2027 Bracketology

[MarquetteMike1977]

In ESPN's Newly Expanded 2027 Bracketology Today Marquette is in the Last Four In
The Big East has 6 Teams In

[MU82]

I love the expanded tournament!

[WhiteTrash]

I love the expanded tournament!

If you love it now, just wait till they expand so half the Summit League makes the field.

[Nukem2]

I love the expanded tournament!

Yeah, that Tuesday/Wednesday "First 12" should be something really special!   

[Uncle Rico]

If you love it now, just wait till they expand so half the Summit League makes the field.

The next expansion will include a provision that mandates 14 Big 18 and 14 SEC schools

[Viper]

I love the expanded tournament!

haha...we're in!!

[MU82]

Yeah, that Tuesday/Wednesday "First 12" should be something really special!   

I'll watch.

For Shaka, it'll be another good springboard to the Final Four.

[The Sultan]

Yeah, that Tuesday/Wednesday "First 12" should be something really special!   

You're not required to watch.

[Nukem2]

You're not required to watch.

Along with a ton of others who are not aligned with the participants.

[The Sultan]

Along with a ton of others who are not aligned with the participants.

Right. Then why do you care?

[WhiteTrash]

Right. Then why do you care?

1. Betting
2. Betting
3. Betting
4. Gambling
5. Wagering
6..........

[Mr. Nielsen]

Yeah, that Tuesday/Wednesday "First 12" should be something really special!   

Despite the Tuesday date decline that went head to head with WBC on FOX, the "First Four" grossed 7.5 million viewers — edging past last year (7.4M) to rank as the highest for the event in its traditional two-day format.

I'm willing to guess with the new format and two different sites of tripleheaders going head to head, combined viewership will work out fine.

[MarquetteMike1977]

In Bracketology Updated 6/16 Marquette is a #11 Seed playing #11 Seed TCU in the Expanded Opening Round

[MU82]

In Bracketology Updated 6/16 Marquette is a #11 Seed playing #11 Seed TCU in the Expanded Opening Round

We'll win by 6. Nigel with 19 points and 8 assists, Sunny with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Great game, with lots of entertaining plays.

[willie warrior]

In ESPN's Newly Expanded 2027 Bracketology Today Marquette is in the Last Four In
The Big East has 6 Teams In

Ah yes. The days are here when we can celebrate somebody's projection of MU being the last 4 in. Hopefully someday we will celebrate that we made a deep run in the dance like days of old.

[Uncle Rico]

Ah yes. The days are here when we can celebrate somebody's projection of MU being the last 4 in. Hopefully someday we will celebrate that we made a deep run in the dance like days of old.

Hi, Willie.  I'd really love to match whatever donation you make to the athletic department.  If you're too modest to say it here, just send me a DM.  Thanks!

[muwarrior69]

We'll win by 6. Nigel with 19 points and 8 assists, Sunny with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Great game, with lots of entertaining plays.

Oh C'mon! Hamilton will have 18 points, 18 assists and 18 rebounds. 

[MU82]

Oh C'mon! Hamilton will have 18 points, 18 assists and 18 rebounds. 

He'll play all 40 minutes, because that's just what Shaka does.

[MarquetteMike1977]

3 Days ago in Bracketology. Marquette is listed as a #12 Seed playing #12 Seed Clemson with the Winner playing # 5 Seed Kentucky in the Midwest Kansas City Region

[PointWarrior]

Sweet - what do we know about Clemson as the opponent?

3 Days ago in Bracketology. Marquette is listed as a #12 Seed playing #12 Seed Clemson with the Winner playing # 5 Seed Kentucky in the Midwest Kansas City Region

[MarquetteMike1977]

On Monday ESPN 100 days to men's college basketball: Top stories, players, games

Marquette is listed in the 10 Teams That Could Make A Jump


Marquette Golden Eagles. Shaka Smart is coming off his second-worst season as a head coach, winning just 12 games in a rebuilding season after famously eschewing the transfer portal to instead rely on his young returnees. That decision should pay off this season, however: Nigel James Jr., Adrien Stevens and Royce Parham are all back as starters, and Smart finally went to the portal for Nolan Minessale and Sananda Fru. -- Borzello

[MarquetteMike1977]

2 Days ago in Bracketology. Marquette moved up to a #11 Seed playing #11 Seed TCU with the Winner playing #6 Seed Nebraska in Omaha in the Midwest Kansas City Region

[Vander Blue Man Group]

2 Days ago in Bracketology. Marquette moved up to a #11 Seed playing #11 Seed TCU with the Winner playing #6 Seed Nebraska in Omaha in the Midwest Kansas City Region

Glad to see those games in Vancouver moved us up a line.

[wadesworld]

Glad to see those games in Vancouver moved us up a line.

We did outperform Purdue, after all.

[Tha Hound]

3 Days ago in Bracketology. Marquette is listed as a #12 Seed playing #12 Seed Clemson with the Winner playing # 5 Seed Kentucky in the Midwest Kansas City Region

I will be very disappointed if we're a 12 seed. Imo this roster is closer to a 4 than 12.

[Hards Alumni]

I see us more in the 6-9 position.

