Villanova

[mpwalsh8]

As for the original post, I don't expect Villanova to lose on campus. We play Georgetown, Providence and St. John's at the Wells Fargo Center. Maybe PC or GTown surprises us, but it's unlikely. The one team I thought was good enough to beat us at home was Xavier and we saw what happened there. On the road against Xavier is a coinflip. Seton Hall and Providence are the only other teams I think can beat us at their place. If Villanova wins on Wednesday, I'm predicting 17-1.

As much as it pains me to say it, I think there is as a good chance VU loses at Seton Hall this week as there is to lose to Georgetown or PC at Wells Fargo, probably more so. I was speaking with my Marquette friend about an hour ago and he is predicting VU at 16-2. I think that is the best case scenario and doubt it happens. At the end of the season I think either VU or X win the regular season at 15-3 or 14-4. VU could lose @ X, MU, PC, or Seton Hall. I doubt VU loses all four of them but it wouldn't surprise me to lose two.

There will inevitably be a clunker somewhere (at DePaul?) where VU will lose a game they have no business losing. It will be disappointing but it won't be the end of the world. Maybe it will cost VU a shot at a #1 seed but I would be thrilled with any tourney seeding that gives Villanova a chance to play through Philly. It is hard to sustain having the target on your back every single game and it will be like that for VU for the reaminder of the season unless the wheels come off completely.

[RedStormHoops]

NovaBall thanks for missing the point once again. Everyone's rooting for Villanova. So stop playing victim cause God forbid somebody threw some criticism at the way they ended their last few seasons.

You going on a rant about how bad St. John's has been the last 20 years just proved the point I was trying to make. No one is above criticism. Yea sure keep listing all the good things Villanova has done. I and everyone involved with the conference appreciates how good they've been.

But all I did was say I wanted them to go deep in the tournament. You can give me every stat you want about how dominant they've been, and every stat about how bad St. John's is. But my point will forever stand until they get over that hump. And I hope they do

My best friends are nova fans, maybe I came off as disrespectful, but I really am rooting for them. It's just this NovaBall poster, forgive me, but he's an asshole. Talks about kicking out/replacing teams in the conference but as soon as something negative about nova is mentioned he can't take the heat and freaks out

ReStorm, this post is reasonable. I think what Nova fans take umbrage with is when fans of other teams in this league state that Nova has "let down the conference" or is an "embarrassment." My point is that if the conference as a whole wants to do better in March, then other programs should not wait for anyone else to do it for you.

An example of that is your previous statement in this thread:

They still need to win some damn tournament games for us to get the respect we want as a conference.

How about: we as a conference collectively need to do better in March.?.

Obviously that is true, but this is a Villanova thread. And when they destroy everyone else in conference, it's especially important they show up well

[Dave]

Nova needs to show up in March. That's just reality. We have squandered too many high seeds.

The level of the team is legit, but March matters.

[stever20]

As for the original post, I don't expect Villanova to lose on campus. We play Georgetown, Providence and St. John's at the Wells Fargo Center. Maybe PC or GTown surprises us, but it's unlikely. The one team I thought was good enough to beat us at home was Xavier and we saw what happened there. On the road against Xavier is a coinflip. Seton Hall and Providence are the only other teams I think can beat us at their place. If Villanova wins on Wednesday, I'm predicting 17-1.

As much as it pains me to say it, I think there is as a good chance VU loses at Seton Hall this week as there is to lose to Georgetown or PC at Wells Fargo, probably more so. I was speaking with my Marquette friend about an hour ago and he is predicting VU at 16-2. I think that is the best case scenario and doubt it happens. At the end of the season I think either VU or X win the regular season at 15-3 or 14-4. VU could lose @ X, MU, PC, or Seton Hall. I doubt VU loses all four of them but it wouldn't surprise me to lose two.

There will inevitably be a clunker somewhere (at DePaul?) where VU will lose a game they have no business losing. It will be disappointing but it won't be the end of the world. Maybe it will cost VU a shot at a #1 seed but I would be thrilled with any tourney seeding that gives Villanova a chance to play through Philly. It is hard to sustain having the target on your back every single game and it will be like that for VU for the reaminder of the season unless the wheels come off completely.

#1 likely only way Nova gets to play through Philly.

