MUScoop
MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: tower912 on February 17, 2024, 04:07:06 PM
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1. #1. Defending national champs. Pretty darn good. Bigger, stronger, faster, deeper, at home.
2. The only way to win was to turn UConn over and to make it rain from 3.
3. Simply put, every MU player needed to be better. UConn is too good to beat at their place without being superb.
4. UConn had an answer for whatever MU was running. First team to really make MU stand still. To both take away the pick and roll (a UConn specialty) and stay home on 3 pt shooters.
5. UConn's forwards were too quick today. Ben on Karaban isn't great. Neutralized the twin tower concept.
6. I admired the optimism of all who seriously thought MU could win this game. I wondered what you had been watching, but I admired it. I always thought double digit loss.
7. Tip your hat, accept the L, go back to work, bounce back.
8. UConn made a statement. This game was all about what UConn did. It is on MU to respond.
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This reads like the lost by 3, not 30. Total dung today.
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Very impressive and dominating performance from UCONN. They look to be in a class of their own. IMO, they are way better than Purdue.
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UConn's better. Doesn't mean they're unbeatable.
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At least there will be 10 minutes of film of Oso not getting back on his guy for a dunk
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F’k em
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Really disappointing but a great learning experience, hopefully.
3 games in a row coming up at home.
I hope and anticipate UConn will be #1 when they visit Milwaukee in March. I expect a much better effort then.
Otherwise, I’m chalking this up as an aberration and I’d advise people not overreact and lose their minds (won’t happen).
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At least there will be 10 minutes of film of Oso not getting back on his guy for a dunk
Future buck
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Winning on the road is nearly impossible this season so we aren’t going to be penalized for this.
It was going to take the stars aligning to win today. I’m brushing this off and everyone should as well. If we repeat this effort vs UConn at home next time then we have some issues.
1 seed is most likely closed now outside of winning out. Onto the next one.
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I’d really enjoy a Houston vs UConn matchup. Houston can match their physicality. UConn would stomp Purdue.
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This game just showed me that UConn is just in a class of itself. I don’t see any team beating them in the tournament.
They would manhandle Purdue imo. Unless they run into a team that shoots 60% from 3 they are repeating as champs
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I thought we were going to be beaten badly, so I'm not surprised. But I did not think we were going to play so scared and tentatively. I am very disappointed in every aspect of the game today.
Just have to forget about it and move on.
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I’d really enjoy a Houston vs UConn matchup. Houston can match their physicality. UConn would stomp Purdue.
Purdue can absolutely play with UCONN. Klingan would be in foul trouble all game. Him going to the bench totally changes the team/game.
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If we lose in NCAA, I’m pulling for UCONN to repeat. Good for the conference.
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This game just showed me that UConn is just in a class of itself. I don’t see any team beating them in the tournament.
They would manhandle Purdue imo. Unless they run into a team that shoots 60% from 3 they are repeating as champs
Yeah, they’re the obvious pick. They actually have someone near Edey’s size and the supporting cast is better.
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Not surprised we lost but the margin is disturbing. There are three tiers in the BE:
1. UConn
2. The next 8
3. Georgetown, Depaul
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If we lose in NCAA, I’m pulling for UCONN to repeat. Good for the conference.
If Cam Spencer wasn’t on the team maybe. But Kolek that guy.
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Not surprised we lost but the margin is disturbing. There are three tiers in the BE:
1. UConn
2. The next 8
3. Georgetown, Depaul
Not at all. More like 5 tiers.
1) UCONN
2) Marquette
3) Creighton
4) the next 6 teams
5) GTown, DePaul
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Cannot disagree with almost all of this, but the Warriors played colossally poor today. For an experienced, senior led team, it should not happen. And yet is has, repeatedly this season.
Not enjoying the ride at the moment.
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No positives this game. Well one, health. Was hoping they would come in with a chip on their shoulder and give UConn a game. But they did not show up. No players stood out on the positive ledger. Wish Stevie played more in the second half. Needed toughness.
Still bullish on this team but UConn is simply better.
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Cannot disagree with almost all of this, but the Warriors played colossally poor today. For an experienced, senior led team, it should not happen. And yet is has, repeatedly this season.
Not enjoying the ride at the moment.
Repeatedly? We’re 19-6.
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Not surprised we lost but the margin is disturbing. There are three tiers in the BE:
1. UConn
2. The next 8
3. Georgetown, Depaul
😆
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I’d really enjoy a Houston vs UConn matchup. Houston can match their physicality. UConn would stomp Purdue.
My first thought when I saw the seed reveal today is that I did not want to be in UConn (which we wouldn't be) or Houston's bracket. Those two teams are horrible matchups for us. I think Purdue matches up with UConn better than you think because Edey will not be intimidated by Clingan, but their guards will have trouble keeping up with UConn.
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Load management.
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Cannot disagree with almost all of this, but the Warriors played colossally poor today. For an experienced, senior led team, it should not happen. And yet is has, repeatedly this season.
Not enjoying the ride at the moment.
Yes, that 8 game winning streak was not fun.
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MU is good but they won’t advance far in the NCAAs unless Kam starts playing better and Kolek avoids games like today. The 4 and 5 spots and Stevie can’t be relied on to carry the scoring. Kam and Kolek were supposed to be one of the best backcourts in the country. It hasn’t played out that way.
D got exposed today.
UConn is really a great team. Spencer is a dick but he’s good and he really makes it tough to stop the inside game. UConn has to be a favorite for another title.
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My first thought when I saw the seed reveal today is that I did not want to be in UConn (which we wouldn't be) or Houston's bracket. Those two teams are horrible matchups for us. I think Purdue matches up with UConn better than you think because Edey will not be intimidated by Clingan, but their guards will have trouble keeping up with UConn.
Edey and Clingan cancel each other out. The rest of UConn is much better than the rest of Purdue.
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Load management.
Thank you for that. I legit laughed out loud.
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Turned it off at halftime. Worst performance of the season. Complete embarrassment. I don’t get it…
The game in Milwaukee may be close but I guarantee this UConn team isn’t folding like these scared ass Marquette boys did today.
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Edey and Clingan cancel each other out. The rest of UConn is much better than the rest of Purdue.
Edey is WAY better than Clingan.
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It wasn’t even a game. Cup cake game for UConn
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No positives this game. Well one, health. Was hoping they would come in with a chip on their shoulder and give UConn a game. But they did not show up. No players stood out on the positive ledger. Wish Stevie played more in the second half. Needed toughness.
Still bullish on this team but UConn is simply better.
I actually thought Chase was a positive today.
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UConn's better. Doesn't mean they're unbeatable.
No one is unbeatable under the right circumstances but I’d venture to guess in 10 matches between these teams UConn would win 8.
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Repeatedly? We’re 19-6.
Lost 2 in a row, with poor, tentative play. So, yes, repeatedly.
A team led by upper class men, ranked 4 in the country should not get lit-up like this. Georgetown level play today.
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Thankfully that only counts as one loss.
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Edey is WAY better than Klingan.
I agree. I don’t think Clingan brings much to the table except size. He looks like he has trouble running.
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I thought we were going to be beaten badly, so I'm not surprised. But I did not think we were going to play so scared and tentatively. I am very disappointed in every aspect of the game today.
Just have to forget about it and move on.
Bingo.
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First time we really gave up on a game all season - just stopped playing D - guys stopped looking for each other - that Chase baseline drive that got stuffed by Klingon when Oso was right there for the dump and dunk. Really disappointing.
If we hadn't started out 0-8 from three (or whatever it was) we would have had a nice little lead about 10 minutes in (of course their shooting was dung too at that point).
Tyler's gotta figure out his head game when things aren't going his way. He was getting mugged to start the game and nothing was being called and you could seem him getting frustrated - head down. This team will 100% go as far as Tyler can carry them - need him to stay in the moment even when he feels everything is going against him - easier said that done.
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Lost 2 in a row
This is a pretty bad error. MU came into the game as one of the hottest teams in the country with an 8 game winning streak.
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When MU gets a very high ranking, they always have a stumble, whether a loss at home to a mid conference opponent or a blowout like today. A close loss today would have been acceptable to say the least, but did not believe such a big loss would occur. Not a good look.
Not one player was up to his game, but for MU to move forward in the NCAA tournament, they must get more from the bench, especially when it is down really to a seven man rotation. Ross was pretty good, Gold not so and MU has gotten nothing from its incoming three freshmen the entire year. Too late in the season I guess for any changes in playing time, but the five starters are going to get beat up and tired, like today.
Move on, kick butt in next three home games. And work on the back door passing defense, mu was eaten alive today.
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This is a pretty bad error. MU came into the game as one of the hottest teams in the country with an 8 game winning streak.
Read the quote for context, I was referring to earlier in the season.
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For Marquette to make it a game today, they needed their stars to be stars and Jop, Kam and Gold to be hot. None of that happened. It was ugly.
I’ll add that I thought early on UConn was the dominant team this year and they’ve only gotten better. And aside from Spencer, I find this a likable team. I love Caraban, and the poise of Castle is impressive. Hurley has built a machine.
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MU needs to regroup and win these 3 home games coming up.
A loss in any of those would probably mean they’d need to beat Creighton to stay on the 2 seed line. I’m sure not seeing a win over UConn at home, Senior Day notwithstanding.
