Extra Game Next Week?

[Brighton]

5 minutes ago, brianstl said:

If we would have just scheduled Loyola when we were looking for a non-conference games instead of looking for a big name opponent earlier in the year, we wouldn't be worried about the bubble right now.  We would have won that game and we would be in the tournament.

SLU Athletics. Always a step or several steps behind.

[DOC]

I think most believe we should play a game and Ford said he wanted to play a game, and now it's arrived. If we pass then that tells me he heard from the NCAA that we would get some help.   

[slufan13]

I have been wanting a game to be played even if it's a Q2 game. Who knows what the committee actually values but we have just 2 Q2 wins in addition to our 2 Q1 wins. That seems like an iffy profile to me. I have been generally forgiving of the idea though because 1) I assumed it would be difficult to find even a viable Q2 opponent and 2) much of our fate was still outside of our control. But I don't like the idea at all that a fellow bubble team is doing something to help their profile and we are not. I do think we are ahead of Xavier in terms of tournament chances and I think Xavier would lose to Davidson if that rumor is true but it does seem like we are being a little too picky. To me, any chance to add a top 75 win is a good thing especially when other bubble teams are picking up similar quality wins.

Missouri St has said they are looking for games. They obviously have no chances at the NCAAT but I assume they're trying for a NIT bid. I would think we could play a game there which is a Q2 game. It kind of sounds like our staff is hoping for something bigger/better and maybe they have heard something from the committee that their 2 post covid losses will be forgiven but that just seems like an insane amount of trust to put in the committee.

[dlarry]

19 minutes ago, DOC said:

I think most believe we should play a game and Ford said he wanted to play a game, and now it's arrived. If we pass then that tells me he heard from the NCAA that we would get some help.   

I’m starting to feel this way too.

 

[brianstl]

1 hour ago, slufan13 said:

I have been wanting a game to be played even if it's a Q2 game. Who knows what the committee actually values but we have just 2 Q2 wins in addition to our 2 Q1 wins. That seems like an iffy profile to me. I have been generally forgiving of the idea though because 1) I assumed it would be difficult to find even a viable Q2 opponent and 2) much of our fate was still outside of our control. But I don't like the idea at all that a fellow bubble team is doing something to help their profile and we are not. I do think we are ahead of Xavier in terms of tournament chances and I think Xavier would lose to Davidson if that rumor is true but it does seem like we are being a little too picky. To me, any chance to add a top 75 win is a good thing especially when other bubble teams are picking up similar quality wins.

Missouri St has said they are looking for games. They obviously have no chances at the NCAAT but I assume they're trying for a NIT bid. I would think we could play a game there which is a Q2 game. It kind of sounds like our staff is hoping for something bigger/better and maybe they have heard something from the committee that their 2 post covid losses will be forgiven but that just seems like an insane amount of trust to put in the committee.

I don't think those two losses are the biggest problem with our resume.  Only 4 combined Q1 and Q2 wins and only two wins away from home are the biggest problem with our resume.  Forgiving those two losses doesn't fix our resume.

[JettFlight5]

1 minute ago, brianstl said:

I don't think those two losses are the biggest problem with our resume.  Only 4 combined Q1 and Q2 wins and only two wins away from home are the biggest problem with our resume.  Forgiving those two losses doesn't fix our resume.

I agree with most of this, but the LaSalle loss is an anchor. I hope we can get another game in, but I'm not super optimistic. 

[wgstl]

2 minutes ago, brianstl said:

I don't think those two losses are the biggest problem with our resume.  Only 4 combined Q1 and Q2 wins and only two wins away from home are the biggest problem with our resume.  Forgiving those two losses doesn't fix our resume.

forgiving those two losses helps a lot.  adding a few Q1 and Q2 games also helps a lot.  I think we're in a good spot if either of those happens. 

[Bay Area Billiken]

6 minutes ago, JettFlight5 said:

I agree with most of this, but the LaSalle loss is an anchor. I hope we can get another game in, but I'm not super optimistic. 

At least there's a good excuse for that LaSalle game, or at least we've been told and led to believe there was one.  When it gets down to dog eat dog, like it is now, I'm not sure any of the past NCAA Committee pronouncements can really be trusted.  One NCAA affiliated person even specifically cited SLU as an example of Covid quarantine not being held against a team.

[Bay Area Billiken]

10 minutes ago, brianstl said:

I don't think those two losses are the biggest problem with our resume.  Only 4 combined Q1 and Q2 wins and only two wins away from home are the biggest problem with our resume.  Forgiving those two losses doesn't fix our resume.

The lack of road wins issue is also due to missing games due to the covid quarantine.

[JettFlight5]

1 minute ago, Bay Area Billiken said:

At least there's a good excuse for that LaSalle game, or at least we've been told and led to believe there was one.  When it gets down to dog eat dog, like it is now, I'm not sure any of the past NCAA Committee pronouncements can really be trusted.  One NCAA affiliated person even specifically cited SLU as an example of Covid quarantine not being held against a team.

