Anybody who thinks we lost because of lack of heart and effort has no idea what they're talking about. That is an incredibly simplistic and uninformed assessment.
We lost this game in the first two minutes. And it might have been in part because they were too pumped up, ready to give all their heart and effort, desperate to make their mark in this huge moment. We had an unassisted Heron missed three, a missed LJ layup (off a good screen and pass) and a made Ponds three pointer from nearly halfcourt. I think he hit an event deeper one a little later. What we needed was composure and calm. Crisply pass the ball around, get everybody involved and relaxed. Take good, in-the-flow shots. Show we are going to be tough, cohesive unit. What we showed instead was panic. ASU knew they had us right there. The more we played panic ball, the worse our execution got. Everybody played nervously; desperately, and it just fed on itself. And the proof was terrible shooting and mistakes everywhere. I wish we'd stop talking about heart and effort. It's a basic prerequisite at this level. If that's what it took we'd all be out there playing. We forced a ton of turnovers, fought for rebounds and loose balls. Our guys gave everything. They just weren't ready and they didn't deliver.
