Texas Tech 1/21 7:00 ESPNU

[leo from jersey]

I ask again. Some of the players performed much better in the BIG12 last year. Same players and no known injuries. What has happened.

[leo from jersey]

UC coach Wes Miller said. "They're a very good offensive team. I believe we have the ability to be a very good defensive team. We didn't defend tonight." WHY CWM? Why didn't you defend?

[red_n_black_attack]

Both teams are at 45 at the under 16 time out.

I said first one there wins, but didn't expect it to happen so soon

[London 'Cat]

I said first one there wins, but didn't expect it to happen so soon

LOL. You also said to take the under and it would be a low scoring game. But the third prediction did turn out to be true as TT got to 45 first.

[loshow22]

Maybe I'm wrong (hopefully), maybe I'm just frustrated...but I'm in the camp that I see what I see and I have seen what I've seen. As of now, UC bball is a program that can't get it done against the "upper" echelon on this league. Maybe, we pull that one upset here and there, but I just don't have confidence that we will beat good teams on a consistent basis under the current administration/coaches. There's too many glaring issues that I think a lot of fans are holding their breath to be corrected...but the large enough sample size says it is what it is.

[leeraymond]

Maybe I'm wrong (hopefully), maybe I'm just frustrated...but I'm in the camp that I see what I see and I have seen what I've seen. As of now, UC bball is a program that can't get it done against the "upper" echelon on this league. Maybe, we pull that one upset here and there, but I just don't have confidence that we will beat good teams on a consistent basis under the current administration/coaches. There's too many glaring issues that I think a lot of fans are holding their breath to be corrected...but the large enough sample size says it is what it is.

Good one brother. I am with you. A large enough sample is in to project the likely outcomes. Hey, what is there left to really say?

[loshow22]

Good one brother. I am with you. A large enough sample is in to project the likely outcomes. Hey, what is there left to really say?

That we were wrong with my above statement and we start stringing together good wins! Haha

[leeraymond]

I ask again. Some of the players performed much better in the BIG12 last year. Same players and no known injuries. What has happened.

Very good point Leo. I am thinking the same thing. However, this is a slightly different team. This team does not have a bench. Nevertheless, this team returns enough of the core group from last year to make some noise in the BIG XII. UC was a slightly better team after 7 games in the conference last year (3-4). Also, UC was more feisty, pushy, and competitive. This year, UC appears to be softer and less competitive in the conference.

Miller always talks about player personal development and getting better every day. To be honest with you, I have a hard time really seeing how the team has gotten better since last year. Has anyone on the team really gotten better? With Skillings and Aziz, the rebounding is down, James is very inconsistent, Thomas does not shoot the ball as much, and Simas has been in a funk for a while now.

Can UC basketball save itself before it is too late?

[leeraymond]

I remember when the Shoe was considered one of the toughest places in CBB for visitors to play. No more.

Very very good post. Last night I went back and looked at the home schedule from last year. If we look at the schedule of home games from last year and this year (so far), UC has played 13 BIG XII home conference games over the two years so far. UC lost 5 of 9 home games last year and has lost 3 of 4 home games this year. If we look at these numbers in terms of probabilities, we can conclude that UC has a 61.5 % chance of losing its next home game. In other words, UC basketball has a very little home court advantage in the BIG XII under Miller. UC has a home gym, it just does not have much a home court advantage. It is really sad that this proud basketball program struggles to win at home in conference play.

This is not really new. Miller has struggled to get home wins in the conference that goes back to the American. The only year that Miller did not have a losing home record in conference play was the 2022-23 season (DeJulius-Nolley team). The numbers speak for themselves.

[bearcated]

I ask again. Some of the players performed much better in the BIG12 last year. Same players and no known injuries. What has happened.

A lot of issues, but at the core they are soft. In particular the bigs are soft. UC has been out rebounded in 5 of 7 league games so far. The two games where they had a slight edge (KSU and AZ) were both losses.

TTU out rebounded them by 7 including 10 offensive rebounds. It's actually a minor miracle they didn't lose by more. Any decent big they line up against has a good game (Toppin had 20, Dickinson had 14). The Dak kid at Colorado had 19 points and 8 blocks. Made a kid I never heard of look like David Robinson at Navy. See a pattern here?

[KevMan1976]

Too many have already commented to quote everything, but I agree with what seems to be the general consensus: what we have seen is just disappointing. It's wild to think that this team was one of Andy Katz's "dark horses" to make the final four at the start of the season. Now it's not sensible to assume they will make the tournament at all.

I want as much as anyone to believe in this team and the coaching staff. Just finding it more and more difficult to do so.

[Rufus]

Well from the sample size we've gotten so far is an indication of the effort we're going to see from some of these guys from here on our we won't even see a NIT invite. I'm no bball guru so correct me if I'm wrong but does it seem like our scorers just accept that they are being guarded? I remember a time in basketball when someone was guarding you close you would challenge them, go at them, try to get fouls. In this day when they're not calling as many "charges" that one would try challenge a defender more.

[sedz]

In this day when they're not calling as many "charges" that one would try challenge a defender more.

Yep. These days I think the default offense should be 5 out with a wide open middle. Make the defense prove they can stop that first.

[leeraymond]

Too many have already commented to quote everything, but I agree with what seems to be the general consensus: what we have seen is just disappointing. It's wild to think that this team was one of Andy Katz's "dark horses" to make the final four at the start of the season. Now it's not sensible to assume they will make the tournament at all.

I want as much as anyone to believe in this team and the coaching staff. Just finding it more and more difficult to do so.

Believe this or not. I was watching the K-State-Baylor game last night and ESPN U gave Joe Lunardi's potential NCAA Tournament picks from the BIG XII. Check this out, based on Lunardi, UC is one of the first four outs. In other words, UC still, very much so, has a chance to play in the NCAAs.

There was one year when UC was in the American (year that Cronin took sick leave) and Larry Davis was the acting head coach. UC had just been upset at home by Tulane and their NCAA Tournament chances were going backwards. UC had five games remaining and had to win all five games to get off of the bubble. UC went on to win all five games. Larry Davis had a simple but powerful message. Treat the five games as a series of "one game championships".

The current UC team has 13 conference games left to play. It should treat each game as a single game championship. Notre Dame football has an old sign hanging in the locker room stairway that leads to the field. That sign represents the last signal of encouragement before the team goes outside. You all have probably seen the sign that I am talking about.

"Play like a champion today". This should be UC's message.

[KevMan1976]

Believe this or not. I was watching the K-State-Baylor game last night and ESPN U gave Joe Lunardi's potential NCAA Tournament picks from the BIG XII. Check this out, based on Lunardi, UC is one of the first four outs. In other words, UC still, very much so, has a chance to play in the NCAAs.

There was one year when UC was in the American (year that Cronin took sick leave) and Larry Davis was the acting head coach. UC had just been upset at home by Tulane and their NCAA Tournament chances were going backwards. UC had five games remaining and had to win all five games to get off of the bubble. UC went on to win all five games. Larry Davis had a simple but powerful message. Treat the five games as a series of "one game championships".

The current UC team has 13 conference games left to play. It should treat each game as a single game championship. Notre Dame football has an old sign hanging in the locker room stairway that leads to the field. That sign represents the last signal of encouragement before the team goes outside. You all have probably seen the sign that I am talking about.

"Play like a champion today". This should be UC's message.

Agreed. Just light a fire, coach. Anyway you can!