Marquette's gonna beat St. John's

[MU82]

As everybody remembers -- because it's brought up in just about every thread -- the 2018-19 team collapsed down the stretch. After choking away 4 straight games to blow the BEast regular-season title, Marquette had to face St. John's in the BET.

Many (perhaps even most) Scoopers predicted their alma mater would lose. A few even "guaranteed" it.

Welp ... Marquette 86, St. John's 54

And that was an NCAA tournament-bound St. John's team that won 21 games. And that was a Marquette team that was going through a team mutiny. And that game was in New York. And yet we won by 32.

So sure ... maybe we'll lose to St. John's at home on Saturday night. But I'm getting a kick out of those who are so certain it will happen. So bold. If it does happen, it'll be: "I told you so!" If it doesn't, it'll be: "I'm glad I was wrong."

We're gonna win Saturday. Probably not by 32, as was the case the last time so many Scoopers were so certain we'd lose an important game to the Johnnies, but we'll win.

We Are Marquette!

[Judge Smails]

Agree

[PointWarrior]

Hope you are right

[bradforster]

As everybody remembers -- because it's brought up in just about every thread -- the 2018-19 team collapsed down the stretch. After choking away 4 straight games to blow the BEast regular-season title, Marquette had to face St. John's in the BET.

Many (perhaps even most) Scoopers predicted their alma mater would lose. A few even "guaranteed" it.

Welp ... Marquette 86, St. John's 54

And that was an NCAA tournament-bound St. John's team that won 21 games. And that was a Marquette team that was going through a team mutiny. And that game was in New York. And yet we won by 32.

So sure ... maybe we'll lose to St. John's at home on Saturday night. But I'm getting a kick out of those who are so certain it will happen. So bold. If it does happen, it'll be: "I told you so!" If it doesn't, it'll be: "I'm glad I was wrong."

We're gonna win Saturday. Probably not by 32, as was the case the last time so many Scoopers were so certain we'd lose an important game to the Johnnies, but we'll win.

We Are Marquette!

Marquette will be favored and absolutely should win this game.  The crowd almost willed an underperforming team to a win against Butler last time out on the home floor. It's hard to win on the road in college hoops -  by far the toughest feat in team sports.  I am optimistic MU rebounds and plays well on Senior Night.

[Its DJOver]

I agree with the premise, but wasn't that BET game when we were completely fresh and StJ played the night before?

[MuggsyB]

You can't guarantee anything in life but it would 100% lock us into the dance.  I really hope we get it together.

[MU82]

I agree with the premise, but wasn't that BET game when we were completely fresh and StJ played the night before?

Yep, St. John's played DePaul the previous night. And St. John's had its own down-the-stretch struggles, with 1-4 finish to the regular season.

But that didn't stop lots of Scoopers from being certain that their alma mater would lose to the Johnnies.

[bradforster]

Top tier teams don't lose at DePaul last night, but Marquette is a good - not great - product this year.  I think Shaka will build the program up to the "great" level.  It's clear this years's version of MU basketball isn't there yet, and that's ok.

[MU82]

Top tier teams don't lose at DePaul last night, but Marquette is a good - not great - product this year.  I think Shaka will build the program up to the "great" level.  It's clear this years's version of MU basketball isn't there yet, and that's ok.

I don't know how you define "top tier," but I would agree that Marquette is not a great team.

In the past few days, ranked Alabama got crushed at home by going-nowhere Texas A&M, ranked Ohio State got beat at home by going-nowhere Nebraska, and the top 6 teams in the country all lost on Saturday.

DePaul certainly isn't a good team. But they were 4-4 in their last 8 games going into last night. The losses included by 3 at Providence, by 2 to Butler and by 2 at Seton Hall.

But yes, there's no explaining away or justifying last night's loss. It was terrible. It will be nice to get rid of that foul taste by beating St. John's on Saturday.

[bradforster]

I don't know how you define "top tier," but I would agree that Marquette is not a great team.

In the past few days, ranked Alabama got crushed at home by going-nowhere Texas A&M, ranked Ohio State got beat at home by going-nowhere Nebraska, and the top 6 teams in the country all lost on Saturday.

DePaul certainly isn't a good team. But they were 4-4 in their last 8 games going into last night. The losses included by 3 at Providence, by 2 to Butler and by 2 at Seton Hall.

But yes, there's no explaining away or justifying last night's loss. It was terrible. It will be nice to get rid of that foul taste by beating St. John's on Saturday.

