How can Two Seasons be So Different?

[NJFlyr71]

Thank God! The end was finally here last Friday March 5, 2021.

How can two seasons be so different?

Last year an extremely pleasing, satisfying season ended with a unsatisfying conclusion through no fault of the team.

This year an unsatisfying season came to a merciful conclusion on a Friday.

What went wrong? I believe UD has never had as many seniors (4 or 5 year) on the team as we witnessed this season.

To start the season we had a ton of players with experience coming back. And then some parts came undone. First Cohill, then Chase. But that's OK, we still have pieces left that had performed admirably in 2019-2020. Or so that was the thinking. We could show the BB world that we weren't a one man OBI show.

Then slowly but surely as the sun comes up every morning around the world, we saw that we could not play a full 20 minutes either in one half or distributed among the 40 minutes of play looking like a team that had the talent and experience to really compete.

It was down right shocking. Who knew? Not anyone (well except for the 2 or 3 usual suspects on here). Maybe the team missed OBI, did it validate that we were a one man show last year? I think not!

I think we missed Chip and Trey PLUS OBI. Those three held the others together. Who did they hold together you ask? Try Jalen, Chapman and Jordy for starters. Then with Ibi being the best 6th man. The three (Chip, Trey, OBI) were like carbon atoms binding together the hydrogen atoms of Jalen, Chapman, Jordy and Ibi.

It made a molecule of nuclear energy ..... last year.

And we saw what appeared to be a lack of energy in play this year. The hydrogen atoms swirling around in space with no particular means to bind together. No method to construct something and result in a product better than its' pieces.

Just thankful the season ended. This time last year ....... NOT. SO. MUCH.

[ClaytonFlyerFan]

Chemistry

Lack of leadership on the floor.

[IAFlyer]

Although we missed leadership of Trey and Ryan - and Trey's rebounding - I think that Obi's ability to make teams collapse, thus allowing us to play the inside-out game is what made us tough to defend last year.

We had nobody that could give us a real inside presence this year. Nobody had to collapse on the pass inside.

For me, it's a combination of things that made last year so special and things did not gel this year.

[301Lowes]

I don't think you can read much this year with non-professional sports. HS/college, these kids(and remember they are kids) have been under severe duress for the better part of a year. In many cases, the athletes minds are just not there, they have other, bigger issues to contend with. Mental health has suffered for these kids in untold ways. They've been isolated yet expected to keep up on their studies and sports, all the while not having social outlets to just even let off steam.

I was at my daughter's HS track meet this last week. This is a track team that's won every state championship since 2009. Zero and I mean zero energy at this meet. You could just feel the kids are going through the motions. They could drop their masks as a chin strap during a race but then afterwards had to socially distance and wear the masks. Athletes were only allowed to show up for their race(and each athlete was allowed to race only once, no multiple races other than relays). They were told to leave as soon as their event was over. There was no hanging out as a team or cheering on their fellow teammates during races. The whole life was sucked out of this deal.

It's sad for the seniors, as their last chance at the big stage has disappeared.

[UD62]

That's easy, lost Obi, Trey and Chips. Cohill, Johnson lost and Chatman injured for most of the year. Leadership was a problem but we had massive changes to the roster, 3 by graduation, 3 unplaned. Throw in a bunch of freshmen, and Weaver having to jump right in and the outcome was problematic. Frustrating to be sure but with all the missing pieces, somewhat understandable. Thank God for Crutcher, without him we would have been staring at a losing season.

[San Diego Flyer]

Without Obi, no one could really unbalance the floor and immediately present scoring opportunities for the rest.

If only we had a player that could finish like Obi, our crowd would erupt. If only we had a crowd. Those two ingredients cost us 5/6 wins.

That formula also demoralized our opponents as well.

[Alberto Strasse]

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Last year was the best regular season in Flyer history. This season they fell short of team goals.

[steve]

Originally Posted by San Diego Flyer Without Obi, no one could really unbalance the floor and immediately present scoring opportunities for the rest. If only we had a player that could finish like Obi, our crowd would erupt. If only we had a crowd. Those two ingredients cost us 5/6 wins. That formula also demoralized our opponents as well.

Pretty much. We also had I'd say the same number of ho-hum possessions that went down under 7-8 seconds with a G standing 30 feet out. Last year they found Obi and he saved the bacon. This year no bacon.

[Canonball]

If if's and but's were candy and nuts ...

