Guest Rob Marshall Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 With arguably the toughest THIRTEEN (13) non-conference games (including the ESPN Bracket Buster game scheduled for 02.18.06) schedule in the Scott Sutton era, what are everyone's thoughts/predictions for the Golden Eagles after last night's loss at home to Utah State? Hope I'm wrong, but I'm going with the conservative 7-6 projection in non-conference play as follows: UTAH STATE L @ Great Alaskan Shootout vs. USC L vs. TBA W vs. TBA W ST. GREGORY'S W TULSA W MISSOURI STATE W @ N. Colorado W @ Louisiana-Lafayette W @ Utah State L @ Oklahoma L @ Minnesota L @ TBA (ESPN Bracket Buster) L MID CON Regular Season Record: 14-2; 21-8 overall MID CON Tournament: 3-0 NCAA Tournament: 0-1 Final Overall Record: 24-9 If I am close to correct, would you consider these results a successful season for the ORU men's basketball team? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maniac prez Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 I would consider this season a success as long as make the tourney. The record that you have us at is probably going to be pretty accurate, but I think we'll probably win some we shouldn't (i.e. USU, USC, etc) and lose some we shouldn't (i.e. mid-con games). I think that we will make the tourney this year, and then next year we will have a chance to make a run and upset someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadAdder Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 I agree, I think anything less than an NCAA tourney appearance would be a step in the wrong direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cornelius Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 A seaon can hardly be extrapolated from one game. If we play like we did last night we'll be lucky to win 12. I'm not really buying all the "coach speak" about the loss. We barely lost a game when our best player was sidelined with ticky-tack fouls, Fowlkes and Veally never saw action, and our outside shooting was PATHETIC. And on top of all of that we went NBA isolation for the final shot instead of going to the hot hand (Mick). Yet somehow we forced overtime and barely lost. I think we all know pretty well that only 3 games truly matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rob Marshall Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 I disagree because particularly in the second half and overtime, I thought ORU played really pretty well considering its leading scorer and rebounder was on the bench for fifteen of those twenty-five minutes. Playing like we did last night would win AT LEAST twelve Mid Con games and would be good enough to win five or six non-conference games too. My intention in starting this thread was simply to stimulate thought about what would make this season "successful" in the minds of ORU fans who post on this board. MOST ORU fans probably had last night's game posted as a "W" on their pre-season predictions, and so given that it turned out to be a "L" rather than a "W," I wanted to give fans a chance to revisit their pre-season predictions after probably 100% of us had a projected "W" go right out the window! Not at all trying to suggest the season's success hinged on the outcome of last night's game, but again I was simply trying to stimulate thought as to what would make this season a success in the eyes of an ORU men's basketball fan. :idea: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rob Marshall Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 And yes, three (3) games at the UMAC ultimately represent ORU's ticket to the dance, however with the quality non-conference schedule, ORU COULD build a case for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament should something like last year happen again. Frankly, going 15-14 in the regular season and then winning three (3) games in the conference tournament would be disappointing to me because that would mean we really underachieved in losing 14 games throughout the year. Not that winning 25 and going to the NIT last year was a perfect ending, but personally I think ORU had a MUCH more successful season in 2004-05 than Oakland did even though OU went to the NCAA tournament. Make sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EagleBackr Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 Here's my take: UTAH STATE L vs. USC (@ Great Alaskan Shootout) W vs. TBA (@ Great Alaskan Shootout) L vs. TBA (@ Great Alaskan Shootout) W ST. GREGORY'S W TULSA W MISSOURI STATE W @ N. Colorado W @ Louisiana-Lafayette L @ Utah State L @ Oklahoma L @ Minnesota W @ TBA (@ ESPN Bracket Buster) W Non-Conference Record: 8-5 MID CON Regular Season Record: 11-5 (road losses at Valpo, UMKC, Western Illinois, and splits on the S. Utah/Chi. St. & Oakland/IUPUI trips) Overall Regular Season Record: 19-10 Mid-Con Tournament: 3-0 NCAA Seed - #14 NCAA Tournament: 0-1 Final Overall Record: 22-11 So, another 20-win campaign, first ever Mid-Con tournament championship, first NCAA appearance in 20 years - I would have to say that's a successful season, alright... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rob Marshall Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 I agree EB, winning 20+ games again, including the Mid Con post season tournament championship and making the NCAA tournament would all be realistic and acceptable accomplishments. I hope people aren't discouraged by a few "L's" in our non-conference schedule because frankly there are some difficult games, including nine (9) games away from home as well as the Missouri State game at the Mabee Center. Given that ORU won by ten in Springfield last year, MSU has been impressive through its exhibition games as well as its opener last night, an 87-51 win over Northern Illinois in a battle of former Bill Self assistants (Rob Judson coaches NIU). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EasyTELGuy Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 I have to agree with Rob Marshall on his predictions almost to the game! Although I am a die-hard ORU fan, I thought we would lose the game by a slim margin throughout this past week! A lot of first game jitters - I figured would come into play! Here's my prediction: UTAH STATE L @ Great Alaskan Shootout vs. USC W vs. TBA W vs. TBA L ST. GREGORY'S W TULSA W MISSOURI STATE W @ N. Colorado W @ Louisiana-Lafayette W @ Utah State L @ Oklahoma L @ Minnesota L @ TBA (ESPN Bracket Buster) W MID CON Regular Season Record: 14-2; 22-7 overall MID CON Tournament: 3-0 NCAA Tournament: 0-1 Final Overall Record: 25-8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rob Marshall Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 You know when you think about it, the pressure to win last night's game was certainly on the home team (ORU) because the visitor (Utah State) has the return game to look forward to next month regardless of how well they played in Tulsa. Both teams probably envisioned a "split" when they scheduled the same season home and home series, so the pressure to protect your home court may have affected how our kids played in the first half. We certainly didn't shoot or take care of the basketball very well, both of which are indicative of playing tight rather than relaxed and loose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EasyTELGuy Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 You gotta credit Utah State's full-court press strategy and their Zone! They definitely watched video on us from last year! We did not play that well against zones and when teams break up our rhythm by pressing us! That's the one thing I thought really hurt us in the first half...not playing loose and attacking the press more agressively! We missed Caleb on several times down the floor when Caleb had position for an entry pass! I truly believe this team will make adjustments and play real well up in Alaska! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleFanatic Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 I cant believe no one has predicted a NCAA win! If we get some unexpected wins (non-conference), which I think we will, and do well in the Mid-Con (2 or 3 losses) were lookin' at a 13-11 seed in the NCAA. That will put us up against a likely over-rated big conference team. Very winnable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EasyTELGuy Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 If we win the Great Alaska and beat the Bracket buster team (other things in my prediction held equal) we're a 11 - 13 seed, if we do poorly in these and make the Big Dance, we're a 14 or 15 seed. JMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rob Marshall Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 ORU will need a 28-4 type record going into the NCAA as Mid Con champs to receive a 13 or better seed; given last night's loss at home and the pending schedule as is, I don't see us running off THAT kind of record ... although I would love to see it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleFanatic Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 Has anyone seen any SI or ESPN magazine articles with pre-season NCAA brackets or seedings? If so where did they have ORU? Time will tell, but I think we have a Sweet Sixteen team on our hands. How many would disagree with that, if Tutt would have made that shot at the end of regulation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUIsbig Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 Nay sayers!!!!! USC W Next W Next W.... ALL GAMES W! ORU 28-1 regular season and if the team is smart they ought to have the same attitude. We SHOULD be able to beat all of those teams. We must beat them. We should not loose a game. we have way too much. Anything else is unacceptable. That loss last night is unacceptable. No more not living up to potential. If its ok to lose to utah state, its ok to get up set in the mid con again! Win, Win, Win. Play like you know you will win. No moral victories. Post like you know we can win. Thats what i say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleFanatic Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 That too is what I say! Honestly we lose (not loose) one game (to a very good team) and you guys begin to talk about a 10 loss season, including 5 losses in the Mid-Con! Now quit starin at stats or probabilities, and have some faith in our eagles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 Has anyone seen any SI or ESPN magazine articles with pre-season NCAA brackets or seedings? If so where did they have ORU? Time will tell, but I think we have a Sweet Sixteen team on our hands. How many would disagree with that, if Tutt would have made that shot at the end of regulation? I saw the issue the other day in a client's office - I think, if you project it out, we were a #14 seed playing #3 seed Villanova. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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