Season turnaround

[LittleBrave]

You would think at some point, we will start to do some things right and we will look decent for once this season. There are obvious shortcomings with this team, especially on offense, but there is still potential to be tapped into.

I was about to throw in the towel for the season after Saturday night's poor performance. But it's harder to give up completely than remain somewhat hopeful at this point in the season. Of course, a lot of it has to do with our coaching staff's ability to change things up, which is questionable. However, the confidence & toughness buttons need to be turned on for the majority of individuals on the team.

Perhaps if we play well under immense pressure vs. Duke tomorrow, some guys will start to play like they're capable and play less timid. Looking for some positives tomorrow, as there weren't any to be found the other night other than WL adding a small spark.

Maybe I just hate the thought of this season being over and hopeless already. Gotta' keep the faith.

[ER3]

Perhaps if we play well under immense pressure vs. Duke tomorrow, some guys will start to play like they're capable and play less timid. Looking for some positives tomorrow, as there weren't any to be found the other night other than WL adding a small spark.

Why in the world would we be under any kind of pressure tomorrow? We're gonna be 30 point underdogs, we have virtually zero chance of winning the game, there is absolutely no expectation by anyone that we can even keep this game within a 20 point margin...sounds to me like there is absolutely no pressure on us whatsoever in this game...

[LittleBrave]

Why in the world would we be under any kind of pressure tomorrow? We're gonna be 30 point underdogs, we have virtually zero chance of winning the game, there is absolutely no expectation by anyone that we can even keep this game within a 20 point margin...sounds to me like there is absolutely no pressure on us whatsoever in this game...

There is pressure not to look embarrassed in front of millions of viewers. THAT could happen - and would give ME some pressure. If we struggle mightily to score 60 vs. a weak Utah team, we might have trouble scoring 40 vs. the best team in the country. That would be weighing on my mind if I were a BU player, especially with the lack of confidence I've seen among several of the guys. Unless this team has given up hope, there is pressure to perform well in the national spotlight, and while the reality of winning is slim to none, I'm sure our team as a whole will go into Cameron with hopes of WINNING vs. the #1 team in the country in front of some of the most racous fans.
Yeah, no pressure at all.

[BradleyBrave]

There's zero expectations tomorrow night. There will be zero pressure.

[lefty]

There's zero expectations tomorrow night. There will be zero pressure.

Maybe to us fans there is zero pressure....but i kind of see what LB is saying here. You are playing on national TV.....for us whenever that happens there is some pressure regardless of who we play. The players will want to compete even if it is Duke. No pressure as far as winning but maybe some pressure as not to completely embarrass themselves.

[real fan]

This is the kind of game the mentally tough players should be up for as nobody gives you a chance to win and almost everyone expects to see BU lose by 30, they should be relaxed knowing there are no expectations, good position to be placed in as far as my opinion.

[houstontxbrave]

Its the pressure of the "moment". National television, playing the defending National Champions, current number 1 team in the country, playing at a place they have all seen over and over on television, having the whole environment on top of them.

There are not expectations/pressures of winning but its the moment, environment, situation that will cause the pressure.

[LittleBrave]

Maybe to us fans there is zero pressure....but i kind of see what LB is saying here. You are playing on national TV.....for us whenever that happens there is some pressure regardless of who we play. The players will want to compete even if it is Duke. No pressure as far as winning but maybe some pressure as not to completely embarrass themselves.

Regardless of the pressure gauge, there will certainly be a lot of nerves leading up to the game and to start off the game. What I'm hoping is that being on this grand stage and shaking off those nerves as the game progresses will result in playing more confidently, leading to greater confidence in future games and play less timid/more aggressive. Seems like we tense up in games, which limits how we're capable of playing. Would be nice to see us have a little fun on the court - play more relaxed and under control. Will be interesting to see what happens regardless of the resulting score.

[SFP]

Its the pressure of the "moment". National television, playing the defending National Champions, current number 1 team in the country, playing at a place they have all seen over and over on television, having the whole environment on top of them.

There are not expectations/pressures of winning but its the moment, environment, situation that will cause the pressure.

and also for pride! If when they wear the uniform I'm hoping they look at it as a privilege and regardless of the circumstance they want to bring it on.

[BradleyBrave]

I don't think there will be pressure, nor should there be at this point. One thing JL has always been good at is getting the guys up for playing 'the big boys'. The pressure should have been there to beat EIU, WCU, and Utah to salvage their non-con schedule. Had we won 2 of those 3, we wouldn't be talking about a 'lost season' and playing-in. We'd be talking about whether or not we would end up in our usual 2:30 4/5 matchup or whether or not we could still make a top 3 finish in a weak MVC.

[bigdaddystuck]

I can see both sides of this. I think there will be some pressure on the team because of the stage they will be on. However, I don't think that most expect us to truly be more than bump in the road for Duke. As for turning things around, I will be looking to see if signs of problems being addressed. I don't think they can be fixed this quick but we should see some signs of improvement.

[houstontxbrave]

There will not be any improvment or fixing until two players decide they want to take on respondsiblity.

DSE needs to shake his slump on the offensive end, his shooting % is unacceptable.

But any turnaround is sitting on the shoulders of Will Egolf.

The fouling, the terrible shooting % and I think his overall attitude needs an adjustment. He is a better player then he is displaying and if he would wake up and play hard and play like he is capable of it would provide Bradley with atleast a second viable scoring option.

He really needs to grow up and quickly.

[Double D]

There will not be any improvment or fixing until two players decide they want to take on respondsiblity.

DSE needs to shake his slump on the offensive end, his shooting % is unacceptable.

But any turnaround is sitting on the shoulders of Will Egolf.

The fouling, the terrible shooting % and I think his overall attitude needs an adjustment. He is a better player then he is displaying and if he would wake up and play hard and play like he is capable of it would provide Bradley with atleast a second viable scoring option.

He really needs to grow up and quickly.

Agree 110% These are the two players who are capable of better and are talented enough to make a difference.

[LittleBrave]

This was true since Game 1.
Not sure what's up with DSE, but I never would have imagined him playing this poorly after a nice freshman year.
Even if the other guys step it up, it will not make as much impact as WE and DSE coming around. Both guys should be in double figures almost every night with our lack of offensive production.
WE should be getting at least 7-8 reb's a game. He should have dunked a ball the other night, but instead he floated a lay-up that missed rim completely.

[BradleyBrave]

There will not be any improvment or fixing until two players decide they want to take on respondsiblity.

DSE needs to shake his slump on the offensive end, his shooting % is unacceptable.

But any turnaround is sitting on the shoulders of Will Egolf.

The fouling, the terrible shooting % and I think his overall attitude needs an adjustment. He is a better player then he is displaying and if he would wake up and play hard and play like he is capable of it would provide Bradley with atleast a second viable scoring option.

He really needs to grow up and quickly.

He's a 4th year player. It's gettin' late for him.