So, let's talk.
Over the last 52 minutes of play, BG's men have been beaten by a score of 128-73. That's more than 1 point per minute over a span that long.
It is as poorly as I can recall us playing in quite a while.
And then you consider that these 52 minutes weren't against Ohio State and Michigan or even Buffalo and Toledo, but against Central Michigan and NIU, neither of which has a winning record in MAC play. You should never lose like this within the conference, to anyone, but there you have it.
The game sent shockwaves through the Falcon Nation. For most of the year, we've been hoping we were seeing the team that would start to turn the program around. Maybe not this year--we are young--but soon. I think fans had or have patience for Huger--one of our own, with a strong apprenticeship as an assistant coach.
Just a little doubt is creeping into that equation. Here's the thing. You have a young team, that's fine. We have talent, but we're young. Much like the football team, you'd just expect to be young and get better, not have your worst games 20 games into the year. And you just start to wonder if this is actually going to turn around at all.
For the second straight game, Coach Huger said that some form of over-confidence was the reason for his team's poor play. At CMU it was the big lead; with NIU it was the fact BG had just beaten them two weeks ago. Either way, this is an explanation that is hard to listen to. First, it would ascribe a level of delusion to this team that would normally require medication. Second, even if it is true, it is as much on the coaches as on the players. Coaches are supposed to have players ready to play and this team hasn't been--in a big way--for two straight games.
Of course, when you hear that, you think that maybe there's some else going on...something in the scheme or the training or the execution that is lacking.
I haven't lost complete faith in the program. I still feel like it can be turned around. But, you can't deny that doubt has begun to creep in. You were willing to give Huger the issues with the team in the post-Jans years. But you wonder if any progress has been made.
UT is next up and that promises to be a very tough assignment. BG comes home to OU and Kent after that. Those should be winnable games at home. Obviously, you don't beat anyone playing this way, but it would be nice for the team to show some improvement and get a couple wins. The fear is that you end up in a slide that your young team can't break out of.
Regarding "Coach Huger said that some form of over-confidence was the reason for his team's poor play." - this has some ring of truth in it for me. Played well at Miami, played well for most of the CMU game. We get an "and one" in the second half and are up by a large margin, and then one of our players puts the index finger up to the mouth and gives the "Shhhhh..." sign. The opposing team right around that time makes 7 of 8 3-pointers.
ReplyDelete"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" James 4:6
I may have missed it, but CMU players didn't do any of the taunting type stuff in response to their success, and they experienced much grace. I would rather see humble players playing hard than talented players who get on a roll and then start to express themselves in ways that do not demonstrate good sportsmanship. I realize its popular, but it doesn't mean it produces good outcomes or that young men watching in the stands should mimic that behavior. If we saw 3rd graders doing that, most parents would probably tell them to stop. Why not do the same for college students who have 3rd graders watching? It may even limit overconfidence and produce better outcomes on the scoreboard.