Top 10 games of the tourney

[tower912]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/22045603/the-top-10-games-of-the-2013-ncaa-tournament

Two MU games.   Guess which two?   With Video from the Davidson game.   I got chills again watching the comeback.

[Tugg Speedman]

Only non-final four team to make it twice.

[GooooMarquette]

That Davidson comeback still boggles my mind.  Watching the video reminded me of how I thought I was watching the last minute or so of Marquette's season.  Even when Jamil and Vander hit the first 3s, I figured we were only making the final score closer.  Just an amazing display of perseverance....

Also shows how fine the line can be between one-and-done and a deep run.

[96warrior]

That Davidson comeback still boggles my mind.  Watching the video reminded me of how I thought I was watching the last minute or so of Marquette's season.  Even when Jamil and Vander hit the first 3s, I figured we were only making the final score closer.  Just an amazing display of perseverance....

Also shows how fine the line can be between one-and-done and a deep run.

Even knowing the outcome, my heart pounds watching the replay of the final 90 seconds. Man, what a game.

[Lennys Tap]

11 points on our final 4 possessions. Some here have said Davidson choked, but they made 5 of 6 free throws and 1 of 1 field goals down the stretch - 7 points, one turnover in their last 5 possessions. They didn't exactly give it away - we took it.

[96warrior]

11 points on our final 4 possessions. Some here have said Davidson choked, but they made 5 of 6 free throws and 1 of 1 field goals down the stretch - 7 points, one turnover in their last 5 possessions. They didn't exactly give it away - we took it.

Agree. Except for the pass that went out of bounds, we did not "get lucky" and I take exception to the notion that we did. We fought hard to come back and they put up a fight.

[ahovestol]

My dad and I were at Rupp for it, and we had both given up once we got down 7 with about 90 seconds to play. I asked Davante about it later that night, and he said even he had given up at that point (respect for the honesty on that one--not sure I would have admitted to that).

Don't know what everyone else was thinking, but as we kept inching closer, part of me thought, "Could it be?" but I kept telling myself "No," trying not to get my hopes up.  It felt a lot like the Green Bay game (which I had the misfortune of being at), so I remained really subdued in the stands until Jamil hit the 3 to make it a 1-point game...then the turnover happens, and we all start going crazy.  At that point, for whatever reason, I knew we were going to win on the same play Vander beat St. John's with.  Sure enough, Vander hits the layup, game over...let the pandemonium begin.

It took an hour (and many drinks) after the game was over for my hands to stop shaking.  I guess that's why they call it March Madness.

[THRILLHO]

Agree. Except for the pass that went out of bounds, we did not "get lucky" and I take exception to the notion that we did. We fought hard to come back and they put up a fight.

Do you not think there is some luck involved when a team makes 3 threes in about a minute after clanking them all day?

[muarmy81]

I have this game on my DVR, along with Butler...not sure I will ever erase it.

Anyone know how to download the content on a Directv DVR?

[96warrior]

Do you not think there is some luck involved when a team makes 3 threes in about a minute after clanking them all day?

No, I do not find that lucky. A lucky 3 is one that is heaved up with 2 seconds left on the clock, after running wildly down the court, falling backwards and chucking it up with one hand. See Maui: Clarke, Rotnei.

[GooooMarquette]

Do you not think there is some luck involved when a team makes 3 threes in about a minute after clanking them all day?

Yes - bad luck.  We shot just under 30% for the season, and even with the late 3s that went in, we shot just under 27% that day.  So we won despite some bad luck on 3s that day.

[StillAWarrior]

Agree. Except for the pass that went out of bounds, we did not "get lucky" and I take exception to the notion that we did. We fought hard to come back and they put up a fight.

After the Davidson game, I thought that the luckiest thing that happened was that they didn't just let us foul them and shoot their FTs.  I guess that kind of goes hand-in-hand with the pass that went out of bounds.  Our guys played well down the stretch in that game, and absolutely earned that win, but I also think there was a little bit of luck in how it all came together (and I'm not referring to the threes).  No shame in that.

[Marqevans]

I have this game on my DVR, along with Butler...not sure I will ever erase it.

Anyone know how to download the content on a Directv DVR?

I have it on my comcast DVR.  I have a DVD player/writer also. Pretty sure I can play it through the dvd player and record it to DVD.

[96warrior]

After the Davidson game, I thought that the luckiest thing that happened was that they didn't just let us foul them and shoot their FTs.  I guess that kind of goes hand-in-hand with the pass that went out of bounds.  Our guys played well down the stretch in that game, and absolutely earned that win, but I also think there was a little bit of luck in how it all came together (and I'm not referring to the threes).  No shame in that.

