Final 10

[mu_hilltopper]

@SJU - Win
Butler - Win
@Seton Hall - Win
Xavier - Win
Creighton - Big Win
@DePaul - Win
GTown - Win
@Nova - Loss
@Prov - Win
SJU - Win

9-1.  Final record .. 13-5

[downtown85]

I wonder what our RPI would be if we do that.  Perhaps we would still need to win one BET game to get an NCAA bid. 

[MerrittsMustache]

I wonder what our RPI would be if we do that.  Perhaps we would still need to win one BET game to get an NCAA bid. 

At 13-5, MU would play a non-NCAA tourney team in the BET. Couldn't afford a loss in that situation. A win wouldn't necessary get MU in, but a loss may knock them out.

[The Lens]

I wonder what our RPI would be if we do that.  Perhaps we would still need to win one BET game to get an NCAA bid. 

If we finish 9-1, we're in no matter what. We're not some 12-9 team that lost to a bunch of also rans in December.  We have no losses outside the top 100. We're fine if we start winning. Don't look past Saturday tho, I'm not believing until we win 2 in a row.

[tower912]

I've saying 13-5 for weeks.   

[The Lens]

At 13-5, MU would play a non-NCAA tourney team in the BET. Couldn't afford a loss in that situation. A win wouldn't necessary get MU in, but a loss may knock them out.

You don't think 13-5 gets you the 5 or 6 seed?

[MerrittsMustache]

You don't think 13-5 gets you the 5 or 6 seed?

You're probably right. 13-5 could put MU anywhere from 3 to 6. Oddly, they might be better off at 6 and getting a shot at NCAA-bound Xavier as opposed to being the 3 and playing 6-seeded NIT-bound Seton Hall.

[NavinRJohnson]

I've saying 13-5 for weeks.   

I've seen nothing in the last couple weeks to change my opinion that MU will finish 3rd in the Big East. That record would be about right to do so... Maybe 12-6, and yes an NCAA bid.

[Benny B]

If we finish 9-1, we're in no matter what. We're not some 12-9 team that lost to a bunch of also rans in December.  We have no losses outside the top 100. We're fine if we start winning. Don't look past Saturday tho, I'm not believing until we win 2 in a row.

I agree.  Plus, I'm going to go on record now by saying it's going to be a soft bubble this year.

TEAM BUBBLE WATCH, YO!

[KenoshaWarrior]

This next game is crucial.  MU is playing a super talented but completely underachieving StJ team at the Garden.  I always hate playing those teams cause you have no idea which team will show up.  I imagine it is similar to playing us this year, or Kentucky/UNC during a down year.

[Oldgym]

So 4-1 on the road the rest of the way.  Not sure I'm ready to drink that tasty Kool-Aid. 

Lloyd, doable?

[willie warrior]

@SJU - Win
Butler - Win
@Seton Hall - Win
Xavier - Win
Creighton - Big Win
@DePaul - Win
GTown - Win
@Nova - Loss
@Prov - Win
SJU - Win

9-1.  Final record .. 13-5

Wow. Would be ecstatic with that! Pass the mushrooms, please. Winning all road games except Nova is eye popping. But what the hell, why not put the Nova game in our column also. Remember, Creighton slaughtered them at home, so we can also.

[KenoshaWarrior]

So 4-1 on the road the rest of the way.  Not sure I'm ready to drink that tasty Kool-Aid. 

Lloyd, doable?

Im ready, and Im still predicting we make the tourney somehow

[mug644]

I've saying 13-5 for weeks.   

I've seen nothing in the last couple weeks to change my opinion that MU will finish 3rd in the Big East. That record would be about right to do so... Maybe 12-6, and yes an NCAA bid.

I've seen little in the last couple of weeks that move me beyond thinking that 13-5 (or even 12-6) is possible, but unlikely. Even last night's first half (noted as the best the team has played all season) was followed up by a lackluster 2nd half that highlighted the inconsistency that is a hallmark of this team. (Related, I was struck by how Buzz's first half strategy of throwing 11 guys at PC in hopes of tiring them out seems to ultimately have not done the job. In the second half, the energy seemed to be with PC, but for MU keeping them at bay once they ended the 16-0 run.)

