Path to the NCAA Tournament. I believe! Whose with me?

[IthacaMatt]

Okay, we can all agree last night was horrible and the non-conference season has been largely a failure. Prospects look bleak and hope is fading. Pre-season expectations have changed from high seed and comfortably in to hoping to squeak in once again. I won’t debate that this is bad and not the area where Cuse should be existing. However, given our current status here’s how things could play out.

• Step 1: Finish off the putrid non-conference season by dispatching two cupcakes and standing at 9-4. Games do nothing but inflate the record.

• Step 2: take care of business in the opening 6 game stretch of the ACC season. This is by far the easiest portion of the schedule. Go 5-1 and raise overall record to 14-5. Have to get at least 4 wins out of the first 6 to have any chance.
  • At Notre Dame (highly winnable), home against Clemson and Ga Tech
  • Brutal blowout loss against Duke
  • Home wins against Pitt and Miami
• 
  
• Step 3: Manage to go 3-3 and bring record to 17-8 overall, while playing 4 of the next 6 on the road;
  • including likely losses to Buzz and the boys and at NC State
  • win at BC and at Pitt
  • should win against BC at home
  • FSU at home a toss up

• Step 4: Survive the hardest stretch. Going 3-3 puts you at 20-11 and 11-7 in the ACC.
  • Louisville (should win), Duke (should lose) and UVA (should lose) at home
  • At UNC (blowout loss), at wake (should win), at Clemson (toss up)

If things played out this way then SU would squarely be on the bubble but maybe not in a comfortable position.

• Only top tier wins would be at Ohio State (better hope they keep winning)
• Second tier wins: home against Louisville and Clemson and a collection of okay looking road wins (at ND, at BC, at Pitt, at Wake)
• No bad conference losses
• Bad non-conference losses to (neutral to bubble teams Oregon, Uconn and at home to ODU (only in if win CUSA) and a top 15 Buffalo team.

I think that’s a fairly bland resume and another high profile win or two needs to be sprinkled in. Of course, you would never know until seeing how the rest of the country shakes out.

Meanwhile, as disgusted as I am I will not give up hope until the last breath comes from Marek and Paschal’s bony chests. I’ll still cheer for the team (perhaps while throwing things at the TV, cursing the lack of movement and pining for the old days).

Believe!

I'll save you some typing:

Finish in the top 5 in the ACC and you'll get in.

 

[Trueblue25]

Certainly dug ourselves a hole.

Frank Howard will only improve. Carey got invaluable experience in the OOC.

Chukwu, Brissett and Marek have to decide what they want to accomplish at SU and wake up. Thats not an insult. They just each seem a bit lost in their own ways.

If we can progress towards meshing and working together as a team I think we could get in, and maybe comfortably.

Brissett was fantastic in the first half of Tuesday. Really hurts the team when he just hangs out on the perimeter.

 

[orange79]

You guys are nuts to pencil in a sweep of Pitt. No chance.

Well, this didn't age well.

 

[AZOrange]

Well, this didn't age well.

They never do

 

[CaptainJ]

They never do

Actually, many do. People just dont have reason to bump ones after a month or 2 to try to mock folks who are right. Great to know we are locks now(with 6 of 9 remaining games vs ranked teams). I guess I dont need to watch.

 

[CaptainJ]

Well, this didn't age well.

I just hope the people who were mocked don't end up bumping your post before the end of the season.

 

[br801]

Actually, many do. People just dont have reason to bump ones after a month or 2 to try to mock folks who are right. Great to know we are locks now(with 6 of 9 remaining games vs ranked teams). I guess I dont need to watch.

Maybe people shouldn't make sanctimonious, overwrought posts every time things don't go exactly how they would like them to.

 

[orange79]

I just hope the people who were mocked don't end up bumping your post before the end of the season.

Why would they? Are they going to change the results of one (or both) of the Pitt games?

 

[orange79]

I just hope the people who were mocked don't end up bumping your post before the end of the season.

And who was "mocked"? The OP made a ridiculous definitive statement. I'll quote it for you - "You guys are nuts to pencil in a sweep of Pitt. No chance."

No one was mocked.

 

[HakAttack]

Well, this didn't age well.