I think most of us trust the NCAA as far as we can throw them. 

[Bay Area Billiken]

4 hours ago, slufan13 said:

I feel like we have to take them up on the offer. I feel good about winning the game

I would not play Xavier.  If the game were to be played, it must be at SLU, and another home game is not what we need.

Xavier should be dead now from an NCAA Tourney perspective, behind SLU.  I think the risks of playing at Xavier (a Loss) outweigh the benefit.

I would have seriously considered SLU playing at Davidson.  At least then a Loss would not be giving a lifeline to an NCAA bid competitor.

[AnkielBreakers]

1 hour ago, slufan13 said:

I have been wanting a game to be played even if it's a Q2 game. Who knows what the committee actually values but we have just 2 Q2 wins in addition to our 2 Q1 wins. That seems like an iffy profile to me. I have been generally forgiving of the idea though because 1) I assumed it would be difficult to find even a viable Q2 opponent and 2) much of our fate was still outside of our control. But I don't like the idea at all that a fellow bubble team is doing something to help their profile and we are not. I do think we are ahead of Xavier in terms of tournament chances and I think Xavier would lose to Davidson if that rumor is true but it does seem like we are being a little too picky. To me, any chance to add a top 75 win is a good thing especially when other bubble teams are picking up similar quality wins.

Missouri St has said they are looking for games. They obviously have no chances at the NCAAT but I assume they're trying for a NIT bid. I would think we could play a game there which is a Q2 game. It kind of sounds like our staff is hoping for something bigger/better and maybe they have heard something from the committee that their 2 post covid losses will be forgiven but that just seems like an insane amount of trust to put in the committee.

It should be a no brained to play a game. Only because other teams might play and thereby bump us. It is tournament time, you can’t get tight and try to play small ball. Cant hold anything back.

[Bay Area Billiken]

6 minutes ago, AnkielBreakers said:

It should be a no brained to play a game. Only because other teams might play and thereby bump us. It is tournament time, you can’t get tight and try to play small ball. Cant hold anything back.

Yeah, but politics are involved.  Xavier bolted from the A10 just as soon as the Big East came calling.  Why should Davidson and the A10 give Xavier a lifeline?  NIT seeding should be no determinant there for Davidson, and certainly not for the A10.  It is should be much more important from both Davidson and the A10's perspectives, most definitely from the A10's, to get that extra NCAA bid and extra NCAA Unit($).

If Davidson is going to play an extra game, it should be against SLU, unless as some have postulated above, SLU has info.

[kshoe]

11 minutes ago, Bay Area Billiken said:

I would not play Xavier.  If the game were to be played, it must be at SLU, and another home game is not what we need.

Xavier should be dead now from an NCAA Tourney perspective, behind SLU.  I think the risks of playing at Xavier (a Loss) outweigh the benefit.

I would have seriously considered SLU playing at Davidson.  At least then a Loss would not be giving a lifeline to an NCAA bid competitor.

Huh? A loss to Davidson and we have 0% chance at an NCAA bid. A win barely moves the needle.

A win over Xavier though is likely enough to get us in whether it's played in St. Louis, Cinci or Evansville. Since I firmly believe we are a better team than Xavier and I also firmly believe we aren't currently sitting at a 50% probability of getting in, why would you not want to play the game?

[Bay Area Billiken]

5 minutes ago, kshoe said:

Huh? A loss to Davidson and we have 0% chance at an NCAA bid. A win barely moves the needle.

A win over Xavier though is likely enough to get us in whether it's played in St. Louis, Cinci or Evansville. Since I firmly believe we are a better team than Xavier and I also firmly believe we aren't currently sitting at a 50% probability of getting in, why would you not want to play the game?

Is Xavier vs. SLU even in the hopper?

I thought it was Xavier at Davidson.

Very few SLU teams have won at Xavier (since the MCC days).  We can go back and count, but I'd be surprised if the number cannot be counted on one hand.

I go back and forth on this extra game issue, knowing how hard it is to win on the road.  

[NH]

5 minutes ago, kshoe said:

Huh? A loss to Davidson and we have 0% chance at an NCAA bid. A win barely moves the needle.

A win over Xavier though is likely enough to get us in whether it's played in St. Louis, Cinci or Evansville. Since I firmly believe we are a better team than Xavier and I also firmly believe we aren't currently sitting at a 50% probability of getting in, why would you not want to play the game?

Only thing I’d disagree with is that a SLU win at Davidson would move the needle. Would be our 3rd best win of the year and our only real road win.

[White Pelican]

15 minutes ago, Bay Area Billiken said:

Yeah, but politics are involved.  Xavier bolted from the A10 just as soon as the Big East came calling.  Why should Davidson and the A10 give Xavier a lifeline?  NIT seeding should be no determinant there for Davidson, and certainly not for the A10.  It is should be much more important from both Davidson and the A10's perspectives, most definitely from the A10's, to get that extra NCAA bid and extra NCAA Unit($).

