Now that the Packers are well on their way to flushing their season down the toilet, it's time to focus more on MU basketball.

This is going to be an interesting nonconference season and I think we have to see how it develops (both for MU and other conference teams) before forming any expectations for the Big East season. Here's what I'll be looking for:

The Bunnies: Centenary, Maryland Eastern Shore, Grambling, South Dakota, North Florida, Presbyterian. I don't see any teams in here that are even sleepers like Winthrop or ND State. But, MU is so inexperienced, that you can't rule out a game that ends up being a lot closer than we expect. A loss in any of them would be a really bad sign. Prediction: 6-0

Disney World: 1. Xavier  2. Michigan or Creighton. 3. Florida State, Alabama, Baylor, or Iona. This tournament will be a good measuring stick. A win over Xavier would be a pretty big upset, and a little too much to expect. After that, the rest of the likely opponents are good, but not great, teams except for Iona, which isn't very good. It would be nice to see MU win in the second round (probably against Creighton) and put up a good fight for third place. If they lose in the second round, they'll probably play Iona. Prediction: 1-2.

NC State and UWM: The first is an interesting matchup involving two teams that are both expected to finish near the bottom of their respective conferences. The second probably represents UWM's best chance ever to beat MU. Prediction: 2-0, but a loss in either wouldn't be a shock.

at Wisconsin: I have two specific predictions for this game. The first is that the young Marquette team will not have enough to win in Madison. The second is that, after two years of looking at this game as a meaningless exhibition, the Badger trolls will suddenly declare this to be a definitive statement of the relative merits of the schools' basketball programs.

If all this happens, and MU can avoid slipups in the home games, they will go into the conference season with a record of 9-3.

Very realistic prediction.

I assume you have them beating Creighton/Michigan and losing in the third round?

Honestly I have no idea what to expect.  Something tells me they are going to win a couple of games they shouldn't and lose a couple that they shouldn't. 

All I hope for is to see some improvement during the NC, with some excitement going into the BE season.  It sucks that Lazar gets saddled with such a young team, but who knows, maybe some guys (Butler, Cubillan, Fulce, Buycks) step up and they surprise some people.

ike1024:

I assume you have them beating Creighton/Michigan and losing in the third round?

I'm not being that specific. I think if they beat Creighton or Michigan, that they'll lose in the third round, but if they lose in the second round that they would probably play (and beat) Iona. Winning 2 of 3 in that tournament would be very encouraging

Agreed - it isn't the toughest field in the world, but if they came home with two wins it would be a very successful outing!

Despite tonight's disappointment, MU is coming home with two wins, and we would have to call the trip very successful. Not only did they get the two wins, but by winning the first two, they got to play 3 teams that will probably all be fighting for NCAA berths. If MU is able to work itself onto the NCAA bubble (something I still don't expect), this weekend will have done them a lot more good than harm. Now if they can beat NC State and UWM they will almost certainly go into the conference season with a record of no worse than 10-2; an unexpected upset win in Madison would be a huge bonus.

The way the team played this weekend, I am a lot more hopeful than I was before Thursday that MU can win close to half of its conference games.