Pitt fell off a cliff and completely switched places with us entering the ACC season.

Based on WHEN I posted that, it wasn’t a stretch to think that we’d split with Pitt.

Everyone’s an expert in hindsight.

 

[HakAttack]

And who was "mocked"? The OP made a ridiculous definitive statement. I'll quote it for you - "You guys are nuts to pencil in a sweep of Pitt. No chance."

No one was mocked.

It was made SIX weeks ago when this season looked like it was falling off a cliff.

I’m so glad you get to gloat now, because that means our season is back on track.

Stop being so petty.

 

[orange79]

Pitt fell off a cliff and completely switched places with us entering the ACC season.

Based on WHEN I posted that, it wasn’t a stretch to think that we’d split with Pitt.

Everyone’s an expert in hindsight.

And no one's an expert in unambiguous declarations.

 

[HakAttack]

And no one's an expert in unambiguous declarations.

And when we lost to ODU you’re telling me you didn’t have doubts that we’d win both against Pitt, given how they looked to start the year?

Your sanctimoniousness is really quite immature.

 

[orange79]

It was made SIX weeks ago when this season looked like it was falling off a cliff.

Looked like.

"No chance."

Own it.

I'm not being petty.

Own it.

Done here. Have at it.

 

[orange79]

And when we lost to ODU you’re telling me you didn’t have doubts that we’d win both against Pitt, given how they looked to start the year?

Your sanctimoniousness is really quite immature.

Oops - one more.

Pitt? No, I didn't. I watched them.

lol

 

[HakAttack]

Looked like.

"No chance."

Own it.

I'm not being petty.

Own it.

Done here. Have at it.

Why are you attacking me? Yes, I said that statement. I made it given how we’d played to that point.

I’m wrong. I’m glad to be wrong. Why do you feel the need to rub it in my face?

 

[orange79]

Why are you attacking me? Yes, I said that statement. I made it given how we’d played to that point.

I’m wrong. I’m glad to be wrong. Why do you feel the need to rub it in my face?

No one is being attacked.

 

[HakAttack]

No one is being attacked.

You’re taking a lot of delight in pointing out how wrong I was about our games vs. Pitt this year.

How nice it is to be a mod and be able to be interpreted however you want.

 

[orange79]

How nice it is to be a mod and be able to be interpreted however you want.

I'm not even sure what this means.

Nothing ambiguous about what I said.

Truly done now. Equivocate all you'd like.

 

[CaptainJ]

Maybe people shouldn't make sanctimonious, overwrought posts every time things don't go exactly how they would like them to.

I dont disagree, but am not sure how that applies to what I said being I didnt read the whole thread.

 

[CaptainJ]

Why would they? Are they going to change the results of one (or both) of the Pitt games?

The thread wasnt about Pitt games. Oh wait, I guess you just answered your own question about who was being mocked.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

HakAttack - you made a bold statement and it turned out to be wrong. Not a big deal. Half the posters on this board do that on a daily basis.

It’s better to just own it (your claim was wrong) and move on. Continuing to defend it just makes it worse.

 

[HakAttack]

I'm not even sure what this means.

Nothing ambiguous about what I said.

Truly done now. Equivocate all you'd like.

So you can rub someone’s face in it when they’re wrong and that’s not attacking? Cool. I’ll remember that it’s ok to do here because a mod did it.

 

[HakAttack]

HakAttack - you made a bold statement and it turned out to be wrong. Not a big deal. Half the posters on this board do that on a daily basis.

It’s better to just own it (your claim was wrong) and move on. Continuing to defend it just makes it worse.

I’m not defending it. I’m annoyed that a mod continues to rub my face in it.

I already stated that I’m glad to be wrong because that means our season is going better than I thought it would.

I’m not sure how that’s defending it.

 

[orangeinnyc]

You’re taking a lot of delight in pointing out how wrong I was about our games vs. Pitt this year.

How nice it is to be a mod and be able to be interpreted however you want.

If you don’t like being called out don’t make dumb comments. Seriously you said “there’s no chance”, seems pretty dumb in retrospect. I’m glad he brought it up, much to my delight, you can sort out the level headed posters vs the ones who make irrational dumb comments after one game.