What do we do with six left to go?

[JoBo2756]

Just wanted to see where you guys think we will end up....

[dgies9156]

We fo 4-2 and are on the outside looking in this year.

Too bad too, since the team today against Xavier gelled and did what they needed to do. We looked good and finally were playing as a team.

[mviale]

If we cannot beat Creighton or Nova, do we really want to goto the NCAA's?

[NCMUFan]

Absolutely.  Can't dance if you don't go.

[forgetful]

If we cannot beat Creighton or Nova, do we really want to goto the NCAA's?

Creighton and Nova are darkhorse final 4 teams.  There ability to shoot the 3 makes them both vulnerable, but also extremely dangerous. 

I think we beat Creighton and play well at Nova but lose. 

[Lennys Tap]

We fo 4-2 and are on the outside looking in this year.

Too bad too, since the team today against Xavier gelled and did what they needed to do. We looked good and finally were playing as a team.

I think 4-2 likely gets us in - problem is 4-2 will be very tough to accomplish.

[Newsdreams]

5-1 starting to trust this team now that the backcourt is getting it done in both off and D

[mviale]

I say we beat Creighton on Wed!

[Hards Alumni]

we will win out. boom.

[TallTitan34]

I predict we lose the next game we have Jim Burr.

[barfolomew]

We'll go 5-1.
Beat Creighton and we will find ourselves on the very edge of that omnipresent (this year, anyway) bubble -- Joe Lunardi just tweeted us as among the "Next Four Out", so it must be so!

@ESPNLunardi update: Last 4 in - Mizz, Tenn, Richmond, St. Joe's / 1st 4 out - BYU, WVU, St. John's, USM / Next 4 - UD, Baylor, Marq, Clem

[bilsu]

My fear right now is that we beat Creighton and then lay an egg at DePaul.

[MUSF]

Short of winning the BEast tourney, I think we need to beat Creighton, Nova, or both to be considered for NCAA. 4-2 without a signature win puts us in a tough spot I think.

[Dawson Rental]

We fo 4-2 and are on the outside looking in this year.

Too bad too, since the team today against Xavier gelled and did what they needed to do. We looked good and finally were playing as a team.

This is the cold hard fact.  Just like their was no way we could have pulled out that Davidson game last year.  Lightening, please strike twice!

It would be a rare occurrence.  Expecting it would be silly.  Hell, 4-2 will be plenty tough.

[chapman]

Said we needed to add three top 50 wins.  Got one today, as long as it holds.  Creighton and Nova would be, and good ones at that.  Then need to beat Georgetown, St. John's, and/or Providence and have them still perform well enough to move into the top 50.  Got to have Creighton or Nova, since Xavier and two of the three wild cards aren't going to all end up top 50 teams.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

4-2 means we need to get the BET championship.

5-1 means we are probably in.

Logic says we will go 4-2. But I believe in this team's grit. If we need 5-1, then we will get 5-1.

[MUSF]

My fear right now is that we beat Creighton and then lay an egg at DePaul.

I could definitely see something like this happening as well. That stated, Buzz seems to have the team focused and playing consistently well enough to beat the teams we should beat.

[dgies9156]

My fear right now is that we beat Creighton and then lay an egg at DePaul.

Not going to happen. DePaul is without Cleveland Melvin, their only real D1 player. I think most high schools would have a better chance against us than DePaul.

Assuming we beat Creighton (a big assumption), I worry more about Georgetown, Villanova and St. John's.

[muguru]

Quite frankly, I find it sad and downright pathetic we even have to discuss this at this point in the season. At this point we SHOULD be discussing whether or not they would be a 2 seed or a 3 seed. That is what most expected at the beginning of the year. Proud of what they have accomplished the last 3 games, but where the hell has this been all year?? Basically, the BE games they have been playing SHOULD have been defacto exhibition games, where as as long as you didn't totally tank, all they were going to do was improve your seeding(probably not drastically) or hurt it a little bit(probably not drastically).

