Smith 0-for-8. Loyer 1-for-6. Newman 1-for-6. Furst 1-for-5. Morton 0-for-3.
That’s five of the nine regulars combining to shoot 11 percent from the field. ELEVEN!! Six of the nine couldn’t make more than one basket. Against a team they’d swept by 13 and 20. Everyone combined shot 21 percent from three. Did they at least make the bus?
And yet it’s Zach National Player of the Year Edey who gets pulled repeatedly for matchups? The one and only player on the entire team who can stop drives, deny shots and own the paint?
And who develops a press break with no-looks to lonely teammates downcourt, no look at all, in favor of passing it right back to the opponents’ basket for them to simply lay in another?
Never mind poor ol’ Bill Raftery. That display almost gave Grant Hill a heart attack. Nothing like showing the whole basketball world how to melt down a trophy. The banner will be a thrown towel. The rings will turn green, and not from envy.
No wonder that Jay Wright and Jay Bilas, Seth Davis and Seth Greenberg, LaPhonso Ellis and Dick Vitale and even Rece Freakin’ Davis all pick the No. 1 seed of the NCAA East to lose out against two teams it stomped, all favoring Duke and Marquette to instead make the Elite Eight. Only Clark Kellogg weakly endorsed Purdue to live up to its billing.
It’s March. In like a lamb, out like a lamb. Nice guys finish last. Bad-asses finish. Play nasty. Rip the threads. Make it November.
That’s five of the nine regulars combining to shoot 11 percent from the field. ELEVEN!! Six of the nine couldn’t make more than one basket. Against a team they’d swept by 13 and 20. Everyone combined shot 21 percent from three. Did they at least make the bus?
And yet it’s Zach National Player of the Year Edey who gets pulled repeatedly for matchups? The one and only player on the entire team who can stop drives, deny shots and own the paint?
And who develops a press break with no-looks to lonely teammates downcourt, no look at all, in favor of passing it right back to the opponents’ basket for them to simply lay in another?
Never mind poor ol’ Bill Raftery. That display almost gave Grant Hill a heart attack. Nothing like showing the whole basketball world how to melt down a trophy. The banner will be a thrown towel. The rings will turn green, and not from envy.
No wonder that Jay Wright and Jay Bilas, Seth Davis and Seth Greenberg, LaPhonso Ellis and Dick Vitale and even Rece Freakin’ Davis all pick the No. 1 seed of the NCAA East to lose out against two teams it stomped, all favoring Duke and Marquette to instead make the Elite Eight. Only Clark Kellogg weakly endorsed Purdue to live up to its billing.
It’s March. In like a lamb, out like a lamb. Nice guys finish last. Bad-asses finish. Play nasty. Rip the threads. Make it November.