SLU_Nick Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 Man, These are like exhibition games in December. We better have a stronger schedule next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBills Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 The reality is we are not ready for conference play yet. This team needs to go through a few of these ugly grinders, gain some experience and hopefully be ready to go in January. My understanding is that this game was necessary in order to get to play DePaul and perhaps Creighton in Vegas. Also, we will get to play Liberty as part of this tournament, which may not be a big name to a lot of fans, but looks like a tough test. They have wins over Virginia and George Mason, plus a near win over Clemson. They feature Seth Curry, the leading scoring freshman in the country. Should be a good one. I plan on going and looking forward to it. Go Bills! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 Liberty is not to be taken lightly. Jerry Falwell knows what pub a good sports program can bring to the national consciousness. This is a program that can jump and surprise, ala Mason a few years ago and with some other "southern" names like Old Dominion, College of Charleston, Davidson, Belmont and the like. Heck, no one knew who Richmond was until the took out Indiana in the NCAAs that one year. Gonzaga is another, albeit a west coast version of this trend of trying ot catch lightening in a bottle. The Flames play pretty decent football as well and are as competitive on that end as are James Madiosn, Richmond, Bill & Mary and some others like that. They should NOT be taken lightly. We ain't that good. Yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 We should send a purple Teletubbie out to taunt the Flames. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moytoy12 Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 Liberty is not to be taken lightly. Jerry Falwell knows what pub a good sports program can bring to the national consciousness. This is a program that can jump and surprise, ala Mason a few years ago and with some other "southern" names like Old Dominion, College of Charleston, Davidson, Belmont and the like. Heck, no one knew who Richmond was until the took out Indiana in the NCAAs that one year. Gonzaga is another, albeit a west coast version of this trend of trying ot catch lightening in a bottle. The Flames play pretty decent football as well and are as competitive on that end as are James Madiosn, Richmond, Bill & Mary and some others like that. They should NOT be taken lightly. We ain't that good. Yet. Isn't Falwell dead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 Isn't Falwell dead? Yes, but the university is 100% his brainchild and his mission is still very much carried out through it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB2.0 Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 I would hardly call Gonzaga "catching lightning in a bottle" - they have been consistantly a top tier basketball program for a decade now. George Mason, College of Charleston, St. Joes, yes, but Gonzaga sure as hell isn't a flash in the pan program. Its legit. Just like Marquette is becoming legit, and Xavier. I'm just hoping we can catch lightning in a bottle once a decade! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clock_Tower Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 I would hardly call Gonzaga "catching lightning in a bottle" - they have been consistantly a top tier basketball program for a decade now. George Mason, College of Charleston, St. Joes, yes, but Gonzaga sure as hell isn't a flash in the pan program. Its legit. Just like Marquette is becoming legit, and Xavier. I'm just hoping we can catch lightning in a bottle once a decade! Not sure I'd put Marquette in that category. I'm expecting a drop-off following the loss of Tom Cream. Also, truly believe several schools will soon discover the Big East to be "too competitive" and a real hindrance to obtaining and/or maintaining a Top 25 or Top 40 basketball program. Believe that is the reason Crean is rebuilding at Indiana - much easier than staying elite at Marquette. Over time, the Big East conference will shake-out and (as with all conferences) there will be winners and losers. The loss by Marquette to Dayton was a killer. A similar loss to a team like SLU would be as bad if not worse. A few other losses by Big East schools in the OOC games and then the conference will take its toll. Going 9-7 in the Big East is not bad but with 7 losses, you cannot have bad OOC losses as well or you run the risk of looking more like what the numbers alone suggest - that you're average. