TheTastyGreek

We may not have a scholarship to spare for one, given the current distribution, unless it's a no-brainer player like Dwight Miller or another potential transfer from a BCS level school. This is not a great year for post recruits, and the competition is fierce for anyone left. We have 5 of our 13 scholarships already committed to people recruited as posts. Hogans, Holmen, Edwards, Knox, and Forrest Robinson. Tony Mitchell will almost certainly play facing the basket to develop as a future NBA 3, but he's 6'8" and going to be a 3/4 hybrid post for us. A lot of the top talent players rumored to be considering us are 3/4 hybrids with size, too. Roger Franklin is effectively a 6'5" post trapped in a wing's body, a lot like Kerusch and Pettegrew at WKU. Jarion Henry is either 6'6" or 6'7", but without a true post frame or a post game. Unless we get Miller or that 6'10" type transfer center, someone we know will be an impact player as soon as they can get on the floor... I just don't think we can drop a ship on a post right now. And with the lineup we'll have, I really don't think we'd need to in order to get the most out of our talent. Especially in a guard oriented league like the Sun Belt, there's a lot of precedent for a 1 pure post lineup being very successful, as long as you have good overall size and perimeter guys who can rebound and body up on 6'6" or 6'7" posts. Troy did it with great success in SBC play last year with Yamene Coleman as their only real paint presence. Western Kentucky did it in their NCAA tournament game winning teams, with Jeremy Evans in that inside role surrounded by big guards that could score. They won 3 NCAA games with that sort of lineup. I think Kedrick Hogans is a good fit for that sort of approach. He rebounds and blocks shots, and he does most of his scoring on putbacks or cleanup situations. Hogans has a bigger body than Jeremy Evans did. We couldn't do a 1 pure post lineup with last year's roster (never work with Josh and Dom on the floor together), but next year by conference play we'll likely start Chris Jones at 6'2", Alzee Williams at 6'4", Jordan Williams at 6'6", Tony Mitchell at 6'8", and Kedrick Hogans at 6'7". We'll have an overall height advantage (a very significant one on the perimeter) over our opponents, with Mitchell capable of defending a post player and him and Jordan capable of scooping up rebounds. Holmen/Edwards/Robinson subbing in as the 2nd line would be more than some SBC teams will have in their starting lineups. Healthy Edwards and year 3 of Holmen could both be breakout performances, too. Pairing them up (and Knox in there, too) and going with a more traditional 2 post floor lineup would make up for what we lose in size when 5'8" Trey Norris comes in to play PG. I know everyone has gotten used to having George Odufuwa in there averaging a double double... But I don't think Quincy or Keith Wooden ever averaged double figures scoring, and I also don't think either of them ever came very close to averaging double digit rebounds. Size and rebounding can compensate for only using one real post player. We've seen it work for our league mates, in both the regular and the post season. Don't get me wrong... I hope we get Dwight Miller to sign with us next weekend. But if we don't... I think that the weapons (and the height) we'll have on the roster next year would allow us to succeed with a very different approach than what we've seen in the past under JJ. If we DO go with another post that isn't an immediate impact guy... We've got very limited depth at guard. Alzee, Jordan, Norris, Walton, Jones, and one more guard. 6 guys for 3 spots on the floor, with Alzee as the only guy that's ever worn an NT uniform before. As soon as someone tweaks an ankle or shows they need time before they can play decent minutes... We're right back in a situation like what we faced this past year. And people will be upset about why come we didn't learn our lesson and git sum pitchin' depth at the guard spot.

Okay then, Phase 2: Sun Belt basketball games are broadcast regularly on CSS. This is a regional cable provider, one that is not available here in Dallas no matter how much I'd be willing to pay for it. These games are available on cable, just like the cable I'm paying for here in Dallas. But because of regional distribution, I can't access it. Almost without exception, there aren't even any options to go see these games at a sports bar or restaurant, no matter how thorough their premium channel package may be. If I lived in Alabama or Louisiana (I think), I would be watching this for no additional charge in the comfort of my own home. If it were an option, I'd go to Pluckers or Fox & Hound and watch them there. Roughly 25-30% of these CSS games end up available on ESPN3.com through contractual arrangement. When that happens, I can watch a web stream of the same broadcast, MINUS commercials, and there is no question that this is just fine. I can access these broadcasts because of the cable/internet provider I already pay for. Not criminal, not morally wrong. But for the other 70-75% that I have no way to access; if I watch them through Channelsurfing WITH the commercials intact... Is that criminal? Morally wrong? Why?

One question, limited scope, stick to the parameters: In the past year, I've used Channelsurfing (or other sites like Justin.TV, I think) to watch Formula 1 races live while traveling. I get cable, I pay for it monthly, when at home I watch the races on a channel that I pay for. When out of town, either in a hotel for work or visiting family in an area that doesn't get Speed on their available cable package, I watch a choppy and inconsistent web stream that's roughly 1/3rd or 1/4th the size of a postcard. So, I'm watching a stream of something I would otherwise be watching legally over-the-air. The only reason I'm not seeing what I've already paid for is because of a market failure (inefficient distribution of their signal) and I'm watching a very, very inferior substitute. And while I do this, I'm still seeing all the advertisements that I'd be seeing if I were sitting in front of my television instead. Criminal? Morally wrong? Why?

"Jimmer Fredette! You just got knocked out of the Sweet Sixteen! What are you going to do next?" "Not her!"