[willie warrior]

I will be very disappointed if we're a 12 seed. Imo this roster is closer to a 4 than 12.

Pass the grass please

[JakeBarnes]

2 Days ago in Bracketology. Marquette moved up to a #11 Seed playing #11 Seed TCU with the Winner playing #6 Seed Nebraska in Omaha in the Midwest Kansas City Region

Nebraska has out main weakness. A full roster of guys who "play the right way."

"gym rats" if you will

[Uncle Rico]

Pass the grass please

Marijuana is illegal in the state of Wisconsin.

[brewcity77]

I will be very disappointed if we're a 12 seed. Imo this roster is closer to a 4 than 12.

Given perfect health and all the what if contingencies playing out in our favor, sure. But that requires a lot of hope.

[MU82]

Given perfect health and all the what if contingencies playing out in our favor, sure. But that requires a lot of hope.

Yup. Also, those saying our roster is 4-seed material suggests we have one of the 16 best rosters in the country. I doubt the poster did an analysis of P5 rosters to determine we have one of the 16 best.

[mug644]

Given perfect health and all the what if contingencies playing out in our favor, sure. But that requires a lot of hope.

Hope...I've got lots of that. Confidence...not quite as much.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Yup. Also, those saying our roster is 4-seed material suggests we have one of the 16 best rosters in the country. I doubt the poster did an analysis of P5 rosters to determine we have one of the 16 best.

He tecnically said closer to a 4 seed then a 12 seed which would mean were 1-7  seed (+ the top 2 8 seeds) material. So one of the top 30 rosters in the country.  I've seen a few places rank us that high. Though i think most I've seen are in the 30 to 40 range

[Mu8891]

Barring injuries...

I see MU in the " real " field, in the
7 to 10 seed range. 

[MU82]

I like our team a lot, but I have no idea what we'll really be like until we play a couple/few legit opponents.

And I'm famously optimistic.

[brewcity77]

I'm typically an optimist and feel I can make a case for anything from protected seed challenging UConn for the Big East title to wrong side of the bubble. There are some very nice known quantities, but far more questions than clear answers at this point.

[WhiteTrash]

I'm typically an optimist and feel I can make a case for anything from protected seed challenging UConn for the Big East title to wrong side of the bubble. There are some very nice known quantities, but far more questions than clear answers at this point.

Unfortunately, 18 is a known quantity. But I believe a known portion of the equation.

[MU82]

Unfortunately, 18 is a known quantity. But I believe a known portion of the equation.

Thanks, JB Jr.

[Tha Hound]

Yup. Also, those saying our roster is 4-seed material suggests we have one of the 16 best rosters in the country. I doubt the poster did an analysis of P5 rosters to determine we have one of the 16 best.

Brilliant reading comprehension on display

[Jay Bee]

I'm not sure we're a 4 seed in the BEast, but agree there is at least hope.

Getting a new passport (expired) just in case I want to see our 30-point loss to Virginia in person.

I believe picking out the West Virginia fans walking around Atlantis will be easy.

[Shooter McGavin]

Its interesting how people were way more bullish before the season last year when the team was made up of role players, players returning from injury and freshmen. 

This starting five has exponentially more potential.   

Are they thin at certain positions?  Yes.  But I like our chances of a top 3 finish in the Big East and 6 seed or better in the tournament, if healthy. 

[tower912]

As per usual, I am bullish.
Quality PG?  Check
Quality 5? Check
Quality SG?  Check Check
Quality 4?  Check

I worry about guard depth.  Stunning, I know.

To me, the biggest question mark is which switchables make themselves indispensable.  The more, the merrier.   

[MU82]

Brilliant reading comprehension on display

Didn't mean to misrepresent what you said. My apologies.

I'll stand by main point of not really knowing how good our roster is compared to other P5 teams until we actually see them in action.

[MU82]

Its interesting how people were way more bullish before the season last year when the team was made up of role players, players returning from injury and freshmen. 

This starting five has exponentially more potential.   

Are they thin at certain positions?  Yes.  But I like our chances of a top 3 finish in the Big East and 6 seed or better in the tournament, if healthy. 

I think it's human nature at work.

Speaking for myself, I did think last season's team was 20-win and NCAAT material. But after quickly learning how very wrong I was, there's a little reluctance to proclaim how good we'll be related to our P5 peers until I actually see some non-con results.

But I like the additions Shaka made during the offseason, I think we'll get outstanding performances from several returning players, and I'll call myself "realistically hopeful" for a successful and entertaining season.

[dgies9156]

My guess is somewhat tempered by last year, when I bought into RGV until the first few weeks of the season exposed us.

That said, we appear to have a deep, comparatively strong roster that should be a fifth or sixth seed. If the team gels, the bad taste of last year should be washed away. If it doesn't, we are a middling Big East team playing in the Not Invited Tournament or in Las Vegas.

[Scoop Snoop]

Thanks, Jay S. Bee Jr.

FIFY

[MU82]

FIFY

OK ... I'll reluctantly play ... what's the S stand for?

[Scoop Snoop]

OK ... I'll reluctantly play ... what's the S stand for?

Schtik.

