UW about to lose to Milwaukee

[kneelb4zerg]

bleed,

After we play Presbyterian (330), Chicago State (339), and Stetson (312), our SOS could be even worse. It will not surprise me one bit if our SOS ends up being the lowest of any team in the ACC, Big 12, Big 14, Pac 12, SEC, and Big East (74 teams).

That is beyond pathetic.

And to all the apologists for this travesty of a schedule, there is no rationale - none - for playing a schedule that includes seven games against non-conference teams that could well end up below 300 on RPI.

And if/when this team does not make the NCAA Tournament because of this abomination of a schedule, you can all go right on trying to justify it in your own minds.

Do people not understand -- as Wojo and Broeker have repeatedly said -- that scheduling isn't a one-way street? Even if they wanted to play a more difficult schedule, who's to say that those teams wanted to play MU, or that they could be arranged for scheduling purposes? I for one can think of plenty of "excuses" for the schedule being what it is.

[Nukem2]

I don't like the scheduling of so many buy games any more than most and I have posted so. Reality is that the schedule was set up that way because of the youth and lack of experience. It is what it is. Obviously, the empty seats at the BC this season
speak for themselves. The AD and Wojo will have to figure that out for the future.

Back to the point. MU is at Bucky on Saturday and this game is going to tell us a lot about the direction of this MU team, win or lose. Obviously UW will be up for this game after the loss to UW-M, but our guys should be ready and up for this game as well. Need to minimize TOs.

[MUfan12]

And to all the apologists for this travesty of a schedule, there is no rationale - none - for playing a schedule that includes seven games against non-conference teams that could well end up below 300 on RPI.

And if/when this team does not make the NCAA Tournament because of this abomination of a schedule, you can all go right on trying to justify it in your own minds.

I don't think people are being apologists, they accept it for what it is rather than pissing and moaning about it at every turn.

And if MU gets to 11 wins in the conference, they'll get in regardless of what happens on Saturday. They'll have to beat 3 or 4 really good teams to get there.

[TedBaxter]

I don't think people are being apologists, they accept it for what it is rather than pissing and moaning about it at every turn.

And if MU gets to 11 wins in the conference, they'll get in regardless of what happens on Saturday. They'll have to beat 3 or 4 really good teams to get there.

Exactly how I feel.

[ge1974]

I understand the "bunny" game concept for MU but cant they schedule some better RPI bunnies like schools from the MAC, Ivy or Patriot League?

[Phantom Warrior]

Well, we will get a chance to see just how well this strategy of playing a lot of crappy teams works/worked when we play UW Saturday.

UW came into the season with exactly two veterans who had averaged double-digit minutes last year - Koenig and Hayes. And one player - Showalter - who got very limited minutes but still contributed a little at the end of the year. Still, Showalter's minutes were far less than either JJ's minutes or Sandy's minutes were last year.

We returned two veterans who played major minutes last year in Luke and Duane, both of whom averaged double-digit ppg, along with Sandy and JJ.

UW has three frosh that get major minutes this year, and so does MU.

The past four games UW has played the following teams: Oklahoma at Oklahoma (#2 in RPI), Syracuse at Syracuse (#34), Temple (#91) and UWM (#115).

Our past four games have been against Jackson State (#208), Maine (#317), San Jose State (#328), and Grambling State (#350).

In my mind both UW and MU had relatively comparable teams coming into this season - a couple of proven, solid veterans who were starters last year, one or two reserves with at least some experience, and some unproven but highly-regarded freshmen. If anything, our freshmen were more highly-regarded than UW's frosh were - even including Happ. The two programs took very different approaches to non-conference scheduling. Our SOS is #328; UWs is #100.

We'll see what happens Saturday, but I think UW's last four games have likely better prepared the Badgers for Saturday than our last four games have.

And after, we round out the pre-Big East portion of the schedule with Chicago State and Presbyterian we'll see just how well-prepared this group is for the rigors of the Big East.

[MUwarrior1090]

Phantom,

I do agree with most of your post, and obviously I wish we would have scheduled tougher non conference games. However, We will likely end non conference 10-3 (including Stetson) and I think we all would have taken that preseason, and been thrilled with it after the Iowa debacle.

The test for this team was always going to be Big East play. Making the tournament is the ultimate goal this year but if we could get to .500 or better in league play I would see that as a success following last year.

[MUfan12]

We get it. The schedule sucks. We've all said it from the time it was released.

[MU88]

Well, we will get a chance to see just how well this strategy of playing a lot of crappy teams works/worked when we play UW Saturday.

UW came into the season with exactly two veterans who had averaged double-digit minutes last year - Koenig and Hayes. And one player - Showalter - who got very limited minutes but still contributed a little at the end of the year. Still, Showalter's minutes were far less than either JJ's minutes or Sandy's minutes were last year.

We returned two veterans who played major minutes last year in Luke and Duane, both of whom averaged double-digit ppg, along with Sandy and JJ.

UW has three frosh that get major minutes this year, and so does MU.

The past four games UW has played the following teams: Oklahoma at Oklahoma (#2 in RPI), Syracuse at Syracuse (#34), Temple (#91) and UWM (#115).

Our past four games have been against Jackson State (#208), Maine (#317), San Jose State (#328), and Grambling State (#350).

In my mind both UW and MU had relatively comparable teams coming into this season - a couple of proven, solid veterans who were starters last year, one or two reserves with at least some experience, and some unproven but highly-regarded freshmen. If anything, our freshmen were more highly-regarded than UW's frosh were - even including Happ. The two programs took very different approaches to non-conference scheduling. Our SOS is #328; UWs is #100.

We'll see what happens Saturday, but I think UW's last four games have likely better prepared the Badgers for Saturday than our last four games have.

And after, we round out the pre-Big East portion of the schedule with Chicago State and Presbyterian we'll see just how well-prepared this group is for the rigors of the Big East.

Let's throw out the name opponents for each team, then look at the preseason schedules.

Wisconsin plays Western Illinois, Siena, North Dakota, Prairie View, T&AM-CC, Green Bay and Milwaukee in the preseason.

MU plays Belmont, IUPUI, Jackson State, Grambling, Maine, San Jose St., Chicago State, Presbyterian and Stetson in the preseason.

Really, before the season, can you say that one teams lineup is any worse than the other? I would suggest that Belmont and a MWC team will tilt the preseason schedule towards MU, but it is really a toss up. You can't honestly say that MU's buy games are any worse than UW's or any other school for that matter.

Now, the team coming off the final four has played more marquee, made for tv games. Granted. But, the lack of marquee games is a consequence of MU being so stinky last year. Plus, MU is stuck playing home games to fund their budget, a problem UW doesn't have. UW can play more home-homes than MU can. They can play Temple, home-home and travel to OU this year. Unfortunately, MU can't. We get an extra conference game, but we have to fill in the schedule with a Stetson, while UW can travel to Norman. That's life with BCS football.

[Djgoldnboy]

I don't know why, but I have a good feeling about Sat. I think the Luke/HE combo, recent improvement of ball movement/assists.....along with some improved 1-3 spot performances of late (Traci at the PG, HC and Sandy stroking from deep).....if we can continue those trends I think we could walk out of there with a nice little "W". I've been wrong before but I think we get this one.