Positive energy

[bent20]

This fan base badly needs some. Think it's safe to say that all of the positive momentum that was built up last season is officially gone. Squandered really. It's easy to just blame the players and coaches. Yes, ultimately there is little we control in terms of on the court performance. But we can remain vigilante, impassioned and hopeful. Here's to having a little faith that next season we'll find a way to improve once again. I fear another losing season will just begin the cycle all over again and we'll have to endure another decade of losing. Hope we as fans remain invested and demand better than that.

 

[TreeTop]

I wouldn't say it's all gone. We just need a little bit of time to get over this season. Before we know it, it'll be the summer (or even late spring) and there'll be an announcement about next season's schedule or maybe even a new recruit or something else that'll put some optimism back in our minds.

Not to mention, the players that we do have coming back that I'm still just as excited about as I was prior to this season: Odum, RJ, Kitch, Gant

Especially can't wait to see what Manny, Kristian, and Devonte can do.

I never said it this season but I've been thinking about it since last Fall.....there was always potential, and unfortunately it came to fruition for the dreaded Sophomore Slump. Second year Head Coach after an uber-successful rookie campaign. This whole team was a part of that slump in some ways or another.

This season will be shaken off pretty quick and I'm just as optimistic about next season as I was about this one. Great things happened this season, we just couldn't close it out/fell apart to a degree, going 9-13 down the stretch.

Bottom Line, our last three seasons 17-15, 20-14, and 18-15.

I'll take that over the previous 10 years any day.

Glad I didn't watch this last game though, man oh man.

 

[Callmedoc]

Notice the more the sycamores win the less immature name-calling, silly fights and general stupidity we have around here...

 

[Jason Svoboda]

Notice the more the sycamores win the less immature name-calling, silly fights and general stupidity we have around here...

Meh. When we were beginning at the start of the year, several of us still posted "negative" about things we saw. Turns out, the "negative" folks were right all along.

Some of us saw problems since the beginning of the year but were constantly criticized for being too "negative" when, in reality, we were just speaking about things we saw. We saw the warning signs in games against D2 Maryville, Green Bay and our almost monumental collapse against Ball State. We won all of those games, but knew were shouldn't have based on how we played.

It is one thing to be positive, but it is another thing entirely to stick your fucking head in the sand and ignore the obvious.

 

[Sackalot]

All I can say is that there is a difference between negativity and stating an opinion that is negative. I, you, anyone can stat a negative opinion...we are entitled. But if one is constantly negative, constantly finding issue or problem that is different. I don't feel that anyone is constantly negative, rather I find it to be the endearing quality about this board that people share their opinions (negative and positive).

I have to agree with Jason however, blind faith in a coach, administrator, etc. is pretty silly. Many on this board expect blind faith...I just simply cannot do that. I have too much experience with Indiana State University and in Higher Education in general to blindly believe...

 

[Chief_Quabachi]

To paraphrase Jack Nicholson in A FEW GOOD MEN," some people can't handle the truth."

 

[Sackalot]

Ain't that the truth...

 

[region rat]

It's a game and this season is over. It was not the best and it was disappointing.

 

[BankShot]

"The first man gets the oyster, the second man gets the shell." - Andrew Carnegie

Are we called the "Shellcamores" now? It's gonna be a long Summer...

 

[bent20]

If we didn't each have a little bit of blind faith none of us would bother to keep following the team.

I also think the more positive board members can see the flaws, too. At least most of them can, but they can also see progress at times, and they hope the players will build on those positives. It's rare you see a team that fails to improve as the season goes on. For the most part, I think this was one of those rare teams.

 

[TJames]

It depends on if you are a glass half-full or a glass half-empty type of person....

Personally, I am a glass half-full personality. Don't like being around negative people all the time. The "shouldas and the yeah-butts" bore me. There's far too much negativity in the world today, especially in the world of collegiate athletics. Heck, all you have to do is look at our own Dr. Gary.

I look for the best in people, not the worst. I try to build up, not to tear down.

 

[Gotta Hav]

Notice the more the sycamores win the less immature name-calling, silly fights and general stupidity we have around here...

Oh my, you are so above the fray........yes, winning (and losing) brings out the good (and bad) in Pro and Amateur sports fans, but it also brings out the Die-Hard fans like everyone that blogs in SP.

Also, you wouldn't know Name-Calling if it bit you in the buttocks.. No one one here Name Calls anyone...so get off of it. If name-calling is rampant, go get the posts where that's happened.