Auburn survived an OT scare at Miss St. last night.  It's really hard to win on the road, especially in a charged environment on Senior Night.  I'd say teams like Gonzaga, Arizona, Baylor, Villanova, Duke, Kentucky, Arkansas, Texas Tech - they don't lose that game in Chicago last night. 

[avid1010]

I don't know how you define "top tier," but I would agree that Marquette is not a great team.

In the past few days, ranked Alabama got crushed at home by going-nowhere Texas A&M, ranked Ohio State got beat at home by going-nowhere Nebraska, and the top 6 teams in the country all lost on Saturday.

DePaul certainly isn't a good team. But they were 4-4 in their last 8 games going into last night. The losses included by 3 at Providence, by 2 to Butler and by 2 at Seton Hall.

But yes, there's no explaining away or justifying last night's loss. It was terrible. It will be nice to get rid of that foul taste by beating St. John's on Saturday.

DePaul played great, and they have been close in so many games (as the broadcasters repeatedly reminded us of).  It was the first loss in a while where I felt the wheels came off.  That said, we beat St. Johns and win one in the NCAA.

[Scoop Snoop]

I don't know how you define "top tier," but I would agree that Marquette is not a great team.

In the past few days, ranked Alabama got crushed at home by going-nowhere Texas A&M, ranked Ohio State got beat at home by going-nowhere Nebraska, and the top 6 teams in the country all lost on Saturday.

DePaul certainly isn't a good team. But they were 4-4 in their last 8 games going into last night. The losses included by 3 at Providence, by 2 to Butler and by 2 at Seton Hall.

But yes, there's no explaining away or justifying last night's loss. It was terrible. It will be nice to get rid of that foul taste by beating St. John's on Saturday.

The writing was on the wall. DePaul early season and Depaul late season is essentially two different teams. I'm not saying that makes them a good team, but the performances you listed help explain just a little MU getting stomped in the second half.

Home court is always a big advantage, but the St. Johns game may go down to the wire. Ask UCONN if they thought winning their game in NYC was a foregone conclusion. It took OT to get the job done. I think we will beat St. Johns. My confidence level is probably below yours though. 

[Viper]

Top tier teams don't lose at DePaul last night, but Marquette is a good - not great - product this year.  I think Shaka will build the program up to the "great" level.  It's clear this years's version of MU basketball isn't there yet, and that's ok.

MU has not won a ncaa tourney game since 2012. Ok, not exactly breaking news. But, factor in in-state rival Wisconsin having another Final 4 caliber team, it's not really...ok. This rebuild from rebuild falling into averageville is tiresome. Why do you feel Shaka will have the success at Marquette that he did not have at Texas?

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

MU has not won a ncaa tourney game since 2012. Ok, not exactly breaking news. But, factor in in-state rival Wisconsin having another Final 4 caliber team, it's not really...ok. This rebuild from rebuild falling into averageville is tiresome. Why do you feel Shaka will have the success at Marquette that he did not have at Texas?

YAWN

[Big Papi]

MU has not won a ncaa tourney game since 2012. Ok, not exactly breaking news. But, factor in in-state rival Wisconsin having another Final 4 caliber team, it's not really...ok. This rebuild from rebuild falling into averageville is tiresome. Why do you feel Shaka will have the success at Marquette that he did not have at Texas?

Because he has had success before. 
Because he does know how to win the post season, 3 conference tourny championships and a final four.
Because this team does look like it will make the big dance this year and has generally overachieved.

If you are basing your question on tiresome rebuilds then you really need to ask the question, why Wojo couldn't succeed and why we stuck with him as long as we did.

[avid1010]

MU has not won a ncaa tourney game since 2012. Ok, not exactly breaking news. But, factor in in-state rival Wisconsin having another Final 4 caliber team, it's not really...ok. This rebuild from rebuild falling into averageville is tiresome. Why do you feel Shaka will have the success at Marquette that he did not have at Texas?

Texas fired Rick Barnes...he seems to be doing just fine in TN.  Shaka did just fine at VCU, and there were things to like/not like in TX.  I love what I've seen on the court for the vast majority of the games this year.  The other options would have been to hire a hot mid-major coach or a top assistant.  If you didn't like Shaka in TX...it's hard for you to argue for hiring a hot mid-major coach (by your logic it didn't work in TX and not going any better in OK than at MU).  Plenty of examples of top assistants not working out (Wojo).  Not many people thought Shaka had a chance in hell of making the NCAA tourney this year...chill.

