UNI v SIU

[DWadle1983]

I think we're in - for sure. There's no doubt our resume is good enough...but perhaps the most frustrating part about this whole thing is: are we really good enough to be playing the NCAA RIGHT NOW??? Sure, we've got the resume, but right now, we're playing very average ball. I mean, there's a part of me that worries we're just going to get embarrassed if we get in!

The most frustrating thing about watching these last ten games is realizing we're not as good as the hype projected us to be. Today's game was the perfect closer to the year: wide open shots game after game - important shots...MISSED. We played great D, and should have run away with it. But once again - WIDE OPEN treys did not fall. Jacobsen to win - did not fall. It's really too much to watch sometimes....Arrrgh!!!!!

UNI has struggled since trying to work Crawford back into the rotation. They have 12 days for Crawford to get healthier, and they'll be better.

[Matt Trump]

I think we're in - for sure. There's no doubt our resume is good enough...but perhaps the most frustrating part about this whole thing is: are we really good enough to be playing the NCAA RIGHT NOW??? Sure, we've got the resume, but right now, we're playing very average ball. I mean, there's a part of me that worries we're just going to get embarrassed if we get in!

The most frustrating thing about watching these last ten games is realizing we're not as good as the hype projected us to be. Today's game was the perfect closer to the year: wide open shots game after game - important shots...MISSED. We played great D, and should have run away with it. But once again - WIDE OPEN treys did not fall. Jacobsen to win - did not fall. It's really too much to watch sometimes....Arrrgh!!!!!

I think we showed how well we can play last night against a Missouri State team that beat us at home. It is frustrating, though, to see the team regress back into the mode of the last 2 weeks after seeing them play well last night.

As far as your first comment about us being worthy to be in the tournament, that is absolutely ludacris. There was only 1 embarrassing game we've played all year and that was a fluke. Unless we play Duke, UConn, or Villanova in their own arenas, how could one think this team is going to be embarrassed in the tourney??? Your rationale makes it seem like only the teams that are hot at the end of the year deserve to get in. Hell, they might as well not even play 30 games by your assertion. Why even play a season at all??? Just play conference tourneys and give the at large spots to the BCS conferences.

Go have a beer, chill out, do what you gotta do and realize we will be in the tournament and have a good as a shot to win our 2nd game ever in the big dance.

[unifan]

The game tonight vs SIU was so frustrating. After Benny hit that tough shot with just over a minute left in regulation, I thought for sure UNI was headed for the finals. Overtime was awful, and it's painful to see such a bad ending to the season if this is how it ends. Right now, the Panthers are playing like a mediocre team, not a team that's going to contend for any championship. Hopefully the selection committee won't hold that against them, being that they've had such a good year. UNI's got something to prove, and the NCAA tourney would be a great place to start. Many people have already counted them out, so this is there chance to prove the whole country wrong.

[Panther-Sheik]

UNI has struggled since trying to work Crawford back into the rotation. They have 12 days for Crawford to get healthier, and they'll be better.

Agreed. They played better as a "team" when he was out. Since he got back, it is like they have bogged down offensively for some reason.

[Matt Trump]

The game tonight vs SIU was so frustrating. After Benny hit that tough shot with just over a minute left in regulation, I thought for sure UNI was headed for the finals. Overtime was awful, and it's painful to see such a bad ending to the season if this is how it ends. Right now, the Panthers are playing like a mediocre team, not a team that's going to contend for any championship. Hopefully the selection committee won't hold that against them, being that they've had such a good year. UNI's got something to prove, and the NCAA tourney would be a great place to start. Many people have already counted them out, so this is there chance to prove the whole country wrong.

We played very well last night. Too bad the overtime today was like a microcosm of the last 2 weeks.

[Panther-Sheik]

Mac is way too good of a coach to let the last shots look like that time after time. I think for some reason he is mezmorized by the legend of Jacobsen. Unfortunately, reality and legend aren't the same thing this year. I would really hope (as I have hoped the last 3 times) that they would use him as a decoy if given another shot at a last second shot.
What a class act coach, though. I would rather lose with him this year than not have him at all.

[DRAKELAWPANTHER]

I think that's the frustrating thing - comparing last night to tonight. Last night our offense worked how it was supposed to. It's not like we shot 80% -but we just executed plays, and made wide open looks. And everybody contributed.

In the Tournament, the 3's have to go down. Period. The past 2 years, the only reason we kept it close with GT and Wisconsin was the 3-ball - we usually have a tough time inside facing those bigger post players. I'm just saying that we better not be shooting 25% from the arc and expect to look like a Tournament team.

[uni1988]

With the Panthers finishing the season the way they did... 5-5 in the last 10 games... SIXTH in the conference... and a number of teams playing their way on to the "bubble"... this is going to be a long week and I'm afraid after next Sunday we will be on the outside looking in.

[DWadle1983]

I think that's the frustrating thing - comparing last night to tonight. Last night our offense worked how it was supposed to. It's not like we shot 80% -but we just executed plays, and made wide open looks. And everybody contributed.

In the Tournament, the 3's have to go down. Period. The past 2 years, the only reason we kept it close with GT and Wisconsin was the 3-ball - we usually have a tough time inside facing those bigger post players. I'm just saying that we better not be shooting 25% from the arc and expect to look like a Tournament team.

They have 11-12 days to rest, and fresh legs will affect their shooting.

[DRAKELAWPANTHER]

That's my hope. An effort like the one we saw last night would get us deep into the tourney.

[Panther-Sheik]

With the Panthers finishing the season the way they did... 5-5 in the last 10 games... SIXTH in the conference... and a number of teams playing their way on to the "bubble"... this is going to be a long week and I'm afraid after next Sunday we will be on the outside looking in.

I would not be shocked either way it goes. I see your point, but I also see the other side which is that we had a great season...mostly out of conference...and every team swoons at some point. It just so happens that UNI swooned at the worst possible time. I do think they need to work out a lot of major kinks if they expect to win in the NCAA or NIT or any other tourney. It will be disappointing if we don't make it into the NCAA, but I will understand why we didn't.

[DWadle1983]

With the Panthers finishing the season the way they did... 5-5 in the last 10 games... SIXTH in the conference... and a number of teams playing their way on to the "bubble"... this is going to be a long week and I'm afraid after next Sunday we will be on the outside looking in.

There are a number of teams in at-large consideration who have only gone 5-5, or worse, in their last 10, they tied for 5th, one game out of 2nd. A team with an RPI under 30 is not going to be left out.

[uni1988]

DWadle1983... I wish I had as much faith as you do. I wanted this to be a week of "no worries"...

[DWadle1983]

DWadle1983... I wish I had as much faith as you do. I wanted this to be a week of "no worries"...

So did I. They'll be an 8-10 seed, I'm guessing 9 seed.

[Panther-Sheik]

I think a 10 or 11...sorry, but that is going to be their punishment for not finishing strong. I don't mind that, though. It will be that much better for the Valley when an 11 seed knocks off a "big-dog".