Pressure | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Pressure

Kind of agree as since the UCLA win I’ve been on the “gravy” train. But am I really? I mean once they throw it up at halfcourt, we’re UConn why not finish this? I mean Michigan is supposed to beat us, maybe handily. So was Duke in ‘99. Almost everyone in ‘11 and ‘14.

Well believe it or not our guys found a way to have us here again. Screw the B10, we beat them in big games why stop now?
 
BFieldHusky said:
Everyone (and rightfully so) are focused on the crazy sequence that won the Duke game. But the reality is we dominated the 2nd half against a team that while banged up, was the overall Number 1 seed. And they beat Michigan in February.
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And the best part is that Michigan's strength against UConn would be that they are athletic and switch off ball stuff. It's freaking amazing that we've already seen that done at a high level. Duke really disrupted UConn's offense in the first half, and then we adjusted and killed them in the second.
 
I think it’s unlikely that players feel less pressure because they’re the underdog. You’re playing in what for all you know will be the last time you ever get to achieve this much on this big a stage. Of course you’re going to feel pressure.

For fans/us, it’s one thing to recognize the odds are against you, which they are tonight, and another to not deeply care. Despite being 13-1 in the Final Four and the absurd win streak from the round of 16 forward going back to ‘09, not only is there no guaranty that our level of success will continue — the odds are against it. Even beyond worrying about changes brought on to college athletics as a whole and the control of those changes in the hands of the Big Ten and SEC, you have to be ready to lose half the games you play once you reach the Sweet 16 because the other teams are good and also trying to win. The point being who knows when we’ll have another Championship Game to try to climb the Stairway to Seven (as someone more clever than I called it). So yes, losing tonight will hurt even as a big underdog, and that’s what pressure is — trying to avoid things that will really hurt.

And, FWIW, despite what Vegas is saying in my mind we are a bigger dog tonight than we were in ‘99. That team had in my mind close to a 50% chance of winning. To me that night was a minor upset despite the spread. Tonight, to me, would be a bigger upset. Their ceiling is above our ceiling and their floor is above our floor. But our team is tough as friggin nails and by no means do I think we can’t get it done. There’s a reason they’re going to throw the ball up at 8:50 instead of just letting Vegas and computer programs declare a winner.
 
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A lot of talk about a hot start being necessary, but I'm not sure that's true. We of course don't want to get in an Arizona situation, but we will stay calm, no matter what.
I could see Yaxel getting off to a hot start, high on adrenaline, but not being able to maintain for an extended period. And then we grind away at them.
 
My nerves are like a two on a 10 scale. It's quietly there in the background, but it'll build as we get closer to game time. Michigan is a very good team. We are going to need to play close to our best possible basketball to beat them. That's to be expected in the national championship game. If you ask me, we've got a chance.

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I hope for 3things to happen:

1. Our offense sets run them down and make them tired to slow down their high octane offense, especially AK to put a test on Yaxel ankle and knee.
2. Huskies remain poised and composed in the big stage under bright light because of what they put into practices by our coaching staff.
3. Our elite guard defenses, specifically Demary, Malachi and Ross to minimize Cadeau and Yaxel.
 
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CL82 said:
My nerves are like a two on a 10 scale. It's quietly there in the background, but it'll build as we get closer to game time. Michigan is a very good team. We are going to need to play close to our best possible basketball to beat them. That's to be expected in the national championship game. If you ask me, we've got a chance.

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Here’s the thing I’ll say about your cheerleader picture. It’s probably the first time I’ve seen a cheerleader and thought “that person wont turn me down on sight.”
 
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I’m nervous but I agree about the pressure aspect. Our team is the loose one, we’re here again, we’re not expected to win, but internally they believe they can.

As a fan, what a pleasure. We have one more game to enjoy THIS team, THIS season. Let’s soak it in. This was an incredible season no matter what happens tonight.

So let’s go win the whole cluckin’ thing!
 
I don’t think our guys feel much pressure. Look how they play under “pressure” and how composed they are when down. They just stick with the system. I think our guys are excited to play and are looking forward to it. That doesn’t mean they will win, but their experience and steadiness is a weapon.
 
Said it after Duke: we’ve overcome a 19 point deficit and survived a 19 point comeback. The players can’t be scared. Pressure all on Michigan. Already on cloud 9 with 3 final fours in 4 years.
 
Unlike the OP, the 99 title game was the one where I felt the most pressure. I viewed all subsequent title games (excluding tonight's) as foregone conclusions, as games that we did both have it in us to lose. For the 1999 Duke game, I felt we were the better team, but for reasons I couldn't grasp, most of the talking heads saw us as a team that just got that far somehow and would be the final sacrificial lamb on Duke's road to claim something great.

The pressure I felt was that if we did somehow fall short, we would end up as merely a footnote in history and any possible future opportunities would dissipate. I did see the future of our program being entirely dependent on that game and felt a ton of pressure because of it.
 
businesslawyer said:
And, FWIW, despite what Vegas is saying in my mind we are a bigger dog tonight than we were in ‘99. That team had in my mind close to a 50% chance of winning. To me that night was a minor upset despite the spread. Tonight, to me, would be a bigger upset. Their ceiling is above our ceiling and their floor is above our floor. But our team is tough as friggin nails and by no means do I think we can’t get it done.
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I feel the same way. We should have been 3-4 point underdogs in 1999, not 9 1/2. And I think we'd win that matchup half the time, if not more. Duke was overvalued and UConn was undervalued due to media hype. This year, the spread feels pretty accurate.
 
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Play to our identity. One game Tournament .As Dan has said-The best team doesn't always win. Championship DNA and bench play is our X-factor. Single possession W for the Good Guys.
 
FfldCntyFan said:
Unlike the OP, the 99 title game was the one where I felt the most pressure. I viewed all subsequent title games (excluding tonight's) as foregone conclusions, as games that we did both have it in us to lose. For the 1999 Duke game, I felt we were the better team, but for reasons I couldn't grasp, most of the talking heads saw us as a team that just got that far somehow and would be the final sacrificial lamb on Duke's road to claim something great.

The pressure I felt was that if we did somehow fall short, we would end up as merely a footnote in history and any possible future opportunities would dissipate. I did see the future of our program being entirely dependent on that game and felt a ton of pressure because of it.
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For 99 I felt angry that we weren't getting our due, especially with the whole "Duke invitational" narrative. I respected Duke, but felt like we were capable of beating them.

For the Kemba championship, I felt like we were the team of destiny.

The Bazz championship, I was angry about the whole NCAA BS and felt like we were going to teach a lesson.

2024 felt like a coronation. Which, in a way comes with its own pressure.

I think if I were to compare this, the closest one would be 2023. I felt like we could win it, but I wasn't sure whether we would win it. That's where I am now. Michigan is a very good team, but we have a lot of talent and a great coaching staff. Can't wait for them to toss up the ball so we can find out.
 
CL82 said:
For 99 I felt angry that we weren't getting our due, especially with the whole "Duke invitational" narrative. I respected Duke, but felt like we were capable of beating them.

For the Kemba championship, I felt like we were the team of destiny.

The Bazz championship, I was angry about the whole NCAA BS and felt like we were going to teach a lesson.

2024 felt like a coronation. Which, in a way comes with its own pressure.

I think if I were to compare this, the closest one would be 2023. I felt like we could win it, but I wasn't sure whether we would win it. That's where I am now. Michigan is a very good team, but we have a lot of talent and a great coaching staff. Can't wait for them to toss up the ball so we can find out.
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This is like 2023 if we had to play Houston and Alabama instead of Miami and SDSU.
 
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