Championship game predictions

[Goose]

MU82

I was not commenting that people should not predict who they truly believe will win. I simply was saying that I am no longer going to root for teams because they are in the BE. If I stated it poorly, my bad. My prediction of Michigan has nothing to do with Nova being a rival. I think Michigan is hot and is going to win. I think it is going to be a great, great game, but Michigan pulls away late.

jsglow
I have zero hate for Jay or Nova and respect their program big time. As a competitive person, I just do not understand cheering for a rival. Not sure where I saw anyone hating Nova, just I am not going to cheer for a team I want us to beat next year. Another NC makes recruiting all that much easier for them. I would rather see them pull a VA every year and have to recruit trying to explain losing to 16 seed over winning another NC.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Nova in a snoozer.  Win by 17-20.

[NotAnAlum]

You're crazy if you don't root for Nova.  By winning a second Championship I think it goes a long way to establishing Nova as a blue blood.  The Big East absolutely needs that.  That is something that stays with you for a long time.  It also shows that you don't have to be getting the money and press that a football program brings to be a true powerhouse in basketball.  And the Big East is the poster child for success without football.
I hope Nova wins a few more Championships.  I just want MU to be competitive and in the upper tier of the BE.  I'll settle for Xavier level success.  Sign me up!

[jutaw22mu]

This will be a blowout.  Margin of victory 20+ points.

[MU82]

MU82

I was not commenting that people should not predict who they truly believe will win. I simply was saying that I am no longer going to root for teams because they are in the BE. If I stated it poorly, my bad. My prediction of Michigan has nothing to do with Nova being a rival. I think Michigan is hot and is going to win. I think it is going to be a great, great game, but Michigan pulls away late.

jsglow
I have zero hate for Jay or Nova and respect their program big time. As a competitive person, I just do not understand cheering for a rival. Not sure where I saw anyone hating Nova, just I am not going to cheer for a team I want us to beat next year. Another NC makes recruiting all that much easier for them. I would rather see them pull a VA every year and have to recruit trying to explain losing to 16 seed over winning another NC.

Thanks for the explanation regarding your prediction, Goose. You still didn't explain why Michigan is "the better team," but I'll let it rest.

I happen to disagree with your rationale behind your answer to glow, but I respect you for saying it.

Mr. Wright 88, Hoopin' Harbaughs 68.

[nyg]

Jeez, Tower started the thread as to who you are predicting to win, not who to root for and any rationale involved, just who will win. 

So, predicting Nova big and rooting for Nova.  Predicting Michigan to win is fine, but not "rooting" for Nova and seeing another NCAA title for the Big East is crazy. 

[Mr. Nielsen]

Don't care! I have Big East pride in my blood. I have whip marks still on my back from 5 years ago about most saying the Big East is dead. Mid-major, blah, blah, blah!

[Goose]

nyg

You should root for whomever you want to win. I only was saying that in IMO, if MU is going to be on a high stage moving forward, it is time not to root for teams we want to compete with. I doubt if Duke fans would cheer for UNC or if Spartan fans are jumping on the Blue bandwagon tonight. I want MU to recruit against and beat Nova in the future. I do not want them to have additional advantage over us.

[GooooMarquette]

Heart: Nova in a laugher.

Head:  Nova in a laugher, 91-76

[Its DJOver]

nyg

You should root for whomever you want to win. I only was saying that in IMO, if MU is going to be on a high stage moving forward, it is time not to root for teams we want to compete with. I doubt if Duke fans would cheer for UNC or if Spartan fans are jumping on the Blue bandwagon tonight. I want MU to recruit against and beat Nova in the future. I do not want them to have additional advantage over us.

We would be quite a few years out from having a rivalry with Nova that would come anywhere close to what Duke v UNC, or Mich v Mich St have.  Also, honest question, how many recruits have we competed with them for.  I would think that since a lot of our recruiting is in the Midwest, we'd want Michigan to lose going strictly off that line of logic.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Goose

If Marquette wants to rival Villanova, it is about Marquette rising to their level not Villanova slipping to ours.

Right now the Big East is starting to mirror the Big 12, with Nova playing the role of Kansas.  Ideally, Marquette becomes good enough that Marquette vs Nova challenges Duke vs UNC as the best rivalry in basketball.  But a lot needs to happen first.

[MU82]

I would think that since a lot of our recruiting is in the Midwest, we'd want Michigan to lose going strictly off that line of logic.

I didn't think of that. Good point.

[Goose]

DJOver

We could be a long, long away from a real rivalry with Nova, and if it happens, it will not match the others mentioned. As for recruiting, there is far more national recruiting with the top programs than ever before, IMO. Of course MU will compete with Michigan and others for certain kids down the road. A perfect example of that was Grimes recruitment by MU. Wojo went against the top programs and I loved that.

I would prefer Michigan using their success and selling the Big Ten over Nova selling two NC's and being the BE king for a decade. Again, I sure hope one of these days we are in a recruiting battle with Nova.

