Everything is still in front of us

[wadesworld]

Things this team can still achieve without any help from other teams:

1) Outright Big East regular season title
2) Big East Tournament title
3) Deep NCAA Tournament run

We knocked off Nova at home to pull within a game and thought our only chance at a Big East title was to win out and split the title with Nova.  Then we got the help we needed from St. John's, Georgetown, and Xavier.  Let's not return the favor to Nova and take it to the Blue Jays Sunday.  Biggest game of the year.  Needed a prayer to be answered at their place.  Come out focused early on and take it to them.

[Its DJOver]

Was unable to watch the game last night due to a family emergency, but looking at the box, and recap it seems like we hung in there pretty well, and just went cold down the stretch.  It happens.  Still a lot to love about this team and still a lot to look forward to, but we haven't won anything yet.  Stay focused and rebound well (both figuratively and literally) on Sunday.

[MU B2002]

Everything is still in front of us, except for all the long rebounds from Nova's awful shooting. Those are behind us.

[WarriorDad]

Expected to lose last night.  Take care of business at home and no worse than a shared Big East championship.  Win the next three, outright.

[HowardsWorld]

Expected to lose last night.  Take care of business at home and no worse than a shared Big East championship.  Win the next three, outright.

I agree but these 3 remaining games are no gimmies. I do see them losing one of creighton or @ seton hall. If Creighton gets hot from 3 they are tough to beat. Seton Hall could be playing for the tournament life against MU or Nova.

The problem is that if we tie for a big east title then we most likely lose the tire breaker because ST. Johns will be 3rd.

[#UnleashSean]

Woooah the only game that matters is Georgetown.  Let's focus on that. There is no big east tournament yet

[wadesworld]

Woooah the only game that matters is Georgetown.  Let's focus on that. There is no big east tournament yet

Huh?  Uhh, no, the biggest game of the season is Sunday, against Creighton, as stated in the post...

[CTWarrior]

Expected to lose last night.  Take care of business at home and no worse than a shared Big East championship.  Win the next three, outright.

I figured going in we were probably going to lose too, but Nova shot so poorly (missed a ton of open shots) we really missed a golden opportunity.  Frustrating but not at all devastating.

[PGsHeroes32]

Disappointing way to lose last night scoring 1 pt in the final 6 ish minutes after coming back from down 12 early

But this was always a loss in my mind so didnt change anything.

Win at home and don't come out flat vs SHU. 15-3 is fantastic.

[buckchuckler]

I just can't help but think they would have won that game if they had thought it was the most important game of the season at least a week in advance.  It is a shame really.

[Dr. Blackheart]

MU and Nova both have away games against Seton Hall.  Neither will be easy for the visitors.

[Goose]

Sadly, I am off to China for a couple of weeks and will be missing final regular season games. Hoping the boys deliver the goods and keep it going a bit longer. No doubt, everything is still in front of them. Avoid bad match ups in March and they can be playing for awhile.

[muguru]

I agree but these 3 remaining games are no gimmies. I do see them losing one of creighton or @ seton hall. If Creighton gets hot from 3 they are tough to beat. Seton Hall could be playing for the tournament life against MU or Nova.

The problem is that if we tie for a big east title then we most likely lose the tire breaker because ST. Johns will be 3rd.

I wouldn't be so sure about this..They are currently 8-7 with games remaining vs Xavier(tonight), at DePaul and @ Xavier. SJU is currently 8-7.

Georgetown, Xavier and the Hall are all 7-8. The race for 3rd is wide open. The way X is playing right now, I wouldn't be shocked in the least if they beat SJU tonight. Obviously, Nova has losses vs GT and Xavier, where as MU swept X and has beaten GT the one time they have played so far(as well as SH). So if X finishes third MU wins that tiebreaker, if GT finishes 3rd(ASSUMING they beat GT again), MU wins that tiebreaker. If MU beats SH again, as does nova, then it would depend on how the rest of the standings shook out. Say for instance Hall ends up 3rd, followed by GT and X, then SJU. MU would win the tiebreaker.

Basically that's a long way of saying, as long as someone passes SJU for 3rd(which is quite possible), MU Can't lose the tiebreaker if that's "X", Can't lose the tiebreaker if it's GT(again assuming they beat them at home), and quite possibly wouldn't lose that tiebreaker if it's SH either(that's assuming Nova and MU finish with same record against SH).

[muguru]

Things this team can still achieve without any help from other teams:

1) Outright Big East regular season title
2) Big East Tournament title
3) Deep NCAA Tournament run

We knocked off Nova at home to pull within a game and thought our only chance at a Big East title was to win out and split the title with Nova.  Then we got the help we needed from St. John's, Georgetown, and Xavier.  Let's not return the favor to Nova and take it to the Blue Jays Sunday.  Biggest game of the year.  Needed a prayer to be answered at their place.  Come out focused early on and take it to them.

Would not say EVERYTHING is still in front of MU...the things you cite most definitely are..However the one thing I do think it closed the book on is a #2 seed in the NCAA's. I think that dream(no matter how unlikely it was), is totally over, barring some super crazy turns of events the last couple weeks of the season.

[fjm]

Would not say EVERYTHING is still in front of MU...the things you cite most definitely are..However the one thing I do think it closed the book on is a #2 seed in the NCAA's. I think that dream(no matter how unlikely it was), is totally over, barring some super crazy turns of events the last couple weeks of the season.

