Slam Magazine's conference prediction

[goodgreatgrand]

http://www.slamonline.com/online/college-hs/college/2010/09/big-east-season-preview/

Predicted Finish:
1.    Pitt
2.    Villanova
3.    Georgetown
4.    Syracuse
5.    Connecticut
6.    West Virginia
7.    Notre Dame
8.    St. John's
9.    Louisville
10.    Cincinnati
11.    Marquette
12.    Seton Hall
13.    South Florida
14.    Providence
15.    DePaul
16.    Rutgers

[TallTitan34]

What will it take for Marquette to get some respect?

Marquette is one of only 2 teams to reach 10 wins every year in the modern Big East.

[79Warrior]

What will it take for Marquette to get some respect?

Marquette is one of only 2 teams to reach 10 wins every year in the modern Big East.

What does that have to do with what they think we will do this year?

[PJDunn]

I would say quite a bit...in many respects this is the deepest, most talented team that we have had since our move to the BE.  IMO we should be ranked in the top half.

[🏀]

I highly doubt Slam Magazine puts much thought and analysis into this.

[wyoMUfan]

yeah....
I wouldn't take too much stock in what Slam Magazine predicts will happen in the Big East.
Good magazine for recruit interviews and player news, but i don't think they are paying top analysts.

[4everwarriors]

Where is IU predicted to finish?

[dwaderoy2004]

What will it take for Marquette to get some respect?

Marquette is one of only 2 teams to reach 10 wins every year in the modern Big East.

With unbalanced schedules, I think this stat is taken with a grain of salt by most people, especially by other coaches in the league.  To really gain some respect, we have to do what big time programs do: win in march.  consistently.

[Henry Sugar]

This guy wasn't even lazy enough to do the proper prediction.

Marquette will go 11-7, finish 5th-7th, and lose their first game of the NCAA tournament.  duh

[Coleman]

Marquette will go 11-7, finish 5th-7th, and lose their first game of the NCAA tournament.  duh

Every March is starting to feel like groundhog day.


Yeah, getting 10 wins every year in an 18 game schedule is commendable, but its not really something you can brag about until you at least get to the Sweet 16, IMHO.

[Brewtown Andy]

Yeah, getting 10 wins every year in an 18 game schedule is commendable, but its not really something you can brag about until you at least get to the Sweet 16, IMHO.

Go back and look at how many teams managed to do it each of the first two years of the new Big East, when it was a 16 game schedule.

[TallTitan34]

The coaches constanly put us towards the bottom as well.

[reinko]

yeah....
I wouldn't take too much stock in what Slam Magazine predicts will happen in the Big East.
Good magazine for recruit interviews and player news, but i don't think they are paying top analysts.

Are you saying a publication that has such cover stories as the following, is not highly respected?

[chapman]

Louisville is the big "team on the decline" by going from 6th to 9th, and we're not mentioned in the article at all though they think we'll go from 5th to 11th?  Nice homework.

[NCMUFan]

Why get bent out of shape over the ranking.  Better to over perform then under perform.  Maybe Buzz can use it for motivation as he did last year.  We have a chance to really turn heads this year.

[Golden Avalanche]

I would say quite a bit...in many respects this is the deepest, most talented team that we have had since our move to the BE.  IMO we should be ranked in the top half.

I've never understood this argument. More then half of our squad has either never played college ball or their minutes are so limited so as not to provide any real foundation for whether or not the player is legitimate.

We have a tremendous amount of potential rather then a tremendous amount of production. For some publications/prognosticators that alone won't put MU in the upper tier. And I don't think you can argue too well against that thinking.

[reinko]

I've never understood this argument. More then half of our squad has either never played college ball or their minutes are so limited so as not to provide any real foundation for whether or not the player is legitimate.

We have a tremendous amount of potential rather then a tremendous amount of production. For some publications/prognosticators that alone won't put MU in the upper tier. And I don't think you can argue too well against that thinking.

Get what you are saying, but it's not like St. Johns and Cincy (two teams ranked ahead of us in this stupid poll), have a depth of production compared to ours. 