Regional sites this year are:
Philly, Louisville, Chicago, Anaheim

If Maryland is a 1 seed and Nova isn't- they're going to Philly almost surely. Quite possibly UNC and WVU as well.... And don't think the committee puts a 1 at a disadvantage like that any longer.

[FormulaX]

The idea that having a mediocre season but pull an upset in rd 2 against whomever to advance to the sweet 16 is better than having a dominant season but get upset oooozes saint josephs (pa) logic. That's where that comment comes from.

hey, I'm on board with Xavier becoming a national contender instead of the little guy that could. But with that will come an upset here or there. Doesn't mean the little guy who could that pulled the rd 2 upset had the better season. You will see. Big east fans rave over Pearl Washington moreso than they do Austin croshere (and Austin croshere was a basket away from a final four)

I hope that you don't experience that early rd upset this yr, as I hope to meet you guys in the final four.


And you are correct the perception of the league is much better than three yrs ago when it was formed. But let's realize that having a team seeded in the top five if the s-curve two straight years goes a long way towards that credibility. Things didn't work in the dance, but better to have the team earn that spot and the respect and fall short than to have had all of our teams borderline top 25-40 types praying for a sweet 16

This will be Xavier's 26th tourney appearance. All that Xavier fans want, is that incredibly illusive F4! That is the goal! Nothing else! Another, "participation ribbon" Sweet 16 would be a major disappointment. That is Xavier's demon. Also, Xavier would love to get to that F4 before their old coach Sean Miller does at Arizona.

Nova has the NC 30 yrs ago and a recent F4. They also have been ranked #1. Xavier never has been ranked #1. I love Nova and they are great! You're sounding so defensive and a bit naive. What would the recent BE of been without Butler, Creighton, and Xavier? Without the "3 New Blue" the BE would be the A10.

If Nova is better than Xavier. Then Oklahoma is WAY better then Nova.

[Westbrook#36]

Jeez. Nova fans can dish it but just can't take it.

NovaBall and others love to police the league, suggesting DePaul shouldn't even be in the conference and things like that. But you make a few comments suggesting dissapointment at how nova ended their last two seasons, and all of the sudden you're a bad guy.

Show me some Nova fan besides Ball that "dishes it out" please. Truth of the matter is the only time these Nova threads get riles up is when someone else provokes it. Again I'd watch with the can dish it but can't take routine, as St. John's fans are a thin skinned bunch themselves.

[NovaBall]

The commentary I take issue with is that nova is somehow not doing their part or letting the conference down.

Do I wish that nova won it all the last two years? Of course.

However, the bottom line is that without nova accomplishing what they did int he regular season, the conference would be receiving tons more criticism. Nova and the big east weren't entitled to a one seed last yr. nova went out and earned that, along with earning the conference respect in the process.

[Dave]

If Nova is better than Xavier. Then Oklahoma is WAY better then Nova.

Oklahoma looks way better than Nova at the moment. I have to think we would play them better if we get another shot.

X is pulling its weight for sure. I'd love to see >X< and \\V// both in the Final 4. That is what this conference needs!

[XUFan09]

Novaball, I'm not going to bother to quote your multiple long posts since I last saw this thread 12 hours ago, but here's the bottomline:

I never said that Xavier's season last year was better than Nova's because they made it one round further. I don't know what crappy reading comprehension led you to that conclusion. Maybe someone else said that, and you projected that claim on to me, but that mistake is on you, not me. Yes, I'd rather have Villanova's year last year, but that wasn't realistic based on Xavier'squad roster.

Relative to expectations, however, Xavier fulfilled its obligations more effectively than Villanova. I'll repeat, relative to expectations. They did their part for the conference the first two years of the conference based on the rosters they had, though one could argue reasonably that losing the play-in game two years ago would be falling a round short based on what that roster should have done. Now, we'll see how well they do their part for the conference this season. So far, they are fulfilling their regular season obligations (as this roster demands higher expectations), but the regular season will still be secondary to what they do or don't do in March. Villanova is once again fulfilling its obligations of the regular season, but I'm confident that they will do better this year of fulfilling postseason obligations.

[sarp]

I really believe that Villanova losing to Oklahoma and Virginia were good for them. I think it showed the coach and team what they needed to do to get better. And unfortunately (for the rest of us in the conference) they have learned from those losses. If Villanova were to lose in the next 5-6 games, I really believe that would help them in the tournament. I love watching Hart play, and think he could become a star in a Villanova tourney run.