Can VCU catch up?

Natty

Natty

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Just looking at some of the teams standing in our way to a regular season crown, I'm wondering if we buried ourselves early.. Mason definitely has the best looking schedule having to play us and W&M only once, both games at their place. That said they've got some non top 4 tough road games at Hofstra and Drexel. How do you guys see these particular games going down?

W&M
@VCU
ODU
@ODU
NE
@GMU

GMU
VCU
@ODU
W&M
NE
(@Hofstra)
(@Drex)

NU
VCU
ODU
@W&M
@GMU

ODU
@W&M
@NE
W&M
@VCU
GMU
VCU

VCU
W&M
@NE
ODU
@GMU
@ODU
 
It is still possible but VCU can't afford to lose many more games. Also, VCU is going to need some help from teams below us to beat some teams above us. Right now that isn't happening. The top teams are winning the games they are suppose to win but there is still more basketball to be played. VCU can not worry about this though. They must have the mindset of taking care of their business and then whatever happens happens because we have no control over that. A lot of people that work with the CAA seem to be thinking the #1 team will have 11-6 or 12-5 record.
 
We have to win our next two games (W&M, @ Northeastern) to have any chance of finishing in the top two. I also think yo will see the top 4 teams start beating up on each other as there are quite a few games left between each of them. Looking at the schedules, ODU may have the toughest schedule going forward. I also think Northeastern may have the most favorable schedule going forward and also may be playing the best of all of the teams.
 
Northeastern was in the same position last year and folded down the stretch. A lot of basketball still to be played!
 
VCU4LIFE said:
Northeastern was in the same position last year and folded down the stretch. A lot of basketball still to be played!
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I'm sure they have also learned from their collapse last year. Right now, my money is on Northeastern to win the regular season CAA and VCU to come in a three way third place tie. Listed below are my projected losses:

Northeastern - 3 losses (#1 seed)
ODU - 4 losses (#2 seed)
VCU - 5 losses (VCU will beat W&M this week and beat GMU. VCU will then own the tie breaker over both teams for the 3rd seed in the CAA tournament.)
GMU - 5 losses (GMU will beat W&M and own the tie breaker for the 4th seed in the CAA Tournament.)
W&M - 5 losses
 
The difference for NU last year was they lost games that people had marked down as a win, whereas I'd argue NU's schedule(particularly the next set of games after TU) is brutal for us. NU is 2-5 in the Coen era against VCU, ODU, and Drexel at HOME.

However the guys seem to have last year's collapse on their minds, and they know what is at stake. If we get through this stretch 2-1, I'll be exceptionally happy. That would put us at 9-2 assuming a win @ TU as well. The back end of the schedule after this set are on the whole pretty winnable.
 
Wolfpack Ram said:
We have to win our next two games (W&M, @ Northeastern) to have any chance of finishing in the top two. I also think yo will see the top 4 teams start beating up on each other as there are quite a few games left between each of them. Looking at the schedules, ODU may have the toughest schedule going forward. I also think Northeastern may have the most favorable schedule going forward and also may be playing the best of all of the teams.
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I agree with this for now. If we lose to either W&M or NU we drop another game to them as well as the tie breaker which essentially puts us 4 games behind those teams. We need to win both of those games to get this discussion going, and obviously that is no easy task. The Mason game is pretty much 2 in 1 for us as well since the winner of that one will get the tie breaker. Right now we need ODU, GMU, NU, and W&M to all lose twice to tie us with those teams. They will beat up on each other at some point, but we have to make a couple of those losses happen this week and not lose ground to the others.
 
Wow - if we came back and won ANOTHER regular season championship - that would be quite an accomplishment!! I have the mindset of getting into the top 4 and then go from there. This week will tell us A LOT about where we are ...........
 
We have to win both these games and that is not an easy task, especially at Northeastern. The nice thing is we have the revenge factor going for us and we're playing for pride. We don't wanna get swept by either team. If we pull those 2 wins out (easier said then done) we'll be able to talk about getting back to the top. At this point those 2 losses in a row to NU and Drexel really hurt us. Now we have to win some tough games to get back up to the top. Hopefully our guys are up to the task.
 
NU is playing the best ball of all of thos teams... But I will say this, NU has gotten some weird breaks during this winning streak for example Bowles was "suspended" for the game against NU, or that UNCW benched FIelds and Tomko for most of the first half on saturday. Not to say that NU couldn't beat those teams I believe they would have won those games anyway, but I think some fans could point to some of those issues and say NU didn't get each team's best shot.
 
vcubballfan1 said:
It is still possible but VCU can't afford to lose many more games. Also, VCU is going to need some help from teams below us to beat some teams above us. Right now that isn't happening. The top teams are winning the games they are suppose to win but there is still more basketball to be played. VCU can not worry about this though. They must have the mindset of taking care of their business and then whatever happens happens because we have no control over that. A lot of people that work with the CAA seem to be thinking the #1 team will have 11-6 or 12-5 record.
Click to expand...

Agreed. We need to mind our own store. CAA teams always seem to manage to pull some upsets (hopefully not against us). UNCW is a team capable of doing that with a win @ W&M, a near upset of Virginia who now sits atop the ACC at JPJ last night. There are a lot of teams particularly the top 5-6 capable of the upset at home or away. We have to take care of our own business and hope it gets bloody for everybody else down the stretch. Hopefully things get interesting and we can get back in the mix as a CAA regular season title contender; but only if we take it one game at a time and take care of ourselves.
 
We are playing well. One game at a time. Beat W&M Wednesday and we move up a little bit more. :D
 
A lot of people that work with the CAA seem to be thinking the #1 team will have 11-6 or 12-5 record.
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i just don't see how anyone could honestly believe that. there are 3 or 4 god awful teams at the bottom, and three teams who currently sit at 7-1. the only way for the conference winner to end with 5 or 6 losses would be if the bottom feeders started knocking off the big dogs, and not just once but a few times over. not gonna happen.

i certainly hope these CAA employees aren't betting men.
 
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