If Davidson is going to play an extra game, it should be against SLU, unless as some have postulated above, SLU has info.

I think Davidson got in because X bolted. Maybe it's a belated "thank you".

[kshoe]

11 minutes ago, NH said:

Only thing I’d disagree with is that a SLU win at Davidson would move the needle. Would be our 3rd best win of the year and our only real road win.

Maybe. But it would also look like the conference was throwing us a bone and Davidson would actually have a financial incentive to lose the game. Not a good look and the win would be downplayed by the national media and selection committee.

 

16 minutes ago, Bay Area Billiken said:

Is Xavier vs. SLU even in the hopper?

I thought it was Xavier at Davidson.

Very few SLU teams have won at Xavier (since the MCC days).  We can go back and count, but I'd be surprised if the number cannot be counted on one hand.

I go back and forth on this extra game issue, knowing how hard it is to win on the road.  

It absolutely should be in the hopper. Two teams on Lunardi's first four out playing each other for the right to get on the correct side of the bubble. That's got some sizzle to it and would allow the committee to basically slot the winner of that game as one of the last few at-large teams in.

Who cares about how SLU has performed at Xavier in the 80s, 90s or 2000s? It has zero relevance to the outcome of this game. All that matters is that we'd have a win-and-in type game which is far better then sitting on our hands and hoping that 8 other bubble teams all lose quickly so that our chances can rise from 20% to 30-40% that the committee chooses us because games played shortly after our COVID break really shouldn't be held against us.

[Bay Area Billiken]

11 minutes ago, kshoe said:

...

Who cares about how SLU has performed at Xavier in the 80s, 90s or 2000s? It has zero relevance to the outcome of this game. All that matters is that we'd have a win-and-in type game which is far better then sitting on our hands and hoping that 8 other bubble teams all lose quickly so that our chances can rise from 20% to 30-40% that the committee chooses us because games played shortly after our COVID break really shouldn't be held against us.

Do we know that?  Perhaps, but it's probably educated speculation.

[Lando Griffin]

3 hours ago, kshoe said:

Play the damn game. There is no better opponent out there than Xavier and it's a perfect match up of teams needing the game.

I for one don't believe we are at a 50% chance of getting in right now, but even if we were PLAY THE DAMN GAME. Far better to put your future in your own hands than to let someone on the committee make a decision for you.

I’m sorry has X offered to play yet? I’m trying to keep up here sorry if I missed it.

[kshoe]

25 minutes ago, Lando Griffin said:

I’m sorry has X offered to play yet? I’m trying to keep up here sorry if I missed it.

No, Xavier simply said publicly they are looking to play more games against quality teams. The "debate" on here is whether we should try to play them. 

[Slu let the dogs out?]

 

Jer Dog thinks we should play a meaningful game. What he considers meaningful who knows. Do we care what he thinks? Probably not. But if selection committee feels the same then sitting on our hands isn’t good optics. 

[Bay Area Billiken]

Per Rick Broering's Tweet, Xavier is looking at a variety of options to add another Q1 or Q2 type game.  He says possibly two of them- and then links to a pay site.

An X poster on the Big East board, holylandofhoops.com posts a lot of people are mentioning Louisville and SLU, a sort of mini bracket buster.

Stay tuned.

What I do know is Xavier is proactive when it comes to its Men's Basketball program.  This is the program that once turned down a mid-major award to one of its players, disdaining any thought it was a mid-major.  

I'm still leery of giving Xavier, which appears all but dead in the water vis-a-vis the NCAA, any lifeline.  I just wish I knew, and hope SLU knows, where it stands with the NCAA Committee before agreeing to such an expedition.  This being said, I doubt SLU knows.

Louisville is coached by former X Coach Chris Mack.  

Some of this depends upon what happens today (and tomorrow) in the Mountain West.  But we are running out of time.  The clock is ticking, and the days on the calendar are approaching Selection Sunday.  

 

[BilliesBy40]

26 minutes ago, Slu let the dogs out? said:

 

Jer Dog thinks we should play a meaningful game. What he considers meaningful who knows. Do we care what he thinks? Probably not. But if selection committee feels the same then sitting on our hands isn’t good optics. 

It’s almost like Stu doesn’t read his own words. If we’re considered OUT right now, of course we should try to get another game. Doing otherwise is leaving it in the hands of other teams.

[Bay Area Billiken]

6 minutes ago, BilliesBy40 said:

It’s almost like Stu doesn’t read his own words. If we’re considered OUT right now, of course we should try to get another game. Doing otherwise is leaving it in the hands of other teams.

The big assumption here is that the bracketologists are correct.  They rarely hit 100%, including Joe Lunardi.