I know, MU got blown out by UConn on the road last year too. But that was more a case of UConn coming out with blistering shooting and putting the game away early. This was a matter of superior athletes taking MU completely out of its rhythm, and that will travel well.
Maybe I’ll feel differently if Creighton can stay with them next week.
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Read the quote for context, I was referring to earlier in the season.
Ok, my bad then.
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Ok, my bad then.
No worries. We are edgy after that performance.
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All of this and it was just a tough day versus a top defense. UCONN is the clear #1.
However, the one controllable, especially on the road, was the poor Marquette defensive effort. UCONN was continuously picking off the ball from the tip, and MU's switching, chasing, positioning and communication was as bad as I've seen under Shaka and maybe under Wojo. Andrew Rowsey showed up in TyKo's uniform, for instance.
The one positive thing that was consistent all year wasn't today, and when you get beat like a drum like that, that's on the coaches and game prep. Hurley owned Shaka today.
The other consistent (negative) thing, was the lack of contribution from the bench. Yes, some garbage points at the end but UCONN's bench obliterated MU today.
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I plead guilty of thinking we had a big chance to win this game. I had seen UConn play a couple times against inferior opponents and I felt our early work in Maui would show up here. I couldn’t have been more wrong. UConn’s length on D and preventing our Pick n Roll was imo the defining factor. It seriously looked like they had 3 or 4 Omaxes skating around out there defending the entire floor.
As we like to say in the equine world, “throw that race out.” Still, this was disappointing. Can we respond and at the end of the year look back to this game as a catalyst? I sure hope so.
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This game just showed me that UConn is just in a class of itself. I don’t see any team beating them in the tournament.
They would manhandle Purdue imo. Unless they run into a team that shoots 60% from 3 they are repeating as champs
I actually thought the opposite tbh, even though Marquette got embarrassed.
Newton is no PG and will turn it over a lot. He made some 3s today but those wont go under pressure.
Spencer will get bottled up by a lengthy defender.
Clingan is good, but he’s a bit slow and won’t be enough.
I know this is an insane take when Marquette loses by 100, but I don’t think this UConn version makes the FF because of their offense, unless Karaban and Spencer are making their outside shots at an elite clip
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This reads like the lost by 3, not 30. Total dung today.
Dung team
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Additional thoughts:
1) The defense looked liked something Wojo created. Either we (A) Didn't watch the films, (B) Didn't pay attention or (C) Need to be taken to the woodshed for extremely poor execution. Regardless, we played really poorly and looked either intimidated or downright scared.
2) Kam: Please keep your mouth shut about the other team. All you need to say is, "We played well. They're a tough team and we're honored to be able to play them. I'm glad we came out with a victory." The stuff you said at MSG was undoubtedly locker room material this year.
3) Learn from this debacle. Bad teams pout, go into tailspins and lose two of their next three. Good teams dust themselves off, look at the films, fix their mistakes and say, "f*ck 'em! We'll kick their ass in Milwaukee!!!!" But please, don't say that outside the locker room.
4) 10:00 p.m., practice tonight at the McGuire Center. Coach Shaka has to fix this problem now!!!!!
5) Thank God DePaul is our next opponent.
6) They're good and we're a lot better than we showerd today.
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7) Dog jinx
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Regarding #2, Fanta did directly ask him “What do you think about UCONN saying that they own the Garden?” moments after the game.
That was a classic win and it still bothers UCONN to this day. Today, they got the chance to take out some of that frustration.
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7) Dog jinx
DON'T BLAME ME FOR THIS ONE!!!!!!
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Thankfully that only counts as one loss.
This is the only positive from that game.
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DON'T BLAME ME FOR THIS ONE!!!!!!
You watched from the hot tub!!!
#sunbedalum
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If the spread is under 10 in Milwaukee, bet it all day.Easy money today
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DON'T BLAME ME FOR THIS ONE!!!!!!
I blame you for the photo & then Glow
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Today sucked. Learn from the mistakes. Go win the national title anyway.
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You watched from the hot tub!!!
#sunbedalum
Oh yeah, like me being in my hot tub made our guys forget their defensive assignments.
Or I'm to blame for crappy shooting!
Deflects from the real problem -- we'd played like crap.
Dust yourselves off, fix the problems and kick ass, beginning with DePaul Thursday night.
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I actually thought the opposite tbh, even though Marquette got embarrassed.
Newton is no PG and will turn it over a lot. He made some 3s today but those wont go under pressure.
Spencer will get bottled up by a lengthy defender.
Clingan is good, but he’s a bit slow and won’t be enough.
I know this is an insane take when Marquette loses by 100, but I don’t think this UConn version makes the FF because of their offense, unless Karaban and Spencer are making their outside shots at an elite clip
In two separate posts you’ve now said the MU “should” make the Final 4 and now in this one that UConn, who just obliterated us, won’t. What the heck were you watching today?
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I actually thought Chase was a positive today.
Defense was pretty good and he made a three so I guess he made the positive column.
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Ugh....
https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/3504073/cam-spencer-ruthlessly-trolling-and-talking-crap-to-marquette-while-up-30-is-exactly-why-uconn-is-the-no.-1-team-in-the-country.-again.
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Absolutely have to get something from Gold and Jop in the big ones. At least a matchup like this provides the benchmark when it comes to recruiting.
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If the spread is under 10 in Milwaukee, bet it all day.Easy money today
It’s not gonna be anywhere near 10pts, it’ll probably only be a few points
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Ugh....
https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/3504073/cam-spencer-ruthlessly-trolling-and-talking-crap-to-marquette-while-up-30-is-exactly-why-uconn-is-the-no.-1-team-in-the-country.-again.
Rematch will be fun. I can’t wait
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Defense was pretty good and he made a three so I guess he made the positive column.
Couple threes, and he played with energy and aggressiveness. Even thought he did a nice job at the point, too. He didn’t shrink.
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Ugh....
https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/3504073/cam-spencer-ruthlessly-trolling-and-talking-crap-to-marquette-while-up-30-is-exactly-why-uconn-is-the-no.-1-team-in-the-country.-again.
Good team taunt. Nothing wrong with that.
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Ugh....
https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/3504073/cam-spencer-ruthlessly-trolling-and-talking-crap-to-marquette-while-up-30-is-exactly-why-uconn-is-the-no.-1-team-in-the-country.-again.
Worst top 5 loss in AP era, good job boys!
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Clingan and Johnson's height and strength really bothered us around the hoop. We short armed shots and Oso put up shots further away from the hoop. Add to it, when you are not hitting your outside shots, everything else becomes even more difficult. Once it started going bad, it was going to be hard to turn it around.
Today, we missed someone like Omax. A tall, athletic freak that is on par athletically. as what Uconn brings.
We are a good team. We can compete and go far in the tourny but to do that, you have to be good, have good matchups and be a little lucky. Teams like UConn, Purdue, Houston are all better than us but on any given day, we can take it to them and win. Tough to think we are anything but Depaul like after a beat down like today. Just have to remember we really are a very good team.
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Good team taunt. Nothing wrong with that.
Not the taunt, even though Kolek or someone said something first and deserved it. It was the AP loss factor
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Not the taunt, even though Kolek or someone said something first and deserved it. It was the AP loss factor
That’s stuff doesn’t matter if you take care of business at home.
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In two separate posts you’ve now said the MU “should” make the Final 4 and now in this one that UConn, who just obliterated us, won’t. What the heck were you watching today?
Good question.
I know what I didn’t see…
I didn’t see a Ben Gold that belonged, at least not today.
I also didn’t see a good TyKo.
Still stand by what I said though, I think Marquette makes it farther than UConn in this years dance, and I’d bet to someone’s charity 😂
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C'mon guys, it was the schedule. If our opener was against them we would have won....like the Hall.
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Good question.
I know what I didn’t see…
I didn’t see a Ben Gold that belonged, at least not today.
I also didn’t see a good TyKo.
Still stand by what I said though, I think Marquette makes it farther than UConn in this years dance, and I’d bet to someone’s charity 😂
I hope you are right, but I am not seeing it. I truly hope you are right.
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Good team taunt. Nothing wrong with that.
MU talks enough trash and is cocky enough in their own right. Have to be able to take it back.
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MU talks enough trash and is cocky enough in their own right. Have to be able to take it back.
Yep.
My uncle, who only watches college basketball casually messaged me saying “everytime I get excited about Marquette for you this happens, this can’t help their confidence…”
I responded with “they don’t need the confidence, they needed to get punched in the mouth.”
Confidence is already there internally, so are expectations.
Need the edge and the desperation, without the nervousness, going into March.
Get the mental health couch on the phone
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Wonder if Hurley has his boys lose by 40 in Milwaukee so they’re playing with an edge come NCAA Tourney time.
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That wasn’t just a run of the mill ass-whoopin…
We’re talking medieval colonoscopy with no meds, utilizing a barbed wire wrapped hand trowel performed by a circus geek trained 3 sheets-to-the-wind rabid velociraptor kind of ass-whoopin…
Me thinks coach oughta forgo the cushy flight back home and all crowd into a rented PT Cruiser or two to ponder this for a thousand miles or so.
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I have one big takeaway from today, I hope MU does not play UConn on their home court in the tournament. That was an ass whopping put on MU by an extremely tough team and they wanted to make a statement. Mission accomplished by the Huskies. 100% hats off to their performance.
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Today sucked. Learn from the mistakes. Go win the national title anyway.
If you’re going to dream, dream large.
