Re: Why to not throw in the towel

[jon breiner]

I do not think anyone has been suggesting the sitting of Stokes or 
Barker.  They have been the 2 best players on the team this season.

I do think the "status quo will result in more losses.  Someone (Richard 
K?) mentioned 16-11 and in the NIT and that is a distinct possibility 
with no changes.  Somebody among the Bobbitt's, Hick's, Johnson's 
Flowers, Hollman's etc. need to step up.  The appearance is that Hollman 
and Johnson have been given a better opportunity.  Bobbitt may be the 
hardest one to work in unless the 4 guard lineup is tried (hell, if we 
cannot rebound anyway, why not try it?!?).

As I said in my posts on the subject, I am not giving this year up, but 
hoping that the team will be better at the end.  Better prepared for the 
NCAA's, and I am willing to sacrifice the conf. championship to shoot 
for that goal.  We have won 7 straight CUSA champ's and gone nowhere 
(essentially) in the NCAA's.  I would gladly trade runs into the sweet 
16 and beyond for conf. championships at this point.

jon b


Jon Macomber wrote:

> A quick response to those who mentioned playing the young guys and get them ready for next year:
>
> It would be quite an injustice to not only tell players "we're giving up this season", but to tell a senior like Taron Barker "thanks for coming, but since you're a senior you're gonna sit more".  Or even worse, tell Leonard Stokes "Thanks for 3 1/2 years of playing for the university, but we're throwing your senior season away to get ready for next year".
>
> Or tell the UCATS members, the alumni, and ticket holders that we've given up on the team, but next year should be great.  Hey why doesn't every team in div 1 with a losing record sit their seniors and play just next years lineup?
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> If this was a professional franchise then I might agree that the long term performance might improve by looking ahead now, but the university has an obligation to compete to the standards of NCAA and student-athletes.  Integrity is the issue here, not the bottom line.
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> I definitely haven't given up on this good (not great) team.  Plus, Huggins doesn't strike me as the type of guy who would give up at anything!
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> Jon M
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