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[Chris R]

I must not have been clear enough. Let me be clearer. The A10 is not anywhere near the league the SEC is. This is not my opinion it is empirical data. Were the Flyers in the SEC and playing an 18 league SEC schedule against Miss State, S. Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, etc, things would be more difficult, just like were Jackson State to play an A10 schedule, they would find life more difficult. I dont see anything backhanded about recognizing the talent difference between leagues when comparing teams and players in the A10 -- or our players -- to players in other leagues. Doesn't mean we cannot compete and win vs some of those teams. But it does mean we're mindful that they are nationally ranked despite an 18-8 record for a reason.

This year is a different team than the Elite 8 team. Jenna is not surrounded by Hoover, Austria, Malott, Deane, and Cornelie. She's asked to do way more than simply protect the basketball and get it to the studs (which she did a fine job of as a frosh).

We got beat by Tennessee and Florida in the NCAAs. They are from the SEC too. Some success, some failure vs the league. We went 1-3 vs the four best teams on this year's schedule and only one was from a Power-5 league. We are talented and dangerous, but lets not forget ourselves either. Our margins are not huge and we win when we execute. In some of those games with Malott and Hoover all we had to do was roll the ball out on the court and we could win by 35. This team has had to work harder for its success -- and in some ways I find that both more impressive and more enjoyable to watch because they could lose to almost any team on the schedule if they dont execute (and also win almost any game). In some past seasons, UD literally just pointed to the scoreboard and named the score.

Its about this year's team. What happened in the past is another team and another coach. It might as well be another lifetime. I think Shauna is pretty grounded and understands that we're really good when we execute and everybody on the team "stays in their lane" and does their role, and we're pretty ordinary when we try to do things that are not our key strengths. For most of the year we've been really good. Occasionally we've been reminded how we can look when we lose focus and its difficult at times. Green has spoken about these moments continually all year about fighting through sloppy play and just finding a way to be a little tougher when things arent falling into place as planned. If the head coach publicly acknowledges these realities, I dont find it out of bounds for others to as well. In fact I find it refreshing Shauna doesnt sugarcoat those trying moments when we're getting out of our lane.

I think Green has done as well as one can expect a 2nd year coach to do under the circumstances she got the job and the debilitating injuries she's had to deal with. Im not sure Jabir would be better than 21-4 right now. We may have beaten USF or Green Bay, but may have dropped a game or two somewhere else because his playing style was a bit more risk/reward.

To show respect to other leagues, teams, players, and coaches in my opinion does not disparage our own product. We would certainly ask the same from them. We all watch WBB TV. We see what's out there. We know who are contenders and who are pretenders. There aren't many secrets.