[nathanziarek]

Quite frankly, I find it sad and downright pathetic we even have to discuss this at this point in the season. At this point we SHOULD be discussing whether or not they would be a 2 seed or a 3 seed. That is what most expected at the beginning of the year. Proud of what they have accomplished the last 3 games, but where the hell has this been all year?? Basically, the BE games they have been playing SHOULD have been defacto exhibition games, where as as long as you didn't totally tank, all they were going to do was improve your seeding(probably not drastically) or hurt it a little bit(probably not drastically).

Whoa. That's...entitled.

The team isn't as talented as we thought (you know, in the time before the season where'd we'd never seen them play, didn't know the line ups and had no idea about any potential injuries or transfers), and took longer to gel.

I'd prefer to give them credit for battling through a tough year than denigrate them (and us as fans) for your misplaced expectations.

[Skatastrophy]

Whoa. That's...entitled.

The team isn't as talented as we thought (you know, in the time before the season where'd we'd never seen them play, didn't know the line ups and had no idea about any potential injuries or transfers), and took longer to gel.

I'd prefer to give them credit for battling through a tough year than denigrate them (and us as fans) for your misplaced expectations.

owned.

[MUBurrow]

Short of winning the BEast tourney, I think we need to beat Creighton, Nova, or both to be considered for NCAA. 4-2 without a signature win puts us in a tough spot I think.

This. While we cracked Lumardis next four out today, our head to head resume is unlikely to beat any other bubble team. We don't have any wins that you wouldn't expect of a team that's the 7th team out. When it cones to the last spot or two, hard to imagine the selection committee giving us the nod. Plus you gotta figure a bubble spot or two disappears with conference tourney upset winners.

[wardle2wade]

This. While we cracked Lumardis next four in today, our head to head resume is unlikely to beat any other bubble team.

False.  Even right now, we have a resume which is close to Lunardi's last four in. And with an assumption of 4-2 (losses to creighton and nova) it would give MU a 4-0 sweep of current tourney teams Gtown and Providence and a 3-3 split with potential two others (Xavier and St Johns).  That is 7-3 vs four tourney quality teams (Xavier, St Johns, Gtown, Providence).

It's funny how many people have posted negatively the last few weeks saying we dont deserve it or dont have a resume.  Like I've said since conference play began (and even more recently), there will be a LOT of attrition at the bubble this time of year.  Even without beating Creighton or Nova, the mere fact MU won 3 games in a row has put MU right near the bubble... THAT is how many bubble teams are losing.  

Mu has to keep winning mind you, but in any 4-2 scenario, Mu shapes up well.

[wardle2wade]

False.  Even right now, we have a resume which is close to Lunardi's last four in.

To show we're not that far off even today (let alone a 4-2 finish), here are the resumes of Lunardi's last three teams IN.  

All ranks are using the kenpom app.  

#27 Tennessee (15-10)...
Top 100 wins: Xavier (neutral) 39, virginia 9, @LSU 70, Arkansas 51, Mississippi 79.
Losses outside top 100: TexasA&M 153, @vandy 106.

#63 Richmond (17-8)...
T100 wins: Delaware 95, dayton 58, mass 44, st joes 66
L's outside top 100: @wakeforest 111, ohio 101

#66 St Joes (17-7) ...
T100 wins: @Vermont 69, @dayton 58, mass 44, vcu 22
L's outside top 100: @temple 172.

#49 Marquette (15-10)...
T100 wins: GW (neutral) 41, seton hall 93, @gtown 51, providence 57, @shu 93, Xavier 39.
L's outside top 100: @butler 109.


If MU were to go 4-2 (even with losses to Creighton and @nova), they would add wins vs gtown, @prov, and st johns, and would have no other loss outside top 100.  It's not the world's best resume, but most definitely a resume in par with the last teams in.

[wardle2wade]

nt.  doublepost