I don't remember any posts on here where anyone called someone a douche-bag, asshole, son-of-a-bitch, mother fucker, cocksucker, or worse of all....a nimrod!

And if there's not fights on here, and General Stupidity.....then what the hell is left? Boooorrrriiingg!!!

.

 

[hans1950]

I guess that I'm mostly on the positive side of things most of the time.I usually give people the benefit of doubt maybe to my own regret.I will admit to a lot of frustration during this season though.I still think we had enough talent to be better than we played.The mental toughness that Coach Lansing has talked about obviously was lacking in most of our games,even some of the wins.I'm not sure you can coach that.A player either has it or not and I'm sure it's difficult to tell how tough a kid coming out of high school really is.I guess you look for kids who have had adversity and succeeded to one degree or another and hope for the best.Most people look at the highest level of competition for the best players and physically that probably works out most of the time.We have a mix of small school kid and bigger schools.Maybe it's just a crap shoot all the way around.Something wasn't right all year and I don't guess it matters now.I'm also looking to next season and hoping for better times.

 

[Bally #50]

Excellent comments, hans. We'd ALL be a D-1 coach if we could figure out what just happened this year. Please note: that was "exaggeration for effect." I'd say I have confidence that coach will figure it out before next season.

 

[sycamorebacker]

Meh. When we were beginning at the start of the year, several of us still posted "negative" about things we saw. Turns out, the "negative" folks were right all along.

Some of us saw problems since the beginning of the year but were constantly criticized for being too "negative" when, in reality, we were just speaking about things we saw. We saw the warning signs in games against D2 Maryville, Green Bay and our almost monumental collapse against Ball State. We won all of those games, but knew were shouldn't have based on how we played.

It is one thing to be positive, but it is another thing entirely to stick your fucking head in the sand and ignore the obvious.

You're taking credit for seeing things everybody else saw? Nothing wrong with fans being hopefull.

Is it proper for the admin to use language like that? This is not California.

 

[sycamorebacker]

If we didn't each have a little bit of blind faith none of us would bother to keep following the team.

It's rare you see a team that fails to improve as the season goes on. For the most part, I think this was one of those rare teams.

I think our seniors had already peaked and we had no Jr class to pick things up.

Just need to get better players, and often the bottom line is shooting.

 

[sycamorebacker]

My summary of the season is this: when we played a team like Vandy that was just letting us play and get easy shots, we looked good. our offense works well when we are getting easy shots. if our opponent plays D and makes it tough for us, we did not have shooters to spread the defense and make contested shots. 3's are a big part of today's game and we had a very inconsistent outside game and our team was too small to do the damage inside.
small and bad outside shooting is a bad combination.

 

[give me heart]

My summary of the season is this: when we played a team like Vandy that was just letting us play and get easy shots, we looked good. our offense works well when we are getting easy shots. if our opponent plays D and makes it tough for us, we did not have shooters to spread the defense and make contested shots. 3's are a big part of today's game and we had a very inconsistent outside game and our team was too small to do the damage inside.
small and bad outside shooting is a bad combination.

We played small ball because that was what our line-up had in. We could have caused teams to match up with us if we wanted. Walker, RJ, Gant, JO, and any number of 2/3' combinations. It would have changed the match ups and created a number of mismatch oportunities for us. We would have had to change our offensive strategy though...oops did I say that.

 

[IndianaState45]

You're taking credit for seeing things everybody else saw? Nothing wrong with fans being hopefull.

Is it proper for the admin to use language like that? This is not California.

You're right it's not Cali it's an internet message board that Jason owns....he can do what he wants and he's right..... as a group I think we all at some point thought this team was better than they were. People are crazy not to realize there are some serious problems on that team... I sure hope next year the problems turn out to have "moved on" and are not at the helm as some suspect. Time will tell. Everyone is frustrated let's remember we all love the Sycamores.

 

[Callmedoc]

You're right it's not Cali it's an internet message board that Jason owns....he can do what he wants and he's right..... as a group I think we all at some point thought this team was better than they were. People are crazy not to realize there are some serious problems on that team... I sure hope next year the problems turn out to have "moved on" and are not at the helm as some suspect. Time will tell. Everyone is frustrated let's remember we all love the Sycamores.

Ding ding. It's like walking into Jasons house during a party and saying "just bud light in the fridge? I like Guinness!