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Shades of 2013 football

F

freewillie07

Sophomore
Aug 22, 2017
5,240
100
48
Can’t help but draw parallels between this basketball season and 2013’s football season.

STREAKS SNAPPED
Football: Wins Gator Bowl, ending a decades-long losing streak in bowls
Basketball: Makes NCAA Tournament, ending longest drought in Power 5; also wins a game for the first time ever

GRAND PROCLAMATIONS
Football: “We’re here to stay”
Basketball: “This is only the beginning”

PRESEASON HYPE
Football: Ranked, talks of competing at the top of the Big Ten
Basketball: Ranked, talks of competing at the top of the Big Ten

LOSE A COMPETITIVE EARLY GAME
Football: Loses GameDay matchup against Ohio State, in a close game. I felt proud of the team and thought that despite the loss, this was a program trending up.
Basketball: Loses matchup against Creighton, in a close game. I felt OK about the team despite the loss.

BLOWOUT
Football: Crushed by Wisconsin right after the OSU defeat
Basketball: Crushed by Texas Tech shortly after the Creighton defeat

HEARTBREAK
Football: You all know...
Basketball: Loses on a buzzer-beater to Georgia Tech


The question now is where the basketball team goes from here. Do they unravel and not make any tournament? Do they figure it out and go dancing again? Right now I’m somewhere in the middle — feels like a NIT season.

BEAT ILLINOIS.
 
Last edited:
A

Aging Booster

Freshman
Apr 10, 2014
1,085
85
0
freewillie07 said:
Can’t help but draw parallels between this basketball season and 2013’s football season.

STREAKS SNAPPED
Football: Wins Gator Bowl, ending a decades-long losing streak in bowls
Basketball: Makes NCAA Tournament, ending longest drought in Power 5; also wins a game for the first time ever

GRAND PROCLAMATIONS
Football: “We’re here to stay”
Basketball: “This is only the beginning”

PRESEASON HYPE
Football: Ranked, talks of competing at the top of the Big Ten
Basketball: Ranked, talks of competing at the top of the Big Ten

LOSE A COMPETITIVE EARLY GAME
Football: Loses GameDay matchup against Ohio State, in a close game. I felt proud of the team and thought that despite the loss, this was a program trending up.
Basketball: Loses matchup against Creighton, in a close game. I felt OK about the team despite the loss.

BLOWOUT
Football: Crushed by Wisconsin right after the OSU defeat
Basketball: Crushed by Texas Tech shortly after the Creighton defeat

HEARTBREAK
Football: You all know...
Basketball: Loses on a buzzer-beater to Georgia Tech


The question now is where the basketball team goes from here. Do they unravel and not make any tournament? Do they figure it out and go dancing again? Right now I’m somewhere in the middle — feels like a NIT season.

BEAT ILLINOIS.
Click to expand...
I really think that the union organizing campaign and the resultant polarization of the QBs derailed the 2013 football season. I see no similar explanation for what is happening now in basketball. I expected the lack of a home court to be a problem, but our problems are much greater than that. I am still reveling in our recent relevance in this sport and do not expect us to be a perennial power in B-ball, but we had so much talent returning I find this season very hard to explain.
 
H

harkesnu

Redshirt
Jan 27, 2004
354
9
13
I think that no matter how hard the coaches and players try to focus on success this season, there is an inevitable letdown, probably subconsciously as none would admit or aspire to such, that comes with attaining a huge, never-been-done-before kind of goal. Making the tournament was the culmination of years of hard work and frustration, even if these coaches and players have only been a part of it for the last few.

In every sport, you see this kind of thing happen. There are, of course, a few exceptional programs that overcome. In the NFL, Super Bowl teams rarely make it back and often miss the playoffs the next year. Same with baseball, basketball, etc. Even great organizations like the Spurs won every other year while they were dominant (see SF Giants too).

I would compare us more to the mid-major that finally gets to the Dance or even finds some success at the tournament. I believe you’d find it the exception rather than the rule to see those teams back in the tournament the following year. However, over the course of 5-10 years, programs with solid support and good coaching are able to develop programs that take the expectations and run with them (think Gonzaga).

While the down year is disappointing based on our returning players/expectations, I think this is unfortunately a pretty normal progression for a program (and playing away from W-R certainly doesn’t help). I expect to see us back in the tourney in the next couple years and then regularly from there, provided we maintain the level of our coaching staff.
 
H

haywood jahblowme

Redshirt
Aug 5, 2010
4,995
38
0
Aging Booster said:
I really think that the union organizing campaign and the resultant polarization of the QBs derailed the 2013 football season. I see no similar explanation for what is happening now in basketball. I expected the lack of a home court to be a problem, but our problems are much greater than that. I am still reveling in our recent relevance in this sport and do not expect us to be a perennial power in B-ball, but we had so much talent returning I find this season very hard to explain.
Click to expand...

disagree - the media hype and Cinderella aspect blew way out of proportion who NU was/is as a program. the talent level is not that far different. how ever last year the team over achieved and played hard. they got lucky against vandy, and almsot got a gonzaga team that quit playing.

then due to outside circumstance, hype, and pomp the team has had their egos over inflated. some called for final four?!?!!

we are looking at the results now. look at the roster. not too many guys you wouldn't trade for players from other schools. our "all conference" seniors forgot they had one more year to play and have been awful.
 
F

freewillie07

Sophomore
Aug 22, 2017
5,240
100
48
haywood jahblowme said:
disagree - the media hype and Cinderella aspect blew way out of proportion who NU was/is as a program. the talent level is not that far different. how ever last year the team over achieved and played hard. they got lucky against vandy, and almsot got a gonzaga team that quit playing.

then due to outside circumstance, hype, and pomp the team has had their egos over inflated. some called for final four?!?!!

we are looking at the results now. look at the roster. not too many guys you wouldn't trade for players from other schools. our "all conference" seniors forgot they had one more year to play and have been awful.
Click to expand...

100% agree. Only good thing the hype and inflated sense of importance did was line up a good recruiting class. It’s for the best that 5 new players (including Turner here) will be seeing the floor in 2018-19.
 
S

scru

Redshirt
Sep 4, 2005
2,388
8
0
freewillie07 said:
100% agree. Only good thing the hype and inflated sense of importance did was line up a good recruiting class. It’s for the best that 5 new players (including Turner here) will be seeing the floor in 2018-19.
Click to expand...

6 of you include Rapolas, if he is able to get and stay healthy.
 
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