Anonymous Eagle - All PostsYour home for coverage of Wisconsin's elite college athletics.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46843/anon-fave.png2024-03-18T21:26:22-05:00http://www.anonymouseagle.com/rss/current/2024-03-18T21:26:22-05:002024-03-18T21:26:22-05:00Anonymously Through The Brackets: West Region
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<img alt="Arizona v Arizona State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VWopUfZS_65Hz1vl85nOoigWp80=/0x210:2465x1853/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73216853/1824513471.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Bruce Yeung/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>There’s a bunch of interesting stories all over this bracket, including a #2 seed that’s arguably better than the #1 seed.</p> <p id="MzsW4s">Sick of hard-hitting analysis of the 2024 NCAA Tournament? Up to your eyeballs in expert picks chock-full of astute takes on players to watch and budding upsets?</p>
<p id="paragraph0">Fear not, friends: your pals at Anonymous Eagle are here to inject some half-baked, homespun “insight” into the proceedings, with our (mostly) annual region-by-region tour, as we go <strong>Anonymously Through the Brackets.</strong></p>
<p id="paragraph1">For each region, we’ll give you our patented Anonymous Eagle Half-Arsed Analysis with: a gutless pick to win the region; a sleeper regional champ; a CRUSH YOUR MAN upset special; a player/team we’d pay to watch; a player most likely to carry his team singlehandedly to the Sweet 16; and the best player in the region that you’ve never heard of before.</p>
<p id="9oUQoP">Let’s see what Bracketville has in store for us in the West Region...</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="5xm4G4">
<h2 id="4KRrmG">GUTLESS WONDER Pick To Win The Region</h2>
<p id="Mv0tcM">Can I interest you in a #2 seed that was a top four NET team when it came time to announce the bracket? Then <strong>you’re a big fan of </strong><a href="https://www.azdesertswarm.com"><strong>Arizona</strong></a>, the #2 seed in this region. They were the #4 team in the NET in the Selections edition of the rankings, and they haven’t been higher than that #4 spot all season. Meanwhile, North Carolina, the #1 seed in the region, is down at #8 and has been flittering in and out of the top 10 for the last month of the season. I’m not saying seed the tournament exclusively by the NET rankings.... but I am saying that maybe Arizona is a better pick than the Tar Heels here. </p>
<p id="diBrDi">On top of that, don’t underestimate the intent of the returning players to get revenge on the entire country for their 59-55 loss to #15 seed Princeton in the first round last season.</p>
<h2 id="dQdjwc">CHEX BOLD PARTY MIX Bold Pick To Win The Region</h2>
<p id="d3bWhF">You have to cross your fingers <strong>if you pick #4 seed </strong><a href="https://www.rollbamaroll.com"><strong>Alabama</strong></a>, but if they catch fire for four straight games, they’ll be in the Final Four. #35 in three-point shooting, #10 in two point shooting, #11 in effective field goal shooting percentage, and they try to shoot nearly half their shots from long range. The only time they lost this season while shooting better than 35% from beyond the arc is when they tangled with Purdue in a Toronto homecoming game for Boilermakers big man Zach Edey. </p>
<p id="UwelyN">FLIP SIDE: They’re just 4-10 when shooting 35.3% or worse from behind the arc, and winless in six games shooting under 25%. Sometimes they were close when doing that, like their 85-82 loss at Creighton when they hit just 18% of their threes. Sometimes they got run off the floor while doing that like Florida did while putting over 100 points on the Crimson Tide on two different occasions. So yeah, trusting Mark Sears and friends is a teeeeeeeny bit of a risk.</p>
<h2 id="xxXesr">CRUSH YOUR MAN Upset Special</h2>
<p id="Y0p1G8">Pick a team that’s a lower seed but favored to win. That’s a good plan for free points in your office pool. So: <strong>Pick New Mexico to beat </strong><a href="https://www.shakinthesouthland.com"><strong>Clemson</strong></a>. That’s the 6/11 game in this region, and the #11 seeded Lobos are favored by KenPom, 78-76. Sure, it’s a 55% chance, that’s not much, but that’s still indicative of a massive seeding mistake by the committee, and why shouldn’t you profit from their mistakes?</p>
<h2 id="j59334">Player I’d Pay To Watch</h2>
<p id="TV3HCX">SIIIIIIIIIGH, fine, it’s <strong>Dayton’s DaRon Holmes</strong>. The 6’10” forward is quietly #4 in the country in the <a href="http://KenPom.com">KenPom.com</a> Player of the Year rankings, and who doesn’t like a 6’10” guy who’s averaging 20.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game? Oh, and he’s nearly a 39% three-point shooter this season on 2.5 attempts per game. Honestly: SHOOT IT MORE, DARON. </p>
