Blue Jay No Way

[Chili]

SG Koby >>>>>>> PG Koby

[MU82]

Anyone else find watching games against Creighton more stressful than most? The way they move the ball and have so many guys who are well above average shooters makes it feel to me that there is constant high level stress on the defense. I'm not sure that style is suited for a long tournament run, but it is impressive to watch. As a player, it seems Creighton would be an exhausting team to play against. I was very impressed the way MU finished last night (fouls on 3 pters aside) with a short rotation. I thought fatigue may come into play at some point.

Mrs. 82 and I actually were talking about that last night. At one point, about midway through the first half, I said we both need to chill out a little because every single possession Creighton gives you something to react to. I never feel comfortable with a lead against them, and I worry about falling too far behind them -- more than with most teams.

As an MU fan, I don't "like" Creighton, but when they aren't playing MU, they are fun to watch.

[BM1090]

Anyone else find watching games against Creighton more stressful than most? The way they move the ball and have so many guys who are well above average shooters makes it feel to me that there is constant high level stress on the defense. I'm not sure that style is suited for a long tournament run, but it is impressive to watch. As a player, it seems Creighton would be an exhausting team to play against. I was very impressed the way MU finished last night (fouls on 3 pters aside) with a short rotation. I thought fatigue may come into play at some point.

Yes. They are my two least favorite games of the season. They're much more enjoyable when watching or re-watching after knowing the result. Most games I can digest what's happening and have a pretty good feel for the game about 15 minutes in. Against Creighton I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen. They can blow a 15 point lead or come back from a 15 point deficit in a short amount of time.

[asdfasdf]

With about 1 minute remaining in the game, Koby was getting ready to take a free throw. He was staring someone down and talking to them. It almost seemed like he was talking trash to a Creighton player right up until he took the free throw. The camera angle made it look like he was looking at the camera. Did anyone else notice this?

Things were scrappy in the 2nd half, everyone was talking a bit of trash. But there was something noticeable about the way he was doing it.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

With about 1 minute remaining in the game, Koby was getting ready to take a free throw. He was staring someone down and talking to them. It almost seemed like he was talking trash to a Creighton player right up until he took the free throw. The camera angle made it look like he was looking at the camera. Did anyone else notice this?

Things were scrappy in the 2nd half, everyone was talking a bit of trash. But there was something noticeable about the way he was doing it.

Definitely noticed that. My guess is a Creighton player was trying to get in his head and Kobe let him know it wasn't happening.

[We R Final Four]

Wojo and the team did a great job today but I don't believe the above is a true statement.  Our defense was great but I think MU just took better shots and out hustled them.

1. Ballock was 5-8 3pt in the first half and 1 2pt.  He was 3-6 in the second.  I wouldn't say 2 less shots is shutting someone down.
2.  Ballock has a history of disappearing and not shooting the ball.  I think he deferred to Mahoney and Zeg. 
3.  Creighton shot 32 3pt and only 26 2pt.  8 for 18 in the first and 6 for 14 in the second.  MU on the other hand took 35 2pt shots and 21 3pt better mix lead to better results.
4.  Creighton only had 9 offensive rebounds on 30 missed shots.  MU had 14 on 26 Missed shots

Story is really we locked in rebounding and got good shots (and made them)

Ballock was all world in the 1st half. 17 points.

After his 3 with just under 18 minutes in the 2nd half (20 total), he scored 6 points the rest of the way. He is the guy on that team who can kill you, and MU (mostly KM) put the clamps down on him.
MU shooting lights out in the 2nd half very well could have gone for naught had Ballock kept getting the looks he had in the 1st half.

[Pakuni]

With about 1 minute remaining in the game, Koby was getting ready to take a free throw. He was staring someone down and talking to them. It almost seemed like he was talking trash to a Creighton player right up until he took the free throw. The camera angle made it look like he was looking at the camera. Did anyone else notice this?

Things were scrappy in the 2nd half, everyone was talking a bit of trash. But there was something noticeable about the way he was doing it.

Koby was jawing with Mahoney.

[The Big East]

Koby was jawing with Mahoney.

I move that Koby new nickname is Jaws.

[We R Final Four]

With about 1 minute remaining in the game, Koby was getting ready to take a free throw. He was staring someone down and talking to them. It almost seemed like he was talking trash to a Creighton player right up until he took the free throw. The camera angle made it look like he was looking at the camera. Did anyone else notice this?

Things were scrappy in the 2nd half, everyone was talking a bit of trash. But there was something noticeable about the way he was doing it.

I posted this in another thread from last night.

