It must be awfully nice...

[MSUCostanza]

to play 16 conference games, and 3 conference tourney games against a collection of #16 seeds. The Tiger High fans at my workplace are actually embarrassed by CUSA.

 

[VegasDawg13]

When they play a 8/9 in the second round, it'll be the first decent team they've played in so long that they can't be as sharp as they would be otherwise.

 

[MSUCostanza]

One reason I've said that 2nd round game for them might be a tricky one, depending on their draw. Memphis is very good, but I see them as a top 10 team, not a top 2 team.

 

[memphisbluesagain]

someone has to come up with a better argument than the tigers schedule.
they played a tough non conference and there aint **** they can do about the strength of their conference.
"they have won the games they were supposed to win"</p>

 

[VegasDawg13]

someone has to come up with a better argument than the tigers schedule.</p>

A better argument for what?</p>

 

[memphisbluesagain]

being overrated or ranked to high

 

[War Machine Dawg]

They played the schedule they had. Not much else they can do. Their non-con schedule was actually pretty good and they won all of those games. They sacked up and gave UT all they wanted. They're very good and beat who was on their schedule. Can't ask for more than that.

 

[MSUCostanza]

is that outside the UT game, they haven't been tested in 3 months. They aren't used to playing closely contested, hard-fought games - they only played a couple all year. Their OOC schedule is rated 9th, which is good obviously, but again, playing 19 games against the 10th rated conference has probably dulled their edge somewhat. Sure, they beat who was on their schedule, but there are probably 20 teams in America that could've gone 19-0 in CUSA.

 

[War Machine Dawg]

and in some ways I agree with that argument. But what else could they do? Yeah, it might come back to bite them in the tourney. But it might not, either. Plus, they got every team's best shot every week. Everyone in CUSA wanted to be the team able to say "We beat Memphis." None of them got it done, but they did scare them a few times. And when it mattered against UT, they sacked up and came within a hair of winning. Probably would have won, if they could shoot free throws worth a damn. And for me, that will be the reason they have trouble in the tourney: piss poor free throw shooting, not a weak schedule.

 

[MSUCostanza]

(except for UAB, maybe) is that their maximum effort is not only not good enough to beat Memphis, but it probably isn't good enough to beat 10 of the 12 SEC teams, if not all 12. The disparity is so large, it's comical. Hell, I credit Calipari for finding creative ways to keep the players even slightly interested in playing Rice, Tulsa, Marshall, et al. I'm not faulting Memphis or disparaging them, I'm just saying the lack of being battle tested might hurt them, whereas a team like Tennessee had similar efforts against them by teams with a lot more to bring to the table. They are severely battle tested and will be prepared to handle anyone in the tourney after battling through the SEC.

 

[War Machine Dawg]

[No message]

 

[patdog]

there are probably 20 teams in America that could've gone 19-0 in CUSA.

I doubt there's more than half that many that could have gone 19-0 in CUSA. I can't stand Memphis, but they're a very good team. I thought a lot of the same things you're saying last year and they made it to the Elite 8. Depending on the draw, I think they have a good chance of doing it again this year. </p>