BE Championship

[DoctorV]

I just want to beat the rush.

IF Marquette wins in Joisey on Saturday, they WILL win a BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP in Shakas second year.

Don't @ me

[Mu8891]

BET Championship would be great

But I would much rather have wins in the NCAAT

[DoctorV]

Why can't we have both?

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I just want to beat the rush.

IF Marquette wins in Joisey on Saturday, they WILL win a BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP in Shakas second year.

Don't @ me

@

[brewcity77]

It's only the current math, but both kenpom and Torvik project us as outright Big East champs.

[DoctorV]

@

First in

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

After Saturday, I would argue that we've played 7/10  (CREI, @PROV, @NOVA, UCONN, @X, PROV, @Hall) and 9/13 (add HALL and @SJU) of the toughest games in our conference schedule. I think the back half contains the 6 easiest games of the conference season besides GTWN at home. I'd need to check, but I doubt any other team has as soft as second half conference schedule as us.

[DoctorV]

After Saturday, I would argue that we've played 7/10  (CREI, @PROV, @NOVA, UCONN, @X, PROV, @Hall) and 9/13 (add HALL and @SJU) of the toughest games in our conference schedule. I think the back half contains the 6 easiest games of the conference season besides GTWN at home. I'd need to check, but I doubt any other team has as soft as second half conference schedule as us.

Get back to us when you've checked.

Soft or not, win in Saturday and start gathering the goods.

Early onions if you will. Enjoy the ride

[DoctorV]

It's only the current math, but both kenpom and Torvik project us as outright Big East champs.

I always loved math

[brewcity77]

Get back to us when you've checked.

Soft or not, win in Saturday and start gathering the goods.

Early onions if you will. Enjoy the ride

Per Torvik, our remaining conference schedule strength is second to Providence. They already played at MU, Creighton, & SHU while hosting UConn and Hall.

[tower912]

I still see 4 more losses.  I don't think 14-6 will do it.   A really good season, but I doubt regular season championship good.

[Uncle Rico]

I still see 4 more losses.  I don't think 14-6 will do it.   A really good season, but I doubt regular season championship good.

18-2

[tower912]

Not as good as a 20-2 streak.   

[Goose]

tower

I am not sure on four more losses, but not out of the question. Last night was a very big win and Saturday is equally as important. Road win against a good team will go a long way. I said earlier this week, I am hoping they get to the 8 win mark in the final 12 in short order and go from there. I am less worried about a bad loss this year than I was a year ago.

[mu_hilltopper]

It's only the current math, but both kenpom and Torvik project us as outright Big East champs.

I love math crunchers, but any system that has UConn at #7 this morning after losing 5 of 6 is not firing on all cylinders.

https://barttorvik.com/team.php?team=Connecticut

[tower912]

Goose, most teams have a couple of outlier road stumbles.  See: Xavier at Depaul.   I assume MU will not be immune to that.  If they are, then they probably win the regular season title.

@ Seton Hall
@ Creighton
@ Uconn
Xavier rematch

I don't think MU loses all of those. But they probably lose a couple.  1 or 2 random road goofs.

[MU82]

Goose, most teams have a couple of outlier road stumbles.  See: Xavier at Depaul.   I assume MU will not be immune to that.  If they are, then they probably win the regular season title.

@ Seton Hall
@ Creighton
@ Uconn
Xavier rematch

I don't think MU lose sall of those. But they probably lose a couple.  1 or 2 random road goofs.

It's a reasonable take. Even a likely outcome. And yet I know that the day of each game, I will believe we will win that day's/night's game. And it won't be a pie-in-the-sky belief, either. It will be a Marquette-is-effen-good belief.

[Goose]

tower

Those four are obviously the tough ones and we can lose all of them or a game to lower team in the BE. I just think that as a rule that they are much better than the lower teams than they were a year ago. Plus, this team seems to have must win attitude more than last year. I said on Monday that 8-4 or 9-3 was the most likely outcome, but last night was one I thought possibly could slip away. At this point I think it is game to game and see how it plays out.


That said, I think winning the BE will be a very difficult task. I still think Creighton will make a lot of noise and X is very good, even with the loss last night.

[wisblue]

After Saturday, I would argue that we've played 7/10  (CREI, @PROV, @NOVA, UCONN, @X, PROV, @Hall) and 9/13 (add HALL and @SJU) of the toughest games in our conference schedule. I think the back half contains the 6 easiest games of the conference season besides GTWN at home. I'd need to check, but I doubt any other team has as soft as second half conference schedule as us.

For one thing, Xavier has played none of its road games against MU, PC, Creighton, or UConn, and hasn't played PC at all.

That having been said, results of the last few days have highlighted that there are no sure things, especially on the road. Home teams in BE games so far this year have won 31 of 46. That rate is significantly higher than it has been over the last several years.

I still see 14-6 as a target landing spot for this MU team. I'll reevaluate that if they can cap off this challenging week and a half with a road win over a more than capable Seton Hall team.

[Dr. Blackheart]

For one thing, Xavier has played none of its road games against MU, PC, Creighton, or UConn, and hasn't played PC at all.

That having been said, results of the last few days have highlighted that there are no sure things, especially on the road. Home teams in BE games so far this year have won 31 of 46. That rate is significantly higher than it has been over the last several years.

I still see 14-6 as a target landing spot for this MU team. I'll reevaluate that if they can cap off this challenging week and a half with a road win over a more than capable Seton Hall team.

X fans were afraid of their away gauntlet when talking with them last Sunday.

[MU82]

X fans were afraid of their away gauntlet when talking with them last Sunday.

They obviously had reason to be afraid.

Especially of their Feb. 15 date.

[brewcity77]

I love math crunchers, but any system that has UConn at #7 this morning after losing 5 of 6 is not firing on all cylinders.

https://barttorvik.com/team.php?team=Connecticut

Disagree because those take the whole of the season equally. UConn won their first 13 by double digits. That weights heavier than what they've done in their last 6.

[mu_hilltopper]

Disagree because those take the whole of the season equally. UConn won their first 13 by double digits. That weights heavier than what they've done in their last 6.

Those games are the equivalent of 500 basketball seasons ago! 

That's before the game was invented.  Heck, the internet wasn't even invented when they played those games.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

18-2

No chance to get the double OT loss @ Prov reversed?

COLE

[DoctorV]

Bump.

In before the lock.


Personal story time as we get warmed up to the reality that one of these might be a possibility...

In 2013 on a Saturday afternoon in March I rushed out of the office to the nearest BDubs to watch Vander Blue score a game winning basket that would give Marquette its first, and only, BE title.

I sat at that BDubs, solo amongst a crowd of less than 25, with tears in my eyes.

Thank you Vander Blue, Buzz Williams, and the entire 2012/13 squad.

10 years later, lets go now!