I can get on board with the idea of there being some fortune in how it all came together. I'm still reticent about the word "luck" but I agree with your point.

[TJ]

I was so pissed off with 90 seconds left that I refused to watch the rest of the game.  In a bar, with the patrons getting louder and louder around me I continued to stare at the screen showing CNN.  The only reason I knew we won was because I heard my friend cheering louder than the others - otherwise I would have assumed the bar was cheering for the underdog.

They let themselves be down 7 with 90 seconds to play against Davidson!?  I'm still pissed thinking about it.  Played like crap all game and then it was absolutely luck that they somehow all of a sudden made three desperation 3's in a row - and they still needed a ridiculous turnover with 6 seconds left to have a chance.

Wow, can't believe I'm still as pissed at that game as I was when it happened.  I'm glad for the rest of you that you can be happy about it - I just see it as annoying and ridiculous.  A 14 seed!


btw... I was happy about the next two games as they happened.  And then I was annoyed again vs SU because MU went back to not being able to hit a shot and making stupid decisions - basically beating themselves.  But that was this season - can't believe they accomplished as much as they did, but I'm very glad they did, even with the bad parts.

[jesmu84]

They let themselves be down 7 with 90 seconds to play against Davidson!?  I'm still pissed thinking about it.  Played like crap all game and then it was absolutely luck that they somehow all of a sudden made three desperation 3's in a row - and they still needed a ridiculous turnover with 6 seconds left to have a chance.

"luck"? Or it was statistics. They were shooting below season average from 3, and then made a few, to still end below season average. And that turnover was the result of some intense defense, and inexperience on their end. We took it from them. I'll believe that till I die. No luck, no choke by Davidson. We took it.

[wardle2wade]

I was so pissed off with 90 seconds left that I refused to watch the rest of the game.  In a bar, with the patrons getting louder and louder around me I continued to stare at the screen showing CNN.  The only reason I knew we won was because I heard my friend cheering louder than the others - otherwise I would have assumed the bar was cheering for the underdog.

They let themselves be down 7 with 90 seconds to play against Davidson!?  I'm still pissed thinking about it.  Played like crap all game and then it was absolutely luck that they somehow all of a sudden made three desperation 3's in a row - and they still needed a ridiculous turnover with 6 seconds left to have a chance.

Wow, can't believe I'm still as pissed at that game as I was when it happened.  I'm glad for the rest of you that you can be happy about it - I just see it as annoying and ridiculous.  A 14 seed!


btw... I was happy about the next two games as they happened.  And then I was annoyed again vs SU because MU went back to not being able to hit a shot and making stupid decisions - basically beating themselves.  But that was this season - can't believe they accomplished as much as they did, but I'm very glad they did, even with the bad parts.

#fairweather

[brewcity77]

They let themselves be down 7 with 90 seconds to play against Davidson!?  I'm still pissed thinking about it.  Played like crap all game and then it was absolutely luck that they somehow all of a sudden made three desperation 3's in a row - and they still needed a ridiculous turnover with 6 seconds left to have a chance.

Wow, can't believe I'm still as pissed at that game as I was when it happened.  I'm glad for the rest of you that you can be happy about it - I just see it as annoying and ridiculous.  A 14 seed!

Honestly, it was like the lid came off. While we weren't hitting threes before that, it was somewhat inexplicable. We were 1/12 on threes before that. As bad a three-point shooting team as we are, if we shot just 25% (below average) we would have only been down 1. Davidson was a bit underseeded, we had to break that lid off, and honestly, it wasn't luck. The shots that somehow rattled out all game finally fell the way they should have all day long.

That was an absolute warrior performance and Vander and Jamil took that game away from Davidson. There's a reason the game is 40:00 long and not 38:30 or even 39:55. Davidson didn't lose it, we won.

[THRILLHO]

I can get on board with the idea of there being some fortune in how it all came together. I'm still reticent about the word "luck" but I agree with your point.

I understand why people don't like that word -- acknowledging the role of chance seems to degrade the performance in their minds. I absolutely don't believe that, and even though I think we were fortunate (lucky) to make difficult, contested 3 pointers when we are not a good shooting team to start with, I still think we "earned" the win, whatever that means.

Think of it like this: Say two teams play hard, play well, and at the end of the game it is tied. One team shoots an open shot that they are typically 50% accurate at. That's a coin flip, and whatever the outcome, the team that won could be said to be "lucky," despite playing well and "earning" the win.

[TJ]

#fairweather

I know you were being funny and sarcastic or whatever, but I was just pissed off at this Jeckyll & Hyde team because it took so damn long for them to figure it out against a properly seeded #14 Davidson that MU should have destroyed if they had played even decently that game.