<p id="ioR3MG">Oh, and, Fun Fact: <a href="https://www.anonymouseagle.com/2020/9/24/21453688/marquette-golden-eagles-basketball-recruiting-daron-holmes-final-four-arizona-cal-dayton">I nearly did pay to see him</a>.</p>
<h2 id="fjQcnu">The Chiropractor Special: Aka Who Can Put The Team On His Back?</h2>
<p id="CH3SCn">I’m going to cheat here and say both <strong>RJ Davis and Armando Bacot from </strong><a href="https://www.tarheelblog.com"><strong>North Carolina</strong></a>. Yes, I know, naming teammates here isn’t fair, but to that I say: It’s my Bracket Preview, I’ll do whatever I want!</p>
<p id="l3XY36">Davis has made a huge leap this year, scoring five points more per game than last year. His rebounding is a little bit down, but his assists are right where they’ve been the past two seasons, and his steals are a little bit up. Bacot is a double-double machine, averaging 14.1 points and 10.2 rebounds. His scoring is a bit down from last season, but if you rummage around in his tempo-free stats, you could make an argument that Bacot is better than he was last year, or at least being great in different ways. </p>
<h2 id="WodLt5">Best Guy You’ve Never Heard Of</h2>
<p id="CEYTnc">I’m going to cheat evvvvvvvver so slightly here, and tab <strong>Grand Canyon’s Tyon Grant-Foster </strong>here. The reason why is because when I saw highlights of Foster putting up 22 points and nine rebounds in the WAC title game, I said, “wait, I know that guy!” And technically, that’s true. </p>
<p id="ZDzPyI">I remembered typing his name out once upon a time, back when he transferred to DePaul after spending a year at Kansas following two years at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa. Seemed like a big deal that the Blue Demons were getting a guy that Bill Self wanted but never quite had a reason to play regularly. But he played in just one game, the season opener, for the Blue Demons in 2021-22, <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fncaab%2F2023%2F12%2F24%2Fgrand-canyon-s-tyon-grant-foster-is-thriving-despite-a-pair-of-near-death-experiences%2F72024943007%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.anonymouseagle.com%2Fanonymously-through-the-brackets%2F2024%2F3%2F18%2F24105453%2Fmarch-madness-ncaa-mens-basketball-west-region-preview-north-carolina-arizona-alabama-new-mexico" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">collapsed in the locker room at halftime, needed to be revived three times on the way to the hospital</a>, and never played again... until getting cleared and arriving at Grand Canyon. </p>
<p id="cnJwXU">19.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 33% from long range, WAC Player of the Year, first round game against Saint Mary’s, with a perfect opportunity to pull one of the 5/12 upsets that the tournament is so fond of providing us.</p>
https://www.anonymouseagle.com/anonymously-through-the-brackets/2024/3/18/24105453/march-madness-ncaa-mens-basketball-west-region-preview-north-carolina-arizona-alabama-new-mexicoBrewtown Andy2024-03-18T20:10:37-05:002024-03-18T20:10:37-05:00Anonymously Through The Brackets: East Region
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<img alt="NCAA Womens Basketball: Final Four-Semifinal-Connecticut vs Stanford" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8TLrXcZloodS-ZTpUpxIaqbKgfo=/0x387:3676x2838/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73216763/usa_today_18005674.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It’s UConn’s region to win.... or is it?</p> <p id="MzsW4s">Sick of hard-hitting analysis of the 2024 NCAA Tournament? Up to your eyeballs in expert picks chock-full of astute takes on players to watch and budding upsets?</p>
<p id="paragraph0">Fear not, friends: your pals at Anonymous Eagle are here to inject some half-baked, homespun “insight” into the proceedings, with our (mostly) annual region-by-region tour, as we go <strong>Anonymously Through the Brackets.</strong></p>
<p id="paragraph1">For each region, we’ll give you our patented Anonymous Eagle Half-Arsed Analysis with: a gutless pick to win the region; a sleeper regional champ; a CRUSH YOUR MAN upset special; a player/team we’d pay to watch; a player most likely to carry his team singlehandedly to the Sweet 16; and the best player in the region that you’ve never heard of before.</p>
<p id="9oUQoP">Let’s see what Bracketville has in store for us in the East Region...</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="zccjaG">
<h2 id="iHKXE7">GUTLESS WONDER Pick To Win The Region</h2>
