So disappointing, so kind of expected. That’s the way they’ve looked in the first round for awhile. Doesn’t matter the sport, I just don’t think our athletes have the mind set to win in the post season. I’m just afraid they’re going to stop inviting us eventually.
9 thoughts on “Expect the Expected”
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I concur. The other mindset that I think they have is that if they think they were cheated or underpicked or seeded or whatever, then they don’t play as hard or with as much to prove or something like that.
Totally agree. I’ve got 3 words for them (and this goes along with my other gripe)… Win your tournament! Win that thing and there’s your higher seed right there. Although even if we had won the tournament, I still wouldn’t see us being seeded higher than 6. Seriously, most of the smaller conference teams that are in those 6-13 seeds look stronger than we did.
I do think New Mexico got hosed just a tiny bit. Not so much San Diego St. though. Honestly, the only way I thought they should get in was if they won the tourny and they didn’t so they didn’t get in. And, Utah clearly had no business being a 5 seed. Their fans have got to be as disappointed in their performance as ours.
But back to our problems, I may be jaded toward my generation, but I think the athletic culture from my generation to the current generation went from, “We have some tradition so we need to work our tails off to maintain that,” to, “We have some tradition so we’re entitled to more respect then we’re getting.”
Not having cable, that was the first look I got at them this year. Hopefully that wasn’t a typical game. It gave me Chapel Hill High flashbacks. They shot threes like our JV team (way too early/often, and made not enough to make a difference, but just enough to keep them shooting). Of course you get lots of threes from a team that’s not confident going inside. And I can see why. Is Mills always that soft? Can he make a move without putting the ball on the floor? Does he always fade in the paint like he’s afraid of contact or getting his shot blocked? (Questions I’ve asked about our CHHS guys this year.) Are MWC guys that intimidated by Big 12 bodies? What’s wrong with going up strong and getting to the line (same with dribble “penetration”)? Too many missed bunnies too. Does Cummard hit layups, or just midrange and farther?
On a side note, I couldn’t believe Hartsock only a Frosh. He looks like he’s older than Jere, and that’s OLD.
A live by the three, die by the three team is never going to get a high seed. They need more balance as far as inside-outside production. Again, this was only time I’ve seen them play, so hopefully it was Big Dance jitters (like a brand new Teacher at his first Tri-Stake Dance, even though this wasn’t their first). They’re better than that right? Is this what we have to look forward to for next year? Josh, Steve, ANYONE, say it ain’t so!
Answers:
Always soft: Yes
Make a move: No
Always fade: Yes
Intimidated: Us = Yes, rest of MWC = usually No, except this year (Utah)
Better than that: No
What we have to look forward to: Yes
Oh, and despite the “media”, Cummard is NOT our best player. He did not come up big in any of our big games this year, and in only one I think did he play to his “media” expected potential. I think it’s safe to say that what you saw out of him matched the other big games we’ve had this year.
In my opinion, Fredette and Tavernari are our best players, and having Tavernari battle foul trouble all game really hurt us.
We were an outside shooting team all year. And you can see where that got us. Personally, I’m a little relieved we did not win that A&M game, Uconn would have absolutely destroyed us. The Huskies 7’3″ center (to go with their 6’10” forwards) would have had a field day, we would not have had any free throws because the only shots we’d be able to attempt would be from 15 feet and beyond.
Some things to cheer me up though, AZ is still in, despite the fact that they hosed a bunch of other teams to get in. I’m glad they’re still going, but really, they should have been NIT bound. And my Wolverines actually looked promising. I liked what I saw in both their win and their loss. I’ve got real hope for the basketball future (football is still up in the air for next season though). And finally, Lawson was like the NBA… Fantastic! I hope his toe holds up.
Freakin BYU internet……I had a huge response written and lost it all when it made me resign in to the server. Basically, it talked about how I don’t see any change any time soon based on recruiting news. Sure, we’re replacing our talented guards and whatnot, but even when we do recruit a big, they aren’t that big. EX is this Davies kid who is 6-8 and growing (he goes to Provo High and is mentioned in the e-mails Liss sends) and has a lot of potential, but I fear that he’ll get there and no one will be able to help him get the most of that potential. I mean, Araujo and Plaisted were pretty good players, but neither were what I’d call a dominant big (like the bigs of the Big East, or Tyler Hansbrough). Araujo was a more developed big then Plaisted, but both could’ve been a lot better. I agree with Justin; there just isn’t a good balance in the BYU program, and I don’t see one coming anytime soon.
AND ANOTHER THING….
I didn’t realize JT played the 4 until I read it in that forwarded message from Melissa. Isn’t the 4 supposed to be your “power” forward? Seems like our Cougs have more of a 1, 2, 2, 2, 5 lineup (or maybe a 1,2,2,3,5) instead of the traditional 1,2,3,4,5 positions.
In all fairness though, few programs are in a position where they recruit to be the best in the nation. Most are more concerned with being competitive in their conference, and in that light, what they’re doing seems to be working alright.
In other news, Jere I have to honestly say that I was pulling for Clemson in the first round. The farther each team goes, the more money they get, and with the revenue sharing in the ACC that means the farther everyone else goes, ultimately the more money WE get. Too bad everyone else but Duke bowed out early (at least Maryland, as a lower seed, got to the second round). BUT I SOOOOOO wanted the maize and blue to beat Oklahoma. That would have been sweet.
Yeah, it’s sad really. Goes along the lines with the last email Melissa forwarded. We’ve just got to lower our expectations. The goals with the Y’s sports program is no longer to challenge nationally. I think their image is priority one. And quite frankly, with them lowering their recruiting pool even further than back in my day, they just can not get the talent they need to compete on a national level. They’ll always be good in conference, but not so much on the big stage. They can’t even get the best of the LDS talent anymore (football or basketball). And honestly, basketball-wise, I’m not expecting a national championship or final four appearance, but win in the first round for crying out loud. And make it to the sweet sixteen a couple time every decade. It’s sad to say that my blue blood is starting to become maize and blue the more I’m here.
And how did the Y come to this? I call it the Rick’s College effect. Ever since that place was renamed BYU-Idaho, things have just never been the same. We were supposed to influence their campus not the other way around! LOL
Oh yeah, Justin you were pretty close with your line-ups. But even more accurate is the famous 1, 2, 2, 2.5, 4 line! ;)
Dissing on my school?! That’s just wrong. What does Ricks (correct spelling by the way) changing to BYU-Idaho have to do with the current state of the program? I don’t think any of the current players came from there unless they chose the Y because it has an actual competitive sports program.
Deal Cass, I speak the truth! LOL
You’ve got to look at this from a broader perspective than just sports. Rick’s has always had WAY more strict “standards” than the Y. And when the whole change to BYU-Idaho happened, those more strict standards started migrating their way south. Some of those standards that I’ve heard from you and from friends that went there I feel are just over the top ridiculous. So how does this affect sports, recruiting. The honor code is more strict now than when I was in school. I’m LDS, and I wouldn’t want to go to school there now. Imagine how a non-member recruit would view that. Oh wait, we don’t recruit non-members anymore! (jk, I’m sure there’s some out there… somewhere… maybe?)
We’ll never see a Jim McMahon go through there again. And gone are the days where a talent like Ty Detmer comes in and is baptized before they graduate. These people can’t even get into the school now. We just don’t spread the gospel that way anymore. ;)