Next Three Games are the Real Deal

[Class71]

What MU has done to go 7-1 is incredible.  Impressive by any standard.  What they do in the next 3 games (Butler, STJ, `Nova) will be a real test of how good this team is. One win will be impressive, two will be outstanding and three suggests crowning a new Big East leader.

Will three wins happen? Don't know but it sure would be sweet.

[tower912]

Because 18-3 is only meh.   

I do not expect to win all 3.   

[MU82]

I think we'll be so good that we'll go 4-0 in the next 3 games!

[wadesworld]

I'll be thrilled with a win at Butler. Let's show we're road Warriors and get a 4th in a row on the road.

[Daniel]

Let's win at Butler.  That is the next big test.  Go Marquette!

[BallBoy]

Key question is...will another Big East team help Marquette with a win over Nova or will Marquette need to win out including 2 victories over Nova?

[MU82]

Key question is...will another Big East team help Marquette with a win over Nova or will Marquette need to win out including 2 victories over Nova?

None of us has the answer.

Also, none of us knows that MU won't lose to teams not named Nova.

If I had to guess, I'd say Nova will not go 17-1 in the BEast this season.

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

I think we'll be so good that we'll go 4-0 in the next 3 games!

[Goose]

I think they have very legit chance to win all three. Confidence level is high out at my house. Might not be pretty, but think they win all three.

[BM1090]

My guess is we lose to Butler and come home and take care of business in the other two.

[WarriorFan]

This team has found so many different ways to win that it's hard not to be optimistic.

[wadesworld]

I've been saying all year Nova is going to figure it out and that I wish we had played them twice very early in the conference season. Booth and Paschal are awesome but they were transitioning from 4th and 5th best starters to the top players. And the rest of their guys were going from basically nobody or not even in the program to being relied on for major minutes. Jay's as good of a coach as there is but there was always going to be a transition period. The transition is done. In my opinion they'll be playing like one of the top 10 teams in the country come Tourney time.

And I still am having nightmares about that SJU game.

I'm most confident about the Butler game. But none of these will be easy. 2-1 and I will be very pleased.

[Cheeks]

I see 1-2 or 2-1


Still think Nova absolute class of the league and that will be tough to overcome.  At Butler will not be easy and StJ absolutely desperate

[79Warrior]

Lose at Butler and we win the home games against SJU and Nova..

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

2nd, 3rd, and 4th hardest games remaining on the schedule IMHO. Maybe 2nd, 3rd, and 5th.

[GoldenZebra]

If MU wins at Butler, that will be very impressive. More so than beating Nova. Butler is desperate for a win. doubly so it gets a chance to knock off a top 15 team.

[brewcity77]

I was looking at the standings on kenpom today. Here is the conference rankings and conference SOS so far:

1) Villanova (9)
2) Marquette (10)
3t) Creighton (1)
3t) Providence (7)
3t) Georgetown (5)
6t) Butler (6)
6t) St John's (4)
6t) Seton Hall (3)
6t) Xavier (8)
6t) DePaul (2)

So breaking it into groups, it looks like the road gets harder for Villanova, Marquette, & Xavier (first to worst?). It gets easier for Creighton, DePaul, & Seton Hall (possibly teams with an edge on at large bids). And for the rest, it probably is what it is.

[Class71]

I think they have very legit chance to win all three. Confidence level is high out at my house. Might not be pretty, but think they win all three.

I will take not pretty and 3 wins any time Goose.

[BallBoy]

I was looking at the standings on kenpom today. Here is the conference rankings and conference SOS so far:

1) Villanova (9)
2) Marquette (10)
3t) Creighton (1)
3t) Providence (7)
3t) Georgetown (5)
6t) Butler (6)
6t) St John's (4)
6t) Seton Hall (3)
6t) Xavier (8)
6t) DePaul (2)

So breaking it into groups, it looks like the road gets harder for Villanova, Marquette, & Xavier (first to worst?). It gets easier for Creighton, DePaul, & Seton Hall (possibly teams with an edge on at large bids). And for the rest, it probably is what it is.

I think this is misleading in that MU and Nova haven't played each other and can't play themselves. If you look at who has the hardest schedules they have played MU and Nova. Those with the middle of the road schedule have only played one of them or haven't played the next tier down. I don't think their is a huge delta in the schedule to date but one thing will keep MU and Nova at the low end of the strength of schedule which is they can't play themselves.  Xavier is an exception. I don't understand how they can be eigth when Georgetown hasn't played nova and only played MU once when Xavier has played Mu twice and Nova once.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I think this is misleading in that MU and Nova haven't played each other and can't play themselves. If you look at who has the hardest schedules they have played MU and Nova. Those with the middle of the road schedule have only played one of them or haven't played the next tier down. I don't think their is a huge delta in the schedule to date but one thing will keep MU and Nova at the low end of the strength of schedule which is they can't play themselves.  Xavier is an exception. I don't understand how they can be sixth when Georgetown hasn't played nova and only played MU once when Xavier has played Mu twice and Nova once.

Yeah, I'm questioning how X could be 8th when they've played arguably the three toughest games on the conference schedule so far, @MU, @NOVA, MU. The rest of their schedule is pretty easy @DPL, GTWN, HALL, BUT but that doesn't seem like enough to overcome those top 3 games.

[KampusFoods]

Always worried about playing at Hinkle. Now Butler only has 3 remaining chances for a signature win (2 against Marquette). They'll be ready but I think we hold the talent edge by a good margin. Expecting another anxiety-inducing game on Wednesday.

SJU is not a great matchup for us but the 2 teams have certainly gone in different directions since the first meeting. At home, I like our chances.

Nova is obviously very good, but it will be a sellout and Fiserv will be rocking. Very winnable.

I'll predict 2-1 over the next 3, though a loss would not surprise me in any of these games.

[cheebs09]

I'm most confident about the Butler game. But none of these will be easy. 2-1 and I will be very pleased.

Getting a little ahead of ourselves. Thought we could only look ahead to 1-0.

Butler will be a big test. However, I feel like this team finally learned how to win. Last year, we'd make a run but have a bad stretch in a game and we wouldn't recover. This team is absorbing punches (sometimes to the groun) from other teams and steadying the ship. It really highlights the benefits of an experienced team.

[MUfan12]

I'm thinking back to the C-USA days... MU could never win at Charlotte. It was bordering on ridiculous. The '03 team finally broke through and kept going from there.

Hopefully Wednesday can be a similar thing for this team.

[mu03eng]

I think we go 2-1 at a minimum through the next 3 games, especially helpful is the "bye week" between Butler and STJ. If we lose to Butler it presents a reset spot for Wojo to get everyone refocused and ready for two tough games at home. If we win at Butler it gives the team a chance to celebrate a helluva start to conference play then refocus on the task at hand and scout the crap out of St Johns. I mean St John's could be trailing smoke coming into the Fiserv as they have to play @Creighton and @Duke before

Either way, that week of rest will be crucial for the team getting healthy and focused for the stretch run.

[MU82]

Wojo gets his first win at Butler, and we stomp St. John's at home.

Nova, on NMD, is gonna be fun!