Prediction Time - Seton Hall

[Phantom Warrior]

Would love to predict a win, but I have a bad feeling about this game.

I've always said that good defense can make good offense look bad (we saw that yesterday in terms of Alabama-Washington and Clemson-Ohio State) and that bad defense can make bad offense look good.

It's the first part of that saying that concerns me about today. Neither Sanogo nor Jones is generally much of a threat on offense, but both are very good defenders, especially Sanogo. And SHU is really tough on the glass.

We might be able to upset the Pirates at the BC, but I don't see it happening today in Jersey.

SHU 86 - MU 74

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

I'm very curious about today. On one hand, Seton Hall seems to defend the three well. On the other hand, they have only played one team in the country that is top-75 in three point shooting (Creighton) and they lost handily (never closer than 4 in the second half, never closer than 9 in the final 12 minutes).

Last year, they were a matchup nightmare for us and we never were able to compete on the glass or make threes. This year, we're a better rebounding team and have much better shooters. As much as SHU was our kryptonite last year, I think we might be a matchup problem for them this year. As good as their defense was last year, it isn't close to that this year. I'm going to say we squeak out with a win.

Marquette 86 - 82 Seton Hall

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

Would love to predict a win, but I have a bad feeling about this game.

I've always said that good defense can make good offense look bad (we saw that yesterday in terms of Alabama-Washington and Clemson-Ohio State) and that bad defense can make bad offense look good.

It's the first part of that saying that concerns me about today. Neither Sanogo nor Jones is generally much of a threat on offense, but both are very good defenders, especially Sanogo. And SHU is really tough on the glass.

We might be able to upset the Pirates at the BC, but I don't see it happening today in Jersey.

SHU 86 - MU 74

Not sure us beating Seton Hall this year will constitute an upset... I would say these teams are pretty much viewed on relatively even footing where the game could go either way.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

Spread when I checked this morning was SHU -3.5. Not a huge upset, and figure we'd be favored in Milwaukee, but considering how they took us behind the woodshed twice last year, it sure would feel like one.

[Nukem2]

Spread when I checked this morning was SHU -3.5. Not a huge upset, and figure we'd be favored in Milwaukee, but considering how they took us behind the woodshed twice last year, it sure would feel like one.Yep, those games did not offer much in the way of positives.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

Yep, those games did not offer much in the way of positives.

Coming into this season, Seton Hall was the only team in the league I looked at and thought "two definite losses". After last year, they scared the bejeebus out of me. They look more manageable now that I've seen we can at least compete on the boards with quality teams and that our shooters seem to be as good as advertised.

[Phantom Warrior]

Unfortunately, I think only some of our shooters have been "as good as advertised" or at least "as good as expected." JJ, Haanif, and Duane are all hitting a lower percentage of treys than they did last year, and Katin has been pretty bad from behind the arc. Sam and Markus have certainly been better than anyone could have hoped for, and Rowsey has found a groove recently after a horrendous start.

As a team we are certainly better overall from behind the arc than we were last year (with Henry, Wally, and Traci) but I'd feel better about our team if Haanif, JJ, Duane, and Katin could ratchet their shooting up a notch or two.

[Markedman]

Sometimes people make more of small dips in shooting percentages then are warranted.

JJ shot .385 from 3 last season.....a huge improvement over his first 2 seasons

This season has made 13-36......that calculates to .361.....worse then last season no doubt.....yet if he he had made just 1 more 3 of the 23 he missed.....14-36 equals 38.9

Duane? Same exact thing... ..if he was 9-26 instead of 8-26 his numbers would be identical to last seasons 34.6

Cheatham jumps up to 37.5 if 1 more 3 goes in.....slightly below last seasons pace.

Small sample sizes create big swings......as a team we are much better shooting 3s.....that is the significant factor not Duane or JJ making 1 less 3 over 13 games. Also Duane as a mediocre 3 point shooter is on pace to take significantly less 3s this year.....that means guys like Howard, Hauser and Rowsey are taking more......that is good.

[Phantom Warrior]

Agreed about the relatively small sample size, but the season is roughly 40% over (if we end up playing 32 - 33 games) and I was hoping for a slight increase rather than a slight decrease from all three of those guys, especially since we will not have any more cupcakes this year to pad the stats. Every game could be a battle - no 25-30 point wins when we score in the 90s or over 100.

[Markedman]

Duane isn't playing