BYU and Bubble talk

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bubblewatch" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Well our win against USF didn't impress Eamonn Brennan of ESPN in his Bubble Watch article, updated from earlier this week. He didn't even bother to change some of his comments, "...and that's not something this brand-new WCC member will want to leave to chance."



Brigham Young [22-6 (10-3), RPI: 44, SOS: 84] After escaping San Francisco on Thursday night with a one-point win, BYU is in much the same position as last week. Its Feb. 2 home win over Gonzaga helped a bunch, but the Cougars might need another big one -- they get Gonzaga in the Kennel on Feb. 23 -- to really solidify this thing. Otherwise, the mediocre RPI and so-so computer figures could force BYU to make some serious noise in the WCC tournament against either Saint Mary's or Gonzaga, and that's not something this brand-new WCC member will want to leave to chance.



Double talk...

BYU RPI: 44 - "...the mediocre RPI"

Middle TN RPI: 41 - "...as well as a top-45 RPI"

Northwestern RPI: 42 - "...team still has a good RPI"

Miami RPI: 43 - "The RPI and SOS numbers are really solid..."



Well what is it Brennan, a mediocre, top-45, good, or really solid RPI? That's talking out of many sides of your mouth.

EM_Puma wrote:
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bubblewatch



Well our win against USF didn't impress Eamonn Brennan of ESPN in his Bubble Watch article, updated from earlier this week. He didn't even bother to change some of his comments, "...and that's not something this brand-new WCC member will want to leave to chance."



Brigham Young [22-6 (10-3), RPI: 44, SOS: 84] After escaping San Francisco on Thursday night with a one-point win, BYU is in much the same position as last week. Its Feb. 2 home win over Gonzaga helped a bunch, but the Cougars might need another big one -- they get Gonzaga in the Kennel on Feb. 23 -- to really solidify this thing. Otherwise, the mediocre RPI and so-so computer figures could force BYU to make some serious noise in the WCC tournament against either Saint Mary's or Gonzaga, and that's not something this brand-new WCC member will want to leave to chance.



Double talk...

BYU RPI: 44 - "...the mediocre RPI"

Middle TN RPI: 41 - "...as well as a top-45 RPI"

Northwestern RPI: 42 - "...team still has a good RPI"

Miami RPI: 43 - "The RPI and SOS numbers are really solid..."



Well what is it Brennan, a mediocre, top-45, good, or really solid RPI? That's talking out of many sides of your mouth.

Call him out on it. One of the reasons I like Brennan is he doesn't seem to take himself as seriously as the rest of the "experts."



BYU does need another marquee win or two, for sure. But the numbers are there.



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BYU needs to quit worrying about what EB and others think and take every game like The Dance hinges on it. They did not late Thursday. Well - some did not.



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Cougarbib2 wrote:
BYU needs to quit worrying about what EB and others think and take every game like The Dance hinges on it. They did not late Thursday. Well - some did not.



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This is good advice. By and large, BYU controls its own destiny. If it wins out the regular season they're in.

SpiffCoug wrote:

BYU needs to quit worrying about what EB and others think and take every game like The Dance hinges on it. They did not late Thursday. Well - some did not.



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This is good advice. By and large, BYU controls its own destiny. If it wins out the regular season they're in.

This - and this bold Bibster prediction. Ok - slim possibility - not a real prediction. If BYU wins the last three games, they will possibly win a share of the WCC regular season crown. Bold, I know - but if we win out that takes care of the Zags lead, and I just have a feeling that SMC is going to fall one more time. Just a feeling. I wish their game Saturday was a conference game. Unfortunately, they probably will lose that one.



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Cougarbib2 wrote:
BYU needs to quit worrying about what EB and others think and take every game like The Dance hinges on it. They did not late Thursday. Well - some did not.



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I don't think BYU even knows or cares what EB says. I think Rose and team are focused on the next game as they should be.



As fans, we can care, and for some fans its quite enjoyable to care what the experts are saying about the team.



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Gunk wrote:
As fans, we can care, and for some fans its quite enjoyable to care what the experts are saying about the team.



