pumpfake

Indeed. We've had better IU teams that didn't get to a final four than some that actually won the title - the best team doesn't always win. In fact, getting knocked out when you really think you're a contender is more disheartening than losing as a 5 seed. The question is how much time?

I would expect that the fanbases of MSU, Duke, UK, and KU all consider this season a huge disappointment. I don't think any of those who aren't sold on Crean think he's awful, they're just losing patience because we're always a couple of steps away from where we want to be.

I'm kind of puzzled with your logic. UNC was a 1 seed, we were a 5. If we had managed to win this game it would have been an upset (and possibly taken OUR best shooting night of the season), but the fact that they played their best game makes the loss acceptable. On the other hand we beat a 4 seed Kentucky team that was arguably their weakest team in the last 5 years and that is an accomplishment? This was a great season - if you have, say, Purdue's standards. But for a program that was, and wants to claim to still be, one of the elites it OK at best.

Totally agree about this game. That said, UNC is a better team. The depressing thing is that Glass refers to "Body of Work". I don't think CTC scores very well in that regard, if we want to be one of the elites. I fear and suspect, for many fans and Glass himself it's "good enough".

This season turned out to be the worst case scenario - good enough to guarantee future mediocrity.

Part of me wants to say elite 8 or maybe s16 would be good enough - but only getting that far (with nothing even close in the intervening 3 years or so) is simply not up to our standards.  Elite teams or semi-elite teams aren't satisfied with such modest results.

Full? Empty?  Doesn't really matter.  The problem is the glass isn't full, or any way near it.  It also isn't empty so we can't hope for something to happen that will "fill the glass".  As it is, we're once again sitting in basketball purgatory.

First off, this was the game that should have been circled in red before B10 play began and the team took care of business - and played great for much of the game.  Purdue's strength is our greatest weakness and we still managed to get it done.  The good news is that there aren't many teams with 3 quality bigs like PU has.   I only had a few complaints about the entire game (and only the first one made me angry):   1) ESPN sucks, there I said it.  I don't get all of the ESPN channels and they continue to push things over to those channels - all the while NOT putting those "missing" games on ESPN3.  It's one thing to miss a game that is scheduled to be on ESPNU etc. but another when you make plans and expect to be able to watch the game in full.   2) A few really foolish unforced errors: a) Troy's technical for batting the ball away from the inbounder (he realized his mistake, however), b) Max running the baseline after the possession change for PU offensive foul (Max was the one fouled, he had to know that situation), and c) Yogi getting the ball stolen inside a minute.  All these are minimal with the team doing a great job in not turning the ball over.   3) I'll bet RJ's injury is going to be a mystery up to the point when he plays again

Right from the very get go, when Johnson jacked up a three immediately after the tip, I could see we were likely in trouble.  It seems like not one player on this team values possessions - either with stupid turnovers or chucking up 3 pointers like it's a shoot around.  This is the kind of game where I really regret wasting 2 hours of my weekend watching it.   BTW - What the heck was with the BTN graphics?  It seemed like they couldn't manage to update the score until the other team was 15 seconds into their possession.

  While they did get several fast break buckets, they got a lot blowing past our guys who were (unexplainably) guarding clear out to the 3-point line.  That, friends, is poor game coaching.

  These are all great questions (but who has the answers?).  I think a fitting parallel can be made to us with CTC and UK with Billy G.  Both programs were NOT where the fanbase expected them to be.  UK showed BG the door and we stick with the status quo.  I've come to the point where I fear that if we finally make a coaching change, we will get a great coach only by accident.

I'm just confused about why he is leaving Pitt.  Dixon said he wanted to be closer to home (N.C.) and then he signs here.  It has all the earmarks of a "wanting to spend more time with my family" firing.  Something was amiss between player & coach.

  Only if they are tempered.  I don't follow recruiting as close as many, but by some things I've read TB would appear to need to add a lot of muscle (one site lists him at 217 pounds).

Bryant is a must get it seems.  However, it's hard to see adding him making us B10 favorites.  Maryland is getting a higher rated big man, Michigan State might land another in Swanigan, Purdue will have two experienced bigs.  Maker would be a difference maker (if only for one season), but I don't see us out recruiting UK or KU.  Reason for optimism, albeit measured optimism.  Missing on TB, on the other hand, yikes.