Purdue @ Marquette November 14

[Loose Cannon]

I think poster is asking 30 or 31 games.

OOC.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

This has been my complaint for a few years now...STOP losing home games as often as they do, and they'd be in the tourney every single year. It really is that simple...gotta defend the home court.

Yes. Beating a final four contender is really that simple.

[Herman Cain]

I think poster is asking 30 or 31 games.

I hope we can figure out 31. Makes it easier to get to the magic 20 win mark.

[wadesworld]

I hope we can figure out 31. Makes it easier to get to the magic 20 win mark.

What magic?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

It has the makings of a fantastic schedule. As long as you don't lose more than 4 non con games, those loses don't really hurt you at the end of the year.

From a fan perspective its a fantastic schedule. But maybe not from a team perspective. We have the look of a bubble or NIT team going into this season. Depending on the matchups in Maui we could end up facing 5 potential top 25 teams, three on neutral courts, one on the road, the best one at home, and none of them with Froling. You add in a potential headscratching loss to a buy game and you could end up dead in the water by the team Big East play rolls around.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I hope we can figure out 31. Makes it easier to get to the magic 20 win mark.

Yep. Marquette (10 seed) really needed that magic 20 win mark last season. As did Vanderbilt (9 seed), Michigan State (9 seed), and Wake Forest (11 seed). And Vanderbilt (11 seed), Oregon State (7 seed), Texas Tech (8 seed), and Syracuse (10 seed) the year before.

[MU82]

From a fan perspective its a fantastic schedule. But maybe not from a team perspective. We have the look of a bubble or NIT team going into this season. Depending on the matchups in Maui we could end up facing 5 potential top 25 teams, three on neutral courts, one on the road, the best one at home, and none of them with Froling. You add in a potential headscratching loss to a buy game and you could end up dead in the water by the team Big East play rolls around.

Why would we be dead in the water when we're then gonna go out and win the Big East?

[brewcity77]

I hope we can figure out 31. Makes it easier to get to the magic 20 win mark.

20 wins in 2015-16, no postseason.

19 wins in 2016-17, NCAA at large berth.

Well done on another dumb post.

[The Lens]

We're in year 4 of the Wojo regime.  Duane was successfully ran off and it's now all Wojo's guys.  If we're afraid of a Big 10 player / team, we've got issues.  I don't care who they run out, this game is at home.  And UGA, it's a lower tier SEC team.   Who do you guys want? Maine?

[Dr. Blackheart]

What magic?

The Magic Dawson Line

[MU82]

We're in year 4 of the Wojo regime.  Duane was successfully ran off and it's now all Wojo's guys.  If we're afraid of a Big 10 player / team, we've got issues.  I don't care who they run out, this game is at home.  And UGA, it's a lower tier SEC team.   Who do you guys want? Maine?

Yes, Duane was successfully "ran off."

Stoopid Wojo should have given Duane all of the minutes that went to Markus, Rowsey, Katin, Sam, JJJ and Luke. We would have gotten back to the Final Four for sure!

[The Lens]

Yes, Duane was successfully "ran off."

Stoopid Wojo should have given Duane all of the minutes that went to Markus, Rowsey, Katin, Sam, JJJ and Luke. We would have gotten back to the Final Four for sure!

The point is these are all his guys.  No more excuses, no more training wheels.  It's the 4th year in a program that spends millions & millions & millions on hoops.  It's time for big nonconf wins, finishes atop the conf and trips to the second weekend.

[bilsu]

It has the makings of a fantastic schedule. As long as you don't lose more than 4 non con games, those loses don't really hurt you at the end of the year.

Generally, I would say 4 non-conference losses are to many. However, this year it might not hurt MU as much if the losses are before Froling is eligible. Those losses will not hurt as much, if we are clearly a better team with Froling.

[real chili 83]

Boilers no matta.

[bilsu]

Yep. Marquette (10 seed) really needed that magic 20 win mark last season. As did Vanderbilt (9 seed), Michigan State (9 seed), and Wake Forest (11 seed). And Vanderbilt (11 seed), Oregon State (7 seed), Texas Tech (8 seed), and Syracuse (10 seed) the year before.