<p id="ohLR71">If you’re a Marquette fan reading this, then the obvious move is to go with the #1 overall seed in the entire tournament and the team that beat the Golden Eagles three times already this season. <strong>Yes, that’s the </strong><a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com"><strong>UConn</strong></a><strong> Huskies.</strong> If Connecticut can have the first six minutes that we saw against MU in the Big East championship game and still win that game by double digits, they are absolutely capable of mauling any single team in this region. The Huskies are loaded up with talent that they don’t need any one particular player to carry them every single night even though Tristen Newton is leading them in points, rebounds, and assists, and is thus a triple-double threat on a regular basis. </p>
<h2 id="ggO3Jw">CHEX BOLD PARTY MIX Bold Pick To Win The Region</h2>
<p id="FVs5rn">WELL, WELL, WELL, look who’s a #5 seed in this region, one year after going to the Final Four as a #5 seed last season. <strong>Yep, that’s San Diego State,</strong> and no, last year was not some fluke run to Houston. Okay, maybe a little bit because they caught a break with #13 Furman in the second round and #6 Creighton in the Elite Eight. However, the Aztecs beat top seeded Alabama in the Sweet 16 to get through this region, so that is not a cakewalk of any level.</p>
<p id="wGdxMg">There’s some notable guys back from last year’s squad to help guide everyone through the process again this year in Jaedon LeDee, Lamont Butler, Darrion Trammell, and Micah Parrish. There are way worse picks to win a region than a core group of guys who played in the national championship game last season. Oh, wait. Who did they play in that game? Connecticut, the #1 seed in this region that they might have to go through to get to Phoenix. Well, isn’t that interesting.</p>
<h2 id="RQJeJh">CRUSH YOUR MAN Upset Special</h2>
<p id="5IqHDX">Do you want a cointoss upset that’s got a high likelihood of coming in for you? Then <strong>you want #10 Drake over #7 </strong><a href="https://www.cougcenter.com"><strong>Washington State</strong></a><strong>. </strong> The Cougars are a fantastic story, getting to the tournament for the first time since Tony Bennett was patrolling the sidelines back in 2008. But <a href="http://KenPom.com">KenPom.com</a> has Kyle Smith’s Wazzu squad as just a one point favorite over the DeVries father & son tandem. The Bulldogs are the autobid out of the Missouri Valley Conference, but with a #10 seed, they were probably going to make the field if they had lost to Indiana State in the title game there. Darian DeVries has guided Drake to at least 20 wins in every one of his six seasons in Des Moines, and they are looking for their first Round of 64 NCAA tournament victory in their third appearance. </p>
<h2 id="qj6Er0">Player I’d Pay To Watch</h2>
<p id="WGgwFw">Purdue’s Zach Edey deserves every single one of the national player of the year awards that he gets thrown at him here in the postseason. But <strong>Auburn’s Johni Broome</strong> is running in second place on the <a href="http://KenPom.com">KenPom.com</a> Player of the Year rankings behind Edey. The 6’10” junior does a little bit of everything for the Tigers: 16.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.3 blocks, and he shoots 35% from long range on a little over two attempts per game. That just sounds like a ton of fun to watch on a team that plays with ridiculous efficiency on both ends of the floor and at a pretty high tempo, too.</p>
<h2 id="ZCgL4H">The Chiropractor Special: aka Who Can Put The Team On His Back?</h2>
<p id="CsONJT">I almost put him in the previous category, but then I realized that this category needs to get filled, and you’re damn right that <a href="https://www.insidenu.com"><strong>Northwestern</strong></a><strong>’s Boo Buie</strong> fits this spot better. He basically doesn’t come off the floor for the Wildcats, he’s scored at least 12 points in every NU game since mid-January, including a 29 point, 3 rebound, 7 assist outing in a home overtime win over Illinois. Buie went for 31/4/9 in their home overtime win over Purdue back on December 1st, too. If Florida Atlantic doesn’t come correct, they could easily find themselves headed home in a hurry behind a Boo Buie Barrage. Is that a thing that people say? It should be. Alliteration is fun.</p>
<h2 id="nUoWn8">Best Guy You’ve Never Heard Of</h2>
<p id="5bc41n">Can I interest you in a 6’7” double-double machine out of the Ohio Valley Conference? <strong>Riley Minix</strong> is in what I presume will be his only year of Division 1 hoops after four years at an NAIA program. He averaged 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game for Morehead State, and when you combine that with the Eagles tying for the OVC regular season title at 14-4, that’s how Minix was named the OVC Player of the Year earlier this month. Minix had the sixth most double-doubles in the country this season, including nine straight to end the regular season and a 10th in a row in their first conference tournament game. Is that going to be enough for a 14 over 3 upset of Illinois, maybe, maybe not, but it could be a fun way to spend two hours.</p>
