Better to lose a game?
- Thread starter Halldan1
- Start date
Not necessarily.
I would say they'd have been a lot better off facing the ACC or Big 10. Heck, even Big East would've been a marked improvement, and they'd have lost a game or 2. They got to the Elite 8 and when they went up against 2 elite offensive teams ND and Wisconsin, it was another level. (They should have pulled out Saturday's game, but ND also should have been able to close them out.)
I would say they'd have been a lot better off facing the ACC or Big 10. Heck, even Big East would've been a marked improvement, and they'd have lost a game or 2. They got to the Elite 8 and when they went up against 2 elite offensive teams ND and Wisconsin, it was another level. (They should have pulled out Saturday's game, but ND also should have been able to close them out.)
Probably in the minority but I do think losing a game helps. There was already incredible pressure on this team to win it all. But to do so by going undefeated just bumped that pressure up a notch and IMO had them playing tight as the season progressed.
Athletes are told to play 'free and easy' as well as smart. The smart part, especially when combined with talent is easier to do for most than facing enormous pressure, That pressure as much as anything else was the undoing of the better team.
Athletes are told to play 'free and easy' as well as smart. The smart part, especially when combined with talent is easier to do for most than facing enormous pressure, That pressure as much as anything else was the undoing of the better team.
it helps. going undefeated might give them the perception that they'll win any game no matter what, and dont really have that fight or drive to kick it into the next gear. Kentucky was soft and they have no fight. Theyre just really f'ing good.
These words were spoken by an ESPN analyst the night prior to us beating Cuse by 20+ in the BE championship. He said that we were one loss away from being able to complete for a national championship. Maybe if Cuse played better, we would have walked into that W Kentucky game a better team.
This post was edited on 4/6 10:49 AM by statenman
This post was edited on 4/6 10:49 AM by statenman
Given that they are such a young team, a loss during the season, might have been a good thing. They never really had any adversity all season and running into a more experienced talented team like UW which took their best punch and kept coming back effected their last several possessions.
UW showed me a lot by not caving after the "no-call" flagrant. Most teams would have lost some composure, but they just kept digging in.
UW showed me a lot by not caving after the "no-call" flagrant. Most teams would have lost some composure, but they just kept digging in.
playing in a laughingly bad SEC this season hurt them a bit. Outside of Arkansas & LSU, everyone else was total garbage. The only real test they had (where they weren't playing down to their competition) from Jan-March was the LSU road game. Losing to a very good team at some point during the conference schedule would've taken a ton of pressure off. They can all say there's no pressure to go undefeated blah blah blah, but when you're 38-0, down a few points with 3 minutes left or less and have to take a tough shot or make a free throw, don't tell me that shit is going through these guys heads. Just think about how psyched out our guys get at the FT line & they haven't gotten anywhere near the big stage.
UK did not play a bad game. They shot 48%from the field same as UW, they shot 60% from 3pt to UW 41%, 90% FT to UW 82%, and they took 6 more shots than UW.
The only real advantage that UW had was that they took over 2X the amount of FTs.
I'm not sure UK losing a game could have changed this game un UK's favor, but maybe the 2 loses and OT game in the BIG final helped UW.
The only real advantage that UW had was that they took over 2X the amount of FTs.
I'm not sure UK losing a game could have changed this game un UK's favor, but maybe the 2 loses and OT game in the BIG final helped UW.
A loss may have helped settle Calipari. He looked like a nut case on the sidelines the last 2 games. I know he's intense and I take no issue with him being a great coach. But sometimes there is something to be said for projecting calm and not reacting to every negative play or missed call.
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