[Its DJOver]

DJOver

We could be a long, long away from a real rivalry with Nova, and if it happens, it will not match the others mentioned. As for recruiting, there is far more national recruiting with the top programs than ever before, IMO. Of course MU will compete with Michigan and others for certain kids down the road. A perfect example of that was Grimes recruitment by MU. Wojo went against the top programs and I loved that.

I would prefer Michigan using their success and selling the Big Ten over Nova selling two NC's and being the BE king for a decade. Again, I sure hope one of these days we are in a recruiting battle with Nova.

Agree that the blue chippers generate more national attention than ever before and I loved that Wojo threw his hat in the ring for QG and I hope he continues to do so for other 5* recruits.  However Wright has said that he doesn't necessarily just look at the top 50 kids and only recruit them, he recruits to his system.  Wojo appears to be building a similar system so they might cross paths on the recruiting trail down the line, but the fact that we had three freshman from the state of Michigan, two of which had offers from either Michigan or Michigan State, I would prefer that a fellow Midwest school can't pull the championship card when recruiting.  If Wojo starts hitting the East Coast harder, then I might not want some of the East coast schools to do as well, although this probably has a minute impact on recruiting if any. 

As for my prediction, I think it'll be close throughout, but Nova turn it on for a 5 minutes stretch in the second half and wins by 12-15.

[jsglow]

I was thinking about this yesterday, I want Nova to be considered a real rival to MU and I hope they get smoked. I know many on here like cheering/supporting another conference team, but I personally want to raise the bar in my thinking. If ND was in BE and playing for NC, I believe few would be pulling for them. To me, that what a rivalry is all about.

So--I am going Michigan by 10+ points. I think they have a hot hand, a great, great coach and are the better team at the moment.

And I'm 6'4" and better looking than Robert Redford too.

[Lennys Tap]

Also, honest question, how many recruits have we competed with them for.  I would think that since a lot of our recruiting is in the Midwest, we'd want Michigan to lose going strictly off that line of logic.

The most valuable player in college basketball went to high school 65 miles from Marquette - then went to Villanova. Maybe we never got any traction, but I sure hope we were recruiting him.

[muwarrior69]

MU82

I was not commenting that people should not predict who they truly believe will win. I simply was saying that I am no longer going to root for teams because they are in the BE. If I stated it poorly, my bad. My prediction of Michigan has nothing to do with Nova being a rival. I think Michigan is hot and is going to win. I think it is going to be a great, great game, but Michigan pulls away late.

jsglow
I have zero hate for Jay or Nova and respect their program big time. As a competitive person, I just do not understand cheering for a rival. Not sure where I saw anyone hating Nova, just I am not going to cheer for a team I want us to beat next year. Another NC makes recruiting all that much easier for them. I would rather see them pull a VA every year and have to recruit trying to explain losing to 16 seed over winning another NC.

Nova wins by one after a foul call with 1 second left. Karma can be a bitch!

[Goose]

jsglow

You are closer to Robert Redford than you are Larry David.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Nova always has seems to have one huge run. They did it against us a few times and in most games I saw (Texas Tech was the only exception). The reason they looked dominant was they did it the first 5 minutes.

Otherwise, they shot slightly above average from 3 (45% vs 40% on the season, nothing special) and were a bit better on ppp (1.34 vs 1.27). It was a good performance, but not at all an outlier. Nova is just that much better than most teams.

Slightly above average against the #9 KenPom team is pretty good on O (then again Kansas D isnt great).  Their defense was pretty solid - which has been a bugaboo for VU in their losses this year.  Maybe that's why if felt different on this end - since they maintained a pretty healthy lead for much of the game.

[brewcity77]

Slightly above average against the #9 KenPom team is pretty good on O (then again Kansas D isnt great).  Their defense was pretty solid - which has been a bugaboo for VU in their losses this year.  Maybe that's why if felt different on this end - since they maintained a pretty healthy lead for much of the game.

To me it was like most of their wins against us or against top-25 kenpom teams. They did the same thing to Kansas they did to Tennessee, West Virginia, Gonzaga, Xavier (twice), and Butler at MSG. One dominant run in the game and solid play most of the rest of the time. I feel like throughout the season, Villanova's winning formula has been pretty consistent.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Nova.  MU needs the win $hare$

[Goose]

Dr.

No they don't. Billy Hoyle is back donating now that Wojo is coach. All is covered.

[MUBigDance]

Nova in a snoozer.  Win by 17-20.

Nova in a snoozer. Win 17-20   

[MUBigDance]

Real prediction: Nova by 19...but lead close to 30 during game.

As far as rooting for this or that.

I root for Nova because its a Big-East team and our conference still needs props. I like Jay Wright.

I root for Michigan because I grew up in AnnArbor...walked to football games as a kid...Bo and Woody...saw Jalen Rose and Chris Webber play in High School....great memories.

But prediction is what I think will actually happen, not just trying to be safe: Nova is going to kill 'em.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Wagner will give Nova troubles.