Great article from Gov Cleveland

[FlabLoser]

http://www.clarionledger....ese-Dogs-world-potential

I couldn't have said it better (insert anti-FlabLoser smack here).

This was a bit painful:

In fact, Stansbury didn't even want to compare it to his 2003-2004 team that was 25-2 before finishing 26-4 and losing to Xavier in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

25-2, damn! I'd forgotten that. Wow. 25-2, then out in the 1st round of the SEC's, and out in the 2nd round of the NCAA's. Definitely the most underachieving MSU basketball team ever.

But last night was sweet enough that I'm not fretting on 2004. Last night has my snide self feeling more optimistic.

As does Cleveland's comparison to how we're tracking the 1996 team.

 

[FlabLoser]

http://www.clarionledger....ese-Dogs-world-potential

I couldn't have said it better (insert anti-FlabLoser smack here).

This was a bit painful:

In fact, Stansbury didn't even want to compare it to his 2003-2004 team that was 25-2 before finishing 26-4 and losing to Xavier in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

25-2, damn! I'd forgotten that. Wow. 25-2, then out in the 1st round of the SEC's, and out in the 2nd round of the NCAA's. Definitely the most underachieving MSU basketball team ever.

But last night was sweet enough that I'm not fretting on 2004. Last night has my snide self feeling more optimistic.

As does Cleveland's comparison to how we're tracking the 1996 team.

 

[FlabLoser]

http://www.clarionledger....ese-Dogs-world-potential

I couldn't have said it better (insert anti-FlabLoser smack here).

This was a bit painful:

In fact, Stansbury didn't even want to compare it to his 2003-2004 team that was 25-2 before finishing 26-4 and losing to Xavier in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

25-2, damn! I'd forgotten that. Wow. 25-2, then out in the 1st round of the SEC's, and out in the 2nd round of the NCAA's. Definitely the most underachieving MSU basketball team ever.

But last night was sweet enough that I'm not fretting on 2004. Last night has my snide self feeling more optimistic.

As does Cleveland's comparison to how we're tracking the 1996 team.

 

[dawgstudent]

[No message]

 

[Tds & Beer]

Potentially, this team is nowhere near its ceiling. Potentially, this team can become so much better.</p>

This is why I criticize Stans a lot. Not because I'm negative, but because I want to see one of his teams reach their potential. For example, I'd like to see us play a game where we don't get tired before the other team. A lot of times people think we are doing the stansbury stall when really we are just tired. Great win though. </p>

 

[saltybulldog]

If I remember correctly Roberts was hurt and was not playing well.

 

[Seinfeld]

but I think the 2 losses were... 1. The fluke tip in loss by one point against KY and 2. A game against a mediocre Bama team where they played out of their minds that night.

Yeah, there were some close wins too, but that team was seriously close to being undefeated in the regular season

 

[maroonmania]

but unfortunately peaked too early unlike the 1996 game that peaked RIGHT at tournament time.

 

[57stratdawg]

It cost us a 1 seed that year.

 

[futaba.79]

to slow things down and let his team rest a little. Since our bench is very limited that's about all he can do to buy time.

 

[Tds &amp; Beer]

That's why the stall happens. But why is every team that we play in better shape than us? We played nine people last night. Ole Miss played seven, not counting the last few minutes.

 

[drt7891]

It's more a tribute to our depth on the bench and the fact they don't have as much. They tried to give a last gasp effort, but OM was pretty worn out mentally when they would never rotate down to pick up Moultrie in D and started to take deep jump shots late in the game. Stans has ALWAYS rested his best players for the stretch... after the under 8 media timeout, he usually puts in his bench players to slow it down... which is where we have been losing ground and momentum. He uses that time to rest his scorers for the home stretch... the last 3 or 4 minutes of the game. I really began to notice this last night... which is why we stall through that stretch... to eat up clock to get the game to that under 4 minute stretch where we can finish. Not a bad strategy, if you ask me... but it does kill momentum and lets teams hang around.

 

[Faustdog]

but I think the 2 losses were... 1. The fluke tip in loss by one point against KY and 2. A game against a mediocre Bama team where they played out of their minds that night.

Yeah, there were some close wins too, but that team was seriously close to being undefeated in the regular season

I believe that Alabama team ended up going to the Elite 8.

 

[patdog]

than the last puff pieces he wrote on the USM football and basketball teams. At least we don't have UAB on the schedule.

 

[RonnyAtmosphere]

..he claims this current squad is deeper than the 1996 squad.


