Where Did We Go Wrong?
Every major conference has one, the enigma, the team that is good on paper but bad on the court. The disappointment. Lets analyze the biggest blunders in the ACC and Big East.
1. Wake Forest 14-14 (2-12) (ACC): Chris Paul is averaging 16 points, 8 assists, and 5 boards per game, for the Hornets. That is what is wrong with the Deacons, they lost their Identity. It has to be that because it certainly is not a lack of talent. Justin Gray and Eric Williams are both big time talents and Trent Strickland is another senior who can knock down big time shots. So where did they go wrong? I think it all started when Bob Huggins was fired. This opened the UC job and native Skip Prosser was topping a short list of coaches. This shouldn't have deterred a senior laden team that won't be around to see him leave anyway, but it did. They lost their leadership and confidence early in the ACC and never got it back, they went away from Eric Williams and went exclusively to watching Gray take shot after shot. The offense became docile and the team stopped moving without the ball. Normally this team is written off, but this year, if Duke can get knocked out, the ACC tournament is wide open. NCAA odds 80:1
2. Louisville 17-10 (5-9) (Big East): The Cardinals started the year with high hopes. Pitino's club is coming off a Final Four and has all the pieces to go again. But lingering injuries to Dean hampered the Cardinals early and they never regained championship form. But you cant blame disappointment on injuries, at least not to me. The reason they have tanked in the Big East is because they played no one before the conference season. Evidence of this is a dismal Non Conference SOS of 263. They played the likes of Prarie View A&M, Tennessee Martin, and Farleigh Dickinson. This team was the least prepared for the strongest conference in the land. They have also found a way to lose 6 games by 8 points or less. Saving Grace: The Big East is so strong that double digit losses is not a death sentence. They have a must win game against the Golden Eagles this week and a shot a UConn left. NCAA odds 10:1
1. Wake Forest 14-14 (2-12) (ACC): Chris Paul is averaging 16 points, 8 assists, and 5 boards per game, for the Hornets. That is what is wrong with the Deacons, they lost their Identity. It has to be that because it certainly is not a lack of talent. Justin Gray and Eric Williams are both big time talents and Trent Strickland is another senior who can knock down big time shots. So where did they go wrong? I think it all started when Bob Huggins was fired. This opened the UC job and native Skip Prosser was topping a short list of coaches. This shouldn't have deterred a senior laden team that won't be around to see him leave anyway, but it did. They lost their leadership and confidence early in the ACC and never got it back, they went away from Eric Williams and went exclusively to watching Gray take shot after shot. The offense became docile and the team stopped moving without the ball. Normally this team is written off, but this year, if Duke can get knocked out, the ACC tournament is wide open. NCAA odds 80:1
2. Louisville 17-10 (5-9) (Big East): The Cardinals started the year with high hopes. Pitino's club is coming off a Final Four and has all the pieces to go again. But lingering injuries to Dean hampered the Cardinals early and they never regained championship form. But you cant blame disappointment on injuries, at least not to me. The reason they have tanked in the Big East is because they played no one before the conference season. Evidence of this is a dismal Non Conference SOS of 263. They played the likes of Prarie View A&M, Tennessee Martin, and Farleigh Dickinson. This team was the least prepared for the strongest conference in the land. They have also found a way to lose 6 games by 8 points or less. Saving Grace: The Big East is so strong that double digit losses is not a death sentence. They have a must win game against the Golden Eagles this week and a shot a UConn left. NCAA odds 10:1
posted by Sean Umstead at 10:47 AM
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