A Dayton Egg
There is no shame in getting knocked out of the NCAA Tournament tonight. For example, Washington State and Cal would rather be here in Dayton than the NIT. Or ask angry Tim Floyd at UTEP.
But the way USC lost is going to be an awful most-recent memory for the offseason. Kind of like if Lane Kiffin lost to Notre Dame in his final game last season.
USC's played scrappy basketball this season but came out and laid an egg tonight on sorta national television (truTV). That's regrettable for a program that made big strides the last five weeks.
If Nikola Vucevic goes pro, he needs to look at this tape and how easily he gets taken out of a game when double-teamed and how physical play can alter his game. Looking ahead, USC will certainly be deeper next season, with guard-forward Aaron Fuller eligible and some impressive freshmen (Alexis Moore, Byron Wesley) plus an underrated JC prospect (Greg Allen) that should get minutes.
One thing this program needs, however, this offseason: No drama.
I'm pretty sure USC's last game of the season wasn't against Notre Dame. I remember it being the traditional UCLA ass-kicking owning the Rose Bowl as always. Fight on!
Scott gave us about as fair an assessment as we're going to read anywhere. If only he cut Lane Kiffin as much slack as he does O'Neill! I actually believe both our coaches deserve to have the fans (and the media) set aside disappointment and realize reality.
Another bitter night for long-suffering 'SC basketball fans. I've watched for 30-plus years -- one long morale-sapping defeat after another punctuated by brief overachieving, followed by spectacular tournament letdowns (1992, 2002, 2007) that set back the program. Does anyone realize that North Carolina has won more NCAA tournament games in four years than we've won in 45?
O'Neill is a skilled coach, and probably the best we were going to get after Floyd was jettisoned, our recruiting was destroyed and the NCAA inevitably clobbered the program. But KO is also borderline psycho, can't get along with anyone for very long and there's no way in you-know-what he will ever recruit the players we need to succeed at an elite level for more than a few weeks at a time.
I've had season tickets since Galen opened. No more.
DT-89, you are so right about O'Neill. He is a below avg. recruiter who plays a boring brand of basketball that is why attendance was down this year at home. Losing Bryce Jones in the middle of the season cost the team last night. Garrett Jackson (Oregon player of the year) has entered the doghouse with only a few minutes per game lately. Curtis Washington a no show who was useless this whole season. There is definitely shame in losing to VCU by thirteen and scoring 46 pts. total on a big stage. Making one three the entire game whereas the Rams made nine which is the total that the Trojans shot. Not even trying to score in the last 30 secs. laying the ball on the floor is pure crap when you are behind surrendering like a beaten animal.
Speaking of BEATEN ANIMALS, anyone seen lbc? (at times, he kind of reminded me of Wiley Coyote!). I sort of felt bad, reading the numerous TYPOS in his posts when he became increasingly frustrated and embarrassed. I would ordinarily attribute the typos to CKO syndrome...but, lbc came across as an amateur, not the kind of TROGAN that hits the bottle first thing in the morning.
One and Done, now didn't we have fun!
Fite on TrOXan (Save yourself for NEXT YEAR, no reason to play out the last minute!)
The Curse is EVERYWHERE
ThaiTaco, when a person first gets on a computer at 85, like lbc, mistakes are made. Or so the my computer tech tells me. So easy on lbc. He almost choked on his Ensure last time.
the most redeemable issue from last night was that HD was not offered for tru-TV. i could barely see that abomination. it vaguely looked like a lot of turnovers though.
Good assessment, Scott. Wait, did I just say that? KO is building a program that has finally completed 2 years under sanctions. Remarkable accomplishment that we even made the tourney this year.
I'm with Owns on this one. How Wolf continues to make the most elementary mistakes is beyond me. It's like he's so giddy to needle Kiffin that he loses his freaking mind in doing so. Last game of the season? Come on. Even a casual USC fan would remember stomping on Slick Rick in the last game of the season. How do continue to make so many mistakes, Scooter?
Just astounding!
In fairness to Brother Scott, I think his point was that Kiffin's first season would have ended on more of a downer note, IF the last game of the season had been the Notre Dame loss, INSTEAD OF the victory over UCLA.