Most Important Non-Con Game?

[JakeBarnes]

Kemper is based in Northbrook.

I've done business in Northbrook. It's not the gem Shermerville was.

[swoopem]

Little Louie's in Northbrook is my favorite Chicago hot dog spot in all Chicagoland

[We R Final Four]

In this instance, you're absolutely right. Then, after they beat UCLA, you'll be right again.

Not in this case....playing KU is much more important than beating KU.
So, beating UCLA is the most important game of the non con.

[HowardsWorld]

Not in this case....playing KU is much more important than beating KU.
So, beating UCLA is the most important game of the non con.

What if Chaminade pulls the upset of the century? Do we want to lose to UCLA to play Kansas?

[Galway Eagle]

What if Chaminade pulls the upset of the century? Do we want to lose to UCLA to play Kansas?

It's actually be quite disastrously hilarious if we won and all the underdogs also won.

[We R Final Four]

What if Chaminade pulls the upset of the century? Do we want to lose to UCLA to play Kansas?

Resulting.

[TVDirector]

I voted Illini. 
Hard to tell what we were this year after just 2 cupcakey home wins-
Going on the road into a tough environment and a gritty top 25 team was going to reveal much about what this might be without OMax and the mix of newbies. 
Would we play our game as we would at home or fall into the pace and physicality of a B10 sloggy slug fight?  Would road jitters and ensuing errors result?

While I wasn't super impressed with IL as a team, they showed their toughness and gave MU a real test.  And we met that and dispelled many concerns I had about the team showing up, pushing an MU tempo and doing what they do pretty well away from the friendly confines. 


Proves to me that they belong- that last year was not divine providence- and we should be able to play with anybody anywhere and win more than our share. 


Time to ratchet it up!

[1SE]

I think the conditional nature of the 2nd and 3rd Maui games factors in everyone thinking that UCLA is most important - which is why I tried to include the different conditional options in the poll. Does your thinking change if we think about each (potential) game as an independent event - i.e. if I had titled the poll "most important (potential) non-con game"

So, next week when we go:

UCLA-W, KU-W, PU-W

which win was most important? Surely KU or PU - and I'd argue it's pretty clearly PU since that gets us some hardware? 

So - of all the games we could play in non-con - which would be the most important win on its own?

[brewcity77]

I think the conditional nature of the 2nd and 3rd Maui games factors in everyone thinking that UCLA is most important - which is why I tried to include the different conditional options in the poll. Does your thinking change if we think about each (potential) game as an independent event - i.e. if I had titled the poll "most important (potential) non-con game"

So, next week when we go:

UCLA-W, KU-W, PU-W

which win was most important? Surely KU or PU - and I'd argue it's pretty clearly PU since that gets us some hardware? 

So - of all the games we could play in non-con - which would be the most important win on its own?

UCLA, because the latter two cannot happen if the first is not a win. The only one of those three that directly impacts the ability of the latter two to happen is the first one, therefore it is the most important.

You can't really argue the latter two when they cannot even exist without the first one happening.

[1SE]

UCLA, because the latter two cannot happen if the first is not a win. The only one of those three that directly impacts the ability of the latter two to happen is the first one, therefore it is the most important.

You can't really argue the latter two when they cannot even exist without the first one happening.

Right - and I've acknowledged that - but that's exactly the same as UCONN saying the most important game of their season last year was Iona.

So - after we win all 3 in Maui - will you still say UCLA was the most important?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Right - and I've acknowledged that - but that's exactly the same as UCONN saying the most important game of their season last year was Iona.

So - after we win all 3 in Maui - will you still say UCLA was the most important?

Yes.

[1SE]

Yes.

I'm sure that Iona game will go down in the annals of UCONN lore - just like how the first game that comes to mind from 2003 is Holy Cross and not Kentucky.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I'm sure that Iona game will go down in the annals of UCONN lore - just like how the first game that comes to mind from 2003 is Holy Cross and not Kentucky.

