Final Four Darkhorse

[Snapshot9]

from the link in the first post:

As far as a darkhorse, my current fave is Wichita State.

[bhuber]

woo-nellie....lets just win the valley first

[shockar25]

I agree. This is flattering, but we haven't done anything yet. Tonight was a step in the right direction, but just one game. Put together about 18 more of these and I'll be more confident in that prediction.

Just keep winning.

[tropicalshox]

The team needs to take it one game at a time. It helps to be passing the "eye test" with sports writers and broadcasters. A much better predictor than RPI is being ranked in the AP. Just about a can't miss for the dance.

[Speed]

OK...the koolaid has officially been spiked. I'm as big of WSU fan as anybody, but even being a fan has its limits. An unbelievable amount of growth & MacGyver would have to happen for the Shocks to be in the final four. I know about George Mason and others, but come on. I would be thrilled for 32 and over the moon for sweet 16, but final four...only if Al Michaels is calling the elite 8.

With all due respect...SCREW YOU! Final Four or bust!!!!!!

[Ta town]

LMAO

WSU just needs to actually make the tourney for the second time in over 21 years.

[SHOXAAC]

OK...the koolaid has officially been spiked. I'm as big of WSU fan as anybody, but even being a fan has its limits. An unbelievable amount of growth & MacGyver would have to happen for the Shocks to be in the final four. I know about George Mason and others, but come on. I would be thrilled for 32 and over the moon for sweet 16, but final four...only if Al Michaels is calling the elite 8.

With all due respect...SCREW YOU! Final Four or bust!!!!!!

Now this is what Capitol Shock is talkin bout!!! It's music to his keyboard & monitor. :yahoo:

[Veritas]

I'd rather WSU be talked/written about in a positve manner than rarely mentioned at all.

[SHOXAAC]

I'd rather WSU be talked/written about in a positve manner than rarely mentioned at all.

Talked & written about is one thing, but credible talking & writing is a whole different animal. As I said earlier in the thread, I am a huge WSU fan, but reading DeCourcy's SN piece about us being a "darkhorse" is a bit comical in a way. The "darkhorse" label could have been thrown on Northwestern, Portland, Princeton, Vermont, Kent State, blah, blah, blah.

We have the best team in years. Making the NCAA tourny is tough enough when you are Wichita State University. Read the threads people. There has been so much conversation, positive & negative, in regard to WSU even being NCAA worthy without winning the post season tournament. We know 100 times more about our Shockers than Mike DeCourcy. But he throws out our name in an article about being a "darkhorse" final four participant and some people start dreaming. Tell me...how many people before this happened even considered us to be worthy of the final four? As much as I like this team, its balance and depth at every position, it is not even almost a final four quality team. This post is going to be BBQ'd by some (which will make Capitol Shock happy), but let's keep things real & reasonable. Let's take one game at a time, which should equal a MVC title & hopefully a MVC tournament title. It would be beyond a dream season to equal 2006. I will let anything beyond that take care of itself.

[shoxtop]

I'd rather WSU be talked/written about in a positve manner than rarely mentioned at all.

Talked & written about is one thing, but credible talking & writing is a whole different animal. As I said earlier in the thread, I am a huge WSU fan, but reading DeCourcy's SN piece about us being a "darkhorse" is a bit comical in a way. The "darkhorse" label could have been thrown on Northwestern, Portland, Princeton, Vermont, Kent State, blah, blah, blah.

We have the best team in years. Making the NCAA tourny is tough enough when you are Wichita State University. Read the threads people. There has been so much conversation, positive & negative, in regard to WSU even being NCAA worthy without winning the post season tournament. We know 100 times more about our Shockers than Mike DeCourcy. But he throws out our name in an article about being a "darkhorse" final four participant and some people start dreaming. Tell me...how many people before this happened even considered us to be worthy of the final four? As much as I like this team, its balance and depth at every position, it is not even almost a final four quality team. This post is going to be BBQ'd by some (which will make Capitol Shock happy), but let's keep things real & reasonable. Let's take one game at a time, which should equal a MVC title & hopefully a MVC tournament title. It would be beyond a dream season to equal 2006. I will let anything beyond that take care of itself.

With all due respect...SCREW YOU!....... Gotta start somewhere

[Capitol Shock]

RIGHT ON!

[Kung Wu]

I'd rather WSU be talked/written about in a positve manner than rarely mentioned at all.

Talked & written about is one thing, but credible talking & writing is a whole different animal. As I said earlier in the thread, I am a huge WSU fan, but reading DeCourcy's SN piece about us being a "darkhorse" is a bit comical in a way. The "darkhorse" label could have been thrown on Northwestern, Portland, Princeton, Vermont, Kent State, blah, blah, blah.

I believe our ability to schedule against good teams depends on this type of media, whether you think it's accurate or not. The only way a "dangerous" mid-major gets to play against big-name teams is to be respected enough in the media that losing to us is not a "bad loss". Without continued positive support from the media, scheduling good teams seems very difficult.

[WstateU]

It's tough to beat a dark pony... :good: :good:

[60Shock]

DeCourcy did not select us as a final four pick. He picked us as being, in his opinion, his best guess as a mid-major team standing a "chance" as a darkhorse (like GMU and Butler in recent years) of possibly getting that far.

So all he is saying is that if some little guy is going to come out of the field and run the dice, the Shocks may be the one to do it. That's one man's opinion.

So what's the problem? I would even hazzard a guess that if 100 sports writers were asked to select a final four darkhorse pick today, Mr. DeCourcy would not be the only one throwing our name in in the hat.

[SHOXAAC]

I'd rather WSU be talked/written about in a positve manner than rarely mentioned at all.

Talked & written about is one thing, but credible talking & writing is a whole different animal. As I said earlier in the thread, I am a huge WSU fan, but reading DeCourcy's SN piece about us being a "darkhorse" is a bit comical in a way. The "darkhorse" label could have been thrown on Northwestern, Portland, Princeton, Vermont, Kent State, blah, blah, blah.

I believe our ability to schedule against good teams depends on this type of media, whether you think it's accurate or not. The only way a "dangerous" mid-major gets to play against big-name teams is to be respected enough in the media that losing to us is not a "bad loss". Without continued positive support from the media, scheduling good teams seems very difficult.

Go ask HCGM if he even knows DeCourcy, let alone reads what he writes, or others like him. I can't wait for coaches response when you ask him what response he gets from other coaches when he presents them with this Sporting News article when attempting to schedule a game. I'm positive he will have an open mind about this.
;-)