Bubble Watch

[wadesworld]

So funny how analysts/writers put on RPI goggles and slant their narratives toward that. Eamon refuses to give MU credit for anything. He starts with our loss to Butler a few weeks ago. Good grief.

I thought it was pretty fair.

[Ellenson Guerrero]

So funny how analysts/writers put on RPI goggles and slant their narratives toward that. Eamon refuses to give MU credit for anything. He starts with our loss to Butler a few weeks ago. Good grief.

RPI may be flawed, but so is our basketball team.  I think his summary is a pretty fair assessment given our propensity for let downs. 

[cheebs09]

Updated Bubble Watch from ESPN Eammon Brennan:

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/bubblewatch

It's weird he constantly talks about our defense and how volatile we are but not at all about our prospects. I think our resume is better than most are giving it credit for. We have to take care of business, but I think we have a manageable path to the tournament.

[wadesworld]

It's weird he constantly talks about our defense and how volatile we are but not at all about our prospects. I think our resume is better than most are giving it credit for. We have to take care of business, but I think we have a manageable path to the tournament.

No doubt it's a manageable path to the Tournament.  The problem is, after we beat Villanova, we had a very manageable path to a 9-4 BE record.  Instead, we were at 6-7.  As the author says, "one of the nation's most volatile, unpredictable teams."

[forgetful]

So funny how analysts/writers put on RPI goggles and slant their narratives toward that. Eamon refuses to give MU credit for anything. He starts with our loss to Butler a few weeks ago. Good grief.

They definitely do put on RPI goggles, but their narrative for MU was pretty accurate.  The glaring absurdity comes in the RPI/ACC bias.

They list 14 schools from the ACC in the bubble watch.  Several of those wouldn't make it to the actual bubble if they won the rest of their conference games.

[muguru]

Here's something that would be funny..all we've been doing is talking about being on the bubble, how many more MU needs to lock up a bid, which bracketologists have MU in or out right now. So wouldn't all this talk be funny if the only people that matter(the committee), have MU in safely already(barring a meteoric collapse) and all this talk and worrying is for nothing?? Obviously none of us know what the committee thinks of MU right now, but it's POSSIBLE they could be so impressed with a road win at Creighton and a home win vs Nova, that they have MU already in the field(fairly comfortably right now). 

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

They definitely do put on RPI goggles, but their narrative for MU was pretty accurate.  The glaring absurdity comes in the RPI/ACC bias.

They list 14 schools from the ACC in the bubble watch.  Several of those wouldn't make it to the actual bubble if they won the rest of their conference games.

Ehh. Not so sure about that (its 13, BTW). Pitt is a bit of stretch, but the rest of them are legit bubble teams.  The ACC will probably get 11 or 12 in this year.  MU fans should be rooting strongly against Wake, Clemson, Georgia Tech and Syracuse. 

I do agree that they definitely overweight RPI in the bubble watch analysis. 

[Babybluejeans]

Sports Illustrated says MU is a "should be in" on account of the Villanova and @Creighton games, and barring a disaster like losing tonight.

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2017/02/21/ncaa-tournament-bubble-teams-watch-acc-big-ten-pac-12-sec

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Tonight's bubble games listed below.  To stick with the "Bubble Watch" theme, I will use teams that ESPN list as "work left to do":


Rhode Island @ Lasalle

Clemson @ Va Tech

NC State @ Georgia Tech

Evansville @ Wichita State

Indiana @ Iowa


Fringe Bubble Games (long shots at best for an at large):

Purdue @ Penn State

Auburn @ LSU

Ole Miss @ Mississippi State

Akron @ Bowling Green

Monmouth @ Fairfield

[MU82]

I vow to not be pissed off if we get "screwed" by the committee. All we had to do was win a couple out of Pitt, Butler, Butler, SH and Providence, and we'd be safely in or darn close to it.

I hate it when some coach cries on Selection Sunday about how unfair it was that his 18-13 team didn't get in.

Win a few more effen games! You screwed yourself, bozo!

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I vow to not be pissed off if we get "screwed" by the committee. All we had to do was win a couple out of Pitt, Butler, Butler, SH and Providence, and we'd be safely in or darn close to it.

I hate it when some coach cries on Selection Sunday about how unfair it was that his 18-13 team didn't get in.

Win a few more effen games! You screwed yourself, bozo!

...until you see the last 4-8 teams that made it..

Thankfully, I think MU is in pretty good shape if it wins 2 out of the next 4.  No other bubble teams have the wins we have. 

[MU82]

...until you see the last 4-8 teams that made it..

Thankfully, I think MU is in pretty good shape if it wins 2 out of the next 4.  No other bubble teams have the wins we have.

Nope. Because our lads will have had ample opportunity to not put themselves in such a precarious position. I admit it won't be easy to avoid blaming others, but I vow not to do so.

The good news is that I won't have to follow through on this because we're getting in!

(Unless those a$$wipes on the committee screw us!)

