Michigan St or Florida

[JMM28]

MSU 0 chance; They know us and will not take us for granted.
Fla 25% chance: They do not know us, if we can get out early,of course, at this point, I don't know who we are either, maybe?

I think before any game we have a 50% shot. Whether playing Florida, Michigan State, or Little Sisters of the Poor.

Theres a reason they play the games. Or we could just have the top 25 play each other until a winner is crowned, and call it a season!

[dogsrus]

We have zero chance to beat Florida. Over the years, BU has fared well against teams in the Big 10 and Big East because BU plays and up-and-down, athletic style of basketball that neither of those conferences tend to play. They play a much slower, plodding type of game and have trouble keeping up with the BU's (and also why most of their teams have failed during the tournament).

On the other hand, the SEC plays the exact same type of basketball that BU likes to play - up and down, athletic. The only difference between SEC teams and BU is that the SEC teams generally have much bigger, and much better athletes and players. Case in point - BU against Mississippi St two years ago, and BU against Vanderbilt last year. We were undersized and not as athletic as either team. I'm afraid it's going to be a lot of the same against Florirda, except that we'll be playing against the class of the SEC instead of middle-of-the road teams like Miss St and Vandy. They play the same way we want to play, only much, much better. If we have any chance at all, it's against Michigan St.

Normally I would agree but Vandy didn't fit your stereotype last year.....

First they were not middle of the pack and our athleticism wasn't THAT much less if any at all. They were certainly bigger down low and had a couple corn fed type players but Ruf and Theron matched well with there slashers and point guards.

If fact when we made them play OUR running style in the second half we darn near completed a tremendous comeback. Had Theron not got hosed by getting three quick fouls in the first half we had em IMO.

Again I agree with your point I just don't think Vandy fit your description.....and I fully expect BU to be MORE athletic this year then last year. I think we a slowly closing that gap you spoke about...

Bottom line we ALWAYS have a chance.....

[ph]

The S16 year, we were playing 2 bigs that I thought would be quality contributors on most BCS teams, Cellus and POB. I cannot say the same about this year, yet (I'm hopeful, but currently our bigs do not have much in the way of proven D1 quality contributions)

I believe our guards should be able to play with most teams. (Although we no longer have the national assist leader and the national 3 point % shooter), hopefully out bigs can reach their potential.

[shaunguth]

I guess I look at basketball a lot differently then some here. There is no way our program has a zero % chance of winning any game. We are not Chicago State. This negative no way we win or a low chance of winning is crazy. Its basketball and we have a very good program, anything can and does happen when the ball is thrown in the air... ask Kentucky.. ie if you both forgot losing at home to San Diego and Garnder Webb, or Syracuse who lost at home to UMass and Rhode Island last year and WSU the year before, or Illinois who lost last year to Tennessee Tech last season... see sometimes miracles do happen.

Yes we are underdogs in both games but to think we have no chance is not fair to this team or this program. In either case we go in to the game tied 0-0 and its 5 on 5 and we have a chance to win at either place.

With that type of negative attitudes no reason to even go to either place and infact there is no reason to ever play a BCS school. Just schedule WIU, EIU, NIU and Loyola and call it a schedule.

I guess both of you thought we would have zero chance v Kansas, v Pittsburgh, v Virginia, how did that work out for you?

I couldn't agree more! No point in wasting our time scheduling games we have ZERO chance of winning. Maybe isu is onto something there! We'll know soon enough.

BTW, I think Florida will be the easier of the two teams to beat for a couple reasons. 1) we're catching their young team early in the season. 2) not that the Florida coaching staff won't let their team know about us, but Michigan State has the experience of knowing that we gave them a very good game last year and they were fortunate to get the W.

[Out of Bounce]

I don't really see one over the other. Both are rated in the top 25, have proven programs and coachs. I would like to play them both but just maybe Michigan St more, as I am still upset over them getting out of town last year with a W when we out played them all but the last 6 mins.

What about Anyone, Any Place and Anytime. OH, I'm confussed again. Now I remember now, someone or some people told me that is only ment for playing the BIG BOYS.

[braves12]

I think when BU played Kansas and Pittsburgh the bigs for BU could compete. I am not sure that is true about this set of bigs...yet. We will see as the season goes along. I just haven't seen this set of bigs, rebound, play defense and finish plays like the S16 bigs did. BU is taller and longer, but better...we will have to wait and see. Does BU have a chance..sure. As Coach Stowell said "You can't beat the best if you never play them". I would rather play these teams and get beat, even hammered sometimes than play a very weak schedule. Kudos to Coach Les and Ken K. for scheduling them.

Let me change the question to what do people think the line will be against Florida and Michigan State? I'll start by saying BU +15 in both games.

[shaunguth]

I think when BU played Kansas and Pittsburgh the bigs for BU could compete. I am not sure that is true about this set of bigs...yet. We will see as the season goes along. I just haven't seen this set of bigs, rebound, play defense and finish plays like the S16 bigs did. BU is taller and longer, but better...we will have to wait and see. Does BU have a chance..sure. As Coach Stowell said "You can't beat the best if you never play them". I would rather play these teams and get beat, even hammered sometimes than play a very weak schedule. Kudos to Coach Les and Ken K. for scheduling them.