It is a religious doctrine on 6pack that this current squad doesn't have the depth to make a run. That the loss of DeVille Smith has crippled this squad beyond all hope.


Please, do not send Rick C. hatemail over his blasphemous utterance.

 

[Tds &amp; Beer]

It's more a tribute to our depth on the bench and the fact they don't have as much. They tried to give a last gasp effort, but OM was pretty worn out mentally when they would never rotate down to pick up Moultrie in D and started to take deep jump shots late in the game. Stans has ALWAYS rested his best players for the stretch... after the under 8 media timeout, he usually puts in his bench players to slow it down... which is where we have been losing ground and momentum. He uses that time to rest his scorers for the home stretch... the last 3 or 4 minutes of the game. I really began to notice this last night... which is why we stall through that stretch... to eat up clock to get the game to that under 4 minute stretch where we can finish. Not a bad strategy, if you ask me... but it does kill momentum and lets teams hang around.

My point is that every team we play is in better shape than us. And I mean every team.

 

[Daledog]

"This is why I criticize Stans a lot. Not because I'm negative, but
because I want to see one of his teams reach their potential." Lars Larson
Does everybody realize that MSU was not ranked before the 2003-2004 season?!? Does everybody realize that we were ranked 4th during that year and a tip in away from being 26-1 for the regular season. We were almost a number #1 seed for the tourney. We finished ranked #8. WE REACHED OUR FULL POTENTIAL THAT YEAR!!! GIVE STANS SOME CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE!!! No one expected us to be as good as we were that year. What Stans did with that team was pretty amazing. However we only look at the fact that we lost in the 2nd round (to the hottest team in the country). We all make fun of Ole Miss fans for being delusional but some of the people on here are more delusional than they are.

 

[drt7891]

if your only reason is because we played more players than them.<div>
</div><div>You said "
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">That's why the stall happens. But why is every team that we play in better shape than us? We played nine people last night. Ole Miss played seven, not counting the last few minutes."</span></div><div>
</div><div>You mean to tell me based on that reason alone, I'm supposed to believe every team we play is in better shape than us? Because we played nine guys off a deeper bench to their 7?</div><div>
</div><div>My point was also that Stans just MIGHT be resting his star players for the final 3 minutes of the game. THAT'S why we go into the stall at 7 minutes to go, so we can run clock out when we are up 18 points to give Dee and Moultrie much needed rest for the final stretch so we can seal the win. I don't think I'm too far off-base with that reasoning... although I don't like that strategy... It certainly makes sense...</div>

 

[messageboardmonsterguy]

But he does this no matter if we are up 2 or 22. The problem comes about when we are up by anything below 10 points because his "resting" technique stalls a 10 point lead into a 4 point deficit. At that point, he puts in his starters to try to come back or build back a lead, which is unfair to the starters because the other 5 they face are riding a momentum wave. <div>
</div><div>It's fine to do that when we are up big, but there is no excuse for doing this when it's even remotely close. You can substitute in guys in intervals without a mass sub from the 7 minute mark down to the 3-4 minute mark. Let them rest at the 12 minute mark, come back in at the 8-9 minute mark and play. If you can't play for 8-9 minutes (25-30 minutes real-time) then you really don't need to be on the court (RSS is exempt from this statement).</div>

 

[missouridawg]

Yes, they won on a well designed in-bounds play... that was a great game to watch though.

We were down 20 in the second half and bowers just went en fuego and drug us back in.

 

[drt7891]

Auburn on the road last year really showed how that strategy can be blown up. Basketball is such a game of momentum and a few makes for one team and a few misses for the other can really turn the game around. LSU showed us this, too. The momentum wave can only carry you so far when you are missing shots and the other team makes them, then you end up being at the *** end of wave and that is hard to overcome in late game situations when the stakes are clearly visible. I personally would prefer we control our own destiny by keeping your foot on the gas and doing what has worked for you the best, especially in key moments of the game.

 

[Tds &amp; Beer]

Forget about the numbers. The numbers don't matter. My point is that if you looked out on the court in the last ten minutes, you saw one tired team and one team that was not as tired. The tired team was us. And that is the way it is every game.

 

[futaba.79]

with less than 3 minutes left, ole miss had a little mini run to cut it to 10. We came down, turned it up a notch, executed and hit a three. Then we get a stop, a rebound, another jumper off an assist and that was that for the Rebels. We looked crisp there at the end.

 

[Hanmudog]

Forget about the numbers. The numbers don't matter. My point is that if you looked out on the court in the last ten minutes, you saw one tired team and one team that was not as tired. The tired team was us. And that is the way it is every game.

