Joe Lunardi...

[jry04]

But we have no shot at NIT even if we win 19 games according to most on here...

https://twitter.com/ESPNLunardi/status/695965212030140416

According to him, at 11-11, we are 10 spots removed from the NCAAT. Why? Because our SOS, decent wins, no bad losses, and the bubble is soft this year due to not many good teams on the bubble, and SMU/UL freeing up two spots that would have been taken.

[Hawg Red]

So epic if we pulled out a tourney birth. Coach of the Year consideration if that happens.

[jry04]

So epic if we pulled out a tourney birth. Coach of the Year consideration if that happens.

I still say 19 wins puts us firmly on the bubble where we would have a chance to make it with a SECT win or two. I don't expect that to happen, but gives me faith in our chances to make the NIT at least.

[wheelspigharvey]

I didn't realize Bo Ryan had retired.  Was wondering whether the Badger faithful are feeling as down as some of us are, they fell harder than we did compared to how they finished.

[ErieHog]

So epic if we pulled out a tourney birth. Coach of the Year consideration if that happens.

He's already getting conference coach of the year consideration.

[Paul]

I didn't realize Bo Ryan had retired.  Was wondering whether the Badger faithful are feeling as down as some of us are, they fell harder than we did compared to how they finished.

helluva coach

[Dominicanhog]

I still say 19 wins puts us firmly on the bubble where we would have a chance to make it with a SECT win or two. I don't expect that to happen, but gives me faith in our chances to make the NIT at least.

I've also been suspect of our making it happen, but always thought 20 wins after the SECT was the minimum... I'm beginning to think 19 may do it....  our sos and how we've played tough on the road, has caught a few glances... we have the best part of our schedule for wins.. 6 and 3 gets you NIT...... being the 5th seed could also be advantageous as far as winning another game in the SECT....

[Atlhogfan1]

But we have no shot at NIT even if we win 19 games according to most on here...

https://twitter.com/ESPNLunardi/status/695965212030140416

According to him, at 11-11, we are 10 spots removed from the NCAAT. Why? Because our SOS, decent wins, no bad losses, and the bubble is soft this year due to not many good teams on the bubble, and SMU/UL freeing up two spots that would have been taken.

And because we could be favored to win the majority of regular season games we have left as we are playing the bottom half of the conference with the exception of the two home games vs LSU and SC.

Some of us have not stopped believing the NIT is a real possibility. 

[Hollywood_HOGan45]

We have a chance to string together some wins near the end of this season. The best team we play on the road is Alabama. We MUST close out wins starting tonight.

[jry04]

We have a chance to string together some wins near the end of this season. The best team we play on the road is Alabama. We MUST close out wins starting tonight.

It could easily be argued that Ole Miss is the best team we play on the road. Ole Miss beat Alabama, has a better conference record, and Alabama caught some breaks early beating teams who had multiple starters out.

[razorbackkid]

I'll say it now.  With the way our team plays, don't count us out of winning the SECT.  We are good enough when we play up to our potential to do it.

We ain't a bad team, we just need to quit giving the ball away in critical situations.

[Atlhogfan1]

I'll say it now.  With the way our team plays, don't count us out of winning the SECT.  We are good enough when we play up to our potential to do it.

We ain't a bad team, we just need to quit giving the ball away in critical situations.

Comparable to what the other teams in the SEC are this season, the Hogs are more than competitive.  Not a great team in the group.  The challenge is of course beating UK in front of an overwhelming UK crowd.  And our team has come close but not won much away from BWA even against mediocre competition.  Now we would be asking them to win 3 or 4 in a weekend depending on seeding. 

[razorbackkid]

Comparable to what the other teams in the SEC are this season, the Hogs are more than competitive.  Not a great team in the group.  The challenge is of course beating UK in front of an overwhelming UK crowd.  And our team has come close but not won much away from BWA even against mediocre competition.  Now we would be asking them to win 3 or 4 in a weekend depending on seeding. 

