Sporting News: Marquette is an under-the-radar Final Four Contender

[Aughnanure]

http://www.sportingnews.com/college-basketball/article/2010-02-05/there-s-plenty-great-college-basketball-we-ll-take-more-good

Marquette is the only unranked team on. Wisconsin gets the love as well.

Marquette
Current rank: NR
OK, the Golden Eagles have work to do if they're even to make the field of 65. They're far too flawed and way too reliant on the jump shot to make any sort of sizable run in March. But Marquette has a manageable schedule in front of it and could prove to be the sort of feisty nightmare that takes a mediocre seed into the tournament's second week. The Golden Eagles rarely make mistakes, averaging just over 10 turnovers a game, and they don't get blown out. Their eight losses have come by a combined 25 points. A team that doesn't beat itself and is always competitive? That sounds like the sort of team that can steal a few wins come tourney time.

Wisconsin
Current rank: 16
No. 13 Ohio State is the better answer out of the Big Ten, but the Buckeyes seem a bit too obvious considering they'd be getting much more attention if Evan "The Villain" Turner hadn't missed six games with a back injury. The Badgers have yet to accomplish much away from the Kohl Center, but they're dealing with a serious injury of their own. They'll only get better if second-leading scorer Jon Leuer is able to return healthy. Bo Ryan-coached teams consistently outperform their seed in the tournament as well.

Georgia Tech
Current rank: 21
This program is generating a reputation as one that rarely plays to the level of its talent, but it has also been disrupted by a few one-and-dones. Derrick Favors will likely be another one-and-doner, but before he bolts he can help Gani Lawal, Iman Shumpert and a strong collection of role players sustain a nice run in March. But do the Yellow Jackets have the consistency? Their 4-4 start in the ACC suggests this team can beat—or get beaten by—anybody on any given night.

Baylor
Current rank: 20
The addition of Michigan transfer Ekpe Udoh and his 13.9 points and 10.7 rebounds per game gives the Bears the floor balance they lacked during a disappointing season last year. Baylor beat Texas in Austin, nearly toppled Kansas State and played Kansas about as tough as anyone has in Lawrence. LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter are the type of streaky shooters that could make the Bears a menace if they catch fire in March.

[TallTitan34]

Their eight losses have come by a combined 25 points.

 

I don't get why we are listed when the first sentence says we can't make a sizeable run in March.

[reinko]

How can this be?  After the Depaul loss, according to many 'Scoopers this team was:

~Pathetic
~Beaten by a Div. III school
~Had a coach with sh!t for brains
~Had no business making the NIT, let alone the NCAA
~Embarrassing representatives of the university

Missing any?

[4everwarriors]

Had Maymon transferred to Central Florida, they'd be included for next season.

[Cooby Snacks]

Cooby Snacks: Smoking crack is no impediment to gaining employment at Sporting News.

[MarquetteDano]

I thought it was funny they said the Badgers always outperform their seed on Ryan coached teams.  That is true when the higher seed you are due to play gets knocked off by a 13 seed each time.  Wasn't last year the only year Ryan has ever beaten a higher seed?

[HoopsMalone]

I would not want to play us in March at all.  We are very beatable though as we are not very good at rebounding and getting stops.  Putting together 4 wins in the tourney would be a lot for this team, unless Otule and Cadougan really break out.  The logic might be, though, that we almost beat 3 teams that may be one or two seeds at their place (WVU, Cuse, Nova) so on a neutral court, who knows?

A Sweet 16 sleeper is probably more realistic rather than a Final Four.  

[cheebs09]

Had Maymon transferred to Central Florida, they'd be included for next season.

I wouldn't call them under the radar though, I think Tim would make sure they were getting the press deserve.

In all seriousness I can't think of how someone has us mentioned in the final four, even under the radar. If we got to the Sweet Sixteen I'd be on cloud nine.

[Pakuni]

How can this be?  After the Depaul loss, according to many 'Scoopers this team was:

~Pathetic
~Beaten by a Div. III school
~Had a coach with sh!t for brains
~Had no business making the NIT, let alone the NCAA
~Embarrassing representatives of the university

Missing any?

Lacking in, um, sphere-like objects down below.

[tower912]

Who are the 1 seeds?   Kentucky, Kansas, and........?    Beyond those two, who do you seriously fear on a neutral court?    I am not saying it is going to happen, but  considering how we have played Wiscy (3), Nova (1-2-3), WVU (2-3-4), G-town (3-4) and Syracuse (1-4), we have shown we can give anybody a game.    Keep TO's below 10, shoot over 40% from 3, don't get rolled on the boards, and anything can happen.    Kentucky and Kansas scare me because of Aldrich and Cousins.   Anybody else, we have a slugger's chance.   Getting in may be a bigger challenge than getting out of the first weekend.   Just win, baby.

[GGGG]

I think Marquette has the ability to beat anyone if we are shooting well.  I don't think we have the personnel to make the type of run needed to get to the Final Four.

[damuts222]

 We dont have the size/bulk to make it to the Final Four but we could make it to the Sweet Sixteen with our shooting and ball movement.

[ChicosBailBonds]

How can this be?  After the Depaul loss, according to many 'Scoopers this team was:

~Pathetic
~Beaten by a Div. III school
~Had a coach with sh!t for brains
~Had no business making the NIT, let alone the NCAA
~Embarrassing representatives of the university

Missing any?