Wait... Butler was good at basketball 11 years ago? I thought the whole team just all picked up and moved over from George Mason.

I miss bare-knuckled boxing. That was a man's sport. These days, every kid gets a damn trophy for participation. The world was a lot better when they all got polio instead.

If I'm ever diagnosed with a terminal illness, I'm buying Wisconsin basketball season tickets. It'll make my remaining time on earth seem like eternity. And death won't seem so unappealing, by comparison.

I think we all know who to blame.

Milt Romney is the greatest basketball coach of all time. Barnes isn't even a sweat-drop on Romney's wrinkled beanbag.

If he'd used a timeout to try and stop that run, this never would have happened. Stubborn idiot.

Until Wisconsin puts an emphasis on defense and running a structured offense, that program is never going to win games that matter. Goes to show that 'street ball' can only take a team so far.

Every coach, everywhere, ever, is f'ing terrible. I don't know why they even bother. This entire pointless "sport" should be outlawed like cockfighting. James Naismith's pregnant mother should have taunted a horse until it kicked her in the belly. Then none of us would have to suffer through any of this crap.

Then, go to YouTube and search for "That Mitchell and Webb Look", "That Mitchell and Webb Situation", and "That Mitchell and Webb Sound". That's Numberwang.

Not to steal anyone's thunder here... But we've won more than a majority, and we've been doing it for more than the past 2 years. Since the first 20 win season (2006-07): 3-4 against BCS teams not ranked in the top 20, all 4 losses coming on the road. 4-1 against CUSA, the only loss coming on the road. 8-1 against Southland schools other than UTA (10-4 overall), the only loss coming on the road. Last loss to UTA was in 2008. 7-0 against SWAC teams, also undefeated against non-D1 opponents. 9-1 against other D-1 conference (Atlantic 10, Missouri Valley, WAC, Summit, etc.), the only loss coming on the road. So, basically... We're playing .500 ball against power conference teams that aren't the equivalent of a Top 6 BCS football team. These schools have basketball budgets an average of 4-5 times higher than the Sun Belt average, and more often than not they're paying us to show up expecting us to be a guaranteed win. Instead (other than the ones who would be ranked in the top 6 if this were football), we've been taking it to them just as well as they've been playing against us. We're .800 against CUSA opponents and .900 against other mid-major conference schools. We never lose against "lesser" opponents. Also, the only coach that has won more Sun Belt conference games over the past 3 years than Johnny Jones is Ken McDonald. Ken has 33. JJ has 32. That doesn't count SBC tourney wins... Throw those in, and JJ takes the lead. The only teams outside of the BCS conferences that have longer 20 win streaks than we do are Gonzaga, Memphis, Butler, Xavier, BYU, San Diego State, Utah State, and Akron. Say what you will about what just one 20 win season means today vs. 25 years ago... But looking at the company that 5 or more in a row puts you in shows me that a sustained streak like this means something. The next longest 20 win streak in the Sun Belt is 1 year. One team: FAU. At the end of last year, the longest 20 win streak in the Sun Belt was also 1 year. One team: Troy. Someday, this run of success in basketball is going to end. I hope it isn't next year, or any time soon after that. I feel fortunate that this run came at a time when I was old enough to appreciate it, young enough to embrace it, and professionally flexible enough to experience as much of it in person as I've been lucky to see. Something very special and historically rare has happened and continues to happen with this basketball program. Hopefully the next group of guys can keep this tradition growing and thriving.

I'd give one.

I'm hoping we can maintain this bit for a while. Lifer, I'm getting married in a few weeks... Any thoughts on whether it's going to work out well for me?

Not quite the whole year... Egenti came on board from Northlake as a walk-on last year. He wasn't eligible in fall, that's why he never sat on the bench and he isn't in the team picture from the SBC Media Guide. But he got eligible at semester break. Everyone in the house that was wearing green was very happy for him to get his minute (literally) of glory.

Last night, I think we had about 500-700 people there (if I remember my Convention Center court seating capacity right). Pretty amazing for a disappointing year, and a Sunday night 5 hours away from the Metroplex. It's a great sign for fan support.

+1

Go scout some 2 star O-linemen. This was a big win. Tonight would be bigger, tomorrow would be biggest. Playing in the postseason is CRITICAL to growing a program. Every step we take that gets us closer to that is humongous. Avenging a loss to the team that ended our home win streak, the top overall seed, playing on good rest against a team on game 3 in 6 days... Huge win.

So... I'm debating whether or not to leave town in the morning. Should I stick around for this game? Any chance we might win the thing?

That wasn't all. This was a gold medal day for raucous crowd work. Super hat tip to Josh White's grandma, who is a total badass and took on the whole FAU women's team. Man, what a fun night. Bad news is Quoner had to leave early. Good news is he's going to come back for Tuesday, and he may be running a carpool. Hopefully, he brings his Mean Green Man suit.

If you can get it, the Knights Inn is the best cheap option. It's a drive hotel, not a walk hotel, so you won't be able to walk it or get overly intoxicated if/when we win the whole damn thing. Back in 2008 I researched the heck out of it and the Knights Inn was the best economy hotel. With a lot of fans leaving town, you may be able to find a vacancy.

Alonzo Edwards wants to win this thing... BAD. When we rallied at the 10 minute mark in the 1st half against Troy, he was out of his mind with excitement. I thought he was going to break someone's arm with shoulder punches and high fives. Unreal how intense that guy has been the past 2 nights. I hope he can get his knee right and step up big next year.