Yeah, Kentucky would be the wild card.  In all other SEC losses, small breakdowns in rebounding and missed assignments on defense are the difference in a win or loss.  At Texas A&M we got whipped, Kentucky whipped us at home.  Besides those two games we have played well.

We have the potential to upset Kentucky on a neutral floor as witnessed by a loss that should never have happened vs LSU @ LSU and the home win vs A&M.

I may be overly optimistic...but I think our team is getting better.

[Dominicanhog]

It could easily be argued that Ole Miss is the best team we play on the road. Ole Miss beat Alabama, has a better conference record, and Alabama caught some breaks early beating teams who had multiple starters out.

agree... better chance to win at Bama... Kennedy's still the head coach isn't he?

[hulk hog]

I'll say it now.  With the way our team plays, don't count us out of winning the SECT.  We are good enough when we play up to our potential to do it.

We ain't a bad team, we just need to quit giving the ball away in critical situations.

This team plays hard and has kept most games close which gives you hope but to your point they have to stop turning it over at the worst times. Kingsely is the key to a deep tournament run.  If he gets in foul trouble nobody else has shown they can fill in and score in the post. To make any run down the stretch this team really needs somebody to step up that hasn't so far like Whitt, Thompson or Miles.

[PORKULATOR]

The NIT would do more for our program. Better chance to advance. You get Monday and Tuesday exclusive games on ESPN.  So exposure as well. Its what I've wanted all year.

[Atlhogfan1]

The NIT would do more for our program. Better chance to advance. You get Monday and Tuesday exclusive games on ESPN.  So exposure as well. Its what I've wanted all year.

Than the NCAAT? 

[HOGINTENNESSEE]

The NIT would do more for our program. Better chance to advance. You get Monday and Tuesday exclusive games on ESPN.  So exposure as well. Its what I've wanted all year.

Lol

[yraciv]

Unless you make a run to Madison Square Garden, which isn't easy, the NIT will never serve you better than the NCAA.  You can't simulate an all on the line neutral court game, win or go home.

[Dominicanhog]

Unless you make a run to Madison Square Garden, which isn't easy, the NIT will never serve you better than the NCAA.  You can't simulate an all on the line neutral court game, win or go ome.

agree but for our program it's not an either or.. both are valuable, it's still a tournament, earned and against good competition, as well as exposure for the program...

[Captain Morgan]

The NIT would do more for our program. Better chance to advance. You get Monday and Tuesday exclusive games on ESPN.  So exposure as well. Its what I've wanted all year.

Quality losses do exist I suppose

[onebadrubi]

He's already getting conference coach of the year consideration.

That's leaning heavily to frank Martin at the moment I have to believe.

[ErieHog]

That's leaning heavily to frank Martin at the moment I have to believe.

The few media bits that have been released have both in the Top 3 consistently;  the SEC network featured  Martin with a 3rd and a 2nd,  and Anderson with a 1st and a 3rd.

[Nipsey Mussle]

The NIT would do more for our program. Better chance to advance. You get Monday and Tuesday exclusive games on ESPN.  So exposure as well. Its what I've wanted all year.

[hawginbigd1]

It is a big ask for this team to go 7-1 the rest of the way and get into the SECT semi's, only path I see to the tourney outside winning the tournament outright. Maybe we are bubble worthy if we lose 2 and fall in the final. 5-3 finish plus at least 1 win in the tourney will get us to NIT.

[Atlhogfan1]

It is a big ask for this team to go 7-1 the rest of the way and get into the SECT semi's, only path I see to the tourney outside winning the tournament outright. Maybe we are bubble worthy if we lose 2 and fall in the final. 5-3 finish plus at least 1 win in the tourney will get us to NIT.

5 wins wouldn't be unreasonable.  SECT will depend on seeding and matchups and what teams are motivated.  Last season, we played two who didn't give a crap.  Only UK did.  They take the tourney seriously and are helped with that by their fans.  Maybe we will get a couple of opponents who are either done or just playing it out waiting for their NCAAT seed.

