Can we sneak into a bye in BET?

[storrsroars]

How did an 88% FT shooter brick that critical FT late in the game on the front end of a 1 and 1? Blum almost cost them the game with that miss.

It happens. Pitt missed the front end of two 1-and-1s under 3 minutes in a one possession game. With guys that are 92% and 88% on FT buckets this year. Held on to win anyway, just like X.

Is an 88% shooter missing the front end really any worse than a 75% shooter missing both in crunch time when you only need one?

 

[buddy]

Well, this conference season has already been a failure anyways. We finished 3rd in the BE the last two seasons, and now we had our best OOC results in a decade and we are on track to be the 5/6 seed. Any way you look at it, it's a failure

Losing to Seton Hall, and even worse, St John's at home were the defining moments of the conference season.

 

[Billy Jack]

They just beat the 2nd best team in the league without him during the first game he was out, with zero time to adjust. Xavier will be fine.

Ill bet you 50 dollars right now, to a UConn charity that we are not fighting PC for 3rd place. Let's get that done here.

This is you.

And Freemantle is like the 4th best player on that squad. LOLOLOLOL!

You thought last night was a strong game fir Xavier? Hmmm . . .

They were at home and blew a 14 point lead. They had to go to OT to pull it out. And frankly without some help from the refs, they don’t win that game. They were very fortunate to walk away with a win.t

As for Providence being the 2nd best team in the league, no one has them ranked that way and they aren’t even 2nd in the standings with an unbalanced schedule.

As for Freemantle being the 4th best player on Xavier, you’re going to have to explain that to me. He’s their leading rebounder, second in both scoring and assists, and leads the team in both FG% and 3-point %.

 

[uconnfan68]

It will take a week for the coroner to pry the smile off my face though.

You do seem to live large. I respect that.

 

[homunculus]

And frankly without some help from the refs, they don’t win that game.

This sounds familiar.

 

[Friarsnoop]

The thing I love about the Big East is that everyone (except maybe Butler) has talent on their roster. Georgetown and St. John's lack coaching, but there are skilled players there. While the odds may dictate one thing, there aren't many games immune from upsets. Connecticut (along with the other top 5 teams) has enough talent to run the table, but could also go 4-4 or 3-5.

Even Butler beat Kansas State somehow.

 

[CTBasketball]

So is this really true? UConn is likely favored in the final 8 games. Suspend any disbelief and assume we end up that way at 14-6.

Xavier plays @Marquette. Call that a L. @PC another L. Without Freemantle it could be worse.
Marquette has Xavier home, W. But UConn and Creighton away, two Ls.
PC has 3 losses now and could lose 3 more. 2 is more likely @ UConn and @ St. Johns
Creighton though, has 3 losses now and a gauntlet coming. Nova home and away, UConn home, @PC, @ St. Johns, Marquette home
Seton Hall has it even worse than Creighton.

Barring a collapse, Xavier and Marquette look like 1-2, PC looks like 3. UConn could still be 4.

The most surprising part of this prophecy is that UConn finishes 14-6.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Keep going for all the red meat and you might not make it to my age.

My gut tells me that A-Dub signed up for the Keith Richards plan a few decades ago. He'll piss on all of our graves.

 

[Dove]

The top 4 spots in the BET are locked up. They are in no particular end of season order,but 1-4 will be Xavier, Marquette, Providence, and Creighton. So that leaves only 5th place at best for us.

Right now we are playing on Wednesday as the 6th seed in a first round game.

We will be competing with Seton Hall (a game up on us) and Nova (a couple games back but with a game in hand). I've gotta figure the only 2 realistic options are a 5 or a 6. We have a better chance of being a 7 than a 4, but I don't care about 4 because 4 or 5 seed is the same game time.

Right now I think it is a coin flip we earn a bye. Don't know what to think, and I'm trying to plan my NYC dinner reservations for that week (namely 4 Charles Prime Rib, which is impossible to get a reservation at, they book 21 days in advance and you have to be luckier on resi than you would be trying to get Taylor swift tix on ticketmaster............ and we will need to make a decision in a couple weeks).


There is a tear in my eye typing this, because if you told me 31 days ago that our most likely league finish is 5-7 I would've called you Nelson Muntz. On 1/31 I was already locked into BET but was also tentatively making plans for Albany and MSG.


So I guess I'm asking for predictions on out BET seed.

Norm will get you your reservation. Don't sweat it.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The most surprising part of this prophecy is that UConn finishes 14-6.

UConn will be favored in every game. Will we lose 1-? Probably. Creighton might lose 4-5 of the remaining games, and Seton Hall as well.

 

[CTBasketball]

UConn will be favored in every game. Will we lose 1-? Probably. Creighton might lose 4-5 of the remaining games, and Seton Hall as well.

We were favored in each of our 6 Big East losses this year. In some games, we were favored by more than 6 pts.

I don’t understand your take.

 

[Billy Jack]

UConn will be favored in every game. Will we lose 1-? Probably. Creighton might lose 4-5 of the remaining games, and Seton Hall as well.

You are way underrating Creighton. We will not be favored in the game at their place.

