Small point, often overlooked in the abandoning of the ship by the rats...

[tower912]

We start one junior, three sophomores and a freshman.   The junior never played organized ball until he got here.  Our seniors contribute nada.  It would be nice to make a good run this year, but  more importantly to learn how to make a run in the dance.   This is a team of the future.   We are good enough, if we play our best, to win some games in the dance this year.   And I sure would like to.  But the next two years should be big fun.

[Mayor McCheese]

We start one junior, three sophomores and a freshman.   The junior never played organized ball until he got here.  Our seniors contribute nada.  It would be nice to make a good run this year, but  more importantly to learn how to make a run in the dance.   This is a team of the future.   We are good enough, if we play our best, to win some games in the dance this year.   And I sure would like to.  But the next two years should be big fun.

Or the next two years could lose the rest of my hair.  This team has lacked a lot of what I expected this year, and I have held that in all season, and I can't bite my lip anymore.  Don't get me wrong, the sophomore gang that we play is phenomenal, and Barro is a billion times better than expected.  Hayward is going to be a lot better, but man, with high expectations comes awful feelings after losses.  I hope you are right about the next two years being a lot of fun, and I think it will, however although the season isn't over by any means yet.  I expected more this year

[MUtrain]

Keep in mind that those "high expectations" were set mostly by what we've seen these kids do on the court.  They've shown flashes of brilliance at times and other times look like sophomores.  They really just lack leadership, and I do think the struggles we've seen this year are something we will learn from.  Last year we could fall back on Novak a bit.  We don't have that guy this year.  Sometimes its been James, but its tough to rely on a sophomore (any of them).  They'll be a force next season.  For all the talk about bigs, think about how much better Ousmane has become since he arrived (same with Burke).  Barro has become much stronger, and I would expect the same progression over this offseason.  We'll be more physical underneath next season, and more consistent at every position.  We don't really have to ask any of the incoming guys to take major roles next season (though they could earn it) as we don't have a lot of weak spots, or any major players taking off.  We just need to grow up.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

The rats? Are you serious?