I'm Not Worried Anymore

[TallTitan34]

We hung with two very likely number one seeds in the NCAA tournament without Dominic James and with Jerel having an off-night.  I still believe we can make a run in the NCAA tourny.

[IAmMarquette]

We hung with two very likely number one seeds in the NCAA tournament without Dominic James and with Jerel having an off-night.  I still believe we can make a run in the NCAA tourny.

Glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. An average game from Jerel and we're celebrating.

[farmdaddy]

+100

[lab_warrior]

I am very optimistic.  We hung in there, on the road, against a great team.  This team plays with a lot of poise and guts.  All we need is for Wes and Jerel to have a bit better games (they just did NOT play well at all) and we would have come out of there with a W.  I liked Buzz's roto of Butler, Cubes, and Fulce off the bench.  Would have liked to see Cubes knock down a 3, though.  I feel that is all he needs to just get a bit of his swagger back.

[77ncaachamps]

It's hard to take this loss because 1) it was as close as it was and 2) we were a few Jerel points away from an "upset".

One thing I'm NOT worried about is Mo and Jimmy's play. I can only hope it steps up a couple of notches.

[Badgerhater]

This team has proven it does now have the toughness to play well in the tourney.  Now it needs to use the next few games to find a new flow without DJ.  Buzz hit it right on the nose after the UCONN game by saying the margin of error is now gone....but they will learn from this game as well as the Pitt and Syracuse game and move forward.  Who else is going to prepare for the tournament by playing 3 No. 1 or No. 2 seeds in the final two weeks of the season?   The season only gets easier for MU after the Pitt game.

[MUfan12]

Really tough to take any negatives... outside of Jerel's shooting.

Outrebounded em on both ends, shot more FT's, turned them over... our star had a bad night.

Couple tough bounces, but they can play with anyone.

I'm putting it out there, we'll beat Pitt.

[OregonWarrior]

Here's my only concern, did Jerel shoot poorly because: 1) he had a bad game; 2) the L'Ville defense; or 3) he had to work too hard with James out negating his easier looks and scores?

Time will tell. Great effort on the road today. I just hope the offense find a little rhythm and gets running more in these final regular season games.

[NavinRJohnson]

Here's my only concern, did Jerel shoot poorly because: 1) he had a bad game; 2) the L'Ville defense; or 3) he had to work too hard with James out negating his easier looks and scores?

Yes.

[TallTitan34]

Here's my only concern, did Jerel shoot poorly because: 1) he had a bad game; 2) the L'Ville defense; or 3) he had to work too hard with James out negating his easier looks and scores?

I think Jerel was just trying to do too much in Dom's absence.  He should settle down as they get used to playing without Dom.

[jt92]

They should have won today and they didn't.  You guys can coat it all you want, but a little more air was let of a ballon that was heavily damaged on Wednesday.  Let me ask a question...if Dominic was playing today or even Wednesday do we at least have one more win?  I think they would...thus his loss is hurting us and will only continue.  Yes they hung with Louisville today but I never felt as if they were going to win...it's the same way I felt on Wednesday when they said he was done...and it's the same way most of us will feel against Pitt.  It's a huge loss...I am going to root as hard as I can becasue these guys are great, but to say I'm not worried anymore..I just cannot do that.  I'm more po'd than ever!!!!

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

I think Jerel was just trying to do too much in Dom's absence.  He should settle down as they get used to playing without Dom.

+1. Settle down, Jerel. Just play your game and let Mo, Jimmy, and David pick up the slack.

[TallTitan34]

They should have won today and they didn't.  You guys can coat it all you want, but a little more air was let of a ballon that was heavily damaged on Wednesday.  Let me ask a question...if Dominic was playing today or even Wednesday do we at least have one more win?  I think they would...thus his loss is hurting us and will only continue.  Yes they hung with Louisville today but I never felt as if they were going to win...it's the same way I felt on Wednesday when they said he was done...and it's the same way most of us will feel against Pitt.  It's a huge loss...I am going to root as hard as I can becasue these guys are great, but to say I'm not worried anymore..I just cannot do that.  I'm more po'd than ever!!!!

Are we as good of a team as we are with Dom?  No.

Can we still compete with even the best teams?  Yes.

[ErickJD08]

I think Jerel was just trying to do too much in Dom's absence.  He should settle down as they get used to playing without Dom.

Probably partially true.  There were a ton of shots that went in and out and drives that he normally finishes.  He had a really bad day.  Nothing was working out.  Four point game with about 2 minutes left, McNeal drains a three but there was an illegal pick called. 

I am in total agreement with this thread's feeling "I'm not worried anymore".

[WarriorHal]

This is a completely different--and much weaker--team without DJ. I see us winning one game in the BE tournament and one game in the NCAA tops. Very disappointing...yet another late season collapse due in part to a key injury.

[jt92]

I would love to get that Wed. bye.  But it's going to be tough.  Hopefully ND will help us out.

