BlueintheFace
12-05-2008, 05:25 PM
One thing seems pretty definite about this season... we will be tested and very experienced when March rolls around. What once looked like a decently difficult OOC schedule is now looking VERY difficult.
Tested
We have already met the "challenge" with Purdue
Xavier is undefeated still at 7-0 and has already taken down Memphis
Georgetown is looking like a great defensive team that might be near the top of the much talked about Big East
Davidson, of course, has this kid who I hear is a pretty good shooter.
Toss in a few ACC threats...
Wake is looking like an offensive FORCE (admittedly against weak competition)
UNC is okay..
plus the rest of the ACC seems to have taken a step forward... with a few exceptions
It is worth noting that ALL these teams are in the Top-25 right now (if you put much stock in that sort of thing)
Experienced
We should roll into march with a few bumps and bruises, but with a pretty darn good idea of who we are. I feel as though we are a bit ahead of schedule in this task.
The last few years injuries and youth have kept us from forming that strong "team identity" come March. Obviously it takes awhile to really find that identity, but having so many upperclassmen on the team definitely helps the process. I feel that we are so much further along on that journey at this point in the year than we have been in the last two years. Roles on the floor and off the floor seem to be forming surprisingly quickly and our defense sometimes looks like a well-oiled machine... and it's december. I'm not saying we are on our way to a national championship, just that the team really seems to be benefitting from experience and balance in a way that we haven't seen in quite a while...
Am I the only one who feels that we might be substantially ahead of schedule compared to the last few years... that our age and experience is very apparent so far?
Tested
We have already met the "challenge" with Purdue
Xavier is undefeated still at 7-0 and has already taken down Memphis
Georgetown is looking like a great defensive team that might be near the top of the much talked about Big East
Davidson, of course, has this kid who I hear is a pretty good shooter.
Toss in a few ACC threats...
Wake is looking like an offensive FORCE (admittedly against weak competition)
UNC is okay..
plus the rest of the ACC seems to have taken a step forward... with a few exceptions
It is worth noting that ALL these teams are in the Top-25 right now (if you put much stock in that sort of thing)
Experienced
We should roll into march with a few bumps and bruises, but with a pretty darn good idea of who we are. I feel as though we are a bit ahead of schedule in this task.
The last few years injuries and youth have kept us from forming that strong "team identity" come March. Obviously it takes awhile to really find that identity, but having so many upperclassmen on the team definitely helps the process. I feel that we are so much further along on that journey at this point in the year than we have been in the last two years. Roles on the floor and off the floor seem to be forming surprisingly quickly and our defense sometimes looks like a well-oiled machine... and it's december. I'm not saying we are on our way to a national championship, just that the team really seems to be benefitting from experience and balance in a way that we haven't seen in quite a while...
Am I the only one who feels that we might be substantially ahead of schedule compared to the last few years... that our age and experience is very apparent so far?