Predictions for the Season

[SpiderFan]

Missed doing this last week before the 1st game--so have a leg up on actuals:

JMU - L
Stetson - W
@ WF - W
Bethune-Cookman - W
WV (@ Las Vegas) - L
Cal/SDSU (@ Las Vegas) - L
Florida - L
Northern Iowa - W
Longwood - W
Old Dominion - W
Presbyterian - W
@ Texas Tech - W
St Joe's - W
@ URI - L
@ Fordham - W
La Salle - W
VCU - L
Davidson - L
@ GW - L
@ SBU - L
GMU - W
UMass - W
@ SLU - W
Fordham - W
@ Davidson - L
@ VCU - L
GW - L
@ Duquesne - W
Dayton - W
@ GMU - W

18-12 overall; 10-8 A-10

 

[keefusb]

I'm optimistic that we can sweep the Lambs again this year. We really need to be 20-10 going into the post season if we want to be taken seriously as an NCAA prospect.

 

[calispider]

Fan looking at schedule list that seems about right at this point. It's early but if GW plays like they did last night, I don't think we are in the same class. Hate to say it but it's what my eyes showed me. I hope the spiders get that toughness on D going and I am proven wrong. One thing I know we have a lot of tough games between the noncon and A10. Getting GW Davidson and VCU twice so we will have opportunities

 

[Ulla1]

Watched a few minutes of the vcu v radford game. IMHO, vcu looked awful. We will sweep them again this year. OSC

 

[Ulla1]

Davidson is another story but recall that last year we sent them to their worst defeat in their coach's tenure. We will get rolling. OSC

 

[fan2011]

We win 20, make the NCAAs.

 

[97spiderfan]

Eatched a few minutes of the vcu v radford game. IMHO, vcu looked awful. We will sweep them again this year. OSC

If VCU fans watched our first 2 games, I think they would make the same statement about us.

 

[WebSpinner]

amazing, one team looks awful and wins by 18 according to the Ulla. need to have a beer with him and dig deeper

 

[TBSpyder]

I began season with sky high expectations, which were dashed in JMU game. Then I found myself, virtually writing off the season. Then, applying Bayesian statistics, I'm projecting a more realistic season of mediocrity, with an RPI of around 150. Still not sure why we've slipped so much with the same core and some new players. Can CM and the team climb out of the hole they've dug for themselves? A win against Wake is a start. Of course, to some, we're not in a hole, JMU is a powerhouse to them.

 

[LongTimeLurkerFirstTimePoster]

re: I began season with sky high expectations, which were dashed in JMU game. Then I found myself, virtually writing off the season. Then, applying Bayesian statistics, I'm projecting a more realistic season of mediocrity, with an RPI of around 150. Still not sure why we've slipped so much with the same core and some new players. Can CM and the team climb out of the hole they've dug for themselves? A win against Wake is a start. Of course, to some, we're not in a hole, JMU is a powerhouse to them.

Either I'm not sensing the sarcasm, or you need medication or a bourbon. It was one game, and I don't think JMU is a powerhouse. as a reminder,

Monmouth over UCLA
Western Illinois over Wisconsin
Radford over GTown (you better play better against VCU in consolation game on Saturday)
GW over UVA
W&M over NC State
etc, etc. etc.

 

[fan2011]

I began season with sky high expectations, which were dashed in JMU game. Then I found myself, virtually writing off the season. Then, applying Bayesian statistics, I'm projecting a more realistic season of mediocrity, with an RPI of around 150. Still not sure why we've slipped so much with the same core and some new players. Can CM and the team climb out of the hole they've dug for themselves? A win against Wake is a start. Of course, to some, we're not in a hole, JMU is a powerhouse to them.

Bayesian statistics would tell you that we are going to be a lot higher than RPI 150.

 

[urmite]

Bayesian statistics would tell you that we are going to be a lot higher than RPI 150.

Higher rank or higher number?

Just a joke about terminology, not about the quality of our team...

 

[SpiderFan]

Before the 2 games we have in the books I would have gone at least 19-11 with a win substituting the loss against JMU at home. And certainly the results so far have biased my intepretation of other games--I would have had a split against VCU and GW, but with their performances to date and ours I couldn't, in good faith, believe that.

 

[SpiderTrap]

We should be able to make better predictions of how the season will pan out following the trip to Vegas. We will have 6 game under our belt with a decent road game in Wake, then two good opponents in Vegas. The JMU loss makes me think we need to win a game in Vegas. But we also can not get blown out by 15 or more points out there as well.

Season is still young, and unlike past years - we have some big games this year to make up for a JMU loss - games like WVU, Florida, UNI, Texas Tech, etc. We win 2 or 3 of these games - and all of sudden, its a whole new season.

 

[Ulla1]

Our Spiders will be just fine. While it may take a few games to figure out who plays best together, once the team gels "Katie bar the doors"! OSC

 

[fan2011]

Looking at JMU's schedule, they could easily end the season with 23+ wins. Unless the wheels fall off for them they will not be seen as a bad loss for us and should have a top 100 RPI. As other posters have already pointed out, many other good teams have much worse losses than us, no need to think the season is over due to the loss against JMU, but it does decrease our margin for error the rest of the season. Fix our defense and we are a really good team.

