Perspective

[Scoop Snoop]

Just a few .games to consider before this board does a Chernobyl. O wait, wait! It's too late, isn't it?

UW @ MU The Baylor game. Xavier @ Creighton. Xavier @ DePaul. UNC being the preseason #1 team. Gonzaga's losses. There's plenty more. What do you have to offer?

[tower912]

A few have gone Chernobyl.  Most have kept at least a slight bit of sanity.   MU got whooped.   Don't let it escalate.  Beat Georgetown.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Kansas lost at Iowa State by 15 a couple games ago.  They also had a 23 point home loss to TCU.  The same TCU lost at Kansas State last night by 21.

Let's turn it around.  Win the next two and everything is fine.

[Goose]

Snoop

Great post. My level of concern is about a 2 and believe they right the ship moving forward. I talked to several non MU fans yesterday and all of them expected UConn to win. Only negative is that several friends watched and took pleasure in the poor performance.

It is funny but I was not overly excited about the game all day yesterday. I thought there was a good chance we would see the result that we saw. Positive note, the game was early and I was done being angry/disappointed at a reasonable hour.

[Daniel]

We lost 6 games.   I think just about everyone would have accepted before the season started a 19-6 record as of Feb 8 .  And UConn is a very very good team.   Stay focused, keep the faith and win the next game. Goo Marquette!

[jfp61]

We lost. We should have lost. UConn three point shooting differential helped UConn win by more than they should have.

Also... coaching note. Pls play Joplin less. He can't guard anyone. pls. He is the only defender capable of losing his man every possession on this team. He couldn't attack Alex Karban last night.

Pls. In BE play, opponents shoot  40.1% from three when he is in the game, taking 40.1% of attempts from three. Opponents shoot  29.9% on 34.9% attempts when he is off.

[tower912]

 Prior to the season, f any MU fan had been offered 19-6 with two losses to teams that were at some point ranked #1, they would have leapt at it.   

UConn was really good last night.  MU wasn't.    Moving on.

[Goose]

Tower

UConn beats almost every team in the country last night. I noted in another post, it was small victory not losing by 30+ points. UConn was that good last night.

[tower912]

Tower

UConn beats almost every team in the country last night. I noted in another post, it was small victory not losing by 30+ points. UConn was that good last night.

We agree.

[MDMU04]

Alabama went to Oklahoma a week or so ago and lost by 24.  Three nights later they beat Vandy by 57.  It's a long season, things happen.

A little ass kicking in the dog days of the season sometimes does wonders for a team's focus.

[Scoop Snoop]

Snoop

Great post. My level of concern is about a 2 and believe they right the ship moving forward. I talked to several non MU fans yesterday and all of them expected UConn to win. Only negative is that several friends watched and took pleasure in the poor performance.

It is funny but I was not overly excited about the game all day yesterday. I thought there was a good chance we would see the result that we saw. Positive note, the game was early and I was done being angry/disappointed at a reasonable hour.

Goose, I'm going to go onto the Ancestry site right after posting because we simply must be related somehow. The bolded was exactly my take, down to a T.

On another note, and a very important one at that, I should have included UCONN's BE losses in my original post. And the carnage of the top 25 teams this season (especially the top ten) has been mind boggling.

The heavy criticism of our players, although they were certainly not at their best, fails to take into account just how huge UCONN's part in the game was, especially their defense. I pointed out twice already that as much as I loved seeing Ben shine, that supports my take. Namely, that they were not focused on him.

[Goose]

Snoop

I have always felt that UConn and Creighton were the two best overall teams in the BE. Both are beatable, but very good teams. UConn pounded MU far more than MU laid in egg. For anyone that believes in February Fade, last night was a bigger deal. For me, it was a loss that was overdue and against a very talented, hungry team. The minute Hawkins drained the first basket I was already 50% checked out.

[Spirit Of James]

Even during their rough patch where they went 2-6, Uconn's metrics were off the charts.  They are #6 in KenPom (8 in offense, 20 in defense); they are a tough matchup for us...no shame in losing in their building. 

