Why Yesterday was a good thing.

[esotericmindguy]

I was secretely hoping MU would lose, I thought with a win MU would get an 8 or 9 seed in the tourney which about as successful as a 14/15 seed.

8/9 seed haven't advanced to sweet 16 since 2004.  9 seeds are 3-43 vs. the #1, and 8 seeds are 9-29 vs. the #1 seed (whom have never lost). The 12 seeds (which are 9-11 vs. the 5 the last 5 years) are 10-12 vs. the 4, and 4-1 vs. 13 all time.  5 times in the 5 years the 12 has faced the 13 in the second round.  If my statistics are correct, in the last 5 years, 12 seeds have a 25% chance of making the sweet 16.

Oddly enough, 10 seeds make it to the sweet 16 more then the 7 seed.  10's are 14-16 vs. the 2, and 7s are 13-37....

[romey]

I think the problem lies in the fact that a loss yesterday knocked us down a peg in our climb from a 10/11 to a 6/7?  Now a win in round one of the BEast tourney and then a loss in round two may put us back in the 8/9 seed position (or two wins and a loss in round three).  It just "messes things up" for lack of a better phrase.  Now we have to go deeper in the conference tourney to get over the 8/9 hump than we would have had to with a win yesterday.

[wyzgy]

i rather would have preferred a win and let the chips fall where they may-only good things could have come from a win win win

[ChicosBailBonds]

It's never a good thing to lose to Notre Dame at home, secretly or otherwise

[MarquetteDano]

It's never a good thing to lose to Notre Dame at home, secretly or otherwise

I agree with Esoteric on this.  I wanted to win yesterday but I do think the silver lining is that we will not be an 8/9 seed unless we win two or more in the BET.

Assuming we win one in the BET and then lose the next game I think we end up 10-12 seed.  Probably an eleven.  I think that would be optimal unless we win the whole tournament, which would be fantastic both from a Big East standpoint and tourney seed (probably we would be a 5-7 seed if we won the BET).

[esotericmindguy]

Get over it, 7-10 seeds are awful. And getting a 6 seed with an RPI at 45 was a pipe dream.

Looking forward to a sweet 16 birth, something the 3 amigos could never do.

[Marquette84]

I was secretely hoping MU would lose, I thought with a win MU would get an 8 or 9 seed in the tourney which about as successful as a 14/15 seed.

The 8 and 9 seeds each win about 50% of their first round games.  

The 14 wins their first game about 17% of the time.
The 15 wins their first game about 5% of the time.

I'd say the 8/9 are far more successful than a 14 or 15.

I understand your point--but keep in mind its a tradeoff.  The 10 through 12 seeds have a lower chance of winning their first game than the 8s and 9s, reducing a 50/50 chance to about a 1 in 3 shot at the upset.

Yes, those 10-12 seeds that win the first game have a better shot at the Sweet 16, but ONLY if they make it that far.

[MarquetteDano]

The 8 and 9 seeds each win about 50% of their first round games.  

The 14 wins their first game about 17% of the time.
The 15 wins their first game about 5% of the time.

I'd say the 8/9 are far more successful than a 14 or 15.

I understand your point--but keep in mind its a tradeoff.  The 10 through 12 seeds have a lower chance of winning their first game than the 8s and 9s, reducing a 50/50 chance to about a 1 in 3 shot at the upset.

Yes, those 10-12 seeds that win the first game have a better shot at the Sweet 16, but ONLY if they make it that far.

If you look at Lunardi's  brackets, there are 8 seeds I would love to play, and there are 5 seeds I would love to play.  It really is more about the matchup than the seed.  Historically speaking you normally would want to be 8-9 seed (because of the first round) but this year I agree with the general consensus that an 8-9 would be a "two and done" at best.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Get over it, 7-10 seeds are awful. And getting a 6 seed with an RPI at 45 was a pipe dream.

Looking forward to a sweet 16 birth, something the 3 amigos could never do.

I divide the season up, post season is another season for me.  During the season, I want to win games, especially against Notre Dame at home.  The seeds are important in the post season, but the team you play is MORE important. 

Can't believe we lost that game yesterday.  GRRRRR

[downtown85]

It's never a good thing to lose to Notre Dame at home, secretly or otherwise

+1 trillion

[Lighthouse 84]

+1 trillion

I couldn't agree more.  Certain teams you CAN'T lose to.  Notre F-ing Dame is that one.

[79Warrior]

I was secretely hoping MU would lose, I thought with a win MU would get an 8 or 9 seed in the tourney which about as successful as a 14/15 seed.

8/9 seed haven't advanced to sweet 16 since 2004.  9 seeds are 3-43 vs. the #1, and 8 seeds are 9-29 vs. the #1 seed (whom have never lost). The 12 seeds (which are 9-11 vs. the 5 the last 5 years) are 10-12 vs. the 4, and 4-1 vs. 13 all time.  5 times in the 5 years the 12 has faced the 13 in the second round.  If my statistics are correct, in the last 5 years, 12 seeds have a 25% chance of making the sweet 16.

Oddly enough, 10 seeds make it to the sweet 16 more then the 7 seed.  10's are 14-16 vs. the 2, and 7s are 13-37....

Worthlless stats.

NEVER is it a good thing to have ND win in Milwaukee.

[PGsHeroes32]

if we win a game or two in the BET we will really wish we had this one back

[esotericmindguy]

ND? maybe because I'm younger but who really cares, I'd rather beat pitt, louisville, or wisconsin. Half the kids I knew in college went to MU because they didn't get in to ND.  I certaintly don't like ND football but their basketball program is a different story.

And how are those stats worthless? Its obviously more advantageous to be a 11 or 12 then a 8 or 9.  I'd also argue the difference between a 4/5 seed and a 8/9 seed isn't that great.  Is the difference between a Baylor and Florida St. that significant?  If we hit our shots and play our game we can beat either....if your goal is to win 1 game then so be it but it would be nice to make it to the second weekend.

[IAmMarquette]

ND? maybe because I'm younger but who really cares, I'd rather beat pitt, louisville, or wisconsin. Half the kids I knew in college went to MU because they didn't get in to ND.  I certaintly don't like ND football but their basketball program is a different story.

I hate this mindset (not an attack on you, Eso). Marquette/ND is an historic rivalry. Plus, and most importantly, ND is ND. They're a bunch of smug, arrogant pricks who will be the first to remind you that they went to ND, and I say this as someone with a number of good friends who went there. Furthermore, based on the kids from my high school class who got into ND, I could have gotten in as well. But I had no interest in becoming a part of that arrogance (or living in South Bend, for that matter) so I never applied. Notre Dame is insufferable.