Comparing the Maui Invitational to the NCAA Tournament is....interesting.  You don't understand the difference between a one-and-done, end of the year tournament and a holiday tournament where you are still playing with a loss, but your schedule gets severely downgraded?

IMO It would be better for Marquette to go 1-2 in Hawaii, provided the win is against UCLA, instead of 2-1 with the loss being against UCLA. 

[1SE]

Comparing the Maui Invitational to the NCAA Tournament is....interesting.  You don't understand the difference between a one-and-done, end of the year tournament and a holiday tournament where you are still playing with a loss, but your schedule gets severely downgraded?

IMO It would be better for Marquette to go 1-2 in Hawaii, provided the win is against UCLA, instead of 2-1 with the loss being against UCLA.

Schedule-navel-gazing is for bubble teams. Marquette is in the dance unless they've somehow pulled one over on us all and are a complete fraud. Going 1-2 or 2-1 in the ways you suggested won't change that at all - it almost certainly won't have any impact on seed either. 10 years from now, when we look back on this season, if we've gone 1-2 or 2-1 no one will care or remember. If we go 3-0 - and really only if we go 3-0 - then we still might be talking about how we won the strongest Maui tournament of all time.  But if we've gone 3-0 - the most important game in that outcome will be Purdue - not UCLA.

[Jay Bee]

IMO It would be better for Marquette to go 1-2 in Hawaii, provided the win is against UCLA, instead of 2-1 with the loss being against UCLA.

*1-1 with a loss to UCLA

[Uncle Rico]

They're blowing UCLA out

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Schedule-navel-gazing is for bubble teams.

It's not though.  It's for all teams that aspire to be in the NCAAs.

Seeding isn't just about how well you do.  It's about how well you do compared to your competition. If Purdue, Kansas, Tennessee, Arizona, and Marquette all go 30-1, all 5 would be deserving of 1 seeds but one of them would get a 2 seed. In that scenario,  Marquette losing to UCLA and getting stuck with a scrimmage against Chaminade could be the thing that designates MU as the one that gets demoted to a 2 seed.

UCLA is objectively the most important. If you remove that as an option, they're all equally important from an NCAAT seeding standpoint. From an emotional/prestige standpoint, I think the Maui championship would be the one but could hear arguments for Bucky/ND (rivalry games) or Illinois (best November true road win in at least 35 years)

[BM1090]

They're blowing UCLA out

Agreed.

[StillAWarrior]

They're blowing UCLA out

Who are you and what have you done with Rico?

[Uncle Rico]

Who are you and what have you done with Rico?

My prediction from the predictions topic will be wrong but they're blowing out UCLA.  UCLA can't shoot. 

[PGsHeroes32]

Well, Hansbrough picked UCLA to win Maui on field of 68 last night so I guess we better get ready for chaminade Tuesday

[MUbiz]

Well, Hansbrough picked UCLA to win Maui on field of 68 last night so I guess we better get ready for chaminade Tuesday

I know your comment is sarcasm, but Hansbrough was also looking at his notes when he was talking about Marquette and did not even know David Joplin's name. He also admitted he did not watch Marquette until the BE tournament and had no idea TKO was this good.

[PGsHeroes32]

I know your comment is sarcasm, but Hansbrough was also looking at his notes when he was talking about Marquette and did not even know David Joplin's name. He also admitted he did not watch Marquette until the BE tournament and had no idea TKO was this good.

To be fair he also listed Joplin as a breakout player who he thinks will get better and better as the year goes on haha

But yeah, in terms of being up to date on everything going hes probably their weakest regular/semi regular.

He also mostly said he was taking UCLA to not be predicatable.

[1SE]

Well we got the one everyone wanted. That's good.

But to all you "just happy to be here" types - shed the COLE. This year's team is for winning. Every game. Every championship.

7,535 days ago we were "just happy to be there" too. And it has been a long time waiting for revenge. I want this next one. Bad. I'm sure these guys do too.

[Goose]

1SE

There is one goal this season and no house money this year. The guys are in position to do something special and beating Kansas is another step towards the ultimate goal.