Handful of points in losses to cellar dwellers means you end up matching up against VCU in the quarterfinals rather than in the semifinals or finals. They've got to be kicking themselves for those sharts. In the end they just never came up with the consistency to meaningfully contend. Next year is an even bigger mystery.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by ClaytonFlyerFan Chemistry Lack of leadership on the floor.

....and a ton of freshman minutes. Great for the next few years, but not this year.

[O Doyle Rules]

How can Two Seasons be So Different?

Five reasons:

1. Obi
2. Obi
3. Obi
4. Trey
5. Ryan

[UACFlyer]

Originally Posted by UD62 That's easy, lost Obi, Trey and Chips. Cohill, Johnson lost and Chatman injured for most of the year. Leadership was a problem but we had massive changes to the roster, 3 by graduation, 3 unplaned. Throw in a bunch of freshmen, and Weaver having to jump right in and the outcome was problematic. Frustrating to be sure but with all the missing pieces, somewhat understandable. Thank God for Crutcher, without him we would have been staring at a losing season.

Certainly true. And also true that last year was a "year of a century type happening"....a true joy indeed.

But also true is that the happenings described by UD62 have to be dealt with by all top tier programs. And they make you appreciate the value and importance of year-in and year-out consistency that characterize a few of Dayton's top peers. Gonzaga and Villanova come to mind. Xavier most of the time...

For sure it's not easy. But we all want, and the UD athletic administration wants, for UD to excel most of the time no matter the adversity. To my mind that means top three in the A10 always, and NCAAs at least six years a decade, i.e., for the Flyers not to be in the Dance is an exception.

There is GU on the West Coast and VU on the East. I want the Dayton Flyers to be the GU/VU of the Mid-West...requiring consistently outstanding performance....meaning, I think, outstanding coaching and coaching continuity combined with outstanding recruiting. Not easy...or everyone would do it. But Dayton is special. Just opinion.

	Xavier XAVIER MUSKETEERS Dayton's biggest rival dating back to the early 1900s. Founded in 1831, Xavier University is a Jesuit, Catholic university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its three colleges offer 78 undergraduate majors, 43 minors and 11 graduate programs to 6,646 total students, including 3,961 undergraduates. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities nationwide. Xavier's nickname is the Musketeers and are fellow A10 Conference members.

[flyer016]

I think it was a lack of talent.

Obi was a once-a-generation player for UD. What he did beyond the highlight plays, how defenses (and offenses) reacted to him mattered a lot.

Landers and Mikesell were bigger factors than I think most realized, but it wasn't just leadership. It was talent. Both were very good A10 players. I'd argue both were just a tick below all conference status. They played a lot off minutes, more than 55 mpg between the two of them.

I think we forget how short the rotation was last year as well. Only 7 guys played in 30 games last year, only 6 averaged more than 20 minutes. Four of those seven didn't play this year, which forced Grant to rely on guys like Tshimanga (who averaged less than 10 mpg last year).

The other guys filling those minutes were Nwokeji, Blakney and Amzil. They weren't ready for major roles, especially early in the season. The frontcourt of Tshimanga, and the trio of freshmen was a massive drop off in talent from Obi, Mikesell and Landers.

I think Crutcher and Watson stepped up admirably this season. I think Chatman is a very limited player (was last year and this year). But going from an all conference front court to Jordy and the young guys was just too much to overcome. They gambled on Johnson playing this year. I think they would have been better off getting the most veteran big they could find. Ultimately, the talent wasn't there this year.

[Smitty10]

We replaced 19 rebounds a game with 14 rebounds per game in our starting lineup. We replaced .633, .565 and .478 FG % with .468, .496 and .592. Everything, both on offense and defense were worse except for 3 point percentage on both sides of the ball.

But as far as having so many seniors this season, how about looking at experience on the court instead. When we had Chatman on the court, we had 2 starters with lots of games started in their careers. When we didn't have Chatman, we only had one. Compare those numbers to the amount of experience on the court we had last year.

It's really not that difficult to figure out that we were a completely different team when we had to replace Obi, Trey and Ryan with Jordy, Mustapha and Ibi in the starting lineup. Then of course, replacing Ibi's role as 6th man with really nobody.