[hogwood]

This team is crazy. I feel like it is just as likely that we could win the SECT as it is that we go .500 the rest of the year. Don´t really know what to expect but I hope for the best. Really anything could happen. I do think we have the committee on our side this year as many are recognizing Mike´s great coaching job with this team. It helps that we made the tourney last year. Also we are very competitive and could make for an interesting 1st round matchup for a better team.

[Atlhogfan1]

This team is crazy. I feel like it is just as likely that we could win the SECT as it is that we go .500 the rest of the year. Don´t really know what to expect but I hope for the best. Really anything could happen. I do think we have the committee on our side this year as many are recognizing Mike´s great coaching job with this team. It helps that we made the tourney last year. Also we are very competitive and could make for an interesting 1st round matchup for a better team.

It has two guards who can score and a talented college post player who can score and defend in the post ok(when he isn't switching on the perimeter).  For what the SEC and college basketball is season, it makes for a competitive team.  The problem is with the reserves.  No consistent scoring.  Its bench leader Beard is as likely to make a poor decision as a good one.  It can defend ok at times but the offensive lulls lead to close games as progress made with Hannahs, Beard and Kingsley gets lost. 

[yraciv]

5 wins wouldn't be unreasonable.  SECT will depend on seeding and matchups and what teams are motivated.  Last season, we played two who didn't give a crap.  Only UK did.  They take the tourney seriously and are helped with that by their fans.  Maybe we will get a couple of opponents who are either done or just playing it out waiting for their NCAAT seed.

What are you talking about, didn't care about the SEC tournament? This isn't a bowl game!  UT wasn't going to the postseason without a win, so they absolutely cared.  I guess it could be argued UGA was already in, but they were close enough to the bubble I doubt they went in not motivated.  We were the better team, so don't discount those wins saying they didn't care.

[Atlhogfan1]

What are you talking about, didn't care about the SEC tournament? This isn't a bowl game!  UT wasn't going to the postseason without a win, so they absolutely cared.  I guess it could be argued UGA was already in, but they were close enough to the bubble I doubt they went in not motivated.  We were the better team, so don't discount those wins saying they didn't care.

Poor memory?  Tenn had been done for a month physically.  Very short roster as far as contributors.  They blew their wad weeks before the SECT.  Go back and look at who UGa held out.  They were in the NCAAT and preferred getting the SECT obligation over with to get more rest and healthier for the NCAAT. Hogs may have/probably still won because they had the two best players on the court. 


To help your memory as to how much emphasis and effort UGa put into winning the SECT:
http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400785111

The Bulldogs, who've been banged up most of the SEC season, played without junior guard Kenny Gaines who had his sprained left ankle stepped on in Friday night's win over South Carolina. Coach Mark Fox played guard Juwan Parker, who missed 15 games this season with a sore Achilles, but he played six minutes and grabbed two rebounds before aggravating his leg.

When Thornton went down hard early, Fox even helped his senior forward up off the floor.

"I thought the fatigue for both teams affected each of us," Fox said. "It's a challenging schedule. We had to do it two years in a row. It's a challenging schedule."

[GuvHog]

It is a big ask for this team to go 7-1 the rest of the way and get into the SECT semi's, only path I see to the tourney outside winning the tournament outright. Maybe we are bubble worthy if we lose 2 and fall in the final. 5-3 finish plus at least 1 win in the tourney will get us to NIT.

The chances of this team getting into the NCAA Tournament are slim but the chances of them making the NIT and winning several games are much higher.

[HoopS]

Part of why we didn't make the tournament (both the ncaa and the nit) 2 and 3 years ago came down to the schedule. Now that we all are being helped in how to schedule to satisfy their criteria, you can see that despite a not so great record, we have a legit shot at postseason play. We don't have those "anchors" of teams in the 300 RPI holding us down. Sad that a win against those teams didn't help and in fact just playing them likely kept us home those years.

