There is no reason to give up on this team right now. Yes, we lost a very good player, but sometimes there is addition by subtraction. I wish the best for Chis Jones and hope he can work thru his issues and reach his potential in life, but this team might be better in the end without him. Some people forget that this is a team sport, and the players in the locker room know what is going on. Some team's have enough leadership to move past issues, but this team does not have the leadership that was present when Hancock, Siva,Deng and Russ were on the team. The leaders on this team are quiet, and need more from each other more than ever. Last night when we were down 13, the guys could have just given up and got blown out of the building. They could have used the excuse, "Chris is gone", but instead dug in and found a way to win. That win really impressed me. Now the team needs to build on that. We have two of the best players in college basketball this year, which is more than most of the teams have. In the tourney, one great player can lead you to the final four. We have two. Now, we definitely have to get more production from other players, and now they will get that opportunity. Snyder is going to continue to get better, ad will be more than ready come tournament time. He will get more attention in practice, and knows NOW that he is playing a big part every night. I know a lot of people have been hard on the centers, but we don't need them to set the world on fire. We just need solid production every night, which mean rebounding and defense. If they bring toughness every night, and work hard that is huge for us. I really think the key to how far we can go in the tourney rests on Harrell and Rozier raising their game to make EVERY player better every night. They did that in the second half last night. It was contagious for the other guys, and Blackshear and Onuaku fed off of that. Lets stay positive, and support the team. I know Howie said this morning that the sweet 16 would make him happy, but this team can go further. To me this is when Pitino shows how great of a coach he is. When he is the underdog and being criticized by every announcer and commentator, he finds a way to get the most out of a team, and that is exciting. Go Cards!!
Don't give up on this team!
- Thread starter staus
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