Upside

[catzacker]

I wish this team had more of it.  KU (1seed), Zags (1 seed), Mich (3 seed?).  I mean, just nothing.  The game vs. KU in manhattan was close if you looked at just the box score, but it really wasn't in doubt.  Florida is basically Oklahoma State.

I guess just win our first round game and hope for the 12/5 upset.

[hemmy]

I wish this team had more of it.  KU (1seed), Zags (1 seed), Mich (3 seed?).  I mean, just nothing.  The game vs. KU in manhattan was close if you looked at just the box score, but it really wasn't in doubt.  Florida is basically Oklahoma State.

I guess just win our first round game and hope for the 12/5 upset.

Meh, they could beat a 5 seed. Depending on the team of course...

[The Whale]

Keys to success:

1. Avoid playing a higher seeded team.

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

Don't be so negative. This team has huge upside. KU games are the exception not the rule. Yes, a 4 seed is a lot worse than a 3, but we have the guard play to make a run. This week were gonna forget this crap and be excited for the start of the real tournament.

[ednksu]

Keys to success:

1. Avoid playing a higher seeded team.

Yeah we could be like KU's 08 squad and only play double digit seeds.

[catzacker]

I wish this team had more of it.  KU (1seed), Zags (1 seed), Mich (3 seed?).  I mean, just nothing.  The game vs. KU in manhattan was close if you looked at just the box score, but it really wasn't in doubt.  Florida is basically Oklahoma State.

I guess just win our first round game and hope for the 12/5 upset.

Meh, they could beat a 5 seed. Depending on the team of course...

I think we're "ranked" like a 4 seed, but we should be  a 5 seed based on what we've done and how we've done it, imo.  Maybe semantics. We don't really pass the eye test.  We're the oakland A's - nice regular season team, but when it comes to post season (when you face really good teams) urine begins to drip down the leg.

I dunno.  IIRC, We didn't beat anyone ranked (either end of year AP or ncaa seed) above us in '10 during the regular season or the post season. So maybe there's hope.

[Pete]

I hope we are a four, and we make the sweet 16 (obviously, we have zero chance of making the elite 8).

Then, we will be worse every year until oscar is fired.  However, the real tragedy here is that Currie will have moved on by then, and we won't get the pleasure of watching Currie be forced to fire oscar.  I am heart sick about missing out on that. 

[timhawk]

Keys to success:

1. Avoid playing a higher seeded team.

Yeah we could be like KU's 08 squad and only play double digit seeds.

only final four ever with all one seeds.... 

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

We have beaten tournament teams this year. Half our losses are against one team that won't be in our region.

[Willesgirl]

We have beaten tournament teams this year. Half our losses are against one team that won't be in our region.

This made me feel significantly better. Thanks.

[FuzzyWuzzy]

I felt like Southwell showed some potential tonight

[catzacker]

I felt like Southwell showed some potential tonight

at what?  getting abused at the PF position?

[kougar24]

I felt like Southwell showed some potential tonight

Not one of The Straw's better games, actually.

[FuzzyWuzzy]

since when does saying 'he showed some potential' mean he played flawlessly and had his best game ever?

[catzacker]

We have beaten tournament teams this year. Half our losses are against one team that won't be in our region.

all of our losses (sans 2 - @ OSU, and @ISU) were to similar teams - i.e. teams better than us.  Instead of ku, you could have subbed in louisville or marquette or GT or mich st or miami.  we really haven't shown we can beat that kind of team, hence no upside.  I don't consider florida better than us.

again, we didn't necessarily do that in '10 either, so there is hope I guess.

[catzacker]

since when does saying 'he showed some potential' mean he played flawlessly and had his best game ever?

i didn't really see any flashes of potential in this game.  he got kind of abused.

[FuzzyWuzzy]

he got quite a few good looks off the dribble on a night when pretty much everyone was struggling to find good shots

[EMAWzified]

Shane didn't play that well the last two nights.

[star seed 7]

We have beaten tournament teams this year. Half our losses are against one team that won't be in our region.

all of our losses (sans 2 - @ OSU, and @ISU) were to similar teams - i.e. teams better than us.  Instead of ku, you could have subbed in louisville or marquette or GT or mich st or miami.  we really haven't shown we can beat that kind of team, hence no upside.  I don't consider florida better than us.

again, we didn't necessarily do that in '10 either, so there is hope I guess.

i don't necessarily disagree with you, but i think zaga and mich would go differently now after we have had some time in bruces offense.

maybe i'm just being positive though. i also don't think losing to ku says much about how we would do against good teams, there is a huge mental block there for various reasons.

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

We have beaten tournament teams this year. Half our losses are against one team that won't be in our region.

all of our losses (sans 2 - @ OSU, and @ISU) were to similar teams - i.e. teams better than us.  Instead of ku, you could have subbed in louisville or marquette or GT or mich st or miami.  we really haven't shown we can beat that kind of team, hence no upside.  I don't consider florida better than us.

again, we didn't necessarily do that in '10 either, so there is hope I guess.

So you're saying there are better teams than us in the tournament, and if we meet a 1 seed in the sweet 16 we'll probably lose? Well, yeah.

I'm just saying I'm not too concerned about meeting a 5 seed in the round of 32. OSU will be a 5 seed and we beat them twice. We are a good basketball team. And KU is something of an anomaly.

[catzacker]

 I am saying it is tough to believe we'll do something we haven't done. 

[sys]

I am saying it is tough to believe we'll do something we haven't done.

they haven't gone to the sweet 16, and i believe they've got a great shot to do that.

[Nick Florences Beard]

I am saying it is tough to believe we'll do something we haven't done.

they haven't gone to the sweet 16, and i believe they've got a great shot to do that.

If Spradling only plays 6 minutes.

[eastcat]

Upside:

KU's starting lineup this year:

Withey (Senior)
Johnson (Senior)
Releford (senior)
Young (senior)
Mclemore (Freshman *NBA*)

KU is wasting two roster spots on:

Tyler Self
Evan Manning

Who does this leave them with?:

Naadir Tharpe
Rio Adams
Andrew White III
Justin Wesley
Niko Roberts
Christian Garrett
Perry Ellis
Landen Lucas
Jamari Traylor

Together those players average less than 19 points a game Combined. None of them are over 6'9 and only 3 of them play more than 5 minutes per game.

[Nick Florences Beard]

But Self and Manning are irrelevant walk-ons, every team has them. They also have a real recruiting class. :/