Most important regular season game of Shaka's tenure?

[1SE]

Is today the most important regular season game of Shaka's tenure to date? I know lots of prima facie reasons to say I'm on crack - it doesn't clinch a title, it's not determinative for making the Tourney, it's early February, it's Creighton (not UCONN or NOVA or UW) and they're not even ranked.

BUT - I think there are some arguments to be made that it is:

1) Since dropping 4 straight at the end of 2021 in Shaka's first season, we have not lost 3 straight. 3 in a row is definitely a skid.

2) Losing today eliminates almost any realistic chance at the BE regular season title

3) Losing today makes a 2 seed a very long shot and starts to put a protected seed on wobbly ground.

In sum, I think today's game is as important as any single regular season game for short and long-term trajectory of the program. Lose today and this season is definitely in decline - from a position of being the drivers seat for the BE title and a 2 (if not 1) seed we'll be looking at fighting for a top-3 and protected seed - still a great season but a worse outcome than we would have hoped/expected on February 1. But also - Shaka's trajectory since coming to MU has been arguably up or level - of course we won't get a 2 seed or better every year, but if we don't match that it would be the first real season-long "regression" of the Shaka era.

All that said, it's regular season so who cares. Win 6 straight in March I don't care if we start as a 1 seed or an 8 seed. But I think this is a really important game and Shaka will have the boys ready for a major resilience statement win. Go Marquette!

[Uncle Rico]

No

[DoctorV]

Nice post 1SE.

I, for one, place more value on this one after reading it.

Uncle Rico, control yourself

[The Sultan]

No.

[Uncle Rico]

Nice post 1SE.

I, for one, place more value on this one after reading it.

Uncle Rico, control yourself

No

[Ardmore Mug]

NO ! ! !   

[Newsdreams]

LOL not even close, NO

[FairWeatherEagle]

The snarky No-ers
Usual suspects.

Go ahead, reply and say No....

[Uncle Rico]

The snarky No-ers
Usual suspects.

Go ahead, reply and say No....

No

[willie warrior]

It may not be the most important, but iTtis right up there

[Uncle Rico]

It may not be the most important, but iTtis right up there

Somewhere today, a doctor will be performing lifesaving surgery on someone's family member.  This is bigger

[wadesworld]

The snarky No-ers
Usual suspects.

Go ahead, reply and say No....

No.

[wadesworld]

And posters claim they're not overreacting here. 😂

[The Sultan]

The snarky No-ers
Usual suspects.

Go ahead, reply and say No....

Sorry. But I have no idea how anyone could claim that this is the most important regular season game of his tenure.

A win and they likely don't win the conference anyway. Plus it has no real bearing on their ultimate success in the NCAAs.

Scoopers really lack a lot of perspective.

[Scoop Snoop]

Losing today eliminates almost any realistic chance at the BE regular season title

 Losing today makes a 2 seed a very long shot and starts to put a protected seed on wobbly ground.

All that said, it's regular season so who cares. Win 6 straight in March I don't care if we start as a 1 seed or an 8 seed.

We are already on shaky ground for winning the regular season title. Sj's win @ UCONN put them in the driver's seat.

Barring a sweep of the rest of our BE season, I think our chances a #2 seed are already toast. Losses like ours to unranked Xavier at home does not impress the Selection Committee when they are awarding #2 seeds.

Yes, we could win the title and get a #2 seed and a win today is essential for those things to happen, but the rest of the season includes a trip to Connecticut and a rematch of SJ.

In answer to your question about "who cares?'...I do, and I'll bet that many others here do also. Thirty-some games, and "who cares?"   

You are on crack if you think we will go 6 straight in the tourney.

We have a good team that is clearly in a slump. Just because a loss today makes it 3 straight is not enough reason to panic, because we are playing a very solid Creighton team on a win streak on their court on a Saturday afternoon. Now if we were playing Seton Hall today and lost....yeah, that would really be bad.

Let's not judge simply on the game without taking into account who the opponent is and where and when it is being played.

[tower912]

Giving up 3 straight baskets or missing 3 straight shots is reason to panic for some.

[Uncle Rico]

We are already on shaky ground for winning the regular season title. Sj's win @ UCONN put them in the driver's seat.

Barring a sweep of the rest of our BE season, I think our chances a #2 seed are already toast. Losses like ours to unranked Xavier at home does not impress the Selection Committee when they are awarding #2 seeds.

Yes, we could win the title and get a #2 seed and a win today is essential for those things to happen, but the rest of the season includes a trip to Connecticut and a rematch of SJ.

