What does Shaka do vs SJU?

[mugrad_89]

I for one think we should have a senior night celebration for Joey, represented by empty chair Clint Eastwood style

With a pen and paper on it.

[#UnleashSean]

If marquette loses the next 2 they are still solidly in the top 4 seeds.

[PGsHeroes32]

If marquette loses the next 2 they are still solidly in the top 4 seeds.

We dont want a 4.

[#UnleashSean]

We dont want a 4.

I was just responding to the original comment.

[WhiteTrash]

We dont want a 4.

Let's just sit back and let that comment sink in.

"Alex, can I have things Duke, Kansas, UCLA, Villanova and UNC fans say in March?"

[Herman Cain]

Need to have a huge win for the fans on Saturday versus The Johnnies . Keep winning and pushing for highest seed possible

Also winning keeps the poll rankings high

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I think we are already locked into at least a 3 seed. We could lose twice and I don't see us falling off the three seed line.

We could reach the last 2 seed line but it will take a lot of help, we don't control our own destiny there.

[DoctorV]

I think we are already locked into at least a 3 seed. We could lose twice and I don't see us falling off the three seed line.

We could reach the last 2 seed line but it will take a lot of help, we don't control our own destiny there.

How much help?

If Marquette wins the BET still need help?
My answer is no, unless "help" is considered teams above them losing.
I'd argue that if Marquette wins the BET they get the 2, because by default some of the teams currently ahead will lose.

Getting to the final but losing and I'd argue that that's where the help part comes in.
Short of the BET final I don't think it matters much, but I will say that I wouldn't be completely floored to be a "surprise" 2 seed if MU wins the next two and loses to UConn.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

How much help?

If Marquette wins the BET still need help?
My answer is no, unless "help" is considered teams above them losing.
I'd argue that if Marquette wins the BET they get the 2, because by default some of the teams currently ahead will lose.

Getting to the final but losing and I'd argue that that's where the help part comes in.
Short of the BET final I don't think it matters much, but I will say that I wouldn't be completely floored to be a "surprise" 2 seed if MU wins the next two and loses to UConn.

Time and time again the committee has said and shown that conference tournaments don't do much for a team's seeding. Look at TAMU last season. They beat an NIT team, an eventual 2-seed, and dominated an eventual 4-seed and all they got for it was a trip to the NIT and a long incoherent manifesto from their coach.

I think we need to pass three teams to get a 2 seed at this point with only one to two regular season games left for the teams that matter. As an added challenge, our last game won't move the needle, beating SJU at home isn't impressive. As a further challenge, most of the other teams relevant games are Q1, meaning they only have opportunities to improve and no opportunities to fall. Tennessee and Kansas State are close enough that I think we could pass them if we win out and they only lose more game each. I'm not sure we're close enough to Arizona for that.

[CountryRoads]

and all they got for it was a trip to the NIT and a long incoherent manifesto from their coach.

What a crazy mfer. If you are in a P6 conference and are complaining about not getting an at-large bid, then you weren't very good to begin with.

[bradforster]

Win against SJU and one game in BET. Probably solid four seed, maybe three seed.

Lose against SJU and win one game in BET.  Probably a four seed?

Many scenarios, too much to list and you get the idea. Heck win the SJU game, win the BET and get a two seed.

So question.  With BET #1 seed covered, do you play the starters for minimum minutes, not worried about SJU outcome or keep the streak going.  BET is a major grind for the players.

Marquette is a three seed or higher no matter what happens the rest of the way.  You are not paying attention if you think the team is still on the four line.

[GoldenEagles03]

Probably start Wrightsil on Senior night and see how much he can go?

(They are going to play normal minutes to win the game.)

[Shooter McGavin]

Is this a serious topic?

Ha!  Thought the same thing.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

What a crazy mfer. If you are in a P6 conference and are complaining about not getting an at-large bid, then you weren't very good to begin with.

Their non-conference schedule was so bad. Like historically awful if I remember right. But TAMU would obviously know letter than me.

[MUMonster03]

"You play to win the game!"

HE

[wisblue]

Cliche alert!   


Can you beat a team 3 times in the same season?

This raises an interesting quandary (teal alert).

