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The goal of our last look at the Bubble is to outline the goals that the different teams should have for the ACCT…whether that goal is just making the
[See the full post at: Last Look at the Bubble]My concern going into the tournament is that Pitt has a lot more to play for than we do. Here’s to hoping our heads are in the right place and we play like we really want an ACCT championship.
Looks like laranaiga wins the Seth Greenberg award for scheduling combined with an average conference record…it will be interesting to see how the team responds this year since we have some rope. Hopefully, the lesson was learned vs. BC.
It’s funny, not really thinking too much about the ACCT – I just can’t stretch my brain around us getting past Duke again. They are playing really well now.
But thinking a lot about the NCAAT. No matter our seating, the second round game looks brutal. That’s always the test for me. If you can get through to the second weekend, you’ve done something. Sweet 16! An extra week of the season to enjoy. To me, that would qualify this season as vastly over achieving.
Obviously, a measure of true success is no longer sweating the first weekend, but focusing on the second and third weekends. Hopefully we will get there.
Just avoid Kentucky as long as possible. Everyone else is beatable if State plays 30-35 minutes like they did against in the second half Syracuse, Duke or UNC.
Truthfully, it all comes down to player matchups in the tournaments, and I like our versatility.
“I think that State fans might as well hope for the best while understanding that it is unlikely that State will consistently contend for a top position in the ACC. My best-case scenario was first proposed by BJD several years ago….hope for a peak-type season every few years.”
Anyone who supports Gott certainly has similar aspirations to you and BJD.
Hopefully we have enough fans, and leaders, who aspire for much more.
Truthfully, it all comes down to player matchups in the tournaments, and I like our versatility.
Versatility! That’s the word I was looking for all year to describe the team that hammers UNCCH and folds against BC. We aren’t inconsistent, up and down, or unpredictable. We are versatile! Much better way to look at it.
Anyone who supports Gott certainly has similar aspirations to you and BJD.
Note that there is a significant difference between aspirations and realistic projections.
One tries not to get to far ahead of oneself, but 2015-16 and 2016-17 could be scary good peak years if we maintain this defensive intensity.
Yeah, I know that’s not exactly a small “if.”
I’m ok with not being an 800-pound gorilla, as long as (i) we are entertaining; and (ii) our peak years are actual, you know, PEAKS.
That’s the way the game is played for the vast, vast majority of programs. I would much rather do that than adopt some kind of gimmick that restricts our ceiling. To me, “unlimited ceiling” is much more important than year-to-year consistency.
Hahahaha – if you couldn’t make fun of me, who would we make fun of?! 🙂
Very interested in where ND and the Cheats wind up as well. No telling what impact their respective conference tourney results will have … that’s part of the intrigue. If the selections were made today, I’d have a hard time seeing the Cheats above the 5-line. Schedule was great, but victories at the very top were more than scarce.
I’d love to see if ND winds up on the 3 or 4-line. Taking a last look at this resume, I could see 3-line. That said, the non-con schedule was ridiculous and they could easily be penalized a seed line for it.
Miami is a very interesting profile. 7 top 100 victories – two of them really good (Duke and State) – but a bad non-con schedule and 4 100+ losses. I think Miami possibly needs more than just a win over ND in the quarters. Of course, other bubble teams are not exactly strong, so who really knows.
“It’s funny, not really thinking too much about the ACCT – I just can’t stretch my brain around us getting past Duke again. They are playing really well now.”
I dunno. People are talking about how Duke is the hottest team in the ACC right now. If we came up with a top 3 hottest list, we might be in there.
the team that hammers UNCCH and folds against BC.
To be fair, let’s look at the stretch run: State hammered Louisville on the road, TCB against VT (many predicted a let down loss), hammered UNCCH on the road (holding the Holes to lowest point total ever in the dome), folded against BC on the road, beat Clemson handily on the road in a must win despite going 1-6 in the previous 7 games there (yes they made me sweat at the end) then finished off the Orange in the PNC (ostensibly wrapping up an NCAA tourney bid).
5-1 down the stretch, two against ranked teams. IMO wins against l’ville and uncch far outweigh the egg laid in Boston.
Just for the record, in Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology, he has State a 9-seed, playing Cincy with the winner of that game playing Kentucky. I’d hate to think all that effort by the team lately (@BC excluded) would earn such a “reward.” Fortunately, if that’s what the prediction is, that means it probably won’t turn out that way.
Also, unless I missed someone, State played 11 of the teams currently projected to make the field for a total of 13 games (so far).
Hahahaha – if you couldn’t make fun of me, who would we make fun of?! 🙂
I like to keep my options open….but occasionally I will take a cheap shot even if it is as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
I’m happy to learn that win or lose Wednesday night, we’re IN. So I guess that what I should really be worrying about is Sunday night- whether or not we’ll end up in Kentucky’s bracket.
I think we’ve already got enough problems ending up in Duke’s bracket. I think State would be better off to face anyone else in the ACC except Duke right now.
The ACC will get two #1 seeds if Duke beats UVA on Saturday night; only one if either UVA or someone besides Duke wins the ACCT. Miami can still get in but needs at least 2 wins this week, maybe even 3.
But again, I’m happy that I won’t have to worry about Wednesday night.
Takes a load off my mind.I really, truly think Duke and UVA are locks for #1 seeds no matter what. Complete body of work and whatnot.
I mean, for fuck’s sake, Arizona lost to HWSNBN, and Wiscy lost to Rutgers.
Get to the dance, and take them one game at a time. Worry about Kentucky, when and if we get to play them. But even then, what was Houston in 1983? These guys can be beat, if we don’t play their game. They had some close calls this year, and probably a conference that isn’t that great in BB this year. But for now dance, and take them one at a time, whomever it may be.
Pitt has had a bizarre year. Talk about your shadow pack…they appear to be the yen to our yang. Hopefully we smack them again.
Anyone who supports Gott certainly has similar aspirations to you and BJD.
Note that there is a significant difference between aspirations and realistic projections.
Indeed. Gottfried has the program improving, and in better shape than it has been since the Valvano Scandal in the 1980s. As far as I am concerned, the last HWSNBN years were fool’s gold and under Gottfried, there is a solid core of players that can play on both ends of the court, and Gottfried has been a relatively successful recruiter.
Are we there yet? Don’t fool yourself, we’re not. The team is not a consistent top 20 member that can vye for the ACC regular season crown. Are we headed in the right direction? Yes. But we’re not there yet and it may be another 2-3 years before we are.
^ I think there should be a rundown after this season of what ‘tier’ our coaching staff falls in. 2 months ago the talk was what needs to be done NEXT YEAR to justify continuing. Once the ‘tier’ is established the question becomes what would it take to ‘move up’. I think that Gottfried has given us a lot to like. For those launching stones, I’m curious to know their opinion on the next tier and whether the strategy is to get, say, Tom Izzo to walk through the door. I’m kind of over the comments like ‘As long as Gott is our coach…’ with ‘Only losers would…’ without any balls to state what an alternative “should be”.
But then again that’s feeding trolls.
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