Great great post. No one I would be happier for than you if URI makes that dream run.Blue Man wrote:No, no, not really, and I would if he was our only option at center.RhodyRam86 wrote:Blue Man wrote:
I guess I missed the part where we were a 1 seed playing a 16. If we're as terrible as a lot of people all of a sudden think we are, wouldn't we have lost the first round game anyway?
NCAA tournament is about 2 things: draws and depth.
You can't control the draw. You could get lucky as an 11 seed and play a way overseeded 6. You could get screwed as a 5 and play a way underseeded 12.
You can control your depth. Starting lineup differences in college basketball are razor thin. The difference between the elites and the have-nots is when the subs come in. Sorry but I'll take jarvis garrett coming in as my "back-up" point guard, and cyril langevine coming in as my "back-up" big man over anyone else's 2nd unit in the country. I don't think our seed matters to that account.
I think we're a 2nd weekend team whether we're a 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 seed. I've thought that since pre-season, thought that through OOC play without EC, and then pretty much confirmed it by mid-February. A lot of that still depends on the draw. I love us against Virginia or Nova. I don't against Kansas or Xavier.
Just like last year, I thought we were an NCAA team pre-season, thought that through OOC play, and still thought we were good enough to win-out the A10 tourney. Certainly didn't call us being undefeated post-Fordham, but still thought we were good enough to dance and win a game.
If anyone needed to wait until Friday night to decide how good of a team we are, I don't know what to tell you.
so BM...you have no concern that Jarvis is scoreless in his last 4 games? that EC had an 0-5 at the line against LaSalle and missed a big one vs. Davidson? Or that his 3 point attempts aren't just missing...they are missing badly...and really for most of the year? or that Fatts' shooting percentage has been woeful? or that Andre seems to have put on some weight and appears much slower than at the start of the year? these aren't 2 game trends. this has been going on for a bit...it's just that they've been more glaring in the last 2 games because we've lost. so yes...some here are a bit less optimistic than you. doesn't make us bad people. doesn't mean we love to be miserable. doesn't mean we aren't still rooting and hoping for a run in the dance...
Jarvis affects the games in ways that aren't scoring related, so that doesn't worry me. Senior PG with big game experience going up against another team's 2nd unit.
EC has had a career of hot-and-cold, and after his cold streaks comes games where he takes over and dominates. He's going to be 3rd or 4th in scoring all-time at URI. I'll ride with him any day of the week.
Fatts is a freshman who will make freshman mistakes and have freshman inconsistencies. Seeing as how he's 3rd off the bench, I really don't need him to be shooting at a high percentage. The scouting report on him will say he's capable of scoring double digits just as likely as he is going 0-fer. He still is one of the better ballhandlers and on-ball defenders other teams will face. If the 8th guy in your rotation is an inconsistent scorer but consistently good defender and ball-handler, your team is probably really really good.
Langevine has re-emerged to who we all thought he was and takes a lion's share of the minutes now. Dre is a great kick starter to score points early in halves and generate offense from the inside. If we're depending on him for low-post defense it means we have much bigger problems to worry about; like a perimeter defensive breakdown (what's supposed to be our strength), or worse, a langevine injury or foul trouble.
Certainly not saying anyone is a bad person because they choose to only focus on the most negative aspects of what they view as entertainment that they've chosen of their own free will. Personally, if I only found negative things to look at in the thing meant to distract me from my day-to-day, I would probably find another entertainment pursuit, but that's me.
I certainly don't think anyone on here isn't rooting for a long run in the dance, just like I don't think anyone who gets on a plane isn't rooting for a safe landing at their destination. I just don't understand how people can't see the forest for the trees. If my tone comes off as harsh to any, it comes from a place of frustration and love.
I really don't understand how or why, with all that we've been through as a fanbase, that anyone would willingly choose to only see the negative in all the good that we're doing. That 15 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago - even 3 years ago - we'd all do UNSPEAKABLE things to be sitting at #25 in the country after SEVEN WEEKS in the top 25, with a 23-6 record, #1 in the conference, and a lock for an at-large bid.
I hate that anyone can't enjoy this like some of us can. So me trying to jostle any of you out of this funk and just enjoy the ride isn't coming from anger, it's coming from compassion.
For the love of GOD everyone just get on board and enjoy the damn ride. Critiques and rain storms can happen AFTER the season. Let's just enjoy what we literally had to wait almost 2 decades to get.
Good luck,
Sincerely