That DePaul loss may end up keeping us out of the tournament.   A lot of golf left

[NersEllenson]

If this team finishes 10-8 in Big East, and overall 19-9 - there is ZERO reason why they should not get into the tournament.  I don't care if they lost to DePaul.  The fact they have played and should have beaten at least 2 likely Number 2 seeds - WVU and Villanova - and were competitive with Syracuse (on the road), who I feel is going to be the Number 1 seed of the whole tourney + wins over Georgetown and Xavier and considering that 8 of their losses we know will have been by 3 points on average...enough said.

[Benny B]

That DePaul loss may end up keeping us out of the tournament.   A lot of golf left

Too many people place too much emphasis on bad losses.  A bad loss hurts you in one of two ways: 1) RPI and 2) "all else equal" scenarios.

The DePaul loss has about a .0118 effect on MU's RPI.  Regardless of which site you pull your rating from, that amounts to a 8-10 place jump.  So instead of 59, MU could be 49 today.  A 60 RPI and winning record in the BE still gets you onto the committee's "bubble" list.  At that point, the only way a DePaul loss hurts you is if there is another team out there with nearly the same resume and no bad losses competing with MU for the last tourney slot -- a very unlikely scenario.  

The DePaul loss isn't going to keep MU out of the tournament any more than a DePaul win in Chicago would have guaranteed a tournament berth.  Forget about DePaul and focus on the remaining schedule... that's what's going to decide whether you're playing on the road or at home the first week of the post-season.

[Mayor McCheese]

Who are the 1 seeds?   Kentucky, Kansas, and........?    Beyond those two, who do you seriously fear on a neutral court?    I am not saying it is going to happen, but  considering how we have played Wiscy (3), Nova (1-2-3), WVU (2-3-4), G-town (3-4) and Syracuse (1-4), we have shown we can give anybody a game.    Keep TO's below 10, shoot over 40% from 3, don't get rolled on the boards, and anything can happen.    Kentucky and Kansas scare me because of Aldrich and Cousins.   Anybody else, we have a slugger's chance.   Getting in may be a bigger challenge than getting out of the first weekend.   Just win, baby.

Kentucky has more than just Cousins that scares me.  Wall, Patterson, Bledsoe.. the list goes on and on.  Best Team in the Country.

[PGsHeroes32]

Right now the best team in the country is easily Syracuse. They would be a match up nightmare for Kentucky as well. But that said Kentucky would definitly scare me the most in a match up with Marquette.

[CrazyEcho]

I love how the article calls him Evan "The Villain" Turner (nickname given by Club Trillion author Mark "The Shark" Titus.  

[mikeDEANmeminger]

Keep TO's below 10, shoot over 40% from 3, don't get rolled on the boards, and anything can happen.    

HA, if it were only that  easy....

[MU B2002]

I love how the article calls him Evan "The Villain" Turner (nickname given by Club Trillion author Mark "The Shark" Titus.  

nm

[79Warrior]

If this team finishes 10-8 in Big East, and overall 19-9 - there is ZERO reason why they should not get into the tournament.  I don't care if they lost to DePaul.  The fact they have played and should have beaten at least 2 likely Number 2 seeds - WVU and Villanova - and were competitive with Syracuse (on the road), who I feel is going to be the Number 1 seed of the whole tourney + wins over Georgetown and Xavier and considering that 8 of their losses we know will have been by 3 points on average...enough said.

I think 19-9 would put us right on the bubble. No way is 19-9 a lock for the NCAA, especiallly with a lousy RPI.

[tower912]

15-8 with 7 games to go.   19-9 is not an option.

[mu_hilltopper]

The DePaul loss has about a .0118 effect on MU's RPI. 

Benny .. not doubting you, but how does that .0118 jive with this website:

http://www.rpiforecast.com/teams/Marquette.html

It lists DePaul as MU's biggest RPI drag.  Honestly, I don't fully understand the #s..

[ChicosBailBonds]

Too many people place too much emphasis on bad losses.  A bad loss hurts you in one of two ways: 1) RPI and 2) "all else equal" scenarios.

The DePaul loss has about a .0118 effect on MU's RPI.  Regardless of which site you pull your rating from, that amounts to a 8-10 place jump.  So instead of 59, MU could be 49 today.  A 60 RPI and winning record in the BE still gets you onto the committee's "bubble" list.  At that point, the only way a DePaul loss hurts you is if there is another team out there with nearly the same resume and no bad losses competing with MU for the last tourney slot -- a very unlikely scenario.  

The DePaul loss isn't going to keep MU out of the tournament any more than a DePaul win in Chicago would have guaranteed a tournament berth.  Forget about DePaul and focus on the remaining schedule... that's what's going to decide whether you're playing on the road or at home the first week of the post-season.

I'm not sure I agree with that.  It's a mathematical formula, they don't throw out the high and the low and allow for a mulligan.  If they did, then DePaul wouldn't hurt.  Unfortunately, DePaul is the biggest drag on our RPI right now.  I think the NC State game might be the second biggest drag.

[wojosdojo]

Wow... someone actually talks about us.

I find it funny how were talking about a final four run when at the beginning of the year people were saying we were 87th in the country, 12 BE, and missing the NIT.. I guess this negitivity just makes mu want to prove them wrong.

I really think were better than a 12 (we got a few votes for espn top 25) seed and even if we are a 12, look what arizona did last year. We've proved we coulda/should won at wvu and at home with nova. Like this guy said, we don't get blown out (lost by more than 5 once; 9) and we can play with anyone.