Focus

[Halldan1]

Want to Dance but look at it in the short term? Then I set a goal of two 3 game blocks. With all games being winnable ones.

There's not a contest the Hall can't walk away with without the W. And yes I know some will note the opposite, but that's not how a winning team looks at their schedule.

Win 2 of 3 (doable) twice and you're Dancing. Split the games and more work might be needed.

First block

Kenpom

Wed Feb 17 59 Georgetown L, 72-71 Away

Sun Feb 21 254 St. John's W, 78-66 Away

Thu Feb 25 54 Providence W, 74-68 Home


Second block

Sun Feb 28 21 Xavier W, 76-74 Home

Wed Mar 2 34 Butler L, 78-73 Away

Sat Mar 5 165 DePaul W, 74-68 Away

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

First 7 games we went 3-4. Second set of 7 should be either 5-2 or 6-1. I can't believe the complaints about this loss. Overall we're clearly going in the right direction. It's just time to finish the job.

 

[TheBluePirate]

This loss was a seriously squandered opportunity, thus a serious disappointment.

Given the following long standing truisms: (1) The Big East is a very difficult league top to bottom and (2) the historic path to the post-season (OBE and NBE) is to hold serve at home, steal some on the road and be better than even-up in the conference record.

So with seven games to play (pulling in the Butler game), we have three games at home and four on the road. Thus, three are holding serve at home games and four are steal something on the road games. We think we need to win four total (from 17 to 21) in order to be safely off the bubble and in.

So - win vs Butler at home, and only need three of the six remaining to be off the bubble and in. Given two at home and four on the road, and two of them on the road look like they should be to our strong advantage, it takes a massive amount of pressure off for the two home games. We're running downhill into this kind of schedule.

Losing to Butler just sets it all back into bubble or first four out, in my view. Now - if we are tournament team many years, this is not the end of the world at all. But we have been starved for a long long time.

It's never supposed to be easy as my friend 75 tweaks me in another thread, but *I can't believe the dismissing of people's feelings" in the face of that loss given the challenges.

Is this team likely to rebound? Best rebound-after-a-loss team we've seen in many a year. Does this make me feel confident now that we've lost an edge in our remaining schedule? No.

Need four of six when four are on the road? Umm......

 

[Halldan1]

Need four of six when four are on the road? Umm......

We've played well on the road this year. Plus two games will be against DePaul and SJU.

Want to Dance you have to beat those type of teams. And IMO past issues at DePaul have nothing to do with this current group of players for those that might bring the subject up.

Also, being in the post game interviews with the players. They want Butler bad. When they have taken that kind of stance they have played well. I expect that to happen at Butler.

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

Very funny that so many didn't even have us anywhere near here. Now that we are here it's a disappointment.

I'm curious how many work in sales. If your expectations were $100,000 for the month to receive a bonus and did $75k the first week, then $20k each additional week, how many of you would be cool with the boss saying no bonus for you because we changed expectations midway through?

 

[Halldan1]

It's all about expectations. The many that predicted a 3-4-5 win Big East season, as wrong as they were have gotten caught up in the excitement of this team. So a loss now hurts so much more than it would have if their predictions were on target.

The goal now is to Dance. Some of us thought that possible even if the majority didn't.

Now, let's support this team when they're at home. Getting sick and tired of looking at crowds of 5-6 thousand at most every game.

That's a disgrace. This team deserves so much more!

 

[TheBluePirate]

Regardless of my feelings right now, I'm getting to both MBB and WBB teams - unless my company requires me to be out of state or out of country. Agree - getting into the seats is everything we can and must do now.

 

[TheBluePirate]

Want to Dance you have to beat those type of teams.

And - this is absolutely true, and I completely agree with it.

 

[shupat08]

Regardless of my feelings right now, I'm getting to both MBB and WBB teams - unless my company requires me to be out of state or out of country. Agree - getting into the seats is everything we can and must do now.

Where did you disappear to for the last 5-10 minutes of the Women's game vs StJ???

 

[lwyrup]

If history tells us anything, we will probably lose one of the @Depaul or @SJU games.

 

[Halldan1]

If history tells us anything, we will probably lose one of the @Depaul or @SJU games.

History IMO has nothing to do with this team.

I have been saying since the start of 2016 that this group stands on their own successes as well as failures.

When they go to Chicago there will be little thought to past games there. And if there is any, no matter how small, trust me that will only motivate this group more.

They thrive off the negative.

 

[Section112]

If history tells us anything, we will probably lose one of the @Depaul or @SJU games.

UNLIKEY!!! This team has nothing to do with past years. We have talent, work hard and will continue to improve.

 

[SOBO1]

Win 2 of 3 (doable) twice and you're Dancing. Split the games and more work might be needed.

I agree with Dan. I originally thought 10 wins would be enough to punch our ticket, but now I'm starting to think 10 wins may still leave us on the bubble. 11 wins may be what is needed to be a lock.

My prediction for this season was 8-10. Hopefully, I'll be wrong. Win or lose I'm very happy with the progress the team has made this year.

