same ol, same ol

[williewarrior]

once again, we fold down the stretch. Losing 3 in a row in the tourney drive does nothing but shows how we really are. Free throws suck, guard play sucks, and no low post game. Crean cannot coach his way out of a wet paper bag. We blow it down the strtch every year, and we are doing it again this year. What is it with this guy?

[classof70]

I don't like his end of game coaching, especially the "stall" but it's hard to blame him for guys missing those free throws.  James, McNeal and Mathews hit those and the game is over. 

[CTWarrior]

Biggest miss was McNeal front end  with 39 seconds.  James only needed to hit one with 5 seconds to go to force Louisville to score to win the game and he did.  Our end game strategy needs an overhaul.  A team that thrives on agression cannot play passively.

[lab_warrior]

I am so disappointed and infuriated with James and Matthews.  I thought they were supposed to be great players.  All they've done this year is shrink from the big moments in big games.  Tonight was a classic example.  If both of those 2 make jump shots and the FTs at the end we win, it's that simple.  I keep waiting and waiting for these guys to live up to the hype, I just don't see it.  

[Big Papi]

once again, we fold down the stretch. Losing 3 in a row in the tourney drive does nothing but shows how we really are. Free throws suck, guard play sucks, and no low post game. Crean cannot coach his way out of a wet paper bag. We blow it down the strtch every year, and we are doing it again this year. What is it with this guy?

Forgive me if i am wrong but I thought we won 4 out of our last 5 regular season games last year.  I dont consider that blowing it down the stretch.

[RubyWiscy]

I've said this before.  This team is lead by sophomores and freshman!  We expect a lot from them as they have shown on many occasions to be very capable.  But they are just sophomores.  I don't think we can start expecting perfection from them for another two years.

Don't get me wrong, I am as disappointed as everyone else and the tendancy is to point fingers.  But expecting very talented sophomores and freshmen to perform at a top level night in and night out is rediculous.  Sometimes you have to learn by defeat and paying your dues.

[CTWarrior]

I don't buy the end of year collapse each year argument.  We play tougher teams at the end and its harder to win.  This particular team has hit a rough patch near the end of the season.  But I don't think it relates to late season struggles in say, 2004, at all.  Each team is different.  Maybe the 2006-7 team has weaknesses that are more easily exploited after watching us play a bunch.  (I think it does.)  I don't think many coaches would've gotten a lot more out of this bunch than TC has. 

[spartan3186]

I am so disappointed and infuriated with James and Matthews. All they've done this year is shrink from the big moments in big games

This is a ridiculous statement, please point out "big games" where they shrunk down the stretch with the exception of this game.

Pitt Game: James 23 points, 7/8 from the line, absolutley key down the stretch
                Matthews 14 points, 10/11 from the line, made everything down the stretch

Duke: James: 25 points, 10 points in the last 2.5 minutes

Texas Tech: James: 16 points
                 Matthews: 20 points

Valpo: James scores last 15 of the game to prevent an upset

1st Louisville game: James makes 3 straight 3-pointers late and scores 18 in the game

Please help me out, remind me where james is awful in big moments... if anything thats the time that he shines, he tends to disappear in the BEGINNING of games not down the end