Yep. The Providence Friars could potentially finish 10-8 or 9-9 and not get a bid since they would at best have only one Top 25 or Top 50 RPI win (most likely at home) to hang their hats on.
Cheers,
Neil
I wonder if Providence will get to 9 wins. Their remaining schedule doesn't look condusive to such success. Check it out...
@Seton Hall
Syracuse (looks like a loss)
@UConn (chalk up another loss)
Villanova (chalk up another loss)
@WVU (chalk up another loss)
@USF (probably a loss - the Bulls are rapidly improving)
Rutgers
@Louisville (chalk up another loss)
ND (chalk up another loss)
Pitt (chalk up another loss)
@Rutgers
@Villanova (chalk up another loss)
That looks like only 3 wins to finish the season, since I doubt the Friars can beat the Bulls. That makes Providence 7-11 in conference, unless they manage to beat the Bulls (putting 'em 8-10), which I seriously doubt they'll do...
(01-20-2009 11:44 AM)omnicarrier Wrote: [ -> ]Could a 10-8 or 9-9 Big East team not get a bid???
One already hasn't (see 2005-6 season).
We're becoming the SEC of basketball. Luckly we have a playoff but we're going to like five losses each and hear some crap from a team like St. mary's with one loss (I think they just played San Diego State or some crap like that). IMHO we cna't schedule schools like Duke of Memphis OOC if it comes back to bite us.
Scheduling down won't help either. RPI does play a factor..
(01-20-2009 12:07 PM)bitcruncher Wrote: [ -> ]I wonder if Providence will get to 9 wins. Their remaining schedule doesn't look condusive to such success. Check it out...
@Seton Hall
Syracuse (looks like a loss)
@UConn (chalk up another loss)
Villanova (chalk up another loss)
@WVU (chalk up another loss)
@USF (probably a loss - the Bulls are rapidly improving)
Rutgers
@Louisville (chalk up another loss)
ND (chalk up another loss)
Pitt (chalk up another loss)
@Rutgers
@Villanova (chalk up another loss)
That looks like only 3 wins to finish the season, since I doubt the Friars can beat the Bulls. That makes Providence 7-11 in conference, unless they manage to beat the Bulls (putting 'em 8-10), which I seriously doubt they'll do...
They've beaten Cincinnati both at home and on the road. So I was thinking they will have an excellent chance of beating both the Bulls on the road and either SU or Nova at home to be 9-9 (SU being in the midst of their tough part of the schedule might overlook them, and I like the match ups they will have against Nova).
I also think there is the extreme outside chance to get to 10-8 with ND at home or WVU on the road, since the Irish are having their problems away from South Bend and West Virginia is the shakiest of the Super 9 right now and this game will be scheduled in between three tough road games for the Eers - @L'Ville, @SU, vs Prov, @Pitt - a very dangerous stretch.
Still, the Friars will need to win all of the other games they are supposed to win and as a tweener even that is not a given.
I did this thread mainly as a sh@ts and giggles concept anyway.
Cheers,
Neil
(01-20-2009 01:41 PM)BJUnklFkr Wrote: [ -> ] (01-20-2009 11:44 AM)omnicarrier Wrote: [ -> ]Could a 10-8 or 9-9 Big East team not get a bid???
One already hasn't (see 2005-6 season).
True - but 2005-06 wasn't the greatest conference ever!
Cheers,
Neil
Neil, I don't think Providence will beat the Bulls. I know they won't beat the Mountaineers in Morgantown, even if the game does fall 2 days before WVU's rematch with Pitt. But you don't have to take my word for it. Just keep watching...
(01-20-2009 07:58 PM)bitcruncher Wrote: [ -> ]Neil, I don't think Providence will beat the Bulls. I know they won't beat the Mountaineers in Morgantown, even if the game does fall 2 days before WVU's rematch with Pitt. But you don't have to take my word for it. Just keep watching...
The Bulls are improving, but, the Friars beat Cincinnati at home. Cincinnati > USF, therefore the odds are they can beat the Bulls at their place.
Providence held a 9-point lead @G'Town and were leading by double digits against Marquette at home before eventually folding to the senior leadership of that team. As much as Heath has the Bulls improving with every game, Davis is doing that and more with the Friars.
Of course the games still need to be played and anything can happen, but don't underestimate this Providence team. They are much better than you are giving them credit for being.
(And, of course, now that I have typed all of this, watch them lose to the Pirates later this week
)
Cheers,
Neil
Cincinnati hasn't played USF yet. They have 2 games against them late in the year (March 3 & 4). That's when we'll find out which team is better.
