that this team could legitimately win the Big East title? For me it was the first UConn game. I admittedly went into the game with low expectations, which only grew when UConn jumped out to the early lead. But to see Marquette fight back at the end of the first half and then go on to win the game made me realize that we were just as good as anyone else in the conference. It's been a wonderful run ever since and we ain't done yet.
Quote from: mugrad_89 on February 28, 2023, 08:52:46 PM
that this team could legitimately win the Big East title? For me it was the first UConn game. I admittedly went into the game with low expectations, which only grew when UConn jumped out to the early lead. But to see Marquette fight back at the end of the first half and then go on to win the game made me realize that we were just as good as anyone else in the conference. And it's been a wonderful run ever since and we ain't done yet.
Same time for me.
Uconn has long been the team I said this year I did not see us beating. So just getting that one was huge to show that we were in it for the long haul and going to be really, really, really tough to beat at home(key to winning league titles).
It was also when Uconn was in their rough stretch and were effectively eliminated from contention shortly after. I was never too worried about tracking down X and Prov.
@ St John's.
Quote from: mugrad_89 on February 28, 2023, 08:52:46 PM
that this team could legitimately win the Big East title? For me it was the first UConn game. I admittedly went into the game with low expectations, which only grew when UConn jumped out to the early lead. But to see Marquette fight back at the end of the first half and then go on to win the game made me realize that we were just as good as anyone else in the conference. And it's been a wonderful run ever since and we ain't done yet.
Great question. I honestly thought UCONN was head and shoulders the best team in our conference. I still think they're the most talented. That said, once they lost a bunch of games early in the season, I felt we could challenge for the top spot.
The win at SH. Was the end of a tough stretch prior to a week break and I thought that was a very big moment in the season.
Sorry guys, for me it was the back to back wins over X and Creighton. They easily could have gone the other way.
Baylor game. Thought either aberration or they are really good. The later it is...
Great question......I only saw the next game....but Baylor was a wake up call.
@ PC and @ X I knew we could play with anyone.
The trauma as a Marquette fan made me not believe it until we beat Creighton as sad as that is. What an unbelievable season
Jan 7th. Post on scoop!
https://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=63985.msg1498863#msg1498863
Quote from: 82fanatic on January 07, 2023, 07:39:01 PM
I believe MU will be a 4 seed or better come March!
Little early for this, but I like your optimism
It's rare in life when you are actually right! 😂. Gotta crow!
I was the same. ⬇️
Quote from: Bo Ryan's Massage Therapist on February 28, 2023, 09:26:33 PM
The trauma as a Marquette fan made me not believe it until we beat Creighton as sad as that is. What an unbelievable season
Quote from: Goose on February 28, 2023, 09:04:01 PM
The win at SH. Was the end of a tough stretch prior to a week break and I thought that was a very big moment in the season.
Yep. Exactly when I thought that this could actually happen.
Quote from: mugrad_89 on February 28, 2023, 08:52:46 PM
that this team could legitimately win the Big East title? For me it was the first UConn game. I admittedly went into the game with low expectations, which only grew when UConn jumped out to the early lead. But to see Marquette fight back at the end of the first half and then go on to win the game made me realize that we were just as good as anyone else in the conference. It's been a wonderful run ever since and we ain't done yet.
UConn followed by the close loss @ X. Played with two of the best teams in the conference.
First dreamt of it after the 4-1 start but didn't believe it until after those two games.
The UConn win. It confirmed that beating Baylor and playing Purdue close were not flukes.
Baylor was the first time that I had an inkling but losing to Wisconsin the following game was tough to swallow. I'll join others and say that beating UConn was probably the moment I realized it was a strong possibility.
Quote from: TAMU, Knower of Ball on February 28, 2023, 10:53:14 PM
Baylor was the first time that I had an inkling but losing to Wisconsin the following game was tough to swallow. I'll join others and say that beating UConn was probably the moment I realized it was a strong possibility.
Yeah for me the Baylor pasting was what affirmed the Purdue battle and that we were a legit tourney team barring a collapse
But I didnt really have much thoughts on conference title yet.
Quote from: TAMU, Knower of Ball on February 28, 2023, 10:53:14 PM
Baylor was the first time that I had an inkling but losing to Wisconsin the following game was tough to swallow. I'll join others and say that beating UConn was probably the moment I realized it was a strong possibility.
You know what's funny, because of the margin of victory I thought that Baylor game was so fluky. Like Marquette played the game of their life and Baylor was a lifeless husk, just happened to occur on the same night.
I remember going to work the next day and people are like "I can't believe you're not gloating" and my response was, something along the lines of, that's a once in a decade kinda game. It was fun but I certainly don't expect that this year.
Well fast forward to February and here we are...
I said this was a Final Four team back in April.
Quote from: PointWarrior on February 28, 2023, 09:16:58 PM
Baylor game. Thought either aberration or they are really good. The later it is...
This. Stomping Baylor had me fully on board. The Purdue game (which I attended) had my spider senses tingling.
After losing @X, 🏀 put money on it. Those bets paid out last night.
Quote from: 🏀 on March 01, 2023, 05:39:07 AM
After losing @X, 🏀 put money on it. Those bets paid out last night.
Thanks for reminding me. I had made a similar wager and forgot about it. Went to draft kings and voila, extra cash in the account for Big East champions.