I really like this MU team but I can’t see them in the FF. Hopefully, they get to the second weekend.
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I have one big takeaway from today, I hope MU does not play UConn on their home court in the tournament. That was an ass whopping put on MU by an extremely tough team and they wanted to make a statement. Mission accomplished by the Huskies. 100% hats off to their performance.
As long as MU can finish second or third in the conference they will be in the opposite side of the bracket from UConn. So, if they would play UConn it would be in the final and mean that they picked up a couple of wins in the BET.
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Good question.
I know what I didn’t see…
I didn’t see a Ben Gold that belonged, at least not today.
I also didn’t see a good TyKo.
Still stand by what I said though, I think Marquette makes it farther than UConn in this years dance, and I’d bet to someone’s charity 😂
TyKo 2 assists 4 TOs, not a good day for him.
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wisblue
I was not talking about the BET and was tongue in cheek regarding playing at UConn. I do not want to see UConn at the FF, if they play like they did today.
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wisblue
I was not talking about the BET and was tongue in cheek regarding playing at UConn. I do not want to see UConn at the FF, if they play like they did today.
UConn won’t get there Goose, too flawed.
Newton too flawed, Spencer will get blanketed.
I know we didn’t see it today, but if Karaban isn’t hitting the 3s in crunch time that team will exit to a hot 3P shooting team.
They are great defensively but give up the open 3
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I will say that the biggest negative takeaway from me tonight is that Marquettes “fringe” players, their “culture” guys done really seem to belong with the UConn guys.
Even the starters didn’t belong tonight, but when they needed a lift the Jops, Ben’s, Chases of the world didn’t move the needle, although I though Chase played tough and so did Tre
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I will say that the biggest negative takeaway from me tonight is that Marquettes “fringe” players, their “culture” guys done really seem to belong with the UConn guys.
Even the starters didn’t belong tonight, but when they needed a lift the Jops, Ben’s, Chases of the world didn’t move the needle, although I though Chase played tough and so did Tre
Not uncommon for those exact players to look one way at home and another on the road
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Sometimes, the snowball gets rolling downhill and you just get crushed by it.
I'm not giving up on this season because of a road loss to the #1-ranked defending champions in which nothing went right for Marquette.
Obviously, we need to play better than this to advance far in the NCAAT. And we can. And we have. And we will.
Despite this loss, it's been an enjoyable season so far ... and it can still be a special one.
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I will say that the biggest negative takeaway from me tonight is that Marquettes “fringe” players, their “culture” guys done really seem to belong with the UConn guys.
Even the starters didn’t belong tonight, but when they needed a lift the Jops, Ben’s, Chases of the world didn’t move the needle, although I though Chase played tough and so did Tre
I didn't get any new takeaways from today's game other than (1) MU was not well prepared to defend the backdoor cuts and the pick and rolls, and (2) UConn really has no weaknesses. MU will struggle with even decent teams if both Kam and Joplin produce so little offensively and defensively and Kolek plays like he did today on both ends. If MU is not getting anything from Kam, then Kolek tries to take over and forces too much. MU is not physical enough to bang on the glass with a team like UConn (or MSU last year). Oso is slight. Joplin is fairly small 4 (6'5" or 6'6") and is not quick or a good jumper. In the NCAAs, MU will go as far as the 3-pt shooting takes them. If MU is hitting from 3 (i.e., Kam, Joplin, and Kolek start shooting like most expected before the season), I think they can beat anyone. If they stay as erratic as they have been, they likely bow out early (IMO).
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Yes, if our All-American PG plays poorly, we have trouble winning.
Said fans of every team in basketball history that had an All-American PG.
Kolek's got to play miles better ... and thankfully, he almost always does. Kam's gotta hit shots. Joplin had a huge game against UConn in the BET and he could again, but he sure as shyte didn't today. We need to take care of the basketball. Our defense sucked big-time, worst performance of the season by far. Etc etc etc.
I mean, we were horrible today. There's no way to sugar-coat it, and I disagree that MU somehow "needed" a loss like this.
But it was still just one loss in a season that has included some great victories and, most recently, an 8-game winning streak. I'm still looking forward to seeing how good this season can be.
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82
I have said if multiple times that I feel MU has played an 82 game schedule already. Today was not a good day at the office but I bet there still are ebbs and flows over the next six games that will challenge the weak of heart on here.
Like you, I do love the regular season a great deal, but this year is different. I have had enough highlights and ready for the tournament. Even after today, I think they can achieve their team goal of winning it all. That said, I think the weak of heart are going to be tested over the next six games.
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UConn's better. Doesn't mean they're unbeatable.
We sure as hell cannot beat them
Total ass kicking. Shaka has huge work to do to compete with these guys and he better get right to it.
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We sure as hell cannot beat them
Total ass kicking. Shaka has huge work to do to compete with these guys and he better get right to it.
They beat them twice last year ding dong
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This reads like the lost by 3, not 30. Total dung today.
It was almost just 'whuppin'. That is what I wrote with 4 minutes to go in the first half and then left it untouched for 50 minutes With 5 minutes left, I decided to flesh it out. I disagree with your assessment that it is soft. I give UConn full credit and am not really into self loathing. Maybe that is what you disagree with.
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That wasn’t just a run of the mill ass-whoopin…
We’re talking medieval colonoscopy with no meds, utilizing a barbed wire wrapped hand trowel performed by a circus geek trained 3 sheets-to-the-wind rabid velociraptor kind of ass-whoopin…
Me thinks coach oughta forgo the cushy flight back home and all crowd into a rented PT Cruiser or two to ponder this for a thousand miles or so.
Rather than a PT cruiser Shaka needs to get on his private jet and start recruiting. He needs 3 point shooters and rebounder. Because he does not have the talent to compete with the elite. This game has solidified that.
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They beat them twice last year ding dong
What about ding dung
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What about ding dung
That’s an insult to dung
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That wasn’t just a run of the mill ass-whoopin…
We’re talking medieval colonoscopy with no meds, utilizing a barbed wire wrapped hand trowel performed by a circus geek trained 3 sheets-to-the-wind rabid velociraptor kind of ass-whoopin…
Me thinks coach oughta forgo the cushy flight back home and all crowd into a rented PT Cruiser or two to ponder this for a thousand miles or so.
Rocket is that you?
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82
I have said if multiple times that I feel MU has played an 82 game schedule already. Today was not a good day at the office but I bet there still are ebbs and flows over the next six games that will challenge the weak of heart on here.
Like you, I do love the regular season a great deal, but this year is different. I have had enough highlights and ready for the tournament. Even after today, I think they can achieve their team goal of winning it all. That said, I think the weak of heart are going to be tested over the next six games.
What’s to test, at this point?
6 games left, next 3 at home versus DePaul, X, Providence.
Next 3 @Creighton, v UConn, @X
2-4 would probably still bet Marquette a 4 seed at worst. No chance to go worse than 2-4
Win 3 home games and get a 3.
If they lose to X or Providence at home, which is possible, then people will freak out. Still will end up at 3 seed imo unless they go 2-4 and lose first rd BET.
Top option is a 2. That’ll take a 5-1 or 4-2 finish with a run to the BE tourney finals and some help, which we probably don’t want via overwork the week before the dance…
So, the answer is coast, coast until 3/22, which is what you wanted.
Now we’ve got it.
I don’t mean that as a slight to you, but it’s the truth.
2/3 seed are probably negligible. Matchups matta at that point.
That said, I decided today that I’m going to take my son to the Xavier game on Sunday in a few weeks.
He’s 3, so he wont understand one of this groups last games at home and he won’t remember the magic, but it’s a sold out FiServ, and I will remind him of that experience when he grows tall.
We can’t count on that forever, but we can count on that for now.
We are all blessed for that.
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That said, I think the weak of heart are going to be tested over the next six games.
This will be true for almost everybody in the country. Almost every team will take at least one more loss before the tournament. I think main thing is just staying connected through the inevitable adversity. Have a very good feeling about the tournament this year.
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As long as MU can finish second or third in the conference they will be in the opposite side of the bracket from UConn. So, if they would play UConn it would be in the final and mean that they picked up a couple of wins in the BET.
So now we want to settle for second or third? Why not 4th or 5th. UConn is elite. We have long wayy to go. Golden Eagles are not soaring, they are feather stuffing for the Huskies. Time to go back to a different culture than that.
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tower
I think you were spot on, actually really spot on. I was very excited for the game because I wanted to be, but truthfully did not have very high expectations. A win would not have shocked me or a 20 point loss would not have surprised me.
I have to say, I’m happy to see Farley and Point joining the conversation, but disappointed that BC has not bashed Ben and the freshmen yet.
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I would have pulled the starters earlier. Let the young guys run, let the starters stew and plot revenge.
Or, load management. ;D
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So now we want to settle for second or third? Why not 4th or 5th. UConn is elite. We have long wayy to go. Golden Eagles are not soaring, they are feather stuffing for the Huskies. Time to go back to a different culture than that.
Willard burger culture
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Country
I asked the other day what the brackets guys thought MU’s seed would be if they went 4-3 and I wanted to ask what if they went 3-4. Going into the season I thought they would lose 3-4 of the last seven. That is what I meant by challenging the weak of heart of scoopers.
If that happens it would not be a Feb swoon to me, just a difficult schedule. The regular season cannot end fast enough for me.
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82
I have said if multiple times that I feel MU has played an 82 game schedule already. Today was not a good day at the office but I bet there still are ebbs and flows over the next six games that will challenge the weak of heart on here.
