3rd Sweet Sixteen

[Mucrisco]

At Midnight Madness, Coach Buzz suggested that they are shooting for more than a Sweet Sixteen. First of all, I am happy about that. We should always aim high. However, I am wondering how people would feel if we "only" made it to the Sweet Sixteen again. Personally, I am ecstatic when this happens. I just want Marquette to consistently make it to the second weekend. If we can sprinkle in an Elite Eight, Final Four, or *gasp* a National Championship, every once in a while, that is only frosting in my book. I think you are an elite program if you can begin to expect to make it to the Sweet Sixteen.

After the Final Four, I was listening to that "blowhard" that use to be on WSSP. I forgot his name. He was asking Marquette fans if they would be satisfied from now on, making the Sweet Sixteen four years in a row, and only the Sweet Sixteen. It seemed like the majority of callers expressed that they would be disappointed. One said if that happened, Coach Crean should be fired. The reason is that progress would not have been made. That comment made me dial into the station for the only time in life, although I reached my destination in my car and couldn't complete the call. I thought it was outrageous.

So, if we were "only" to make the Sweet Sixteen this year and next, would you be disappointed?

[IWB]

A Sweet 16 would be a great run. No question that when you get there you want to go farther, but it isn't always in the cards. Personally i would be thrilled with another Sweet 16. The question is, what happens from there. Do you run into a team that is on fire and can't be stopped? Do you fall short because you don't play your best? Do you run out of gas?

If Marquette gets to the Sweet 16 everyone should be happy. There are only 16 teams in the country that get there, that is a hell of an accomplishment.

[kneelb4zerg]

Making the second weekend should never be disappointing. There might be a point when the expectations are higher if we are a top 5 or 10 team, but I don't think this will be one of those years. Even then I'd have a hard time being disappointed with a S16.

[Goose85]

I agree, sweet 16 would be great. IWB has a great point, once you are in the sweet 16 anything can happen.

A third straight sweet 16 would be very helpful to Buzz on the recruiting trail too. Consistent winner, more attention, great press at tourney time, etc.

Incredible how much free advertising a school gets when their team is in the sweet 16.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

Any time you go out of the tournament, it's going to be disappointing. I really hope that we make it beyond the Sweet 16 in one of the next two years, and feel we have the team assembled to do that. But this year I would definitely be happy with a Sweet 16, though I'd be disappointed immediately after. Next year, if we return everyone and bring in the recruiting class as advertised, I might be disappointed if we went out in the round of 16. But once summer rolled around, I'd have little shame in four straight trips to the second weekend.

[pbiflyer]

Any time you go out of the tournament, it's going to be disappointing. I really hope that we make it beyond the Sweet 16 in one of the next two years, and feel we have the team assembled to do that. But this year I would definitely be happy with a Sweet 16, though I'd be disappointed immediately after. Next year, if we return everyone and bring in the recruiting class as advertised, I might be disappointed if we went out in the round of 16. But once summer rolled around, I'd have little shame in four straight trips to the second weekend.

I think Brew has it right. I was disappointed after the loss to UF. I thought we did not play to our capability. But I was thrilled that we were in the sweet sixteen for the second straight time.
I am sure I will be happy if we reach it, but disappointed if we lose after that point. It is just human, well, fan nature.

[TrevorCandelino]

Second weekend is elite. Only four teams make the thrid weekend.

Playing into the second weekend - and all the intra-week hype that goes with it - is a tremendous accomplishment. Everything from that point forward is gravy and, as stated above, anything can happen, good or bad.

[mufan2003]

Sweet 16 is always an accomplishment. To me, it all depends how MU would perform in their Sweet 16 game. If MU plays like they did against Loiusville in the Big East tourney last year, where Cadougan had about 10 turnovers and was kicking it all over the court, I would be upset with the loss because it would be out of character for MU and not playing up to its ability. If we perform like the win @UCONN last year and the other team still outplays us, and we lose, I would be disappointed but would acknowledge we were not the better team that day.

Basically, if we lose to a higher ranked team in the tourney, and MU plays well, but is still outplayed, I am disappointed but satisfied with the season. If we play a lower seed and do not play up to our ability, and lose, I would be more upset and would be harder to get over the loss despite the success of another Sweet 16 appearance.

[bleedbluegold03]

FWIW (and I am paraphrasing) he said S16 isn't good enough anymore