[MU82]

Auburn survived an OT scare at Miss St. last night.  It's really hard to win on the road, especially in a charged environment on Senior Night.  I'd say teams like Gonzaga, Arizona, Baylor, Villanova, Duke, Kentucky, Arkansas, Texas Tech - they don't lose that game in Chicago last night.

It's not exactly a JAPAN BOMBS PEARL HARBOR headline that Marquette is not as good as most if not all of those teams you named.

But the best teams don't always win, and we'll never know whether any of those teams would have lost to DePaul.

I mean, Nova lost twice to us, including on their home court, got stomped at Creighton, and barely beat St. John's. Arkansas lost by 22 at Oklahoma, lost to effen Hofstra, lost by 13 at Mississippi State and lost to Vanderbilt.

So who knows? (Except for you, I guess.)

[Warrior Code]

I don't know how you define "top tier," but I would agree that Marquette is not a great team.

In the past few days, ranked Alabama got crushed at home by going-nowhere Texas A&M, ranked Ohio State got beat at home by going-nowhere Nebraska, and the top 6 teams in the country all lost on Saturday.

DePaul certainly isn't a good team. But they were 4-4 in their last 8 games going into last night. The losses included by 3 at Providence, by 2 to Butler and by 2 at Seton Hall.

But yes, there's no explaining away or justifying last night's loss. It was terrible. It will be nice to get rid of that foul taste by beating St. John's on Saturday.

Has this ever happened before?

[Newsdreams]

Has this ever happened before?

When they reported on it said no

[StillAWarrior]

I'd say teams like Gonzaga, Arizona, Baylor, Villanova, Duke, Kentucky, Arkansas, Texas Tech - they don't lose that game in Chicago last night.

It's not exactly a JAPAN BOMBS PEARL HARBOR headline that Marquette is not as good as most if not all of those teams you named.

That's pretty much what I thought when I read that. "OK, so Marquette isn't one of the top 10 or 15 teams in country right now." Given where we've been for the past several years and where I expected us to be this year, I'm OK with that.

I don't like the way that Marquette has played the last several weeks. At all. It's concerning. If it was Wojo, I would think it's just more of the same pattern -- confirmation that he's not up to the job. But, since it's Shaka's first year, I honestly don't know what to make of it -- too early to tell. I know that "it takes five years to judge" has become a bit of a joke around here, but I don't think it's even debatable that it takes more than one. And if someone insists on judging after just one year...well, I'm pretty sure we're going to be dancing in a couple weeks...

[YoungMUFan4]

MU has not won a ncaa tourney game since 2012. Ok, not exactly breaking news. But, factor in in-state rival Wisconsin having another Final 4 caliber team, it's not really...ok. This rebuild from rebuild falling into averageville is tiresome. Why do you feel Shaka will have the success at Marquette that he did not have at Texas?

2013

[Viper]

Because he has had success before. 
Because he does know how to win the post season, 3 conference tourny championships and a final four.
Because this team does look like it will make the big dance this year and has generally overachieved.

If you are basing your question on tiresome rebuilds then you really need to ask the question, why Wojo couldn't succeed and why we stuck with him as long as we did.

thx. Good reply. Much better than the idiot that posted 'yawn'.

[Viper]

Texas fired Rick Barnes...he seems to be doing just fine in TN.  Shaka did just fine at VCU, and there were things to like/not like in TX.  I love what I've seen on the court for the vast majority of the games this year.  The other options would have been to hire a hot mid-major coach or a top assistant.  If you didn't like Shaka in TX...it's hard for you to argue for hiring a hot mid-major coach (by your logic it didn't work in TX and not going any better in OK than at MU).  Plenty of examples of top assistants not working out (Wojo).  Not many people thought Shaka had a chance in hell of making the NCAA tourney this year...chill.

fair enough. (Maybe I'm just hacked that in two weeks RED will play money games on our court.)

[THRILLHO]

Marquette will be favored and absolutely should win this game.  The crowd almost willed an underperforming team to a win against Butler last time out on the home floor. It's hard to win on the road in college hoops -  by far the toughest feat in team sports.  I am optimistic MU rebounds and plays well on Senior Night.

MU rebounds well? You are optimistic!

[bradforster]

MU rebounds well? You are optimistic!

Bad word choice.