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https://www.anonymouseagle.com/anonymously-through-the-brackets/2024/3/18/24105169/march-madness-ncaa-mens-basketball-east-region-preview-uconn-san-diego-state-auburn-drake-minix-buieBrewtown Andy2024-03-17T21:01:24-05:002024-03-17T21:01:24-05:00Marquette vs Western Kentucky: Betting odds, spread, moneyline and more for 2024 NCAA Tournament
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Louisville at Western Kentucky" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5uNLbeV2oKyiHZjs0tNQ5BD7aFw=/0x0:4078x2719/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73214289/usa_today_13359883.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Want to add a little drama to your Golden Eagles viewing on Friday?</p> <p id="NmX9BV">In case you missed it, YOUR <a href="https://www.anonymouseagle.com">Marquette Golden Eagles</a> men’s basketball team is a #2 seed in the 2024 NCAA tournament. That sets them up for a first round game on Friday, March 22nd against #15 seed Western Kentucky. That game will be played in Indianapolis, and TBS will carry the broadcast with Kevin Harlan, Dan Bonner, and Stan Van Gundy calling the action.</p>
<p id="7Uwie0">Marquette is 25-9 on the year after finishing third in the Big East and falling to top seeded <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com">UConn</a> in the conference tournament. Western Kentucky has a record of 22-11 in their first season under the direction of head coach Steve Lutz. While the Hilltoppers finished third in Conference USA at 8-8 in league play, they ended up playing the #6, #7, and #5 seeds on their way to claiming the conference tournament title on Saturday.</p>
<p id="6RclJ7"><a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/ncaab?referrer=singular_click_id%3d9b9ce4c0-adb3-4227-9d91-dda8bea755ad&wpcid=166791&wpcn=Inartcile&wpcrid=CBB&wpsrc=Vox">DraftKings has the lines out for the first round of the tournament already</a>, and yep, they think the Golden Eagles are as favored as the 2/15 seeding split would make you think they are. Marquette is a 14.5 point favorite as I look at it at about 8:30pm Central on Sunday night. If you’re looking for a combined over/under number to wager on, DK has it at +/- 158.5 at the moment, which combined with the 14.5, that would mean they’re roughly looking at an 86-72 final score, give or take that half point. If you’re looking at a moneyline wager, that’s -1000 for Marquette and +650 for Western Kentucky.</p>
<p id="mAV0lk">If you’re interested in diving deeper than that into various team prop bets — nothing for individual players, at least right now — then <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/ncaab?referrer=singular_click_id%3d9b9ce4c0-adb3-4227-9d91-dda8bea755ad&wpcid=166791&wpcn=Inartcile&wpcrid=CBB&wpsrc=Vox">click the link</a> and rummage around if you’re so interested. </p>
<p id="Dep7Fm">Now that the bracket is out, it looks like <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/ncaab?referrer=singular_click_id%3d9b9ce4c0-adb3-4227-9d91-dda8bea755ad&wpcid=166791&wpcn=Inartcile&wpcrid=CBB&wpsrc=Vox">DraftKings</a> is a little less bullish about Marquette’s chances to win the whole thing than they were <a href="https://www.anonymouseagle.com/2024/3/17/24101938/selection-sunday-bracket-reveal-live-stream-cbs-watch-online-ncaa-tournament-marquette-basketball">on Sunday morning</a>. Before we saw the bracket, DK had the Golden Eagles at +2200 to win the national championship, but now it’s shifted down to +2500. </p>
<p id="uLjwrl">Let’s wrap up with the odds for everyone in the South Region to win the title, shall we?</p>
<p id="rr3IVG">Houston: +500</p>
<p id="JG74oc">Kentucky: +2200</p>
<p id="vZTOTQ">Duke: +3500</p>
<p id="7Jf4Bb">Wisconsin: +6000</p>
<p id="ohCKgd">Texas Tech: +10,000</p>
<p id="9b83dV">Florida: +6000</p>
<p id="bgVHTG">Nebraska: +14,000</p>
<p id="PL4yKs"><a href="https://www.goodbullhunting.com">Texas A&M</a>: +16,000</p>
<p id="oOLtO8">Boise State: +25,000</p>
<p id="rPyUIk">Colorado: +20,000</p>
<p id="qc8A3i"><a href="https://www.backingthepack.com/">NC State</a>: +16,000</p>
<p id="Fog0k3">James Madison: +25,000</p>
<p id="xhQ6I8">Vermont: +60,000</p>
<p id="n44YU6">Oakland: +50,000</p>
<p id="Bkgo4j">Western Kentucky: +50,000</p>
<p id="TzXGA0">Longwood: +100,000</p>
https://www.anonymouseagle.com/2024/3/17/24103125/marquette-western-kentucky-odds-spread-favorite-underdog-2024-ncaa-tournament-draftkings-sportsbookBrewtown Andy2024-03-17T20:03:23-05:002024-03-17T20:03:23-05:00WBB Earns A #10 Seed In The NCAA Tournament!
