Can't possibly overstate the importance of tonight's game

[Eric15]

Not to be dramatic, but we're at a season crossroads right now. If we lose tonight, I don't think we make the tournament as an at-large. If we win, we get a huge Top 50 win and an RPI boost that will push us into the 40s. If we lose, we are simply in very dire straits to get to .500 in the league with trips to UNC and Louisville still on tap.

I hope the team and the fans approach this game with an NCAA tournament mentality.

 

[Knicks411]

Not to be dramatic, but we're at a season crossroads right now. If we lose tonight, I don't think we make the tournament as an at-large. If we win, we get a huge Top 50 win and an RPI boost that will push us into the 40s. If we lose, we are simply in very dire straits to get to .500 in the league with trips to UNC and Louisville still on tap.

I hope the team and the fans approach this game with an NCAA tournament mentality.

Really is a huge game. Here are our next 5 games, with KP win%

Notre Dame; 61% (do we know if Jackson is playing? So apparently Jackson isn't playing, this is pretty big for us)
Georgia tech, 71%
Virginia Tech, 81
Florida State, 67%
@ BC, 85%

Four home games, none against elite teams, (2 solid and 2 not so good) plus a road game against the worst team in the league. I'd say we need to win at least 4 of these 5 to have a decent chance to make the tournament. All 5 puts us at 8-5; even if you consider @Lville and @UNC losses, that leaves you at 8-7 with home Pitt, home NC State, and @FSU; you have a very strong chance to get to 9 wins, and 10 is in play. If we lose tonight, or any of the next 5, you'd need 2 of 3 just to get to 9-9, which is in play, but will be close.

And since this is the most difficult game of the next 5, this one is really huge.

 

[McNabb2Brominski]

Definitely need to take advantage of this 5 game stretch. If we can go at least 4-1, I feel better about our tourney chances again.

 

[RF2044]

Was just about to make a similar post.

This next five game stretch will determine the course of the season. We absolutely need to go 4-1 minimum or 5-0. If we do, we'll be in great shape. If we do worse than that, we make an uphill climb even tougher.

 

[Knicks411]

I was just looking at ND's ken pom page; they're the #1 offense in the country and are 329th in average time of possession on offense. We are first in longest time of possession on defense. So expect a lot of long possessions for ND, and probably very few FT.

 

[CorduroyG]

We have no margin for error, 8-5 in acc is right there for us, time for some serious home cookin.

 

[OttoMets]

We have no margin for error, 8-5 in acc is right there for us, time for some serious home cookin.

Exactly. Beat St. John's or Wisconsin and maybe we've got some margin for error. But now we can't afford to lose to any more inferior teams.

 

[Knicks411]

Exactly. Beat St. John's or Wisconsin and maybe we've got some margin for error. But now we can't afford to lose to any more inferior teams.

Man that St. Johns loss...

At least Wisconsin is ok; 59th right now in KP and they just beat Indiana and Michigan State. I'm not saying they're good, and the game was at home, but the St. Johns loss is just difficult to fathom.

The Clemson one too; we're probably competing for a bid with them, and we had them beaten.

 

[Brooky03]

Cooney's going to drop 11 treys tonight.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Jackson is out. We need and should win this one.

 

[RF2044]

Jackson is out. We need and should win this one.

I never root for players to get injured. But I sure will not shed a tear over them having a key player out [perhaps THE key player for that team]. Need to capitalize.

 

[Alsacs]

After the UNC game I honestly just wanted a winning season. Didn't expect to beat Wake and Duke on the road.
@Wake balanced out the Clemson home loss.
The @Duke win gave us a legit NCAAT resume scalp.
Beating ND and GT this week tells me we are an NCAAT team.
4-1 in the next 5 puts on the bubble.
5-0 in the next 5 we are in the tournament.
3-2 means we need to win at UL or UNC.

 

[AlaskaSU]

Cooney - take it to the hole. Notre Dame is going to be in your grill.

 

[RandygoCuse]

Is there consensus that 10-8 (and let's say we lose the first game of the ACCT) gets us in?

 

[kirbivore]

Man that St. Johns loss...

At least Wisconsin is ok; 59th right now in KP and they just beat Indiana and Michigan State. I'm not saying they're good, and the game was at home, but the St. Johns loss is just difficult to fathom.

The Clemson one too; we're probably competing for a bid with them, and we had them beaten.

like I said back in December the Wisconsin loss will end up being neutral. St. John's is the millstone on this team's resume right now.

 

[pearl31]

Georgia tech, 71%
(2 solid and 2 not so good)

I would actually put that at 3 solid, 1 not so good. G.tech was really solid last night at NC st, have beaten uva, and all of their acc losses have been really close. despite their acc record they're a solid team - with 2 big bruisers inside (Mitchell/Jacobs) who could really cause problems for us. The game on Saturday will not be easy by any stretch

 

[FrancoPizza]

I was just looking at ND's ken pom page; they're the #1 offense in the country and are 329th in average time of possession on offense. We are first in longest time of possession on defense. So expect a lot of long possessions for ND, and probably very few FT.

And yet I was mocked for predicting a final score of 52-49.

 

[jncuse]

I hate to say any game with at least 10 others left to play is crucial and most important.

This game is crucial and might be the most important game of the year,

 

[Knicks411]

And yet I was mocked for predicting a final score of 52-49.

Well ND has the best offense in the country and a pretty bad d, so there could be few possessions and a lot of points

 

[CorduroyG]

After the UNC game I honestly just wanted a winning season. Didn't expect to beat Wake and Duke on the road.
@Wake balanced out the Clemson home loss.
The @Duke win gave us a legit NCAAT resume scalp.
Beating ND and GT this week tells me we are an NCAAT team.
4-1 in the next 5 puts on the bubble.
5-0 in the next 5 we are in the tournament.
3-2 means we need to win at UL or UNC.

this pretty much nails it. the next 5 i think will determine how we're feeling on selection sunday

4-1 we'll be a nervous wreck on selection sunday, squarely on bubble
5-0 we'll be sitting pretty on selection sunday
3-2 or worse and we may not even bother watching

 

[CorduroyG]

Is there consensus that 10-8 (and let's say we lose the first game of the ACCT) gets us in?

to me we're in at 10-8 no matter what. thats 10-5 with boeheim in the acc.

 

[Coach Orange]

Cooney's going to drop 11 treys tonight.

From your lips to God's ears...

I would love to see it. I'd also love to see him tighten his on-the-ball defense and deny dribble penetration a little more effectively.

 

[Dave85]

Not to be dramatic, but we're at a season crossroads right now. If we lose tonight, I don't think we make the tournament as an at-large. If we win, we get a huge Top 50 win and an RPI boost that will push us into the 40s. If we lose, we are simply in very dire straits to get to .500 in the league with trips to UNC and Louisville still on tap.

I hope the team and the fans approach this game with an NCAA tournament mentality.

Yes. GO ORANGE!

 

[Dave85]

And yet I was mocked for predicting a final score of 52-49.

Everyone here is mocked. Don't take it personally. I can't count how many times someone thought I was an idiot here.

 

[Eric15]

I can't count how many times someone thought I was an idiot here.

4,137.

I'm kidding.