the Nojus thing was actually pretty disappointing. If he couldn't see the floor this year with all the injuries, I have major concerns.
Disappointing season
- Thread starter alexssdean12
- Start date
the Nojus thing was actually pretty disappointing. If he couldn't see the floor this year with all the injuries, I have major concerns.
Even when they were projected as a 1 seed Tarvik (which isn't everything but at least is a calculation) had them at like 7-8 losses so they were probably going to not sustain it to get a 1 seed.
Jay Bilas got ripped for saying back then that this team could beat or lose to anyone, and I think he was pretty spot on. They had the moving parts to be difficult for good teams to beat, but not the athleticism to automatically win.
You said what I couldn't say when I created this thread. We can be two things at once, content and excited about where this program is overall and also incredibly disappointed in how this season turned out.
I think it's possible for two things to be true at once. It's possible to be very thankful for the program stability we have and the fact we have been in the Top 25 and safely in the tournament the last 4 years. Alot of programs never recover from a year like Prohm's last year. You look at once proud programs like Syracuse, Notre Dame, Okie State, Florida State, TCU, etc.-- they are totally dead in the water.
You can also acknowledge that there's another gear we have to figure out a way to kick into. We thought we maybe had it this year, and we didn't. I do think we have to reevaulate depth and the way we play and practice. That was a tired team we saw tonight. And I think you can also acknowledge that TJ's insistance on playing as hard as they do while also cutting off his bench at 3 is a questionable coaching method. He's got to figure out a way to force some depth.
He's the right guy for the challenge and I have no doubt he's up early this morning trying to figure out what went wrong. So a disappointing season? Yes, it is based on where we thought we'd be in December. But it's also a bit of a splash of cold water to realize there are some things conceptually that need to change.
You can also acknowledge that there's another gear we have to figure out a way to kick into. We thought we maybe had it this year, and we didn't. I do think we have to reevaulate depth and the way we play and practice. That was a tired team we saw tonight. And I think you can also acknowledge that TJ's insistance on playing as hard as they do while also cutting off his bench at 3 is a questionable coaching method. He's got to figure out a way to force some depth.
He's the right guy for the challenge and I have no doubt he's up early this morning trying to figure out what went wrong. So a disappointing season? Yes, it is based on where we thought we'd be in December. But it's also a bit of a splash of cold water to realize there are some things conceptually that need to change.
Player development is a concern. The best athlete in the team, Watson, didn't see the floor much all year. And what about Indrusaitis? Rock?
The short answer is they'll all be gone.
You really cannot blame them, they come here to play, not sit and cheer. It's the way the sport has changed, either play me or I am going somewhere else, that will. With the transfer portal, immediate eligibility and pay for play, most of these players are not going to stay at any school if they are not getting playing time or a large bag of money.
There are plenty of examples of players that have seen tremendous growth under this coaching staff. CuJo, Bob Jones, Ward to name a few. Not everybody has the ceiling to be a high major D1 player.
I don't know if the outcome changes last night with healthy Gilbert. Ole Miss shot the ball extremely well and really got after us in the halfcourt. Even if we win last night, I think MSU would have been a large hill to climb(remind me of Texas Tech, but with a better pg). Do we have a better chance with Gilbert, yes, but it just felt like Ole Miss night.
The season as a whole was an extreme disappointment. The tournament not so much. 14% of us voted they would lose in the 2nd round in that poll last week. Unfortunately the writing had been on the wall for weeks now.
I'm sorry if I come across very blunt on here and my style offends people, but sometimes I feel like people need a reality check. The reality is we don't have the horses to replace an All Big-12 second team guard,we just don't. Heise is a good bench player but we were misisbg the heart and soul of this team for 2 years now. All the drama surrounding his injury is a bad distraction, but the main issue is he's not on the floor and healthy. That's why I was being so negative in thre Keahon thread last week. Some of it is being mad at the coaching staff, some of it is being extremely disappointed in him personally.
2nd point is we absolutely should not have been a 3 seed given the circumstances. I made my views very clear last week that I thought TJ gamed the system which obviously rubbed people the wrong way even though it was true.
3rd point is you absolutely can't have a walk-on playing in the NCAA tourney. It means you failed big time at roster building. Kade gave it is all, but no serious team would have a walk-on playing significantly. Yes he held his own against Lipscomb, no he cannot compete with guards from the SEC once the competition ramps up. I'm not sure how many of you have been to an NCAA tournament game, but they play like their lives depend on it. It's whole different level.
I guess I've a at least learned to temper expectations going forward. I'm not real sure what we accomplished this year besides beating Tech on the road, the rest we were either favored in or had a horrible loss.
I guess the lesson learned is never to expect anything coming off a really good year no matter the hype or returning players. 2015 snd 2025 basketball, 2021 football are just some examples where we come off a historic season then get worse the next year.
I guess it's on to portal season at this point and see what kind of roster we can put together next year.
I'm sorry if I come across very blunt on here and my style offends people, but sometimes I feel like people need a reality check. The reality is we don't have the horses to replace an All Big-12 second team guard,we just don't. Heise is a good bench player but we were misisbg the heart and soul of this team for 2 years now. All the drama surrounding his injury is a bad distraction, but the main issue is he's not on the floor and healthy. That's why I was being so negative in thre Keahon thread last week. Some of it is being mad at the coaching staff, some of it is being extremely disappointed in him personally.
2nd point is we absolutely should not have been a 3 seed given the circumstances. I made my views very clear last week that I thought TJ gamed the system which obviously rubbed people the wrong way even though it was true.
3rd point is you absolutely can't have a walk-on playing in the NCAA tourney. It means you failed big time at roster building. Kade gave it is all, but no serious team would have a walk-on playing significantly. Yes he held his own against Lipscomb, no he cannot compete with guards from the SEC once the competition ramps up. I'm not sure how many of you have been to an NCAA tournament game, but they play like their lives depend on it. It's whole different level.
I guess I've a at least learned to temper expectations going forward. I'm not real sure what we accomplished this year besides beating Tech on the road, the rest we were either favored in or had a horrible loss.
I guess the lesson learned is never to expect anything coming off a really good year no matter the hype or returning players. 2015 snd 2025 basketball, 2021 football are just some examples where we come off a historic season then get worse the next year.
I guess it's on to portal season at this point and see what kind of roster we can put together next year.
If you want to see what real disappointment looks like, let’s go ahead and field a team next year with a $0 payroll. Keep complaining
Increased usage from Milan and Jefferson. Lipsey playing true PG. Other than that, maybe Nojus or one of the true freshman, maybe JT Rock.
It has been rough, but I'd define it more as adversity, not drama.
You just hope one of the freshman is ready to start right away and he can bring in a portal guard.
We have no idea what the team will look like next year. The portal just opened today. I imagine Lipsey will stay. Other than him who knows who will leave or come.
