Unbelievable Expectations

[calhoya]

Does anyone remember just 5 years ago, when everyone on this Board was praying for the program to be relevant again? The truth is that no team--even Duke, UNC,Conn, has been able to be a Final Four contender every year.

This year's team is flawed--the big hole being the loss of Greene. His departure takes away a versatile player who presented an inside-outside option, which diminishes the effectiveness of the other inside and outside options--particularly Wallace. Teams can sit back in a zone on nights when the outside shooters are off--which has happended recently. They can deny entry passes to Hibbert. They can attack him on offense to draw him into foul trouble and then go right after our "smaller" lineup.

Get real folks! This year's team is very good-not great. Next year's team will be more balanced --on paper, but very young and will probably not meet expectations either. Two years out they could be title contenders again. For now just enjoy being a feared national power again.

[Filo]

I don't mind a loss at Louisville in theory, since even in the beginning of the season, many would have expected this to be a tough loss. I think the frustration is that the team has just not been playing great ball -- we are all kind of sitting around waiting for some sort of spectacular performance. Well, you know what, it may not come, and this may be what we will get all season, even in March.

Like I posted a couple of weeks ago, I am just trying to enjoy the ride. It's very difficult to remove those expectations of the Hoyas being a real dominant force this year, but I think the fan experience is much more enjoyable if it can be done to any degree. Even with the flaws, they are still at the top of the BIg East, and it is going to be a very exciting month and a half.

[section220]

It's more frustrating because it was a game we COULD HAVE won...

[The Stig]

Agreed. On paper a loss at Louisville is nothing to be upset about. They're a strong team, they're well coached, and they have a great home court advantage. Most people had this game marked as a loss before the season started.

At the same time, after a first half like that we should have won. This team has an unfortunate tendency to let teams back in the game early in the second half. Most of the time we're able to regroup in the last 5 minutes and pull out a win. This game that didn't happen, partly because our guys didn't step it up like they have before and partly because Louisville didn't choke like our other opponents have.

On the bright side, we're still 9-2 in the Big East with an effective full game lead over the field.

[lichoya68]

COULDA AND PROBABLY SHOULDA WON IN REALITY NOT ON PAPER BUT lets move on folks lets move on win them one at a time by at LEAST one point go hoyas

[Hoya TMF]

I don't thinik nayone expects to a Final Four contender every year. I don't think it's unreasonable us to expect a repeat perfromance from a Final Four team that returns four starters and adds a good recruiting class (that supposedly shores up their biggest weakenss from the previous year).

Kansas, UCLA, UNC were all Final Four contenders last year and this year. Only one of those teams actually made it last year and the other two were beat by Final Four teams in the Elite 8. Why would they or we expect anything less than to be a final four contender again?

Next year, depending on the team make-up, expectations will be different. I don't think there is a sense of entitlement about this, but rather an acknowledgment of how good this team can be if it plays its best basketball.

[DudeSlade]

I think its reasonable to expect a team to play to their potential. I expected it of myself whenever I played sports (mind you, I know it wasn't anywhere close to this level, but I still expected it out of myself) and our players do, too. I also think it's entirely possible to analyze their play and see the faults and ways for improvement without taking anything away from the incredible rise of our program over the last 5 years, the incredible class and ability of our players who are the best representatives of any institution I've seen, and the great play that we've seen from them through much of this year.

To expect greatness from someone is the greatest compliment you can give them. Only because we believe in this team and their ability and want to see such tremendous young people succeed at the highest level do we put such expectations on them. I would hate to be someone from whom nothing is expected and I'm willing to bet that JTIII and these boys would feel the same. I hope those expectations and analysis never turn decidedly negative or hurtful and I hope that we continue to acknowledge and celebrate their accomplishments every step of the way. But I also hope we never stop expecting the best from them, because then we will return to mediocrity or worse.

[RDF]

The only expectations you can expect as a fan is to see a team improve. I have watched since Alabama in December to last night and honestly can't say this team is better. I think it has a lot of room to get better and play at a high level. My frustration and disagreements with opposing viewpoints from "positive" fans is that I don't see GU doing what will make them most effective/give them best opportunity to win. Most teams do this--whether they can win or not--they understand what is needed to do to give them best chance. With Hoyas this year-it's almost like they want to make things harder and go away from successful offense and just start trying to "get their own". So if you have Hibbert destroying a team down low--you'll see guys go away from him/ignore him to get their FGA's. Why?

Sports are only difficult if you make it that way. Your opposition is going to be challenging enough--why help them by making the game more difficult and ignoring what is effective?

Nobody has provided an answer other then excuses and attacks due to the fact they don't like who is raising questions about why this is not happening or don't like anything that isn't "pollyanna" way of looking at things to be mentioned.

I've heard:

1. "We've got great kids....."--who questioned these kids as people? I am talking about basketball approach-not whether they are good/intelligent kids.

2. "Senior Leadership..."--talent/execution is more important then experience. Give me an inexperienced player with a high basketball IQ committed to executing the way that helps the team over an experienced guy any day of week.

3. "we've only lost to good teams on the road..."--well what is the point of playing in BET/NCAA's then? If you can't beat good teams away from Verizon Center--why even bother making the trip to NYC and wherever the NCAA's are held? Last time I checked--it's not a Hoya invitational in March--so might as well pack it up then.

4. "Last year......." is over.

5. "Officials.....tough on road with home team calls..."---and this differs in any other league/game? Play through it.

6. "So and So doesn't deserve to be criticized because he did this last year....."--so you don't want them to succeed this year? You don't want to mention what is going on and just ignore reality? You don't get better by ignoring the truth-you accept it, and challenge yourself/teammates to come together and execute in a manner that gives you best opportunity to compete/win.

When this happens--I'll applaud the team. If that results in no wins from here on out--fine. I just want to see better basketball and TEAM APPROACH from these kids. I see it in spurts but not for 40 minutes--and you can't win anything of importance with 25 or 30 minutes of "together" and rest played in confusion.