Schedule/ Predictions

[Sweenz]

I have been reading this board for a long time, and decided instead of just reading every post, to maybe add my two cents every once in awhile.

Looking at the schedule this year, it seems MU has a more difficult one, not just because we play Pitt twice, which I think we can take one of two, but because who we don't play. Not playing Cincy and St John's, who thusfar have a combined record of 1-7, looks like the bottom of the league we don't play. Last year not playing SF and Syracuse had a combined record of 8-24 in Big East play. So a combined record of the 4 teams we don't play has been 9-31.

I know it is just bad luck, but what are predictions for the season after bouncing back from the 0-2 start. I think Marquette, if they stay healthy can finish #3, assuming they don't have a significant drop off. If they finish 11-5 (losses to Pitt, @Gtown, @ND, one of the games between Pitt and GTown at home) that would be an incredible feat after starting so poorly. Of course I think MU has the ability to win all of those games, but it is a long season against a lot of solid teams.

Is 11-5 too optimistic? Perhaps, but what is the board's consensus of the season outlook. Bracketology has MU as a 7 seed, will MU have a higher or lower seed? According to ESPN's Bubble Watch, MU is already a lock along with ND and Pitt.

Here is the link:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bubblewatch?id=38

[Sweenz]

I also just realized the Bubblewatch link about 20 minutes earlier, lo siento!

[dwaderoy2004]

i feel like that is about right.  looking at the schedule, i'd say we will end up somewhere between 9-7 and 11-5.  we should come out of the next 5 games no worse than 4-1.  after that we go on the road for 2 vs. GT and Deapul, where i think we go 1-1.  i think we go 2-2 over our final 4, and there you go, 10-6 and probably right around 3rd or 4th in conference.  i also feel that i am being slightly conservative.  we are on a roll right now, and if we can steal one from pitt on saturday, i can honestly look at every game and think we have no worse than a 50-50 shot to win any individual game.  and fyi, we don't play g-town at home. 

[SGWarrior]

Although I'm hoping that somehow we are playing for the conference title on March 3rd versus Pitt, I'll be happy with a 3rd place finish for MU.  In the end I think those 2 early conference loses will come back to haunt us in the conference race, plus Pitt would have to find a few more loses. 

So where does a 3rd place finish in the Big East seed us in the NCAA?  I would hope higher than a 7 seed especially with our out of conference wins versus TTech and Duke.  Off the top of my head I'm thinking a 4 seed.