[hawginbigd1]

Part of why we didn't make the tournament (both the ncaa and the nit) 2 and 3 years ago came down to the schedule. Now that we all are being helped in how to schedule to satisfy their criteria, you can see that despite a not so great record, we have a legit shot at postseason play. We don't have those "anchors" of teams in the 300 RPI holding us down. Sad that a win against those teams didn't help and in fact just playing them likely kept us home those years.

This probably played a large part, but I believe the collapse at the end of the schedule was the bigger culprit, especially 2 years ago.

[HOGINTENNESSEE]

This probably played a large part, but I believe the collapse at the end of the schedule was the bigger culprit, especially 2 years ago.

A good SOS and we would have been in that year. The committee isn't supposed to count end of the year slumps against ppl anymore it's the total body of work.

Now had we won SC and Bama sure that would have sealed the deal as those losses caused our RPI to dropped like 30 spots.

[The_Iceman]

The positive thing about this is while we still have quite a bit of work left to do if we are going to make the NCAA tournament, we'd really have to fall off the map to miss the NIT. Any postseason this year would be a good year for Mike considering where we were game 1.

[hei5manhog]

Yeah, Kentucky would be the wild card.  In all other SEC losses, small breakdowns in rebounding and missed assignments on defense are the difference in a win or loss.  At Texas A&M we got whipped, Kentucky whipped us at home.  Besides those two games we have played well.

We have the potential to upset Kentucky on a neutral floor as witnessed by a loss that should never have happened vs LSU @ LSU and the home win vs A&M.

UK blew us out at BWA. We can't beat Kentucky. I don't know how the hell TN did it with their lack of size but Calipari doesn't overlook us anymore.

[hogsanity]

The positive thing about this is while we still have quite a bit of work left to do if we are going to make the NCAA tournament, we'd really have to fall off the map to miss the NIT. Any postseason this year would be a good year for Mike considering where we were game 1.

the problem with this hog team is the problem it had for the 1st 3 years ( and to some extent last year covered by Portis ), they can look all world at home ( like beating TT, A&M, and throttling Tn ) then go lose to a team like Ga, or maybe one of the miss schools. So while they could go 7-1 or even 8-0 to close the reg season, they could also go 4-4.

[The_Iceman]

the problem with this hog team is the problem it had for the 1st 3 years ( and to some extent last year covered by Portis ), they can look all world at home ( like beating TT, A&M, and throttling Tn ) then go lose to a team like Ga, or maybe one of the miss schools. So while they could go 7-1 or even 8-0 to close the reg season, they could also go 4-4.

One difference is we aren't getting blown out or look completely uninterested on the road like we did in years 1 thru 3 under Mike. We're competing and playing well, we just don't have the experienced closers to finish it (or depth to pull away from bad teams).

[HotlantaHog]

Would be nice to get to the NCAA bubble ... with the SEC pretty wide open, it is certainly possible the Hogs could win a couple games in the SEC Tourney, not saying it is likely ...

[The_Iceman]

Would be nice to get to the NCAA bubble ... with the SEC pretty wide open, it is certainly possible the Hogs could win a couple games in the SEC Tourney, not saying it is likely ...

Going at least 1-1 this week would be important. 2-0 would be very nice. 0-2 I think would pretty much end any NCAA hopes.

Being 8-6 or 9-5 going into that LSU game at home would be a very good position for us. That is a 6:00pm Tuesday game on ESPN. If you could beat them and get to 9-6 or 10-5 on ESPN, I think we'd be solidly on the Bubble, especially if we are close now.

[gmarv]

Going at least 1-1 this week would be important. 2-0 would be very nice. 0-2 I think would pretty much end any NCAA hopes.

Being 8-6 or 9-5 going into that LSU game at home would be a very good position for us. That is a 6:00pm Tuesday game on ESPN. If you could beat them and get to 9-6 or 10-5 on ESPN, I think we'd be solidly on the Bubble, especially if we are close now.

I agree with you we must win one of the next two,got to get some road wins.two would be great for us.

[hei5manhog]

I agree with you we must win one of the next two,got to get some road wins.two would be great for us.

We need both to get in the conversation. starts tonight.