Like you, I do love the regular season a great deal, but this year is different. I have had enough highlights and ready for the tournament. Even after today, I think they can achieve their team goal of winning it all. That said, I think the weak of heart are going to be tested over the next six games.
Goose—
You have been waiting for March for since Christmas. And i do agree, that is why this loss doesn’t make me cry or feel any less about what this team can accomplish.
We need to fund that wildcard that can pull that game out for us……could it be Ben? Could it be Chase? Yes.
Today was the first game that TK could have used a change of pace from Sean. Need to find that way. Jop is what he is……
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So now we want to settle for second or third? Why not 4th or 5th. UConn is elite. We have long wayy to go. Golden Eagles are not soaring, they are feather stuffing for the Huskies. Time to go back to a different culture than that.
Not 'settle'. UConn is the defending national champion and current #1. If it is MU's ceiling to finish second in conference to them, with a 15-5/14-6 conference record, that is not a failure. It means that UConn is really good. Sometimes, a conference opponent is a buzzsaw.
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Not 'settle'. UConn is the defending national champion and current #1. If it is MU's ceiling to finish second in conference to them, with a 15-5/14-6 conference record, that is not a failure. It means that UConn is really good. Sometimes, a conference opponent is a buzzsaw.
And we are defending BEast champ who did not show up. It is a failure.
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It sucked. The question now is how the team responds.
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I would have pulled the starters earlier. Let the young guys run, let the starters stew and plot revenge.
Or, load management. ;D
I agree. Once the game was out of hand, it was the opportune time to give the Freshmen extended minutes.
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We r FF
I would agree they likely did miss Sean today. No doubt his speed and toughness would have been great today. It is strange to me, but in 50+ years of being a fan I have never experienced more emotions during a regular season. This year has been all about March to me after the Maui trip.
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MU got rolled last season at UConn. This was just another whuppin at their place. Sean would not have made a difference. Omax would not have made a difference. Butler or Crowder, maybe.
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tower
We would not have won the game with Sean, but he was missed today. Like you, getting out there healthy was a realistic goal.
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It sucked. The question now is how the team responds.
Why bother? Lost cause....
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tower
We would not have won the game with Sean, but he was missed today. Like you, getting out there healthy was a realistic goal.
Agree. The change of pace Sean offers would have been nice. Just to see if he could stop a couple runs. But we would not have won anyway. UConn was too good today and we were not nearly good enough.
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My takeaway on today’s game was that the other team has better players.
Hopefully MU can win the coming games against teams where the talent differential is in our favor.
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On its home floor, UConn can beat anyone.
But the Big East tournament isn't played in Hartford. MU needs to shake this off and prepare for the next battle. There's a good chance they see each other four weeks from tonight at MSG and it doesn't have to be a repeat of what happened today.
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I have said if multiple times that I feel MU has played an 82 game schedule already. Today was not a good day at the office but I bet there still are ebbs and flows over the next six games that will challenge the weak of heart on here.
Like you, I do love the regular season a great deal, but this year is different. I have had enough highlights and ready for the tournament. Even after today, I think they can achieve their team goal of winning it all. That said, I think the weak of heart are going to be tested over the next six games.
We agree on most of this, Goose.
The only point of contention: No matter how much you wish the NCAAT would start tomorrow, it won’t. So I’ll enjoy the rest of the lead-up to it, through the ebbs and flows and Scoop takes.
But yes, I too am all about the NCAAT. And I also think it can be a special one for our alma mater.
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My takeaway on today’s game was that the other team has better players.
Hopefully MU can win the coming games against teams where the talent differential is in our favor.
Tales from the Crypt
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We agree on most of this, Goose.
The only point of contention: No matter how much you wish the NCAAT would start tomorrow, it won’t. So I’ll enjoy the rest of the lead-up to it, through the ebbs and flows and Scoop takes.
But yes, I too am all about the NCAAT. And I also think it can be a special one for our alma mater.
seriously? Wiggle my nose and wish real hard…ncaat won’t start tomorrow? Damn it, man.
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OK gang, let's come back to earth for a moment.
Winning in the NCAA means getting hot at the right time. It means putting together a string of really good games and playing like your life is on the line, because it is!
In 1977, we had the worst record of any team that ever won a national championship up to that point. We snuck into the tournament and rolled some pretty good teams on our way to the championship.
In 2003, we were good but hardly the best team in the NCAA. We barely beat Holy Cross and snuck by Missouri because Steve Novak got blazing hot in overtime. We beat Pitt and then absolutely demolished Kentucky before our coach turned back to a pumpkin.
We got our ass kicked today. Big deal. It's one game and they looked really good. We didn't. We're better than we showed today and they're probably not going to play as well as they did today every game until April. You never know. UConn may run into a contemporary version of Florida Atlantic, Loyola of Chicago or Butler. A couple of years back, number 1 Virginia was upset by 16 Maryland-Baltimore County. Going back even further, a defending national champion was upset by a nobody from Ohio.
Morale of the story, learn from what happened, kick DePaul's ass and put a whopping on UConn when they show up in Milwaukee. Play like you mean it, know what you have to do to win and go out and execute. I get we're all thinking the world just ended, but dammit, it's one game. The score is 0-0 Thursday night!
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On its home floor, UConn can beat anyone.
But the Big East tournament isn't played in Hartford. MU needs to shake this off and prepare for the next battle. There's a good chance they see each other four weeks from tonight at MSG and it doesn't have to be a repeat of what happened today.
BE tournament no matta.
For real this time. Unless Marquette wins the next 9 and there is still a chance at a 1 seed.
Sure it would be nice, as would any BE Tourney Title and especially B2b, but the narrative going into 3/22 would be pretty much the same. The team would have more confidence, but the team had a lot of confidence today. They would also be more tired.
So, really nothing matters from here on out aside from team health and playing good basketball starting 3/22. The seed and draw matters from the perspective of matchups and ease of path, so it would behoove Marquette to not lose more than 3/4 games and stay on that 2/3 line, but otherwise nothing really mattas.
Taking it from the NBA regular season perspective that Goose and others have been preaching all season that may be a good thing. Let the last month glide along and fall as it may and put all those eggs in the March Madness basket.
Get it right and play the best ball when it matters, assuming it works that way and you can turn it on like that.
There will be some nice things along the way- the one that jumps out to me is senior day, which will be extra special and abnormally emotional because of an end of an era- but otherwise the rest of the way is simply maintaining the 2/3 line seed and figuring out how to turn it on come 3/22.
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I predict MU won't lose by 30 next time Marquette plays UConn.
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Goose - Happy that I said they played liked dung?
tower
I think you were spot on, actually really spot on. I was very excited for the game because I wanted to be, but truthfully did not have very high expectations. A win would not have shocked me or a 20 point loss would not have surprised me.
I have to say, I’m happy to see Farley and Point joining the conversation, but disappointed that BC has not bashed Ben and the freshmen yet.
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I would have pulled the starters earlier. Let the young guys run, let the starters stew and plot revenge.
Or, load management. ;D
I wonder why Shaka played the starters at all…..should have given them the night off all together.
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That was exactly my thoughts.
Starters aren't getting the job done.
Why are they playing?
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OK gang, let's come back to earth for a moment.
Winning in the NCAA means getting hot at the right time. It means putting together a string of really good games and playing like your life is on the line, because it is!
In 1977, we had the worst record of any team that ever won a national championship up to that point. We snuck into the tournament and rolled some pretty good teams on our way to the championship.
In 2003, we were good but hardly the best team in the NCAA. We barely beat Holy Cross and snuck by Missouri because Steve Novak got blazing hot in overtime. We beat Pitt and then absolutely demolished Kentucky before our coach turned back to a pumpkin.
We got our ass kicked today. Big deal. It's one game and they looked really good. We didn't. We're better than we showed today and they're probably not going to play as well as they did today every game until April. You never know. UConn may run into a contemporary version of Florida Atlantic, Loyola of Chicago or Butler. A couple of years back, number 1 Virginia was upset by 16 Maryland-Baltimore County. Going back even further, a defending national champion was upset by a nobody from Ohio.
Morale of the story, learn from what happened, kick DePaul's ass and put a whopping on UConn when they show up in Milwaukee. Play like you mean it, know what you have to do to win and go out and execute. I get we're all thinking the world just ended, but dammit, it's one game. The score is 0-0 Thursday night!
Lord Vero Beach is boring!!!
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I wonder why Shaka played the starters at all…..should have given them the night off all together.
Rest for DePaul
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OK gang, let's come back to earth for a moment.
Winning in the NCAA means getting hot at the right time. It means putting together a string of really good games and playing like your life is on the line, because it is!
In 1977, we had the worst record of any team that ever won a national championship up to that point. We snuck into the tournament and rolled some pretty good teams on our way to the championship.
In 2003, we were good but hardly the best team in the NCAA. We barely beat Holy Cross and snuck by Missouri because Steve Novak got blazing hot in overtime. We beat Pitt and then absolutely demolished Kentucky before our coach turned back to a pumpkin.
We got our ass kicked today. Big deal. It's one game and they looked really good. We didn't. We're better than we showed today and they're probably not going to play as well as they did today every game until April. You never know. UConn may run into a contemporary version of Florida Atlantic, Loyola of Chicago or Butler. A couple of years back, number 1 Virginia was upset by 16 Maryland-Baltimore County. Going back even further, a defending national champion was upset by a nobody from Ohio.
