2 unluckly losses balanced out by 2 lucky wins

[phatcat_rivals223240]

I just commented on INU where someone was bemoaning the PSU/UMD losses, as if winning those games would have transformed the season. I don't see it that way. We were unlucky vs PSU/UMD, but lucky vs Rutgers and IU (11th hour suspensions). This team has 6 B1G wins, about what it deserves. I don't think they'll win any of the remaining 3 games, but that's in their hands. Two of the three are winnable.

Further, those that point to RU's recent hot streak as justification that it was a quality win can look at MSU's meltdown for a balanced view.

 

[Hungry Jack]

We beat MSU in East Lansing when they were playing fairly well. They beat WI by 12 after losing to us, lost to ILL by 1, then spanked Michigan by 16.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

I just commented on INU where someone was bemoaning the PSU/UMD losses, as if winning those games would have transformed the season. I don't see it that way. We were unlucky vs PSU/UMD, but lucky vs Rutgers and IU (11th hour suspensions). This team has 6 B1G wins, about what it deserves. I don't think they'll win any of the remaining 3 games, but that's in their hands. Two of the three are winnable.

Further, those that point to RU's recent hot streak as justification that it was a quality win can look at MSU's meltdown for a balanced view.

Its a lot easier to take the dim view after the disaster in Minnesota.
The truth is that the losses to Maryland and PSU were devastating, along with the loss at Michigan.
All games we should have won.
It isn't "unlucky" when your coach drags the team down with bad decisions, putting his players in position to fail.
And the Rutgers win wasn't "lucky" - it was an epic coaching failure and we still managed to pull out the victory.

 

[peatymeanis]

And the Rutgers win wasn't "lucky" - it was an epic coaching failure and we still managed to pull out the victory.

Sounds like luck to me

 

[GatoLouco]

How would the MD loss be unlucky anyway? We were 1 FT short of winning, but took a small miracle to be back in the game in the last couple of minutes.

I think there's a stronger argument that we were lucky to have a chance at winning before throwing it away.

 

[hoosboot]

I just commented on INU where someone was bemoaning the PSU/UMD losses, as if winning those games would have transformed the season. I don't see it that way. We were unlucky vs PSU/UMD, but lucky vs Rutgers and IU (11th hour suspensions). This team has 6 B1G wins, about what it deserves. I don't think they'll win any of the remaining 3 games, but that's in their hands. Two of the three are winnable.

Further, those that point to RU's recent hot streak as justification that it was a quality win can look at MSU's meltdown for a balanced view.

I think this might be what you're pointing to anyway, but IMHO there is no "luck". There is only result. That doesn't mean every poor result is a reason to make drastic change, but waiting for your "luck" to suddenly break in your favor just leads to more bad "luck".

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

I think this might be what you're pointing to anyway, but IMHO there is no "luck". There is only result. That doesn't mean every poor result is a reason to make drastic change, but waiting for your "luck" to suddenly break in your favor just leads to more bad "luck".

To quote Fitz, you are what your record says you are. I've seen more than one "if only!" post here and on INU about the MD/PSU/other games, I am simply balancing it by saying "if only" Rutgers hadn't shat the bed after the comeback and if only IU hadn't suspended those guys right before the game, we'd have 2 more losses. This team deserves its current record. No better, no worse. If they win a couple more, it's because they've earned them.

 

[NUCat320]

We beat MSU in East Lansing when they were playing fairly well. They beat WI by 12 after losing to us, lost to ILL by 1, then spanked Michigan by 16.

And they’ve totally fallen apart since then. We were their canary in the coal mine.

Rutgers increasingly looks like NU’s best win. And Mulcahy is averaging 15 points on 64% shooting in five games since destroying NU. He’s headed for all-conference recognition.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

To quote Fitz, you are what your record says you are. I've seen more than one "if only!" post here and on INU about the MD/PSU/other games, I am simply balancing it by saying "if only" Rutgers hadn't shat the bed after the comeback and if only IU hadn't suspended those guys right before the game, we'd have 2 more losses. This team deserves its current record. No better, no worse. If they win a couple more, it's because they've earned them.

To that I say Chris Collins deserves his current record.
The players on the team deserve better.

 

[willycat]

To that I say Chris Collins deserves his current record.
The players on the team deserve better.

And the players don't deserve their record? Really??? Ah, yes.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

And the players don't deserve their record? Really??? Ah, yes.

It's Admissions' fault for admitting them. Sorry, Willy, couldn't resist.

 

[GatoLouco]

It's Admissions' fault for admitting them. Sorry, Willy, couldn't resist.

You know Willy is right. Whoever overuses exclamation points and questions marks at the rate of 3 minimum must be right. Couldn't be that he is full of it, despite thinking very highly of his self worth.

 

[Catreporter]

Are you forgetting the first 30 minutes of the Rutgers game, Purple? That was perhaps our best 30 of the year, but I suppose the coaches had nothing to do with that. That Rutgers defense had just held high scoring Iowa to 46 points.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

We are what are record says we are. End of story. Where the disagreement comes in is why we are where we are.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

And the players don't deserve their record? Really??? Ah, yes.

My point is that the players are better at basketball than the coach is at coaching basketball.

The coach puts 5 players on the floor and that decision has a likelihood of success or failure, with a distribution of outcomes around the expected outcome. The players determine the distribution, but they don't determine the expected outcome.

And guys sitting on the bench can't do anything to help the team.

Or to put it another way, if the guy in charge decides to take a team of 10 players and split them up so that the team on the floor is rarely his best lineup, he is by definition undermining the team.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

My point is that the players are better at basketball than the coach is at coaching basketball.

The coach puts 5 players on the floor and that decision has a likelihood of success or failure, with a distribution of outcomes around the expected outcome. The players determine the distribution, but they don't determine the expected outcome.

And guys sitting on the bench can't do anything to help the team.

Or to put it another way, if the guy in charge decides to take a team of 10 players and split them up so that the team on the floor is rarely his best lineup, he is by definition undermining the team.

Not to mention turtling every time he gets a lead.

 

[NUCat320]

Not to mention turtling every time he gets a lead.

They tried to give it away last night. A few empty possessions running what looked to be a true four corners offense, and an 8-0 Nebraska run.

Revsine called out CCC specifically slowing down Boo, and I had my uh-oh moment.