Marquette's record

[mu ball]

I say 26-29 range

[mu_hilltopper]

Premature.

Once the schedule comes out, we'll have all sorts of polls and prediction threads.

[Mayor McCheese]

Understand that its early... but based on last record (of 25 wins).. I put us in the 26-29 range, no reason we can't improve, especially with the praise of McNeal from teammates.

[MUBasketball]

Premature.

Once the schedule comes out, we'll have all sorts of polls and prediction threads.

True, but we already know the entire non-conference schedule based on what Rosiak has told us, plus other teams releasing their schedule. We also know home and away conference games, all we're waiting for with that are the dates.

[bilsu]

These are regualar season wins only, if you read carefully. I voted 21 to 25 and expect given the schedule that it will be closer to 21. MU has a very experienced team, but the league the last two years has been very young, so now there is a lot of experience in the league. I expect 12-1 or 11-2 in non-conference. I do not think we will win at Tennessee. 12-1 and 13-5 in conference gets us to 25 wins. 11-2 and 10-8 gets us to 21 wins. The conference is tough and I be elated if we won 13 games.

[mu_hilltopper]

I'll amend my comment.  It's also premature since we haven't seen the team play with any of the new guys, nor seen Buzz coach.    Once we've seen MMadness and the Halloween practice, that's when you can make a better judgment ..

[Blackhat]

4

[muhoosier260]

I'll amend my comment.  It's also premature since we haven't seen the team play with any of the new guys, nor seen Buzz coach.    Once we've seen MMadness and the Halloween practice, that's when you can make a better judgment ..

ya b/c crean cruising (and nearly tipping) on his atv, and players kicking pieces of wood really gave us an insight on how the 07-08 team would finish

[mu_hilltopper]

ya b/c crean cruising (and nearly tipping) on his atv, and players kicking pieces of wood really gave us an insight on how the 07-08 team would finish

Yes, that's exactly what we need to base our predictions on.  If you remember, we didn't chop those boards on the first try every time.  A sharp observer would have divined our future rebounding (board) problems.  Crean's difficulty driving that off-road-vehicle showed us we would have trouble on the road.  Stuff like that.

The 30 minute scrimmage at the end didn't show us much. 

[Murffieus]

Total season W/L is not near as meaningful as BE W/L and NCAA W/L------BE should be no worse than 14-4----and this team should definetly go to the sweet sixteen with an excellent shot at the elite 8.

[bilsu]

Total season W/L is not near as meaningful as BE W/L and NCAA W/L------BE should be no worse than 12-4----and this team should definetly go to the sweet sixteen with an excellent shot at the elite 8.

There are 18 conference games. 12-6 is possilbe, but 14-4 and is not.

[Murffieus]

Thanks for clarifying 14-4----if we don't do that this year than when? I mean we have a very experience and talented team. We lost 6 games in 2006-07------losing 6 this year would mean NO PROGRESS eventhough we have the same players back who should be two years better this year (more experience and maturity). Meanwhile other teams have lost a lot of talent!

[tower912]

Chasing UConn and Louisville for sure.   They return more size than we do.    Still have the fundamental problem of having Lazar guarding Thabeet under certain rotations.   14-4 is a pipe dream.   An unattainable number designed to let you complain when it isn't accomplished, Murf.    So you can say, 'See?  Ol' Murf said.......blah blah blah'

[Murffieus]

With 4 1/2 starters back (Burke started more than 1/2 the games last year)-----we return as much or more than anyone.

We have UCONN at home-----and Louisville loses Padgett (the heart & soul of the team) and Caracter (who was a decent replacement)-----both are beatable at the BC with a talented and veteran team like MU!

some of you guys are too focused on mediocrity----raise your horizons-----challenge this team to overachieve -----don't prepare them for underachievement!

[Marquette84]

With 4 1/2 starters back (Burke started more than 1/2 the games last year)-----we return as much or more than anyone.

We have UCONN at home-----and Louisville loses Padgett (the heart & soul of the team) and Caracter (who was a decent replacement)-----both are beatable at the BC with a talented and veteran team like MU!

some of you guys are too focused on mediocrity----raise your horizons-----challenge this team to overachieve -----don't prepare them for underachievement!

We will not have a clear talent advantage over the league--there will still be four to five teams that on paper will be more talented, four or five teams that are roughly equal, and six to eight teams that are less talented.   

In fact there are at least five teams that right now that you can make a strong case for finishing first (UConn, UL , ND, Pitt, MU).   MU can show significant improvement over last year and still finish behind the other four.  Is that "poor coaching"?  I don't think so. 