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowboy Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 Not sure I'd put Marquette in that category. I'm expecting a drop-off following the loss of Tom Cream. Also, truly believe several schools will soon discover the Big East to be "too competitive" and a real hindrance to obtaining and/or maintaining a Top 25 or Top 40 basketball program. Believe that is the reason Crean is rebuilding at Indiana - much easier than staying elite at Marquette. Over time, the Big East conference will shake-out and (as with all conferences) there will be winners and losers. The loss by Marquette to Dayton was a killer. A similar loss to a team like SLU would be as bad if not worse. A few other losses by Big East schools in the OOC games and then the conference will take its toll. Going 9-7 in the Big East is not bad but with 7 losses, you cannot have bad OOC losses as well or you run the risk of looking more like what the numbers alone suggest - that you're average. i enjoyed cleve st's last second shot to beat syracuse in the carrier dome!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonwich Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Not sure I'd put Marquette in that category. I'm expecting a drop-off following the loss of Tom Cream. Isn't he the guy who starred with Bambi Woods in "Debbie Dribbles DePaul"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Isn't he the guy who starred with Bambi Woods in "Debbie Dribbles DePaul"? Awesome. And I would still classify Marquette as legit. There are going to be some games they shouldn't lose this year and will but they still have so much talent, they'll be a competitor. Not to mention, Buzz Williams has put together a top 5 class for next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 I beg to differ on the naming of Gonzaga as one of those schools ---- the main difference with all the rest is that the Zags not only captured it, they managed to hold onto it and contain it. Grow off of it, as it were. And isn't that what we are all trying to do? Hit the proverbial lottery in college basketball and then maintain it? Blue blood programs in the realm of college ball are well known. You have oodles of history with Kentucky, and Kansas, and UCLA and North Carolina. Do oyu have the same with Duke? Isn't Duke considered part of today's elite? Have they alwasy been? I don't really know ---- I can mentally go back far enough to remember UCLA in its pre-Alcindor days and I can recall Wilt going to Kansas and Adolph's boys in Lexington. Seeing all those banners above Psycho T last night seems to indicate a long history, although I can not tell you what it is except taht I know its there. Gonzaga? Nope. When did they burst onto the scene, with John Stockton? Or was John Stockton just another famous alum when they really took over? The difference between Gonzaga and George Mason of three years ago is sustainemnt. Gonzaga did; Mason has not. What will Davidson do inthe post-Stephon Curry years? My guess is drop off the national landscape. Is Liberty next, consdiering they have the next Curry? i don't know but I do believe Gonzaga was a flah in thepan, ligthning in a bottle, that stuck. And I think that is what we want, what Xavier wants, what Dayton and St. Joes and temple want ---- establishing a nice enough program that you are in the running for the conference just about every year, garnering mention enough on the national scene, and maybe, just maybe, showing up in the Sweet Sixteen every few years with an appearance in the decade in the Elite Eight. If you get there, heck, anything can happen. And you don't get there with freshmen. The Blue Bloods do; we do not. Ten percent of college basketball means about what 32 or 33 teams? I would feel comfortable in saying there are not 33 Blue Blood programs in this country. Maybe only five to eight. Maybe ten. The rest rise and fall like the tides. A special class will give you a good run for a while (Florida) but you will need a down year or two to regroup once they depart (the Fab Five at Michigan). Being a top fifty program remains a viable goal, right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 I would hardly call Gonzaga "catching lightning in a bottle" - they have been consistantly a top tier basketball program for a decade now. George Mason, College of Charleston, St. Joes, yes, but Gonzaga sure as hell isn't a flash in the pan program. Its legit. Just like Marquette is becoming legit, and Xavier. I'm just hoping we can catch lightning in a bottle once a decade! Also, in addition to Marquette already being legit and sustaining that like I posted earlier, if you think Xavier is just "becoming legit," you haven't been paying attention very long. 24 winning seasons in the past 25 years, NCAA tournament berths 17 times in those years, 9 NBA players in that span (maybe more, I just can't remember), Elite Eight twice in the past 5 years- that program has sustained top-20 status for a long time now. There's no lightning in a bottle factor for Xavier or Marquette. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Isn't he the guy who starred with Bambi Woods in "Debbie Dribbles DePaul"? Tom Cream. Awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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