Thinking about it... after the Baylor Game. Thinking it would actually happen... After Omax' tip-in at the buzzer vs Xavier.
When did I think MU was going to be good? All along.
When did I really stop worrying about it? The Purdue game.
When did I think MU was going to be Big East champs? Beating Creighton in Omaha. Before that, I thought we would be tied.
The Baylor game proved to me what they were capable of doing and the ND game showed me that this team had a serious chemistry and edge to them. In addition, seeing Shaka's locker room speech on what the ND win meant to a lot of people proved to me everyone had bought in.
As I mentioned, the road SH win was the first I started to believe they had a chance, but never thought it would go as well as it did. The road was not easy and there were plenty of potential turning points that all went their way.
This has been a dream season and I do not want it to end. That said, last year I mentioned many times that we would remember last years team for being the foundation for the future. This team will be talked about for years to come because they were a team that had a mission. Imo, it has been a simply amazing journey.
When Farley started posting
Looking over the preseason predictions, the funny thing is that realchili's undefeated conference season may come the closest to actual results.
Quote from: lawdog77 on March 01, 2023, 07:57:01 AM
Looking over the preseason predictions, the funny thing is that realchili's undefeated conference season may come the closest to actual results.
Real Chilli knows ball
Quote from: lawdog77 on March 01, 2023, 07:57:01 AM
Looking over the preseason predictions, the funny thing is that realchili's undefeated conference season may come the closest to actual results.
#drunkpredictionsnomatta
Quote from: PointWarrior on February 28, 2023, 09:16:58 PM
Baylor game. Thought either aberration or they are really good. The later it is...
I knew then that if we brought our best game we could beat anybody. And when Scott Drew said after the game that our offense was special and we were really, really hard to guard it made me take notice.
But did I think we'd be 16-3 in the Big East, #6 in the country good? No way. This team has taken us on an amazing ride.
Not sure I have a real answer for that. When did I think it was a possibility? Probably after playing tough at Xavier. When did I really believe we'd get a share? Probably after Xavier at home. Outright? Didn't believe that until we essentially wrapped it up at Creighton.
When I knew I was completely wrong about this team? At Notre Dame. I was obviously encouraged by the Purdue and Baylor games, but we didn't know how good Purdue was at that time, and like others have said, beating Baylor by 26? Thought that was just a once in a season type of game. When went to South Bend and totally dismantled them, even knowing they weren't a great team, I knew I was wrong about this team.
First thought it? The 'Nova win, because of how hard that win has been to get in recent years. Really believed it? The UConn win. Even losing at Xavier didn't really shake my believe of the possibility because we were tied with under a minute to play and we got them again at home. Clearly it was going to take things going right, but that stretch really got me to the point of thinking "yeah, we're a contender for this."
It wasn't so much a moment, or a particular game. It was watching TKO evolve this season. At some point in the last few games, I realized TKO was on his way to becoming the reincarnation of Bob Cousy. If you don't know, or never saw Cousy, go to YouTube. They both have same unique floor prescence and passing ability. Well, TKO still has a way to go, but ... !
The Baylor game was huge but then we followed it with the loss to Wisconsin.
I'd say the first UConn game as well. Then we started winning the close ones that we lost earlier in the year. They've shown they can play with and beat anyone.
The early losses by fewer than 5 points max in any game, and by 5 at Purdue was kinda saying to me this team had something we haven't seen in quite some time at MU...and that's the Shaka effect. You can see it in the way the players look to him, respect him, listen to him, just know he's the "Man". I sort of had confidence they would beat UCONN, but the back-to-back road wins at SH and SJ, that said, okay, this team is for real, and Shaka's in game adjustments are amazing. No coach is perfect, but his knowledge of his players, their strengths and weaknesses, and when to substitute is one of his and this team's strengths...and the players never complain, because they believe in him big time! My expectations coming into the season was for MU to be competitive, and I felt that with Shaka they would be just that, but this is unreal...he's taking the program back to the glory years of the original "Man", and I was there for those home games between '66 and '70 (yes, I'm and old fart!), and the feeling is the same. Shaka is so humble, b-ball cool, and the best thing to happen to MU b-ball since AL...period, end of story!
For me it was a gradual process from (1) having very little idea whet to expect when the season started to (2) realizing the team was going to be somewhat better that expected after the Purdue and Baylor games, and (3) being encouraged that they were playing competitive games on the road against some of the league's better teams.
The UConn game was a big one because they were the team more than any other that I thought MU would have trouble keeping up with.
The idea that MU might be in contention for the league title really took hold on the night that MU beat Providence while Xavier lost to DePaul. Before that I thought Xavier with its veteran roster was going to be the team to beat once UConn hit its losing streak.
Then MU spanking Seton Hall on the road added to the feeling because MU was then facing the softest part of its schedule.
Because the top teams in the league were generally beating each other at home and winning all of their other games, I saw the real possibility of a 4 way tie for the title at 16-4. Then Xavier and Providence stumbled at Butler and SJ, and the path to the title was opening up. When Xavier had the ball with a minute left and a 3 point lead at the FF, the title dream was in danger. But the last minute of that game and then the win at Creighton turned the dream into a near certainty.
The ebb and flow of the season reminds me why I value regular season championships more relative to NCAA success than a lot of others do.
;D