Why do high major BB teams play poorly early in the season?

[muwarrior69]

I ask because St. John's just barely won against San Francisco State; Cuse lost one a few seasons back. How does a DII school play so well while St. John's barely showed up. Is it coaching, contempt for your opponent, just not being prepared? Enlighten me.

[MerrittsMustache]

I ask because St. John's just barely won against San Francisco State; Cuse lost one a few seasons back. How does a DII school play so well while St. John's barely showed up. Is it coaching, contempt for your opponent, just not being prepared? Enlighten me.

It's an exhibition. Coaches are tinkering with plays, line-ups, match-ups, etc. It's a glorified practice. For the lower-level school, it's the biggest game of their season.

[bilsu]

The division II school is more excited to play the game.

[spartan3186]

I ask because St. John's just barely won against San Francisco State; Cuse lost one a few seasons back. How does a DII school play so well while St. John's barely showed up. Is it coaching, contempt for your opponent, just not being prepared? Enlighten me.

Syracuse played 0 minutes of zone in that game.

[chapman]

It's like our scrimmages, except 1) people see, 2) they keep score, 3) there's a game clock. 

They have to in fit the special situations / experimental lineups, etc. but are constrained by them being in an actual game rather than working on them for what they are. 

[source?]

St. Johns has had chemistry issues, and generally that's what I would attribute high major struggles to. High major schools get a lot of talent that is expected to contribute right away and they aren't always comfortable early in the season. Mid majors, on the other hand, have groups that tend to be together for a while and freshman are eased into to play. That's my best guess, and I'm by no means an expert.

[WarriorFan]

UWGB / MU last year!
gotta be ready for every game.

[Dawson Rental]

UWGB / MU last year!
gotta be ready for every game.

...but everybody will have an occasional off night, just as most will play over their heads on occasion.

[MUHoopsFan2]

I would say after practicing and banging around with each other and scrimmaging with your own team and being so locked in mentally to win a spot or carved out a niche on your team you are not going to come out on day 1 and game 1 against your first real opponent non conference or not and play like it is March Madness.

We might think they should but they are not robots they are kids in a sense. You gradually work into it. The really good or loaded teams like Kentucky if they play a top 20 school could even slip up not because they are unprepared or not ready it is just they way the game goes. 

[MUHoopsFan2]

The division II school is more excited to play the game.

what? how so? how can you tell that?

That is nonsense...Div II might not take the game for granted but they are no more "excited" to play then Division I are they? I highly doubt it.

Division II might have more fun perhaps. But in Division I it is getting to be just as much a business as the NBA D-League is for some major colleges.

So maybe it is a different kind of excitement, but they are excited to play nonetheless.

[boyonthedock]

They really don't. By and large, high major teams thrash the teams they are supposed to. It's only notable when they don't. Most of these squash matches have a 95%+ likelihood of victory, but they play literally hundreds of these type of cupcake games across D-1, so 1 out of 25 or so does split for the underdog, and you remember those instead of the vast swath of beatdowns. Its just simple statistics, and not some weird anecdotal early season jitters nonsense.

[bilsu]

what? how so? how can you tell that?

That is nonsense...Div II might not take the game for granted but they are no more "excited" to play then Division I are they? I highly doubt it.

Division II might have more fun perhaps. But in Division I it is getting to be just as much a business as the NBA D-League is for some major colleges.

So maybe it is a different kind of excitement, but they are excited to play nonetheless.

Are Marquette players excitd to be playing Southern? Yes, but they are not as excited as they will be playing Ohio St.