As for USF, as the season progresses, Gilchrist is going to be a player in the middle. Espinosa is another one who is improving rapidly, and both have just begun their careers. I think you're underestimating USF. They played Pitt and WVU tough in their last 2 games...
Providence is always a mystery, very inconsistent. They were in it with GTOWN and Marquette but blew it. They have the potential but never seem able to reach it. They will probably beat someone they have no business beating this year, like UCONN then get blownout by someone like Pitt, keep it close to a team like Syracuse and lose to a current 0-5 team like seton hall or rutgers.
If they can get it together, stay focused and play a full 40 minutes they could surprise a few teams.
(01-20-2009 08:53 PM)bitcruncher Wrote: [ -> ]Cincinnati hasn't played USF yet. They have 2 games against them late in the year (March 3 & 4). That's when we'll find out which team is better.
As for USF, as the season progresses, Gilchrist is going to be a player in the middle. Espinosa is another one who is improving rapidly, and both have just begun their careers. I think you're underestimating USF. They played Pitt and WVU tough in their last 2 games...
That was Pitt's first game as Numero Uno, it's a lot tougher when you have the bullseye on your back. Can't speak for the West Virginia game since I didn't see it, but the plain truth of the matter is that any hard-nosed defensive team will give the Eers a game this year simply because Huggins has destroyed what could have been a great offensive and defensive team in favor of his bruiser style of play.
Look for Thoroughman to get more and more minutes as Smith, Flowers, and Jones have theirs cut into. A team that was averaging close to 75 points per game OOC (granted not the toughest OOC schedule) is down to what, 65 points a game so far in the BE?? and that is with scoring 90+ against hapless Seton Hall so-called D.
I thought it would take at least four years for HuggyBear to totally dismantle an efficient scoring machine but instead it looks like he has done it in one and half years.
Still, defense does win a lot of regular season BE games. Unfortunately, by itself, it doesn't win many NCAA games. Just ask Pitt fans.
Cheers,
Neil
(01-20-2009 09:11 PM)gosports1 Wrote: [ -> ]Providence is always a mystery, very inconsistent. They were in it with GTOWN and Marquette but blew it. They have the potential but never seem able to reach it. They will probably beat someone they have no business beating this year, like UCONN then get blownout by someone like Pitt, keep it close to a team like Syracuse and lose to a current 0-5 team like seton hall or rutgers.
If they can get it together, stay focused and play a full 40 minutes they could surprise a few teams.
Agreed. I would think that playing well @G'Town for a half and having a chance to beat Marquette (up by 13 with less than 7 minutes to play) would hopefully give them some confidence for their remaining games. On the other hand, if they do manage to pull it together and finally get one or two of the Super 9, I hope it won't be against my Orange.
Cheers,
Neil
(01-20-2009 09:14 PM)omnicarrier Wrote: [ -> ] (01-20-2009 08:53 PM)bitcruncher Wrote: [ -> ]Cincinnati hasn't played USF yet. They have 2 games against them late in the year (March 3 & 4). That's when we'll find out which team is better.
As for USF, as the season progresses, Gilchrist is going to be a player in the middle. Espinosa is another one who is improving rapidly, and both have just begun their careers. I think you're underestimating USF. They played Pitt and WVU tough in their last 2 games...
That was Pitt's first game as Numero Uno, it's a lot tougher when you have the bullseye on your back. Can't speak for the West Virginia game since I didn't see it, but the plain truth of the matter is that any hard-nosed defensive team will give the Eers a game this year simply because Huggins has destroyed what could have been a great offensive and defensive team in favor of his bruiser style of play.
Look for Thoroughman to get more and more minutes as Smith, Flowers, and Jones have theirs cut into. A team that was averaging close to 75 points per game OOC (granted not the toughest OOC schedule) is down to what, 65 points a game so far in the BE?? and that is with scoring 90+ against hapless Seton Hall so-called D.
I thought it would take at least four years for HuggyBear to totally dismantle an efficient scoring machine but instead it looks like he has done it in one and half years.
Still, defense does win a lot of regular season BE games. Unfortunately, by itself, it doesn't win many NCAA games. Just ask Pitt fans.
Cheers,
Neil
In the USF-WVU game, the Mountaineers had USF down big, but lapses on the defensive end in the 2nd half made the game closer than it should have been, just like they did against Marshall. Foul trouble, freshman inconsistencies, and mental lapses have been responsible for WVU's losses to Kentucky, Davidson, and UConn. All 3 of those games were in the bag, until the Mountaineers let 'em off the hook at the end of the games.
