“Saturday doesn’t matter”

[Friarsnoop]

I believe the committee is smart enough to know that Villanova at full strength is a quality win. Whether or not it's considered Quad 1, they'll recognize that a win at full strength Villanova means a lot more that a "quad 1" win at UCF, for example.

 

[Umami Zen]

It's our next game..Context.. Alabama -based on their ratings- was "bigger" re: NET/OOC/SOS.. But in Nov... Villanova is "bigger" now based on degree of difficulty in March.. Home court/Bubble team/ Senior Night/BE home court advantage.. If you don't think the March Madness committee isn't going to give Nova a thumbs up with a UConn win(for them) to seriously consider them making the Tournament.. I think you're wrong.. Not apples to apples.. It's the psychological impact --going forward- to mojo and how the team feels about itself heading into BET/Tournament- for us- as to the a "bigger" game.. Now..In March

What happens if Bama's season is suspended because of the murder investigation?? Does that diminish the value of that win?? Don't know

 

[August_West]

Marquette just went 17-3 in conference and Alabama is ranked #2, no way is Villanova bigger than either or those games.

It is. As we’ve proven this year road wins are way tougher than neutral and home. We have a grand total of ZERO road wins against any good team above or right behind us in league this year. 1/2 of those road losses are to to teams that a healthy Villanova are better than. They are better than X and they are better than providence at this point of season. Possibly creighton too but it’s close. A lot of people are underestimating them and it may be to your peril. They are not their record. Other than us they are playing the best hoops in the league right now. We can surely beat them because I feel that we can beat anyone when we are playing to our potential, but the assumptions that we are going to do something we haven’t done all year ( a good road win) against a team that now has 3 starters back from FF team last year plus one of the best frosh in country , is experienced, prideful, playing really well , and fighting for their tourney lives on their home floor in March would be our best win of season. Zero doubt.

It’s going to be a war. They won’t lay down.

No more math. Just wins. Let’s do it.

 

[formerlurker]

Nope.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

It is. As we’ve proven this year road wins are way tougher than neutral and home. We have a grand total of ZERO road wins against any good team above or right behind us in league this year. 1/2 of those road losses are to to teams that a healthy Villanova are better than. They are better than X and they are better than providence at this point of season. Possibly creighton too but it’s close. A lot of people are underestimating them and it may be to your peril. They are not their record. Other than us they are playing the best hoops in the league right now. We can surely beat them because I feel that we can beat anyone when we are playing to our potential, but the assumptions that we are going to do something we haven’t done all year ( a good road win) against a team that now has 3 starters back from FF team last year plus one of the best frosh in country , is experienced, prideful, playing really well , and fighting for their tourney lives on their home floor in March would be our best win of season. Zero doubt.

It’s going to be a war. They won’t lay down.

No more math. Just wins. Let’s do it.

It's the best win of the year if they do it.

 

[Rico444]

It is. As we’ve proven this year road wins are way tougher than neutral and home. We have a grand total of ZERO road wins against any good team above or right behind us in league this year. 1/2 of those road losses are to to teams that a healthy Villanova are better than. They are better than X and they are better than providence at this point of season. Possibly creighton too but it’s close. A lot of people are underestimating them and it may be to your peril. They are not their record. Other than us they are playing the best hoops in the league right now. We can surely beat them because I feel that we can beat anyone when we are playing to our potential, but the assumptions that we are going to do something we haven’t done all year ( a good road win) against a team that now has 3 starters back from FF team last year plus one of the best frosh in country , is experienced, prideful, playing really well , and fighting for their tourney lives on their home floor in March would be our best win of season. Zero doubt.

It’s going to be a war. They won’t lay down.

No more math. Just wins. Let’s do it.

Agree to disagree I guess. They are playing good basketball right now but saying they're better than Xavier seems like a stretch. I do think they're a different team with Moore back, there's no question. Just don't see this as a bigger potential win than over the #2 team in the country on a neutral court.

 

[Fishy]

From 30,000 feet, it means a lot. If we lose that game and then the first game in the BET, we probably drop to a 5 seed (we are currently a 4 according to just about every bracketologist at the moment).

Meh.

You do realize that there is essentially no difference between being a four seed and being a five seed?

 

[Marat]

If UConn wins Saturday it matters, otherwise no big deal. I guess Rob implied that, and I can't argue with it.

 

[ucinnc]

As they say, It's not the destination, It's the journey. Of course it matters. Every single day matters.

We play today. We win today. Das it.

It’s been a while since I heard that. Man, what a run that October was.

 

[superjohn]

Agree to disagree I guess. They are playing good basketball right now but saying they're better than Xavier seems like a stretch. I do think they're a different team with Moore back, there's no question. Just don't see this as a bigger potential win than over the #2 team in the country on a neutral court.

They're not better than Xavier and they're not better than Providence. I think the game is really important because I want to see if this team has turned the corner and is ready to win these games on the road. I think it's important for the team and it will bode well for them heading into the tournaments but we beat up on what most people think is the best team in the country on a neutral court. That was obviously a bigger win.

 

[shizzle787]

Meh.

You do realize that there is essentially no difference between being a four seed and being a five seed?

There is a huge difference. We may not even get Albany as a five. Throw MSG out the window likely as well.

