that this could be our year because Western and USA were down this year, and my reply was something like, I'll believe it when I see it. I don't think those guys are ever down very far. They seem to be able to recruit a higher level of talent than we have been able to do. We seem to be able to compete for the division most years, but can't seem to beat the other division when it counts. I know the answer to our problem. Recruit better players than the other teams. How to do it? That I don't know. We have a great bunch of kids who played their butts off all season, and they should be proud of what they accomplished. 23 or 24 D1 wins is quite an accomplishment. I thank them for a great season. This loss tonight can't diminish their accomplishments.

I don't know who does the recruiting, but we need a better one. A post earlier said people say this may be the best recruiting class ever coming in. But all we got was a decent (not great) player who won't fit in Sheilds' system (because he can actually play offense) and a couple of middling juco transfers. In my current, enraged mood, I can't imagine Bozeman being anything more than an ok but not great player like Smith or Patterson. He played for a bottom feeder in a big conference, just like Smith and Patterson did.

I'm sure next year or the following one, we'll have another Western Championship, we'll get all excited like we do every year, and then we'll fall flat on our face and underachieve, just like we do every year. And our hearts will be broken again.

You know, I'd still be bitterly disappointed, but I wouldn't so much have minded if we lost tonight, just so long as we hadn't lost in such a pathetic, hapless manner. These players deserved better than their coaches have given them this and every year before.