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I believe that there has been enough years go by that these "experts" have gotten this process down to being highly accurate. Many times fans don't see the big picture. I'm not saying he is correct, I was more than anything making comment on what one of the experts out there said. There is reason is their words. The beauty is that BYU is still in control of their destiny. Ultimately, I have to believe that with a history of five appearances in the last five years, we have those "extras" if we don't take the tournament championship.



If ever, it's been a long time since the WCC has had three teams in the Dance. That's is a bigger feat than some realized. The PUKE12 being down will help that. I'm glad that Wyoming and CSU stumbled to take them out of contention unless they win their tournament. As I have noted, 3 teams from the WCC is totally dependent in few upsets happening in the various tournaments.

RE EB



EB is out of synch with most experts.



Re BYU game focus and prep - they did not take USF seriously enough and almost handed that game to them.



You (is that better Blue is Better) can only control certain things. You cannot control what EB thinks or says - so do not worry about it.



BYU can focus on winning each game like destiny depends on it and significantly influence their own destiny.



Who do we play tomorrow? Hint: It ain't the Zags and it ain't the Gaels and we cannot afford to take whomever it is - lightly.



Anybody know who it is or have any insight into matchups.



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Maybe most of you know this but some might not. Eamonn is LDS and follows BYU more than anyone else at the world leader. The problem is that some LDS sportswriters are keenly aware that they sound like homers; which is okay if you're Kirk Herbstreit, Lou Holtz, Digger Phelps, or Dick Vitale... but BYU doesn't sell like Ohio State, Notre Dame, or Duke.



Eamonn wrote a couple really good pieces on Jimmer before the rest of ESPN had caught on.(side note: Eamonns brother, Evan, is a fledgling sports agent)



At least it's Brennan that works for ESPN and not Jason Franchuk (though Franchuk doesn't have the writing talent or sports knowledge)

I was kind of wondering about the "doublespeak" too but as I read more of his comments it seems to me that he writes toward the expectations of a team. And his writing about BYU seems to me to place them into the upper tier of teams as opposed to teams that have a good year and then several bad and then another good. I didn't know he was LDS.



Here is a senario for your three bid conference. What happens if Gonzaga last season loss is vs BYU, while SMC, BYU, and LMU win out. Then LMU and BYU meet in the finals of the tourny (LMU beating SMC in semi's and BYU beating Gonz. in semi's). What happens if LMU wins the tourney? Do we get four in? I would have a hard time saying no because Gonz. and SMC are locks and believe there is no way BYU could be left out if they swept three from Gonzaga. Luckily the BCS isn't involved because if they were involved the WCC would get only one bid going to LMU :angry: .

http://www.ncaa.com/sites/default/files/files/2012%20Media%20Mock%202_17_2012.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



I can't say that I understand the NCAA Media Mock Bracket exercise, but according to Scotty G's Tweep, BYU would be a 12 seed and would have gotten there by winning the WCC tournament. That doesn't sound as promising as the #11 seed. The bracket has us playing Florida--again. Was it it with these teams we seem to get married to in the NCAA like Florida and Texas A&M a few years before?



Likewise too, it had us attached to play the winner of the UNLV game. I have to imagine that scenario will definitely change as UNLV lost again today. This time to UNM in The Pit by 20 points. UNLV is suddenly faltering.

If you are paying attention to the game ticker at the bottom of whatever channel you are watching, upsets can, do, have been, and are happening. It could happen to us too. Up 3 points at the half vs a team that has not won a single WCC game shows a lack of focus. Almost giving away the game in the closing minutes vs another conference foe we were favored to beat by a comfortable margin and then getting enough lucky bounces to win by 1 point, makes BYU



An Accident Waiting To Happen.



Hopefully our guys will focus and close this out when Carlino comes back in off the bench.



It is in our hands if we do not let it slip through our buttery fingers.



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Much better 2nd half. So relieved. I thought Noah was done for the season.



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http://eye-on-college-basketball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26283066/34887785" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



CBS Sports seems to agree that this game Thursday basically locks BYU into the Dance, but a loss will cause them to wait and see what others do, unless they then win the tourney.