[bilsu]

I think McNeal having to worry about being an outlet against the press may have tired him out some. Basically, he was just off on his three point shot. All of them were open looks. On his drives credit Louisville's defense, he really did not have any easy drives, but he usually makes some of them.

[MUhoops12]

To be honest, I was a little bit worried about our defense and our team as a whole without James. After seeing Mo and Jimmu play the way they did this afternoon, my doubts of this team were gone. Hanging in with a potential number one seed at Freedom Hall (where historically, we suck) was very impressive. A couple of lucky bounces or a few more rattling in for McNeal and we would've walked out of Freedom Hall with a W.

[mviale]

This is a completely different--and much weaker--team without DJ. I see us winning one game in the BE tournament and one game in the NCAA tops. Very disappointing...yet another late season collapse due in part to a key injury.

Yes, much weaker
- down x 3 at half
- outscored x 1 in 2nd half
- mcneal shoots 3 for 19

[WalterSobchak]

I really liked the way Mo handled the press.

[chapman]

They should have won today and they didn't.  You guys can coat it all you want, but a little more air was let of a ballon that was heavily damaged on Wednesday.  Let me ask a question...if Dominic was playing today or even Wednesday do we at least have one more win?  I think they would...thus his loss is hurting us and will only continue.  Yes they hung with Louisville today but I never felt as if they were going to win...it's the same way I felt on Wednesday when they said he was done...and it's the same way most of us will feel against Pitt.  It's a huge loss...I am going to root as hard as I can becasue these guys are great, but to say I'm not worried anymore..I just cannot do that.  I'm more po'd than ever!!!!

I feel much the same way.  I really don't want to hear that we played hard and kept it close and Acker did just fine and all that feel good stuff after we lose to Pitt or lose to Cuse or lose in the first game of either tournament.  I want results.  There is no feel good loss column, especially when the feel good losses just amount to excuses for losing.  Win these next two and take 3rd place and I'll have something to feel good about.

[g0lden3agle]

How many people had us winning the game @ Louisville before Dom went out on Wednesday?  Now all of the sudden we play a poor game and still almost eek out a win and the doom and gloomers are still saying this team has no chance to make some waves in either tourney.  This was the first game days after our starting PG got injured.  If you expected us to win it, where were you when people had been penciling this in as a potential loss for weeks now?  It just cracks me up how there are the people that seem to be able to find the negative in every situation. We lose by 4, and people are acting like we got blown out by 15.

[ErickJD08]

I feel much the same way.  I really don't want to hear that we played hard and kept it close and Acker did just fine and all that feel good stuff after we lose to Pitt or lose to Cuse or lose in the first game of either tournament.  I want results.  There is no feel good loss column, especially when the feel good losses just amount to excuses for losing.  Win these next two and take 3rd place and I'll have something to feel good about.

Man... Why do you even watch?  You are so po'ed because we lost to two of the best teams in the country.  Even with DJ, we were not going to be favored in these three games.  Even with DJ, we were not National Championship favorites, contenders, final four contenders, BE champs favorites, or even BE Tourney Champ favorites (from a media viewpoint).  

So are we worse off without DJ... without a doubt.  I think the point of the thread is that fans have been worried about how the team will play without DJ.  Going toe to toe with two of the best teams in the country means that there is some hope left in the season.  I think we will win against Cuse.  Get a bye bye (cus Nova will lose to ND). and we will win our first game of the BE tourney and pray for the best the rest of the way through.

[Hards Alumni]

Man... Why do you even watch?  You are so po'ed because we lost to two of the best teams in the country.  Even with DJ, we were not going to be favored in these three games.  Even with DJ, we were not National Championship favorites, contenders, final four contenders, BE champs favorites, or even BE Tourney Champ favorites (from a media viewpoint).  

So are we worse off without DJ... without a doubt.  I think the point of the thread is that fans have been worried about how the team will play without DJ.  Going toe to toe with two of the best teams in the country means that there is some hope left in the season.  I think we will win against Cuse.  Get a bye bye (cus Nova will lose to ND). and we will win our first game of the BE tourney and pray for the best the rest of the way through.

+1

[lurch91]

To be honest, I was worried about the team with DJ's injury.  After watching the Louisville game I too am more optimistic.

Ackar played well.

Cubillan was able to play effectively.

We hung with two of the best teams in the country, one at home and one on the road.  If not for the unconscious play of Price, MU wins the home game.  And if McNeal shoots 30% on all his shots, we win the road game.

Now we might loose the Pitt game too, as Buzz still looks to adjust his game plan and continue to work out a rotation.  But I think the best litmus test for this team will be Syracuse.

One thing that worries me is McNeal and Matthews playing all 40 minutes of the Louisville game.  You could see that they were fatigued (even the announcers mentioned it once or twice), Buzz has to find someone to give them each a 2-3 minute breather.

Buzz put this team in a position to win yesterday, and these guys almost executed.