The Ultimate Schedule Prediction

Posted by Mark on September 12, 2009
Opinion
No Gravatar

So here’s the way I see the schedule falling for the Wildcats this year.  We’ll see how ‘Nova handles the traditionally difficult Big East schedule with lofty preseason expectations.  While we may have dealt with them my freshman year, the team was littered with experienced stars (Randy Foye, Allan Ray, Curtis Sumpter, Kyle Lowry).  This year’s team may ultimately have more talent, but we are replacing Shane, Dwayne, and ‘Te.  The non-conference schedule will be key in gaining experience.  If the freshies can get comfortable in the system we’ll hit fewer roadbumps in the Big East schedule.

So here’s a list of the games and my keys to the season:

NOVEMBER
5 (Thursday) KUTZTOWN (exh. at WC)     Win
13 (Friday) FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON    Win
16 (Monday) PENN+   Win
19 (Thursday) vs. George Mason  Win
20 (Friday) vs. Dayton or Georgia Tech   Win (Dayton)  Loss (GT)
22 (Sunday) vs. TBD    (if we get here – Win)
28 (Saturday) LA SALLE+   Win

DECEMBER
2 (Wednesday) DREXEL   Win
6 (Sunday) vs. Maryland   Win (home state university and future grad school, but my heart’s with NOVA)
9 (Wednesday) at Saint Joseph’s+  WIN (may kill myself if we lose this one)
13 (Sunday) at Temple+  Win
19 (Saturday) at Fordham  Win
23 (Tuesday) DELAWARE   Win

JANUARY
2 (Saturday) at Marquette* - Win
6 (Wednesday) DEPAUL* -   Win
9 (Saturday) MARQUETTE* –   Loss
11 (Monday) at Louisville*  –  Win
17 (Sunday) GEORGETOWN* –   Loss
20 (Wednesday) at Rutgers* – Loss
23 (Saturday) at St. John’s* –  Win
27 (Wednesday) NOTRE DAME* –   Win

FEBRUARY
2 (Tuesday) SETON HALL* –  Win
6 (Saturday) at Georgetown* – Loss
8 (Monday) at West Virginia* –   Loss
13 (Saturday) PROVIDENCE* –   Win
15 (Monday) CONNECTICUT* -   Win
21 (Sunday) at Pittsburgh* –  Win
24 (Wednesday) USF* –   Win
27 (Saturday) at Syracuse* - Win

MARCH
2 (Tuesday) at Cincinnati* –  Win
6 (Saturday) WEST VIRGINIA* –  Win

Final Record  26-6 (#1 Big East)

First thing that strikes me about my picks, is I flip-flopped the home court advantage with Marquette winning there and losing at home.  I feel like we typically struggle against them at home but do well there. We struggle at the RAC and in Morgantown so with more experienced teams there I have  us losing. Georgetown will be our main competition, and UConn will again be up there, but I don’t see us losing at home. Louisville and Pittsburgh lost All-Big East performers Earl Clark and Terrance Williams, and Levance Fields, Sam Young, and DeJuan Blair.  While most of the teams that were good last year have lost a bunch of players, I think 6 losses seems about right with a couple of let down games.

I’ll be back in a week to look more in-depth into some teams, players, and games.

V for Villanova, V for Victory.

Tags: , , , ,

7 Comments to The Ultimate Schedule Prediction

Seamus
September 12, 2009

While I agree with most of your choices here I just have one question: Did you go to Villanova? Two losses to Georgetown? This isn’t ‘85 and we aren’t facing Ewing.

All kidding aside. They crapped all over themselves last year and while I expect a turnaround, I don’t expect us to lose both games to them.

Tough schedule ahead, but a good thing that we have a lot of games before entering Big East play. Allow some seasoning of the Frosh and get them ready for Big East play. Expect big things from this team…

Kevin
September 13, 2009

Yea gotta agree with the first comment. Two losses to gtown? I see two wins. Considering we lost a 2-pt game last season at home to them and will be looking for some big revenge.

And that we are 6-1 all time against Gtown at the Verizon center And that one loss was the BS one in 07-08 when Stokes “fouled” Wallace. That was Gtown’s only win since 1997 at home against Villanova.

Dan
September 13, 2009

Just out of curiosity,how do you have us losing to Gtech and marquette. GTech is real inconsistent and marquette is in complete rebuilding mode. I’d also be pretty stunned if we couldn’t beat gtown once. But in general, you did a pretty good job.

mulep01
September 13, 2009

haha, yes i did, and I do hate georgetown. I still get pissed off about that Wallace call where “the best situation” out of the fouls was giving a 93% FT shooter two shots with no time left instead of an inbounds play where you can’t physically tip it with the amount of time left on the clock.

However, with Greg Monroe and some more seasoning I think they’ll be the second best team in the big east. We may not lose both games, but if we lose to a team twice, they’re the ones good enough to.

Mark
September 13, 2009

I picked GTech because of their front court depth. Derrick Favors was a McDonald’s All American and routinely regarded as the top incoming big man this season. He is a LEGIT talent. Add 3 other top 100 recruits, and the return of PF Gani Lawal, they have the size up front to contend while Pena and Mouph adjust to the game.

Mark
September 13, 2009

I mean Mouph adjusts to college and Pena adjusts to a bigger role.

I Bleed Blue and White » Blog Archive » Brian takes his shot at the schedule!
September 14, 2009

[...] takes his shot at the schedule! Posted by Chris on September 14, 2009 Opinion Mark made his schedule predictions a few days ago, and now it’s time for Brian do the same. Check out his early predictions for the schedule. [...]

Leave a comment

WP_Big_City