We aren't winning the AAC

[diamond_tom]

I don't personally give an ish. Get through this season and move on. This season was effectively over w barefield/frazier. You can't run deep w 7, you can barely keep your head above water.

Here's the real: we have 7 kids. Of those, Markus s having a biblically bad senior season. We have one frosh who was slated for 15-18 minutes, running 35. We have on other frosh playing big minutes, who none of us saw playing in preseason.

There is nowhe to turn for answers when someone has a bad game or we get tired on D. Love these guys, it's a helluva crew, but let's just get through this. They are so undermanned,its painful.

^this!

Could not agree more re: Markus. Who kidnapped heavy MK and gave us skinny MK?

Funny, tonight I thought Tolbert is starting to look skinny. Wonder what he is weighing these days?

[smusportspage]

Noticed the lack of focus during the warmups as well. I hadn't seen the players exhibit that all season until last night. In my mind I was trying to talk myself into thinking they are just trying to relax and stay loose. In reality, I think it was lack of focus on the game at hand and their opponent. Disappointing.

[Pony ^]

I'm already worried for next year without Nic. Getting buckets with him sitting seems very challenging

[papawasamustang]

There's only a few teams in the country that have won 20 games so far this season & this team is one of them. There's no depth, no tourney, what did you expect? All things considered I think the team has provided a very good product on the court with many highlights. Would I like to see them win the AAC, sure. But after all the s _ _ t that happened, I'll take 20-3 anyday. Add a few more wins on the record & its been a great season.

Hopefully Brown, Jank, & company have traveled up to Indian Hills JC & have a few of their studs locked up. That's all they need to reload for next season IMO.

[JasonB]

I'm already worried for next year without Nic. Getting buckets with him sitting seems very challenging

Last night we drew fouls when Nic was on the bench, but missed all the FTs. Shake and Sterling both were passing up open looks to get the "right look" all night, and that hurt as well. It wasn't like we didn't have opportunities to score. Nobody was being aggressive enough.

[PonyTime]

MK had a pretty solid game last night. My only issue was when he had the ball right under the hoop and didn't go up with it. He made the extra pass that was not expected to whoever was right next to him and it let to a TO. Can't fault MK for that last shot. Someone had to put it up and quickly.

The Bigs needed to be much more aggressive and we need to make our FT. With that - we win the game.

Nic and Shake also made some very bad passes that led to easy TU points.

[Stallion]

seems like Nic was probably +20 when he was in game last nite. We were pretty bad without him. Nic had 2 Sophomore Nic fouls last nite and that was pretty much ball game

[hoopmanx]

I'm already worried for next year without Nic. Getting buckets with him sitting seems very challenging

Last night we drew fouls when Nic was on the bench, but missed all the FTs. Shake and Sterling both were passing up open looks to get the "right look" all night, and that hurt as well. It wasn't like we didn't have opportunities to score. Nobody was being aggressive enough.

We don't play to Shakes strengths at PG. I'm going to start a post on that topic, cause he's a dominator, but we can't play the same way we have w nic running the show. They are polar opposites in terms of strengths

[sadderbudweiser]

Very good analyses folks.

MK really did have a great game and came damn close to carrying everyone else home. That one inside pass when he should have gone up strong to the hoop was a killer. That bucket alone might have changed the final outcome. This was the closest we've seen to "old MK".

I agree that both Sterling and Shake passed up some good looks. I probably yelled "shoot" at the TV half a dozen times in the second half.

I didn't witness warmup but what I notice is the lack of the real power we played with for the 15-16 games.
Very few killer slams, no oops and silly turnovers indicative of either laziness or fatigue.

I do think that both Jarrey and Shake are learning and progressing.

I do think Ben and Sterling will be good captains/ leaders next year.

Nic may be impossible to " replace" but given LB's experience developing point guards and the fact that we have three good candidates we should be ok.

I like this little guy from Okkahoma.... Name escapes me.
( aha! Trae Young)
We should be selling him on how Nic has improved to become a Wooden nominee under the guidance of Jank and LB.

AS I said in another thread right now: we're running on fumes here.

[Charleston Pony]

just a bad night for our guys, but give Tulsa credit for playing "lights out". With only 7 guys, we are finding out that we are not up to getting "everyone's best shot". And...as well as Nic scored the ball last night, you can count on one hand how many games over his career that he's turned it over like he did last night. Let's not even talk about where JT's touch from the FT line has gone