Or it could be next year.
adjusted tourney expectations with KG injury
- Thread starter EvilBetty
- Start date
Possibly if Jefferson and Milan take their games to next level and we find at least 1 solid guard in the portal.
TJ has done nothing except make the NCAA tournament. I have no reason to believe we won't keep punching our ticket to the dance in the future. Once you're in, you have your lotto ticket and a chance to win.
Look at 2022. That team had no business making the Sweet 16, yet they did. This team, even with injuries, is way more talented. Will they make a deep run? I don't know. March is weird. I haven't given up on this year yet and I have full faith we'll have another good team next year. It takes a lot of things to fall your way to win a national title. The best we can do is keep giving ourselves chances and hope it falls our way.
Look at 2022. That team had no business making the Sweet 16, yet they did. This team, even with injuries, is way more talented. Will they make a deep run? I don't know. March is weird. I haven't given up on this year yet and I have full faith we'll have another good team next year. It takes a lot of things to fall your way to win a national title. The best we can do is keep giving ourselves chances and hope it falls our way.
A whole bunch of teams that make runs with exception to UConn last year etc, have at least one game where they need a break or have to ward off a low seed in a weird game.
Repeating but calling someone a FF contender in December or January is wild enough and just doesn't hold up much.
It all needs to fall into place.
After sleeping on it, I still think Sweet 16 (my vote yesterday) is possible, and as others have pointed out, anything after that takes some good breaks, both matchups and in-game.
What's top of mind this morning is, sure, Lipscomb's not a great matchup, but how in the world are they going to guard Jones and Momcilovic? I recognize Iowa State's defense could come out sluggish, and we've seen how quickly a team that likes to shoot can jump on an Otz defense. But I think ISU could potentially outscore them if all else fails, and FWIW I do not foresee a lack of defensive intensity after a week off. If they win and play Ole Miss or San Diego State, neither is highly skilled. So, not an awful matchup. I've watched Michigan State more the last few weeks than I did all season. They're extremely well-coached and are unique in that they have four good guards. But only one of those is skilled, and they don't shoot it well as a team. So again, Otz can live with a rock fight vs. a shootout. I wouldn't be shocked if Lipscomb makes 14 3s and wins. But I think the draw and the buy-in/certainty that comes with announcing Gilbert out, plus the fact that Otz can go full Campbell with "Nobody believes in us," are reasons for hope
What's top of mind this morning is, sure, Lipscomb's not a great matchup, but how in the world are they going to guard Jones and Momcilovic? I recognize Iowa State's defense could come out sluggish, and we've seen how quickly a team that likes to shoot can jump on an Otz defense. But I think ISU could potentially outscore them if all else fails, and FWIW I do not foresee a lack of defensive intensity after a week off. If they win and play Ole Miss or San Diego State, neither is highly skilled. So, not an awful matchup. I've watched Michigan State more the last few weeks than I did all season. They're extremely well-coached and are unique in that they have four good guards. But only one of those is skilled, and they don't shoot it well as a team. So again, Otz can live with a rock fight vs. a shootout. I wouldn't be shocked if Lipscomb makes 14 3s and wins. But I think the draw and the buy-in/certainty that comes with announcing Gilbert out, plus the fact that Otz can go full Campbell with "Nobody believes in us," are reasons for hope
While KG's driving ability will hurt, he still had a lot of TO's in such bad spots in games the last month or two. Obviously I'd rather have him than not, but to try and paint any positivity in this, the guys can still rally and play solidly. We need Tamin back to 90% for this team to make a run. I think Heise has been playing really well and Kelderman can be useful.
I think S16 is reasonably possible with the draw we got. I think they play inspired. Does it lower expectations? Yeah, but I think CJ has proven more than capable of being able to carry this team too.
I will try not to get a big head with the draw in thinking ISU can handle a big 10 team like what happened last year. 1 game at a time.
I think S16 is reasonably possible with the draw we got. I think they play inspired. Does it lower expectations? Yeah, but I think CJ has proven more than capable of being able to carry this team too.
I will try not to get a big head with the draw in thinking ISU can handle a big 10 team like what happened last year. 1 game at a time.
Tamin's health will make all the difference. If he is 100% I really believe elite eight is possible. Anything less, losing in any round wouldn't surprise me.
Buddy, the 2000 team was when I was 8 and expected it to happen every single year. You won't see me acting miserable like the sky is falling though
We haven’t been waiting 25 years for this team. It’s not THAT talented. It’s going to be playing a walkon in its rotation in the event of only one guy out.
Hoiberg and Prohm had better tournament rosters in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2019, and imo last year was at least as good of opportunity due to the defense of the frontcourt. It’s a testament to this staff that this team has played at or better than the level of those rosters
Hopefully going forward we’ll have developed better depth and won’t let an injury in December be mismanaged, culminating in needing to sit out the NCAA tournament. If so, next year should have a similar opportunity
I agree with the general sentiment though- it is a season that likely will go down as a missed opportunity. One of our better opportunities ending up in mid-pack Big 12 and with a strong chance of a short stay in the tournament is less than ideal
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I haven't adjusted expectations at all. Anything short of a sweet 16 is a dissapointment and anything beyond that is great. I've felt that way pretty much all year and losing Gilbert doesn't change that.
Also, the parenthetical commentary is dumb.
Also, the parenthetical commentary is dumb.
How can anyone 'dumb' this?
I'm not sure if I fully expect a Sweet 16 no matter what because the tournament is too wild but was there ever anything automatic about an EE or FF? Never.
Multiple reasons.
It’s idiotic to say anything short of the Sweet 16 is a disappointment with the starting backcourt that led to such expectations marginalized.
He said he felt “that way” all year. ALL YEAR. Which implies the loss of Gilbert and injury to Gilbert, as well as going 9-8 over the last 17 games, has essentially no impact.
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We've been to 1 elite 8 in existence and that was the expectation for the season?
We all knew this team was capable, time to prove it. Win a couple games and then lets see what can happen.
We all knew this team was capable, time to prove it. Win a couple games and then lets see what can happen.
Completely agree. We have had at least 4 rosters in the last 11 years more talented than our current roster.
Mine also. Get to the S16 and you met expectations. Win S16 and go beyond, you have exceeded expectations, lose before S16 and you have came up short.
Talent doesn't mean squat if you don't have anything else. Prohm proved that with his 2016 and 2019 teams.
This is the only team since 2000 that had a top 20 offense and defense so this is the best team in 25 years imo.
Still hope Sweet 16. But with Gilbert out, Lipsey injury uncertainty and fact we are a .500 team over last 2 months- nothing would surprise me. I'd be happy if we beat Lipscomb.
What I'd really like to see w/o Gilbert is to play through Milan a bit more. He can be just as effective as Jefferson, most teams won't have guys that can guard both of them. Just pick on whichever of those matchups is favorable. If we have a chance of making the second weekend (I voted we would) we'll need Milan to be more than a catch and shoot guy. We need him posting up, drawing fouls and he's a high IQ player, he can make good passes out of the post to create shots for others.