Heck, all you have to do is look at what almost happend last season against Indiana St. when we had Chase Johnson as starter and what happend the rest of the way when Trey took over. That should show you what losing Trey meant. I had a feeling this season could be very rocky when I saw the way Ryan and Trey were the keys to the TBT team this summer. It's not as easy to see when the team is built around Obi and Jalen. But when they played with Oliver, Kyle Davis, Darrell Davis, Ryan Mcmahon and Tevor Thompson, most with next level experience, it was Mikesell and Landers that carried that team.

[steve]

Not sure losing Chase Johnson is being mentioned enough. Forget just the 12 ppg and 6 rpg
he provided which was huge in and of itself but he also occupied a part of the floor we ran our offense thru and to. At 6'9" he was a true low block player,also, who could turn and shoot and had some moves to the hoop off the bounce.He was strong enough to get position and quick enough.

That part of the offense and ability to use that space was non-existent after he left. Freshman weren't tuned into the offense enough due to many reasons with one being they simply were 18 year olds with no bulk or strength.

[SeasonTicketFan]

Obi was the biggest reason for the difference. Big difference. National Player of the year makes a huge, huge difference. He made players around him seem better then they really were. I believe we underrated his talent and overrated that talent of the rest of the team including the returning players. Look at how the Cleveland Cavs tanked when LeBron left.

Two other factors impacted this team.
1) COVID. UD is tight lipped, but this team might have lost a lot of practice and weight room time. Yes, others did too, but it really hurt the freshmen.
2) Paybacks. Every A10 team was jacked to play UD this year. How many of those team may have claimed UD was their best effort of the season? They acted as if they were beating a team that had Obi. It was their Super Bowl...

So many things went right last year. This year, so many things went wrong.

[flybye]

Agree with not enough talent. They missed on a grad transfer and the freshman did make an impact until late.

[San Diego Flyer]

Originally Posted by O Doyle Rules How can Two Seasons be So Different? Five reasons: 1. Obi 2. Obi 3. Obi 4. Trey 5. Ryan

I just don't think Ryan or Trey alone would have made that much difference. One of them alone could be slowed down with single coverage. Together would probably be worth 3 or 4 wins.

[Alberto Strasse]

always ends with an unsatisfactory conclusion unless your team wins the National Championship. That is the essence of the game.

[Donniex3Era]

Originally Posted by ClaytonFlyerFan Chemistry Lack of leadership on the floor.

Lack of Talent

[T-Bone 84]

I think the posters who hit on the combined loss of Obi, Trey, and Ryan, with the subsequent loss of Chase, hit the nail squarely on the head. You don’t lose 3 guys with that much time on the court and in the program, and replace them largely with freshmen, in a program that doesn’t historically recruit a bunch of 4/5-star Mickey D’s AAs, without feeling any ill effects.

Nothing against the freshmen. They were just...freshmen. Next year, or at least by 2022-23, we’re going to see some real beasts out there. We saw flashes of it this year, with some good games out of the chute by Moose, Zimi’s effort at Rhody, and a few of RJ’s and Koby’s appearances in the past month. But this year, for the most part, they played like freshmen with some upside. And, as we all know, the best thing about freshmen is...they become sophomores. Looking forward to that.
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	Rhode Island RHODE ISLAND The University of Rhode Island was chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. The school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892. Located in southern Rhode Island, URI is a quintessential New England campus - rural in feeling yet close to the city of Providence, the state's capital. Linked to the city, the beaches, and nearly every corner of the state by both rail and public transit, the campus is easily accessible from Boston and New York URI currently offers 100 majors in seven degree-granting colleges. There are more than 12,000 students on the Kingston campus, about 3,000 in Providence, and a complement of about 700 faculty. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams.

[ClaytonFlyerFan]

Originally Posted by Donniex3Era Lack of Talent

Disagree 100%.

Talent was there to win at least 5 or 6 more games, which would have put us at 20 wins in this shortened season. How else do you explain our 4-0 record against the top 4 teams in the league not named VCU?

[SeasonTicketFan]

UD had to rely on the 3 ball to win because of the weak inside game this year. When they were hot from outside, they knocked teams off. When they were cold, they struggled against even the bottom of the league.

The talent lack was not across the board, but the front line which accounted for inconsistent play. The team could not hide the holes every every night Scoring in the paint was difficult. Defending in the paint was difficult too. In the losses, the front line was beaten on offense and defense and the 3 ball did not drop.

[SC_Flyer]

Originally Posted by O Doyle Rules How can Two Seasons be So Different? Five reasons: 1. Obi 2. Obi 3. Obi's Hands 4. Trey 5. Ryan

I slightly modified the list. Mr. Kenobi's hands alone probably would have won us some games this year. His first dunk in the contest last night would have been impossible (in just what his hands had to accomplish in the setup) than any of our big men could have handled this year.