The same might be said about the Marquette game, if we only talked about the first half. But the 2nd half was another story...
(01-20-2009 10:53 PM)bitcruncher Wrote: [ -> ] (01-20-2009 09:14 PM)omnicarrier Wrote: [ -> ] (01-20-2009 08:53 PM)bitcruncher Wrote: [ -> ]Cincinnati hasn't played USF yet. They have 2 games against them late in the year (March 3 & 4). That's when we'll find out which team is better.
As for USF, as the season progresses, Gilchrist is going to be a player in the middle. Espinosa is another one who is improving rapidly, and both have just begun their careers. I think you're underestimating USF. They played Pitt and WVU tough in their last 2 games...
That was Pitt's first game as Numero Uno, it's a lot tougher when you have the bullseye on your back. Can't speak for the West Virginia game since I didn't see it, but the plain truth of the matter is that any hard-nosed defensive team will give the Eers a game this year simply because Huggins has destroyed what could have been a great offensive and defensive team in favor of his bruiser style of play.
Look for Thoroughman to get more and more minutes as Smith, Flowers, and Jones have theirs cut into. A team that was averaging close to 75 points per game OOC (granted not the toughest OOC schedule) is down to what, 65 points a game so far in the BE?? and that is with scoring 90+ against hapless Seton Hall so-called D.
I thought it would take at least four years for HuggyBear to totally dismantle an efficient scoring machine but instead it looks like he has done it in one and half years.
Still, defense does win a lot of regular season BE games. Unfortunately, by itself, it doesn't win many NCAA games. Just ask Pitt fans.
Cheers,
Neil
In the USF-WVU game, the Mountaineers had USF down big, but lapses on the defensive end in the 2nd half made the game closer than it should have been, just like they did against Marshall. Foul trouble, freshman inconsistencies, and mental lapses have been responsible for WVU's losses to Kentucky, Davidson, and UConn. All 3 of those games were in the bag, until the Mountaineers let 'em off the hook at the end of the games.
The same might be said about the Marquette game, if we only talked about the first half. But the 2nd half was another story...
we also played cuse very tough and beat depaul home/away, bit is right gilchrist is coming into his own after his 2 year layoff plus dominique jones is always a threat to blow up and hang a 30 on an unsuspecting team. if history serves us right we always seem to beat a team at home that no one saw coming providence could be the team this year *see cuse last year.
I dread playing USF in Tampa despite the usual large Cuse fan contingent...team is decent enough to pull an upset on a team not focused.
DePaul shares your dread, Tex. They are first BEast team swept by the Bulls in a season. A dubious honor...
(01-20-2009 02:29 PM)frogman Wrote: [ -> ]We're becoming the SEC of basketball. Luckly we have a playoff but we're going to like five losses each and hear some crap from a team like St. mary's with one loss (I think they just played San Diego State or some crap like that). IMHO we cna't schedule schools like Duke of Memphis OOC if it comes back to bite us.
St. Mary's is pretty good. They have one of the best guards in the nation. I wouldn't dismiss them. The mid majors who have gaudy records are usually very, very good teams. For example, Butler is dynamite. They would do very well in whatever conference they were in.
(01-21-2009 10:23 AM)bitcruncher Wrote: [ -> ]DePaul shares your dread, Tex. They are first BEast team swept by the Bulls in a season. A dubious honor...
not true rutgers had that honor last year, there's actually cause for some optimism in tampa as we'll have a solid nucleus of big east talent to build from with gilchrist, dominique jones, and crater a point guard transfer from ohio st next year.
(01-21-2009 12:00 PM)MU88 Wrote: [ -> ] (01-20-2009 02:29 PM)frogman Wrote: [ -> ]We're becoming the SEC of basketball. Luckly we have a playoff but we're going to like five losses each and hear some crap from a team like St. mary's with one loss (I think they just played San Diego State or some crap like that). IMHO we cna't schedule schools like Duke of Memphis OOC if it comes back to bite us.
St. Mary's is pretty good. They have one of the best guards in the nation. I wouldn't dismiss them. The mid majors who have gaudy records are usually very, very good teams. For example, Butler is dynamite. They would do very well in whatever conference they were in.
I believe St. Mary's is good enough to win a game or two come tournament time, but I also agree with Lunardi from ESPN who mentioned that they've put they're chips into beating Gonzaga at least once for a signature win. They really don't have a standout OOC win. Best win might have been Providence.
St. Mary's needs to concern themselves with San Diego, who is also undefeated in WCC play. Lo and behold, they play each other at 9pm tonight on ESPN2.