"Time is up. Time is up"

[ChicosBailBonds]

http://www.foxsportswisconsin.com/12/18/10/Buzz-searching-for-ways-to-inspire-incon/landing.html?blockID=376008&feedID=5059

[MarquetteDano]

"Time is Up" is right.  I think Vandy is a must win next week.  Yeah, yeah we could go 12-6/13-5 in the Big East and still get in.  But I don't think we are going 12-6 or better.  If we lose to Vandy, I am not sure 11-7 in the Big East without a good showing in the BET gets us in.  Vandy will give us that critical OOC game that the committee loves.  Plus, it would be on the road.

Time is Up... need to win at Vandy.

[2TimeWarrior]

I'm not one to question a coach's motives often, but as a fan watching the game it seems much of the inconsistency stems from the fact that we don't have a true core or players but rather a spattering of players who are never playing with the same guys.  I never feel like I can get my mind organized in the game since the same guys are never on the floor (maybe this is supposed to work the same way with the other team?)  I understand that guys need to be subbed, but it seems like nobody knows their role on this team yet.  At some point I would expect Buzz to assign those roles and let guys settle in.  Maybe that's where some consistency will show up?

[M@RQUETTEW@RRIORS]

I dont get the need for the amount of substitions of the team is not gonna play a more up-tempo/helter skelter style.  IE press and run more.  If not, Im not sure what all the subbing gets you.

[NersEllenson]

"Time is Up" is right.  I think Vandy is a must win next week.  Yeah, yeah we could go 12-6/13-5 in the Big East and still get in.  But I don't think we are going 12-6 or better.  If we lose to Vandy, I am not sure 11-7 in the Big East without a good showing in the BET gets us in.  Vandy will give us that critical OOC game that the committee loves.  Plus, it would be on the road.

Time is Up... need to win at Vandy.

Regardless of win or lose against Vandy - I can't see any possible way a team that goes 11-7 in the Big East won't get in..maybe even 10-8 and even losing in the first round of the tournament probably gets you in.  To finish with 10 wins..a team is going to have to beat at least 1 or 2 Top 10 teams at present.  MU has no "bad" losses per se..very close margins of defeat against Duke, UW, Gonazaga (who are starting to look more respectable with Washington State proving to be legit.)

[esotericmindguy]

"Time is Up" is right.  I think Vandy is a must win next week.  Yeah, yeah we could go 12-6/13-5 in the Big East and still get in.  But I don't think we are going 12-6 or better.  If we lose to Vandy, I am not sure 11-7 in the Big East without a good showing in the BET gets us in.  Vandy will give us that critical OOC game that the committee loves.  Plus, it would be on the road.

Time is Up... need to win at Vandy.

Seriously dano? Only one or two teams in the history of the new big east missed the tourney with an above .500 record in the beast. Now you're saying 11-7 wont cut it? 11 teams are in the top 50 rpi! Just settle down, 10-8 will likely get you in.....it's the #1 ranked conference. Also, 15 of their final 19 are against top 50 teams, you mean to tell me if the go 11-8 in those games they'll miss the tournament? Preposterous.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Regardless of win or lose against Vandy - I can't see any possible way a team that goes 11-7 in the Big East won't get in..maybe even 10-8 and even losing in the first round of the tournament probably gets you in.  To finish with 10 wins..a team is going to have to beat at least 1 or 2 Top 10 teams at present.  MU has no "bad" losses per se..very close margins of defeat against Duke, UW, Gonazaga (who are starting to look more respectable with Washington State proving to be legit.)

It's happened before, so it's definitely possible not to get in.  Syracuse was a classic example in 2007.  They went 10-6 (prior to 18 game schedule) in conference and did not get in. 

In other years, Providence went 10-8 and were denied.  West Virginia 9-7, denied.  DePaul 9-7 and denied.  Notre Dame 9-7 and denied...twice. 

[MarquetteDano]

Regardless of win or lose against Vandy - I can't see any possible way a team that goes 11-7 in the Big East won't get in..maybe even 10-8 and even losing in the first round of the tournament probably gets you in.  To finish with 10 wins..a team is going to have to beat at least 1 or 2 Top 10 teams at present.  MU has no "bad" losses per se..very close margins of defeat against Duke, UW, Gonazaga (who are starting to look more respectable with Washington State proving to be legit.)

You may be right about 11-7, but that is still a tall order with this team to go 11-7 in the BEast.  And if we do go 10-8 with a first round loss in the BET you are not being honest as I know you will be sweating come Selection Sunday.  There have already been examples of 10-8 teams not making it with better OOC results than we would have had IF we lose to Vandy.

Bottom Line:  win at Vandy and we have some breathing room in the conference portion of our schedule.  Lose at Vandy and the chances of making the tourney just got a lot worse.

[79Warrior]

"Time is Up" is right.  I think Vandy is a must win next week.  Yeah, yeah we could go 12-6/13-5 in the Big East and still get in.  But I don't think we are going 12-6 or better.  If we lose to Vandy, I am not sure 11-7 in the Big East without a good showing in the BET gets us in.  Vandy will give us that critical OOC game that the committee loves.  Plus, it would be on the road.

