So....What are we ranked on Monday - 1/6/2025?

[MU82]

Markus misses the last 13 mins. Goodin, who couldn't hit water from a boat, starts making everything. You bet your ass it was improbable.

It was a great win, and quite improbable. No Markus. No Elliott. Morrow recently quit. McEwen and Bailey in foul trouble. An X player who typically launches bricks suddenly firing in 3s from everywhere. Down 8 on the road to a desperate team.

And we won. It arguably was the best win of the season. It certainly was in the team picture as one of the best.

But some folks shrug and say, "Nah, X sucks. It should have been an easy win." They don't appreciate how hard it is to win any Big East game, let alone an adversity-filled one. And X doesn't suck. They'd be ranked right now ... if they hadn't lost twice to us! Their fans no doubt think that should have been an easy win for them.

[GB Warrior]

We also won an insanely improbable game @ Xavier, so whatever.

Fair enough - I'll allow it.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

No

Marquette was down by 8 (53-45) with Howard already out with 9:08 remaining at the 2nd half.  At that point the Xavier win probability was 85.7%.  Xavier was also up 5 with 1:46 left and had a win probability of 80.3%.  Yet it was not an improbable win because........you say so?

Got it. 

[tower912]

Edge of the top 25 to start.   Top 15 at some point.

So close.   Win at Nova and against Creighton and I am feeling pretty good.   

[🏀]

No

STFU, Donny.

[Pakuni]

Marquette was down by 8 (53-45) with Howard already out with 9:08 remaining at the 2nd half.  At that point the Xavier win probability was 85.7%.  Xavier was also up 5 with 1:46 left and had a win probability of 80.3%.  Yet it was not an improbable win because........you say so?

Got it.

Guru expects MU to win every game and anything less than 40-0 with a natty is a failure to meet expectations.
Ergo, no win is improbable.

[MUMonster03]

18th in the AP! Nice jump.

[Loose Cannon]

Just amazing how far we have come from the end of last season.  "I'm comin' back",    "We're transferring".   Holy Mackerel how does this play out for MU.  And now the story continues to unfold. 

[TSmith34, Inc.]

When I first read this, I thought you were doing the non-teal teal thing ... and maybe I still do.

I also presumed it was silent teal in response to Chico's continued dumpidity and answered in kind.

[PGsHeroes32]

Was not expecting 18

Very cool.

Gives us wiggle room to stay if we lose Wednesday

[MU82]

Just amazing how far we have come from the end of last season.  "I'm comin' back",    "We're transferring".   Holy Mackerel how does this play out for MU.  And now the story continues to unfold.

Right now, as we sit here on Feb. 10, 2020, I truly think Marquette is one of the best stories in all of college basketball.

A lot of folks - including many decades-long Marquette fans - thought this season would be horrendous and thought the program itself was doomed.

Instead, we are in 2nd place in one of the nation's best conferences, we are ranked in the top 20, we are playing our best basketball, and we have a great recruiting class signed (with more possibly to come).

Like you, I'm excited to see how the story unfolds!

[Markusquette]

Where have all the Mike Deane fans been lately?

[NickelDimer]

Right now, as we sit here on Feb. 10, 2020, I truly think Marquette is one of the best stories in all of college basketball.

A lot of folks - including many decades-long Marquette fans - thought this season would be horrendous and thought the program itself was doomed.

Instead, we are in 2nd place in one of the nation's best conferences, we are ranked in the top 20, we are playing our best basketball, and we have a great recruiting class signed (with more possibly to come).

Like you, I'm excited to see how the story unfolds!

Well said and I agree. I really hope this story ends with a tourney run. This could end up being a really special season especially if yesterday was an indication of what to expect.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Where have all the Mike Deane fans been lately?

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

Right now, as we sit here on Feb. 10, 2020, I truly think Marquette is one of the best stories in all of college basketball.

A lot of folks - including many decades-long Marquette fans - thought this season would be horrendous and thought the program itself was doomed.

Instead, we are in 2nd place in one of the nation's best conferences, we are ranked in the top 20, we are playing our best basketball, and we have a great recruiting class signed (with more possibly to come).

Like you, I'm excited to see how the story unfolds!

Please go back and read my posts post hausergate.  I never bought into ur doom and gloom or lack of bball knowledge

[auburnmarquette]

But some folks shrug and say, "Nah, X sucks. It should have been an easy win." They don't appreciate how hard it is to win any Big East game, let alone an adversity-filled one. And X doesn't suck. They'd be ranked right now ... if they hadn't lost twice to us!

Great post! Yes, Xavier still could make the tournament even with the losses to us. As I've said before, it's hard for critics to accept both but Markus is great AND we are deep.

He is the greatest decoy I. The world even if he just runs from corner to corner and then out toward half court because teams must spread out to cover him and this year we have the talent to take advantage and they are good enough to score if he is out. But he is also the ace.in the hole to score 30 or 40 when needed or if a team sags at all to cover the rest .

[Benny B]

Wait how can this be?  I feel like I've read that being first in "others receiving votes" is not a ranking of 26!!!

I suspect for purposes of ESPN's "trend" column on the rankings, any team previously not ranked is assigned a value of 26.

So if you're not ranked to #25, that's a "+1" (i.e. 26 minus 25);
Unranked to #24 is "+2" (26 minus 24);
and so forth.

In other words, even if one of the worst teams in D-I, e.g. Kennesaw State (1-22 overall), found itself at #25 next week, they'd still be a +1 in the trend column.

[jsglow]

Great post! Yes, Xavier still could make the tournament even with the losses to us. As I've said before, it's hard for critics to accept both but Markus is great AND we are deep.

He is the greatest decoy I. The world even if he just runs from corner to corner and then out toward half court because teams must spread out to cover him and this year we have the talent to take advantage and they are good enough to score if he is out. But he is also the ace.in the hole to score 30 or 40 when needed or if a team sags at all to cover the rest .

If I'm remembering correctly, didn't X make a helluva run last year to earn a dance ticket?

[Nukem2]

If I'm remembering correctly, didn't X make a helluva run last year to earn a dance ticket?

Made a nice run, but X went to the NIT.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Made a nice run, but X went to the NIT.

They seem to be in the same boat this year... playing their best ball to close out the year. Too little too late? Or can they put it together and make the dance? I'd say 55% chance they do make it. Pulling for them (now that we already beat them twice...)

[jsglow]

Made a nice run, but X went to the NIT.

Okay, thanks.  But I'm right that they were dead in the water early, correct?

[MuMark]

Okay, thanks.  But I'm right that they were dead in the water early, correct?

They won 6 of their last 7......then beat Creighton before losing to Villanova in the BET.

[Dawson Rental]

Where have all the Mike Deane fans been lately?

Researching Mike Bargen's recruit ranking and trying to find a way to inflate it to top 25.

[marqfan22]

Researching Mike Bargen's recruit ranking and trying to find a way to inflate it to top 25.

Wasn't he the 49th ranked player in the state of Kentucky?

[MuMark]

Wasn't he the 49th ranked player in the state of Kentucky?

I think that was Bart Miller.

Barren is an assistant for Wardle at Bradley now.