[Paint Touches] Is Belmont the most important game this season?

[PaintTouches]

Is Belmont the most important game this season?

With the season just a few crab dribbles away, the bracket projections are coming out hot and heavy. The consensus when it comes to Marquette: uncertainty.  Don't take my word for it though, here is where Marquette sits nationally on the bracketology spectrum: SI: Last 4 In ESPN: Last 4 In NBC: Next 4 Out USA [...]

Source: Is Belmont the most important game this season?

[StillAWarrior]

Is Belmont the most important game this season?

With the season just a few crab dribbles away, the bracket projections are coming out hot and heavy. The consensus when it comes to Marquette: uncertainty.  Don't take my word for it though, here is where Marquette sits nationally on the bracketology spectrum: SI: Last 4 In ESPN: Last 4 In NBC: Next 4 Out USA [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=painttouches.com&blog=28348875&post=13723&subd=painttouches&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />

Source: Is Belmont the most important game this season?

It's definitely the most important game this week.

[tower912]

It depends on your expectations for the season.   I don't expect an NCAA berth this season.   I am looking for growth as much as results.   So, no.   The most important non-con game is Wisconsin. 

[brandx]

It's definitely the most important game this week.

Bingo!!

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Nice post, Andrei.  BTW, does he post on here?

I agree.  That is the biggest problem with the non-con schedule.  We sort of shot ourselves in the foot.  There is no room for error, which means beating Belmont is a necessity unless this team plays on going 13-5 or better in conference. 

[brandx]

Is Belmont the most important game this season?

With the season just a few crab dribbles away, the bracket projections are coming out hot and heavy. The consensus when it comes to Marquette: uncertainty.  Don't take my word for it though, here is where Marquette sits nationally on the bracketology spectrum: SI: Last 4 In ESPN: Last 4 In NBC: Next 4 Out USA [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=painttouches.com&blog=28348875&post=13723&subd=painttouches&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />

Source: Is Belmont the most important game this season?

Good article, Andrei.

I don't really know how important the game will be (I think all the conference games will be more important), but I understand your point with regards to the schedule. I say that the conference games are more important, because unless we win 2 of UW, LSU, and Iowa, I think it will take 12 wins in the conference because of the weak schedule

[RushmoreAcademy]

I think it's a very important game. Once we win by 15, the momentum will propel us to a national championship.

[mug644]

I think it's a very important game. Once we win by 15, the momentum will propel us to a national championship.

Done deal.

[barfolomew]

"The general consensus from pundits and statheads is that this team will be bubbly. If that does turn out to be the case, Friday's 40 minutes may be the most important Marquette plays. "

That's fine, but what is the general consensus from pudwhaps and sh!theads?
Oh, wait, that's us.

Final Four, baby!

[willie warrior]

It is an important game, but no more so than about 20 others. They are all important. Conference games, Wisc., and some of the early games.

[fjm]

I think it's a very important game. Once we win by 15, the momentum will propel us to a national championship.

[rocky_warrior]

Well, I don't want the team to lose to Belmont.

But I'd rather lose to Belmont than any of the other teams that people will perceive as cupcakes.

[BallBoy]

I don't think Marquette has figured out how to schedule in the new Big East.  If you look back at the strength of schedule, you can see that SOS has been nearly as bad for Non-Conference even when the made the tourney.  There really isn't much difference in the 300-350 range.  The challenge is that MU doesn't have the games in conference to recover like they used to be able to do.  Previously, MU could rely on games against Syracuse, UL, UConn, Pitt, etc to pull them back to a respectable overall SOS. 

MU can still schedule cupcakes but just not the low calorie version.

If MU were to win at Wisco that would overshadow a lose to Belmont at the beginning of the season. 

[GGGG]

Marquette knows how to schedule.  Believe me.  They are clearly going the route of winnable games for a young team hoping to build momentum for the conference season.

I think Belmont is by no means the most important game of the season. 

[tower912]

This year's schedule was done a year ago when all that was known about this year's team was that it would be extremely young.    I expect, in the years to come, as Wojo builds a program, that the scheduling will reflect that.    This year's schedule reflects where the program was a year ago and fears about what it would look like this year.   

[Herman Cain]

Belmont is a good game for us. In recent years they have been talented and we need to deliver a win. I think it is important in the sense we can't lose it.

I think winning Iowa or LSU are more important in the sense if we win them it will give us a lot of momentum going into conference season.

[wadesworld]

It's the most important game of the season, because it's the next one.

[wadesworld]

Also, the next time a Big East team gets left out because their non-conference schedule wasn't good enough will be the first.

[dgies9156]

No, Belmont is not the most important game of the year, because:

   1) I don't share the feeling that all the Nattering Nebobs of Negativism have that we're going to lose to every decent team we play. Folks, last year is gone. Done, finito. Stop acting like it.

   2) Given the strength of our front line, I'd be really surprised if Belmont has an answer for the combination of Sandy, Henry and Luke. They'll pack it in, yes, and hope we can't beat them from outside. Not exactly sure what they have but I doubt it  is this strong. If we were playing a Big East or BIG team, maybe. But this is Belmont folks. Remember, Belmont!

   3) We're much deeper than we were a year ago. Inexperienced, yes. But deep and can rotate. Again, given their conference and their national stature, they have some depth. But we're the Big East. period.

   4) We're going to inevitably lose games we should not lose. But we're also going to win games we probably should not win. While I think we could lose this one -- I doubt seriously we will.

Go Warriors!

[bilsu]

It is the most important game, because a young teams needs confidence that it can beat good teams.

[Herman Cain]

Here is a detailed preview of Belmont.
http://collegecourtreport.com/2015/10/14/2015-16-college-basketball-preview-belmont-bruins/

[wadesworld]

No, Belmont is not the most important game of the year, because:

   1) I don't share the feeling that all the Nattering Nebobs of Negativism have that we're going to lose to every decent team we play. Folks, last year is gone. Done, finito. Stop acting like it.

   2) Given the strength of our front line, I'd be really surprised if Belmont has an answer for the combination of Sandy, Henry and Luke. They'll pack it in, yes, and hope we can't beat them from outside. Not exactly sure what they have but I doubt it  is this strong. If we were playing a Big East or BIG team, maybe. But this is Belmont folks. Remember, Belmont!

   3) We're much deeper than we were a year ago. Inexperienced, yes. But deep and can rotate. Again, given their conference and their national stature, they have some depth. But we're the Big East. period.

   4) We're going to inevitably lose games we should not lose. But we're also going to win games we probably should not win. While I think we could lose this one -- I doubt seriously we will.

Go Warriors!

It's Marquette vs. Belmont, not the Big East vs. the Ohio Valley.

[real chili 83]

Here is a detailed preview of Belmont.
http://collegecourtreport.com/2015/10/14/2015-16-college-basketball-preview-belmont-bruins/

Poor article.

[Brewtown Andy]

   2) Given the strength of our front line, I'd be really surprised if Belmont has an answer for the combination of Sandy, Henry and Luke. They'll pack it in, yes, and hope we can't beat them from outside. Not exactly sure what they have but I doubt it  is this strong. If we were playing a Big East or BIG team, maybe. But this is Belmont folks. Remember, Belmont!

I remember Belmont!

Last time I saw them play, they were trailing #2 seed Virginia by just two points with four minutes to play in the NCAA tournament.