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Sorry if this is kind of long, but here is my take on this basketball season.
Before this season started, we all had high hopes of having a good season. We had a new coach who was a known winner. We had some returning players who had sweet 16 experience. We had some recruits coming in who seems to be good players — one a first team juco all-american, one a second team juco all-american, a prep school player, a 7 foot shot blocker from Nigeria named Ohimen Orukpe, and a couple of other recruits). So everything is looking great.
Then we get our first bad break. Guy Ntang, the prep player, who had already committed to coach Turgeon and recommitted to coach Marshall, dies in a pickup game in front of coach Marshall. Maybe this should have been a sign of what was to occur this season. But we're still confident of having a good season because Guy would only be a freshman and might have been redshirted anyway. And besides, we have the 7 foot Nigerian shot blocker coming in who can also run like a deer. So when the preseason MVC predictions come out and we're only picked for 7th, most are saying, "No way, that's too low. We should be one of the top 4 or 5 teams when it's all said and done."
Then the second bad break occurs. Orukpe can't get "out of Africa". We think, "Well, maybe he'll be here in time for the start of Valley play." But it's a no go. Now the season has started and players are playing out of position. And then we find out, we don't have any good shooters, or at least consistent shooters. All the good shooters from last year have either graduated or left the team.
When we think it can't get any worse, the third bad break occurs. Matt Braeuer is out with a concussion. Now we have to start using players in game situations we wouldn't have normally used. We almost have another bad break when Ramon Clemente, our top rebounder, breaks his pinky finger. But he shows his toughness by fighting through the pain and only misses one game.
So far, we haven't had any good breaks. Orukpe still hasn't been able to get out of Africa. Matt is still unable to play. But at least some of our new players are starting to play better. Mantas Griskenas, the first team juco all-american, is gaining more confidence and playing better with each game.
But now the fourth bad break occurs. Mantas tears his knee up and is lost for the season.
We finally get a good break when Matt, after missing 10 games, comes back. But by now it seems like almost everyone has lost their mental toughness to finish games. So even though Matt is back, we still can't seem to close out games.
So in summary, we started out the season with high hopes. But with the bad breaks and the bad shooting, we're where we are now. But "what if" Guy hadn't died, "what if" Orukpe was here blocking shots, "what if" Matt hadn't missed those 10 games, "what if" Mantas hadn't tore up his knee? Maybe we'd have more confidence. Maybe that confidence would have led to more consistent shooting. If all that would have happened, maybe today, instead of talking about how bad the season has gone, maybe instead we'd be talking about who we're going to be playing in St. Louis on a Friday night.
Before this season started, we all had high hopes of having a good season. We had a new coach who was a known winner. We had some returning players who had sweet 16 experience. We had some recruits coming in who seems to be good players — one a first team juco all-american, one a second team juco all-american, a prep school player, a 7 foot shot blocker from Nigeria named Ohimen Orukpe, and a couple of other recruits). So everything is looking great.
Then we get our first bad break. Guy Ntang, the prep player, who had already committed to coach Turgeon and recommitted to coach Marshall, dies in a pickup game in front of coach Marshall. Maybe this should have been a sign of what was to occur this season. But we're still confident of having a good season because Guy would only be a freshman and might have been redshirted anyway. And besides, we have the 7 foot Nigerian shot blocker coming in who can also run like a deer. So when the preseason MVC predictions come out and we're only picked for 7th, most are saying, "No way, that's too low. We should be one of the top 4 or 5 teams when it's all said and done."
Then the second bad break occurs. Orukpe can't get "out of Africa". We think, "Well, maybe he'll be here in time for the start of Valley play." But it's a no go. Now the season has started and players are playing out of position. And then we find out, we don't have any good shooters, or at least consistent shooters. All the good shooters from last year have either graduated or left the team.
When we think it can't get any worse, the third bad break occurs. Matt Braeuer is out with a concussion. Now we have to start using players in game situations we wouldn't have normally used. We almost have another bad break when Ramon Clemente, our top rebounder, breaks his pinky finger. But he shows his toughness by fighting through the pain and only misses one game.
So far, we haven't had any good breaks. Orukpe still hasn't been able to get out of Africa. Matt is still unable to play. But at least some of our new players are starting to play better. Mantas Griskenas, the first team juco all-american, is gaining more confidence and playing better with each game.
But now the fourth bad break occurs. Mantas tears his knee up and is lost for the season.
We finally get a good break when Matt, after missing 10 games, comes back. But by now it seems like almost everyone has lost their mental toughness to finish games. So even though Matt is back, we still can't seem to close out games.
So in summary, we started out the season with high hopes. But with the bad breaks and the bad shooting, we're where we are now. But "what if" Guy hadn't died, "what if" Orukpe was here blocking shots, "what if" Matt hadn't missed those 10 games, "what if" Mantas hadn't tore up his knee? Maybe we'd have more confidence. Maybe that confidence would have led to more consistent shooting. If all that would have happened, maybe today, instead of talking about how bad the season has gone, maybe instead we'd be talking about who we're going to be playing in St. Louis on a Friday night.
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