Morale of the story, learn from what happened, kick DePaul's ass and put a whopping on UConn when they show up in Milwaukee. Play like you mean it, know what you have to do to win and go out and execute. I get we're all thinking the world just ended, but dammit, it's one game. The score is 0-0 Thursday night!
Yep, I was in Minneapolis, and New Orleans. I'd much rather lose by 30 in what was ultimately kind of a meaningless conference game than lose by 30 with a ticket to the title game on the line. Since the Bytler loss, our NCAAT success - for better or worse - is all anyone will remember from this season. This game will be a footnote that will only matter as contributing yo the length of the steak of games we'll owe in CT before Shaka break through there.
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Rest for DePaul
Take the L…….shouldn’t have even boarded the plane.
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I predict MU won't lose by 30 next time Marquette plays UConn.
Thinking 40 or 50?
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Thinking 40 or 50?
I’m hoping they keep it under 20
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Cannot disagree with almost all of this, but the Warriors played colossally poor today. For an experienced, senior led team, it should not happen. And yet is has, repeatedly this season.
Not enjoying the ride at the moment.
Tyler and Oso are the only 2 seniors and Tyler played in his 114th career game yesterday and Oso played in his 98th yesterday. Newton has over 140 career games, Diarra has 120 career games under his belt and Spencer 118. Newton and Spencer are both 5th year seniors.
Marquette would be considered an experienced team in the pre-Covid years with Joplin (93), Kam (91) and Stevie (89) games, but in this Covid 5 year situation, Marquette has typically been on the short end of experience. Not an excuse, but it is what it is. Marquette is one of a hand full of P6 teams without a 5th year player and that's what Shaka has decided on. Next year is the last year of the Covid kids eligibility.
Armando Bacot from North Carolina has played in 158 career games so far and will approach 170 at years end. The Marquette career record is 138 by Lazar Hayward. Tyler Wahl played in game 152 for Wisconsin yesterday.
On to DePaul
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Sun came up. Next.
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A few thoughts on yesterday...
- It's easy to forget we did hang with them for 10 minutes. It was hideous after that, but when we're on, we can play with them.
- UConn had every answer. When they made their first run, we answered with back to back threes and were within 29-24. Then we forced them into a long possession, allowed an offensive rebound on a missed three, and Newton hit the three to push it back to 8 and key another run. In the second half, we got that Kam three to cut it to 16 and played them down in the shot clock and Diarra hit that ridiculous bank three. Every time the door cracked, they managed to shut it.
- UConn's offensive plan seemed to be whoever Tyler was guarding was going to be constantly active on offense. His man was sprinting relentlessly, no matter who it was, and it took energy out of him that he didn't have when we got back on the offensive end. Shaka tried taking him off the ball to help with that, but it didn't make enough difference. Very good move, and we'll need to figure out an answer to that next time we see them.
- We had a lot of missed threes that have been falling the past month. 5/21, but the Zaide miss was the exact same spot he made on back to back possessions against Nova. Gold had good looks. We left a good 15 points at the arc.
- We had a lot of layups that bounced back iron, front rim, and fell out instead of falling in. I think we were pushing a bit too hard and it led to misses we often make, but the number of balls that went across the cylinder and out was a killer. Probably another 15 points there.
- Bottom line, everything went right for them, everything went wrong for us, and as a result, we got our asses kicked. Like Hurley said in the postgame, we're going to see each other again and it's not going to look like that. I feel both humbled by the result but confident we have the pieces to beat that team.
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Indeed.
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Yeah they ran their offense well early and had a TON of open looks. But if they don't hit those, its hard.
Defensively they just don't have enough physicality on defense against a team like UConn. Unfortunately they are going to be hard to beat unless MU plays a great game and UConn slips.
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I was actually more bothered by the lack of physicality on offense when Clingan was in. If you want to get after UConn's rim protection, you need to attack Clingan. I get that Kam does everything he can to avoid contact, but guys like Tyler, Chase, and Stevie need to be driving into Clingan to force contact. You likely aren't going to get the charge call unless you're totally reckless and while the shot might get blocked, you also might draw the fouls that limit his ability to be in the game. We fouled Johnson out but didn't draw a single foul on Clingan.
UConn had a great plan to limit our biggest difference maker in Tyler, but we didn't seem to have a similar approach to their biggest difference maker in Clingan.
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Listen, this was the 2nd statistically worst defensive game in Shaka's MU tenor. The worst was last season's UConn away game, maybe because the scrubs were put in earlier this year.
Worse than that UNC NCAA debacle. MU went from best BE conference defense to 4th. Butt ugly for a team who has been defensively consistent this season.
However, after last year's game, MU went on a 10 game win streak, won the Big East and BET, earned a two seed. I wasn't surprised by the loss as I said but by the defensive effort and game plan. It's big boy time and we all expect that this was the one defensive clunker to the season. And MU needs the bench to step up big time.
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Yeah, it was clunker, a brutal clunker; but its not the end of the world it is just a game.
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Yeah they ran their offense well early and had a TON of open looks. But if they don't hit those, its hard.
Defensively they just don't have enough physicality on defense against a team like UConn. Unfortunately they are going to be hard to beat unless MU plays a great game and UConn slips.
UConn is a well coached, complete team. You do not win 14 straight in the modern era of CBB unless you are elite. Hats off to them. Very impressive performance by the Huskies.
We will learn a lot about how MU deals with this on the homestand. I believe Shaka and the team will bounce back from this game and sweep the next 3. Sometimes a real ass beating
is a significant wake up call. I hope the fans are found and proud this week to support the fellas.
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While Brew's comments are often rooted in numbers, I appreciate his very thorough, rational and analytic takes this morning. It was not the loss but the way we lost that really bothered me. The postmortems help make some sort of sense out of yesterday's humiliation.
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A few thoughts on yesterday...
- It's easy to forget we did hang with them for 10 minutes. It was hideous after that, but when we're on, we can play with them.
- UConn had every answer. When they made their first run, we answered with back to back threes and were within 29-24. Then we forced them into a long possession, allowed an offensive rebound on a missed three, and Newton hit the three to push it back to 8 and key another run. In the second half, we got that Kam three to cut it to 16 and played them down in the shot clock and Diarra hit that ridiculous bank three. Every time the door cracked, they managed to shut it.
- UConn's offensive plan seemed to be whoever Tyler was guarding was going to be constantly active on offense. His man was sprinting relentlessly, no matter who it was, and it took energy out of him that he didn't have when we got back on the offensive end. Shaka tried taking him off the ball to help with that, but it didn't make enough difference. Very good move, and we'll need to figure out an answer to that next time we see them.
- We had a lot of missed threes that have been falling the past month. 5/21, but the Zaide miss was the exact same spot he made on back to back possessions against Nova. Gold had good looks. We left a good 15 points at the arc.
- We had a lot of layups that bounced back iron, front rim, and fell out instead of falling in. I think we were pushing a bit too hard and it led to misses we often make, but the number of balls that went across the cylinder and out was a killer. Probably another 15 points there.
- Bottom line, everything went right for them, everything went wrong for us, and as a result, we got our asses kicked. Like Hurley said in the postgame, we're going to see each other again and it's not going to look like that. I feel both humbled by the result but confident we have the pieces to beat that team.
…but to get rolled by 28. Lose by 15, ok. But absolutely rocked. It’s like the tourney game vs UNC in ‘22. Lose by 8, maybe 9? Nope. Vaporized by 30. Just ridiculous. Oh well. Good to have 3 at home coming up. We need to hammer DeP. No mercy. Up 20…push it to 30. Up 30…pedal to the metal.
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Tyler and Oso are the only 2 seniors and Tyler played in his 114th career game yesterday and Oso played in his 98th yesterday. Newton has over 140 career games, Diarra has 120 career games under his belt and Spencer 118. Newton and Spencer are both 5th year seniors.
Marquette would be considered an experienced team in the pre-Covid years with Joplin (93), Kam (91) and Stevie (89) games, but in this Covid 5 year situation, Marquette has typically been on the short end of experience. Not an excuse, but it is what it is. Marquette is one of a hand full of P6 teams without a 5th year player and that's what Shaka has decided on. Next year is the last year of the Covid kids eligibility.
Armando Bacot from North Carolina has played in 158 career games so far and will approach 170 at years end. The Marquette career record is 138 by Lazar Hayward. Tyler Wahl played in game 152 for Wisconsin yesterday.
On to DePaul
MU is young...
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…but to get rolled by 28. Lose by 15, ok. But absolutely rocked. It’s like the tourney game vs UNC in ‘22. Lose by 8, maybe 9? Nope. Vaporized by 30. Just ridiculous. Oh well. Good to have 3 at home coming up. We need to hammer DeP. No mercy. Up 20…push it to 30. Up 30…pedal to the metal.
I'm not saying it didn't suck. It was a tough watch. I'm just glad it came after 8 wins in a row and not after the Butler game, or we might be hearing about a Scoop Summit on the roof of Straz.
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I was actually more bothered by the lack of physicality on offense when Clingan was in. If you want to get after UConn's rim protection, you need to attack Clingan. I get that Kam does everything he can to avoid contact, but guys like Tyler, Chase, and Stevie need to be driving into Clingan to force contact. You likely aren't going to get the charge call unless you're totally reckless and while the shot might get blocked, you also might draw the fouls that limit his ability to be in the game. We fouled Johnson out but didn't draw a single foul on Clingan.
