for those of you who wanted a Catholic league - here is where the 40 rank

[auburnmarquette]

Haha,  the one I missed was Notre Dame

My favorite thing to ask Notre Dame grads, "Did you apply to any Catholic Universities?"

[GooooMarquette]

The top 16-20 on the list would make for a really fun early-season tournament... or maybe the top 2 from each conference.  it would have to be set up so no BEAST or WCC teams play their own conference in the first two rounds.  Would be much better than playing South Western Kentucky Technical and Agricultural College.

Aren't they in the same conference as Milwaukee Teachers' College?

[Billy Hoyle]

The top 16-20 on the list would make for a really fun early-season tournament... or maybe the top 2 from each conference.  it would have to be set up so no BEAST or WCC teams play their own conference in the first two rounds.  Would be much better than playing South Western Kentucky Technical and Agricultural College.

Too bad that isn't permissible and even possible. Any such "tournament" would have to be set up like PK80 which was two separate brackets that crowned two separate champions since the rule is that an exempt tournament cannot have multiple teams from the same conference.

[CTWarrior]

I know it could never, ever, ever happen, but it would be fun if it became a EPL style relegation league with four 10 team leagues.  With the bottom three in each league being relegated and the top 3 moving up the following year.  Would never work for a million reasons (Would the Sisters of the Poor League (level 4) get an auto invite to the NCAA tournament?  The constant roster turnover would probably result in a bottom feeder being great one year and then moving up when the players that made them great graduated)  The top league in most years would be in the top 2 of conferences in the country, I was guess.

[willie warrior]

I agree with your over all point, but I count 8 in KenPom top fifty:

1.  Villanova
10.  Gonzaga
15.  Xavier
25.  Seton Hall
30.  Loyola/Chicago
31.  Creighton
32.  St. Mary's
35.  Notre Dame

What is really pathetic about this list is that MU is 9th.

[auburnmarquette]

What is really pathetic about this list is that MU is 9th.

Hate to say Notre Dame would have been much further ahead of us if Bonzie didn't go down - so there is a huge gap between these 8 and us

[Fullodds]

And MU would have been better wo injuries to Howard and Hauser.

[GooooMarquette]

And MU would have been better wo injuries to Howard and Hauser.

Yep. People can play "what if" all day when it comes to injuries, but the reality is that every team deals with them eventually. Sam's injury in particular could have swung several games in the other direction.

And our '09 tourney run if Dominic didn't get hurt...and missing out in '05 without Diener....

[Galway Eagle]

Yep. People can play "what if" all day when it comes to injuries, but the reality is that every team deals with them eventually. Sam's injury in particular could have swung several games in the other direction.

And our '09 tourney run if Dominic didn't get hurt...and missing out in '05 without Diener....

09-present if otule wasn't hurt

[GooooMarquette]

09-present if otule wasn't hurt

I laughed.

[Billy Hoyle]

Yep. People can play "what if" all day when it comes to injuries, but the reality is that every team deals with them eventually. Sam's injury in particular could have swung several games in the other direction.

And our '09 tourney run if Dominic didn't get hurt...and missing out in '05 without Diener....

Don't forget Jerel's injury in 2007.  His being out dropped us to a 9 seed against Michigan State.

Dom's injury sucked but Buzz really mismanaged that Missouri game. There is no way Dom should have played.  That lost the game, not Lazar stepping over the line while trying to inbound the ball under our hoop.

You are correct on your first point too. Just look at the conference. Creighton could play the "what if" game this year, as could St. John's.  The biggest "what if" in recent history is Cincy and Kenyon Martin.  They probably win the 2000 national title if he doesn't break his leg in the CUSA quarters against SLU.  I know for some this is stunning, but other teams have injuries that change their seasons too.

[WarriorDad]

USA Today Article on Catholics love of basketball.  MU mention

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2018/03/28/villanova-loyola-reaching-final-four-brings-light-catholic-love-basketball/467753002/

[tower912]

Uh oh, rocket, somebody did a story on Catholicism and basketball.

[WarriorDad]

New York Times article today.  Why Catholic colleges excel at basketball.  Marquette mention.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/30/sports/catholic-basketball-final-four.html?smid=tw-share

[willie warrior]

Don't forget Jerel's injury in 2007.  His being out dropped us to a 9 seed against Michigan State.

Dom's injury sucked but Buzz really mismanaged that Missouri game. There is no way Dom should have played.  That lost the game, not Lazar stepping over the line while trying to inbound the ball under our hoop.

You are correct on your first point too. Just look at the conference. Creighton could play the "what if" game this year, as could St. John's.  The biggest "what if" in recent history is Cincy and Kenyon Martin.  They probably win the 2000 national title if he doesn't break his leg in the CUSA quarters against SLU.  I know for some this is stunning, but other teams have injuries that change their seasons too.

Ah yes. That MSU game, we scored 11-13 points in the first half. A real offensive onslaught, that game.

[WarriorDad]

Ah yes. That MSU game, we scored 11-13 points in the first half. A real offensive onslaught, that game.

That was one ugly game, though we did score 18 points not 11-13.   One of our worst NCAA halves in MU history.

In 2013, we also scored 18 points against Syracuse in the first half and 21 points in the second half of same game (39 total points).

In '94, 23 points against Duke in the second half.  Also 23 points in '71 in first half in our win against Miami (OH) and 23 points in '13 first half in our win against Davidson.