Marquette thread

[X-lucidity]

Sonoma, I did not and seldom place any wagers. Just felt 10, (actually went off per my gambling daughter's boyfriend at 10.5), was well off reality. That said, X makes normal % FT's and they cover. Odom the real hero down the stretch driving and another late dime for the dagger. Paul not even looking for his outside shot anymore...? Strange. Which leads me to this query: Why in the hell was Kunkel not in for Hunter last 8 min of game? Or at least play some offense/defense between those two down the stretch. Now that Paul seemingly lost his confidence from deep, you really only have one shooter in the game, (Nate), with that lineup we were rocking. Hey, we prevailed, so we revel in the 'Dub, but I felt we needed more firepower. Yes, armchair quarterbacking here but aint that the point of this site! Great win boys, on to V-Town...

[Anti-Homer]

Though X should have won this comfortably and did on paper (which wasn’t the case since it was a one point lead right under 3 minutes), these games happen. In previous Steele seasons, this would have been a loss. Credit him for changing defenses and employing pressure, though personnel management took a siesta today. Odom played one of the top three games for an X player this season, behind only Nunge’s game ag UC and Johnson ag Va Tech. Some observations:

I like Kunkel, but he takes too many high degree of difficulty shots. His time was limited today, which it should have been, because he wasn’t bringing it offensively, and overmatched defensively.

Free’s offensive numbers weren’t great, but it will come. His defense is definitely a deficit, and he got beaten a lot on defense. Zone is his best friend.

Shot selection especially early on was poor, and there was a sequence where Hunter, Kunkel, and Scruggs (not sure if in that order) forced up consecutive bad shots.

X’s transition and man defense was poor late into the first half, until Steele finally went to zone. They went by our guys at will.

Colby Jones is really good, but ran a poor floor game today. He looked to score 1st, and set up guys second. He needs to watch Odom more.

It’s no secret that Mquette presses, so it was surprising to see X not make them pay by going on the attack when beating it. They didn’t. It simply knocked eight seconds off the shot clock.

Hunter, Hunter, Hunter. It is why I sigh when he makes treys in blow outs, b/c he deludes himself (and Steele for that matter) into thinking he should take more. After his 2nd three, I saw paramedics roaming in the back. Even the Board’s drywall contractor/DJ/personal injury attorney was handing business cards out, and screaming for Steele to keep Hunter in. He played good defense and rebounded well as usual, but he is one of the few guys in cbb who could take only five shots (and even make one) in a game and still make the crowd groan when he takes a shot. In one sequence, he air balled a lab by 5 feet, bricked a three, then missed two free throws. It’s too bad, b/c MQuette ‘s players are athletic and have length, so this is a type of game where he could get 25-27 minutes, but his offense would have cost X the game.

FT shooting blows. Unacceptable for so many to struggle collectively all year. They’ve only shot well in only a handful of games, and that has to improve.

The good:

Odom. Why he even came out of the game in the 2nd is absolutely head scratching. He fueled the comeback in the first, and only missed one shot I believe, a three. He showed why both he and the world knows he shouldn’t take them, but he earned it, and rarely takes them.

X going to zone. Credit Steele, but it was as obvious a call as bringing in an extra DB after Mahomes throws his fourth TD in the first half. Steele should have gone to it a lot sooner. Outside of Lewis and the other guard (Morsel?), they suck at threes.

Nate Johnson.

Yes, there are one or two more comments on the negative than positive side, but like Muskieman when it comes to paying my expense report, the truth doesn’t know math. Again, it’s great when X wins by 9, and everyone knows they didn’t play well. They have too much talent, depth, and now a coach who is seemingly growing into the role.

[Anti-Homer]

Good Time out when Paul dribbles into the corner with two men on him. Need 15 second scoring play out of TO

Paul has a bad habit of dribbling into the various Bermuda Triangle's on the court. That's his Achilles Heel.

[Anti-Homer]

Sonoma, I did not and seldom place any wagers. Just felt 10, (actually went off per my gambling daughter's boyfriend at 10.5), was well off reality. That said, X makes normal % FT's and they cover. Odom the real hero down the stretch driving and another late dime for the dagger. Paul not even looking for his outside shot anymore...? Strange. Which leads me to this query: Why in the hell was Kunkel not in for Hunter last 8 min of game? Or at least play some offense/defense between those two down the stretch. Now that Paul seemingly lost his confidence from deep, you really only have one shooter in the game, (Nate), with that lineup we were rocking. Hey, we prevailed, so we revel in the 'Dub, but I felt we needed more firepower. Yes, armchair quarterbacking here but aint that the point of this site! Great win boys, on to V-Town...

The Gambling God was smiling on AH. Parlayed Mquette +10.5 and over 149. The very few times I wager ag X, it is still within a margin of X winning the game.

[muskieman]

Künkel was not in toward the end because he was banged up

[Anti-Homer]

Despite losing by 9 to X, MQuette's NET jumped 11 points. This underscores why teams like X should schedule at least five top 50 non-conf games a year if possible and minimize games to sub 150 NET teams (I understand the rationale of playing 2-3) because of the risk-reward relative to a loss. I think that even a win to a sub 200 NET team would still result in a drop for a top 40 NET team in most cases.

X's brand as a near elite cbb program from 2000-2017 is returning. Its inclusion as one of the top 20 cbb programs for consecutive years by Forbes is now safe despite the previous three years. Congrats to Steele & Co., assuming X doesn't sh#t the bed like the previous three years.

Oh, on an unrelated note, congrats to the Cats for beating a DII team by 14 yesterday. The Slipper must have been rocking. Now, on to the scary league play in a one-bid league.