Our other problem is Villanova. Justin Moore is back in their lineup. He’s struggled his first couple of games back, but that’s to be expected since he was away from the game for 10 months. But we don’t get to play them until March, the last game of the season. With Moore hitting his stride by that time and with the game being played in Philly, this figures to be a close game with the edge going to Nova. Although it could go either way.

 

[HuskyHawk]

We were favored in each of our 6 Big East losses this year. In some games, we were favored by more than 6 pts.

I don’t understand your take.

That was when there wasn't much information about who would be good. Marquette for example. UConn has made adjustments. This isn't the 14-0 squad, nor is the team that lost 6 of 8 anymore.

@Billy Jack You vastly overrate Creighton. They are going to lose a lot of the last games they play. I do think that is the toughest game on UConn's schedule.

 

[UconnFanDC]

Great question but so sad we're having this discussion. I'm sure not one of us thought this after the 1st 14 games. Sigh. But I'm sure we'll be anyone's nightmare regardless.

 

[Billy Jack]

@Billy Jack You vastly overrate Creighton. They are going to lose a lot of the last games they play. I do think that is the toughest game on UConn's schedule.

I’ll ask again. Who are they going to lose to?

Forget their 14-8 record. They are 14-5 with Kalkbrenner in the lineup. They’ve beaten Xavier, Providence, and Arkansas when they were healthy and ranked in the top 10. They are undefeated at home. So why would I expect us to win the game in Omaha?

 

[HuskyHawk]

I’ll ask again. Who are they going to lose to?

Forget their 14-8 record. They are 14-5 with Kalkbrenner in the lineup. They’ve beaten Xavier, Providence, and Arkansas when they were healthy and ranked in the top 10. They are undefeated at home. So why would I expect us to win the game in Omaha?

I see losses @PC, @ St. Johns and to Marquette at home. I also think UConn is a 50-50 game in Omaha. They have no depth. Villanova is going to give them a tough game tomorrow, even if they win.

 

[Billy Jack]

I see losses @PC, @ St. Johns and to Marquette at home. I also think UConn is a 50-50 game in Omaha. They have no depth. Villanova is going to give them a tough game tomorrow, even if they win.

Thanks for the reply.

I guess we just disagree on how good Creighton is. No depth? No doubt that their starters get the lion’s share of the minutes, but their rotation goes 7-8 deep. King is a capable backup behind Kalkbrenner. He went for 16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks vs Marquette when Kalkbrenner was out, for example. Together, he and Kalbrenner average 20 points, 10 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, 70% FG%, making their inside game devastating with little to no drop off when Kalkbrenner goes out. Miller is a 6-8 freshman who was a top 75 recruit. He’s the son of former NBA star Mike Miller and plays a lot like his father. He comes off the bench to give them a 3-point threat, hitting 39% of his 3’s. Farabello is a senior who plays 16 mpg and gives them experience off the bench. He’s a career 38% 3-point shooter and 78% FT%. I wouldn’t call that no depth.

Here’s my take on the games you mentioned:

• Creighton over Nova by 13 unless Moore has a coming out party.
• Creighton over UConn by 6
• @ Providence 50-50 pick ‘em
• Creighton wins @ St. John’s by 4
• Creighton over Marquette by 5

I’ll give Nova a better at them when they get them at home later this month. Moore will probably have hit his stride by that time and with home court advantage, Villanova has a good shot at winning that game.

 

[auror]

Thanks for the reply.

I guess we just disagree on how good Creighton is. No depth? No doubt that their starters get the lion’s share of the minutes, but their rotation goes 7-8 deep. King is a capable backup behind Kalkbrenner. He went for 16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks vs Marquette when Kalkbrenner was out, for example. Together, he and Kalbrenner average 20 points, 10 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, 70% FG%, making their inside game devastating with little to no drop off when Kalkbrenner goes out.

Then why did they lose 5 straight when Kalkbrenner got mono?

 

[ClifSpliffy]

Thanks for the reply.

I guess we just disagree on how good Creighton is. No depth? No doubt that their starters get the lion’s share of the minutes, but their rotation goes 7-8 deep. King is a capable backup behind Kalkbrenner. He went for 16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks vs Marquette when Kalkbrenner was out, for example. Together, he and Kalbrenner average 20 points, 10 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, 70% FG%, making their inside game devastating with little to no drop off when Kalkbrenner goes out. Miller is a 6-8 freshman who was a top 75 recruit. He’s the son of former NBA star Mike Miller and plays a lot like his father. He comes off the bench to give them a 3-point threat, hitting 39% of his 3’s. Farabello is a senior who plays 16 mpg and gives them experience off the bench. He’s a career 38% 3-point shooter and 78% FT%. I wouldn’t call that no depth.