[Buster Goode]

Originally Posted by NJFlyr71 How can two seasons be so different?

Obi Toppin, Ryan Mikesell and Trey Landers minutes replaced by mostly all freshmen in the rotation. Not rocket science.

[Donniex3Era]

Originally Posted by ClaytonFlyerFan Disagree 100%. Talent was there to win at least 5 or 6 more games, which would have put us at 20 wins in this shortened season. How else do you explain our 4-0 record against the top 4 teams in the league not named VCU?

How do explain losing to Fordam, St Joes, LaSalle and other bottom feeders?

	LaSalle LA SALLE In 1863, La Salle University was established through the legacy of St. John Baptist de La Salle and the Christian Brothers teaching order, which De La Salle founded 300 years ago. Located in Philadelphia, La Salle is an educational community shaped by traditional Catholic and Lasallian values. La Salle's main campus is an ideal place for students to pursue an education. The 130-acre park-like setting includes 54 buildings and is located approximately six miles from Center City Philadelphia. The University can accommodate 2,114 resident students in its 12 residence halls, two apartment complexes, and 75 townhouses. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Explorers. Notable athletes include Tom Gola and Lionel Simmons.

[ClaytonFlyerFan]

Originally Posted by Donniex3Era How do explain losing to Fordam, St Joes, LaSalle and other bottom feeders?

First of all, you did not explain how we were 4-0 against the top 4 in the A-10 not named VCU.

But as I said in the second post in this thread. Chemistry and lack of leadership, which is what lead to our losses to the bottom feeders. One of our seniors was afraid to break a sweat in the games that did not interest him, which lead to a bad attitude by others on the floor as well.

[Brad S.]

I think you see in most sports that the difference between great teams and good teams is consistency. Flyers just didn't have that this year.

[NJFlyr71]

I think some posts have missed the mark as to the vast difference in these two seasons (back to back).

If as some claim it's due to the lack of fans, how do you explain some teams like the Zags or Baylor? How do you explain VCU or the Bonnies?

Some claim it's due to the lack of Obi. While that certainly had some impact what does that say about the program? We (at least in these 2 seasons) were a one trick pony? If so that hardly puts us anywhere within the same universe of any teams we aspire to be with doesn't it?

Lack of talent? Is that a question of the staff being able to evaluate potential players that they had brought in? If so what may that predict for the excitement around the players coming in next season?

Missing 3 players (Obi, Chip & Trey)? Yep, I mentioned that as did some others. There is a strong case for that as one part of the mystery. But we still had players from last year bringing with them some significant minutes of experience.

The freshman players had to play vital minutes. Yes there were times that did happen. And in some cases played BETTER than the seniors on the floor (and we can site some games that was clearly the case). But if we can't rely on freshmen in the late part of the season .... what does that foretell for the early part of NEXT SEASON?

Injury and players leaving? Again that did have some impact. Those events do disrupt a teams cohesiveness. And yet without naming names, when some of the injured players came back did the team look and play better or was there not much difference in the before and after? I see that as another question yet to be answered.

Some raised the aspect of leadership and chemistry. Yep, there is a good argument for that, as one telling issue that seemed to show itself in almost every single game no matter where and who we played. Yet that adds to the mystery. Our guards were in the same position last season. So why the difference?

I saw a lack of interest in some instances, missing motivation in others. Poor judgement and frustration. 5 players playing individually at the most inopportune times in a game. Standing around and no clear indication that any player knew what to do next? Preparation or no execution, yes another dichotomy to contemplate.

So what these last 2 seasons have shown is that UD is not really ready to carry a 'Gonzaga mantle of the Mid West' anytime soon. UD is not really ready to go to another heap big conference. Hell we can't even beat bottom feeders in this conference. UD can't maintain a certainty of NCAA bids. Archie's 4 years were an aberration not a sign of arrival.

As Grant stated, 'we got a lot of work to do'. Those may be some of the wisest words heard so far this year.

	St Bonaventure SAINT BONAVENTURE Founded in 1858, St. Bonaventure University is a liberal arts college located on 500 acres in southwestern New York state. SBU offers 43 undergraduate majors, the most popular of which are elementary education, journalism, psychology, accounting, marketing, finance, and management. Total undergraduate enrollment is 2,000. Virtually all freshmen and most undergraduates live on campus. A founding member of the A10 Conference. Famous athletes include Bob Lanier. Historical nickname was the Brown Indians, but later changed to the Bonnies. Their mascot is a wolf.