[Anti-Homer]

Also, the argument that vaccines do no good because people who have gotten them are still getting sick, being admitted, and dying, underscores the lack of understanding about the shots. Vaccines help to prevent getting infected and mitigate the progression of the illness. The number of people who are getting Covid but have been vaccinated will inevitably go up, b/c the number of people getting vaccinated grows exponentially by the week.

Again, I am a pro vaxxer and have no doubt it affords a great level of protection, but don't believe in mandates. I also don't believe it makes me superior or smarter for getting it. I am for freedom of choice. One caveat: I do believe that places like healthcare facilitates should test their unvaccinated workers routinely tested because obviously their patrons are already ill to varying degrees. I doubt that those who disagree would have no problem if the surgeon and scrub techs who performed an open procedure on them didn't scrub and keep a sterile environment during their operation.

Edit: Sorry, responded in wrong thread.

[kyzrex]

Despite losing by 9 to X, MQuette's NET jumped 11 points. This underscores why teams like X should schedule at least five top 50 non-conf games a year if possible and minimize games to sub 150 NET teams (I understand the rationale of playing 2-3) because of the risk-reward relative to a loss. I think that even a win to a sub 200 NET team would still result in a drop for a top 40 NET team in most cases.

X's brand as a near elite cbb program from 2000-2017 is returning. Its inclusion as one of the top 20 cbb programs for consecutive years by Forbes is now safe despite the previous three years. Congrats to Steele & Co., assuming X doesn't sh#t the bed like the previous three years.

I’ve got a one word answer as to why they don’t schedule like that…..money.

X needs at least 80% of their OOC games to be home games every year. They need the money that brings in. They are far past the point where top 50 teams are going to pay them to come play them, so traveling to a school like Perdue to play a game is not a money maker for X. They can’t afford to give up those home dates and they aren’t going to get many top 50 programs to come to X and not expect a return home date. If it wasn’t for the made for TV conference vs conference games (OSU/OKST), the exempt tournament games (ISU/VT), and the shootout, they probably wouldn’t have anything other than home cooking in the OOC every year. Since they travel for the tourney and at least one of the Conf v Conf games is going to be an away game, along with every other year the shootout being an away game, they need almost every other game to be a home game. Doesn’t matter who they are playing from a financial standpoint, not with their season ticket sales. And virtually every other major college program is in the same situation. That’s why so many OOC games scheduled by top 50 schools involve lower level schools. The top schools need the home gate and the lower schools need the payday. It all good to say that it’s all about competing for championships, buts it’s also a business. And your statement doesn’t work well from a business point of view.

[Anti-Homer]

Despite losing by 9 to X, MQuette's NET jumped 11 points. This underscores why teams like X should schedule at least five top 50 non-conf games a year if possible and minimize games to sub 150 NET teams (I understand the rationale of playing 2-3) because of the risk-reward relative to a loss. I think that even a win to a sub 200 NET team would still result in a drop for a top 40 NET team in most cases.

X's brand as a near elite cbb program from 2000-2017 is returning. Its inclusion as one of the top 20 cbb programs for consecutive years by Forbes is now safe despite the previous three years. Congrats to Steele & Co., assuming X doesn't sh#t the bed like the previous three years.

I’ve got a one word answer as to why they don’t schedule like that…..money.

X needs at least 80% of their OOC games to be home games every year. They need the money that brings in. They are far past the point where top 50 teams are going to pay them to come play them, so traveling to a school like Perdue to play a game is not a money maker for X. They can’t afford to give up those home dates and they aren’t going to get many top 50 programs to come to X and not expect a return home date. If it wasn’t for the made for TV conference vs conference games (OSU/OKST), the exempt tournament games (ISU/VT), and the shootout, they probably wouldn’t have anything other than home cooking in the OOC every year. Since they travel for the tourney and at least one of the Conf v Conf games is going to be an away game, along with every other year the shootout being an away game, they need almost every other game to be a home game. Doesn’t matter who they are playing from a financial standpoint, not with their season ticket sales. And virtually every other major college program is in the same situation. That’s why so many OOC games scheduled by top 50 schools involve lower level schools. The top schools need the home gate and the lower schools need the payday. It all good to say that it’s all about competing for championships, buts it’s also a business. And your statement doesn’t work well from a business point of view.

I'm not as well versed as you on this, but do understand the rationale. However, many teams, not just the elites, seem to be able to do it. This year, the ooc schedule has been very good. X is fortuitous that Iowa St is very good. I know it is early, but they are in four seed territory now. If they simply go 500 in the league and avoid a loss to the bottom three teams, they'll still get a decent seed. However, they are obviously looking for a league title, as am I.

[kyzrex]

I'm not as well versed as you on this, but do understand the rationale. However, many teams, not just the elites, seem to be able to do it. This year, the ooc schedule has been very good. X is fortuitous that Iowa St is very good. I know it is early, but they are in four seed territory now. If they simply go 500 in the league and avoid a loss to the bottom three teams, they'll still get a decent seed. However, they are obviously looking for a league title, as am I.

The reason that the non-elites can do this easily is because they are willing to visit all of the elites, and don’t expect a return home game. They need the money they get paid to play those games in order to pay for their program as they don’t draw enough fans at home to do so. It’s also easy for the blue bloods (Ky, Duke, UCLA, etc) to set up home and home games with other blue bloods, or neutral court games, because TV will pay for the rights to broadcast them. If it wasn’t for the exempt tourneys and the conf. V conf. games, X would have a very hard time getting 5 top 50 OOC games on the schedule. Villanova has no problem, but then they have won 2 national championships lately. I do absolutely agree that playing games of that caliper in the OOC part of the schedule is good for the SOS and helps to prepare the team for league play. However, since the strength of the BE is good, it’s certainly not as critical for SOS as it was back in the A-10 days.

If X avoids any loses to the bottom 3 teams in the league, they will finish much better than .500 in the conference.