[Dr. Blackheart]

Worst defensive game by a Shaka team in a decade. Third worst in his career. Find a student manager to flush thrice.

[brewcity77]

Positive note, the game was early and I was done being angry/disappointed at a reasonable hour.

I had to watch the game about 2 hours later than it started, so I put my phone on airplane mode to avoid spoilers. The first half was frustrating me because they kept making crazy shots and the refs gave them a bit of help they clearly didn't need, but when we didn't come out strong in the second, I skipped much of the second and was able to let go of it pretty quick.

Alabama got boatraced by Oklahoma, Tennessee by Colorado, Arizona by Utah (and Oregon and Wazzu), and all of them are on the 2-line or better and all those losses are to non-tourney teams. Numerous other good teams have taken hard losses (Kansas, Baylor, TCU, Xavier, Iowa State) and are still trending toward good seasons. No use in moping, better to just accept the bad night and move on.

[dgies9156]

OK, as a famous Green Bay resident once said R-E-L-A-X!!!!!!

We're going to be fine. Absent a loss to Georgetown Saturday night, we have no really embarrassing losses. Our worst losses of this season are to the Rodent and to Mississippi State. They were early and the team was finding itself.

The one thing that continues to concern me is rebounding. When you don't rebound, you better shoot well. When your shooting is off, or you launch desperation threes,  you get a bad loss. UConn is the kind of team that gives Marquette problems -- big, burley and very, very physical. Mississippi State played the same way. When the shots fall, we can beat these teams. When they don't, it's ugly.

Crap happens. Wipe, flush and move on.

[mu_hilltopper]

The worst thing to happen this season is that MU got ranked in the Top 10 and the expectations game .. going from 9th in the BE to 9th in March .. makes every failure a huge blow.

[Scoop Snoop]

Snoop

I have always felt that UConn and Creighton were the two best overall teams in the BE. Both are beatable, but very good teams. UConn pounded MU far more than MU laid in egg. For anyone that believes in February Fade, last night was a bigger deal. For me, it was a loss that was overdue and against a very talented, hungry team. The minute Hawkins drained the first basket I was already 50% checked out.

We are definitely related, cousin!

[79Warrior]

A few have gone Chernobyl.  Most have kept at least a slight bit of sanity.   MU got whooped.   Don't let it escalate.  Beat Georgetown.

Yep. I think Georgetown is a key game. Need to right the ship quickly. X is around the corner.

[Dr. Blackheart]

The worst thing to happen this season is that MU got ranked in the Top 10 and the expectations game .. going from 9th in the BE to 9th in March .. makes every failure a huge blow.

Arby's is offering the COLE 'n Cheddar Special this week, while supplies last.

[Markusquette]

This was the first loss that wasn't a winnable game at the end. Relax.

[UWW2MU]

Alabama went to Oklahoma a week or so ago and lost by 24.  Three nights later they beat Vandy by 57.  It's a long season, things happen.

A little ass kicking in the dog days of the season sometimes does wonders for a team's focus.

This is how I feel.  This game may be exactly what was needed to get the edge back.  Maybe I'm wrong, and there's no such thing as moral victories, but if they start playing elite again after this and use it as a learning opportunity and personal growth then I'll take the silver lining where I can get it. 

[Goose]

Being ranked in top ten was a bad thing? I love it.

[Scoop Snoop]

This is how I feel.  This game may be exactly what was needed to get the edge back.  Maybe I'm wrong, and there's no such thing as moral victories, but if they start playing elite again after this and use it as a learning opportunity and personal growth then I'll take the silver lining where I can get it.

If inevitable (I think it was), better now than in the Big Dance. Make the most of the brutal lesson.

[CountryRoads]

As Patrick Ewing said, it's not about how many times you get knocked down, it's about how many times you get back up. Apparently that's still true even if you lose 29 straight conference games.

Anyway, I think the team regroups and finds a way to win on Saturday and then Fiserv will be on fire Wednesday when Xavier comes to town.