I know some on here don't like it,but I love the moxie Koby shows to opposing players. He stared down Mahoney  several times at the line tonight, and delivered.

"You won't make either of these"
                    —Mahoney
"I'll make this one too"
                    —Koby (after hitting the first, and proceeding to make the second one.)

[StillAWarrior]

Definitely noticed that. My guess is a Creighton player was trying to get in his head and Kobe let him know it wasn't happening.

I noticed it too and commented. It was Mahoney. Not sure what he was saying to him, but he was obviously talking to him -- had to lean to the side to talk around the ref.  It was at 0:30 if anyone wants to look at it (assuming I'm not the only one who recorded it).

[The Sultan]

You guys realize this stuff happens every game right? 

[MU82]

I love trash-talk. It's fun, and it's been going on for decades and decades. Bird and Miller were two that elevated it to an art form.

I only have 3 caveats:

1. If you talk trash, you'd damn well better back it up. It was great when Markus said, "Time to go home" and hit the FT or what Koby did last night ... but if Markus or Koby misses and we lose, it would be pretty bad.

2. You better not get SO into it that you get a T (or, in football, a taunting penalty) that costs your team. Talk trash but be in control.

3. No trash-talking when your team is hopelessly behind. If you talk trash to me when you're down by 15 with 3 minutes to go, all I'm doing is laughing at you as I point at the scoreboard. Or maybe simply saying, "Scoreboard!"

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

1. If you talk trash, you'd damn well better back it up. It was great when Markus said, "Time to go home" and hit the FT or what Koby did last night ... but if Markus or Koby misses and we lose, it would be pretty bad.

This was my favorite trash talk moment. I think the line was "You guys wanna go home? Let's go home."

[asdfasdf]

You guys realize this stuff happens every game right?

Ha, yes. I know it happens every game. It was just the way Koby stared him down while talking trash. There was some deep eye contact going on.

[Hards Alumni]

I love trash-talk. It's fun, and it's been going on for decades and decades. Bird and Miller were two that elevated it to an art form.

I only have 3 caveats:

1. If you talk trash, you'd damn well better back it up. It was great when Markus said, "Time to go home" and hit the FT or what Koby did last night ... but if Markus or Koby misses and we lose, it would be pretty bad.

2. You better not get SO into it that you get a T (or, in football, a taunting penalty) that costs your team. Talk trash but be in control.

3. No trash-talking when your team is hopelessly behind. If you talk trash to me when you're down by 15 with 3 minutes to go, all I'm doing is laughing at you as I point at the scoreboard. Or maybe simply saying, "Scoreboard!"

[warriorchick]

Anyone else find watching games against Creighton more stressful than most?

I have been finding it hard to watch any Marquette game this year unless it's been a blowout.  It's too anxiety-producing.  If they get too far behind, I get upset.  If they are ahead and the other team starts catching up, I think I am jinxing them by watching them.

Even though I had access to the game last night, I followed it on my phone until they got ahead by 9 or so in the second half.  When the lead was cut in half, I turned it off and watched the Great British Baking Show on Netflix until the last couple of minutes.  I turned the game on and was a mess until the final buzzer.

I know.  I have a problem. 

 

[Spotcheck Billy]

that was great, the only playoff game I was fortunate enough to get tickets for

[Billy Hoyle]

1.   How would the narrative of MU basketball been different the last few years if Greg was healthy?
2.   Playing 7 against Creighton.   Bold move, Cotton.
3.   Free throws matta.
4.   DJ is the PG we have been waiting for.
5.   If you didn't like the defensive effort tonight, turn in your fan card.
6.   Creighton's ball movement in the first half was a clinic.    MU's defense changed it.
7.   Must have practiced the zone offense. 
8.  Justin bounced back well from UCLA.
9.   You knew the Creighton run was coming.    They are too good, too experienced, and too at home for it to not tighten up.
10.   Only question was whether MU could overcome fouls and fatigue to hold on. 
11.  Barely.   But MU just took down a top 10 team on the road.    That makes two of Wojo's best wins in the last 10 days.    Mmmm-hmmmm

I got home just MU started to cut it from 12. Good timing!

You missed what I think was the really big factor: interior play. Rebounding on both ends, blocks and altered shots, second and third chance points. MU took advantage of Creighton's lack of size. At one point the announcers commented on the size differential with Theo and Jefferson, CU's power forward. At 6-5 220 he looked tiny next to Theo.

[MU82]

I have been finding it hard to watch any Marquette game this year unless it's been a blowout.  It's too anxiety-producing.  If they get too far behind, I get upset.  If they are ahead and the other team starts catching up, I think I am jinxing them by watching them.

