint, beating the reigning national champ and defending conference champ means a heckuva lot more than beating St. John's.
I expect Wojo and the team to offer the PR puffery to the press about every game counting the same and how the next game is always the most important. But we all know they care more about the Villanova game. Teams circle some games on the calendar. Nova at home on NMD is one of them. As fans, we don't have the same PR standard. It's OK to acknowledge one game being bigger or more important than another. That's part of the fun of being a fan.
Who cares about the committee? We're in, and the matchups we get in the tournament are going to matter more than the seed. If we split the next two games, it won't matter much if at all to our seed which team we beat. We are in a position to win the Big East Regular Season. All the games matter for that goal.
Quote from: wadesworld on February 05, 2019, 10:55:08 AM
If St. John's beats us tonight they sit 3 games back in the standings but would have the tiebreaker with us having the sweep. So it's in essence a 2 game difference, which is the difference between Marquette and Villanova if Marquette loses tonight.
I'd sure hope the team isn't looking to Nova as a bigger game than tonight. If so there are some issues. Have some pride, SJU made a mockery of you a month ago, and it's your only conference loss. If there's a game Marquette should've had circled it should've been this one.
Having said that, tonight is the biggest game of the year. We'll revisit the statement in 11 hours or so.
If we lose tonight, we are still comfortably in second place in the BE standings. How does that make this game so important?
Looking at it another way, if you have to split the two games, which do you pick to win? That's a no brainer. (obviously we want to win all the games we play, but to think through which game means more, this is a simple little hypothetical)
And yeah, I can see the team getting hyped up for this game. But it only became that important to the team in January. The Nova game was circled in October.
We're obviously not going to agree on this, but I just think the whole PR view from fans is unneeded. Trying to explain how a game against a mediocre-ish St. John's team is more important than a game against the team we're chasing for a BE title who also happens to be the defending national champ... that's some mental gymnastics I'm just not flexible enough for.
Quote from: CTWarrior on February 05, 2019, 10:55:32 AM
Who cares about the committee? We're in, and the matchups we get in the tournament are going to matter more than the seed. If we split the next two games, it won't matter much if at all to our seed which team we beat. We are in a position to win the Big East Regular Season. All the games matter for that goal.
You really think a win over St. John's is equal to a win over Nova? Like for serious?
Quote from: skianth16 on February 05, 2019, 11:04:42 AM
If we lose tonight, we are still comfortably in second place in the BE standings. How does that make this game so important?
Looking at it another way, if you have to split the two games, which do you pick to win? That's a no brainer. (obviously we want to win all the games we play, but to think through which game means more, this is a simple little hypothetical)
And yeah, I can see the team getting hyped up for this game. But it only became that important to the team in January. The Nova game was circled in October.
We're obviously not going to agree on this, but I just think the whole PR view from fans is unneeded. Trying to explain how a game against a mediocre-ish St. John's team is more important than a game against the team we're chasing for a BE title who also happens to be the defending national champ... that's some mental gymnastics I'm just not flexible enough for.
Tonight is the absolute most important...simply because if they lose tonight, the game Saturday loses a TON of luster...like a TON. A loss tonight essentially means that they aren't really playing for the BE title on Saturday(or at least first place), and Saturday just becomes another game in reality. That's how huge tonight is...it sets the stage for Saturday for everything we all hope and think it will be for.
I think we pound SJU tonight. Just a gut feeling.
Quote from: Goose on February 05, 2019, 10:51:23 AM
As MU sits today, every game is a really big game. They have put themselves in a A+ position and need to take care of business. While I picked SJU in the Scoop contest, if MU shoots the ball well, I think they get the win. In watching a lot of ball of late, MU's shooting is a very high level compared to many teams. That really is the biggest take away I have had watching other games. A lot of teams really struggle to put it in the net.
Great point on the shooting. While I have appreciated how versatile Joey and Sam are, it really hit home watching the Seton Hall v. Butler game the other day. Butler repeatedly gave SH bigs several feet of space outside and it was clear there was no way they were going to take the wide open shot from 17 feet and out. Obviously that collapsed D then makes it so much more difficult to penetrate and attack inside. It really jumped out at me how comparatively MU is so much harder to guard and puts so much stress on a D with all the multi-faceted weapons available.
Quote from: muguru on February 05, 2019, 11:19:34 AM
Tonight is the absolute most important...simply because if they lose tonight, the game Saturday loses a TON of luster...like a TON. A loss tonight essentially means that they aren't really playing for the BE title on Saturday(or at least first place), and Saturday just becomes another game in reality. That's how huge tonight is...it sets the stage for Saturday for everything we all hope and think it will be for.
