Conference play concern

[tower912]

I have been optimistic all year.  Watching today's conference games as been educational.   I think MU will be successful.  However, that is going to be continued gent upon defensive rebounding.   Nova, Hall, DePaul, and Xavier all crashed the boards.   MU must limit second chance opportunities.

[Galway Eagle]

Very true. However, and I honestly don't know if this is true, I feel like we've looked much more efficient on O then any of the four teams today. Lots of missed bunnies in both games

[BM1090]

Creighton and Butler are really the only two poor offensive rebounding teams in the conference

[PGsHeroes32]

Very true. However, and I honestly don't know if this is true, I feel like we've looked much more efficient on O then any of the four teams today. Lots of missed bunnies in both games

Missed bunnies are our specialty.

We definitely shoot better than these teams tho. Especially X

[MU82]

I have been optimistic all year.  Watching today's conference games as been educational.   I think MU will be successful.  However, that is going to be continued gent upon defensive rebounding.   Nova, Hall, DePaul, and Xavier all crashed the boards.   MU must limit second chance opportunities.

Legit concern. Defensive rebounding and taking care of the basketball are my two biggest concerns going into the conference season. I'm hopeful that we will able to do both well enough to succeed.

[The Sultan]

I'm not that optimistic overall. I'd say .500 conference record which is just kinda meh considering where we thought we would be a year ago.

[BCHoopster]

Hall has Powell, took over the game.  DePaul has more talent but plays totally out of control.  X has no shooters, Villy is very good but no inside game, force them into the lane and let Theo do his thing, hopefully not the foul thing.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Creighton and Butler are really the only two poor offensive rebounding teams in the conference

Creighton and Butler are bad.

Seton Hall and Villanova are okay.

Xavier and DePaul are above average.

Providence, St. John's, and especially Georgetown are very good.

We rank as an okay defensive rebounding team. I'm worried but not overly worried. The nice thing is that the three best OR% teams in conference look like the three teams likely to finish last. Even if they beat us on the boards we should be able to beat them in other ways.

Honestly, the thing I'm most worried about is how our defense will hold up. We've been very good this season but the Big East is elite offensively. 6/9 of our conference foes have top 60 offenses per KenPom. So far we are 2-2 against top 60 offenses.

[MU82]

Honestly, the thing I'm most worried about is how our defense will hold up. We've been very good this season but the Big East is elite offensively. 6/9 of our conference foes have top 60 offenses per KenPom. So far we are 2-2 against top 60 offenses.

Thanks a lot for giving me something else to worry about, TAMU!

[1SE]

I liked Brendan's nose for the boards against a very poor (but relatively tall) Cent. Arkansas team. To me TOs are a much bigger concern than the glass. TO rate is ranked 212 - worse in the BE. https://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/stat/turnover-pct

[fjm]

After watching some of the games last night I went from thinking maybe 11-7/10-8 to thinking 9-9.

Probably an over reaction? It just feels like we are gonna be surprised at the level of play.

[Jay Bee]

I liked Brendan's nose for the boards against a very poor (but relatively tall) Cent. Arkansas team. To me TOs are a much bigger concern than the glass. TO rate is ranked 212 - worse in the BE. https://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/stat/turnover-pct

Would recommend staying away from team rankings. Their "stats" and metrics are all sorts of eff'd up

And what you're referring to is not turnover rate relative to possessions. They have turnover per possession on a separate screen. What you're referring to is "turnovers per offensive play", which essentially ignores o-rebs, I believe.

So when Ed gets blocked 14 times but gets the rebound each time, turnover per offensive play benefits. Not a stat I care for, but def not turnover rate as used by most

[Silkk the Shaka]

After watching some of the games last night I went from thinking maybe 11-7/10-8 to thinking 9-9.

Probably an over reaction? It just feels like we are gonna be surprised at the level of play.

I think our eFG% defense, 3P shooting, FTRate, experience, and Markus will be a recipe to win 7 or more home games and 3 or more on the road against the group of Providence, St. John's, Georgetown, DePaul, Xavier, and Creighton. That's 10 minimum with a shot at the championship if some things break our way.

