I remember PJ saying that how you play in February tells you a great deal about the toughness and character of your team. The Hall laid an egg at Marquette and certainly it was embarrassing, but I think it is worthwhile to keep the loss in context.In this league anybody can win and even embarrass a frontrunner on a given night.We have tons of examples that the Big East is a series of battles and the really quality teams will peak in February. I am not a Pollyanna about this team, and realize that there are some major areas of concern.However we have genuine talent and seniors that know this is the last chance to make a magical ride. I am confident that come the end of February the overall body of work will be one that makes March Madness a thrilling ride.
PJ used to say
- Thread starter Turiddu
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The team has shown an ability to get better as the year progresses in the past two seasons. 7-2 record in Feb. two years ago and 7-3 record in Feb last year.
The biggest thing I want to see over the next 3 games is getting back to being a tough defensive team.
Get defections, rebounds, steals and get some easy buckets in transition.
Also waiting for someone to LEAD this team.
Get defections, rebounds, steals and get some easy buckets in transition.
Also waiting for someone to LEAD this team.
This team has holes but anything can happen in March.
Truthfully I can see a deep run but I also see elevated chances of a first round upset as this team has a habit of not respecting "lesser" foes.
At the end of the day, this team (and this class) will be judged by history almost exclusively by what it does this March. Fair or unfair, it's the truth.
Truthfully I can see a deep run but I also see elevated chances of a first round upset as this team has a habit of not respecting "lesser" foes.
At the end of the day, this team (and this class) will be judged by history almost exclusively by what it does this March. Fair or unfair, it's the truth.
I wholeheartedly disagree. When was the last time a SHU team (or a particular class) went to three straight NCAA's? There has to be some perspective on the accomplishments of this group.
Not sure we disagree.
They'll then be judged as the "class that went to 3 straight NCAAs...BUT...didn't win a game once they got there."
Just like Barrett and Toney-El are judged as "got to 2 (should have been 3) NCAAs and beat arizona in the first round."
Just like Holloway and Rimas are judged by their Sweet 16.
They'll then be judged as the "class that went to 3 straight NCAAs...BUT...didn't win a game once they got there."
Just like Barrett and Toney-El are judged as "got to 2 (should have been 3) NCAAs and beat arizona in the first round."
Just like Holloway and Rimas are judged by their Sweet 16.
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I don’t know if this has been stated elsewhere on the board (as I avoided it the past 36 hrs) but just look at Xavier last year. They had an up and down regular season but it clicked for them in March. We’ll be fine.
Context is everything, and the class would be remembered for having been unable to win a game in the NCAA Tournament. I think, especially as years pass, the Big East title will be most closely associated with Isaiah Whitehead, while a prospective NCAA 0-fer would be a wider label pinned on the class.
Getting there is nice the first year. Not winning the second year is damned frustrating. Being blanked three years in a row is a major problem.
That hasn't happened yet, so we should be careful about painting that picture already.
Barrett and Toney-El made it to one (should've gone in '03, too). The '06 group was a bunch of different kids. Orr made it with two different groups - one he recruited, and one he mostly inherited.
We make it sound like making NCAA tournaments is the end-all of coaching at Seton Hall, but even with a march win on his resume, we fired that guy.
You are exactly right. It’s all about getting better. If I’m not mistaken wasn’t the home loss to Creighton 2 years ago in early January much worse than the game 2 nights ago? And that season turned out ok.
You guys are right. My bad.
Anyway, the overall context is there l (I think).
College basketball is all about March. Even for us die-hards, and especially as you start thinking in terms of legacies.
What would this board have been like in January of ‘89 after the team followed the classic win over Georgetown with a 90-66 blowout loss at Syracuse?
This. You need to have the killer instinct to jump to the next level. It cannot be about excuses or how high the climb has been, how daunting the task, or how a team is "out of gas" and we get blown out by 20. We tiptoe that line with KW, IMO. It's a different intensity level than PJ. It must be about a steady confidence with unwavering drive to put our name up there. That's what PJ had.
Do we have that now? Right now we're a good story and turnaround to relevancy. But we have not won a single NCAA Tournament game. The BET title was one of the great moments of following SHU hoops, yes.
