BE Expectations now

[mu_hilltopper]

Just curious about how people's expectations have changed for the BE season, now that OOC is done, and we have a body of 15 games to base new predictions from ..

I think many people might want to say "well, it depends on which MU team shows up. .. the one that beat Duke, and TT, or the one that struggled with Idaho, NDSU.." .. Not an option for this poll, I guess.

Also, I suppose the predictions are tempered by the fact that the BE is floundering with a Conf RPI of 7th place.

[downtown85]

I had MU with a 9-7 conference record before the season began.  That is where I have them now.

However, after the Duke win, I had them at 11-5.  Hopefully they can rise to my post duke expectations.   

[Murffieus]

I say 10 & 6 !

[SoCalwarrior]

I had 10-6 before the season and still think that's about right.  We have a brutal five game stretch ahead of us with Syracuse, West Virginia, UCONN, Louisville and Pitt.  Predict that.  I hate to say it, but I think we lose 4 out of 5.  We go 2 and 3 and I'm happy.

[MarquetteBallin]

Talent and coaching-wise, we're an 8-8 team in the Big East...win more than 8 and I'm happy. Win less than 8 and it's a huge dissapointment.

[Big Papi]

Two of our home and home games are tough.  Pitt is a very good team and Louisville always plays us tough.  I still think we will finish 11-5 and get a first round bye.  There is not a team in our league that I think is head and shoulders above ours.  Georgetown, Louisville and Depaul have been a bit of disappointment and Notre Dame, West Virginia and S. Florida are better than a thought.

[spartan3186]

The West Virginia game now looks a lot tougher after they took it to
UCONN. That makes two straight confrence opener losses for UConn...

[MonsterWebWarrior]

That's what UConn gets for playing such a soft schedule.  People think our schedule is soft, but UConn's is maybe the softest in the entire country.  They're unprepared to open the BE season on the road with that kind of OOC schedule, as proved from their last two BE openers.

[dennycrane]

Team not playing to expectations. Conference strength below expectations. A wash.

Lock and load!

[tower912]

Surprises on this team are the progress of DC and Ooze, the lack of confidence of Fitz, and the maddening inconsistency.   I assumed we would struggle to replace Novak, but I didn't realize how bad our shooting could get.   That being said, anybody in the BE can be had.   There is no team that has proven itself to be head and shoulders above the rest.    I think that this team will play the conference games with focus and passion and a whole bunch of this niggling stuff goes away.    I have thought 10-6 for awhile and I will stick with that.    We get in the dance and then it is a crap shoot based on draw and luck.  Elite 8 is our ceiling, NIT is our floor.  The NIT floor is the change for me.  I didn't think going in that we could play as bad as we have at times.   I hope those stretches are behind us.

[herboturbo]

For the people that keep voicing the opinion that this team looks like an NIT team I pose this question:  Do you really think that we will not win 8 games in conference?  Even 7 wins over the right teams and a 1st round win in the Big East tourney could probably get us in. 

As for the question my expectations moved down from 13 wins to 12 in the BE. 

[tower912]

10-6.   I said NIT because the floor for this team is lower than I originally thought.   If we have frequent replays of Hillsdale, NDSU, et al, or that becomes our new normal, we will go to the NIT.   I don't think that is what will happen.

[Big Papi]

Surprises on this team are the progress of DC and Ooze, the lack of confidence of Fitz, and the maddening inconsistency.   I assumed we would struggle to replace Novak, but I didn't realize how bad our shooting could get.   

Interesting to note that as bad as our 3 point shooting has been, we have 2 of the top 15 players in the Big East for 3 point shooting percentages.  Cubillan is 4th and Fitz is 13th.  I found that to be very surprising and a bit uplifting.

[MilTown]

I will write up the PITT game as a loss right now and say that we have a chance to win 7 BE home games. How we play on the road will determine how high we can finish. Right now, I have minimal confidence regarding our ability to play in a hostile environment on the road. Turnovers and low FG/FT shooting does not translate well on the road. The only road game right now that looks favorable is USF. I think that with time to prepare, we have a chance to knock off Providence to start the BE season. So, my official prediction is 9-7. With a little luck maybe 10-6.

[LastWarrior]

After tonight's loss to Providence, I say we'll be lucky to get to 9-7.  Obviously we'll know much more on Sunday night after Syracuse but right now, best case start I see for us is 1-2.  I hate being pesimistic but after our last few games... Savanah St and Providence, I can't believe how poorly we're playing and how much DJ has regressed with Novak's shooting.  At this point of the season, DJ would be lucky to be a late 1st round pick.

[MilTown]

Yeah, I'm changing my official prediction to 8-8. 8 home wins and 8 road losses. Until we pick up a road W, that will not change.

[mu_hilltopper]

My pre-season prediction was 9-7.  That dropped to 8-8 at the end of OOC.  I had the PC game as a loss, but if we lose to SU on Sunday (which I have as a W) .. obviously, I'd have to lower it to 7-9.

With a weak BE, that spells NIT. -- and a whole slew of articles with us .. "biggest disappointment/under-achievers."