Meanwhile, Cajuns have the best basketball team in LA

[ManAboutTown]

Express, you know all those SLC and MEAC teams we play are great. Our 324th ranked strength of schedule proves that. (Sarcasm off)

For those that think our team is great, we will likely start conference play with the same record as last year, and an RPI 25-40 spots worse than last year. We will have only one decent win out of conference unless by some miracle we beat Clemson. Marlin is dragging our program down to the level he is comfortable coaching.

I'm gunna disagree here. Tech on the road (RPI 53) was a good win, and in dominating fashion. Regardless of how Iowa looks, the injury to their best player has hurt them. They will right the ship and should end up being a nice win. Also, we dominated them, in every way. Richmond has always had a solid program, and I expect them to be a solid win as well. When these games were scheduled, they were good schedules. I'm not going to hold Marlin responsible for Richmond or Iowa being down, even if that turns out to be the case. The Ole Miss game was a huge learning experience with a brand new team, and I thought we hung tough with Wyoming, just couldn't buy a bucket that day.

This team has a couple of bonafide ball players, with a super star in the making. They share the ball and play defense. Also they are still improving and getting better every time out. Yes, we can clean up some inconsistencies, but I said before the year, I expect growing pains.

As far as the RPI goes, a lot of that is out of our hands. This year's team is obviously better than last year's team. More depth, better shooting, better defense. I think they are MUCH better actually. And even though we might not be "great", we are still the best college basketball in the state of Louisiana.

[VObserver]

Our average win this year is over an RPI of 217, our average loss is to an RPI of 129. Besides Tech, our best win is Nicholls. I am reserving judgment on calling us good. We really don't know whether we are good or not.

[ManAboutTown]

Our average win this year is over an RPI of 217, our average loss is to an RPI of 129. Besides Tech, our best win is Nicholls. I am reserving judgment on calling us good. We really don't know whether we are good or not.

You've got a couple of years on me, so I won't argue about the eye test

But, I feel like I've seen enough to say we can win this league. I've watched almost every other SBC team play at least one game (accept Coastal and App St). There's no way we are finishing 6th in this conference.

I think we'll give Clemson all they want as well. We have a PG that understands spacing and cutting. We have competent shooters for the first time since Lee's tenure. We have 2 forces inside, and probably match up well against any team left on our schedule in the paint.

[Tripple Threat]

I think that by the way they're playing they have improved a lot. They have better atheletes starting, they're shooting percentage is up, their assists are incredible, they're playing as a unit, they have more than 1 finisher, they are finishing games better than in the past, they are not playing to the level of their opponents and are actually playing to their own level. I've heard coach Marlin in the past talking about players that wouldn't execute plays or force shots, especially 3's. I'm buying in. I think they have the talent to do really well in the conference and it will come down to execution and coaching as they get deeper into the conference schedule and the games get tighter.

[SlickRick]

We are better this year than any other in the Marlin era. We are deeper, and more talented. We play hard defensively, make the extra pass and are better at the line. Are we great? No, but IMO, we are a better team than any other since Coach Marlin has been here.

[VObserver]

The schedule favors us this year in that we only play the Georgia schools once, albeit in Georgia. That means only 3 games against top 100 teams (UTA twice, GaSo once). We should be no worse than 15-3 in conference; but I am betting the under on 13 conference wins. Marlin will find a way to blow at least 2 or 3 games that we should win.

Fwiw, Warren Nolan is now predicting us to win the regular season (tied with GaSo) at 16-2. I would take that right now, as history has shown that Marlin's teams falter in conference play.

[VObserver]

We are better this year than any other in the Marlin era. We are deeper, and more talented. We play hard defensively, make the extra pass and are better at the line. Are we great? No, but IMO, we are a better team than any other since Coach Marlin has been here.

I don't necessarily disagree, Rick, but we play such a crappy schedule that it is impossible to tell if our guys are really good, or if they are only good by comparison to the folks we have played.

[RaginScotsman]

Geez, you’d think we’d be happy winning basketball games. I guess not. Would you prefer we lose to Tech and Iowa? We lost to Mobile a few years ago. That was fun wasn’t it?

Also, stop looking at RPI. It doesn’t matter at this point nor will it really matter in a few months. The Belt would need a near miracle to get an at large bid.

[VObserver]

Geez, you'd think we'd be happy winning basketball games. I guess not. Would you prefer we lose to Tech and Iowa? We lost to Mobile a few years ago. That was fun wasn't it?

Also, stop looking at RPI. It doesn't matter at this point nor will it really matter in a few months. The Belt would need a near miracle to get an at large bid.

When will you people learn that RPI is even more important in a one bid league? If we win the SBC tourney with an RPI of 175, we will either be in a playin game or playing Duke, Kansas or UNC in a first round game. If we win it with an RPI of 50, we will be playing a middle of the road power conference team in the first round with a chance to win.

[RaginScotsman]

When will you people learn that RPI is even more important in a one bid league? If we win the SBC tourney with an RPI of 175, we will either be in a playin game or playing Duke, Kansas or UNC in a first round game. If we win it with an RPI of 50, we will be playing a middle of the road power conference team in the first round with a chance to win.

I understand, but looking at RPI in December is misleading. It’s like looking at it in the 3rd week in February for diamond sports.

I get that the schedule is not great, but we’re winning the games and we’re doing it convincingly. Iowa and Tech are going to turn out being nice wins. Ole Miss may start looking like not such a great loss.

We’ll always have to fill in the schedule with Loyals and LA Colleges of the world because that’s just the reality of being a “mid major.” Personally, I like the early season tournaments as they give you a chance to play some pretty good competition that maybe, probably would not come to our house.

Just keep winning and all that other stuff will work itself out.

[VObserver]

I understand, but looking at RPI in December is misleading. It's like looking at it in the 3rd week in February for diamond sports.

I get that the schedule is not great, but we're winning the games and we're doing it convincingly. Iowa and Tech are going to turn out being nice wins. Ole Miss may start looking like not such a great loss.

We'll always have to fill in the schedule with Loyals and LA Colleges of the world because that's just the reality of being a "mid major." Personally, I like the early season tournaments as they give you a chance to play some pretty good competition that maybe, probably would not come to our house.

Just keep winning and all that other stuff will work itself out.

Don't buy the garbage Marlin is selling about scheduling. Tech's SOS non conference this year is ranked 51st. Ours is 324th. You can't possibly believe that it is THAT much harder for us to schedule decent teams than it is for Tech.

Warren Nolan is projecting Iowa to be 3-15 in the Big 10, with a final RPI of 258. Not a good win. Ole Miss is projected as 1-17 in the SEC, with an RPI of 271. A bad loss.

Tech is projected 14-4 in CUSA, with an RPI of 92. A good win.

[CajunJeaux]

Hey VO...have you ever reached out to the heads that be and tell them how you scheduled good talented teams in the past?...as much as we all apparently love this program...we'd all be indebted to you if you could share your proven processes.