Let me change the question to what do people think the line will be against Florida and Michigan State? I'll start by saying BU +15 in both games.

BU +12 vs. Florida

BU +16 vs. Michigan St.

Michigan St. was a 5-point favorite when they came here last season and they won by 5 points.

[lefty]

Both KU and Pittsburgh were neutral courts. I didn't say we had zero chance but the odds aren't very good at beating Florida or MSU on their home courts.

Sometimes teams beat the odds, most times they don't....they are still good games to play. You can't beat them if you don't play them

[BUFAN]

I'll quantify differently because I feel Flordia will be a good early test for our young team. If we can play Flordia to a twenty five point game we will win the valley. If we can play Flordia to a ten point game we will go undefeated.

[Bradleyguy10]

haha..

For MSU I'm hoping it stays in the "teens"...we got smoked last time we went there

Florida I had a feeling we could win about a month ago...but as reports are coming out about players and how certain ones are progressing...I'm starting to feel like I'd be happy if we stay in the teens with them also. It's early in the season for us too...not just Florida.

[basketball nut]

We have zero chance to beat Florida.

We were undersized and not as athletic as either team. .

2 items to discuss-first off to say we have zero chance agaisnt Florida my be true to a point but then we had zero chance against Kansas 3 years ago and schocked the world so anything is possible.

To say we are undersized and not athletic is something time will tell us. This is the most athletic team I have seen at BU in a long time. We have possibly the 4 quickest guards we have ever had. EM, DN, CR & DD are all very quick and very athletic. CR & DD both know how to play "in your face" defense that I really think all of us will enjoy watching. EM & DN will not hurt us a lot-both remind me of Freshman from 4 years ago that played a great point guard for us for 4 years. AW & TW are no slouches either when it comes to defense w/ TW possibly being the best defensivve player we have.
You mentioned size and we have size-the big $64,000 question becomes how quick those guys get it figured out. DC is tall but he still needs to learn to get it on but will alter a lot of shots under the basket. WE may be the sleeper in all of this equasion as he moves inside this year-if he can handle it he may become a Cox type player that is quicker then a lot of the guys inside but can hit the 15 to 20 foot shot as well-the big thing for him is if he can handle it defensively. AT reminds me of OB when he he first got here and will help out some but will not be the savior of the team. SS is as trim and fit as can be and says he is feeling great and will contruibute if the knees continue to hold up (so far so good)-he still likes to make sure you know you have been fouled and will not back down from anyone.
The one unknown in all of this is TB and how quickly he comes around and no he will not be an inside player but should give TW some good minutes of rest. He does have an outside shot as well.
The overall rotation will be real interesting this year and some us may not like it as some of our favorite players may get left out. I will say they go at it hard in practice and no one other then AW is exempt from anything. How quick we come together is how good we will be.

[amckillip]

The overall rotation will be real interesting this year and some us may not like it as some of our favorite players may get left out. I will say they go at it hard in practice and no one other then AW is exempt from anything. How quick we come together is how good we will be.

I'd put a pretty hefty penny on the fact that SM and even TW's positions are pretty safe. I bet Sam doesn't miss more than 3 games the next three years.

As afr as MSU anf UF go. I think we've got a solid chance to beat both. UF being much more likely IMO, Donovan's got 2 rings, but I don't think he holds a candle to Izzo as a coach. I think UF will be very vulnerable and will likely be looking ahead to the other teams in the CBE, 1 in 3 that we can win. 1 in 1.1 the outcome is decided by less than 8 points.

MSU I think will be a much tougher challenge. Izzo is a great coach and respects both BU and Mid-major's in general. The run a deliberate offense that I'm jsut not sure BU can stop on a consistent basis. 1 in 5 to win that game. But I tell you waht, very few coaches in the game I'd rather lose to than Izzo...

[real fan]

I like our chances against Florida better because:
1 getting them earlier in the season
2 they play more open style of basketball (kansas, Virginia)
3 Michigan St. big ten style where a lot of holding and bumping does not get called.
4 They will not take us to be a serious threat (Michigan St. knows better)

[ph]

My main hope would be Florida.
Izzo has already scouted and game-planned against our system the last 2 years with sucessful results.

In regards to starters, I'd almost have to think that captains SM and DD are now locks, and AW and TW seem to be locks, too. The "X" factor will be how well the bigs play and how well our frosh guards can handle top-tier D1 pressure.

[Stryker]

My main hope would be Florida.
Izzo has already scouted and game-planned against our system the last 2 years with sucessful results.

In regards to starters, I'd almost have to think that captains SM and DD are now locks, and AW and TW seem to be locks, too. The "X" factor will be how well the bigs play and how well our frosh guards can handle top-tier D1 pressure.

I guess that makes Theron a lock at the 4 for the most part.