I think today was a good Senior Day, not Great.
I would grade the game a C+
We did what we are supposed to do every game. That is Par for the Course and worth a B, but I have downgraded it to a C+ for the piss poor defense and bad defensive rebounding. Oregon is not good. They never were good. We should have won by 30 or 40. I think the Selection Committee knows we are susceptible to going down and will set us up for it.
Being ran out of the gym in the 2nd Half is Troubling to me. Losing 53-52 in the 2nd half with a guy basically hanging 35pts on you in just the 2nd half is deplorable. It is borderline irredeemable.
There was no effort whatsoever to guard "Cuisinart"
When the chips are down, you cannot count on blowing teams out by 20-25. You have to shut down that type of player before it becomes a problem. If we had a 3 or 4 minute drought, the way that kid was playing, we could have lost this game.
Tommy better Coach these players. That was unacceptable.
I do hope we finish strong this season. I hope that we can finish the story. The Pac10/12 hasn't won a single Dance since 1997. We have been the chosen ones for many decades. If this team can't get it done then I don't see a path for Tommy to get it done going forward.
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If nothing, I am honest. I don't subscribe to Feel Good Moments that are meaningless. If we clinch the Pac12 Title that is a worthy Feel Good Moment. If we win the Pac12 Banner that is a Feel Good Moment. If we win 6 games in March Madness that is a Feel Good Moment. Winning 4 games is NOT a Feel Good Moment to me. I do not rank a Final Four Appearance as anything more than 1 more win than an Elite 8 Appearance. It does not prove anything that isn't expected. Especially as a 1 or 2 seed more than anything.
Let's get down to business Tommy. Don't lose the locker room and don't get anyone hurt either. I'm not putting up with an Annual Pac12 Tourney key injury. Nope. Not this year.
Your bar was obviously set low over the past 20 years. Making a final four is a HUGE improvement over an elite eight.
Your school is on a permanent banner, your recruits recognize the national attention and the media treats you like royalty for an entire week, while your program is discussed as a prospective national champion.
The one thing that bothered me most is the way we played off the pick and roll.
Boswell would not fight through as hard as he normally does, and Ballo continued to drop to stop the drive.
My issue with this is they knocked down enough mid-range jumpers that SHOULD have called for Lloyd to make an adjustment.
Even if that is having Ballo press up, or having Boswell go under the screen, but something should have been done.
#BearDown
Quote from: KansasCityCats on March 03, 2024, 05:32:59 AMYour bar was obviously set low over the past 20 years. Making a final four is a HUGE improvement over an elite eight.
Your school is on a permanent banner, your recruits recognize the national attention and the media treats you like royalty for an entire week, while your program is discussed as a prospective national champion.
Treating these kids like royalty for a week? Lol. That actually comes off as toxic and sort of a dangerous concept for these NIL Kids.
It will always be 1 win more than an Elite 8 unless it is a National Championship.
I have never once heard a commentator this year say Keshad "FINAL FOUR LEGEND" Johnson for the Slam! I also haven't heard Caleb "FINAL FOUR MYTHOLOGICAL HERO" Love from 3.
Just saying.
It's similar to NFL players "making" the Super Bowl. Constant media attention and banners that will permanently hang as a losing memory.
Yes, I agree that it seems silly but final fours go on a program resume. When you think about Lute's legacy, we all immediately think of "four final fours and one national title". I couldn't tell you how many elite eights he made.