We may not need it to get to the NCAA tournamnet, However, I have always tracked our 20 game win streaks. We could have a two season 20 game win streak right now had we played 13 non-conference games last year.

However, 20 win seasons are not a very strong metric anymore, since there are so many games. I would say winning 25 is the equivelent to winning 20 in the early McGuire years. Back then 30-0 would of been a perfect season, now it would be 40-0.

[GGGG]

The point is these are all his guys.  No more excuses, no more training wheels.  It's the 4th year in a program that spends millions & millions & millions on hoops.  It's time for big nonconf wins, finishes atop the conf and trips to the second weekend.

What excuses were made last year?  What "training wheels" are you talking about?

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

From a fan perspective its a fantastic schedule. But maybe not from a team perspective. We have the look of a bubble or NIT team going into this season. Depending on the matchups in Maui we could end up facing 5 potential top 25 teams, three on neutral courts, one on the road, the best one at home, and none of them with Froling. You add in a potential headscratching loss to a buy game and you could end up dead in the water by the team Big East play rolls around.

Yah, if you lose them all. Win 2 and you're in fantastic shape, even with 3 non con losses. It's a great schedule. Even if you get beat up a bit, losing to top 25 teams doesn't really hurt you.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

People complain about the non-conference schedule being too weak. Now it's too hard? C'MON man up! (and Chick & Mom woman up!)

We will burn the Domers in the Maui sun, exterminate the Rodents in their own house, and make Purdon't boiler down! Heldt will eat some Sonoran Salsa before the game and turn Haas into guacamole!  Howard, Rowsey, and Hauser will rain so many 3s that Navy Seals will be saying "daa-umm they got some snipers!"

So R-E-L-A-X; we got this. #runthetable

[The Lens]

What excuses were made last year?  What "training wheels" are you talking about?

There had been a line of thinking (not saying by you) that Wojo was saddled with JJJ, Duane and Luke and we couldn't really be full Wojo until those guys were finally gone.  Well they're finally gone.  It's time to fly. 

[Jay Bee]

People complain about the non-conference schedule being too weak. Now it's too hard? C'MON man up! (and Chick & Mom woman up!)

My concern isn't "too weak" or "too hard" (pause). It's the RPI and/or whatever metrics are used going forward by the selection committee.

You can create a very difficult or "hard" schedule that has a so called "strength" from the lens of the committee that is far weaker. Conversely, you can have a relatively easy schedule that results in a very high "strength" (see Minnesota last season).

The RPI's Strength of Schedule is not a sane way to measure difficulty.

We're going to have a difficult schedule. The concern is if we have a difficult schedule that doesn't get recognized... and that's a real possibility here.

[MUDPT]

RPI will be used next year by the committee too. I don't think they announced any changes. And the guys on the committee are also the ones making their schools' schedules next year, so they are going to schedule to maximize RPI.

[Herman Cain]

Generally, I would say 4 non-conference losses are to many. However, this year it might not hurt MU as much if the losses are before Froling is eligible. Those losses will not hurt as much, if we are clearly a better team with Froling.

Froling has some skills but is not going to be an impact player in the first year . Matt Heldt has proven he can absorb and dish out the physicality in our league and will get Lions share of minutes. Froling will need to prove he can play Big East defense and is not soft. That will take time.

[wadesworld]

Froling has some skills but is not going to be an impact player in the first year . Matt Heldt has proven he can absorb and dish out the physicality in our league and will get Lions share of minutes. Froling will need to prove he can play Big East defense and is not soft. That will take time.

Just a guess but I'm thinking the coaching staff knows what Froling can do based on a year of practice with the team. I don't think late December of 2017 is going to be Froling's first chance to prove to the coaching staff he can compete at this level...

[Jay Bee]

Froling has some skills but is not going to be an impact player in the first year . Matt Heldt has proven he can absorb and dish out the physicality in our league and will get Lions share of minutes. Froling will need to prove he can play Big East defense and is not soft. That will take time.

[GGGG]

There had been a line of thinking (not saying by you) that Wojo was saddled with JJJ, Duane and Luke and we couldn't really be full Wojo until those guys were finally gone.  Well they're finally gone.  It's time to fly. 

We were pretty much "full Wojo" last year.