It'd be nice if this podcast could at least acknowledge the role they played in leading the charge on the hype/expectations all last offseason and during the hot start at the beginning of the season. To now listen to them discuss all that in the passive voice, as if they were just witnesses to it rather than primary contributors, is disappointing.
It isn't their fault that the team didn't meet expectations, but we were wildly misled on the team's depth and development.
I'm sorry I just can't get onboard with this. #1 We watch the games. Is there anything about what we saw in Maui or the non-conference that made you believe this wasn't a group that could get to the Elite 8 or the Final 4. Chatfield was playing good minutes off the bench. Heise was defending well. There was not a better backcourt in the country then Gilbert, Jones and Lipsey and then you had Jackson in the post averaging double-digits and Jefferson averaging 12-13 point and distributing from the 4 spot. Plus Milan who was averaging double-digits as well. You were 9 deep out in Maui with Chatfield playing 43 minutes (14 minutes a game) and Nojus playing 30 minutes (10 minutes a game).
This team beat Marquette by double digits, won at a rival in Iowa when they didn't have their best stuff were a half court heave from being 18-2 and 8-1 in the conference on January 27th.
There was not a single major sign that things would/could go sideways until Milan's broken finger, then Jones, then Gilbert and then Lipsey injuries.
Sure they were contributing to it but the hype/expectations were absolutely realistic at the time. After the Gilbert/Jones not playing at Houston and Gilbert not playing at Oklahoma State (February 25th) you didn't hear much about the Final 4 or Elite 8 unless it came with the caveat of "getting healthy."