I mean, maybe this is rationalization ... but to me, I think it's really a great reflection of where we are / can be as a program.
The national perspective about us last night -- certainly wasn't that we were overmatched, lucky, happy to be there, out of our element, a dream season etc.
It was this - a great program, great culture, a bit shorthanded, that played a bad half ... then showed what kind of program we were by how we played in the second half. That injuries kept us from being a potential Sweet 16 team. Certainly Coach Hurley's comments didn't hurt. Neither did beating Purdue, Illinois, Dayton, and Florida Atlantic, as well as Nebraska and Michigan State. We were a really good team that played 1 bad half. Not because we were scared, but because good teams can play a bad half against a tough opponent. (See Kansas, for example.)
But it's a really important national perspective to have that this isn't a 1 year flash in the pan. Only 14 of 362 programs have won first round games in both of the last two seasons. They've built something on the court - and all of you fans who live in the area have created a unique home court advantage.
The national perspective about us last night -- certainly wasn't that we were overmatched, lucky, happy to be there, out of our element, a dream season etc.
It was this - a great program, great culture, a bit shorthanded, that played a bad half ... then showed what kind of program we were by how we played in the second half. That injuries kept us from being a potential Sweet 16 team. Certainly Coach Hurley's comments didn't hurt. Neither did beating Purdue, Illinois, Dayton, and Florida Atlantic, as well as Nebraska and Michigan State. We were a really good team that played 1 bad half. Not because we were scared, but because good teams can play a bad half against a tough opponent. (See Kansas, for example.)
But it's a really important national perspective to have that this isn't a 1 year flash in the pan. Only 14 of 362 programs have won first round games in both of the last two seasons. They've built something on the court - and all of you fans who live in the area have created a unique home court advantage.
