MU vs. Vanderbilt!!!

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

We have a big non conference game tomorrow night. Has there ever been a good matchup, nationally televised no less, that has had less discussion?? Jiminy Christmas! We've got a huge game tomorrow, with the Big East opener three days later and we're talking about a freaking lightly recruited freshman who decided he wasn't getting enough playing time?

What do we think about tomorrow? I think we're in some trouble tomorrow...but what about WV?

[chren21]

Little late.

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=23099.0

[reinko]

PRN, can you please say Jiminy Holidays.

Thanks.

[Windyplayer]

Well, for what it's worth, I drove down to Nashville with my fiancée from Chicago and I'm pumped for the game. I'm expecting a much-needed non-conference W!

[MUfan12]

I'm oddly confident, and I tend to be more on the pessimistic side.

I just have a feeling the Smith transfer will galvanize the team a bit. Everyone who will be there wants to be there.

[Hards Alumni]

I'm oddly confident, and I tend to be more on the pessimistic side.

I just have a feeling the Smith transfer will galvanize the team a bit. Everyone who will be there wants to be there.

Meanwhile, I have a pretty strong feeling that we will get blown out.

[OhioGoldenEagle]

Extremely tough place to play!  We have yet to show much against the better competition thus far, so I'm predicting a loss.  (I say this without seeing Vandy play this year so I really have no clue matchup wise how it breaks down.  They don't have that 7ft Australian guy anymore do they?)

[VegasWarrior77]

Vandy is favored by 7.5.  The over/under is 146.

[OhioGoldenEagle]

Vandy is favored by 7.5.  The over/under is 146.

7.5???

I'll take MU and the under

[GGGG]

We match up very, very poorly with Vandy...first road game...if we are within 7.5 I will be pleased.

One thing that I think will be telling is the rotations.  My guess is that Buzz will tighten things up in preparation for the BE season and we will see no more than 8 guys playing most minutes.

[NersEllenson]

Vandy does have some good front court personnel.  They have a size advantage, however I would say that our talent is better 1-8.  Need good presence from Otule/Gardner tonight.  Jimmy has to be Jimmy +, and Jae needs to duplicate his game against Mississippi Valley.

Pomroy has Vandy 17 in the country and us losing by 8.  If DJO is on his game tonight, in a similar fashion as to what we saw last year...MU wins...if DJO has a bad game...similar to Wisconsin, Duke...we lose.

That said, I think Marquette wins tonight..and the Baby Blue curse is reversed tonight!

[Jam Chowder]

Meanwhile, I have a pretty strong feeling that we will get blown out.

This.

[Da 'Lanche]

This is a great test for MU and will be a measuring stick to see if we are improving and have hope for the BEast season or if we are as mediocre as we have looked early in the year.   Win or lose, I am most interested to see signs of growth from our young guys, better rebounding, some consistency from the outside, and the spirit/effort that usually typifies an MU team under Buzz.

If the game is horribly unbalanced on the boards, DJO goes 1-15 from the field, the offense can not get established and we get killed by the 3-ball, I will officially be worried.   

I think it will be a hard fought, tight game to the very end.

[Hards Alumni]

Vandy does have some good front court personnel.  They have a size advantage, however I would say that our talent is better 1-8.  Need good presence from Otule/Gardner tonight.  Jimmy has to be Jimmy +, and Jae needs to duplicate his game against Mississippi Valley.

Pomroy has Vandy 17 in the country and us losing by 8.  If DJO is on his game tonight, in a similar fashion as to what we saw last year...MU wins...if DJO has a bad game...similar to Wisconsin, Duke...we lose.

That said, I think Marquette wins tonight..and the Baby Blue curse is reversed tonight!

I would disagree, but it is close.

My fear is we get outrebounded by a much bigger team, get blown out of the water, and this board loses its collective crap.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Vandy does have some good front court personnel.  They have a size advantage, however I would say that our talent is better 1-8.  Need good presence from Otule/Gardner tonight.  Jimmy has to be Jimmy +, and Jae needs to duplicate his game against Mississippi Valley.

Pomroy has Vandy 17 in the country and us losing by 8.  If DJO is on his game tonight, in a similar fashion as to what we saw last year...MU wins...if DJO has a bad game...similar to Wisconsin, Duke...we lose.

That said, I think Marquette wins tonight..and the Baby Blue curse is reversed tonight!

I hope you are right, but simply don't see it.  Vandy better team, we're on the road.

[MARQKC]

Extremely tough place to play! 

Also a weird place to play. Floor is elevated from close-in rows; team benches are on the baseline.

Anybody who is there: Check out the history/trophy hallway, if you can find it. If I recall correctly, Vandy was the first SEC school to integrate men's basketball, and that particular display case is worth a visit.

That said, let's surprise some oddsmakers and bring back a W tonight.

[NersEllenson]

I would disagree, but it is close.

My fear is we get outrebounded by a much bigger team, get blown out of the water, and this board loses its collective crap.

I too am fearful of the reaction here if we do get blown out...but it really has been hard to blow out a Buzz-coached team..so hoping that doesn't happen, and also hoping that we surprise some of our fan base and pull this one out.

I hope you are right, but simply don't see it.  Vandy better team, we're on the road.

Vandy definitely does have talent, and the home court advantage..but the underdog role seems to suit Buzz teams well..think he rallies the troops with an us against them message..and we pull a slight upset.  Other than North Carolina (who also got beat by Minnesota by 5 - who we just saw get beat by Wisco by 8) Vandy doesn't exactly have any quality wins...unless you want to count Nebraska?  I just don't see a blow out happening..seems people were more confident about our chances against Duke than Vandy..

[Doris Burkes Thong]

The key to the game is whether DJO can find his stroke from 3. He doesn't have to be lights out of course, but he can't be ice cold either. In other words, we need the 2009-10 version of DJO.

[MUfan12]

Defensive rebounding and outside shooting will be what I'm looking at. With the outside shooting, I'll be looking at the percentage, and the number of attempts. This team can't shoot 21 threes like they did in both of the CBE games.

[dsfire]

We need to balance any deficiencies in the rebounding game with a positive turnover margin tonight.

[warthog-driver]

We need to balance any deficiencies in the rebounding game with a positive turnover margin tonight.

What about deflections?  Oh, wait...that bus left for Bloomington

[GGGG]

YAY!!!  Another lame Crean reference!!

[Hards Alumni]

I just don't see a blow out happening..seems people were more confident about our chances against Duke than Vandy..

I think that a lot of people had somewhat unrealistic expectations at the beginning of the year.  Those expectations have turned into a near panic...

but isn't that most rabid fan bases?

[MU B2002]

If anyone cares ESPN SFTC seems to be confused as to the favorite.  Prop: Vandy 3 pt shots made or MU margin of victory.

[NersEllenson]

I think that a lot of people had somewhat unrealistic expectations at the beginning of the year.  Those expectations have turned into a near panic...

but isn't that most rabid fan bases?

Very good point.