In answer to your question about "who cares?'...I do, and I'll bet that many others here do also. Thirty-some games, and "who cares?"   

You are on crack if you think we will go 6 straight in the tourney.

We have a good team that is clearly in a slump. Just because a loss today makes it 3 straight is not enough reason to panic, because we are playing a very solid Creighton team on a win streak on their court on a Saturday afternoon. Now if we were playing Seton Hall today and lost....yeah, that would really be bad.

Let's not judge simply on the game without taking into account who the opponent is and where and when it is being played.

The committee made Marquette a 2-seed that lost at home last year to a bad Butler team.  They made Marquette a 2-seed that lost at home to bad Wisconsin team two years ago.

North Carolina was a 1-seed last year that lost to 3 non-tournament teams.  Arizona was a 2-seed last year with an 18-point loss at Stanford (105 in KenPom), a loss at KenPom 155 Oregon State and 13-point loss to close the season at KenPom 85 USC

Arizona was a 2-seed 2 years ago despite a 15 point loss at KenPom 71, Utah, a 13-point loss at home to Wazzu, KenPom 67 and a 19-point loss at NIT-bound Oregon.

[Nukem2]

Obviously not given there are games to go, but does raise questions.

[brewcity77]

No.

But unlike the rest I have an answer to what was. It was Saturday, February 21, 2023 at Creighton.

Leading up to that game was the last gasp emotional home win over Xavier with the last second O-Max dunk to win it. We came into the day 13-3 in the Big East, with both Creighton and Xavier at 12-4. The Jays were favored with a chance to tie us atop the standings. When Xavier lost at Villanova to fall to 12-5, it was a huge opportunity. When we fell behind by 12 in the first half, and trailed by 8 at halftime, it didn't look great. But we outscored them by 10 in the second to leave with a 73-71 win and a commanding two game lead over both Creighton and Xavier.

We clinched a share at home against DePaul in our next game and the outright title against Butler a few days later, but it was the road game at Creighton that basically sealed the Big East title and our return as a true force in the league.

[Scoop Snoop]

The committee made Marquette a 2-seed that lost at home last year to a bad Butler team.  They made Marquette a 2-seed that lost at home to bad Wisconsin team two years ago.

North Carolina was a 1-seed last year that lost to 3 non-tournament teams.  Arizona was a 2-seed last year with an 18-point loss at Stanford (105 in KenPom), a loss at KenPom 155 Oregon State and 13-point loss to close the season at KenPom 85 USC

Arizona was a 2-seed 2 years ago despite a 15 point loss at KenPom 71, Utah, a 13-point loss at home to Wazzu, KenPom 67 and a 19-point loss at NIT-bound Oregon.

Ya GOT me Rico. Its just that I think it's fair to think that our 2 seed may be in jeopardy. Admittedly hyperbole on my part

[The Sultan]

brew is wise.

[muwarrior69]

It's pretty simple. Win, no problemo. Lose, lots of problemo. That is why we play the games. Let's see if we can turn things around today. Win or lose today we are still in the hunt. Look at NC state last year. I rather be cold now and hot at tournament time. lots of basketball to be played and I am having fun watching the games.

Funny how we all forgot the Wojo years and waiting to see that light at the end of tunnel. Now that we are in that light all some see here is darkness. Yeah, stormy clouds are part of a season, but storms pass, and the sun does come out. I hope we find our silver lining today. If not, there is still more basketball to be played, and we are still in contention unlike many of the Wojo years.

Let's not jump the shark until we have to.

[The Sultan]

It's pretty simple. Win, no problemo. Lose, lots of problemo.

Not really. If we lose, we lose. It will be disappointing but doesn't point to any problems we know didn't exist already.

[Uncle Rico]

Ya GOT me Rico. Its just that I think it's fair to think that our 2 seed may be in jeopardy. Admittedly hyperbole on my part

It is in jeopardy.  They aren't a 2-seed at the moment and probably won't get a 2-seed.  They haven't been playing good enough to think they will get a 2-seed but I'll watch and cheer for them and enjoy the ride in what's easily been the best run of mubb hoops in awhile.  2-seed?  No.

However, we react in the moment instead of stepping back and looking at history and the big picture.  And the big picture is, Marquette has a lot of hoops to play and so does everyone else.  The final story hasn't been written

[MuMark]

Ya GOT me Rico. Its just that I think it's fair to think that our 2 seed may be in jeopardy. Admittedly hyperbole on my part

Our 2 seed is already in serious jeopardy regardless of what happens today......just a lot of strong teams at the top this season.

We will in all likelihood end up as a 3-5 seed.

Which is a great season and one that we all would have signed up for at the start.