Time is Up... need to win at Vandy.

Agree. If we go 0-4 in non-conf, I see no way this team wins 10, never mind 11 in the BE. If we cannot get one decent non-conf win, we may be pretenders and not contenders. The BE is much better than many thought, especially murf who inaccurately called it a down year. Last night The Hoyas win big at #17 Memphis. The BE has been excellent in non-conference play.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Seriously dano? Only one or two teams in the history of the new big east missed the tourney with an above .500 record in the beast. Now you're saying 11-7 wont cut it? 11 teams are in the top 50 rpi! Just settle down, 10-8 will likely get you in.....it's the #1 ranked conference. Also, 15 of their final 19 are against top 50 teams, you mean to tell me if the go 11-8 in those games they'll miss the tournament? Preposterous.

Not true

2009 Providence 10-8  missed NCAA
2007 Syracuse 10-6 missed NCAA
2007 West Virginia 9-7 missed NCAA
2007 DePaul 9-7 missed NCAA

[MUfan12]

Not true

2009 Providence 10-8  missed NCAA
2007 Syracuse 10-6 missed NCAA

Those two teams give me cause for concern, especially that Syracuse team. Yes, they got screwed, but they played a non-con schedule right at the same level MU did this year.

[NersEllenson]

Not true

2009 Providence 10-8  missed NCAA
2007 Syracuse 10-6 missed NCAA
2007 West Virginia 9-7 missed NCAA
2007 DePaul 9-7 missed NCAA

Not all things are equal..as the strength of the Big East Conference has varied from 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

[NersEllenson]

You may be right about 11-7, but that is still a tall order with this team to go 11-7 in the BEast.  And if we do go 10-8 with a first round loss in the BET you are not being honest as I know you will be sweating come Selection Sunday.  There have already been examples of 10-8 teams not making it with better OOC results than we would have had IF we lose to Vandy.

Bottom Line:  win at Vandy and we have some breathing room in the conference portion of our schedule.  Lose at Vandy and the chances of making the tourney just got a lot worse.

I can agree with the bolded part...but as I mentioned earlier..to finish 10-8 in this year's Big East..MU would have to beat 1 or 2 top 10-20 teams to finish 10-8.  They have 9 games against non-ranked teams right now..and that includes West Virginia who is fairly highly regarded...and they have 9 games against Top 25 teams...of those 6 are against Top 10 teams.  Lots of chances for signature wins.

[brewcity77]

We wouldn't have to beat two teams that are in the top 10 right now. What if those significant wins are all at home? Does anyone really think 10-8 with no good non-con wins and no good road wins equates to a trip to the NCAAs? Even 11-7 probably isn't a lock. Assume the following 11 wins:

Home: West Virginia, Rutgers, Notre Dame, DePaul, Seton Hall, Providence, Cincinnati

Road: St. John's, South Florida, Seton Hall, Louisville

Is there anything there that screams "let this team in"? Based on the current rankings, that's one win over a top 25 team, and that being at home. If we went one and done in the BEast tourney, I really don't think that 11-7 would do it. Just my opinion.

[willie warrior]

I'm not one to question a coach's motives often, but as a fan watching the game it seems much of the inconsistency stems from the fact that we don't have a true core or players but rather a spattering of players who are never playing with the same guys.  I never feel like I can get my mind organized in the game since the same guys are never on the floor (maybe this is supposed to work the same way with the other team?)  I understand that guys need to be subbed, but it seems like nobody knows their role on this team yet.  At some point I would expect Buzz to assign those roles and let guys settle in.  Maybe that's where some consistency will show up?

"Splattering" is a very descriptive way of identifying Buzz's substitution patterns.
he is absolutely wrong in playing Crowder in the post, and absolutely wron in playing Bikes at the Point. But if you criticize him for it, the cavalry comes to his defense with all sorts of subjective reasoning.

[willie warrior]

Seriously dano? Only one or two teams in the history of the new big east missed the tourney with an above .500 record in the beast. Now you're saying 11-7 wont cut it? 11 teams are in the top 50 rpi! Just settle down, 10-8 will likely get you in.....it's the #1 ranked conference. Also, 15 of their final 19 are against top 50 teams, you mean to tell me if the go 11-8 in those games they'll miss the tournament? Preposterous.

We need at least two, probably three quality wins to get in the dance. We have none right now, and loading up on cupcakes has not prepared us for the GT's, Pitts, Syracuses, Villanovas, etc.

[NersEllenson]

We wouldn't have to beat two teams that are in the top 10 right now. What if those significant wins are all at home? Does anyone really think 10-8 with no good non-con wins and no good road wins equates to a trip to the NCAAs? Even 11-7 probably isn't a lock. Assume the following 11 wins:

Home: West Virginia, Rutgers, Notre Dame, DePaul, Seton Hall, Providence, Cincinnati

Road: St. John's, South Florida, Seton Hall, Louisville

Is there anything there that screams "let this team in"? Based on the current rankings, that's one win over a top 25 team, and that being at home. If we went one and done in the BEast tourney, I really don't think that 11-7 would do it. Just my opinion.