[Golden Avalanche]

After watching some of the games last night I went from thinking maybe 11-7/10-8 to thinking 9-9.

Probably an over reaction? It just feels like we are gonna be surprised at the level of play.

Why would the games last night make you think Marquette is a .500 team?

Have you not watched a single college basketball game all season involving a Big East team?

[PGsHeroes32]

After watching some of the games last night I went from thinking maybe 11-7/10-8 to thinking 9-9.

Probably an over reaction? It just feels like we are gonna be surprised at the level of play.

I gotta agree with the above. What last night worried you?

Now I am not saying that we will be better than 9-9. Heck we may ultimately be 6-12.

But last nights games didn't worry me at all. DePaul meltdown down the stretch. X couldn't shoot a lick(and we defend the line well), Nova at home was not very efficient at all.

SHU really wasnt great either but gutting out a road win is by far the most impressive.

[Jay Bee]

But last nights games didn't worry me at all. DePaul meltdown down the stretch. X couldn't shoot a lick(and we defend the line well), Nova at home was not very efficient at all.

SHU really wasnt great either but gutting out a road win is by far the most impressive.

DePaul's highest win prob % occurred in the first half

X shot from the field better than Nova

Last year BEast home teams only won 6 of every 10 games

PS - winning team in those games has a lower FT% than the loser. #FTsNoMatta

[PGsHeroes32]

DePaul's highest win prob % occurred in the first half

X shot from the field better than Nova

Last year BEast home teams only won 6 of every 10 games

PS - winning team in those games has a lower FT% than the loser. #FTsNoMatta

Xavier was 1/11 from 3. You know the line we defend from?? Couldn't shoot a lick.

Not going to win many games on strictly Jones dunks and Marshall lay ups.

[Jay Bee]

Xavier was 1/11 from 3. You know the line we defend from?? Couldn't shoot a lick.

Not going to win many games on strictly Jones dunks and Marshall lay ups.

Shooting included 2s and 3s. Their 3FGA/FGA was less than 19% in the game. They can't shoot from outside, so appropriately limited which resulted in them shooting better than Nova.

They shot 55.3% from 2 and that was only their 6th best of the year

[PGsHeroes32]

Shooting included 2s and 3s. Their 3FGA/FGA was less than 19% in the game. They can't shoot from outside, so appropriately limited which resulted in them shooting better than Nova.

They shot 55.3% from 2 and that was only their 6th best of the year

And yet they couldn't shoot a lick from the line we defend well from. Like I said.

And Nova themselves was not very efficienct. Also like I said.

You would have been better off quoting my post(if the urge was that strong) and saying "ditto"

Because everything I said was correct.

[Jockey]

I have been optimistic all year.  Watching today's conference games as been educational.   I think MU will be successful.  However, that is going to be continued gent upon defensive rebounding.   Nova, Hall, DePaul, and Xavier all crashed the boards.   MU must limit second chance opportunities.

I have no concerns. This is a tough, balanced league. We will struggle when we don't shoot well from 3. But every team in the BE will struggle at times. We will lose at least 5 games and maybe a couple more because of the leagues balance, but we will be contenders for the title.

[fjm]

I think just watching the games on TV I felt the other teams last night looked faster and bigger.

Likely me just over thinking. But fair points all around.

[WarriorDad]

There will be zero gimme games in this league

[Cheeks]

There will be zero gimme games in this league

Got that right.

Butler projected at 12-6
Nova, Seton Hall 11-7
Marquette 10-8
Creighton, Xavier, Georgetown 9-9
Depaul 7-11
St. John's, Providence 6-12

I don't believe anyone will have less than 7 wins and I'm not sure anyone gets to 12.

[Jay Bee]

There will be zero gimme games in this league

As a reminder, last season no one had fewer than 7 conference wins and only 2 teams had winning records. All but 1 played in the NCAA tourney or NIT... and that 1 went to the finals of the bogus tourney.

That said, lack of gimme games is nothing new for the conference

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

I think just watching the games on TV I felt the other teams last night looked faster and bigger.

Likely me just over thinking. But fair points all around.

I was thinking the same thing last night.