This shouldn’t happen to me any more.

As a senior in college I have to be smarter than this. Yet here I am, a victim of my own gullibility.

When you last opened the pages of the Tribune, beloved readers, the Marquette men’s basketball team was on top of the world, fresh off a victory in the fortress of doom that is the Kohl Center and a buzzer beater over Washington at Madison Square Garden. The Golden Eagles were 8-0 and running on all cylinders.

I should have known better than to go all in.

You see I’m a very vulnerable person when it comes to sports. I hate dropping my guard and buying into the hype because it leaves me open to vicious, heartrending blows.

With Marquette winning where no one wins and taking a game it had no business taking, I was convinced this team was the real deal.

So I bit for the top-10 ranking and undefeated record. I let the perception of invulnerability overtake the reality of mediocrity. I drank the blue and gold Kool-Aid, and boy, did I ever pay the price.

With one final winter break left in my life, I vowed to make it unforgettable. No, I wasn’t going to an exquisite beach in Mexico or on a soul-stirring service trip in a Third World country. I was simply going home to Worth, Ill., to spend good, quality time with my friends and family.

It was only too fitting then, that the Warriors were showing off their brand spanking new No. 10 ranking on the first weeknight of freedom against a sub-par Louisiana State team. I was ready to show off my pride and joy to the family, ready for them to soak in DJO jumpers and Vander Blue dunks with awe and amazement.

Nope. After a torrid start Marquette’s offense stagnated and … you know the rest. As much as it was difficult to watch, I realized Marquette couldn’t win them all and this was just a fluke result. No big deal.

After a ho-hum victory over Wisconsin-Milwaukee put things back in order, I decided to make the 90-minute drive up here to show my fiancée the joys of Marquette home games as the Golden Eagles took on Vanderbilt.

Terrible decision.

In what was easily the most discouraging and pathetic effort by the Golden Eagles under Buzz Williams, the Commodores ran them out of the gym 74-57, and it wasn’t even that close.

After a trip to Caffrey’s helped drown out the sorrows and suicidal thoughts — kidding — I began to calm down and jumped straight back on the bandwagon. So maybe the SEC had Marquette’s number, but once Big East play began, Buzz and co. would right the ship.

A semi-convincing win over Villanova calmed the nerves a bit as Marquette headed to D.C. to take on the Hoyas.

For those of you unfamiliar with what went down in that game, I can’t bear to type the masterful choke that occurred. You’ll have to look it up on your own. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil.

Let’s just say Marquette was up by what seemed like a million with 13 minutes to go, only to have the lead disappear faster than your beer in someone else’s fridge.

This was the point where I began to see the error of my ways. I had invested too much too quickly. There was still hope though. The Golden Eagles could always shock the world by juicing the No. 1 ranked Orange.

Nada.

Although they did make it interesting by cutting a 20-something first half lead down to two in the second half, in the end it was all for naught. The “L” flag flew for the fourth time in six games, and with it my hopes for a spectacular break.

I didn’t know whether to be mad at the team for smearing egg all over my face, or myself, for falling yet again for smoke and mirrors.

That’s not true at all. It’s my fault completely. Jae Crowder and Jamil Wilson didn’t hold me up and force me to invest so much in the team. It was all on me. I knew the consequences of jumping in so I can’t be mad that my clothes got wet.

It just sucks. One of these winters, as I’m slaving away at a job in the real world — hopefully — Marquette will reward those who went all in. Until then, I will be on the outside looking in.