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PonySnob wrote:

SMU_Alum11 wrote:Beat TCU and we are in.

It was fun getting a few votes this week.............


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Probably be a while before we sniff the top 25 again.

Rebel10 wrote:

PonySnob wrote:

SMU_Alum11 wrote:Beat TCU and we are in.

It was fun getting a few votes this week.............

Probably be a while before we sniff the top 25 again.

Gonna need wins against Cincinnati and/or Wichita State more than likely.

Win out

At this point, we just need to kill the thread. We need to stop having expectations that we are top 25. We play on another level at home but on the road we fall apart even in neutral stadiums (TCU). At this point, we need to focus on taking care of business the rest of the way and focus on the conference tourney. At this point, my guess is we are NIt at best and maybe next year back in it. Our conference isn’t as hot as we were hoping. I feel it’s a 3 bid conference at best and we are going to fight like hell for that 3rd spot.

SMU_Alum11 wrote:At this point, we just need to kill the thread. We need to stop having expectations that we are top 25. We play on another level at home but on the road we fall apart even in neutral stadiums (TCU). At this point, we need to focus on taking care of business the rest of the way and focus on the conference tourney. At this point, my guess is we are NIt at best and maybe next year back in it. Our conference isn’t as hot as we were hoping. I feel it’s a 3 bid conference at best and we are going to fight like hell for that 3rd spot.

Unless we severely under perform, we really should make the NCAA tournament this year. I don't think it's entitled at all to expect that, given our current standing. I do think it's a long shot to win the conference though... that said, everyone is still 0-0 there and I've been wrong (happily) before.

We are No. 3 with a bullet in the AAC. No one else has demonstrated any ability to displace us from that slot. Wichita is 1, Cincy 2.

UCF over Alabama on the road was a good win. Houston beating Arkansas was a good win. It will be the 5 of us that will be the main competitors.

SMU_Alum11 wrote:At this point, we just need to kill the thread. We need to stop having expectations that we are top 25. We play on another level at home but on the road we fall apart even in neutral stadiums (TCU). At this point, we need to focus on taking care of business the rest of the way and focus on the conference tourney. At this point, my guess is we are NIt at best and maybe next year back in it. Our conference isn’t as hot as we were hoping. I feel it’s a 3 bid conference at best and we are going to fight like hell for that 3rd spot.

The "experts" don't seem to agree with you as most have it as a 4 bid league with us safely in the field between a 7 and 10. Last night does not change that one bit. The USC and Zona wins are WAY better than any non-conf wins we had last year and the committee has been clear in recent years that top wins are way more important than anything else. Look at Vandy last year for exhibit A. We are actually in way better shape heading into conference this year than last, and also have more opportunities for big wins in conference this year (4) than last year (2). We are in great shape right now. Win the ones we should and get at least one of those four and I think we are in. I expect USC and Zona to be thought of very highly by the committee in the end.

Stop worrying about the top 25 - it's nice for being on the ticker, etc. but meaningless for the tourney.

Kenpom #23, Sagarin #28, after loss to TCU.

RI Stang wrote:

SMU_Alum11 wrote:At this point, we just need to kill the thread. We need to stop having expectations that we are top 25. We play on another level at home but on the road we fall apart even in neutral stadiums (TCU). At this point, we need to focus on taking care of business the rest of the way and focus on the conference tourney. At this point, my guess is we are NIt at best and maybe next year back in it. Our conference isn’t as hot as we were hoping. I feel it’s a 3 bid conference at best and we are going to fight like hell for that 3rd spot.

The "experts" don't seem to agree with you as most have it as a 4 bid league with us safely in the field between a 7 and 10. Last night does not change that one bit. The USC and Zona wins are WAY better than any non-conf wins we had last year and the committee has been clear in recent years that top wins are way more important than anything else. Look at Vandy last year for exhibit A. We are actually in way better shape heading into conference this year than last, and also have more opportunities for big wins in conference this year (4) than last year (2). We are in great shape right now. Win the ones we should and get at least one of those four and I think we are in. I expect USC and Zona to be thought of very highly by the committee in the end.

Stop worrying about the top 25 - it's nice for being on the ticker, etc. but meaningless for the tourney.

I agree with you that our OOC this year is surprisingly better seeming than last year. I think if we had won against WKU then I wouldn't be so down about the loss with TCU. I think TCU was a very beatable team but our guys just could not get in sync. My post was mainly about not worrying about Top 25 (ending the thread). Our focus should be winning out the rest of the OOC. Hopefully McMurray will be a huge bump for us and we can actually go on the road and beat some of our conference teams.

Now that we are back to playing a nobody, I hope we give Akoy his minutes to see if he can get better. I think depending on that game should determine if he should play at all against Boise as that is a must win game (1- for being at home 2- they're a beatable team). Again, the main issue I have the team so far is getting ready for these away games. I can't even imagine how bad they're going to play when they actually go to a loud house like Cincy.

It was pretty clear in Jank's post USC press conference, that the coaches really were focused on the USC game. I'm pretty sure that was because they new it was an important tournament resume game. From a talent level we should beat all remaining teams on our schedule not named Cinci and WSU at moody. From a talent level we should beat all teams not named WSU, Cinci, or UCF and maybe Houston on the road (we don't play temple on the road this year) That said I'm worried because this team doesn't get beat by their opponent so much as we beat themselves. Doing that makes us an 8 or 9 loss team prime bubble territory, and likely out if you mix in any other bad losses.