 

[August_West]

Agree to disagree I guess. They are playing good basketball right now but saying they're better than Xavier seems like a stretch. I do think they're a different team with Moore back, there's no question. Just don't see this as a bigger potential win than over the #2 team in the country on a neutral court.

Villanova just beat X at X , you sure about that? We couldn’t

 

[August_West]

They're not better than Xavier and they're not better than Providence. I think the game is really important because I want to see if this team has turned the corner and is ready to win these games on the road. I think it's important for the team and it will bode well for them heading into the tournaments but we beat up on what most people think is the best team in the country on a neutral court. That was obviously a bigger win.

Look at the last 8 for each

 

[MTBingNinja]

I listened to the podcast this morning, he wasn't saying the game doesn't matter. He was more trying to temper expectations if they do lose that it's not the end of the world because he knows how us husky fans freak out over losses lol. Remember the reaction on this board when we lost to Creighton by 3 in Omaha?

Fair point, and after that loss we rose in the standings.

 

[Rico444]

Villanova just beat X at X , you sure about that? We couldn’t

They also lost to Providence in Providence and and Xavier just won there. Don't overreact to one game.

 

[August_West]

They also lost to Providence in Providence and and Xavier just won there. Don't overreact to one game.

Like I said, my estimation of providence and X has lowered. They are still very good teams. But they aren’t 3 games in the standing better than us, you at least agree with that right? and they aren’t 5 games in the standings better than nova. Momentum counts for a lot in basketball.

 

[Rico444]

Oh yeah they're a good team with Moore for sure. Might be better than Providence.

 

[superjohn]

Look at the last 8 for each

I know they're playing well but it's a 3 game stretch. They lost to Providence and beat Xavier and Creighton. Wins over Seton Hall, Butler, and DePaul really do nothing for me.

Nova got to play X without Freemantle, UConn didn't. Xavier just won fairly easily at Providence without Freemantle, that's one of the best wins of the season. That was just Providence's 2nd loss at home in their last 31 games.

 

[Waquoit]

We're favored. We should win.

 

[Billy Jack]

We're favored. We should win.

I don’t care about the spread. This game is a toss up.

 

[Sphinx]

If UConn takes care of business at MSG next week (and I love their chances), then it won't matter the slightest whether they won or lost at Villanova the previous Saturday. The game "doesn't matter" in the sense that they will have an immediate opportunity to erase any negative impact a loss might have on their NCAA seeding. Their fate is in their hands going into the game and will remain in their hands regardless of result.

 

[MTBingNinja]

We're favored. We should win.

 

[caw]

Agree to disagree I guess. They are playing good basketball right now but saying they're better than Xavier seems like a stretch. I do think they're a different team with Moore back, there's no question. Just don't see this as a bigger potential win than over the #2 team in the country on a neutral court.

They aren’t better than X, if X is healthy. X is not currently, or haven’t been at least (I know Fremantle is coming back soon). Right now Nova is better.

Look at the last 8 for each

Their last eight is very good. Third best in the BE over the last eight. You could argue over the last month (about eight games) it’s gone UConn, MU, Nova. MU obviously better before that and UConn only ahead of MU bc UConn is their sole loss during that time. X, PC and Creighton all have 3+ losses over the last month. X at least has the Fremantle excuse (a very good excuse).

If Nova is hot right now, UConn is hotter.

 

[gsmooth]

It is. As we’ve proven this year road wins are way tougher than neutral and home. We have a grand total of ZERO road wins against any good team above or right behind us in league this year. 1/2 of those road losses are to to teams that a healthy Villanova are better than. They are better than X and they are better than providence at this point of season. Possibly creighton too but it’s close. A lot of people are underestimating them and it may be to your peril. They are not their record. Other than us they are playing the best hoops in the league right now. We can surely beat them because I feel that we can beat anyone when we are playing to our potential, but the assumptions that we are going to do something we haven’t done all year ( a good road win) against a team that now has 3 starters back from FF team last year plus one of the best frosh in country , is experienced, prideful, playing really well , and fighting for their tourney lives on their home floor in March would be our best win of season. Zero doubt.

It’s going to be a war. They won’t lay down.

No more math. Just wins. Let’s do it.

Villanova has been on fire and they are in desperation mode fighting for their NCAA tournament lives. With a pumped up home crowd on Senior Night they will be giving everything they got for this win especially considering how much it boosts their resume. If they beat UConn, then Nova might only have to get to the BE final, without winning it, or maybe the semi final without winning to reach the NCAA, it would be close.

For all intents in purpose, this is the game of year up to this point in the season for Nova. I would love nothing more for UConn to defeat them in the Wells Fargo Center. UConn will have to match Nova's intensity.

 

[superjohn]

Villanova has been on fire and they are in desperation mode fighting for their NCAA tournament lives. With a pumped up home crowd on Senior Night they will be giving everything they got for this win especially considering how much it boosts their resume. If they beat UConn, then Nova might only have to get to the BE final, without winning it, or maybe the semi final without winning to reach the NCAA, it would be close.

For all intents in purpose, this is the game of year up to this point in the season for Nova. I would love nothing more for UConn to defeat them in the Wells Fargo Center. UConn will have to match Nova's intensity.

Nova has to win the Big East tournament to get in.