(03-09-2024 03:05 AM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  

(03-08-2024 11:22 PM)emanoh Wrote:  

(03-08-2024 10:28 PM)Rocket_Fanatic Wrote:  Props to Kowalcyk. Well done this season. I won’t even be mad if we don’t win the mac tourney. Good season

I sort of feel the same way. After losing 90% of our offense to graduation and the portal, and starting two freshman, winning the MAC and earning a #1 seed, was not on my radar. We've arguably had more talented teams, but the grittiness of this team ground out alot of those victories.

We had a few that could have gone in the win column. Lost by a bucket to Indiana State who is leading the Missouri Valley Conf. The double overtime loss to App State who is leading the Sunbelt. Our 3 point loss to CMU was another close one. Only loss that churned my butter was the NIU loss. The BG loss was a trap game and they were ready for us. Other than the NIU game, the only other game I saw that we just played tragically was Vermont. They ran us out of our own gym.

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F it. The worst draw we could have we got. So let's do this in style. I expect to win it now. Us against the world. Tod isnt the best but Gross isnt either.

Believe. At least for 5 more days.

What makes you look at this and think it’s the worst draw we could have gotten?

(03-09-2024 03:05 AM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  

(03-08-2024 11:22 PM)emanoh Wrote:  

(03-08-2024 10:28 PM)Rocket_Fanatic Wrote:  Props to Kowalcyk. Well done this season. I won’t even be mad if we don’t win the mac tourney. Good season

I sort of feel the same way. After losing 90% of our offense to graduation and the portal, and starting two freshman, winning the MAC and earning a #1 seed, was not on my radar. We've arguably had more talented teams, but the grittiness of this team ground out alot of those victories.

We had a few that could have gone in the win column. Lost by a bucket to Indiana State who is leading the Missouri Valley Conf. The double overtime loss to App State who is leading the Sunbelt. Our 3 point loss to CMU was another close one. Only loss that churned my butter was the NIU loss. The BG loss was a trap game and they were ready for us. Other than the NIU game, the only other game I saw that we just played tragically was Vermont. They ran us out of our own gym.

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F it. The worst draw we could have we got. So let's do this in style. I expect to win it now. Us against the world. Tod isnt the best but Gross isnt either.

Believe. At least for 5 more days.

What makes you look at this and think it’s the worst draw we could have gotten?

Compared to the other three regular season championships, this may be the weaker team of them all - so, of course this is the year we make it to The Dance . Then we will get a 14 seed and get smoked in the first round.... Or is this team that weak? May have the most depth of all the teams, and therefore could very well be better rested on day 3 - assuming they make it to day 3. Or even Day 2. This is a tough team to figure out, but I like the toughness that Simmons brings to the middle, and Cochran brings to the rest of the floor. Two guys that were not around for last year's tourney. The guys that won't back down - and I would put Moss in that category as well, although he might be a little more prone to making mistakes trying to "undo" a mistake. Let's see how this goes. Could very well be that when expectations are low - they can be easier to reach. I know that doesn't make sense, but neither has this season.

(03-09-2024 08:22 AM)MotoRocket Wrote:  Compared to the other three regular season championships, this may be the weaker team of them all - so, of course this is the year we make it to The Dance . Then we will get a 14 seed and get smoked in the first round.... Or is this team that weak? May have the most depth of all the teams, and therefore could very well be better rested on day 3 - assuming they make it to day 3. Or even Day 2. This is a tough team to figure out, but I like the toughness that Simmons brings to the middle, and Cochran brings to the rest of the floor. Two guys that were not around for last year's tourney. The guys that won't back down - and I would put Moss in that category as well, although he might be a little more prone to making mistakes trying to "undo" a mistake. Let's see how this goes. Could very well be that when expectations are low - they can be easier to reach. I know that doesn't make sense, but neither has this season.

Less overall talent, but by far the toughest physically and mentally of the last 4 teams.

(03-09-2024 07:52 AM)bdunrocket Wrote:  Go Rockets! As diehard Rocket fans we basically are born to be negative and automatically look for the worst to happen.
This team has been put together with baling wire, bubble gum and card board with a sprinkle of talent, hard work and determination thrown in. Probably K and his staff’s best job yet.
I say we just enjoy this as best as we can. Almost like an extra Christmas present you did not know was there.

What you say is why I posted a few weeks back about Coach K deserving a hard look as Coach of the year. Picked 4th. Lost a ton of talent, including the MAC player of the year. We start two freshman and a lineup that would be blocked out by the front row of a kindergarten class photo. Nobody expected this team to be where we are. Coach used the first part of the season to shuffle the deck and experiment with line ups. We hoped Wight would be out solution at the 5 spot, but weve seen where that has gone. He's gone deeper on our bench than ever. We still don't have a real center.