[SeasonTicketFan]

In Obi's last season, UD was a one trick pony. Only one other team (I believe) was undefeated during A10 play. St. Joe's in the early 2000s. We forgot that very, very quickly. We've never come close before and neither has almost every other A10 team.

UD should set goals of finishing in the top 4 in the league and making the NCAA almost every year. UD finished in the 3rd and 1st in in the league two of the 4 years. Missed the NCAA 3 of last 4. We can argue about year 1, but the profession recognizes that a bad year is often the norm when coaches and system and personnel change all at the same time. Not sure any new coach could have turned that team into a winner

This year was very disappointing on many levels and showed that the program is not even close to the Gonzaga label yet. Of course, it has not been for many, many years.

Still lot of work to be done.

[flybye]

Great post...agree...

[Smitty10]

SMH. So ridiculous. This team finished 3rd in the country last season and we did so mainly due to having the best player in the country. Because that player was so great, we lost him to the NBA. Certainly wasn't planned out that way. But, based on our ranking 3rd, we all hoped that it would raise the basketball programs status that we would be able to bring in better recruits. And due to there being a one year lag of a great season and when recruits join the team, we had only two new players join knowing what the program accomplished in 2019-2020. Those two were Mustapha and Elijah. But guess what, next season we have our best rated recruiting class ever.

There's a lag people. A lag between finishing as the #3 team in the country and reaping the rewards of that #3 ranking. You can complain about this past season all you want but all that means to me is that your expectations were much too high. Anyone with any sense knew this coming season could go a number of directions, including the one it did. I've been accused in the past of expecting too much. Funny, this season didn't bother me in the least. I enjoyed watching basketball, and while the Flyers weren't going anywhere, still was confident that greater things lie ahead.

Becoming Gonzaga of the East wasn't going to happen this season, but the start toward that goal might happen next season. The seeds were planted last season, those seeds don't begin to sprout until next season. And no, we weren't that talented this year, we had one great player and a bunch of players that were inconsistent. If that one player is a big, you might make noise, but when that one player is a PG, well, that position cannot carry a team by himself.

So go ahead, complain about this season, and pretend that it reflects that we should be pessimistic toward the future. I personally haven't felt better about the direction of the program since I started following it back in 1968. If by 2022-2023 we're not back crawling up the ladder of the top 25, then I'll join you in complaining. But until then, I will enjoy watching this team develop toward that point.

[NJFlyr71]

Originally Posted by Smitty10 SMH. So ridiculous. This team finished 3rd in the country last season and we did so mainly due to having the best player in the country. Because that player was so great, we lost him to the NBA. Certainly wasn't planned out that way. But, based on our ranking 3rd, we all hoped that it would raise the basketball programs status that we would be able to bring in better recruits. And due to there being a one year lag of a great season and when recruits join the team, we had only two new players join knowing what the program accomplished in 2019-2020. Those two were Mustapha and Elijah. But guess what, next season we have our best rated recruiting class ever. There's a lag people. A lag between finishing as the #3 team in the country and reaping the rewards of that #3 ranking. You can complain about this past season all you want but all that means to me is that your expectations were much too high. Anyone with any sense knew this coming season could go a number of directions, including the one it did. I've been accused in the past of expecting too much. Funny, this season didn't bother me in the least. I enjoyed watching basketball, and while the Flyers weren't going anywhere, still was confident that greater things lie ahead. Becoming Gonzaga of the East wasn't going to happen this season, but the start toward that goal might happen next season. The seeds were planted last season, those seeds don't begin to sprout until next season. And no, we weren't that talented this year, we had one great player and a bunch of players that were inconsistent. If that one player is a big, you might make noise, but when that one player is a PG, well, that position cannot carry a team by himself. So go ahead, complain about this season, and pretend that it reflects that we should be pessimistic toward the future. I personally haven't felt better about the direction of the program since I started following it back in 1968. If by 2022-2023 we're not back crawling up the ladder of the top 25, then I'll join you in complaining. But until then, I will enjoy watching this team develop toward that point.

Trying not to be a pessimist but there are too many "pie in the sky" posters ... I took a wait and see attitude this past season not quite sure exactly what to expect.