Yet we have three guys that are among the SEC leaders in minutes played. The only guy we have out of shape is Sidney. Your argument is total crap.

 

[drt7891]

Your argument isn't making sense. You used numbers initially to try to make the point that our team was "tired," then I countered that and you told me to forget your initial argument... which means it was a bad comparison to begin with... which I addressed and you told me I was missing your point... which I didn't.

I thought we were about the same as far as conditioning, but no one on either team stood out to me as being "tired..." except Sidney, which is to be expected. The ONLY reason OM might have not been as tired (although still, I didn't notice a difference) was because they zoned us most of the game... which aGAIN, we expected.

 

[FlabLoser]

"This is why I criticize Stans a lot. Not because I'm negative, but
because I want to see one of his teams reach their potential." Lars Larson
Does everybody realize that MSU was not ranked before the 2003-2004 season?!? Does everybody realize that we were ranked 4th during that year and a tip in away from being 26-1 for the regular season. We were almost a number #1 seed for the tourney. We finished ranked #8. WE REACHED OUR FULL POTENTIAL THAT YEAR!!!

25-2 and losing in the 2nd round of the NCAAs is not reaching full potential. It is underachieving. Everything good that happens in the regular season is only a statement of potential. The rubber hits the road in the NCAA tournament.

 

[Tds &amp; Beer]

drt7891 wrote:
You used numbers initially to try to make the point that our team was "tired,"

No, that is how you interpreted it.

 

[squirldawg]

in the 2nd half of the Vanderbilt game in the SEC Tournament. We weren't the same team after that. We were up by about 10 points and then lost it and Roberts played injured in the Texas game.<div id="isChromeWebToolbarDiv" style="display:none"></div>

 

[WutheringDawg]

And the KY play was drawn up well, but was alsomillimeters from being tipped out of there by LRob. I lost a considerable amount of sleep after that game.

 

[LiterallyPolice]

Only time in my life I can say I nearly passed out from screaming so much.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't that inbounds play with 2.5 seconds left sheer luck on UK's part? IIRC, they tried to throw into the post to their big man, the play was broken up, but the loose ball fell right in the hands of a UK player in the lane. Am I wrong on this?

 

[prairiedawg]

I have sat through all but about 2 games and I don't see this drastic difference you continue to talk about. Last night they both looked gassed by about the same amount. But, if it makes you feel better to continue to rant about everything Stansbury, have at it.

 

[Hanmudog]

Only on sixpackspeak can our basketball team only lose 4 games all year, win an outright SEC title, and be in the top ten after being unranked in the preseason yet still be labeled an underachiever. Damn. Just. Damn.

 

[FlabLoser]

...from one of Polks's last teams that had a #1 national ranking during the season, then missed both the SEC tournament and the regionals.

 

[Hanmudog]

...from one of Polks's last teams that had a #1 national ranking during the season, then missed both the SEC tournament and the regiona

We FINISHED in the top 10 we didn't just get there for one week like the baseball team. I am not saying that I was thrilled with how the season ended but 63 out of 64 teams in the NCAA tourney are going to end it with a loss. You can't just call it an underachievement when we won an outright SEC title for the first time in about 40 years just because we lost early in the tourney. <div>
</div><div>If a State fan can't be happy in hindsight after a season like that then there is no point in following MSU athletics.</div>

 

[MedDawg]

...where UK had the ball, we caused a tie ball with just a second or two left, the alternate possession went to UK, and the TV announcer went on and on to how the existing tie ball rule was unfair to State and how in that situation the rule should be changed to make it a turnover or jump ball? I guess UK threw it in and tipped it in after the tie ball.

 

[Forrest4Moore]

...from one of Polks's last teams that had a #1 national ranking during the season, then missed both the SEC tournament and the regionals.

We still made the regionals that year dubmass. Got sent to Clemson. LSU made the SEC tournament and we were left out. LT, however, was the tourney chairman and we got in while LSU was left out. At least get your facts straight if you're going to dog our teams. Stick to predicting attendance.

 

[CivilEngineerDog]

Player who dunked at buzzer. Even Dickey V said we got mobbed next day in his column

 

[dawgstudent]

but that 2004 team underachieved. If you are a top 10 team and you don't make it past the first weekend - you underachieved. It was a great season - a lot of hardware was won but there was disappointment with the way the season ended.

 

[MSUArrowCS]

That was a great game, but a heart-breaking result.

 

[FlabLoser]

...you are underachieving.