[Jay Bee]

Its interesting how people were way more bullish before the season last year when the team was made up of role players, players returning from injury and freshmen. 
 

At this time last year, we didn't know the staff would make moronic, idiotic decisions to start the year. They f***ed up royalty and the season was over early.

[tower912]

At this time last year, we didn't know the staff would make moronic, idiotic decisions to start the year. They f***ed up royalty and the season was over early.

Which royalty did they (mess) up?  UK?  Norway?  Saudi Arabia?

[MU82]

Schtik.

Schtick.

[Scoop Snoop]

Schtick.

Thanks for the spelling correction. I'm surprised JSB didn't catch it before you did. 

[Nukem2]

Merriam -Webster spells this slang word as shtick with variants being schtick or shtick. Get on the stick here, boys. 

[Scoop Snoop]

Merriam -Webster spells this slang word as shtick with variants being schtick or shtick. Get on the stick here, boys. 

In other words... schtick on a stick. Works for me!

[MU82]

Neither Webster nor most Scoopers are well-versed in Yiddish, nu?

[Scoop Snoop]

Neither Webster nor most Scoopers are well-versed in Yiddish, nu?

I like this Yiddish word-schmuck. Wikipedia explains it below:


Schmuck, or shmuck, is a pejorative term meaning one who is stupid or foolish, or an obnoxious, contemptible or detestable person. The word came into the English language from Yiddish, where it has similar pejorative meanings, but where its literal meaning is a vulgar term for a penis.

[Scoop Snoop]

Back to the thread:

I think somewhere in the 6-10 range is as good of a guess as any. I need to see not only Marquette's non-con performance vs. D1s but our BE brethren's' as well before shedding the "cautious" adjective in my optimism for this season. I love Pitino's MU optimism but take it as Pitino just being Pitino. He likes to talk. A lot.

[Jay Bee]

What's the proper royal spelling?

[tower912]

What's the proper royal spelling?

There they're their. Its/it's ok to wear/where/ware us out royally (messing) up royalty.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Schtik.

's Creek

[willie warrior]

Merriam -Webster spells this slang word as shtick with variants being schtick or shtick. Get on the stick here, boys. 

Or should it be shtick it?

[SchnitzelBoy]

I can definitely see a slow start derailing our hopes of a top-25 season but I'm pretty confident our (fully healthy) squad will be safely in the field. Wildly optimistic prediction would be a 4-seed. Realistic would be a 6 or 7-seed.

Nigel and Adrien will be better than they were last year. With Nolan Minessale in the fold, we should have a solid three-guard tandem to rely on. Fru and Royce should be a solid-to-great frontcourt, and I'm cautiously optimistic a 7'1" Josh Clark brings rim protection and lobs for solid minutes.

How good MPIII and Damarius are is what will determine Marquette's ceiling this season. Their length and athleticism at spots 2-4 make are really useful, and hopefully their 3-point shooting is reliable enough. I think Damarius could end up as the starting SF because of his dunks and (underrated) rebounding.

[MarquetteMike1977]

September3rd ESPN Projecting every Big East team's floor and ceiling

5. Marquette Golden Eagles

2025-26 finish: 12-20, 7-13 Big East, lost in the Big East tournament first round

CEILING
Total wins: 26
Big East finish: Third
Postseason finish: NCAA tournament round of 32

FLOOR
Total wins: 21
Big East finish: Sixth
Postseason finish: No NCAA tournament appearance

For years, Shaka Smart tried to build the old way. He spoke openly about avoiding the transfer portal and instead focusing on retention, recruitment and development. Going against the grain, however, hasn't worked in this climate: Smart's fall from a 29-win 2022-23 season to a 12-win campaign last year proves as much. Even he has now seen the light: all-Summit League first-teamer Nolan Minessale (19.8 PPG at St. Thomas) transfers into a talented group led by all-Big East third-teamer Nigel James Jr. (16.4 PPG) The Golden Eagles have finally gotten rid of their landline and bought a cellphone.

[romey]

September3rd ESPN Projecting every Big East team's floor and ceiling

5. Marquette Golden Eagles

2025-26 finish: 12-20, 7-13 Big East, lost in the Big East tournament first round

CEILING
Total wins: 26
Big East finish: Third
Postseason finish: NCAA tournament round of 32

FLOOR
Total wins: 21
Big East finish: Sixth
Postseason finish: No NCAA tournament appearance

For years, Shaka Smart tried to build the old way. He spoke openly about avoiding the transfer portal and instead focusing on retention, recruitment and development. Going against the grain, however, hasn't worked in this climate: Smart's fall from a 29-win 2022-23 season to a 12-win campaign last year proves as much. Even he has now seen the light: all-Summit League first-teamer Nolan Minessale (19.8 PPG at St. Thomas) transfers into a talented group led by all-Big East third-teamer Nigel James Jr. (16.4 PPG) The Golden Eagles have finally gotten rid of their landline and bought a cellphone.

No mention of Fru?

[Hards Alumni]

No mention of Fru?

or 18

[MU82]

No mention of Fru?

Yeah, that was weird.

[WhiteTrash]

or 18

Yeah, that was weird.