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<img alt="Marquette women’s basketball" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mFT84sEkV2tb98VlwaRlErGnFY8=/0x0:2048x1365/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73214207/Marquette_women_s_basketball.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Marquette University</figcaption>
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<p>The Golden Eagles will take a short jaunt down the road to South Bend to face #7 Ole Miss in the first round.</p> <p id="YztXGQ">For the second straight season and the third time in four years under the direction of Megan Duffy, YOUR <a href="https://www.anonymouseagle.com">Marquette Golden Eagles</a> women’s basketball team is headed to the 2024 NCAA tournament!</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Let’s dance <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUWBB?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MUWBB</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessWBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarchMadnessWBB</a> <a href="https://t.co/tfg2j793na">pic.twitter.com/tfg2j793na</a></p>— Marquette WBB (@MarquetteWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarquetteWBB/status/1769523430305505784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p id="GVlA2t">Whatever drama there was about Marquette getting an at-large bid to the tournament, it was evaporated pretty quickly as the Golden Eagles were announced as the #10 seed in the first region that ESPN put on the screen. That’s Regional 1, which is in Albany, but that’s the location of where the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games will be played. Marquette’s first round game will be in South Bend, Indiana, as they’ve been placed in the pod hosted by #2 seed <a href="https://www.onefootdown.com">Notre Dame</a>. Marquette’s first round game will be against #7 seed <a href="https://www.redcuprebellion.com">Ole Miss</a>, and if they win, they will play either the Fighting Irish or #15 seed Jackson State.... but since it’s at the Joyce Center, go ahead and presume it will be Notre Dame.</p>
<p id="LQfzWQ">Ole Miss went 23-8 this season with a 12-4 record in SEC action, which was good enough for third place behind undefeated South Carolina and <a href="https://www.andthevalleyshook.com">LSU</a>. They won their last six regular season games and got bounced from the conference tournament in the semifinals by LSU. We’ll dive into it a little deeper when it comes time to preview this game, but Marquette (#40 in the NET, #42 on Her Hoop Stats) and Ole Miss (#36 and #41) are a lot closer, metrically speaking, than you might expect for two teams in the 7/10 game.</p>
<p id="rNhJP0">Elsewhere in the Big East, <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com">UConn</a> is the #3 seed in Regional #3 in Portland. That means that they will be hosting the first two rounds in Storrs and will get #14 seed Jackson State in the first round. Creighton earned an at-large bid as well, coming in as the #7 seed in the Albany 2 Regional. They will face #10 UNLV in the first round and UCLA will be playing host for that game.</p>
<p id="1BJTHc">ESPN’s in charge of putting together a TV schedule now that the bracket is out. Keep your eyes and ears open for not just the TV assignment, but also what day and time the Marquette/Ole Miss game will be played.</p>
https://www.anonymouseagle.com/2024/3/17/24104425/marquette-golden-eagles-womens-basketball-ncaa-tournament-selection-bracket-seed-ole-missBrewtown Andy2024-03-17T17:54:40-05:002024-03-17T17:54:40-05:00MBB Earns A #2 Seed In The NCAA Tournament!
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Big East Conference Tournament Semifinal-Marquette vs Providence" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/35UWfjFHAhDdK9m227KkdMRSZAk=/0x0:2963x1975/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73213979/usa_today_22787274.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Yeah, I had to do it. | Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It’s the second straight year as a #2 seed for the Golden Eagles, matching the best seeding in program history!</p> <p id="ZOwWPR">BACK TO BACK #2 SEEDS!</p>
<p id="SYYUWd">The NCAA announced the bracket and field for the 2024 NCAA men’s basketball tournament on Sunday evening, and YOUR <a href="https://www.anonymouseagle.com">Marquette Golden Eagles</a> are a #2 seed for the second straight season! Last year’s #2 seed was the highest ever seeding in program history, and so it’s quite great to match that one year later. The Golden Eagles are the #7 overall seed in the tournament, which seems to imply that the committee seeded Marquette with the belief that point guard Tyler Kolek will be in the lineup when they play their first game.</p>
<p id="AfkA2J">That game will be on Friday in Indianapolis as part of the South Region, and the opponent will be Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers went 22-11 this season and won the Conference USA tournament as the #3 seed with an 8-8 record in league action. It is their first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 2013 when they made the bracket in back-to-back seasons. We’ll dive deeper into the Hilltoppers and lovable mascot Big Red later this week, but it is worth noting that WKU is listed on <a href="http://KenPom.com">KenPom.com</a> as the fastest paced team in the country. If Marquette wins, they will advance to a second round game against either #7 Florida or the #10 seeded winner of a First Four game in Dayton between Boise State and <a href="https://www.ralphiereport.com">Colorado</a>.</p>
<p id="pjVOrB">Elsewhere in the Big East, <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com">UConn</a> is the #1 overall seed in the tournament. They’ll play #16 seed Stetson in the first round on Friday in Brooklyn. Creighton picked up a #3 seed in the Midwest Region, and they will play #14 seeded Akron on Thursday in Pittsburgh.... because Kent State fouled while leading by 1 in the MAC title game and then lost to the Zips.</p>