UConn had a great plan to limit our biggest difference maker in Tyler, but we didn't seem to have a similar approach to their biggest difference maker in Clingan.
Except we did try to challenge Clingan several times and weren't able to draw any fouls. Clingan is great at positioning himself vertically and he's a massive human being, to where when a smaller player bangs into his body, they just collapse. I particularly recall one baseline drive by Chase where he challenged him, and Chase looked like an 8th grader playing against an NBA player - and Chase is probably our most physical specimen.
It's hard for MU to eliminate Clingan as the only way to really do it is to pull him away from the basket, and Gold is the best bet there, but then you'd have to have Oso off the court (as Clingan would guard Oso), which isn't a good solution either.
The biggest frustration for me was our defense. The amount of backdoor baskets UCONN got was problematic, as was their ability to score off of set plays in their inbounding plays from under the basket. I thought Shaka had a good assessment of the game in his post game press conference.
Hats off to UCONN though, they were really good.
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MU is young...
.......and has tired legs.... ;D
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.......and has tired legs.... ;D
Nah, there is a TO every 4 minutes...
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Elon
It looked like they gave up on defense. That was my biggest disappointment from yesterday. The defense was horrible.
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The biggest frustration for me was our defense. The amount of backdoor baskets UCONN got was problematic, as was their ability to score off of set plays in their inbounding plays from under the basket. I thought Shaka had a good assessment of the game in his post game press conference.
We lost them a number of times with our doubles. Generally, we've been really good at timing double-teams this year, but UConn was ready and repeatedly found that back door guy open under the hoop.
Ultimately, I think they had a really, really good scout on us. On both ends. If The Boneyard did SOTG, my vote yesterday would go to Dan Hurley, no doubt.
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We lost them a number of times with our doubles. Generally, we've been really good at timing double-teams this year, but UConn was ready and repeatedly found that back door guy open under the hoop.
Ultimately, I think they had a really, really good scout on us. On both ends. If The Boneyard did SOTG, my vote yesterday would go to Dan Hurley, no doubt.
Wouldn’t happen to a Brian Wardle coached team
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A few thoughts on yesterday...
- It's easy to forget we did hang with them for 10 minutes. It was hideous after that, but when we're on, we can play with them.
- UConn had every answer. When they made their first run, we answered with back to back threes and were within 29-24. Then we forced them into a long possession, allowed an offensive rebound on a missed three, and Newton hit the three to push it back to 8 and key another run. In the second half, we got that Kam three to cut it to 16 and played them down in the shot clock and Diarra hit that ridiculous bank three. Every time the door cracked, they managed to shut it.
- UConn's offensive plan seemed to be whoever Tyler was guarding was going to be constantly active on offense. His man was sprinting relentlessly, no matter who it was, and it took energy out of him that he didn't have when we got back on the offensive end. Shaka tried taking him off the ball to help with that, but it didn't make enough difference. Very good move, and we'll need to figure out an answer to that next time we see them.
- We had a lot of missed threes that have been falling the past month. 5/21, but the Zaide miss was the exact same spot he made on back to back possessions against Nova. Gold had good looks. We left a good 15 points at the arc.
- We had a lot of layups that bounced back iron, front rim, and fell out instead of falling in. I think we were pushing a bit too hard and it led to misses we often make, but the number of balls that went across the cylinder and out was a killer. Probably another 15 points there.
- Bottom line, everything went right for them, everything went wrong for us, and as a result, we got our asses kicked. Like Hurley said in the postgame, we're going to see each other again and it's not going to look like that. I feel both humbled by the result but confident we have the pieces to beat that team.
We left a lot of points out there like you mentioned. Gold had what seemed like 2 three pointers that I don't know how they didn't go down.
The bigger issue/concern from yesterday was our complete defensive collapse. Miscommunication, lost players, getting hung up on ball screens was beyond bad. That shouldn't happen to an experienced team like this.
The next biggest issue was UConn ran Kolek into the ground. He looked visibly winded early in the game. UConn's strategy was fantastic. Double Kolek when you have the chance. Make him work extra hard defensively. Hard to setup defensively quickly when you don't make shots.
I am sure Shaka will gameplan accordingly against UConn and others who try to mimic UConn's strategy. Few teams can do what UConn can do. Depth matters which brings me to Sean's injury and Tre's lack of impact. Both hurt a lot.
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The next biggest issue was UConn ran Kolek into the ground. He looked visibly winded early in the game. UConn's strategy was fantastic. Double Kolek when you have the chance. Make him work extra hard defensively. Hard to setup defensively quickly when you don't make shots.
This is a simple yet really good point. Our defense was rarely able to get set because we were missing shots and UConn had it back into the front court so quickly, so we started the possessions already scrambling. One of the biggest defensive problems we ran into yesterday was not being able to set our defense.
UConn also ran a ton of good stuff and had both good execution and good fortune at the end of shot clock situations, but forcing them to take it out of bounds more often would've been helpful too.
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Offensively, our All-American had a poor game, in great part because of UConn's execution of its game plan. Nobody else really played well, either. What brew, Ners, Goose and everyone else is saying about our defense (or lack thereof) is absolutely right - not physical enough, not active enough, a step slow, caught ball-watching, etc.
I also think it's OK to say that Marquette got pretty thoroughly outcoached. Saying so doesn't mean Shaka has turned into Wojo or that anybody hates Shaka. Coaches can have bad games, too.
Only if any or all of the above becomes a pattern will I be overly concerned.
A month ago, it was discussed here that we had an upcoming stretch during which 6 of our next 8 games would be on the road. ... Well, we won 5 of those 6 road games, and 7 of those 8 games overall. I think that's pretty darn good, and I'm still bullish on this team.
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No doubt the defense was at big disadvantage because the offense was so bad. It was a bad combo yesterday. Very hard to get back into a strong defensive position against a good team when you are chasing them down court.
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Wouldn’t happen to a Brian Wardle coached team
lose like that and Wardle would have been running his guys until they sheeet their shorts, hey. I mean, there is a history.
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No doubt the defense was at big disadvantage because the offense was so bad. It was a bad combo yesterday. Very hard to get back into a strong defensive position against a good team when you are chasing them down court.
The frequently repeated cliché" from announcers-"turning defense into offense"- was on full display yesterday. To me, the big question that will be answered when UCONN plays us in Milwaukee will be "Have we found a way to prevent a repeat?" The answer will determine whether or not we can be the FF worthy team that we were thought to be early in the season.
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lose like that and Wardle would have been running his guys until they sheeet their shorts, hey. I mean, there is a history.
Rumors (not the album)
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Offensively, our All-American had a poor game, in great part because of UConn's execution of its game plan. Nobody else really played well, either. What brew, Ners, Goose and everyone else is saying about our defense (or lack thereof) is absolutely right - not physical enough, not active enough, a step slow, caught ball-watching, etc.
I also think it's OK to say that Marquette got pretty thoroughly outcoached. Saying so doesn't mean Shaka has turned into Wojo or that anybody hates Shaka. Coaches can have bad games, too.
Only if any or all of the above becomes a pattern will I be overly concerned.
A month ago, it was discussed here that we had an upcoming stretch during which 6 of our next 8 games would be on the road. ... Well, we won 5 of those 6 road games, and 7 of those 8 games overall. I think that's pretty darn good, and I'm still bullish on this team.
The other team had far greater talent. That is something that could not be overcome.
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The other team had far greater talent. That is something that could not be overcome.
This would mean something if your talent evaluations weren’t always terrible
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UConn is an outstanding team in every aspect of the game. They have the bodies and bulk, the defense, the shooting, the ball movement, rebounding, they hit free throws - they are elite. And well coached. Hurley is not satisfied with less than near perfection.
No team this year has really challenged them at full strength. They are a true national contender, and a strong one. They’re strengths are some of our weaknesses - we do not have the muscle guys, we do not rebound well, our defense if spotty sometimes which breaks down our defense.
We played a D game and they played an A game. Lost by 28. If we play our B game and they play their A game, probably lose by 10-15. A to A, close maybe but we can still lose. We need our A game and they need to play a B game. Then we can win.
We are not fixing our shortcomings by next meeting with them. If Shake git out coaches- not sure he did as he used every combo he could and we could not stop UConn, or hit shots- but if he did it’s in recruiting the bodies and skills you need for elite Big East play. So, we will see if the portal ge5s used I. Recruitment or what else he does to make those adjustments He is a great coach and wil do what he needs to do to win legitimately. Go Marquette!
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This would mean something if your talent evaluations weren’t always terrible
UConn had more talent than us last year too and we somehow managed to beat them twice.
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UConn had more talent that us last year too and we somehow managed to beat them twice.
Yuuuuuuuuuup
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I actually thought the opposite tbh, even though Marquette got embarrassed.
Newton is no PG and will turn it over a lot. He made some 3s today but those wont go under pressure.
Spencer will get bottled up by a lengthy defender.
Clingan is good, but he’s a bit slow and won’t be enough.
I know this is an insane take when Marquette loses by 100, but I don’t think this UConn version makes the FF because of their offense, unless Karaban and Spencer are making their outside shots at an elite clip
You are right……it’s an insane take……..UConn has the 3rd best offense in the country……they don’t turn it over a lot…..they offensive rebound like big dogs(12th in the country) ……effective fg percentage is 5th in the country…….their 3 point percentage is 41st….. 2 point percentage is 4th.
