I'm here to do something that no one should. I am going to suggest that we don't lose again until we play in the NCAA tournament. I realize that such a bold and lofty statement is the kind of vulgar prediction that a chubby third grader with round eye-glasses and snot running down his nose would make. Indeed the chances of this coming back to haunt not only me but also the team and therefor all of you are quite high. The gods are, after all, against me.
However, I see a focus with this team that I haven't seen since the Wadood/Timmy Smith team and the article on Courtney Pigram from a couple of days ago only served to strengthen my conviction.
This isn't the most talented team we've had since joining the A-sun...but it is by far the best TEAM we've had in the last four seasons. The key to their success is defense and whether it be in the half court or full court they have the ability to smother their opponents into folding to our will.
Jacksonville is by far the second best team in the league but I do not believe that they can stop us if we are determined to win. This is our year. I can feel it.
I agree with almost all of your points Gold. I do think we will lose one more game though. We will trip up to someone.
Lets just say that we finish the season 25-5 and win our league. With the bye that would make us 27-5. What kind of seed would that get us?
(01-27-2009 08:03 PM)Goldfinger Wrote: [ -> ]I'm here to do something that no one should. I am going to suggest that we don't lose again until we play in the NCAA tournament. I realize that such a bold and lofty statement is the kind of vulgar prediction that a chubby third grader with round eye-glasses and snot running down his nose would make. Indeed the chances of this coming back to haunt not only me but also the team and therefor all of you are quite high. The gods are, after all, against me.
However, I see a focus with this team that I haven't seen since the Wadood/Timmy Smith team and the article on Courtney Pigram from a couple of days ago only served to strengthen my conviction.
This isn't the most talented team we've had since joining the A-sun...but it is by far the best TEAM we've had in the last four seasons. The key to their success is defense and whether it be in the half court or full court they have the ability to smother their opponents into folding to our will.
Jacksonville is by far the second best team in the league but I do not believe that they can stop us if we are determined to win. This is our year. I can feel it.
I don't know if you're right, but I like your conviction. Without question, there is something special about this team.
Sigh...... (imagine gray head quietly shaking side to side).
If there is one thing that will make a coach like Murry even grayer and more tense than people being too negative about his team, it's people being too positive. All those locker room cliches - 'we play them one at a time'. 'The only important game is the next one'. They're there for a reason. Namely because the best way to drop a couple of conference games in a hurry is to start believing that you're going to win them all.
This isn't the most talented team in the world, as it took FGCU only about 11 minutes to prove. It takes rare concentration and focus to handle all the bad bounces, bad calls, injuries and unaccountable hot streaks that come your way over a 10 game stretch. We were damn lucky to squeek by Lipscomb. Jacksonville came only a missed shot away from taking us to overtime at our house. Thinking about winning them all just takes away from that concentration and focus.
That said, I love what's been happening with this team.
-How Courtney stood up and became the answer at point, even though it left him less room to flash his offensive skills.
-How after injuries to both 'preferred' options, a disrespected juco transfer and a skinny redshirt freshman stood up and became the answer at post.
-How a freshman was humiliated in his big debut on the college stage - sent to the end of the bench with his confidence shattered - yet still stood up a few weeks later and provided a different answer at point and a whole new dimension to the team when the team leader went down to injury on the road.
-How a disappointing sophomore rocketed into a conference all-star junior by finding all the ways to fit into the missing spaces in the mix
-How an entire team coalesces around two city kids from Flint, Michigan, who seem to be able to turn on the heat and melt opponents with a blast of pressure, steals, blocks and traps.
Yeah, that's pretty strong stuff. It's a privilege at times to be a fan.
But if the Bucs do what Gold predicts, it will be in part because no one on the other side of the locker room doors is thinking too much about it right now.
Yeah, let's not get ahead of ourselves. This game on Friday is absolutely huge. Unlike Belmont, JU does have an inside game, although Allen & Colbert are not that big, they are athletic, and they can go off on us. This Ayron Hardy kid is another that has been red hot lately, and then there's Ben Smith who can also light it up. And let's not forget Evan Jefferson who absolutely killed us in the dome when were in that stupid 3-2 zone that didn't cover anyone in the 1st half.
JU will have revenge on their minds so we better come out focused & play some strong defense. And by the way, use the frickin' press! Every time, and I mean EVERY time, that press works. No, it doesn't always produce steals, but it takes teams that want to run a deliberate offense out of their rhythm. It worked against JU, Belmont, and now Upstate. I say let's use the same game plan as we did vs. Belmont. But I guess this is for a different thread....
(01-27-2009 09:33 PM)swvabucsfan Wrote: [ -> ]But if the Bucs do what Gold predicts, it will be in part because no one on the other side of the locker room doors is thinking too much about it right now.
That is exactly why I feel this way.
Someone has to say it so........................Gold you have lost your mind.
BTW, I hope you're right
Hey the title said says it all.
But I do have a strange feeling about this
I think Jacksonville is pretty legit and we were very lucky to escape that game with a win, we'll see on Friday
I'll repeat this when the "Official" thread starts, but I'm sayin' we lose Friday. And I'm not sayin' it for the "jinx" effect -- I actually think we lose. And......I think we'll lose at least one in Nashville.......
The margins of error are just too small.....
Of course I hope I'm wrong........
(And as usual, well said, swvabucsfan.)
These statements are not bold enough for Goldfinger
Unfortunatly I'd say you're right doctor
Quote:These statements are not bold enough for Goldfinger
Then the title of your thread shall win out, methinks.......
One would hope our team, behind those closed doors, thinks thusly:
True valor, on virtue founded strong, meets all events alike.
-- David Mallet
I think we probably lose another game or two during the regular season. But, I think we win the conference tournament..The guys from Flint already have a JUCO national championship, and that experience should be a great benefit to us.
I think we lose 1 or 2 more, I just hope it isnt this next game. And I hope that one of them isnt in the conference tournament again!!!
As long as we win our tournament, winning the rest of the games vs. losing 1 more isnt going to make a difference in seeding for the NCAA.
Showing how irrelevant RPI is, somehow Belmont is 3 spots ahead of us. Can anybody logically explain that after the beatdown a week ago?
I hope Gold is right but let's say the Bucs, JU and Belmont all finish with two losses. How is it decided who gets the bye?
Sagarin's ratings today. Always more reliable than RPI:
113 East Tennessee State
119 Jacksonville
127 Belmont
263 Lipscomb
268 Stetson
290 Florida Gulf Coast
299 Campbell
314 USC Upstate
321 Kennesaw State (Very impressive)
341 North Florida
(01-28-2009 11:15 AM)kevster Wrote: [ -> ]Sagarin's ratings today. Always more reliable than RPI:
113 East Tennessee State
119 Jacksonville
127 Belmont
263 Lipscomb
268 Stetson
290 Florida Gulf Coast
299 Campbell
314 USC Upstate
321 Kennesaw State (Very impressive)
341 North Florida
That seems much better, and pretty accurate. Even has J-Ville over Belmont.
Anybody noticed Penn St. is 16-5, and 5-3 in the Big Ten?
Also, Illinois St., where Mishler went, is 17-3. (Yeah, I know, I don't think he's playing yet.)