<p id="Cs2ruZ">CBS and Turner Sports will make the television broadcasting decisions later on this evening, so we do not have a tipoff time for Marquette’s game against Western Kentucky yet. Keep your eyes peeled on that....</p>
https://www.anonymouseagle.com/2024/3/17/24104320/marquette-golden-eagles-mens-basketball-ncaa-tournament-seed-bracket-western-kentucky-first-roundBrewtown Andy2024-03-17T16:26:57-05:002024-03-17T16:26:57-05:00That Turned Around In A Hurry: Marquette 14, Eastern Michigan 5
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<img alt="Marquette’s Meg Bireley" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-wGu6XkHCpkUkLLvmjK6WUv6mK0=/0x0:2635x1757/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73213686/Meg_Bireley.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Meg Bireley, doing the things, scoring the goals. | Marquette University</figcaption>
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<p>The Golden Eagles looked like they were in for a long day against the Eagles from Ypsilanti..... and then it was the other way around.</p> <p id="Auqzvl">For about 20 minutes of game time on Sunday afternoon in the Valley Fields seasonal bubble, it looked like <a href="https://www.anonymouseagle.com">Marquette</a> women’s lacrosse was in for, if not trouble, but a long and hard fought game against Eastern Michigan. It didn’t start like that, not with MU tallying a pair of power play goals in the first six minutes to jump out to a 4-0 lead.</p>
<p id="HAO1vH">However, the visiting Eastern Michigan Eagles scored the next four goals, two of them coming with Marquette women serving penalties, and with 12:44 left in the second quarter, it was all tied up at four goals each. </p>
<p id="rvPMR4">It’s not that EMU was running right with Marquette, it’s that Marquette was arguably blowing the Eagles out of the water without actually putting the goals on the board. MU outshot EMU 13-5 across the first 15 minutes of action and only had a one goal lead to show for their effort. As the second quarter got going, shots were 3-2 favoring Marquette for the first five minutes, and if Eastern Michigan goalie Maddie Porter wasn’t making a save — she had six in the first quarter and another three in the first five minutes of the second quarter for a new career high for her already at that point of the game — then Marquette’s shots were hitting the posts and crossbar behind Porter. The flow of the game said Marquette was winning, but the scoreboard disagreed.</p>
<p id="rgyNdI">Leigh Steiner’s goal with 9:33 to go in the second was something of a turning point for Marquette. First of all, it broke up nearly a full quarter’s length run with out a goal by the Golden Eagles, so whatever bad mojo might have been setting in disappeared. It also ended up being the first of three goals that MU would score before the period was over, and mixed with a goal from EMU’s Mackenzie Blackwell, it was 7-5 Marquette at halftime.</p>
<p id="TyWRXp">Not what you’d like when you’re outshooting the other team 24-10, but you’ll take a lead, especially with Tess Osburn making the most of Marquette getting the ball back with 45 seconds to go in the half and popping in a goal with just 21 ticks left before the break.</p>
<p id="ZB5DHb">If the Steiner goal wasn’t the turning point, then the Osburn goal mixed with head coach Meredith Black chatting up her team at halftime was.</p>
<p id="eZ2q7m">Eastern Michigan would not score again. Eastern Michigan would shoot just nine more times, including just two in the fourth quarter, and both of those were in the final two minutes. Marquette scored four times in the third quarter and another three times in the fourth. Marquette won every single draw control of the second half. Goalie Brynna Nixon’s name doesn’t even show up in the play-by-play for the fourth quarter until she got credited with <em>causing a turnover</em> with less than a minute to go. Remember when I said that Maddie Porter had nine saves in the first 20 minutes? She finished with just 14, which means the Golden Eagles solved that entire por</p>
<p id="X0PDaK">That’s how thoroughly Marquette was devastating Eastern Michigan after halftime. 7-0 Marquette in the second half. 8-0 run overall. 10-1 run going back to Steiner’s power play goal early in the second. Your final: Marquette 14, Eastern Michigan 5.</p>
<p id="ewqmQi">Meg Bireley continued her hot streak from the <a href="https://www.landgrantholyland.com">Ohio State</a> game, going for five goals here, although it did take her 15 shots to get there. Leigh Steiner was right behind her with four..... on 13 shots. That’s not great for Ye Olde Efficiency And Shooting Percentage, but hey, the final score was good, so it’s fine. Brynna Nixon made six saves, and any time you come out ahead between saves and goals allowed, that’s a good day as a women’s lacrosse goalie.</p>
<p id="ytUB5l">How about some highlights, courtesy of <a href="http://GoMarquette.com">GoMarquette.com</a> and FloSports?</p>
<div id="RJiWXP"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8ROcb2gKHHE?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="Zbntzp"><strong>Up Next:</strong> Marquette has two more home games against Michigan squads coming up next weekend. First up is Central Michigan for a 3pm Central start on Friday at Valley Fields, and they’ll be followed by #6 <a href="https://www.maizenbrew.com">Michigan</a> on Sunday at noon Central. FloSports will have both broadcasts. The Chippewas moved to 1-9 on the season by beating Detroit Mercy, 9-8, in their MAC league opener on Sunday afternoon, while the Wolverines are a perfect 10-0 and probably moving up in the rankings after beating #15 Penn 6-5 on Saturday afternoon.</p>
https://www.anonymouseagle.com/2024/3/17/24104220/marquette-golden-eagles-womens-lacrosse-game-recap-eastern-michigan-eagles-bireley-steinerBrewtown Andy2024-03-17T08:38:08-05:002024-03-17T08:38:08-05:00It’s Selection Sunday For Marquette WBB!