 

[anon_4htvdezyfe7k9]

That's a disgrace. This team deserves so much more!

Agree, regardless of the announced, or paid attendance, or however they report out on those #s, the crowds still look sparse on TV and barely audible for the most part. (I get the irony of calling out the weak attendance while mentioning that I'm watching on TV, but I don't live in the area anymore ). I'm hoping to get up there for the Xavier game though.

Unfortunately I see more of a 3-3 scenario, although winning at GTown would open the door for a realistic shot at 4-2.

As you mentioned, 3-3 wouldn't be a deal breaker for the NCCAs, but might require at least 1 win the the BE tourney depending on how the rest of the bubble and conference tournaments play out.

 

[Save Continental]

If it's 3-3 with a Xavier win as one of the 3, that might be good enough. We need some more impressive wins, and we need them pronto.

 

[TheBluePirate]

Where did you disappear to for the last 5-10 minutes of the Women's game vs StJ???

Pat, I was suffering an illness. I came to the game even though I was not feeling well. I just couldn't make it all the way through.

 

[TheBluePirate]

UNLIKEY!!! This team has nothing to do with past years. We have talent, work hard and will continue to improve.

My buddy 112 has been beating me about the head and shoulders all season at the Rock. He's been on fire. LOL!

 

[Merge]

This board is overreacting a little to a loss to a good team, and honestly if we beat Butler - we would have been in the top 25 next week. None of us really think we are a top 25 team. We are probably somewhere between 26 and 40 though and I hope we finish out strong to stay closer to 26 than 40.

I really thought 10 would be the number that gets us in, but I also though 10 wins would secure placing 5th in the BE. Now I am thinking we may need 11 because of how the BE standings will play out.

Creighton, Butler, Georgetown and PC are all making this interesting... and this weekend includes some very important games.

Georgetown vs PC - I am rooting like hell for PC here. If PC wins, I see a ceiling of 10 wins at best for Georgetown

Xavier vs Butler - I think we need to stay ahead of Butler in the BE standings, so go X! They have 6 games left and need 4 wins to get to 10. Assuming they lose to Xavier and Nova, 10 is their ceiling but I don't think they get there.

Marquette vs Creighton - Creighton's win over Xavier was huge for them. They have a favorable schedule coming up. 2 games against Marquette. I see 12 BE wins as their ceiling. I am hoping they finish with 10 but 11 is likely.

Providence - falling quickly but I am rooting for them to take out the other middle of the pack teams, Georgetown and Creighton. Both games are at the Dunk. Beyond that they will likely lose to X and hopefully SHU so a 10 win finish is likely the ceiling for PC.

Seton Hall. - Not an easy stretch coming up but we have been a decent road team. Gotta continue that trend. @ SJU and @ depaul are must win games. Then Split the remaining road and home games is not unreasonable. Need to get there.

 

[anon_4htvdezyfe7k9]

We still control our own destiny, which is nice, but isn't making me any less anxious about the remainder of the regular season.

Handful of games with Big East standings and bubble implications tomorrow. Tough to decide who to root for in a couple of them.

Georgetown @ Prov

Xavier @ Butler

Creighton @ Marquette

 

[TheBluePirate]

We still control our own destiny, which is nice, but isn't making me any less anxious about the remainder of the regular season.

This is a simple, neutral declaration of how I *feel* right now - anxious.

 

[NYC Pirate]

I believe this team is different also. We have several guys that can
score on a given night. IW is trending up in his play. He just didn't get
enough support vs Butler.

A couple of guys worth watching down the stretch are Delgado and Carrington. We need Angel to finish out this season on an upswing. Excellent play for the games prior to Butler and then a subpar
game. He's in shape now and is becoming a factor on the offensive end. Carrington is trending down. He's somewhat frustrated and is having trouble getting to the rim in addition to his outside shot being off. He's been too good this year and usually very consistent.

My point is that we have 4 very talented players including Desi that
bring an element of toughness and onions that the prior teams didn't have. Add in Sanogo and Gordon's work ethic on defense and we may not see that February meltdown.

Who wants to play Seton Hall in the BigEast Tournament this year?

 

[TheBluePirate]

Okay, NYCP, that's quite a zinger right there - who wants to play us.... we are a NASTY OUT (whether it happens that way or not, enough story). Good point. Well taken.

 

[TheBluePirate]

It's like my buddies Section112, GoHall85 and TonyC72 say to me every game (while beating me over the head, kicking my shins and rolling their eyes): "Sit down and shut up!!"

 

[Halldan1]

Carrington is trending down. He's somewhat frustrated and is having trouble getting to the rim in addition to his outside shot being off. He's been too good this year and usually very consistent.

Carrington IMO should use the pull up mid range jumper more often. His ability to beat his man off the dribble allows penetration, but often that is nullified by big man help.

Pull up and hit the 12 footer. It's nearly impossible to stop. Especially when you can get to that spot with ease.

 

[HALL28]

I have no doubt we'll get minimum 3 more based on the makeup of this team and the maturation we've seen over the past month. And this team is very capable of a big upset at MSG!