All appearances indicate that we have a quality young coach. Whether or not we can keep him for a couple of years is the first big key for us.

This team definitely is competitive at the SWAC/MEAC level. We already have four wins against teams at that level or above, plus single-digit losses to UTM, Murray State, Minnesota, Ball State, UTRGV, and Stanford. With a few breaks along the way, this could have been a very good season for a team without a conference home.

We have only one senior, so theoretically we will return the roster virtually intact and should be able to pick up where we left off. Most of the teams we play from here on look to be beatable. (I would assume Gonzaga is an exception and probably Fresno, but hey, who knows?)

Chicago is a killer market for sports. We are never going to draw big crowds unless we can get a big turnout from the student section. But if we can get to where we can have a reasonable number of people there who are connected and involved in the game, that would make a huge difference.

Success is relative. So far, I would term this season a "success" for our men's program, and given what they faced, it might even turn out to be that for the women. Volleyball looks poised to have another good season, and the soccer teams are just getting traction, so the future is bright there.

And hey, there is at least one old man down here in the sweltering South who wears a Cougar T-shirt in beautiful downtown Booneville. And believe it or not, people will actually ask me about Chicago State when they see it.

There were definitely some close losses that could have gone either way. A young coach, players who haven’t played together before this year, and a lack of depth have tipped most of those to the loss column. But the fact remains that this is a competitive team and absolutely not some rock bottom program that will never win.

Any average sports fan will look at the losses at Minnesota (3 points), Stanford (7), and even the Marquette game which I believe ended up being a 14 point loss, all on the road, and know this team can play.

Really hoping Coach Gillion sticks around a few more years.