#11 Marquette (MSG), Tue., Feb. 4, 6:30p, FS-1

lawmanfan said:
Silly, my man, when you're a bottom-5 poster on the site the old saw of "the first thing to do when you've dug yourself a hole is stop digging" applies.
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I guess you are saying this from experience since many consider that your constant negative posts towards RJ who has carried the team for most of the season, have put you in that category?

I love the “pile on “ dynamics here. Someone goes after a poster and others have the need to pile on. Sad and does nothing to enhance the site.
 
I’m very wary of this game. It couldn’t put us well into the top 10. But the habitual difficulty to sustain 2 good halves gives me pause. I don’t think we get away with that in either of the next 2 games. We also must must must defend the 3.

These guys have done nothing but win so my trepidation is likely misplaced. We should be more than competitive. But the last 25 years of StJ basketball has worn me down. Not used to the success.

Pitinos teams including ours last year excelled in February and March. I’m hopeful that this team is no different and continues to build on what’s been going on.

I hope we sweep the next 2 but would take a split. I think we match up better with UCONN hence my nervousness.

Let’s go guys!!!!
 
Back to the Marquette game. The big task in that game will be who is assigned to guard Jones. If Smith is up to the task, physically, he would seem to be the likely candidate as I don’t believe Kadary or Wilcher would be able to keep up with his quickness. He’s (Jones) has had some off games lately, let’s hope that continues.
 
Well, without a doubt our biggest week of the season. Two ranked opponents at the top of the league, annd lots of eyes on the Johnnies. Split and we hold onto first, sweep and the interest in St John's explodes, and lose two and the air is out of the room just a bit.

No question there is a ton of importance to hold the home court Tuesday.

Yesterday is yesterday, Friday is future. All that matters is Tuesday. I'd be amazed in any of our kids hear a single thing said in class by their profs on Monday or Tuesday.

Exciting times!
 
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redmanwest said:
I’m very wary of this game. It couldn’t put us well into the top 10. But the habitual difficulty to sustain 2 good halves gives me pause. I don’t think we get away with that in either of the next 2 games. We also must must must defend the 3.

These guys have done nothing but win so my trepidation is likely misplaced. We should be more than competitive. But the last 25 years of StJ basketball has worn me down. Not used to the success.

Pitinos teams including ours last year excelled in February and March. I’m hopeful that this team is no different and continues to build on what’s been going on.

I hope we sweep the next 2 but would take a split. I think we match up better with UCONN hence my nervousness.

Let’s go guys!!!!
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I know the feeling but with this team I have had to shake off the warts of seasons past and have faith. They have surprised me on more than one occasion pulling out a few impressive wins. Even with the team’s major shortcoming at shooting and especially the shooting guard position, they just find a way to win. Let’s just say, I won’t bet against them.
 
Look at Marquette's last six games:
-- Beat @DePaul in OT!
-- Lost against Xavier at home. Horrible first half.
-- Beat Seton Hall handily, honestly a middling Atlantic-10 caliber team. Who cares.
-- Beat Nova, but was a game similar to ours in that it was close until four minutes left.
-- Beat Butler, but was losing at half time. Butler is probably an upper echelon Atlantic-10 team.
-- Lost to UConn, couldn't make a shot in the first half.

We watch every minute of STJ games and then go on this board & analyze every minute to death afterwards, so obviously we will have harsher feelings about us. But Marquette is a team that has been on an iffy trajectory for awhile now. You can fairly interpret them as a team that may have played their best in Nov/Dec because of their continuity compared to their competition. But their size/reliance on freshman to provide it, may limit their ceiling in Feb/March.

I'm not saying we should feel uber confident or anything, but they have worts just like we do.
 
dk423 said:
Look at Marquette's last six games:
-- Beat @DePaul in OT!
-- Lost against Xavier at home. Horrible first half.
-- Beat Seton Hall handily, honestly a middling Atlantic-10 caliber team. Who cares.
-- Beat Nova, but was a game similar to ours in that it was close until four minutes left.
-- Beat Butler, but was losing at half time. Butler is probably an upper echelon Atlantic-10 team.
-- Lost to UConn, couldn't make a shot in the first half.

We watch every minute of STJ games and then go on this board & analyze every minute to death afterwards, so obviously we will have harsher feelings about us. But Marquette is a team that has been on an iffy trajectory for awhile now. You can fairly interpret them as a team that may have played their best in Nov/Dec because of their continuity compared to their competition. But their size/reliance on freshman to provide it, may limit their ceiling in Feb/March.

