[Rosiak's Blog] MU's home/away/repeat Big East opponents announced

[ToddRosiakSays]

MU's home/away/repeat Big East opponents announced
               

Home games against Louisville, Notre Dame and Georgetown, road games against Connecticut, Syracuse and West Virginia and repeat games against Villanova highlight the Marquette Golden Eagles’ 2009-’10 Big East schedule, which was released by the league today.

MU will also host Pittsburgh, Rutgers and South Florida and play at Cincinnati, St. John’s and Seton Hall, in addition to playing repeat games against DePaul and Providence as the Golden Eagles compete in their fifth season in the Big East.

Dates and times will be finalized later this summer.

MU, which finished 11-7 in league play last year, will be woefully inexperienced this season as it welcomes a seven-man recruiting class. A quick once-over of the Golden Eagles’ slate would seem to indicate the Big East league office took that into consideration, especially with regard to the team’s repeat opponents.

While Villanova is coming off a Final Four appearance and likely to be the pre-season favorite to win the conference title, DePaul is coming off an 0-18 season in league play and Providence was hit just as hard by graduation losses as MU, with five key seniors from last year’s team having since moved on.

MU played Villanova three times last year, splitting the regular-season series before losing a heartbreaker, 76-75, in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals. The Wildcats lose star forward Dante Cunningham, but welcome back senior guard Scottie Reynolds as well a pair of McDonald’s All-Americans in Malik Waayns and Dominic Cheek.

Along with Villanova, Louisville and Notre Dame figure to be MU’s premier opponents at the Bradley Center.

Despite losing star forwards Terrence Williams and Earl Clark to the NBA, Louisville welcomes back an experienced and talented backcourt anchored by former Wauwatosa East standout Jerry Smith in addition to another top-notch recruiting class.

Notre Dame, meanwhile, brings back the likely pre-season player of the year in forward Luke Harangody, and will re-load with a pair of solid transfers in center Scott Martin (Purdue) and guard Ben Hansbrough (Mississippi State).

Both the Cardinals and the Fighting Irish are likely to earn pre-season consideration as top-25 teams. Georgetown, which MU swept last year but brings back one of the best big men in the nation in Greg Monroe as well as a top-notch backcourt with Chris Wright and Austin Freeman, is also expected to bounce back from a disappointing 2008-'09.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, lost three big-time players in DeJuan Blair, Sam Young and Levance Fields, but still has plenty coming back in addition to another talented group of recruits.

MU will have its work cut out for it on the road, as well.

While Connecticut and Syracuse both lose a great deal of star power and experience – the Huskies the No. 2 overall pick in center Hasheem Thabeet and the Orange the No. 6 pick in point guard Jonny Flynn – each brings back plenty of talent, not to mention more big-time recruits.

West Virginia, meanwhile, will be expected to battle it out with Villanova atop the Big East standings with forwards Da’Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks leading the way and coach Bob Huggins entering his second season in Morgantown.

Even a game at Cincinnati, which has been down ever since Huggins was fired in 2005, will prove to be a challenge as coach Mick Cronin has amassed a great deal of talent, including controversial New York guard Lance Stephenson, who committed in just the past week.

A few other noteworthy tidbits:

-- This will be the first time since the 1996-’97 season MU won’t play at Louisville.

-- Syracuse is the only team MU hasn’t beaten in Big East play, going 0-3 against the Orange.

-- MU is 5-0 at home against Notre Dame and Pittsburgh in the Big East.

-- MU is 0-2 at West Virginia in the Big East, losing by an average of 17 points per game.

-- MU is 4-0 at Cincinnati, St. John’s and Seton Hall in the Big East (in the regular season).

Outside of Big East play the Golden Eagles will play in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla. over Thanksgiving Week, will host North Carolina State and UW-Milwaukee, and play their annual rivalry game against Wisconsin in Madison.
               

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/49699777.html
               

[GOMU1104]

Home-
DePaul
Georgetown
Louisville
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
Providence
Rutgers
USF
Villanova
   
Away
Cincinnati
Connecticut
Providence
DePaul
St. John's
Seton Hall
Syracuse
Villanova
West Virginia

[ATWizJr]

Wow! I see a minimum of eight gimme' wins here.

[muarmy81]

I think that, overall, this is a good draw.  PC and Depaul as mirror opponents is a definite plus and we don't have to play at L'Ville, Notre Dame, Pitt, or GTown.

[hdog1017]

I am happy that we have 2 games with DePaul again this year, mainly for 2 reasons:

1.  DePaul is bad at basketball.

2.  As someone who lives in Chicago, it is nice not to have to drive 2+ hours through the construction on 94 up to MKE for once, even though the AllState Arena is a hell-hole.  I'm surprised the toilets work there.  

[nyg]

Agreed, excellent draw and the scheduling committee was watching out for MU.  Let the excitement start. 

[MuMark]

MU finished 12-6 not 11-7 last year IIRC.

[SCdem@MU]

Darn I was hoping that we would get G-town as an away game. Its always fun to see the entire upper deck of the Verizon Center filled with Gold.

[mu_hilltopper]

I think that's a fantastic schedule for us.

You want 3 things ..

