I really believe MU is going to the Final Four...

[keefe]

I agree and if Larry O'Neil had stayed, who knows.

And Larry McNeill's wife!

[Silkk the Shaka]

No...they are not. I think they are just different, not better. They have a low post dimension this year they NEVER had since they had Robert Jackson and Scott Merritt in Chris Otule and Devante Gardner.

And they faced a few teams at the right time when they had key guys out and hurt or ineligible that they capitalized on and won those games.

I still dont know who or what this team is on any given night but they do have a true identity and M.O. that bodes well.

MU. They are tough, they unified, they are deep, relentless and interchangeable, being full or heart and character and they are fearless as a team and always locked in and focused as one unit that comes at you on both ends  for 40 minutes.

But the one skill they do not have or they have not shown that you need in the tournament is the big shot ability from a given player on any given possession or to go on prolong streaks and runs.

They are stop and sputter type team. And that will work against some teams until they slap a zone on MU and they are on a night when no one is shooting well.

Yes they can get to the line and find ways to get a shot attempt up, but lack that one true go to guy. The one guy killing them is Lockett.

For the minutes Buzz plays him they need more from him, no lie. Espeically if you refuse to play or get anything from Mayo.

I would rather give Taylor his minutes but he does defend, but so what. They all do. In fact, Mayo might be as good a defender as any of them man to man.

Next year give me just two cats who can replace those two and shoot the lights out and its all over...you will get your Final Four team. That is all they are missing....

'preciate the verbosity, but I think you're confused.  Never said this year's team was better than '09.  I was referring to last year's team.

[GGGG]

I would rather give Taylor his minutes but he does defend, but so what. They all do. In fact, Mayo might be as good a defender as any of them man to man.

Not this year.  Mayo has been terrible defensively for a good portion of the year.

[GGGG]

MU. They are tough, they unified, they are deep, relentless and interchangeable, being full or heart and character and they are fearless as a team and always locked in and focused as one unit that comes at you on both ends  for 40 minutes.

Correct.  And therefore this team reminds me a lot of the Pitt teams over the last decade.  Tough teams that are hard to beat in the grind of a regular season, but who can never seem to get over that hump in the tournament, and will eventually get knocked off by a hot offensive team - like Marquette in '03, Nova in '09 or Butler in '10.

[NavinRJohnson]

Perfectly reasonable to think they will win a game or two, but I'd say the only way they do much beyond that, is if Vander Blue or Jamil Wilson come out of this thing as a household name. The whole different guy every night thing isn't going to get it done in the tournament. Depth and options are important, but someone is going to have to step up and dominate. I think either guy is capable of doing it. Whether it happens or not is a different question.