Marquette at No. 83

[PBRme]

http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=988936

Ouch

[AlumKCof93]

That's BS.  We should be no higher than 82.  Here's their recap.

83. Marquette
CONFERENCE: Big East
BEST PLAYER: F Lazar Hayward
QUICK TAKE: The Golden Eagles are going to fall a long way in the Big East after the loss of some key seniors.
BUZZ: Buzz Williams did one of the nation's better coaching jobs in 2008-09 and might have won the Big East if not for a late-season injury to guard Dominic James. Williams will have his work cut out for him in his second season because of the Golden Eagles' inexperience. Still, judging by his performance last season and the way he continues to recruit, Williams seems to have Marquette headed in the right direction.

[mu_hilltopper]

UWM is #63.  So we'll be the underdog!

[mugrad99]

How is #69 better than us?  69. Southern Illinois
CONFERENCE: Missouri Valley
BEST PLAYER: G Kevin Dillard
QUICK TAKE: The Salukis, looking to bounce back from a poor season, need to become more consistent on offense.
BUZZ: Eight newcomers - five freshmen, two junior college transfers and a four-year transfer - better make an instant impact on a roster that needs some offensive firepower along with some rebounding help. The hope is that as the roster gains experience, big things again will happen for SIU. The Salukis also need to recapture the in-your-face brand of defense that has been the hallmark of the program.

[sellit07]

Well at least we have no real expectations and that could make us dangerous if we use it as motivation for lack of respect. I do laugh reading the Southern Illinois Buzz and how they are ranked higher. We may be an underdog for the UWM game in these peoples' eyes but we won't be.

[Buzz4Prez]

We will be better than 83, and I sure hope we will beat UWM.

I dont think it is crazy to think MU will have a down year, I dont understand why many here get so upset when people see us ranked low, we knew this was coming.

[ChicosBailBonds]

We will be better than 83, and I sure hope we will beat UWM.

I dont think it is crazy to think MU will have a down year, I dont understand why many here get so upset when people see us ranked low, we knew this was coming.

If we lose to UWM there will be some serious hell to pay and it starts with Crean for getting us back into that stupid series.

[mu_hilltopper]

Disagree.  This may be the first year playing UWM will boost our RPI.   

[willie warrior]

This is totally unacceptable--do not care how much we lost.

We better shore up this team quickly. Obviously, the so-called experts have no respect for Williams and what has been brought in.

[MilWarrior]

Hold on. Did Chicos just say something negative about Crean???!!!!! Better erase that before Mr. Hayward and you become buddies.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Hold on. Did Chicos just say something negative about Crean???!!!!! Better erase that before Mr. Hayward and you become buddies.

I've said plenty over the years against Crean, people just have reading comprehension problems...or in Hayward's case, comprehension problems.

[Rockmic87]

I mean they have UWM better than ND????

[Daniel]

It's going to be a tough year, but I am hoping it won't be THAT tough - whew.  I'd like to be in the Top 64 at least

[MuMark]

Preseason rankings, once you get outside the top 30 or so, are about as useful as used toilet paper....

Why anyone would get worked up about this is beyond me.

We are in a rebuilding year. We have tons of unknowns which makes it virtually impossible to accurately predict how good or bad we will be.

Should be an interesting year.

We will be young which will likely lead to some headscratching losses and some surprising wins.

[GOMU1104]

We will beat UWM.

Even though we may seem depleted, we still have far more high major talent.

UWM will be improved, relative to their other low major opponents, but we will have no problem with them...

[4everwarriors]

Whoopee, we're a lock to beat UWM.

[Murffieus]

With 3 key players back from the NCAA team of last year and supposedly a top 10 recruiting class a #83
expectation is bogus. Top 50 nationally and 9-9 in BE is achievement-----anything below that is underachievement-----anything above is overachievement.

[ecompt]

Murff, we lost like 80 percent of our scoring from last year. I certainly hope you are not including Cubillan or Otule as one of the "three key players back from an NCAA team." Neither showed anything at all last year. No one knows what we are capable of this year; thus, suggesting that anything less than 9-9 in the BE is underacheivement is premature.

[bilsu]

With 3 key players back from the NCAA team of last year and supposedly a top 10 recruiting class a #83
expectation is bogus. Top 50 nationally and 9-9 in BE is achievement-----anything below that is underachievement-----anything above is overachievement.

Given that:
Cadougan is out for the year.
DJO is injured and I fear his first season will be a repeat of Fulce and Otule's first season.
The questionable eligibility of Mbao.
It sounds like Fulce knee is doing healing well, but he is still a question mark.
We might have trouble winning nine games the whole season.

[79Warrior]

With 3 key players back from the NCAA team of last year and supposedly a top 10 recruiting class a #83
expectation is bogus. Top 50 nationally and 9-9 in BE is achievement-----anything below that is underachievement-----anything above is overachievement.

Yep, everything is so black and white, crystal clear. 9-9.

Were you dropped often as a kid?????

[groove]

I'm thinking anywhere between 13 and 17 wins is more realistic.

[Sir Lawrence]

I mean they have UWM better than ND????

I'm OK with that.

[Marquette84]

Murff, we lost like 80 percent of our scoring from last year. I certainly hope you are not including Cubillan or Otule as one of the "three key players back from an NCAA team." Neither showed anything at all last year. No one knows what we are capable of this year; thus, suggesting that anything less than 9-9 in the BE is underacheivement is premature.

What is interesting to note is that there is apparently NO positive consideration given to either Lazar Hayward or the quality of our recruiting class.

We're ranked down with Illinois State and Providence, two teams that had nearly identical roster turnover, but lack anyone of Hayward's talent returning or anywhere near the quality of recruiting class we did.

[Murffieus]

Murff, we lost like 80 percent of our scoring from last year. I certainly hope you are not including Cubillan or Otule as one of the "three key players back from an NCAA team." Neither showed anything at all last year. No one knows what we are capable of this year; thus, suggesting that anything less than 9-9 in the BE is underacheivement is premature.

Acker, Hayward, and Butler are the 3 key players. Plus two JUCO all americans and Maymon & Williams. IMO Cadougan wouldn't have beaten out Acker anyway.

In addition all I've heard all off season is how improved Otule is.

Add all this together and if we aren't top 50 and at least 9-9 in the BE-----this team underachieves-----what are you guys afraid of by expecting achievement-------Crean achieved with similar talent under similar situation in 2005-06. That's the benchmark!

[ecompt]

No one is afraid, Murff, but you are talking about a very young team that lost four starters and is playing in one of the toughest basketball conferences in the country. We would be a lock to go 12-6 in the Big Ten, but I think anyone who says 8-10 is underachieving in the Big East isn't being realistic.