First, if you have to play a team twice, they'd better not be in the top 4-5 teams.   DePaul and ProvC, check.  Nova will be tough of course, 2 out of 3 aint bad.

Second, play tough games at home.  I suppose on average, you'd have 4.5 tough games at home .. we have 5.  Every bit helps.

Third, play bottom half teams on the road.  Again, you average 4.5, we're in that 4-5 ballpark.   -- And I suppose, DON'T play the toughest 5 teams on the road is a good thing too.  We play Nova and .. ??  WVU might be tough, maybe.

All in all, very favorable.  Win 6 of 9 at home, and 4 on the road .. 10 wins in the BE?  That'd be square on the bubble, which would be fantastic for a young team.

[MarquetteDano]

I remember an earlier post about predicting our finish.  Many agreed we needed to wait until the BEast schedule came out.  Now that it has, I think we go 9-9 next year.  Chances are that puts us at a #7-#9 finish in the conference.  If we finish #7 and win a couple of games in the conference tourney (I think we will be playing our best basketball by the end of the year), we would definitely have a chance for the NCAA tourney.

I think the DATES of the schedule is now the next more important thing.  I hope Marquette has a back-loaded schedule like last year.  I think they will get better and better as each game progresses.  Better to play the easier games early and the harder ones later.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Let's not forget, with all our newcomers, most of the folks who have us on the schedule are licking their chops...and that includes DePaul. With Koshwal coming back, they could be better than the Warriors next year.

[Skatastrophy]

I'm  with the "10 wins next year" camp, but I can't help but wonder if my expectations are ludicrously high for a team that has 1 returning starter...

[MR.HAYWARD]

a good draw in my book...also Rosiak normally does a very good job but Scott martin is a small forward not a Center.

[Marquette84]

Home-
W DePaul
W Georgetown
L Louisville
W Notre Dame
W Pittsburgh
W Providence
W Rutgers
W USF
L Villanova
   
Away
L Cincinnati
L Connecticut
W Providence
W DePaul
W St. John's
L  Seton Hall
W Syracuse
L Villanova
L West Virginia


My initial view is that 11-7 is attainable, which should put us somehwere in the 5th through 7th.

[Robyrd5]

Gimme wins? Did USF teach us nothing?? 

I agree, though, excellent draw. Now just curious to see if we end up with another end-of-the-season gauntlet.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Agreed, excellent draw and the scheduling committee was watching out for MU.  Let the excitement start. 

+1

[avid1010]

Agreed, excellent draw and the scheduling committee was watching out for MU.  Let the excitement start. 

To ask a dumb question; how is the schedule determined.  From reading it sounds like the home and home's are picked by the BEAST, but the rest is luck of the draw?  I wondered if it was coincidence or planning by the BEAST last year when MU had an easy start to the year, as they were going to be adjusting to a new coach?  Thanks in advance!

[Tom Crean's Tanning Bed]

Let's not forget, with all our newcomers, most of the folks who have us on the schedule are licking their chops...and that includes DePaul. With Koshwal coming back, they could be better than the Warriors next year.

DePaul also still has Jerry Wainwright back.  I'm not going to lose too much sleep over them even though they have Koshwal.

[hdog1017]

DePaul also still has Jerry Wainwright back.  I'm not going to lose too much sleep over them even though they have Koshwal.

Agree to that.  Plus Darquavis (aka Dar) Tucker decided on giving up his eligibility by not getting drafted.  Koshwal & Will Walker are the only decent guys that I remember DePaul having that are returning. 

By the way, how great of a name is Darquavis.  I can't believe he shortens it to Dar. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

To ask a dumb question; how is the schedule determined.  From reading it sounds like the home and home's are picked by the BEAST, but the rest is luck of the draw?  I wondered if it was coincidence or planning by the BEAST last year when MU had an easy start to the year, as they were going to be adjusting to a new coach?  Thanks in advance!

Much of it is done for tv matchups.  If the conference thinks you are going to be really good, they are more likely to put you up against some very good opponents to keep it sexy for television.  Of course some of it is also based on some rivalries as well, which is why we've had DePaul twice recently.  At the end of the day, the conference would like to put as many teams in the tournament as possible.  So they're willing to make the home and away games tougher for the better teams because they can afford an extra loss or two in the long run, plus it helps in power ratings and television ratings.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Anyone think Huggins is going to try and run it up on us down there?

[MarquetteDano]

Anyone think Huggins is going to try and run it up on us down there?

No doubt.  After his comments from our games last year it would be a lock.  Home game, motivated, better personnel = Marquette loss (hopefully not a total blowout).

I still love his comments after the game last year like he is the guardian of class and responsibility.  Please.  Wasn't WVU jacking threes with 2 minutes left against OSU last year up 30?  See play-by-play at 2:15 mark (three attempts by Ruoff and Bryant).

OSU vs. WVU http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/playbyplay?gameId=283620194

[79Warrior]

Wow! I see a minimum of eight gimme' wins here.

8 gimme wins with the roster changes we just went through? I think you are really overestimating MU for this upcoming season.

[reinko]

For us east coasters, very favorable travel schedule.  Plan on Prov and UCONN as always, and hopefully St.Johns or Seton Hall  is on a Friday or Saturday.