I don't buy this either. If we lose tonight, we'll have 2 conference losses. Then a win Saturday would put us just one game back with 7 games left. And one of those remaining games is against Nova. Win that, and then we both have 2 losses but we swept the series. I just don't see a loss tonight taking us completely out of the running for the title.
Quote from: skianth16 on February 05, 2019, 11:04:42 AM
If we lose tonight, we are still comfortably in second place in the BE standings. How does that make this game so important?
Looking at it another way, if you have to split the two games, which do you pick to win? That's a no brainer. (obviously we want to win all the games we play, but to think through which game means more, this is a simple little hypothetical)
And yeah, I can see the team getting hyped up for this game. But it only became that important to the team in January. The Nova game was circled in October.
We're obviously not going to agree on this, but I just think the whole PR view from fans is unneeded. Trying to explain how a game against a mediocre-ish St. John's team is more important than a game against the team we're chasing for a BE title who also happens to be the defending national champ... that's some mental gymnastics I'm just not flexible enough for.
I would choose to win our next game. Which is tonight against St. John's.
Biggest game of the year so far for sure but its all mental mastering anyways.
We should be looking for blood against this team that made us look like a mid major the first time around. The nova game will be that much more huge if we win. Cant wait to hopefully come out swinging and the 3's start falling right away.
My biggest wish is they let us bump and bang a bit not like the X game.
Quote from: wadesworld on February 05, 2019, 12:14:53 PM
I would choose to win our next game. Which is tonight against St. John's.
I'm surprised you even acknowledge games past the next one.
typical scoop thread, some of you will argue about everything
Quote from: wadesworld on February 05, 2019, 12:14:53 PM
I would choose to win our next game. Which is tonight against St. John's.
So you'd prefer to lose to Nova and beat St. John's? Weird take. But I guess not every opinion has to make sense to me.
I'm very nervous about this game. St. John's always seems to play over their heads against Marquette and MU has a huge game on Saturday so team might be looking ahead. Hopefully they show up focused and ready to play.
So now we have a pre-game thread, then at 8/7 EST/CST will have the game thread; and then of course after the game we have Tower's post game thread analysis. Anyone up for a halftime thread?
Quote from: skianth16 on February 05, 2019, 01:01:13 PM
So you'd prefer to lose to Nova and beat St. John's? Weird take. But I guess not every opinion has to make sense to me.
He is only willing to look at and acknowledge the game right in front of him - much like Wojo. He can't get caught looking too far ahead!!
Quote from: skianth16 on February 05, 2019, 11:05:55 AM
You really think a win over St. John's is equal to a win over Nova? Like for serious?
I really think it won't matter a bit to our seeding if we split which one we lose to. We need them both if we want to win the Big East regular season. That is why I think they're equally important. In the end your schedule is what it is and you're record is what it is. How you got there may not be as important as you think. We have enough skins on the wall against good teams (Louisville, KSU, UW, etc.) that we are OK.
My point, as always, is that the NCAA tournament is not the only important thing. If that's all you care about, you're not going to be too happy. I think a Big East regular season title would be great, and that is what is in front of us. We have to keep winning against everybody to make that happen, because I doubt Villanova is going to slip up more than once in games not against us the rest of the way.
Quote from: CTWarrior on February 05, 2019, 01:50:46 PM
I really think it won't matter a bit to our seeding if we split which one we lose to. We need them both if we want to win the Big East regular season. That is why I think they're equally important. In the end your schedule is what it is and you're record is what it is. How you got there may not be as important as you think. We have enough skins on the wall against good teams (Louisville, KSU, UW, etc.) that we are OK.
My point, as always, is that the NCAA tournament is not the only important thing. If that's all you care about, you're not going to be too happy. I think a Big East regular season title would be great, and that is what is in front of us. We have to keep winning against everybody to make that happen, because I doubt Villanova is going to slip up more than once in games not against us the rest of the way.
Beating Nova is the only way we win the conference. Wouldn't you agree? So doesn't that make the games against Nova a little more important than the others?
We have the ability to hand Nova 2 losses. Which means we can still lose 1 more game to someone other than Villanova and still win the conference. Can we all agree on that? If so, how could any other games be as important or more important than the games against Nova?
Quote from: Waldo Jeffers on February 05, 2019, 12:52:57 PM
typical scoop thread, some of you will argue about everything
Hey - I disagree with that!!
Quote from: augoman on February 03, 2019, 02:01:23 PM
a friend and I had a conversation with Dickie at his breakfast place on Siesta Key, mentioned we were MU alums and he had to remind us that he (Detroit) beat us at the Arena in '77. I then told him I was at the game, watched him dance at middle court after the win and that it was probably the biggest win of his college coaching career.