Sorry Brew..but you are crazy if you don't think 11-7 gets you in.   Lville is 25 currently..Notre Dame is 20..so there are 2 wins ver Top 25 teams.  Ken Pom has West Virginia at 18..Wisconsin at 14..I just don't believe that the whole obsession with "non conference wins" matters that much now that we are in the Big East.  It was always HUGE in the past for us when we were in CUSA, Great Midwest, etc...but the Big East as a league has done well enough out of conference this year that we will be fine.  Again..thre are NO bad losses yet...and I doubt this team will have a bad loss this year.  Bad definied as to a team lower than 100 in the RPI..

[4everwarriors]

Regardless if we beat Vandy or not, here's the reality check. It will be a major step for this team to break .500 in the BE.

[Dr. Blackheart]

MU goes as our frontline goes in the BE.  Small Ball has hurt us this season:  Bucknell, Zags, Wisky to start the 2nd half and for the opening even against MVS until Otule was inserted. Looking at the match-up games, we need size to compete.  If Joe stays healthy, EWill develops, our 5's progress into serviceable on both ends, we have a chance.  Crowder cannot play the post and Jimmy is needed more for his scoring this year rather than his inside/backside game of a season ago.  We have pieces, just don't know if we have all of them yet.

[brewcity77]

Sorry Brew..but you are crazy if you don't think 11-7 gets you in.   Lville is 25 currently..Notre Dame is 20..so there are 2 wins ver Top 25 teams.  Ken Pom has West Virginia at 18..Wisconsin at 14..I just don't believe that the whole obsession with "non conference wins" matters that much now that we are in the Big East.  It was always HUGE in the past for us when we were in CUSA, Great Midwest, etc...but the Big East as a league has done well enough out of conference this year that we will be fine.  Again..thre are NO bad losses yet...and I doubt this team will have a bad loss this year.  Bad definied as to a team lower than 100 in the RPI..

I just don't think that would make us a lock. Maybe they are in the other poll, but Louisville was unranked when I posted that. What if ND falls out of the rankings? The BEast will beat up on itself and could result in us having no victories over ranked teams come March. And what if there are 8 other BEast teams that do have signature wins? 11-7 is a likely bid, but you can't tell me those 11 wins would be a slam dunk to get us dancing.

[spartan3186]

Not true

2009 Providence 10-8  missed NCAA
2007 Syracuse 10-6 missed NCAA
2007 West Virginia 9-7 missed NCAA
2007 DePaul 9-7 missed NCAA

Providence and Syracuse both would have made the field with 68 teams.

[NersEllenson]

I just don't think that would make us a lock. Maybe they are in the other poll, but Louisville was unranked when I posted that. What if ND falls out of the rankings? The BEast will beat up on itself and could result in us having no victories over ranked teams come March. And what if there are 8 other BEast teams that do have signature wins? 11-7 is a likely bid, but you can't tell me those 11 wins would be a slam dunk to get us dancing.

I do respect your point generally..but just feel that 11 wins is a slam dunk..no matter who we beat to get to 11 wins in the Big East.  Hopefully..and this may be a big hopefully..we actually get to see what happens if we do get to 11 wins!!  I think all of us can agree that we'd be happy with an 11 win season in the Big East...and I do feel it is a legitimate possibility for us to get to 11...even given what has seemed to be some choppy play thus far.  Think the team gets better and better as the weeks go on..

[nomorebuycks]

Can everyone agree that losses to Vanderbilt and WV pretty much takes MU out of any NCAA equation?

[4everwarriors]

Yikes Buycks! No man, far too early for the fat broad to sing. However, you probably will get a few cats to agree that this year's team would have to do a quick 180 to penetrate even a soft bubble.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Sorry Brew..but you are crazy if you don't think 11-7 gets you in.   Lville is 25 currently..Notre Dame is 20..so there are 2 wins ver Top 25 teams.  Ken Pom has West Virginia at 18..Wisconsin at 14..I just don't believe that the whole obsession with "non conference wins" matters that much now that we are in the Big East.  It was always HUGE in the past for us when we were in CUSA, Great Midwest, etc...but the Big East as a league has done well enough out of conference this year that we will be fine.  Again..thre are NO bad losses yet...and I doubt this team will have a bad loss this year.  Bad definied as to a team lower than 100 in the RPI..

When Providence was not let in, they had wins over top 5 Pittsburgh (and a number 1 seed), top 20 Syracuse (a number3 seed), won their first round Big East tournament game and still weren't let in.

At the end of the day, NOTHING is guaranteed.  Calling someone crazy or delusional for stating their opinion when the very same outcome has occurred in the past to other teams, seems wrong.

Incidentally, that 2009 Providence team played in a Ken Pom ranked Big East conference that was ranked third in the nation.  The 2010-11 Big East, 3rd ranked also by Ken Pom.