The Team of Missed Opportunities

[pogo]

I agree, but they aren't SMS anymore, they are MSU or Missouri State. I get that they were SMS for a long time, but please get with the times.

They will always be SWMO to me

The only reason I still use SWOMO is it really p***** em off.

[NCAABound]

Re: Yep

Royal, I agree, but I still expect the Shocks to end up as regular season champs. I believe superior talent and depth will pay off over 18 games, one of which is likely to be a WSU win in Springfield.

I'm not so sure we have superior talent. I think SWOMO has the better top 5-6...and it looks like that trumps depth.

[RoyalShock]

Re: Yep

Royal, I agree, but I still expect the Shocks to end up as regular season champs. I believe superior talent and depth will pay off over 18 games, one of which is likely to be a WSU win in Springfield.

I'm not so sure we have superior talent. I think SWOMO has the better top 5-6...and it looks like that trumps depth.

There were too many uncharacteristic things done by the Shocks last night for me to conclude that MSU is the better team. They were last night, but I want to see our games at CU and UNI before I'm ready to concede that point.

[1972Shocker]

As Bill Parcells said (I think it was Bill), "You are what your record says you are."

If you buy that (and I do) then as of today MSU is the better team.

Whether that will be true come March is impossible to know at this point.

MSU winning at CU, UNI and WSU is very impressive. Not sure it comes down to the level of talent so much as it does to the level of mental toughness (which I suppose is a component of talent).

I did think MSU played much better team basketball (on both ends of the court) than the Shocks did for most of the game.

Of course, all of that would have been mute if the Shocks had simply shot a normal percentage or cut down on some of the unforced turnovers. You have to give MSU some credit for our poor FG shooting.

I would love for the MVC Title to come down to a re-match with MSU in the final regular season game on February 26th.

Let's hope the Shocks re-dedicate themselves to that goal.

[RoyalShock]

MSU was an awful road team last year (won one conference road game at UE, followed by nine Valley road losses). They lost all three road games in the OOC this season, including a 12-pt loss at Tulsa.

I have a difficult time believing that they made that much improvement in one year, or since December. I see three possibilities:

1. Very unlucky prior to Dec 29, 2010.
2. Very lucky since Dec 29. 2010
3. There is big drop-off after MSU and WSU.

MSU played good defense last night, but WSU still played poorly and only lost by 3. How many teams win road games after scoring just six points over the final 11:30? Besides UNI or SIU I don't know many teams that can win with 59 total points,

[pie n eye]

#3. Good point, Royal. But how do we explain Creighton? Granted I have yet to see them play but I just can't imagine them being as bad as the "other 6" teams in the Valley with players like Lawson, Doug McD, and Echenique. Maybe they just don't have any guards?

MSU winning at CU and WSU says something. At the moment it looks like anyone can go to UNI and win. So while we're definitely a step behind MSU now but we still have a chance to do exactly what they've done so far this year by winning @ CU, @UNI, and @ MSU. The potential to do that exists but will we be able to execute on that potential?

Who do you think the top Echelon of the Valley is this year? IMO it looks like this:

Tier 1 - MSU, WSU, CU
Tier 2 - ISU(blue), DU, SIU, UNI
Tier 3 - EU, ISU(red), BU

I think ISU or DU will be our saviors at some point this year by knocking off MSU. We shall see.

[ShockerFever]

Sorry SB I had a response written out to pie as the thread was being locked. I just wanted to post it since I took the time to type it out:

You pegged me perfectly pie. I'm going off the deep end for absolutely no reason at all. It's just what I like to do for the hell of it. Very keen observation on your part.

I especially love how you expect me or anybody to be in a gleeful mood. Maybe that's the difference between a pie filling like you and me. I care when the team loses or underperforms. You apparently could care less, no big deal, just an innocent loss that means nothing in the grand scheme of things.

What I especially love is your desire to devote a five paragraph essay about me and your pent-up frustration with me, while talking little to nothing about the game or sport. Apparently I'm the more important topic of discussion at the moment for you. That says a lot about your fandom for sure. At least me and kc can stick with basketball related discussion instead of wondering or trying to engage about my sex life.

You kinda came out as a big fat hypocrite on this one, pie filler. I'm glad I can be the (only) source of entertainment for ya.

[shoxlax]

Fever is not the only one this game pushed over the edge. I ranted when I usually bite my tongue and Doc, for god's sake, is threatening to revoke his own membership. Not to mention the other folks that saw the notable omission at the end of the game in the form of Rags on the bench. The big game continually escapes us and has for the last two years. That doesn't make the players bad people or HCGM an ogre; it just becomes damn frustrating to fans like us who show up in droves to support this team.

[ShockerFever]

Thanks for a voice of reason shoxlax.

[ShockBand]

Hey all, I've let most things today go considering the need to blow off some steam after last night's game, but everyone needs to remember that everyone from the brightest "Sunshine Pumper" to the biggest "Debbie Downer" has a right to speak. Just please try and stay on topic and not just lob verbal Molotov cocktails at each other. Whether someone is an optimist or pessimist is a matter of personality and viewpoint. It doesn't make the other side right or wrong when trying to lay out predictions of future events, it just sets a particular tone and attitude. Moreover, most people are pretty entrenched with whatever attitude they hold. Its pretty safe to say we all love the Shocks, were terribly frustrated with last night's game, and are anxious to see whether or not the team bounces back.

So, please, try and stay on topics and not just whizzing matches with others. There is plenty of freshly fallen snow outside for that. Really, its like a blank canvas! Besides, my reality was reset for me this morning when a car spun out a few yards in front of me this morning and I barely averted trading paint.

Here's to hoping for a big bluejay beatdown on Wednesday night.

Peace. Out.

[ShockerFever]

Great post SB. It seems a couple others are more into the personal insult game today. Other than defending myself, I think I've done good about keeping everything basketball-related.

[sekshoxfan]

MSU was an awful road team last year (won one conference road game at UE, followed by nine Valley road losses). They lost all three road games in the OOC this season, including a 12-pt loss at Tulsa.

I have a difficult time believing that they made that much improvement in one year, or since December. I see three possibilities:

1. Very unlucky prior to Dec 29, 2010.
2. Very lucky since Dec 29. 2010
3. There is big drop-off after MSU and WSU.

MSU played good defense last night, but WSU still played poorly and only lost by 3. How many teams win road games after scoring just six points over the final 11:30? Besides UNI or SIU I don't know many teams that can win with 59 total points,

That definitely wasn't the same MSU team I saw in Tulsa. Their defense was much much better last night and they controlled the game tempo most of the time.

[shock10]

I'm still pissed

[pie n eye]

I don't want to miss an opportunity to apologize to Shockernet for ranting lately. This is not the place for such posts.

Sorry everyone, I'll stick to the topic at hand from now on.

[SHOXAAC]

Band - I am glad you overted the snow crash derby...many didn't so everyone drive careful. It will get worse before it gets better.

I was actually going to reach out to my brother Fever and call a truss. But I got a chuckle from his most recent post in RE: to Band's post about us knuckleheads hugging it out and realize we are on the same team.

I wish I was a big enough person to just let is slide...but I'm nooooot.

Fever talked about how he was a victim of personal insults today & you were just defending yourself.

Here was the first salvo yesterday by you Fev when I was talking, on thread, about TM to shoxlax, just so we keep it factual. "W-T-F are you talking about." And "You have the same boneheaded stubbornness as Marshall." I, like you, will defend myself when necessary after the first blow has been delivered.

Enough of the soap opra, now let's kick the blue out of the jay's on Wednesday.