Who do we lose to this year?

[Shoxalum]

This is my first thread. So sorry if this topic has been exhausted. I am looking at our schedule for the year and outside the advocare invitational I don't see us losing.

Last year we lost to a good Utah team at their house but this year they are playing us at iba, where I don't think we have ever lost. That gw game in Hawaii was the only game that was a head scratcher. Notre dame took advantage of our lack of size in the post also shout out of their mind and uni was illegally over capacity and looked at our game as their nc game for the year easily played their best game against us(which all the mvc teams do) so who beats us this year?

Maybe xavier or the irish. Other than that I don't see one mvc team stealing a game. I have us undefeated in conference play maybe losing one game noncon.


Wichita
Evansville
Northern iowa
Ill st (hope with lynch gone they suck this year)
Loyola
Ind st (I could switch these two teams)
Drake
Mo st(lusk is losing his job after this year)
Siu
Braves

[ShockerPhi]

If we're really gonna be as good as everyone thinks we are, I can agree with this write up. The off season is when we're trying to work out the kinks, so I could see us dropping 1 or 2 games. The obvious option being Notre Dame, but overall I think we can win it. The only other loss would be another head scratcher like the Hawaii game and that won't come at home.

As for the MVC, it will be down again. I could maybe see us getting upset at either Evansville or UNI, but once again, don't see us losing at home at all this year. Should be fun.

[Kberre0673]

I agree with us potentially losing in the advocare tournament but I think Utah and the road game at seton hall are going to be are most difficult to win.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

Might be favored in every game this year, but in any game, upsets can happen. If the whole schedule was D2 opponents, I'd predict 0 losses with confidence. Given some quality D1 opponents on the schedule, and a bunch of at least mediocre opponents who could always play out of their minds for a single night and give the Shox a scare, I'll predict 2-3 losses.

To answer the original question, "who do we lose to this year?"... I have no idea.

[Kel Varnsen]

I feel like 3 losses would be a disappointment with this group (yes, I know what you're going to say, but that's how talented this group is). I say 1 or 2 in the regular season.

To actually answer the question, I'll throw out Notre Dame and Seton Hall as potential stumbling blocks.

[ShockdaWorld]

I think the two best teams we play this year could be Utah (Poeltl) and UNLV (if the freshmen are as good as UNLV thinks). Luckily, they're both at home, and I think we will defend our turf. I think the fire is going to be burning at the Advocare, and while ND still has a couple good pieces, their 2 best players last year are in the NBA now. I believe we win that tourney. I also believe that 3 losses would be a disappointment, but I think playing an undefeated season given some of the competition and the grind of the MVC is a lot to ask. I think if we take a loss or 2, it will be an anomaly on the road to a conference opponent. Perhaps an Evansville if DJ shoots lights out or something like that. While we may get upset at some point in time, we will not play a team that is better than we are during the regular season, and perhaps not at all.

[_kai_]

I think our away games at Illinois State and UNI will be big tests for this team. I think they should win them, win them by 5-6 points, but if the crowds and teams get up for those games like I expect they will it'll be a battle.

[Heinro]

We are going undefeated again. Even though Notre Dame, Xavier, Utah wouldn't be on the level of a Hawaii headscratcher, they still wouldn't be entirely expected. I know its not easy to do. I think we are going to be better then the team 2 years ago and yes, we will probably find ourselves down by 18 at Evansville or something at some point, but I honestly believe, no homerism involved, we will be undefeated entering the tournament for the 2nd time in 3 years. Would be crazy. Even more wild when you consider that it hadn't been done since 1991 and may very well happen 3 straight years (including Kentucky).

[BostonWu]

Hypothetically wonder how Vegas would set the odds at going undefeated leading up to March Madness? 10:1???

[AZ Shocker]

I'd like to finally see us ranked #1 in the polls sometime this upcoming season. Will the voters allow it this year? Winning that early season tourney would probaby bump us up Top-5. It would just be cool to see Wichita St. ranked #1. Recruiting...recruiting...recruiting.

[kcshocker11]

No one!

[Shoxalum]

I agree with us potentially losing in the advocare tournament but I think Utah and the road game at seton hall are going to be are most difficult to win.

I am not too worried about seton hall cause they lost gibbs. The freshman were good but we should match up with them well. I do think utah could give us fits or Evansville (cotton is gone). It depends on Morris and Grady. If they can handle themselves in the post we should be fine. I think it's realistic to lose one game maybe two in regular season. Undefeated is so hard and rare. The chance we go all the way again is slim. Kentucky had a weak schedule last year and we had a weak schedule two years ago. This years team might be better but our opponents are better as well.

Ps. If we are not careful our own expectations as fans can become burdensome to coach Marshall and co. He talked about that last year.

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

A whole lotta people here letting their expectations get the better of their reason and logic.

It's insanely difficult to go undefeated. Two of the greatest teams in modern NCAA history the past couple of years have given us some crazy ideas about what is normal. Even great teams lose a headscratcher or two. The game at Tulsa is going to be much more difficult than many expect. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see us lose that one. Road games in the Valley are a *****--UNI, ILS, Loyola, and UE will all be tough. Despite the fact it's a home game, even Utah could blemish our non-con for a second year.

Let's hold off on this undefeated talk until next February. No reason to put too much pressure on our team or ourselves.

[AndShock]

I'll set the o/u at 1.5 losses.

[wufan]

On a head to head basis, I would bet on the Shockers to win every time. We will likely lose 1-4 games before the MVC tourney. As was mentioned above, a lot depends on our 4s and 5s. We've got under-sized Evan, Anton, young Rashard, under-motivated? Shaq, and under-skilled Bush. We will be okay or better in the paint. Are we undefeated good? Probably not.