What UConn fans are saying about Marquette

[Aughnanure]

http://the-boneyard.com/threads/marquette.14158/

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Jae Crowder is a stud. Guy should be a future lottery pick the way he's playing.

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Most of all, they are horrid on defense. UConn missed bunny after bunny and free throws. I can't recall Uconn having the amount of success penetrating that they did against Marquette against many other teams. I think they play an ugly style of ball and are pretty bad at moving their feet on D.

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MEH.

Gotta agree that - Buzz does a great job getting his team to play high in their potential range.

But I also gotta agree that this is not a likely FF team.

Frankly, I don't think Crowder is as good as his numbers suggest. He's a very good college player, no doubt. He's the anchor of his team. No doubt. But I got the distinct sensation when we were playing Marq. that we were making him look great. Go for the ball fake - repeatedly. Give him the open 3. Repeatedly. He doesn't strike me as super athletic. He strikes me as a guy with above average athleticism and a great skill set. That's the makings of a fine college player who does so-so at the next level.

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I think Marquette's ceiling is the elite eight. I also could see them losing in the 2nd round.

I don't think they'd be able to hang with the top teams. See last year against UNC.

They are way too thin and small and not as good as the Marquette teams of 4-5 years ago. If Crowder or Odom are not hitting shots, they'll lose.

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Marquette is just the team I would love to pick against in a 14/3 first round matchup. They are capable of beating anybody, but they are also capable of losing to anybody. The run and gun style of play can be very effective, but there are also moments where you find yourself down 35-6 because the shots aren't falling just like they did in the Vandy game.

They are very experienced and well coached, all I'm saying is that certain teams have the ability to expose them.

[tower912]

I'd argue with that stuff if I could.   Ironic coming from team death-spiral.

[MU82]

On the one hand, there's probably some sour grapes there. Their defending champs are playing like crap, and they are generally grumpy.

On the other hand, the advantage UConn fans have over us is that they don't really care whether MU wins or loses. They are agnostic. They see what they see, and they aren't looking through blue-and-gold glasses.

My main area of agreement is on our defense and rebounding. Even last night against Rutgers, there were far too many layups and putbacks against us. Good teams will make those, so we really need to clean that up.

I also agree we are good enough to beat anybody but not so good that we can't lose to anybody. Of course, that doesn't make MU unique. The same can be said about almost any team in this season of few truly great teams. Heck, even our 2003 lads were fortunate to escape that 3-14 game against Holy Cross!

[BCHoopster]

MU has 5 losses this year, the teams that beat MU were physically bigger than MU.  Syracuse, Dame, Gtown, all have centers as
does LSU and Vandy.  This is the only reason it is important to get something from Gardner in the future, his bulk and some height.
MU has been lucky that they have not gotten into any foul trouble in the last 4 games, need Gardner in two weeks to be ready.
Hope he can give 10 minutes a game.  West Virginia is bad right now, MU is much more athletic then them.  Cincy is average at
best and Gtown is at home, can win all three.

[Skatastrophy]

I can't disagree with anything the UConn posters said except for the bit where they think they'll get a bid to the NCAA tournament.

[Ellenson Guerrero]

MU has 5 losses this year, the teams that beat MU were physically bigger than MU.  Syracuse, Dame, Gtown, all have centers as does LSU and Vandy.

While I agree that MU needs to be able to get Gardner back to his role from last season, providing points and fouls off the bench, the above is a dumb statement. Its not that the other team had a center that we lost, its because SU, GU, ND, and Vandy are probably the four best teams we have played this season, with the arguable exception of Wisco. And it is also no surprise that good teams generally have some kind of inside presence (although none of those teams has a truly great big man).

But while we have lost to teams that "have centers," we have also beaten teams with centers. We just destroyed one of the largest frontcourts in the country against UConn. The game before that we kept Yancey Gates in check. Herb Pope, one of the best big men in the league, had a great first half against us, then was shut down in crunch time. Gilchrist for South Florida was held to 5 points (although USF fans have to be really disappointed with his development or lack thereof in his time there). Dieng and Behanan played solid games against us, but we handled it. God's Gift had a good game but again, we were able to handle it.

In short, it takes more for an opponent to beat us than just "having a center." We have shown that with, or even without Gardner, we can handle the bigger opponents just fine.

[Ellenson Guerrero]

I can't disagree with anything the UConn posters said except for the bit where they think they'll get a bid to the NCAA tournament.

I would take issue with the assertion that Jae Crowder isn't as good as his numbers make him out to be and that UConn made him look great.

[ATLmarquettefan]

I can't disagree with anything the UConn posters said except for the bit where they think they'll get a bid to the NCAA tournament.

agreed. there was nothing in any one of those statements that seemed too outlandish

[RyanConroy]

I think it's tough to argue that Marquette could lose to anybody when their two bad losses are at LSU and versus Vanderbilt...

[Silkk the Shaka]

I think it's tough to argue that Marquette could lose to anybody when their two bad losses are at LSU and versus Vanderbilt...

Speaking of LSU... they have three winnable games coming up in the next week and a half.  If they take them all, it would seem they're a tourney lock.  Would love to have all of our losses come at the hands of tourney teams this year, with 4/5 being on the road.

[dwaderoy2004]

I think a lock is a bit of a stretch.  But yes, I think they would be on the right side of the bubble heading into their conference tourney.

[MU82]

I think it's tough to argue that Marquette could lose to anybody when their two bad losses are at LSU and versus Vanderbilt...

Repeat: MU with Wade, Diener, Novak, Jackson and Merritt nearly lost to 14th-seeded Holy Freakin' Cross ... so to argue against the possibility of us (or any number of other teams not as good as the 03 crew) losing to anybody seems goofy.

[brewcity77]

Speaking of LSU... they have three winnable games coming up in the next week and a half.  If they take them all, it would seem they're a tourney lock.  Would love to have all of our losses come at the hands of tourney teams this year, with 4/5 being on the road.

I have had LSU in my bracket for about a week now, and am surprised I'm not seeing them mentioned elsewhere. Yes, they have those two bad losses, but both of those were in November. Here's their resume:

Record: 17-10 (7-6)
RPI: 64
SOS: 59
Quality Wins: 8 Marquette, 38 Alabama
Bad Losses: 176 South Alabama, 181 Coastal Carolina
Record v Top 50: 2-6
Record v 51-100: 3-2

Here are teams that most bracketologists are saying are in, per 50webs:

Arizona
RPI: 67
SOS: 91
Quality Wins: 32 California
Bad Losses: 135 UCLA
Record v Top 50: 1-3
Record v 51-100: 4-5

Texas
RPI: 55
SOS: 17
Quality Wins: 14 Temple, 41 Kansas State, 43 Iowa State
Bad Losses: 110 Oklahoma State, 145 Oregon State
Record v Top 50: 3-8
Record v 51-100: 1-1

I think LSU matches up favorably with both of them, and is certainly better than teams like NC State, Illinois, and South Florida, all of whom are garnering more support than the Tigers. I really think they have a very good case if they win out, especially if they can add another win in the SEC tourney.