YoDeFoe wrote:Merkin wrote:YoDeFoe wrote:rgdeuce wrote:Last season we were rolling and peaked at our win in Pauley, then things went south quick, only to bounce back for the Pac 12 tournament and then put on a disgrace of a performance in the Sweet 16 that made no sense.
Look at our losses and look at Rawle's box scores. You may find an interesting correlation.
Someone asked Miller during the presser if the Cats live and die by Alkins. He said no, Deandre.
Deandre is the most important, but given our poor defense we live and die by whether all of our big three are delivering.
However, my specific point was regarding the "made no sense" loss to Xavier. I contend that it made plenty of sense: Our second wing scorer played with a broken shooting hand and couldn't get a bucket.
It's the fan's lament, which is totally accurate and not just an excuse, but a reason...but sports culture is "doesn't matter...that's an excuse. You are as good as the team you have."
Sure, but in basketball, you have 5 to 9 key players. When Brandon Ashley broke his leg, we were 22-0 and making teams just quit with about 6 minutes left. We went from 22-0 to losing 4 and then the regional final. We had a reasonable replacement option for a stretch 4, but his dumb ass got told by God to go to the NBA with a 9ppg average.
Sure, Duke beat us in the title game in 2001. And Jay Will blah, blah. But we were missing Gilbert Arenas due to a fluke separated shoulder...our best scorer...and his replacement, Luke Walton, had a broken arm. Played, but...please explain to me how that is not a factor? Your best scorer separates his shoulder on a dunk late in the semi-final?
Sure, we lost to Xavier last year (umm...they seem to be pretty good. Yes, a year later, but...#4? And, yeah, they got gifted this weekend's game), but our starting wing, maybe closest to emotional leader on this team, and general badass at the time of the injury Rawle Alkins broke his fucking hand and couldn't shoot. Like could. Not. Shoot. And the team we played packed a zone in so tight they were playing a 0-5 against us. That Fucking Matters!
Even the shit year a couple of years ago...Trier is playing with a damaged hand himself. Not that that one would have mattered. It isn't automatic.
It takes applying common sense. But sports fans don't like that, usually. Every announcer hates them, the refs are biased against them, there are global conspiracies (OK...we actually had one Vegas conspiracy) that people will use as reasons. But don't dare give an EXCUUUSE. Like 20% of your scoring just walked off the court, never to return..