[Matt Velazquez] Much at stake as Marquette faces Butler

[MattVelazquez]

Much at stake as Marquette faces Butler

The Nos. 4-8 seeds of the Big East tournament remain up in the air heading into the final day of the regular season Saturday. Four teams, including Marquette and Butler, which play at 1:30 p.m. at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, can finish as high as fourth.

Source: Much at stake as Marquette faces Butler

[NCMUFan]

Go Marquette!

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Matt - don't know if you read these or not - but if so, question for you.

I'd be very interested to hear Wojo asked about this years schedule in a post game presser - I feel after a W today would be as appropriate a time as any. Id be curious what his response would be to a question of if he is aware that if MUs 300+ RPI teams on the schedule were replaced with other cupcake teams in low 200s, MUs RPI and SOS would be in 50s-60s, and would likely be in the tournament at 9-9 in the BE, at least in a much better position for an at large.

I am sure he is aware of all that at this point - but obviously Wojo has a hand in scheduling, and it'd be awfully refreshing to hear him say they screwed the pooch this year and that MU will schedule using their brains going forward and will do what they can each season to put Marquette in the best position as possible to dance.

A subject that has been beat to death here on Scoop, but I haven't heard Wojos thoughts and I'd be very interested in doing so.

Thanks for your consideration.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Matt - don't know if you read these or not - but if so, question for you.

I'd be very interested to hear Wojo asked about this years schedule in a post game presser - I feel after a W today would be as appropriate a time as any. Id be curious what his response would be to a question of if he is aware that if MUs 300+ RPI teams on the schedule were replaced with other cupcake teams in low 200s, MUs RPI and SOS would be in 50s-60s, and would likely be in the tournament at 9-9 in the BE, at least in a much better position for an at large.

I am sure he is aware of all that at this point - but obviously Wojo has a hand in scheduling, and it'd be awfully refreshing to hear him say they screwed the pooch this year and that MU will schedule using their brains going forward and will do what they can each season to put Marquette in the best position as possible to dance.

A subject that has been beat to death here on Scoop, but I haven't heard Wojos thoughts and I'd be very interested in doing so.

Thanks for your consideration.

You vastly overestimate how much Wojo is involved in the scheduling process

[keefe]

You vastly overestimate how much Wojo is involved in the scheduling process

He also vastly overestimates Wojo's candor...

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

You vastly overestimate how much Wojo is involved in the scheduling process

I don't doubt that Broeker is the main person, but Wojo most certainly has some say, and I would think is equally as disappointed in how the numbers shook out this year. He definitely has an opinion about it, whether or not he shares it is another question. But it's worth asking, IMO.

[NotAnAlum]

I also think that like other aspects of the season its easy to look back now and see what we should have done.  Georgetown scheduled some of those expected to be 200 RPI teams and lost to some of them.  So did Wisconsin.  Remember MU needed overtime to beat IUPUI (RPI 176) and IUPUI had a shot in regulation that would have won the game.  I think Wojo knew all along how challenging it was going to be to try to win out of the gate starting 3 freshman, with no experienced PG and other guys on the team having been at best erratic the prior year.  I'm pretty sure the directive was "we'll need a softer schedule this year".  The other thing is its not like MU gets their pick of who they want to play and when.  I'm sure Wojo would not have preferred to have Belmont as the first home game.  The fact that it ended up there proves how tough it is to schedule these mid tier teams.  Everybody in college basketball knows how the RPI works.  They are all after the same teams.  Teams that will give some competition but not too much, teams that will come for a reasonable fee and will not require a return game.  So when the directive was "we need a softer schedule this year" which I certainly would agree we did, the options were more limited than you might think.  I think next year you'll see substantial improvement schedule because the team is more experienced and can take more risks. 

[4everwarriors]

Fook the schedule. I'm itchin' to know what Velazquez thinks of Heisenberg, hey?

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I also think that like other aspects of the season its easy to look back now and see what we should have done.  Georgetown scheduled some of those expected to be 200 RPI teams and lost to some of them.  So did Wisconsin.  Remember MU needed overtime to beat IUPUI (RPI 176) and IUPUI had a shot in regulation that would have won the game.  I think Wojo knew all along how challenging it was going to be to try to win out of the gate starting 3 freshman, with no experienced PG and other guys on the team having been at best erratic the prior year.  I'm pretty sure the directive was "we'll need a softer schedule this year".  The other thing is its not like MU gets their pick of who they want to play and when.  I'm sure Wojo would not have preferred to have Belmont as the first home game.  The fact that it ended up there proves how tough it is to schedule these mid tier teams.  Everybody in college basketball knows how the RPI works.  They are all after the same teams.  Teams that will give some competition but not too much, teams that will come for a reasonable fee and will not require a return game.  So when the directive was "we need a softer schedule this year" which I certainly would agree we did, the options were more limited than you might think.  I think next year you'll see substantial improvement schedule because the team is more experienced and can take more risks.

I get all that - doesn't change the question. I've pulled the team before and won't do it again, but I highly doubt MU loses to mid and low majors in the low 200s at home. Yes, IUPUI gave MU a game the second game of the season. MU was a vastly different team a couple weeks later when they played the cupcake row.

Plus, IUPUI and Belmont were not scheduled. There were part of the Legends Classic and were assigned.

[Tugg Speedman]

Great piece!

I highly recommend it.