Marquette opens +5.5 vs. UCLA

[brewcity77]

Marquette got beat easily by the two fundamentally sound teams we played. Is UCLA just going to try to out talent us or are they a fundamentally sound team?

What St Bonaventure and UW-Madison have in common, at least what jumps out to me, is not just their turnover rate (#19 & #8, respectively) but WHY they don't turn it over. It's not so much the steal rate
(#112 & #31) but the non-steal turnover rate (#9 & #7). So when it comes to the charges, throwing it out of bounds, stepping on the line, these aren't teams that beat themselves.

Similarly, New Hampshire was the cupcake that gave us the most trouble. They rank 5th in turnover rate with a Steal/NSTO split of #32/#5. I think the reason we have trouble with these teams is because our Violence defense and focus on deflections leads teams to making those NSTO mistakes rather than us actually stealing the ball.

So where does UCLA fit? They are #11 in turnover rate, but it's #13 in steal rate and #41 in NSTO%. WVU is #37 in NSTO% (though not as good in steals as UCLA) so we have beaten a team similar in that regard already.

UCLA is still really good. They are typically a great three point shooting team and tough on the glass. But if we can get them playing at our tempo, making some mistakes, and they have a cold shooting night after a tough trip from LA, we might have a shot.

[chicagowarrior]

+7 @ Caesars

[willie warrior]

Marquette should have hired him last spring.  Titles are forever

yes MU should have hired him if for no other reason than his ability to clean off the dinner table at Porcinis. That sure was a resume enhancer for slick Rick.

[MU82]

UCLA is still really good. They are typically a great three point shooting team and tough on the glass. But if we can get them playing at our tempo, making some mistakes, and they have a cold shooting night after a tough trip from LA, we might have a shot.

I approve of this message!

[Uncle Rico]

yes MU should have hired him if for no other reason than his ability to clean off the dinner table at Porcinis. That sure was a resume enhancer for slick Rick.

Who cares?  Titles are forever

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Riley is warming up at the Fiserv but is still "questionable" for tonight

[Fred Garvin]

Should have been MU plus 55

[Daniel]

Should have been MU plus 55

I think it was. Decimal was a mistake.