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Nope. Because our lads will have had ample opportunity to not put themselves in such a precarious position. I admit it won't be easy to avoid blaming others, but I vow not to do so.

The good news is that I won't have to follow through on this because we're getting in!

(Unless those a$$wipes on the committee screw us!)

Well if Middle Tennessee and Illinois State take 2 of the final 4 spots, and we're inexplicably left out after a 9-9 finish, I will be sure to ask your thoughts! 

[BM1090]

All 28 brackets on bracket matrix that were updated today have us in the field. Anywhere from a 9 to a 12 seed.

[MuMark]

All 28 brackets on bracket matrix that were updated today have us in the field. Anywhere from a 9 to a 12 seed.

Now if we could just end the season immediately we would be in pretty good shape!

Oh well......

[Windyplayer]

All 28 brackets on bracket matrix that were updated today have us in the field. Anywhere from a 9 to a 12 seed.

CBS not included in that? Odd.

[Windyplayer]

I vow to not be pissed off if we get "screwed" by the committee. All we had to do was win a couple out of Pitt, Butler, Butler, SH and Providence, and we'd be safely in or darn close to it.

I hate it when some coach cries on Selection Sunday about how unfair it was that his 18-13 team didn't get in.

Win a few more effen games! You screwed yourself, bozo!

You argue for your position at the time. That's all you have. Conceptually, I don't really understand your frustration with coaches in those situations.

[BM1090]

CBS not included in that? Odd.

CBS last updated on Sunday, but I can't imagine he'd have us in regardless

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Out of curiosity, I replaced our two worst cupcakes (Howard and SIUE) with two cupcakes from the ~150 RPI range who do schedule buy games regularly (Albany and Grand Canyon). Our RPI jumps 21 spots to 51. With our top 50 wins, we are worrying about seeding at this point instead of us making the tourney.

This is why I hate RPI. Who cares that we creamed Howard and SIUE by 30+ instead of creaming Albany and Grand Canyon by 20+?

[jaygall31]

So we think 9-9 gets in?

[PaintTouches]

Out of curiosity, I replaced our two worst cupcakes (Howard and SIUE) with two cupcakes from the ~150 RPI range who do schedule buy games regularly (Albany and Grand Canyon). Our RPI jumps 21 spots to 51. With our top 50 wins, we are worrying about seeding at this point instead of us making the tourney.

This is why I hate RPI. Who cares that we creamed Howard and SIUE by 30+ instead of creaming Albany and Grand Canyon by 20+?

One note, Howard was not a buy game. It was part of the 2K classic and MU had no control. Pretty unfortunate in the first place, but doubly so when their best player missed almost the whole season.

[fjm]

So we think 9-9 gets in?

I do. And here's why...
Going 2-2 puts at 5th or 6th. That's assuming providence, seton hall or St. John's go 3-1. The chances more than one go 3-1 or 4-0 are unlikely.

The committee is not leaving the 5th BE team out. Not with this bubble when going 3-16 in ACC is being considered.

So let's assume we end up 6th. Who are they going to take? Providence seton hall or St. John's at 5th or MU at 6th with wins over Nova and creighton and Xavier (yes not as marquee right now)

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

One note, Howard was not a buy game. It was part of the 2K classic and MU had no control. Pretty unfortunate in the first place, but doubly so when their best player missed almost the whole season.

Yep. My main point wasn't that we need to schedule better buy games, just that RPI is stupid.

[GB Warrior]

I vow to not be pissed off if we get "screwed" by the committee. All we had to do was win a couple out of Pitt, Butler, Butler, SH and Providence, and we'd be safely in or darn close to it.

I hate it when some coach cries on Selection Sunday about how unfair it was that his 18-13 team didn't get in.

Win a few more effen games! You screwed yourself, bozo!

+1. This team had no shortage of "should win" situations. Butler, Pitt and SH are 3 obvious examples. Winning any one of those is a quality win (Pitt is borderline), and we'd be in a pretty decent spot.  We also had a shot at Butler the second go around and Providence. Then we peed down our leg against GT and STJ.

I think "pretty volatile" is the best description for this team. We don't need to win out. But we probably can't afford more than 2 losses (@X and @Creighton) and can't afford to go one and done in the BET.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Out of curiosity, I replaced our two worst cupcakes (Howard and SIUE) with two cupcakes from the ~150 RPI range who do schedule buy games regularly (Albany and Grand Canyon). Our RPI jumps 21 spots to 51. With our top 50 wins, we are worrying about seeding at this point instead of us making the tourney.

This is why I hate RPI. Who cares that we creamed Howard and SIUE by 30+ instead of creaming Albany and Grand Canyon by 20+?

The exact point I made a few pages ago. Take it a step further and replace another 1 or 2, and it continues to skyrocket. Broeker really needs to do a better job at this - I know it's an inexact science and you're bound to get a couple stickers, but we've had far too many for a bunch of years straight. Other major conference teams seem to do it every year...