MU's first NET game will be against either Butler or SJU. We know from people who know much more about basketball than we do (maybe because they had a coach in the family) that it is much harder to beat a team for the third time in the same season.

So, maybe the best thing to do would be to tank against SJU and hope they beat Butler in the first round at MSG. That way MU would not be forced to play a team that they've already beaten twice and would be fired up for revenge.

But, on the other hand, if MU wants to make it to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament, we know that it would be better to lose in their first game in the BET and follow the lead of the 2003 that lost in the first round of the CUSA tournament. They then cruised to the Final Four against teams that wore themselves out in their conference tournaments. Therefore, it might be better to beat SJU on Saturday to give them the motivation they need to seek revenge in the BET.

So, what to do? Whatever they do, if they're trying to follow precedents, I wouldn't recommend having the team plane slide off the runway on the way to NYC just because the only team that tried that ploy proceeded to win 4 games in 4 days to win their conference tournament and then advanced to the Sweet 16 as a 7 seed.  The airplane incident seemed to counterbalance the tired legs theory.

[The Sultan]

Is it really hard to beat a bad team three times in a season?  That seems like a cliche that doesn't really have a basis in reality.

[rocket surgeon]

play to WIN

honor the seniors

play to WIN

expand the line and get as much PT to ben, chase and jop and seany as possible
       rest and confidence

        question-who would be next off the bench, if needed, after chase, ben, jop & sean?

play to WIN

[StillAWarrior]

Is it really hard to beat a bad team three times in a season?

No.

That seems like a cliche that doesn't really have a basis in reality.

It is.

[wisblue]

Is it really hard to beat a bad team three times in a season?  That seems like a cliche that doesn't really have a basis in reality.

Even Dodds retreated from "hard" and said it was "harder" to beat a team the third time than it was the first two. He also said that you can't tell if it was harder or not just from scores, making his premise impossible to disprove.

I still think it's hogwash. It might be challenging to play a team 3 times because the opponent learns things about you and you might have to make adjustments. But that would seem to apply equally to both teams regardless of what happened in the first two.

[The Sultan]

I think its just math. If there is an 80% chance you will be a team, that's pretty good right?  But that means there is only about a 50% chance you will beat them three times.

Anyway if Dodds firmly believes something like that is the case, you can pretty much assume its not.

[StillAWarrior]

I think its just math. If there is an 80% chance you will be a team, that's pretty good right?  But that means there is only about a 50% chance you will beat them three times.

Anyway if Dodds firmly believes something like that is the case, you can pretty much assume its not.

The thing about this cliche is that people only say it when one team has already won the first two games. At that point, a good explanation is that the team that won the first two games is a better team. As the better team, there's a relatively good chance they will also win the third game.

When the two teams are 0-0 against each other at the beginning of the season, there's probably some truth to the statement. But by the time one team is 2-0 against the other and everyone is spouting the cliche, it's far less likely to be true.

[mileskishnish72]

NFL.

Gotta keep on keepin' on.

[Uncle Rico]

I think its just math. If there is an 80% chance you will be a team, that's pretty good right?  But that means there is only about a 50% chance you will beat them three times.

Anyway if Dodds firmly believes something like that is the case, you can pretty much assume its not.

It's never happened in college basketball

[hairy worthen]

Time and time again the committee has said and shown that conference tournaments don't do much for a team's seeding. Look at TAMU last season. They beat an NIT team, an eventual 2-seed, and dominated an eventual 4-seed and all they got for it was a trip to the NIT and a long incoherent manifesto from their coach.

I think we need to pass three teams to get a 2 seed at this point with only one to two regular season games left for the teams that matter. As an added challenge, our last game won't move the needle, beating SJU at home isn't impressive. As a further challenge, most of the other teams relevant games are Q1, meaning they only have opportunities to improve and no opportunities to fall. Tennessee and Kansas State are close enough that I think we could pass them if we win out and they only lose more game each. I'm not sure we're close enough to Arizona for that.

You are assuming that the committee looks at only NET ranking and metrics. Its not true. If it were they wouldn't need a committee. There is a human element to the selection and the committee members vote. The committee has said there are mathematical elements they use, but it is still partly an art and not entirely a science.

We will see, but if MU is ranked 5th or 6th with a big east title in their pocket, they will be a 2 seed.