Defensively they are 4th in effective fg percentage D…..block a ton of shots…and for the most part take care of the defensive boards…..
Nothing guarantees tournament success since all,it takes us one stinker to be out but they have all the ingredients to make another final 4…….no real weaknesses other then they foul a bit too much……..but they have so much depth that it’s rare it will hurt them.
Ps Clingan is way better than some of you seem to think……..
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UConn is an outstanding team in every aspect of the game. They have the bodies and bulk, the defense, the shooting, the ball movement, rebounding, they hit free throws - they are elite. And well coached. Hurley is not satisfied with less than near perfection.
No team this year has really challenged them at full strength. They are a true national contender, and a strong one. They’re strengths are some of our weaknesses - we do not have the muscle guys, we do not rebound well, our defense if spotty sometimes which breaks down our defense.
We played a D game and they played an A game. Lost by 28. If we play our B game and they play their A game, probably lose by 10-15. A to A, close maybe but we can still lose. We need our A game and they need to play a B game. Then we can win.
We are not fixing our shortcomings by next meeting with them. If Shake git out coaches- not sure he did as he used every combo he could and we could not stop UConn, or hit shots- but if he did it’s in recruiting the bodies and skills you need for elite Big East play. So, we will see if the portal ge5s used I. Recruitment or what else he does to make those adjustments He is a great coach and wil do what he needs to do to win legitimately. Go Marquette!
They were at full strength on Jan. 20 when they beat mighty Nova by 1 point. They shot only 30% from 3, but so did Nova. They only forced 8 turnovers, but Nova forced only 7. So it wasn't some freak show of stat difference.
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401599498
They are beatable, just as any team is. And as others have pointed out, they were better than us last year but we somehow beat them twice - including once at their home away from home.
I agree that when they are healthy and operating on all cylinders they are an elite team, the best in college hoops this season IMHO. But even great teams have off games. So yes, if a very good team - or even a Villanova - plays very well and UConn is off, they can be beaten.
It's gonna be an interesting next 7 weeks, for them and for us.
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This would mean something if your talent evaluations weren’t always terrible
He is good with necks
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Yet another year where there’s no great team, yet to me there seems to be at least 2 great teams.
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UConn, Purdue, then the rest.
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UConn, Purdue, then the rest.
I’m not sold Houston isn’t with those two. They’re tough as nails.
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I’m not sold Houston isn’t with those two. They’re tough as nails.
Houston is tough. Would we rather be in Regional with UConn, Purdue or Houston? Hard to say
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Suffice to say to win it all MU will likely have to find a way to beat at least one of them on a neutral floor.
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Houston is tough. Would we rather be in Regional with UConn, Purdue or Houston? Hard to say
Purdue
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Purdue all day long.
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UConn had more talent than us last year too and we somehow managed to beat them twice.
no disrespect, but that was last year. Apples to oranges not relevant. UConn is a beast…better than their ‘22/23 team. Someone said…might have been Farley…we play em 10 times, they win 8. I don’t disagree.
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I’m not sold Houston isn’t with those two. They’re tough as nails.
yup. UConn & Houston
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yup. UConn & Houston
Houston is physically tough, but if it's a tight whistle, they will get knocked out.
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Hurley used two Al strategies against MU. He made Kolek play defense. Quality cuts for some easy lay ups. And UConn cut off the head of the snake defensively.
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UConn is hands down the best team. When healthy, they haven't lost any game like the 3 Purdue has lost. And they just do way more things well than Houston. And otherwise there's nobody else close.
Having said that ...
we play em 10 times, they win 8.
If we were fortunate enough to play them in the Final Four - which is the only potential matchup with them that really matters - we only need to win 1 of 1. Just as (name your favorite upsets in the history of the NCAA tournament) did.
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Hurley used two Al strategies against MU. He made Kolek play defense. Quality cuts for some easy lay ups. And UConn cut off the head of the snake defensively.
The way they absolutely hounded TK really changed our ability to do what we wanted.
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The other team had far greater talent. That is something that could not be overcome.
Why is it that they have far better talent? Facilities, Coach, Recruiting strategy, Resources? Hmmmm...
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Why is it that they have far better talent? Facilities, Coach, Recruiting strategy, Resources? Hmmmm...
Dan Hurley is a very good coach and UConn is one of the top programs in the country. It's not really a secret.
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Dan Hurley is a very good coach and UConn is one of the top programs in the country. It's not really a secret.
It is if you’re a moron
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Purdue all day long.
sorry goose but they've shown to be more vulnerable than uconn for sure. i realize it's a long season, but ohio state??
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Which is why Goose would prefer to play Purdue instead of UConn or Houston.
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Why is it that they have far better talent? Facilities, Coach, Recruiting strategy, Resources? Hmmmm...
Because MU has terrible fans
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Why is it that they have far better talent? Facilities, Coach, Recruiting strategy, Resources? Hmmmm...
facilities? How is The AL and FF not worthy of recruiting top talent? Resources? What’s MU lack? I’ve always felt MU can be similar to Villanova under Jay Wright. I still believe we can be…unless there are internal hurdles I’m not aware of.
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Hurley used two Al strategies against MU. He made Kolek play defense. Quality cuts for some easy lay ups. And UConn cut off the head of the snake defensively.
This only works against MU well this season because Kam and Joplin have not been reliable scorers or creators. If MU is going to do anything in the post-season, Kam will need to start playing more like last season. Otherwise, it all falls on Kolek and Oso.
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Which is why Goose would prefer to play Purdue instead of UConn or Houston.
Dentists can't read.
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Saw something on X this morning that should offer a little perspective on Saturday's debacle.
UConn won their 2 most recent national championships in 2014 and 2023. What do you think their record in road games against AP top 25 ranked opponents during this time period is? .500? A little better? A little worse?
They're 1-20. Their last win was at Memphis on 1/16/2014. They've lost 20 straight since. There were some lean seasons during this time period, but just looking at the last 3 seasons in the Big East, they are 0-8.
Saturday was a disaster, no way to sugarcoat it. I especially didn't like that the team looked like they quit for a stretch during the 2nd half. But winning against ranked teams on the road is very difficult, even for the best teams.
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Saw something on X this morning that should offer a little perspective on Saturday's debacle.
UConn won their 2 most recent national championships in 2014 and 2023. What do you think their record in road games against AP top 25 ranked opponents during this time period is? .500? A little better? A little worse?
They're 1-20. Their last win was at Memphis on 1/16/2014. They've lost 20 straight since. There were some lean seasons during this time period, but just looking at the last 3 seasons in the Big East, they are 0-8.
Saturday was a disaster, no way to sugarcoat it. I especially didn't like that the team looked like they quit for a stretch during the 2nd half. But winning against ranked teams on the road is very difficult, even for the best teams.
20 losses in a row is stunning to me. Guess at CU and at us are big opportunities to end the streak.
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Saw something on X this morning that should offer a little perspective on Saturday's debacle.
UConn won their 2 most recent national championships in 2014 and 2023. What do you think their record in road games against AP top 25 ranked opponents during this time period is? .500? A little better? A little worse?
They're 1-20. Their last win was at Memphis on 1/16/2014. They've lost 20 straight since. There were some lean seasons during this time period, but just looking at the last 3 seasons in the Big East, they are 0-8.
Saturday was a disaster, no way to sugarcoat it. I especially didn't like that the team looked like they quit for a stretch during the 2nd half. But winning against ranked teams on the road is very difficult, even for the best teams.
That's an amazing stat. Thanks for posting it.
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Why is it that they have far better talent? Facilities, Coach, Recruiting strategy, Resources? Hmmmm...
Larger alumni base and probably a more active NIL organization. Spoke to a friend who is a big Husky booster and he had just attended an NIL event
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If Cam Spencer wasn’t on the team maybe. But Kolek that guy.
Amen!!
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facilities? How is The AL and FF not worthy of recruiting top talent? Resources? What’s MU lack? I’ve always felt MU can be similar to Villanova under Jay Wright. I still believe we can be…unless there are internal hurdles I’m not aware of.
Agreed. Our resources etc. Are better than UConn yet here we are.
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Willie
MU has been ranked in the top ten for 90%+ the last twelve months and I think there are not many schools that match that record over the past year. Very few had higher hopes for the program than I did when Shaka was hired and he blew away any expectations I had for the first three years. For argument's sake, if this is as high as MU basketball can get on the national scene, I can live with this type of success. MU has played more meaningful games over the past two years than the previous decade combined and that is about all I could wish for.
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Agreed. Our resources etc. Are better than UConn yet here we are.
They are? What makes you think that? They have a newer, and larger practice facility than the Al. They have won more national championships (five overall - four since Marquette last went to a Final Four). Marquette has a lot going for it, such as playing home games at Fiserv, but the idea that we have a better program than UConn is an idea that's 30 years out of date.
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Agreed. Our resources etc. Are better than UConn yet here we are.
No they are not.