I'm not saying we should feel uber confident or anything, but they have worts just like we do.
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Great post.
 
redmanwest said:
I’m very wary of this game. It couldn’t put us well into the top 10. But the habitual difficulty to sustain 2 good halves gives me pause. I don’t think we get away with that in either of the next 2 games....
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I think it eventually has to catch up to us... we did blow a sizable lead vs Baylor, so maybe we got it out of our system...?

i don't think we make it out of the League going undefeated in every game we "should" win... i expect 1 hiccup at Nova / Depaul / Butler... those games happen.

i am confident though we can go 3-2 in our "big" 5 games remaining vs Marq/UConn/Creighton
 
bucketshardy said:
I think it eventually has to catch up to us... we did blow a sizable lead vs Baylor, so maybe we got it out of our system...?

i don't think we make it out of the League going undefeated in every game we "should" win... i expect 1 hiccup at Nova / Depaul / Butler... those games happen.

i am confident though we can go 3-2 in our "big" 5 games remaining vs Marq/UConn/Creighton
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It caught up to us against Baylor, Georgia and Creighton. lol
 
dk423 said:
Look at Marquette's last six games:
-- Beat @DePaul in OT!
-- Lost against Xavier at home. Horrible first half.
-- Beat Seton Hall handily, honestly a middling Atlantic-10 caliber team. Who cares.
-- Beat Nova, but was a game similar to ours in that it was close until four minutes left.
-- Beat Butler, but was losing at half time. Butler is probably an upper echelon Atlantic-10 team.
-- Lost to UConn, couldn't make a shot in the first half.

We watch every minute of STJ games and then go on this board & analyze every minute to death afterwards, so obviously we will have harsher feelings about us. But Marquette is a team that has been on an iffy trajectory for awhile now. You can fairly interpret them as a team that may have played their best in Nov/Dec because of their continuity compared to their competition. But their size/reliance on freshman to provide it, may limit their ceiling in Feb/March.

I'm not saying we should feel uber confident or anything, but they have worts just like we do.
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Awesome post.

We all need to have self awareness and reflection in order to improve as people. But here, it is so over the top that it borders on self loathing.
 
dk423 said:
It caught up to us against Baylor, Georgia and Creighton. lol
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Those losses were great as compared to running through a dozen OOC marshmallows.

Pitino picks up the smallest mistakes and failures in big moments. Even yesterday, with all the exuberance of Kadary's shot, he called Kadary out for losing his man on the ensuing Providence possession and said we lucked out because he was wide open downcourt for a makeable three.

Yea, as fans, even after big wins in a dream season, we pick apart failures, mistakes, and turnovers.

Rather than lament those losses, I look at those as making us battle tested, tougher, and made our guys realize that to be a good team, we HAD to get better. All that stuff, I leave up to the best teacher we've had in my 50 years as a fan.
 
dk423 said:
We watch every minute of STJ games and then go on this board & analyze every minute to death afterwards, so obviously we will have harsher feelings about us.
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That's why, in the years (not many) in which we've been on the NCAA Tournament bubble, I've never used the "eye test" to compare us to another team.

How can I compare a team I've watched 30-plus times, to a team I've seen maybe twice?
 
I don’t think Jones is a bad matchup for Kadary. Jones is 6’5, strong and gets to where he wants with savvy. He doesn’t blow by defenders. I think he’s too strong for Sim and too big for Smith. If we’re locked in defensively which we have been 95% of the year, I think we matchup well. Of course that doesn’t mean they can’t come out and put it to us on the wrong night.
 
I will be there Tuesday night, ill be there suite level, if anyone wants to meet for a cocktail, I'm going with 5 friends and my son a 24 graduate is going with a few friends. I'm expecting a sell out Tuesday with a ton of energy!!!!! LFG! GO JOHNNIE'S!!!!!!
 
I'm hoping the way this team has played is a reflection of the competition. Not once have we been completely out of the game but very rarely has a game felt completely comfortable as a w. They haven't needed to play 2 great halves to win this year. At the same time they've never given up and never played without a fire in their bellies. As long as they keep playing with desire and a refusal to lose then their performance should reflect that.

Biggest test of the year and we will see how the guys respond.
 
Silly Donovan said:
Negativity? 😂I am the most positive poster here. I’m thrilled with the win and Kadary’s heroics, expect a better team close out from a game where they had a 19 point lead with 8 minutes to go (as does Coach Pitino) and calling something a must win cause I dream big for the program and want the country to be aware is about as positive as you can get. I guess if you are going to dishonor me with a memorial tee shirt, which is pretty dumb since I’m not dead yet (😂 very intelligent 😂) I suggest you add to that the Joedib “clueless” fan award for the misinterpretation of all my posts.
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Most positive poster here? Yesterday when you referred to this as a "fine" season, my first thought was, Say what? We're 19-3. This is an effin fabulous season!
 
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