I know one thing like you say, we are getting a highly rated team of freshmen in the fold for next year. But once again they will be freshmen and they as a group or while playing with the guys coming back may or may not mesh well. Chemistry and leadership will matter.

Then maybe talent will be all that the team will need. I don't know. So if we hold our collective expectations for next year then we may be looking at their sophomore years to really get back to prosperity and relevance.

I really don't like the wait till next year take. How'd that work out for the Browns, Bengals, Reds, Giants, Jets, Cav's, Knicks, on and on ....

Some how and at some point in time this program has to move up a few notches in the A10 before we think about any other home conference ...

Looking over the program starting with BG in 2003 our record is 389W's and 197L's - a grand ratio of 0.506. Chemistry and leadership will matter AND without consistency ... you get what we have. As Chris likes to point out you are what your record says you are.

But that mark will improve ... next year!

[CT Flyer]

Originally Posted by NJFlyr71 Looking over the program starting with BG in 2003 our record is 389W's and 197L's - a grand ratio of 0.506.

Based on these numbers I'm not sure your winning percentage is correct.

[jack72]

Originally Posted by NJFlyr71 I really don't like the wait till next year take. How'd that work out for the Browns, Bengals, Reds, Giants, Jets, Cav's, Knicks, on and on ....

Or how did it work out for the Tampa Bay Bucs, Cleveland State, VCU, Loyola, Illinois, Arkansas or the Browns? The glass is half full and growing with the next recruiting class.

[Radar]

Originally Posted by CT Flyer Based on these numbers I'm not sure your winning percentage is correct.

Public math is often dangerous...especially on UDPride!!

[Furio]

389 / 586 = 66.4 percent winning ratio

[Smitty10]

Originally Posted by NJFlyr71 I really don't like the wait till next year take. How'd that work out for the Browns, Bengals, Reds, Giants, Jets, Cav's, Knicks, on and on .... !

lol, are you seriously comparing a college team to the pros? Here, let me tell you the difference, when the LA Dodgers find a Clayton Kershaw, they get to keep him as long as they dish out the cash. When the Dayton Flyers find an Obi Toppin, they lose him. The better the player, the quicker we lose him.

Wait till next year or the year after is really what college sports are all about when you're not at the top. And holy cow, "wait til next year shouldn't apply to a team that is one season off it's best season ever. "Wait 'til next year" is for the perpetual failures and that ain't us.

[NJFlyr71]

Questioning my math? Good god, it's the same math I use doing my taxes!

No wonder the IRS visits me every year. And here I thought it was 'cause they missed me!

I apologize to every math teacher I ever had starting with Sister Mary Joseph in 1st grade.

The rest of you guys? DRINK A BEER and for get about it!

[Southwest]

Originally Posted by Smitty10 SMH. So ridiculous. This team finished 3rd in the country last season and we did so mainly due to having the best player in the country. Because that player was so great, we lost him to the NBA. Certainly wasn't planned out that way. But, based on our ranking 3rd, we all hoped that it would raise the basketball programs status that we would be able to bring in better recruits. And due to there being a one year lag of a great season and when recruits join the team, we had only two new players join knowing what the program accomplished in 2019-2020. Those two were Mustapha and Elijah. But guess what, next season we have our best rated recruiting class ever. There's a lag people. A lag between finishing as the #3 team in the country and reaping the rewards of that #3 ranking. You can complain about this past season all you want but all that means to me is that your expectations were much too high. Anyone with any sense knew this coming season could go a number of directions, including the one it did. I've been accused in the past of expecting too much. Funny, this season didn't bother me in the least. I enjoyed watching basketball, and while the Flyers weren't going anywhere, still was confident that greater things lie ahead. Becoming Gonzaga of the East wasn't going to happen this season, but the start toward that goal might happen next season. The seeds were planted last season, those seeds don't begin to sprout until next season. And no, we weren't that talented this year, we had one great player and a bunch of players that were inconsistent. If that one player is a big, you might make noise, but when that one player is a PG, well, that position cannot carry a team by himself. So go ahead, complain about this season, and pretend that it reflects that we should be pessimistic toward the future. I personally haven't felt better about the direction of the program since I started following it back in 1968. If by 2022-2023 we're not back crawling up the ladder of the top 25, then I'll join you in complaining. But until then, I will enjoy watching this team develop toward that point.

Can we please stop talking about becoming “the Gonzaga of the East,” until we can at least become “the Gonzaga of the Atlantic 10?”