[Cracked Sidewalks] 2008-2009 Expectations

[CrackedSidewalksSays]

2008-2009 Expectations

Written by: noreply@blogger.com (Henry Sugar)

If nothing else, it was nice to see the passionate reactions to yesterday's post.   There were plenty of comments both here and in the MUScoop.com thread.  Before we move on, let's be clear about a few things.

Again, we recognize what Buzz meant when he said "I don't know how good we'll be."  I'm sure he expects the team to win plenty of games. Yet, despite the returning talent and experience, there is limited post depth plus new coaches and a new system to learn.  Still, expectations are high among the fan base, and we believe he wants to manage those expectations.

In the comments section of yesterday's post, Championships Matter raised a fair point.  Times are good.  We are a returning top 25 team with three 1,000-point scorers.  Marquette is likely bound for its fourth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.  We play in the best conference in America.  Furthermore, basketball kicks off in 15 days!  There is a lot to be excited about and the team should be good.

Even with the flaws on last year's team, they were successful.  25 win seasons are rare and ought to be appreciated.  Barring injury, I think it's reasonable to expect that the Warriors will end up with 22-24 regular season wins (we were 22-8 in regular season last year), finish somewhere between 2nd and 5th (11-13 wins) in the BIG EAST, and win their first game in the NCAA tournament.  It's not a great season, but it's still very good, and Buzz should expect that the team is at least that good.

What are your expectations for the 2008-2009 season?  Weigh in with your official predictions for the season.

edit:  revised regular season forecast

http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2008/10/2008-2009-expectations.html