Always finding a way to lose

[Tenspro2002]

Holy cr@p, we could play a hundred of these type of games and we'll lose every time. Don't think I've ever seen a group like this in all my years of watching sports.

We've gotta get the stink of this era away from the program as quickly as possible.

I may have to go back on what I said about bringing Gilbert back next year. I'd rather sacrifice the PG depth than keep that kind of losing influence around.

 

[superjohn]

It's uncanny. I was gonna say some stuff about our guards at the end of games but why pile on. It's all pretty much been said at this point. The walk on situation at the end bordered on the bizarre. I thought up until that point, Hurley coached a great game despite the refs turning the game into a Kubrick movie set to opera music.

I had to check out and change the channel. I can't imagine what Hurley is going through. As you said there's just nothing else you can say about this group that hasn't already been said. Staff just has to recruit the hell out of kids.

 

[superjohn]

We've gotta get the stink of this era away from the program as quickly as possible.

I may have to go back on what I said about bringing Gilbert back next year. I'd rather sacrifice the PG depth than keep that kind of losing influence around.

Yep, I'm thinking the same thing. I'm concerned about pg/ballhandling depth but we need to move on. I'm afraid this group will just ruin our young players.

 

[tentoes4rings]

Yep, I'm thinking the same thing. I'm concerned about pg/ballhandling depth but we need to move on. I'm afraid this group will just ruin our young players.

I’m with both of you. Because we have no one else to play point doesn’t excuse just how awful Gilbert has been late in all these close games.

 

[huskyinfl]

He had the audacity to hush the crowd and then lay that egg

 

[Banta55]

Nova's good coaching showed when they lost the lead. Unlike us they did not panic, reduced their turnovers, did not rush their shots, went to their strengths (especially their muscle) and ran their offense the way it was designed. Their substitutions never seemed to affect their flow.

We looked helter-skelter with no real plan to hold the lead, increase the lead or even keep it even. We also appeared undisciplined.

Oh and Nova had a less experienced line up than us. Not fair to compare Hurley to Jay, but it does show how much further he has to go in player personnel and coaching.

Just saying we got exposed . . . . . . . again.

If this Is what you think than you have no idea what you're watching. .

 

[AdamaNation]

We've shown we can play with anybody but we've shown we are completely incapable of making winning plays when it matters. We just ourplayed the #14 team on the road for 35 minutes in a building they never lose in but we all knew we would make the losing plays down the stretch and lose. I don't understand how they keep doing it over and over and over but I know it's always going to happen. I don't know what Hurley can do to get them to stop doing it outside of giving them all a lobotomy.

Not putting I. Your 11th man would be a start. This was an all hands on deck fiasco aside from Whaley and gaffney (sans the earlier turnover in the corner)

 

[HuskyHawk]

This.

We’re asking players with hard ceilings to do things they can’t do late in thsee games. When we have players who can do those things, we’ll win.

You said last year that we’d all miss Jalen Adams. I certainly do now. The cast is better but we don’t have that guy who knows how to win down the stretch. Gilbert can’t do it and I think Gaffney needs to get an opportunity to close games. Maybe he can can at least draw a foul and make FTs. In over 30 years watching this team I don’t think a player has fallen more short of my expectations than Gilbert this year.

I think Hurley has had it. Three years and no NCAA, barring a miracle. I cannot believe he will allow some of these non graduating players to return.

 

[tentoes4rings]

You said last year that we’d all miss Jalen Adams. I certainly do now. The cast is better but we don’t have that guy who knows how to win down the stretch. Gilbert can’t do it and I think Gaffney needs to get an opportunity to close games. Maybe he can can at least draw a foul and make FTs. In over 30 years watching this team I don’t think a player has fallen more short of my expectations than Gilbert this year.

I think Hurley has had it. Three years and no NCAA, barring a miracle. I cannot believe he will allow some of these non graduating players to return.

I think you’re wrong. I think he’ll be welcoming Al back with open arms and we’ll be having these arguments and debates all year again.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think you’re wrong. I think he’ll be welcoming Al back with open arms and we’ll be having these arguments and debates all year again.

I'll take that bet. And Al won't be alone.

 

[Towney007]

*Takes turn down I told you so boulevard*

 

[Tenspro2002]

I think you’re wrong. I think he’ll be welcoming Al back with open arms and we’ll be having these arguments and debates all year again.

I absolutely expect that if Gilbert wants to come back, Hurley will let him. He made his decision 2 years ago that he wasn't going to run any of the Ollie guys off the team, and he isn't going to go back on that.

That said, he would need to have the conversation with Gilbert that JC presumably had with Tony Robertson late in his career, when Robertson went from a go-to guy to a bench player with the emergence of better talent.

Gilbert can absolutely be a contributor next year, but we're never going to change the outcome in these close games if he's the guy with the ball in his hands.

 

[tennmike]

I completely disagree with the premise of this thread. The team is not finding ways to lose, it is losing the same way over and over and over. It has nothing to do with Hurley's use of a walk-on in the final seconds.

At the 5:00 mark, we were up 6. After that, Gilbert missed free throws, had three turnovers - one in the paint, one trying to split defenders, and another attempting a pass inside, Vital missed a bomb from the top of the key, missed on a drive, and then had his shot blocked on another drive.

That's six empty possessions by this team's leaders. You are not going to win against a ranked team with your starting pg going 1-7 at the line.

 

[my2cents]

The last 5 minutes, plus overtimes, we have been terrible.
I am sorry, but during the Villanova game, I said that Gilbert has not made a "winning " play in at least ten games over the last two years. He drives the ball into traffic, gets no lift, and he either trips, shoots a wild shot , gets blocked or throws it out of bounds. ( Now missing every foul shot)
Last night the number went to 11.
These games aren't nail biters because we already know the outcome. We lose.

 

[tentoes4rings]

I absolutely expect that if Gilbert wants to come back, Hurley will let him. He made his decision 2 years ago that he wasn't going to run any of the Ollie guys off the team, and he isn't going to go back on that.

That said, he would need to have the conversation with Gilbert that JC presumably had with Tony Robertson late in his career, when Robertson went from a go-to guy to a bench player with the emergence of better talent.

Gilbert can absolutely be a contributor next year, but we're never going to change the outcome in these close games if he's the guy with the ball in his hands.

My thoughts exactly. He’s a useful player IF he accepts his role to handle the ball, play great D and distribute. My hope is he could accept being that guy in a reserve role but I don’t see it happening.