UNC/Marquette

[ihoya]

I see Marquette over UNC.

[hoyalove4ever]

If Dom James plays a smary game, MU can give UNC problems. James is one of the few PGs more athletic than Lawson.

[ExcitableBoy]

Will McNeal be back for this game?

[jerseyhoya34]

I agree up until one tries to figure out MU's matchup for Hansbrough. They need to stick Barro on Wright due to speed/athleticism, so where does that leave them with Hansbrough?

Also, Dom James is athletic, but he's no basketball player. Go with Cubillan.

[JPM32]

Who says Marquette gets to that game?

No way Tom Izzo will accept losing to his pupil, Tom Crean. I see Michigan State advancing.

[1984alloveragain]

....And Crean telling the media his team has had hamstring pulls since mid-February, but have been bravely getting along.

[Big Dog]

You guys are absolutely nuts. Now that the conference schedule is up, I'd love to see Marquette do well and vindicate the Big East, especially right out of the gate against MSU.

But Marquette is going nowhere.

First, I'd bet my life that super-manipulative Lord Crean has been intentionally hiding the news that McNeal will have season ending surgery (this is the word I've gotten from people close to the MU program) in an effort to keep the Committee from penalizing his team with its seed, which it looks like they did anyway.

Second, even if they somehow survive over MSU (Izzo is one of the best NCAA tournament coaches alive), there is simply no way they're beating UNC without McNeal in Winston-Salem in front of 20,000 UNC fans.

Now if McNeal suddenly reappears healthy, ignore everything I've said. But I don't expect he'll be back.

[TigerHoya]

I don't see MU winning the first game.