The toughness of this team is unlike any I've seen in the Coach K era. The teams the last three years were arguably better offensively. We outscored opponents and were pretty, but they would wilt with adversity. This team clawed their way through the season. Won a bunch of close games early, lost a few close games. That early home game comeback vs Lousiana as indicative of the season. The only two we just blew were Vermont and George Mason. I'd like the BG and NIU games back, but the Rockets got the last two after playing down to their competition. Cleveland hasn't been fun for us, but as we saw at the end of the MAC season, anyone can win this....so why not us?

Looking ahead to next year, I'm not feeling that we are losing anyone to the portal. Cant speak to the end of the bench. All of our starters should be back. This group plays better as a team and I'm not feeling that anyone has any realistic pro aspirations and wants to go P5. They would all be better off to return and run it back. On any given night any of our starters could be that "guy."

You knew all season RayJ was looking for pro looks. Arguably we were better to go young with this group and let them grow together. For the long run, having Sammy at the point was a better long term move. And if everyone comes back, next year with a few youg pieces will set us up very nicely for the next 2-3 yrs. RayJ would have been the focal point of the offense and each night he would have been out to get his for pro tape.

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(03-09-2024 08:06 AM)adunifon Wrote:  

(03-09-2024 03:05 AM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  

(03-08-2024 11:22 PM)emanoh Wrote:  

(03-08-2024 10:28 PM)Rocket_Fanatic Wrote:  Props to Kowalcyk. Well done this season. I won’t even be mad if we don’t win the mac tourney. Good season

I sort of feel the same way. After losing 90% of our offense to graduation and the portal, and starting two freshman, winning the MAC and earning a #1 seed, was not on my radar. We've arguably had more talented teams, but the grittiness of this team ground out alot of those victories.

We had a few that could have gone in the win column. Lost by a bucket to Indiana State who is leading the Missouri Valley Conf. The double overtime loss to App State who is leading the Sunbelt. Our 3 point loss to CMU was another close one. Only loss that churned my butter was the NIU loss. The BG loss was a trap game and they were ready for us. Other than the NIU game, the only other game I saw that we just played tragically was Vermont. They ran us out of our own gym.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

F it. The worst draw we could have we got. So let's do this in style. I expect to win it now. Us against the world. Tod isnt the best but Gross isnt either.

Believe. At least for 5 more days.

What makes you look at this and think it’s the worst draw we could have gotten?

Best if you win it all! We play 3 winning teams (3 of top next 4 in NET).

Also playing a team back to back is never easy. It'll be fresh in Kent's mind how to beat us. Plus the largest Thursday crowd should be Kent's.

BG is our rival and have beaten us so of the teams that know how to beat UT and play a zone... that's tough.

And Akron/Ohio is the best of the other side of the Bracket. That game would be tough regardless.

(03-09-2024 11:34 AM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  

(03-09-2024 08:06 AM)adunifon Wrote:  

(03-09-2024 03:05 AM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  

(03-08-2024 11:22 PM)emanoh Wrote:  

(03-08-2024 10:28 PM)Rocket_Fanatic Wrote:  Props to Kowalcyk. Well done this season. I won’t even be mad if we don’t win the mac tourney. Good season

I sort of feel the same way. After losing 90% of our offense to graduation and the portal, and starting two freshman, winning the MAC and earning a #1 seed, was not on my radar. We've arguably had more talented teams, but the grittiness of this team ground out alot of those victories.

We had a few that could have gone in the win column. Lost by a bucket to Indiana State who is leading the Missouri Valley Conf. The double overtime loss to App State who is leading the Sunbelt. Our 3 point loss to CMU was another close one. Only loss that churned my butter was the NIU loss. The BG loss was a trap game and they were ready for us. Other than the NIU game, the only other game I saw that we just played tragically was Vermont. They ran us out of our own gym.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

F it. The worst draw we could have we got. So let's do this in style. I expect to win it now. Us against the world. Tod isnt the best but Gross isnt either.

Believe. At least for 5 more days.

What makes you look at this and think it’s the worst draw we could have gotten?

Best if you win it all! We play 3 winning teams (3 of top next 4 in NET).

Also playing a team back to back is never easy. It'll be fresh in Kent's mind how to beat us. Plus the largest Thursday crowd should be Kent's.

BG is our rival and have beaten us so of the teams that know how to beat UT and play a zone... that's tough.

And Akron/Ohio is the best of the other side of the Bracket. That game would be tough regardless.

Caveat with this: we can lose to anyone if we don’t play well.

We are leaps and bounds better than Kent this year. It’s a matter of just playing our game and not playing dumb.

Cmu and BG scare me a lot less than Akron and Ohio.

I’d rather get Ohio on Saturday on their 3rd in 3 with tired legs for shooting 3s.