Here’s my take on the games you mentioned:

• Creighton over Nova by 13 unless Moore has a coming out party.
• Creighton over UConn by 6
• @ Providence 50-50 pick ‘em
• Creighton wins @ St. John’s by 4
• Creighton over Marquette by 5

I’ll give Nova a better at them when they get them at home later this month. Moore will probably have hit his stride by that time and with home court advantage, Villanova has a good shot at winning that game.

miller is mikey miller's son? didn't know that. that guy was great.
Mike Miller was resistant to the idea at first (becoming an agent). He had already finished off a 17-year NBA career, won two rings and earned plenty of spoils. When he became a college assistant coach after he retired, he became pretty good at that too; Miller was considered one of the best recruiters in the country when he left his job at the University of Memphis in June 2020.
he repped paolo, the #1 pick in the draft last year.

uh, oh. logic would say to watch out for miller jr. the odds are high. very high for his prospects.

 

[Billy Jack]

Then why did they lose 5 straight when Kalkbrenner got mono?

First of all, they lost 3 games with Kalkbrenner out of the lineup, not 5.

Why did Providence barely squeak by St. John’s at home and then lose back to back games with Jared Bynum out of the lineup?

Why did Villanova slip so badly this year with Justin Moore out of their lineup?

Take any key player out of a lineup, and that team will feel the effects. It not only puts a lesser player into the starting lineup but it also shortens the bench. In Creighton’s case, they didn’t just lose a key player, they lost their best player. But why am I telling you this? You already know it, so why did you ask the question?

 

[auror]

First of all, they lost 3 games with Kalkbrenner out of the lineup, not 5.

Why did Providence barely squeak by St. John’s at home and then lose back to back games with Jared Bynum out of the lineup?

Why did Villanova slip so badly this year with Justin Moore out of their lineup?

Take any key player out of a lineup, and that team will feel the effects. It not only puts a lesser player into the starting lineup but it also shortens the bench. In Creighton’s case, they didn’t just lose a key player, they lost their best player. But why am I telling you this? You already know it, so why did you ask the question?

He had mono before he actually missed games, which led to other losses.

Because you said they had "little to no drop off when Kalkbrenner goes out." Which you seem to now be disagreeing with.

 

[Kolumbo]

It will take a week for the coroner to pry the smile off my face though.

oo rich for my blood. Gotta respect the place though, $144 for a King Cut Prime Rib, and it serves a Vesper Martini. Sweet.

4 Charles Prime Rib | Food & Drink

An intimate supper club tucked away in the charming West Village neighborhood of Manhattan.

nycprimerib.com

 

[Billy Jack]

He had mono before he actually missed games, which led to other losses.

Because you said they had "little to no drop off when Kalkbrenner goes out." Which you seem to now be disagreeing with.

Let’s not play word games. I was talking about when he goes out for a break DURING a game in which he’s playing, which I thought was clear from the context in which I showed what their combined stats are when they play together.

As for mono, I’ve read that the original thought that he had mono was incorrect. If it was mono, that was the shortest case of mono I’ve ever seen.

As for your claim that his illness caused losses before he actually missed games, he played 30+ minutes in each of the 2 games before he sat out and had double-doubles in both games. So, how exactly was he effected and how was his condition responsible for the losses?

 

[auror]

Let’s not play word games. I was talking about when he goes out for a break DURING a game in which he’s playing, which I thought was clear from the context in which I showed what their combined stats are when they play together.

Literally the line before is "King is a capable backup behind Kalkbrenner. He went for 16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks vs Marquette when Kalkbrenner was out, for example." The context was all encompassing.

Either way, you're just wrong. There is a massive dropoff without Kalkbrenner, even when he is playing in the game. King is raw, especially on the defensive end. He blocks some shots, but he misses assignments, is out of position, gambles for blocks, fouls more, etc.

During Big East play post Kalkbrenner return (so when they were playing together), the defense is 16 points per 100 pos worse with King in the game. That's an absolutely massive dropoff, and not at all consistent with "little to no dropoff". It's the difference between a top 5 defense in the country and an average defense. Not to mention 9 points per 100 better on offense.

 

[Billy Jack]

Literally the line before is "King is a capable backup behind Kalkbrenner. He went for 16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks vs Marquette when Kalkbrenner was out, for example." The context was all encompassing.

Either way, you're just wrong. There is a massive dropoff without Kalkbrenner, even when he is playing in the game. King is raw, especially on the defensive end. He blocks some shots, but he misses assignments, is out of position, gambles for blocks, fouls more, etc.

During Big East play post Kalkbrenner return (so when they were playing together), the defense is 16 points per 100 pos worse with King in the game. That's an absolutely massive dropoff, and not at all consistent with "little to no dropoff". It's the difference between a top 5 defense in the country and an average defense. Not to mention 9 points per 100 better on offense.

Okay. No problem with what you’re posting. “No drpoff” was wrong. Still, I think he’s a capable backup - at least as backups go. And with Kalkbrenner in the lineup, they actually have a decent bench. And after all, what we’re talking about going forward is a healthy Kalkbrenner with King as his backup.

But really you’ve just strengthened my contention that Creighton is a lot better team than their 14-8 record makes them look. If we attribute the 3 losses before Kalkbrenner went out also to mono, then they are 14-2 with a healthy Kalkbrenner in the rotation and their only 2 losses are to 2 ranked teams on the road.