[TJ]

"luck"? Or it was statistics. They were shooting below season average from 3, and then made a few, to still end below season average. And that turnover was the result of some intense defense, and inexperience on their end. We took it from them. I'll believe that till I die. No luck, no choke by Davidson. We took it.

It was luck.  Statistically there is no way MU should have made 3 contested 3's in a row when they needed them. 

It was bad luck all day before that too, but it was recurring bad luck (UConn, Louisville, Cincinnati, Rutgers, etc.), so I don't know what to make of it.

[jsglow]

My dad and I were at Rupp for it, and we had both given up once we got down 7 with about 90 seconds to play. I asked Davante about it later that night, and he said even he had given up at that point (respect for the honesty on that one--not sure I would have admitted to that).

Don't know what everyone else was thinking, but as we kept inching closer, part of me thought, "Could it be?" but I kept telling myself "No," trying not to get my hopes up.  It felt a lot like the Green Bay game (which I had the misfortune of being at), so I remained really subdued in the stands until Jamil hit the 3 to make it a 1-point game...then the turnover happens, and we all start going crazy.  At that point, for whatever reason, I knew we were going to win on the same play Vander beat St. John's with.  Sure enough, Vander hits the layup, game over...let the pandemonium begin.

It took an hour (and many drinks) after the game was over for my hands to stop shaking.  I guess that's why they call it March Madness.

Right there with ya.  Greatest moment in basketball I have ever witnessed in person surpassing Doc's shot against ND more than 30 years ago.  And like you, I was confident as Van took the easy inbound pass in the backcourt.  I smelled victory in the air.  But everything else about that 5 minutes in real time (1:01 on the clock) is still surreal.  Five minutes I will never forget.

[TJ]

Honestly, it was like the lid came off. While we weren't hitting threes before that, it was somewhat inexplicable. We were 1/12 on threes before that. As bad a three-point shooting team as we are, if we shot just 25% (below average) we would have only been down 1. Davidson was a bit underseeded, we had to break that lid off, and honestly, it wasn't luck. The shots that somehow rattled out all game finally fell the way they should have all day long.

That was an absolute warrior performance and Vander and Jamil took that game away from Davidson. There's a reason the game is 40:00 long and not 38:30 or even 39:55. Davidson didn't lose it, we won.

I'm not going to argue with you at all.  You have some kind of amazing sixth sense connection with this team.  I've seen far too many amazing predictions from you to argue.  And since I agree that it was inexplicable (the whole game - the 1-12 AND the 3-3 that followed), what's there to argue about...

I will however say that I don't think Davidson was underseeded.  At best they could have been a 13, but they were generally in the correct area.

[Lennys Tap]

I know you were being funny and sarcastic or whatever, but I was just pissed off at this Jeckyll & Hyde team because it took so damn long for them to figure it out against a properly seeded #14 Davidson that MU should have destroyed if they had played even decently that game.

I know you think Davidson sucked, but you do realize that Miami was a substantially bigger favorite against us (-5.5) than we we against Davidson (-3.5). To the pros our win against Miami was a bigger upset than Daqvidson would have been over us.

[MU82]

A few things as I read all the comments on this thread and watched the videos ...

-- Marquette-Butler was a much better game than Marquette-Davidson. We played superbly in the second half against Butler and took the game from them, but they hung around as they seemingly always do.

-- It's probably not accurate to call it a complete choke job by Davidson. As another poster said, they actually hit their free throws and had only one turnover down the stretch. They also had a hand in the faces of both Jamil and Vander. However ... the one turnover was a choke because it was horrible execution of what should have been a routine situation. Cohen, an excellent FT shooter, should have let himself get fouled instead of throwing what could have been a risky pass in the backcourt. Brooks obviously should have let himself get fouled instead of throwing a truly risky downcourt pass. Then the coach choked by having his team in a bad defense; he later whined about Marquette's undeserved timeout, but he had plenty of time to design a zone defense that would have forced a very difficult shot. So yes, we took it from them, but they helped A LOT!

-- As for using the word "lucky" to describe the Davidson win, well, we did make much of our own luck by hitting those tough 3s. I certainly didn't like it before the Syracuse game when some in the media had characterized us as a lucky team. Yeah, we got some breaks against Davidson, but our guys imposed their will in the second half against Butler and then we destroyed a Miami team that many had picked for the Final Four.

-- I'm guessing that if the tables had been turned and if we had lost a game in the exact same scenario as our win over Davidson, more than a few Scoopers would be calling the opponent lucky and would be saying we choked. Hell, we probably would have found some way to blame the refs, too!