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OOC Grade is in!!! No surprise, it's an F

I posted this in another thread. It’s thoroughly demoralizing to start the season off this poorly. I know the whole argument about “we’re never getting an at large with this schedule so it doesn’t really matter”, but it totally matters.

Early losses like this set the tone for whether students come out, for fans making or skipping games, for travel to away games, etc.

Gotta do better.
 
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So far my worst fears coming through: Last year was an abberation - Mooney had three tough minded athletic/defenders/rebounders in Dji, Bigs, and Harris - which drove the defensive mindset. Which seemed to have been instilled somewhat by Boyden the year before.
Now our team seems to have zero identity - other than Hunt - and he can't do it all. Hunt and King were tough hard nosed defenders last year too - and Quinn used his size well.
It's early, but the interviews and messaging I hear from our fearless mooniocrity scream lack of urgency.
 
So far my worst fears coming through: Last year was an abberation - Mooney had three tough minded athletic/defenders/rebounders in Dji, Bigs, and Harris - which drove the defensive mindset. Which seemed to have been instilled somewhat by Boyden the year before.
Now our team seems to have zero identity - other than Hunt - and he can't do it all. Hunt and King were tough hard nosed defenders last year too - and Quinn used his size well.
It's early, but the interviews and messaging I hear from our fearless mooniocrity scream lack of urgency.
I wouldn't worry too much about what you hear from interviews. Mooney will always be a player's coach and we have heard from guys that he does show urgency and does get on guys. He just doesn't do that during interviews. Never has and never will. His interviews have no effect on how we play because he likely tells the guys something else in the locker room.

No doubt we miss the defense we lost a lot, but I think we miss the offense we lost a lot more. King averaged 18 a game and shot 41.4% from 3 on with high volume ( 80 made 3s). Bigs averaged 11.2 a game and made 48 3s at 37.2%. Their games allowed Dji to drive to the basket and average 10.2 a game.
 
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I heard Bob Black mention on the radio broadcast last night that we haven't won a (true) non-conference road game since December of 2021? Is that true? Coach Mooney keeps mentioning that this is a really good shooting team and I wouldn't be surprised if we see that on Saturday against Bucknell...at some point this season more of those open looks will fall so I'm actually less "sky is falling" after last night. Most basketball teams cannot overcome absolutely terrible shooting but with our program we really have no other options or hope if our outside shots aren't falling...Charlotte's weren't falling either last night so they aggressively drove to the basket, drew fouls, and hit the offensive glass. I would love to at least have that option in play but at this point we all know what to expect and can't even be upset when those things don't happen.
 
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I heard Bob Black mention on the radio broadcast last night that we haven't won a (true) non-conference road game since December of 2021? Is that true? Coach Mooney keeps mentioning that this is a really good shooting team and I wouldn't be surprised if we see that on Saturday against Bucknell...at some point this season more of those open looks will fall so I'm actually less "sky is falling" after last night. Most basketball teams cannot overcome absolutely terrible shooting but with our program we really have no other options or hope if our outside shots aren't falling...Charlotte's weren't falling either last night so they aggressively drove to the basket, drew fouls, and hit the offensive glass. I would love to at least have that option in play but at this point we all know what to expect and can't even be upset when those things don't happen.
Oh, captain my captain. Crash.
 
We won @ No Iowa in Dec, 2021. Since then, we have lost on the road to Charleston, Toledo, W&M in 2022 and BC, Wichita St, and No Iowa last year. So, last night's loss was the 7th straight road OOC loss.
 
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