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<img alt="COLLEGE BASKETBALL: MAR 10 Big East Women’s Tournament - Marquette vs UConn" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mCktVTKrWNGwAkqxazWa3qUFNDk=/0x0:3900x2600/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73213068/2066790485.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>We’re counting down the hours to find out whether the Golden Eagles earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.</p> <p id="ZICZIi">Hello and welcome to Selection Sunday 2024!</p>
<p id="YeyJVN">Later today, we’re going to find out exactly which 68 teams are in the 2024 NCAA women’s basketball national championship tournament. It’s going to be a little bit nerve wracking for the average <a href="https://www.anonymouseagle.com">Marquette</a> fan, as the Golden Eagles are not guaranteed to be part of the field. More on that in a second, but here’s where Marquette stands in terms of their NCAA team sheet on Sunday morning:</p>
<p id="KgfrTF"><strong>Record: </strong>23-8<br><strong>NET: </strong>#40<br><strong>Her Hoop Stats:</strong> #42</p>
<p id="LkYH0w"><strong>Record vs NET 1-25: </strong>1-4<br><strong>vs 26-50:</strong> 1-0<br><strong>vs 51-100:</strong> 6-4<br><strong>vs 101+:</strong> 15-0</p>
<p id="e93XT1">I think that we can all agree that if Marquette gets left out of the NCAA tournament, it’s because they went 0-4 against <a href="https://www.vuhoops.com">Villanova</a> and St. John’s in the regular season, as those are the four sub-50 losses. If they get in, it might be because they got the win over Villanova in the Big East tournament quarterfinals to move them two games over .500 in that 51-100 section. It’s too bad that Villanova comes to rest at #52 here, as Marquette holding a 2-2 record against 26-50 and 5-3 against 51-100 would look an awful lot better. </p>
<p id="51N2ld">But so would 10-0 against 51-100, and all four losses to St. John’s and Villanova were completely avoidable. These are the things that you have to worry about when the league schedule hands you seven sub-100 games and the NCAA doesn’t do the home/road/neutral splits like they do for men’s basketball.</p>
<p id="VurhWS">You wanna do those real quick while we’re here? Alrighty then....</p>
<p id="omlXKR"><strong>Quadrant 1:</strong> 2-5<br><strong>Quadrant 2:</strong> 9-2<br><strong>Quadrant 3:</strong> 5-1<br><strong>Quadrant 4:</strong> 7-0</p>
<p id="Zt0EaG">I’m not saying that’s wildly beneficial to Marquette because you’d count everyone’s games the same way and who knows how everyone shifts as a result..... but moving eight of Marquette’s wins out of the last and easiest to disregard column.... man, that feels like that would be important. 9-2 against Column 2 instead of 1-0 feels like a difference maker, too.</p>
<p id="UVauOa">Fun Fact: <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/ncaab?referrer=singular_click_id%3d9b9ce4c0-adb3-4227-9d91-dda8bea755ad&wpcid=166791&wpcn=Inartcile&wpcrid=CBB&wpsrc=Vox">DraftKings</a> will give you +100,000 odds on Marquette winning the NCAA tournament right now! I’m honored just to be mentioned, to be honest. There are 43 teams with better odds and the Golden Eagles are amongst a big group of teams at +100,000.</p>
<p id="mQkH6P"><a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/30423107/ncaa-women-bracketology-2024-women-college-basketball-projections">ESPN’s Charlie Creme</a> last updated his bracket on Saturday night, and he has Marquette Last Four In, but the best of those four. Megan Gauer last updated her projection on <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/bracketology/">Her Hoop Stats</a> on Saturday morning, and she also has the Golden Eagles as the best of the Last Four. <a href="https://www.collegesportsmadness.com/womens-basketball/bracketology">College Sports Madness</a> has their projection marked for March 17th, so it’s fresh this morning and here Marquette is a 10 seed avoiding the First Four and playing #7 Louisville in the first round. Finally, <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/womens-college-basketball/news/womens-bracketology-gonzagas-shocking-wcc-tournament-loss-has-ripple-effects-throughout-field/">CBS Sports</a> put together a projection on March 13th, long after the Big East tournament was over, and here Connor Groel has Marquette as the second best Last Four In team.</p>
<h3 id="Q0jmEh">2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Selection Show</h3>
<p id="5h6QT0"><strong>Date:</strong> Sunday, March 12, 2024<br><strong>Time: </strong>7pm Central<br><strong>Television: </strong>ESPN<br><strong>Streaming: </strong><a href="http://watchespn.com/"><strong>WatchESPN.com</strong></a></p>
