Basically like the seniors...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Oriole Way
... sophomores are basically like the seniors and juniors of the past.
Except that the juniors and seniors had 1-3 years of age and experience. I agree that this excuse can be used by just about everyone at some point.
Some Perspective on Perspective
I am a high school principal. My basketball team had a lot of seniors, but they had not had a great deal of success the previous year (2 wins). We beat a strong (4A) team in the first game. We were not expected to win, the other team overlooked them, the other team was almost embarassed to lose to us. We couldn't miss at the end of the game. There are many psychological factors involved in that win. Several more wins and the factors were different. The team expected to win (and the shots got harder). Some of the players were from a successful JV team the year before, but the varsity game is faster and bigger. Anyway, it was fascinating to watch the coach work through the dynamics of expectations and emotions. I can't imagine what it would have been like if we had everyone pumped up to beat us because our previous teams had dominated the league for ten years.
Anytime we look at this team and our expectations, remember all of those "X" factors. Our young players weren't trying to build a reputation. They were trying to live up to one. Trust me, there is a difference.
Great job, guys.
Don't question K's commitment
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bay Area Duke Fan
Both UNC and Texas have teams as young as Duke. But Duke has more HS AAs. It appears that having McD AAs doesn't mean success in college. Our HS AAs are clearly not as talented as others.
Or was the disappointing 2006-7 season a result of poor coaching? Was Coach K too busy coaching Team USA and doing commercials?
Tonight's loss was the worst of the year. This team beat Georgetown in December. What causes a team to regress during the season? Young teams are supposed to improve as the season moves on.
What happened?
I criticise coach K's decisions on this board all the time but I think it goes way over the line to suggest that he wasn't all there for this group. When you look at how he handled the team this year -- all the changes to the O and the D, playing so many lineups, etc. -- there just is no good evidence that he neglected this Duke team. And since that is a deadly serious charge, in my book, you'd better be darned sure you have good evidence to levy it before you post it in a public forum.