This season so far keeps me believing in the old saying, "I'll believe it when I see it." Doesn't mean that I don't think it can happen, but nothing has given me the confidence to believe that it will happen.

I surely hope that Tower and Navin's optimism comes to fruition.

[mu_hilltopper]

@SJU - bottom feeder, win.
@Seton Hall - Tougher game, but even KenPom says we'll win.
@DePaul - C'mon.  It's DePaul .. KenPom winner again.
@Nova - Loss
@Prov - We just beat these guys by 11.  We can do that again.

4-1.

[Oldgym]

I have yet to exorcise the memory of traveling down to Allstate on 1/20/2010 in an ice storm only to have an awful DePaul team rip my heart out with 7/10 of a second left. There are no gimmes on the road. 

But I'd rather read about going 4-1 on the road than another Derrick thread.

[robmufan]

Just going to play devil's advocate 

Do we make the tournament if we go 12-6? 11-7?

[Wojo'sMojo]

So we are going 9-1 the rest of the season? Wow, that's overly optimistic I think. We haven't even won 2 games in a row since we played IUPUI and Ball St. I'm glad we won last night and love the positivity, but this team hasn't given anything close to the impression of putting a winning streak like that up.

[chapman]

I wonder what our RPI would be if we do that.  Perhaps we would still need to win one BET game to get an NCAA bid. 

At 13-5 the expected RPI is about 40.  Almost definitely in.  

Lot of hopes getting up after one game...before yesterday (where we had a 57% chance of winning) 21-10 had a 0.21% chance of happening, since it involve winning all of these in addition to those where we were favored (including two road games):

@SJU 41%
vs. Xavier 50%
vs. Creighton 27%
@ Providence 36%

[Golden Avalanche]

I'll just cut and paste what I wrote yesterday:

Marquette was given a chance to create separation from bottom of the league and failed on Saturday. They earned a reprieve with Hall blowing it last night against Butler and GTown continues to flounder as none of their players attends class.

For all that is wrong with this team, MU has no excuse not to finish in fourth and perhaps even third if X gets lost a bit. With two against direct competition in PC and a mostly favorable road schedule the possibility of a 9-2 (with losses to CU and Nova) is there.

Going 12-6 in the third toughest conference in country would normally be good. However, with nothing of accomplishment in 2013 the Warriors will still need a trip to Saturday in the Garden to even be in a discussion. A season of lost opportunity.

[jsglow]

I see no reason to believe 9-1 is realistic but I'll remain hopeful.  What I will say is that each of the next 3 are MUST wins prior to our next 'opportunity' game against Xavier on 2/15.  In the meantime, I'll simply continue to watch/attend looking for development, consistency, etc.  No reason to get too far ahead of myself.  

I will note that we sat outside the bubble in '10-'11 at this exact same juncture and made a run that ultimately culminated in a S16 so it's not impossible.  I guess I'm asking Jamil to find his JFB cape.

[Norm]

I predict the following, for a 7-3 finish to the regular season.

@SJU - Win
Butler - Win
@Seton Hall - Loss
Xavier - Win
Creighton - Win
@DePaul - Win
GTown - Win
@Nova - Loss
@Prov - Loss
SJU - Win

[MUfan12]

I know SJU's record has been poor, but there's a very real chance MU gets worked tomorrow. They've been better of late, and took Creighton to the last possession on the road the other night.

If they take care of business in these next three, then we can talk bubble. They haven't given me any reason to think they can string together multiple wins, though.

[Big Papi]

@SJU - Win
Butler - Win
@Seton Hall - Win
Xavier - Win
Creighton - Big Win
@DePaul - Win
GTown - Win
@Nova - Loss
@Prov - Win
SJU - Win

9-1.  Final record .. 13-5

A run like that gets us in the tournament easily but I don't see that happening with the team we have.  I see 10-8 and we must get to the BE title game while beating 1 or 2 of the top seeds to make it.

[Coleman]

The homer in me wants to agree with you.

But the realist in me thinks we go 7-3 over the final 10...losing at Nova, Creighton at home, and one other game (X at home or @Providence most likely).....finish 19-12 (11-7). 1-1 at the Big East tourney. 20-13. We are one of the last 4 out. Make a little NIT run and mercifully end a forgettable season. Buzz still gets 21 or 22 wins to his record with the NIT run.

I hope I'm wrong.