This team...

[ousdahl]

Re: crippling injury, I wonder how much Bryce mattered and matters to this team, and what we would have looked like in January if our burger boy was turning the freshman corner rather than out hurt.

[pdub]

Yes.
A 5 would be our worst seed since 1999 where the 6 seeded Roi bois, led by a career game from Ryan Robertson and a shaved head Boschee, lost in OT to Padgett and Kentucky.

[pdub]

Oh sorry, scratch that, the following year we were an 8 seed.
I forgot - Kenny Gregory beats Richardson in OT in the 8/9 and then we lose a fairly close one to Elton Brand's Duke.

[jfish26]

Re: crippling injury, I wonder how much Bryce mattered and matters to this team, and what we would have looked like in January if our burger boy was turning the freshman corner rather than out hurt.

Eh. I wasn't seeing anything from him that suggested he was going to be more than a piece.

Have we ever have a freshman guard get really good during the season?

I'm sure I'm overlooking someone, but it feels like they're either really good pretty much from the start, or they aren't major impact guys as freshmen.

[NewtonHawk11]

If this team earned a 5 and upset a 1 only to loose by 1 point in the E8 to a 2 seed, success or no success?

Success.

[ousdahl]

Re: crippling injury, I wonder how much Bryce mattered and matters to this team, and what we would have looked like in January if our burger boy was turning the freshman corner rather than out hurt.

Eh. I wasn't seeing anything from him that suggested he was going to be more than a piece.

Have we ever have a freshman guard get really good during the season?

I'm sure I'm overlooking someone, but it feels like they're either really good pretty much from the start, or they aren't major impact guys as freshmen.

Freshman Mario started starting in January, around the same time that 05 team started winning.

Josh Selby actually played well for the like 3 games he wasn’t suspended or hurt.

But yeah, it seems silly to think of a freshman guard as the solution to a season. But Bryce would have at least been somebody. And more likely to try and actually move the ball, perhaps, than certain other guards otherwise standing around.

I think maybe he could at least played a rich man’s Dajuan role, and Dajuan got some minutes and even a start within the past few weeks of wondering wtf this team is doing.

[jfish26]

Chalmers is probably the best counter to what I said, yep.

[pdub]

Tyshawn was thrown into the fire early and improved as the season went on ( @ Oklahoma v Willie Warren! ).
That was Sherron and Cole's squad - but without him, we mighta been in doo doo that 09 season.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Devon's improvement was the only highlight of 2019.

[ousdahl]

So several examples of a touted freshman guard coming on during conference play.

We missed out on that this season. I’m not saying it’s thee factor, but not saying it’s not a factor either, who knows.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Not sure you could argue that Bryce wouldn't have helped, especially if he avoided both injuries. But, he also wouldn't have fixed our biggest problems.

OSU hiring Cade's brother kind of started the motion to where we're at now.

[pdub]

A fully healthy Bryce Thompson might have made the difference in @OSU or @OU.
Were leading both those in the 2nd half.
But he's only had double digit scoring twice - once in the very first game, the other v Washburn.

[Deleted User 89]

success, for me, would be a S16

lol at winning 1.5 games as a metric of success...i’d rather win the whole game than just the first half

[CrimsonNBlue]

Can't wait to buy that commemorative Sweet 16 t-shirt. Might even brave COVID for that Mass Street celebration.

[Deleted User 89]

did i have to qualify my post by saying based on what we’ve seen from this squad so far?

i just don’t think they’ve shown enough consistency to string together enough wins in a row

[Walrus]

I don't think the standard is different from any year where there's not some crippling injury: the season will be a failure if we don't make the Final Four.

I would say that would be fair for last year. This year? I'm just hoping we survive the first weekend.

[CrimsonNBlue]

did i have to qualify my post by saying based on what we’ve seen from this squad so far?

i just don’t think they’ve shown enough consistency to string together enough wins in a row

The qualifier doesn't matter. The regular season overall is going to be trash and anything short of a Final Four will not be a postseason success.

[Deleted User 89]

did i have to qualify my post by saying based on what we’ve seen from this squad so far?

i just don’t think they’ve shown enough consistency to string together enough wins in a row

The qualifier doesn't matter. The regular season overall is going to be trash and anything short of a Final Four will not be a postseason success.

agree to disagree

[CrimsonNBlue]

did i have to qualify my post by saying based on what we’ve seen from this squad so far?

i just don’t think they’ve shown enough consistency to string together enough wins in a row

The qualifier doesn't matter. The regular season overall is going to be trash and anything short of a Final Four will not be a postseason success.

agree to disagree

You are allowed to personally celebrate mediocrity. The program doesn't, though, and its measuring stick of success is in the rafters. This team is not getting up there absent a Final Four. As cascadia said, it might be unfair but it's the way it is.

[Deleted User 89]

i’m just being realistic based on what i’ve seen...this team, given the way the season has gone, will be lucky to get out of the first weekend

not celebrating mediocrity at all