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They are? What makes you think that? They have a newer, and larger practice facility than the Al. They have won more national championships (five overall - four since Marquette last went to a Final Four). Marquette has a lot going for it, such as playing home games at Fiserv, but the idea that we have a better program than UConn is an idea that's 30 years out of date.
uconn has won natty’s as you say, but does that make UConn a better ‘program’? Asking…not arguing…
Is UConn a better program than Villanova? North Carolina? UCLA? Michigan St?…to name a few. Their practice facility is newer/bigger than ours. Is that a recruiting difference maker in your opinion? Does UConn have more $ than MU for recruiting, coaches salaries etc? Is the difference their HC vs ours and other conference foes? Maybe Hurley is the difference maker. (I think he’s a great coach…and sidecourt personality). Maybe it’s NIL? Probably is NIL! UConn is a better program than a DeP or current Gtown, but better than current Marquette?
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uconn has won natty’s as you say, but does that make UConn a better ‘program’? Asking…not arguing…
Is UConn a better program than Villanova? North Carolina? UCLA? Michigan St?…to name a few. Their practice facility is newer/bigger than ours. Is that a recruiting difference maker in your opinion? Does UConn have more $ than MU for recruiting, coaches salaries etc? Is the difference their HC vs ours and other conference does? Maybe Hurley is the difference maker. (I think he’s a great coach…and sidecourt personality). Maybe it’s NIL? Probably is NIL! UConn is a better program than a DeP or current Gtown, but better than current Marquette?
Absolutely. No question. Why would you think Marquette’s is better?
And ultimately the results are what matters the most.
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uconn has won natty’s as you say, but does that make UConn a better ‘program’? Asking…not arguing…
Is UConn a better program than Villanova? North Carolina? UCLA? Michigan St?…to name a few. Their practice facility is newer/bigger than ours. Is that a recruiting difference maker in your opinion? Does UConn have more $ than MU for recruiting, coaches salaries etc? Is the difference their HC vs ours and other conference does? Maybe Hurley is the difference maker. (I think he’s a great coach…and sidecourt personality). Maybe it’s NIL? Probably is NIL! UConn is a better program than a DeP or current Gtown, but better than current Marquette?
UConn is one of the top 5 basketball programs in the nation. I’ll listen to an argument they’re the best program in the nation.
5 titles in 25 years with 3 different coaches. Consistent success for a decade before winning it all in 1999. UConn is what people think Indiana and UCLA should be but haven’t sniffed in the same timeframe
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UConn's resources are the best in the big east. Followed by Nova 2nd and MU 3rd. My cousin is a UConn booster and he said in order to have the ability to buy Maui tickets for next year, you had to give $25,000 - and there was still no guarantee of getting the tickets.
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UConn is one of the top 5 basketball programs in the nation. I’ll listen to an argument they’re the best program in the nation.
5 titles in 25 years with 3 different coaches. Consistent success for a decade before winning it all in 1999. UConn is what people think Indiana and UCLA should be but haven’t sniffed in the same timeframe
reminds me of this gem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xokthY5zuPU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xokthY5zuPU)
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uconn has won natty’s as you say, but does that make UConn a better ‘program’? Asking…not arguing…
Is UConn a better program than Villanova? North Carolina? UCLA? Michigan St?…to name a few. Their practice facility is newer/bigger than ours. Is that a recruiting difference maker in your opinion? Does UConn have more $ than MU for recruiting, coaches salaries etc? Is the difference their HC vs ours and other conference foes? Maybe Hurley is the difference maker. (I think he’s a great coach…and sidecourt personality). Maybe it’s NIL? Probably is NIL! UConn is a better program than a DeP or current Gtown, but better than current Marquette?
UCONN has won national championships with 3 different coaches over the last 13 years.
If the definition of Blue Blood wasn't "were good in the 70s, 80s, and 90s," UCONN would be a blue blood.
You could argue that UCONN is currently the best program in all of college basketball. Hurley is certainly a big part of that, but also certainly not the only part.
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reminds me of this gem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xokthY5zuPU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xokthY5zuPU)
Let's not forget UConn ran a $50M deficit in the athletic program for many years until recently. The deficit was ONLY $35M in 2023. The taxpayers of CT are big funders of the UConn athletic program. I wonder if that will ever change.
https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/uconn/article/huskies-ncaa-financial-report-18607929.php
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Willie
MU has been ranked in the top ten for 90%+ the last twelve months and I think there are not many schools that match that record over the past year. Very few had higher hopes for the program than I did when Shaka was hired and he blew away any expectations I had for the first three years. For argument's sake, if this is as high as MU basketball can get on the national scene, I can live with this type of success. MU has played more meaningful games over the past two years than the previous decade combined and that is about all I could wish for.
We could both wish for better Big Dance performance and no 30 point losses to UConn. We should be expecting better out of MU. They have great facilities, great resources and a rich history. We should not be settling for poor performance and mediocre results in tournament time. There is no good reason why we should not be as good or better than UConn.
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We could both wish for better Big Dance performance and no 30 point losses to UConn. We should be expecting better out of MU. They have great facilities, great resources and a rich history. We should not be settling for poor performance and mediocre results in tournament time. There is no good reason why we should not be as good or better than UConn.
100% agree. Marquette makes more than Kentucky does revenue wise (both schools are top 10 in country). MU also spends like a top 10 program. We should be expecting more than just "make the tournament" and be "competitive in the BE".
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Revenue for top college teams: https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/schools-that-make-the-most-money-off-college-basketball
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Last year's 2nd round loss is the only disappointing thing about Shaka's 2.7 years. His grade has been an A, and the only thing keeping it from an A+ is not getting to the second weekend last year.
The idea that we have had poor results the last 2 years is wild. Heck, even year 1 for Shaka we performed very well.
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Revenue for top college teams: https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/schools-that-make-the-most-money-off-college-basketball
That a pretty good source?
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Revenue for top college teams: https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/schools-that-make-the-most-money-off-college-basketball
Love the picture they have with No. 18.
That a pretty good source?
I don't know, but if the picture they have for No. 18 is any indication... Not to mention No. 17.
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We could both wish for better Big Dance performance and no 30 point losses to UConn. We should be expecting better out of MU. They have great facilities, great resources and a rich history. We should not be settling for poor performance and mediocre results in tournament time. There is no good reason why we should not be as good or better than UConn.
I blame the fans that are too afraid to hang their Warriors pennants in their living room and hide them in their basement
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I blame the fans that are too afraid to hang their Warriors pennants in their living room and hide them in their basement
wampum is outraged that the basketball team he constantly criticizes isn’t adequately representing the university he didn’t attend.
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That a pretty good source?
Here is a source stating MU made $20M revenue per year from 2017-2019. So 27M with the Shaka jump is not out of the question.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2020/03/19/college-basketball-most-valuable-teams-ncaa-march-madness/?sh=fa7a814285d0
My point is we are a top program revenue wise and spending wise and we should expect more. Just my 2 cents.
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Absolutely. No question. Why would you think Marquette’s is better?
And ultimately the results are what matters the most.
why? I was asking you. You didn’t reply to my why. I get it that UConn has the rings. What if we had a few of those…that in of itself is the determination of superiority?
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Revenue for top college teams: https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/schools-that-make-the-most-money-off-college-basketball
👍
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why? I was asking you. You didn’t reply to my why. I get it that UConn has the rings. What if we had a few of those…that in of itself is the determination of superiority?
When they have had five national championships in the last 25 years, including last year, while our only one was 47 years ago, then yes...I would say that is pretty much the determination of superiority.
I mean its not like its close.
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I just was able to watch this one. My biggest takeaway: Donny Marshall is just brutal. How is he on the mic for such a big national broadcast?
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When they have had five national championships in the last 25 years, including last year, while our only one was 47 years ago, then yes...I would say that is pretty much the determination of superiority.
I mean its not like its close.
…so ‘wins’ determines ‘better program’? It’s part of the equation, but not end all.
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…so ‘wins’ determines ‘better program’? It’s part of the equation, but not end all.
I’m now dumber for having spent time in this thread today.
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I just was able to watch this one. My biggest takeaway: Donny Marshall is just brutal. How is he on the mic for such a big national broadcast?
Maybe they knew it would turn out to be a dog of a game.
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I’m now dumber for having spent time in this thread today.
Isn’t it a legit question to ask whether wins determine a superior program? Or, is there more to it? UConn has more nats since ‘00 than UNC. UConn a better program? UConn has also been on thin ice re: infractions. UConn athletics carries heavy debt. Hence, if UConn is a superior basketball program, what are those other components that put them on top? I’m curious. If I was the AD at, say, Marquette, I’d definitely be curious.
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Isn’t it a legit question to ask whether wins determine a superior program? Or, is there more to it? UConn has more nats since ‘00 than UNC. UConn a better program? UConn has also been on thin ice re: infractions. UConn athletics carries heavy debt. Hence, if UConn is a superior basketball program, what are those other components that put them on top? I’m curious. If I was the AD at, say, Marquette, I’d definitely be curious.
I don’t really care about minor NCAA infractions. And their heavy debt is internal to the university and almost completely revolves around the football team. It’s also largely the function of being a public university.
The UNC comparison is much closer when it comes to championships (3 v.4 since 2000) so other factors may be at play, such as national reputation and the “Dean Dome.”
But it’s not close in the case of Marquette. UConn is better.
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Of course UConn is a basketball blue blood. Not sure what legit reasons anybody could give to the contrary.
And there are VERY few blue bloods any more - Kansas, UNC, Duke, UConn, probably Kentucky, maybe Michigan State.
UCLA, Indiana, Louisville and the other oldies that Boomers like me knew are yesterday's news. Villanova, which had entered the conversation under Wright, seems light years away now. Gonzaga? Sorry, you gotta win a couple titles to even be considered.