Even though I had access to the game last night, I followed it on my phone until they got ahead by 9 or so in the second half.  When the lead was cut in half, I turned it off and watched the Great British Baking Show on Netflix until the last couple of minutes.  I turned the game on and was a mess until the final buzzer.

I know.  I have a problem. 

Indeed, this says more about you than about Marquette, Creighton or basketball. But it's not a bad thing, and certainly not unusual. Each of us has stuff that gets us anxious.

Hell, I remember back in the olden days, when there was no texting or email, and we guys had to call girls on the phone to ask them out. I'd spend an hour psyching myself up before making the call, and I'd be sweating like a dockworker as I started the call. On more than one occasion, when the phone would start ringing, I'd hang up because I was too damn nervous.

Seeing how my kids got to set up dates, they were so lucky by comparison. I'd have loved to have been able to text, "U doin anything 2nite?"

[brewcity77]

I got home just MU started to cut it from 12. Good timing!

You missed what I think was the really big factor: interior play. Rebounding on both ends, blocks and altered shots, second and third chance points. MU took advantage of Creighton's lack of size. At one point the announcers commented on the size differential with Theo and Jefferson, CU's power forward. At 6-5 220 he looked tiny next to Theo.

Marquette dominated the second half glass. Creighton only had 5 second half rebounds. In the Real Chilly discussion last night, I heard we were +15 on the boards in the second half.

[StillWarriors]

I have been finding it hard to watch any Marquette game this year unless it's been a blowout.  It's too anxiety-producing.  If they get too far behind, I get upset.  If they are ahead and the other team starts catching up, I think I am jinxing them by watching them.

Even though I had access to the game last night, I followed it on my phone until they got ahead by 9 or so in the second half.  When the lead was cut in half, I turned it off and watched the Great British Baking Show on Netflix until the last couple of minutes.  I turned the game on and was a mess until the final buzzer.

I know.  I have a problem. 

Very entertaining response. Amazing what we put ourselves through as fans.

Thus far, I think I have been less stressed watching the games this year generally because 1) I am just glad we have games to watch, and 2) I don't really have expectations as there are so many new guys playing key roles. I think I am less critical and more enjoying the process of learning what the guys bring to the table individually and as a team. I like what I see so far for the most part.

[StillAWarrior]

This is probably going to get me in trouble here, but my family's primary viewing last night was the Browns game. It's rare that my entire family will sit and watch something together, so I didn't want to go in the other room when the Marquette game started. I was jumping to the Marquette game on commercials. Based on the timing, sometimes I was thinking, "hey, they're hanging in there..." and other times I was thinking, "crap, Creighton is pulling away." Then, with about 13:00 left to play I jumped to the BB game and saw that Marquette had tied it and they immediately took the lead ("Holy crap...how'd they do that?!"). So, after we returned to the Browns game (mea culpa) I decided no more jumping back and forth and that I'd watch the last 15:00 uninterrupted after MNF ended.

[Billy Hoyle]

I have been finding it hard to watch any Marquette game this year unless it's been a blowout.  It's too anxiety-producing.  If they get too far behind, I get upset.  If they are ahead and the other team starts catching up, I think I am jinxing them by watching them.

Even though I had access to the game last night, I followed it on my phone until they got ahead by 9 or so in the second half.  When the lead was cut in half, I turned it off and watched the Great British Baking Show on Netflix until the last couple of minutes.  I turned the game on and was a mess until the final buzzer.

I know.  I have a problem. 

Not the case for me. I used to, but after an "incident" at a bar after the Stanford NCAA tourney game my wife made me promise I would not allow myself to get into games like that anymore. It's taken work but last night we both sat back and enjoyed the game, not getting emotional and discussing observations like CU's dreadful FT shooting, MU's second half three point shooting (7/9) and MU's domination of the interior and glass. Even during the Wisconsin game we both sat drinking beers and only jumped and up and yelled when Lewis had the tap in.

Marquette dominated the second half glass. Creighton only had 5 second half rebounds. In the Real Chilly discussion last night, I heard we were +15 on the boards in the second half.

It was 16-13 MU on the glass in the first half. 40-25 was the differential for the game. 13-8 on the offensive glass. And even when CU got an offensive board they were surrounded

[tower912]

During the Deane era, I was watching one of the 3 games on TV per year, the game took a negative turn and I threw an object in my basement and broke another object that was near and dear to my wife's heart.     Never again.    Now, the worst thing I do during games is pace.   

[mileskishnish72]

This was my favorite trash talk moment. I think the line was "You guys wanna go home? Let's go home."

Where was this, and when, TAMU?