And that doesn't even factor in what might happen if someone like Rutgers' Mike Rosario turns out to be the 2nd coming of Dwyane Wade.   If he does turn out to be that good, then Rutgers could sneak into the league's contenders and push MU down a slot.   If that happens, is it poor coaching, or did lightning strike for Rutgers?   If we finish behind Rutgers because Rosario becomes a #5 NBA draft pick, I'm not going throw Buzz under the bus.

There are a lot of factors that will affect wins & losses this year--strength of schedule, true talent levels of incoming players, injures, officiating, home/road wins & losses.  I think we have to actually see the performance in games to know if Buzz is a good coach or not. 

Arbitrarily saying that he has to win 14 games or finish in the top 3 is a poor way to decide if he's a good coach or not. 

[Murffieus]

I'm not "arbitrarily" saying MU should go at least 14-4 and finish in the top 3-----most preseason projections have us right at #3 in the BE.

Overachievement is possible though which would place us at #1 or #2.

[tower912]

14-4 wins the league.   13-5 ties for second.   11-7 will once again tie for 5th.  (with the tiebreaker deciding who is 6th)     So, 14-4 = BEast championship.   Are you willing to bet on that Murf?

[detroitwarrior]

Somewhere in the 21-25 win category without having seen how this team plays under Buzz and how some of the new additions fit in under game conditions. 12-6 in the Big East. I think we can again expect a few losses that might have been avoided and a few wins that we may not have predicted. While our core starters including the 3 amigos and Lazar are great, we will still have problems with an inside game and post-up scoring unless Trevor really steps up.

[tower912]

If the combination of Otule and Mbakwe contribute significantly more than Ooze, and the combination of Fulce and Butler give us significantly more than Fitz, and if Buzz coaches as well as he recruits, you may be right, Murf.    Too many ifs for my liking.   I expect 23-24 wins with with a 12-6 BEast record and a sweet 16.   Everything else is gravy.

[mug644]

If the combination of Otule and Mbakwe contribute significantly more than Ooze, and the combination of Fulce and Butler give us significantly more than Fitz, and if Buzz coaches as well as he recruits, you may be right, Murf.    Too many ifs for my liking.   I expect 23-24 wins with with a 12-6 BEast record and a sweet 16.   Everything else is gravy.

+1

Wonderful summary of how this year can be different from last year. If your 'ifs' become negatives rather than positives, the year could be quite different. But that wouldn't change my hopes for Buzz. Give him three years, at least to grow into the position. He deserves it and MU shouldn't be so high and mighty as to expect incredible results immediately.

[Murffieus]

Grow into it? Buzz willl never have more talent in any one year than he has this year-----got to make hay while the sun shines. If he blows it, recruting will get tough-----finishing anywhere below #3 and a one & done in the NCAA, is "blowing" it!

[mug644]

Maybe, Murff, you are as whimsical as young recruits, and would give up on Buzz after one year, if things don't meet your narrow expectations (expectations that ignore the simple fact that Buzz is a different coach than the one the team had last year, the challenging competition of the Big East, and, as you so often point out, revolve around a team that still has no proven inside presence).

But I honestly doubt that. You are, again, pushing in order to foster success. I appreciate that.

Then again, I think that most recruits are either able to look at the bigger picture or tend to be selfish. If they see a team/coach that offers them an opportunity to play in a visible conference and/or to reach their own goals, they will be attracted. Buzz must prove himself to be a quality coach to seal the deal, but it's not realistic to put it all on the results of a first-year coach.

Back to the direction of the thread, please don't re-state that the thinking that Buzz MUST have a year that includes a 14-4 BE record and a top 3 position, or else it is "underachievement". You know that that is not fair to a team that is primed to do better than they did last year and doesn't need any undue pressure.

Finally, you say that "finishing anywhere below #3 and a one & done in the NCAA, is 'blowing' it!" Really?! At the very least, it seems to me that any finish in the BE and making the sweet 16 is a huge accomplishment. Top 3 in the BE and one and done will be a huge, huge disappointment. Sounds like an interesting poll, what it "acceptable" in terms of BE finish and NCAA wins?

[ecompt]

I'd say going 13-5 in a conference that could well have six Top 25 teams all year would be pretty good.

[Murffieus]

mug644----a veteran team needs to be challenged to overachieve----the more pressure the better.

[muball]

some of you guys are too focused on mediocrity----raise your horizons-----challenge this team to overachieve -----don't prepare them for underachievement!

Shame Muff that u didnt do the above with the teams u played on, which had weaker schedules etc. This years team will be good but so is the BEast with Lville, Cuse, UConn, ND, and others so there are no automatic wins, and as I said we have no proven post player.