True. But I'll take a 3 seed. Hell give me a 4 (I don't want it. But I said "hey GURU! Want a 4 seed in the NCAA tourney this year?"
You would have said NO I WANT A 1 SEED LOSING IS BULLSHWA! But then you would have taken a 4 seed cause you're a very smart man)

[muguru]

True. But I'll take a 3 seed. Hell give me a 4 (I don't want it. But I said "hey GURU! Want a 4 seed in the NCAA tourney this year?"
You would have said NO I WANT A 1 SEED LOSING IS BULLSHWA! But then you would have taken a 4 seed cause you're a very smart man)

What's sad about you saying a 4...Is with as much as I don't trust the committee, That loss last night is EXACTLY the thing in my opinion the committee would use to drop MU to a 4 seed. MU is the type of team that they would punish for one loss like that, whereas the Michigan's, MSU's, Duke's of the world could lose the rest of their games and not drop a seed line. I hate it, but that's the way it is...it shouldn't be though.

[fjm]

I am thinking 4 cause I do suspect we somehow pick up another random loss.

I think after last night we are still a 3. Likely the 3rd or 4th 3 however with how Texas Tech has been playing. Sadly we coulda used a Tennessee and Texas Tech loss last night.

[Coleman]

We'll end up a 4. We'll drop one more conference game and probably lose in the semis in NYC, which means we'll be 26-7 going to the dance. I think 4 is about right.

[muguru]

I am thinking 4 cause I do suspect we somehow pick up another random loss.

I think after last night we are still a 3. Likely the 3rd or 4th 3 however with how Texas Tech has been playing. Sadly we coulda used a Tennessee and Texas Tech loss last night.

You may be right...but with as little faith as I have in the committee, even if MU wins out the rest of the way(which I actually think they will do), that loss last night was all they needed to drop MU to a 4. A 4 would absolutely suck...like Big time...big difference between playing a 6 seed and a 5 seed in the 2nd round, and that's not even mentioning, should they advance to the second weekend, then you play #1, and with MU that would probably be out east vs Duke. Yeah...suck suck sucks.

[Its DJOver]

You may be right...but with as little faith as I have in the committee, even if MU wins out the rest of the way(which I actually think they will do), that loss last night was all they needed to drop MU to a 4. A 4 would absolutely suck...like Big time...big difference between playing a 6 seed and a 5 seed in the 2nd round, and that's not even mentioning, should they advance to the second weekend, then you play #1, and with MU that would probably be out east vs Duke. Yeah...suck suck sucks.

Why do you think the committee is in on some big conspiracy against us?  What year (1970 excluded) do you think that we got robbed of a seed we deserved?  We've gotten some unlucky locations (2017, 2012, 2009), but I can't remember a time when I thought that we got screwed over in a seeding sense.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

There is no anti-Marquette conspiracy. If we win out and Texas Tech wins out then maybe we drop to a 4 seed. If we win out and Texas Tech loses one more game, we are still a 3 seed. Everyone else mentioned by the committee in the top 16 reveal has lost either multiple games or had a worse loss than @Nova. 2-seed is going to be very difficult at this point but it is still possible.

[muguru]

Why do you think the committee is in on some big conspiracy against us?  What year (1970 excluded) do you think that we got robbed of a seed we deserved?  We've gotten some unlucky locations (2017, 2012, 2009), but I can't remember a time when I thought that we got screwed over in a seeding sense.

It's not just with MU, I just don't trust them as a whole. And yes, I have NOT at all liked where they have sent MU most years. I can't say I have necessarily had a problem with MU's seeds, but what is just as important, if not more so, is what matchup(s) do you have?? That's what I haven't liked...It hasn't seemed to matter what seed MU has been, but it always seems like they have gotten the WORST possible match up(or best team), on the corresponding seed line. That's what has irritated the crap out of me...A few years ago, as a #10 seed, playing a #7 in their back yard(essentially), As a 5 seed with Jae Crowder getting Murray State, Having to play Utah State out west as the higher seed. The year McNeal got hurt, drawing easily the toughest 8 seed in Michigan State. I would like just for once to have a 1st round game/matchup that is favorable to them so it's much more relaxing.

[Its DJOver]

It's not just with MU, I just don't trust them as a whole. And yes, I have NOT at all liked where they have sent MU most years.

Fine.  What major seeding travesty has occurred recently that would lead you to  not trust the selection committee as a whole? 

Or are you just upset because you don't know their exact methodology?  How much did/do they value RPI/NET?  How big of a difference is a Q1A vs Q1B win/loss?  What makes a bigger impact an extra Q3 loss, or an extra Q1 win?  Is there any validity to the 20 win "magic number"?  These are all fair question, but they can't exactly come out an answer them, for obvious reasons.

[Its DJOver]

It's also not the committee's job to look at matchups.  They make an S curve and tweak it slightly to account for locations, conference balance and rematches.  They don't look and say "this team struggles with long athletic teams, lets give them a favorable or non-favorable matchup because of that". 

We beat Murray State, and Utah State, and we lost to South Carolina by 20.  In none of those games did the location of the game effect the final outcome.

[dgies9156]

It's also not the committee's job to look at matchups.  They make an S curve and tweak it slightly to account for locations, conference balance and rematches.  They don't look and say "this team struggles with long athletic teams, lets give them a favorable or non-favorable matchup because of that". 

We beat Murray State, and Utah State, and we lost to South Carolina by 20.  In none of those games did the location of the game effect the final outcome.

Huh?

Columbia SC is a home game for USC. I beg to differ.