If the team had beat Gonzaga that would have been the most important game of the season except for the final one. Assuming the final one is one of those tournament games that ends your season.
However, Pope’s boys are sitting on the brink right now and the game tomorrow if it is a loss knocks the stuffing out of their chances at the NCAA. They need to win.
If they win big enough they may have a shot at improving their seed. Though I think that the the better adjective is not big but well enough. The point is that they have to impress to move their seed line up.
If they lose they will likely not have a seed line.
If they win less than impressively they will be stuck at the 8/9 line most prognosticators say.
If they win impressively a large margin with, most importantly a really good defensive effort and another 1.2 plus points per possession offense, then and only then can they get out of the 8/9 then 1 game. Effectively the hardest way to the sweet 16 in the dance.
If they manage to win against LMU at LMU, then like Pope was saying so much last year. Each new game is the most important one…
Any loss from here on out defines the end of the season. Lose to LMU, SanFran, or SMC and no dance. Lose in the dance and end the season…
How far will the team go?
I think they stand a better than the 50/50 shot Pomeroy gives them of finishing out the regular season with all wins. But if they go dancing…what will the matchups be? and how will they react on an extended road trip. The first extended road trip this year included the debacle, probably Pope’s worst loss at BYU, against Enfield’s boys from USC…Does another debacle await?