[goodgreatgrand]

What I hate the most is the coaches poll. I mean...Pitino picking SJU to win the conference? Seriously? I really believe there are underlying motives behind a lot of the coachs' picks. I dont think they have a clear, unbiased thought process when they do it. Calhoun and Boeheim are virtually tied in the career wins column and I wouldnt be a bit surprised to see both those coaches pencil in the rival a couple spots above where he TRULY thinks they belong. The higher the coaches ranking, the tougher the schedule. Maybe Im going overboard but I have always thought about things like that. Maybe MU and DePaul benefit in this regard because there isnt the bitter rivalries with the charter members....who knows. Regardless, you cant tell me that Pitino, a guy that knocked up some ugly duckling, ALLEGEDLY paid for an abortion and then thought about paying her hush money is objective when it comes to his team and the type of schedule his team will face. I wonder what sort of affect his SJU pick had on their schedule? Very little if any? Marginal? Dont know. To me, the worst part about the BE is the way in which the home-home games are determined. Hell, as a fan, Id rather have ESPN choose than the coaches; Id rather watch the best rivalries in the conference twice. Let the advertising dollars pick - SOS and RPI will compensate the teams to a degree and the fans will be happy.

[GGGG]

Or base it on the last year...or the last three years...

[FrennA]

Avalanche, maybe I can't argue too well against your logic but I'll give it the ol' college try.  From what everyone seems to be predicting our starting lineup will be next year, it seems that we'll have 3 less starting Freshmen (maybe 2 depending on who's prediction you go off of) than we had in 2005 - a year  which we went 10-6 in the Big East along with Pitt and GT.  This of course is assuming a starting line up this year of Fulce (Sr.), Butler (Sr.), DJO (jr), JC (Soph), and Buycks (Sr)........A much more experience team than the one that finished 10-6 in the Big East tied with GT and Pitt.  Do I believe a more experienced team is better?  No.  Does it help?  Yes.  I just really think people are underestimating Butler and DJO - and I like it for one reason which someone has already mentioned - better to overachieve than underachieve.  The problem I have though is that a higher rating/amount of respect leads to easier sailing when landing big recruits.  

Is my argument convincing?

[Coleman]

Go back and look at how many teams managed to do it each of the first two years of the new Big East, when it was a 16 game schedule.

Right, again...commendable, a feather in our cap. But not something you can really brag about to Villanova, Syracuse, Georgetown, or Pitt when they are making deep runs in the tournament and we are 1 and 2 and done.

Its a cool stat, but you don't play college basketball to get 10 conference wins. You play to win championships and make deep tourney runs.

[Les Nessman]

What difference does it make what anyone says we will finish 3-4 months before the conference schedule starts? We have a ton of talent coming in, we've finished well above expectations since we've joined the Big East. These predictions don't mean jack. Slam magazine needs to fill pages with basketball, this is an easy fill although absolutely worthless.

[Buchec18]

Are you saying a publication that has such cover stories as the following, is not highly respected?

You leave Darius Miles out of this. He was my favorite player as a kid.. but yeah... Marquette should at least get some recognition, but I guess it's hard to tell preseason, with all the new players we have. What's new? A Marquette basketball team will have to work for respect. They've done it many seasons before.

[BCHoopster]

At this time of the year, the pundits look and see no point guard with any returning PT
and who is for sure going to replace a  pro talent in Lazar.  What they did not see is the
Pro-Am league, the impressive play of Junior.  I talked to a friend of Rob Jeter, even Jeter
was surprised how good Junior looked.  The Duke game will be telling if the stage is to big
for him or not.  College ball revolves around the point, looking at all the good MU teams, the
point was critical.  Mo played great last year, a surprise.  JC has to do the same.  The difference
with this team is the depth, all 12 players bring something to the table.  In the past, maybe
7.  Practice will be crazy, practice will mean practice.  A.I. would even have to show up
and play hard.

[goodgreatgrand]

People didn't see the pro-am? seriously? u know just about every halfway decent player in the big east plays in some sort of pro-am, right? they mean nothing. NBA sponsored camps, on the other hand, are a bit more valuable. pro-am's! hilarious. they're like the WWF of basketball. I would 10000x rather watch street ball than pro am crap.