redmannorth post=460102 said:
Beast of the East post=460101 said:
This is a really important game to win, even though the light on NCAA candle is all but out. There is a real chance to finish the regular season at 9-10, which would not be the horrible season that many are projecting.
We are really close to being a good team, and its important they don't pack it in too soon. DePaul is far from a pushover, nor is Xavier. IF we are at full strength I like our chances.
I don’t think anyone is saying it is a horrible season but there are many who are saying they are disappointed in how the season has turned out so far in light of our being ranked number 4 in the conference by the experts. Expectations were high and for a fan based starved of success we were all hoping this would be the season we turn the corner, dance and even win a tournament game for the first time in 20 years. We brought in a few senior transfers who have danced, Wheeler, Mathis, Smith so the expectations were not unrealistic considering they were joined by the leagues rookie of the year and returning leading scorer. Unfortunately for all the reasons that have been listed thousands of times over the course of the last 4 months it has not turned out to be the season we planned or hoped on having.
Horrible certainly not considering some of the bad breaks we have had, disappointing yes.
First of all, I'm looking forward to your renewed annual trips to the Hamptons, and hope to see you this summer. It's been good to get to know you.
Everyone is disappointed, so not going to entertain just how disappointed. We would both agree that at least some of the reaction to losses have been at worst extreme. We've all sat through entire seasons where we didn't have a prayer in games against ranked opponents, and this hasn't been the case.
I think what you are referring to as experts was the preseason coaches poll, which I think is primarily designed not as a deeply analytical tool, but to generate interest as a new piece in the upcoming season. Still, it created reasonably high expectations for our fans, and justifiably so.
Coaching college basketball is very much teaching. Yes, there is tons at stake for highly compensated individuals that coach, but their "students" have tons to learn about the game, playing in front of big crowds and TV, and being in the national spotlight. Unlike the pros, every game results in reviewing a ton of tape (not only for coaches but all players do also), reviewing what went wrong and how to correct.
Even Kentucky has suffered through seasons where a top 5 recruiting class comes in and disappoints in terms of results. Of course they are starting at a much higher point in terms of talent,, so for Kentucky being unranked or merely ranked around 30 is unacceptable. For us, if we stumble we are far below that. That's just where our program is right now.
If you are around the program, you don't get the sense that these are failures running the show feeling their way in the dark, but guys who know there is a lot of work to be done. Both CMA and staff and the AD knew this was a ground up rebuild from the moment they arrived.
Everything, and I mean everything is being addressed. Addressing outdated facilities, increasing fundraising, attracting fans to games, improving staff, recruiting higher level players, everything. They are all interconnected. For now they need all the support fans can possibly give them. I believe its important to recognize the enormous challenge of a program that has been mismanaged, underfunded, with many aspects of the program neglected for decades.
It's not bad luck or a fluke that we haven't made a run in the NCAAs in nearly 25 years. It's all of the above. It's an enormous lift, and we will need as many of our 170,000 alumni to support this effort. The push has begun, and Father Shanley is actively involved with the Athletic department, Chris Vaupel, and many others.
This time around things are different. You can't put bandaids on severe problems. Everything must be addressed, and they are, at the highest levels of the university.