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https://www.anonymouseagle.com/2024/3/17/24103277/selection-sunday-bracket-reveal-live-stream-espn-watch-online-ncaa-tournament-marquette-basketballBrewtown Andy2024-03-17T07:36:40-05:002024-03-17T07:36:40-05:00How to live stream the 2024 NCAA men’s tournament selection show
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<img alt="Marquette men’s basketball starters waiting to be introduced at the 2024 Big East tournament semifinals." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gcxntn6T0fPHCSoxYQ5TmHiE9hs=/1x0:3624x2415/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73212996/2089594983.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Just sitting and waiting to see what’s next...... | Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>We’re going to find out how Marquette starts their quest for Phoenix later today!</p> <p id="zAtmIL">Hello and welcome to Selection Sunday 2024!</p>
<p id="n3Nib2">Later today, we’re going to find out the full list of the 68 teams that will be participating in the 2024 NCAA men’s basketball national championship tournament. As <a href="https://www.anonymouseagle.com">Marquette</a> fans, we can wait for the Selection Show this evening in relative peace as it’s a stone cold lock that the Golden Eagles will be in the field. It’s just the same lock that it was last year after MU won the Big East tournament to secure the league’s automatic bid to the tournament.</p>
<p id="ExrxQk">Here’s what Marquette’s general NCAA selection profile looks like this morning, although the committee has all but locked the 68 teams into the field already. Shouts to <a href="http://WarrenNolan.com">WarrenNolan.com</a> for <a href="https://www.warrennolan.com/basketball/2024/net-teamsheets-plus">the team sheets</a> with all the non-NET ranking info.</p>
<p id="1eSyHn"><strong>Record:</strong> 25-9<br><strong>KenPom:</strong> #12<br><strong>KPI:</strong> #13<br><strong>BPI:</strong> #13<br><strong>Strength of Record:</strong> #6 <br><strong>NET: </strong>#13</p>
<h3 id="3lNAPH">NET Record Breakdown</h3>
<p id="Z70Fgd"><strong>Quadrant 1:</strong> 9-8<br><strong>Quadrant 2: </strong>6-1<br><strong>Quadrant 3:</strong> 4-0<br><strong>Quadrant 4: </strong>6-0</p>
<p id="yGRPnM">Without knowing anything for sure about the bracket yet, <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/ncaab?referrer=singular_click_id%3d9b9ce4c0-adb3-4227-9d91-dda8bea755ad&wpcid=166791&wpcn=Inartcile&wpcrid=CBB&wpsrc=Vox">DraftKings</a> says that Marquette has the ninth best odds to win the NCAA tournament this season, slotting them in at +2200 right now. <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com">UConn</a> is the only Big East team ahead of the Golden Eagles, but they are the favorite to win right now at +450.</p>
<p id="xlwARg">As I look at it a little after 7 AM on Sunday morning in Milwaukee,<a href="http://bracketmatrix.com"> Bracket Matrix</a> has run an update labeled “March 17th,” so sometimes before I woke up. Marquette is the second best #2 seed while appearing on all 101 brackets that are in the Matrix this time around. Their average is exactly 2.00, and at a glance, it appears that all 101 projections have Marquette as a #2 seed. That has them alongside Tennessee, Arizona, and <a href="https://www.widerightnattylite.com">Iowa State</a> as the #2 seeds. The #15 seeds that would slot in as the first round opponents are Western Kentucky, Long Beach State, South Dakota State, and Longwood.</p>
<p id="yHUkhz">Elsewhere in the Big East, it looks like UConn’s victory over Marquette in the Big East championship game has propelled the Huskies to the tippy top spot in the field. The top three seeds all average out at 1.00, and they’re not in alphabetical order since the Matrix lists Purdue ahead of Houston. Creighton comes in as the second best #3 seed..... and that’s it. St. John’s appears on 83 of the brackets, Seton Hall on 34, and Providence on 14. That’s not good enough to get into the field in this collection of 101 projections, and even if they appeared on more and were thus more deserving, all three have an average positioning lower than <a href="https://www.goodbullhunting.com">Texas A&M</a> at 10.50 as the last at-large team in the field.</p>
<h2 id="DJKgZx">2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Selection Show</h2>
<p id="giIuv6"><strong>Date:</strong> Sunday, March 17, 2024<br><strong>Time:</strong> 5pm Central<br><strong>Television:</strong> CBS<br><strong>Streaming:</strong> <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live/watch"><strong>March Madness Live</strong></a></p>
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https://www.anonymouseagle.com/2024/3/17/24101938/selection-sunday-bracket-reveal-live-stream-cbs-watch-online-ncaa-tournament-marquette-basketballBrewtown Andy