only come after we beat TWO ranked opponents back to back...as in, the first SEASON we've beaten 2 since what? 2004? Two great wins...arguably the best two back-to-back in Stansbury's entire tenure...what's your point? Are you trying to "prove" someone wrong about what they said last year? Show me a negative c34/Stansbury post since fall practice began this season...can you? Or are you calling someone out about the common sense they've tried to beat into your head over the last two nightmare seasons? Congrats, it only took about 700 days to get that off your chest. Why do all the Stansbury apologists come out of the woodwork after two good wins in week two to flame the 90% of the fanbase that actually understand the fact that this "team" is still nothing more than the most talented group playing pick-up ball in the Sanderson? Two great games, no doubt. Lawrence Roberts and the fundamentals he previously learned at Baylor added 5 years to Stans tenure...and Arnett Moultrie is trying hard to do the same thing. Stans has recruited great talent. No one denies that. But if you think he's "leading" them to any of these wins or contributing positively in any way other than the assembly of talent, I can't help you...and you'll never understand the complex nuances of the game that is basketball. But keep talking about Bama...because they'll thump us again this year with well-coached inferior talent.
Look, even the most bitter of us could tell that Moultrie, Hood, and Smith were "winners" from their responses in every interview they've given since recruitment. Especially Moultrie and Hood. This, in addition to Bost's maturing, equals a team that is incredibly dangerous, with unlimited potential...even before the Sidney wildcard gets thrown. No one is questioning that...and C34 has done nothing but admit it all season. Somehow, this gets listed by the apologists as "setting Stansbury up to fail."
We still win in spite of Stansbury, not because of him. Doesn't mean that we don't enjoy the winning! I love winning. Was heartbroken in 2004 after that early exit...and in my mind, that was the last time that we really DESERVED to be there. Sure, we went as an 8-seed a few times. I loved the Omaha trip in 2007 even though everyone knew it was lightning in a bottle from a team that deserved to be sitting home ranked between 25th and 40th. "Stans is the best ever coach at State, we can't do better, etc..." Really? Apologist excuses in the "woe is us" loser mindset of our past. Do you think our baseball program is in better shape right now than it was in 2008? Or even 2007? Of course it is. By a mile! Stans will finish this season as the 8th or 9th winningest coach in SEC history...that's never been better than 32nd in a single season in what? 14? years, after inheriting a team that had been top 4 and top 16 in the previous seasons. We canned the 3rd winningest baseball coach in all NCAA history...that had finished in the top 8 what? 8 times? most recently the PREVIOUS season. We survived that change...and are about to thrive in it's aftermath. The difference? The baseball cupboard was bare... the basketball program is stocked to the greatest extent since the mid 90's...