 

[urmite]

Looking at JMU's schedule, they could easily end the season with 23+ wins. Unless the wheels fall off for them they will not be seen as a bad loss for us and should have a top 100 RPI. As other posters have already pointed out, many other good teams have much worse losses than us, no need to think the season is over due to the loss against JMU, but it does decrease our margin for error the rest of the season. Fix our defense and we are a really good team.

I do not expect them to be an underdog again until after the 1st of the year. Although at Marshall and at Radford will be close.

 

[Not-A-Homer]

We should be able to make better predictions of how the season will pan out following the trip to Vegas. We will have 6 game under our belt with a decent road game in Wake, then two good opponents in Vegas. The JMU loss makes me think we need to win a game in Vegas. But we also can not get blown out by 15 or more points out there as well.

Season is still young, and unlike past years - we have some big games this year to make up for a JMU loss - games like WVU, Florida, UNI, Texas Tech, etc. We win 2 or 3 of these games - and all of sudden, its a whole new season.

Agree completely that this stretch will provide a very good barometer for the team.

Somebody needs to light a rebounding fire under some ass. This stretch is a chance to show what this Spider team is made of. Let's see a little extra fight, attitude, and determination. Bring your A-game, balls to the wall for 40 minutes, prove that you belong. Confidence, toughness, and overall mindset make a difference in college basketball!

If the Spiders do not go at least 3-3 (counting JMU & Wake) or better, I do not see an at-large bid from the NCAA this year.

Starts tonight.

 

[urmite]

I feel that the first 8 games will be an even better barometer. 2 away games against top 100 teams, 2 neutral games against top 100 teams.
2 home games that don't help much other than trying to gain a rhythm. And 2(??) home games against top 100 teams (assuming JMU ends 95 and not 120).

That should give us a better feel for what we have to work with.

 

[fan2011]

I feel that the first 8 games will be an even better barometer. 2 away games against top 100 teams, 2 neutral games against top 100 teams.
2 home games that don't help much other than trying to gain a rhythm. And 2(??) home games against top 100 teams (assuming JMU ends 95 and not 120).

That should give us a better feel for what we have to work with.

The good news is that we play so many top 100 teams. It allows us to have a wider margin for error than in previous seasons. It looks like the A10 might be littered with top 50 teams as well, we could be looking at 6 bids again and a lot of opportunities for good wins during conference play.

 

[CarolinaSpider]

I moved into a townhome community surrounded by several West Virginia Folks. Our next door neighbor has a 72" TV just so he can watch Mountaineer football.
For my sake we need a win against WV since I was reminding them our wins against the Danny Buggs teams from the 70s. On a neutral court we may stand a better
chance then in Morgantown. I am still wondering how they found Southport, NC. They all brag about the college but don't won't to go back to the state.

Maybe they like real oysters better than mountain oysters.

 

[Spideroldie]

I really like our schedule, and it would look even better if that JMU game, which I'm sure our schedule-maker intended to be a W, had gone our way. The best part about our schedule is that we do play quite a few to-100 teams, those teams do have recognizable "names," for both our fans and the committee, and most of those top-100 teams are probably in the "bubble" area of 50-100. Teams like Florida are totally beatable. Florida is still re-building, and will likely be a bubble team. Same with Northern Iowa, a team that was very good last season, but is re-building, at just the right time for us to play them at home. If Jamal Brunt did the schedule, then I want to thank him for a terrific job. We will have many chances to put the JMU game into our rear-view mirror. We just need to get tough, play really "sticky" defense, and come close to living up to our rebounding potential. We have guys like TJ, JW, TA, TD, and DT who are ALL capable of being good rebounders. We have a chance to have a very good season, and the schedule looks like it will help us to get numerous opportunities to impress the committee. I hope our guys want it enough to play like we know they can.

 

[SpiderRick]

I moved into a townhome community surrounded by several West Virginia Folks. Our next door neighbor has a 72" TV just so he can watch Mountaineer football.
For my sake we need a win against WV since I was reminding them our wins against the Danny Buggs teams from the 70s. On a neutral court we may stand a better
chance then in Morgantown. I am still wondering how they found Southport, NC. They all brag about the college but don't won't to go back to the state.

Maybe they like real oysters better than mountain oysters.

My Dad was from West Virginia, glad he stumbled on Richmond! Carolina, Southport is a nice area. I love Bald Head Island, good golf. Those who have seen "Weekend at Burneys" may not know it was filmed on Bald Head Island.

 

[gcarter52]

This years team remind me a lot of the KA's team when we upset Purdue, and reached the sweet sixteen (A-10 Championship to boot).

 

[Ulla1]

This years team remind me a lot of the KA's team when we upset Purdue, and reached the sweet sixteen (A-10 Championship to boot).

Agree, gcarter. This team moves the ball very well much like our Sweet 16 team. The team also plays unselfishly. OSC

 

[SFspidur]

Northern Iowa just took down #1 UNC.

 

[spiderstudent17]

Hopefully we play a ranked UNI on December 5th. That'll be a great resume win!