He became an imitator of Al, using funny expressions for players, etc, but not nearly as clever. I never could tolerate his screaming to be noticed and have looked forward to games without him.
Was wondering if "Another Broken Egg Cafe" was any good? Please let me know.
The only similarity between Dickie V. and Al was that they were both from NYC. Al was more than just a basketball coach. He talked about life and told it like it was. He was not theatrical. He was who you saw. When he said he was the worst player in the NBA he meant it and we loved him for his honesty. Al was the person he wanted to be. Rather uncommon today as many dance in the shadows of others.
Quote from: Class71 on February 05, 2019, 05:20:48 PM
Was wondering if "Another Broken Egg Cafe" was any good? Please let me know.
The only similarity between Dickie V. and Al was that they were both from NYC. Al was more than just a basketball coach. He talked about life and told it like it was. He was not theatrical. He was who you saw. When he said he was the worst player in the NBA he meant it and we loved him for his honesty. Al was the person he wanted to be. Rather uncommon today as many dance in the shadows of others.
Maybe what you say is true, but Don't sell Dickie V Humanitarian efforts Short.
.
Are we still wanting to overlook a team that beat us by 20 a month ago or...?
Quote from: wadesworld on February 05, 2019, 07:28:57 PM
Are we still wanting to overlook a team that beat us by 20 a month ago or...?
Who wanted to overlook them?
Quote from: TinyTimsLittleBrother on February 05, 2019, 07:37:32 PM
Who wanted to overlook them?
People starting threads talking about how not worried they were about the St. John's or Nova games they were but how worried about DePaul they were.
Or people picking which game between St. John's and Nova they'd win. That's not how it works. Two BE teams show up to a gym and start at 0-0 with 40 minutes to play. Get up for the game in front of you or you very well might end up 0-2.
Quote from: wadesworld on February 05, 2019, 07:41:28 PM
People starting threads talking about how not worried they were about the St. John's or Nova games they were but how worried about DePaul they were.
Or people picking which game between St. John's and Nova they'd win. That's not how it works. Two BE teams show up to a gym and start at 0-0 with 40 minutes to play. Get up for the game in front of you or you very well might end up 0-2.
You realize we're fans and not the players right?
Quote from: TinyTimsLittleBrother on February 05, 2019, 07:42:30 PM
You realize we're fans and not the players right?
Yes. And you do realize us fans do not get to choose one of the next two games to win right?
Quote from: wadesworld on February 05, 2019, 07:51:26 PM
Yes. And you do realize us fans do not get to choose one of the next two games to win right?
Duh. It's a hypothetical question on a message board.
Quote from: TinyTimsLittleBrother on February 05, 2019, 08:05:38 PM
Duh. It's a hypothetical question on a message board.
Good luck man. Logic wont get you very far.
Quote from: skianth16 on February 05, 2019, 09:22:37 PM
Good luck man. Logic wont get you very far.
Logic is not overlooking teams. I'm glad the fanbase got excited for our chance to tie Nova in the BE on Saturday. Unfortunately there was a game we needed to win to set that up, and we didn't take care of business.
Quote from: wadesworld on February 05, 2019, 10:19:48 PM
Logic is not overlooking teams. I'm glad the fanbase got excited for our chance to tie Nova in the BE on Saturday. Unfortunately there was a game we needed to win to set that up, and we didn't take care of business.
No one in an MU uniform overlooked St John's. There are a number of reasons we lost tonight, and not a single one of them has anything to do with fans on a message board.
Almost stole it. But then someone in the crowd started talking about the mimosa special before Saturday's game and it all went to hell in a handbasket.
Quote from: wadesworld on February 05, 2019, 07:41:28 PM
People starting threads talking about how not worried they were about the St. John's or Nova games they were but how worried about DePaul they were.
Still somewhat concerned about DePaul.
Some guy on the interwebs expressing that concern had 0.00% to do with us losing tonight to St. John's.
No idea why MU did not double Ponds on last possession.They had a chance.Theo could have doubled him and left Simon alone at top of key.Simon can't shoot a lick.
Quote from: Aircraftcarrier on February 06, 2019, 09:37:54 AM
No idea why MU did not double Ponds on last possession.They had a chance.Theo could have doubled him and left Simon alone at top of key.Simon can't shoot a lick.
Thought this as well, though someone else made a good point that Ponds attacked very early. Its possible that the plan was to start with single coverage and then bring the double team late to throw Ponds off.