What should our expectations be of this program? With Lutz at the helm, I would argue that we can be a top 50 program year in and year out and are in a position to make the tourney every year (although we have to sweat it out on Selection Sunday) but never make it past the first or second round. Is that all we should expect? Is that all the financial resources of this university can provide us?
I know for myself I expect more. I don’t expect us to be a top 15 program every year, however I think we can be top 30. I don’t expect us to make a run deep in the tourney every year, but gee wouldn’t it be nice to make it to the sweet 16 or deeper once every four years or so (ala Gonzage or Xavier)?
What should our expectations of fans realistically be?
It’s certainly a liability in close games BUT when we play a team like ECU, we should never be in a position to have missed free throws decide the outcome. We’re a far better team than they are and we should have led comfortably for 40 minutes. We had a great chance early in the 2nd half to put the game away but we let them crawl right back in. When you let teams like that hang around, they start believing.
[b]Is that all the financial resources of this university can provide us?
[/b]
I suppose that is the same question they ask at, say, Virginia, NC State, Clemson, Texas A&M, Auburn, Tennessee, Florida State, Miami, etc, etc. All schools that have very deep pocketbooks and pay their coaches and staffs significantly more that ours. I think every one of these schools would trade their last eight years for ours. Bigger resources doesn’t equal bigger performance. If it did, wouldn’t Ohio State and Notre Dame play for the national championship every year? Truth is, we probably play above our heads. We don’t come close to touching the resource level of Louisville or Cincinnati. Marquette sells more season tickets (at twice the cost of ours) than we have total seats in our building.
Just for kicks, how much did you contribute to the financial resources this year?
I don’t think it’s a question of financial resources…it’s a question of coaching and team dicipline…both directly attibutable to Bobby Lutz. When are people going to stop giving him credit for getting us into the NCAA tournament and start questioning why he can’t get us into the Sweet 16?
[i]Originally posted by D-Niner[/i]@Jan 30 2005, 11:03 AM
[b] I don't think it's a question of financial resources...it's a question of coaching and team dicipline...both directly attibutable to Bobby Lutz. When are people going to stop giving him credit for getting us into the NCAA tournament and start questioning why he can't get us into the Sweet 16? [/b]
I am a huge Lutz fan but if we fail to get out of the 1st round, with the talent this team had, I will most likely start to ask those same questions.
For whatever reasons: coaching, upperclassman leadership, etc. this team has underachieved all season. They play down to the level of competition and refuse to put an opponent away when it can.
As for the FTs, I think anything under 70% is simply awful, especially with the shooters that are on this team.
[i]Originally posted by Powerbait[/i]@Jan 30 2005, 10:06 AM
[b] How much of it is us thinking our players are better than they really are?
Maybe Bobby is taking these guys and making them play at a level another coach wouldn’t.
I just don’t know anymore. [/b]
Good point…one I’ve brought up before. YES, we have very good talent but we still don’t have all of the pieces. We fight an uphill battle with recruiting and resources. If Lutz was able to land even one of the top three he targets at each position, we’d already be at the next level.
I do think some people’s expectations are out of line. No, I’m not satisfied but look what we’re up against.
[i]Originally posted by ChicagoNiner[/i]@Jan 30 2005, 08:15 AM
[b] What should our expectations of fans realistically be? [/b]
Simple. Advancing past the opening week of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
It is an underachieving attitude for this school to focus on just making the tournament.
I hear too many people talk about just making the tournament, that is not a challenge for this team.
There are plenty of banners in Halton to prove the team can make the tournament. Maybe those need to come down & just hang a banner when the school does something significant (such as winning more than one game) in the post season.
[i]Originally posted by HP49er[/i]@Jan 30 2005, 10:18 AM
[b] For whatever reasons: coaching, upperclassman leadership, etc. this team has underachieved all season. They play down to the level of competition and refuse to put an opponent away when it can.
As for the FTs, I think anything under 70% is simply awful, especially with the shooters that are on this team. [/b]
HP, I think that if we had beaten ECU, we’d be right in line with expectations for this year (15-3, 6-1 in conf). This is the only MAJOR setback. I do agree with not being able to put teams away and free throws.
I agree Lefty, we win that game and everything is alright. This is a game I had marked down as a potential loss, but now we need to win at SLU to make up for it.
[i]Originally posted by Niner89[/i]@Jan 30 2005, 08:51 AM
[b] My expectation is for this team to improve at the "free" throw line. We would put most of the game out of reach. [/b]
I said it before, if you don't make FT's on the road, you lose almost everytime.
We are not good enough to shoot 55% from the FT line on the road and expect to win, even against a sorry team like ecu.
Mark my word, FT shooting will be the cause of our ncaa tournament early exit this year.
