WVU vs. UCONN

[Clam Crowder]

who do we want in this game?

[ChicosBailBonds]

who do we want in this game?

UCONN

[Clam Crowder]

If UCONN wins and continues to do so what will happen? The big east bubble is packed enough. If they continue with their rise, and win tonight what if it comes down to us? yes we beat them but what if they compile more quality wins?

[muwarrior87]

If UCONN wins and continues to do so what will happen? The big east bubble is packed enough. If they continue with their rise, and win tonight what if it comes down to us? yes we beat them but what if they compile more quality wins?

If we win we have nothing to worry about. It would be nice if the other teams we are battling with for a top 4 spot in conference, and double bye in the tourney, take a couple on the chin. Any time that happens, I'm for it. If we take care of our business, there is no reason to worry about UConn or any other team knocking us onto the bubble and potentially out.

[ChicosBailBonds]

If UCONN wins and continues to do so what will happen? The big east bubble is packed enough. If they continue with their rise, and win tonight what if it comes down to us? yes we beat them but what if they compile more quality wins?

I don't worry about being head to head with them for a spot.  We need to take care of business.  They are 6-8 right now while we are 8-6.  If we both finish 10-8, then we may not go but we would have no one to blame but ourselves. 

[5YearsatMU]

Did anyone catch the exchange between the announcers when Edwards committed the lane violation?  Raftery asked Bilas if he ever baited people into lane violations when he was in school, Bilas said he did, even tried to push them.  I think Raftery says something like, yeah, you were good at baiting them back then. . . then Shulman pops in 'Yep, he was a master at it.'  

Great stuff.  

[PGsHeroes32]

no in a perfect world, UCONN loses tonight, Lousiville loses tomorrow and UCONN beats Ville on Saturday. On top of that we take care of business on the road.

[DCWarriors04]

Tough call...if UConn wins tonight, it makes our victory over them look better, but at the same time throws another team in the bubble. As long as we take care of business over the next 4 games we will be fine.

[Tom Crean's Tanning Bed]

UConn's got a real shot to get to 10-8 now.  I fear if both us and UConn finish out at 10-8, they'd get in ahead of us based on SOS and overall resume despite our head to head win over them.

However, as long as we get to 11 wins, we'll have very little (if anything) to worry about.

[PGsHeroes32]

im actually embarrassed we lost to WVU. They are a bunch of cant shoot cavemen that probably cant reach an average IQ of 70

[79Warrior]

UConn's got a real shot to get to 10-8 now.  I fear if both us and UConn finish out at 10-8, they'd get in ahead of us based on SOS and overall resume despite our head to head win over them.

However, as long as we get to 11 wins, we'll have very little (if anything) to worry about.

UCONN has two Top 10 wins now. I would have preferred they lost tonight. They looked like a completely different team the last three games. They may run the table.

[WxWarrior]

UCONN has two Top 10 wins now. I would have preferred they lost tonight. They looked like a completely different team the last three games. They may run the table.

+1  UCONNs guards are finally playing to their ability.  WVU of course has no guards... one of the reasons we almost won on their home floor.

[avid1010]

im actually embarrassed we lost to WVU. They are a bunch of cant shoot cavemen that probably cant reach an average IQ of 70

They have a classy coach though....loved how Bobby finished this one with an ejection.  Like coach, like player.

[Benny B]

I could almost guarantee that UCONN will not burst MU's bubble (you'd have to assume that MU and UCONN end up as the Committee's #65 and 66 teams.... highly unlikely).  Assuming such, I want UCONN to win out.  Not only is it another W vs. a top 50, it could also be another quality win in a couple weeks.

[ChicosBailBonds]

UCONN is likely to go 10-8.  The schedule is very conducive to do so. 

They just moved into the top 50 RPI which gives us another top 50 win.

If MU finishes 10-8 and UCONN finishes 10-8, and only one team goes...it would probably be UCONN.  They have more quality wins then we do.  So let's go 11-7.   

[Clam Crowder]

they were counting it as a quality win the other day

[ChicosBailBonds]

+1  UCONNs guards are finally playing to their ability.  WVU of course has no guards... one of the reasons we almost won on their home floor.

It's a big man's game

[PGsHeroes32]

Im pretty sure UCONN wont be taking our bid, like someone else already said. Hopefully Gtown is able to win at Louisville tomorrow and we can beat St Johns on Wednesday. That would put us in a position to be in 5th place with all 3 of us being 9-6 in conference. If we stay in the top of the big east standing theres no way we are left out. Win on wednesday and we are still two game better than UCONN conference wise, 1.5 better overall and 1-0 head to head. We just gotta win.

[Dr. Blackheart]

UCONN is likely to go 10-8.  The schedule is very conducive to do so. 

They just moved into the top 50 RPI which gives us another top 50 win.

If MU finishes 10-8 and UCONN finishes 10-8, and only one team goes...it would probably be UCONN.  They have more quality wins then we do.  So let's go 11-7.   

Yet MU owns the tie BET breaker with the win over them away.  No way does the NCAA not take the the higher place BE team just based on the regular season.  So, that leaves the BET as the real differentiater.  Still, 11-7 sets it in stone.

[4everwarriors]

It's a big man's game

Thanks for throwing this in there just for me.

[Clam Crowder]

Now what about the Louisville vs. UCONN game who should we want there?

[PGsHeroes32]

It really depends on what happens tomorrow night in the Gtown-Louisville game. But again, lets just win ourselves and get into the tourney.

[karavotsos]

+1  UCONNs guards are finally playing to their ability.  WVU of course has no guards... one of the reasons we almost won on their home floor.

UConn's guards are playing exactly how they played all season.  Great in transition, and great one-on-one when given room to operate.  Bad assist-to-turnover ratio and bad 3-point shooters.

WVU extends its defense in man and in their 1-3-1, neither of which is a good idea against UConn's guards.  UConn also had 15 offensive rebounds and outrebounded WVU by 8, which I have learned is insignificant.  I don't know why I brought it up.

And I think "almost won"=lost.

[Benny B]

And I think "almost won"=lost.

On the Standings page, you're absolutely right.  But try telling Vegas and those who prognosticate that "a loss is a loss" and you'll be laughed right out of the room.

None of that matters, however.  What does matter is what the committee thinks... that's the million $$ question.

[Benny B]

If MU finishes 10-8 and UCONN finishes 10-8, and only one team goes...it would probably be UCONN.  They have more quality wins then we do.  So let's go 11-7.   

Probably right, Chicos... but as of this morning UCONN has moved from Lunardi's FFO to LFO list.  MU still isn't on the FFO list, which implies that MU controls their own destiny from this point and isn't threatened by UCONN.

There should be no need for the committee to have to decide between UCONN and MU.  My guess is that the committee would rather have both of those teams in and drop a team the likes of OK State or St Mary's from the bracket. 

Think about it... you're the committee chair, being interviewed by CBS in Sunday night prime time (with interviews yet to be had with ESPN, SI, USA Today, etc.), and you're asked why you chose MU over UCONN or UCONN over MU.  There's absolutely no way to make that case (given the results so far) without losing face.  UCONN may have more quality wins or less bad losses, but MU beat UCONN on their home court.  It's an argument you can't win, and certainly a scenario the committee would want to avoid now that they have gone to a more transparent selection model.

Now that I think about it... there's no chance that UCONN and MU both find themselves on the opposite edges of the bubble in two weeks.  If they're that close, they're either both in or both out.