SCU Men's Basketball - "There's No Place Like Home"

                                                                 

There's no doubt the experience gained by our young team playing on the road in hostile, loud environments, like at The Kennel and at BYU, will pay dividends in the future.  

It's one thing not to play at home, but another when you run the risk of being "homered."  Sure the arena environment, fan base, lighting, etc. is all foreign that's why winning on the road is so hard.  

The other X factor is that you just don't seem to get favorable calls on the road.  It's a conundrum?  Do teams play that differently away?  Do they guard too aggressively?  Are the officials from a different league and, therefore, unfamiliar with how that league plays?  Are Coaches just not up to speed on the rules to game plan road games?  

I can go on and on.  The answers to all the above questions is NO.  If this all sounds like a giant gripe - it is.  Not just for the Broncos, but for all teams.  I honestly don't know how Coaches handle it. 

The WOC charter simply stated:  
"The consortium is deigned to promote consistency - in training, development and evaluation - in officiating the western U.S., and provide a larger, more diverse pool of officials for assignment."

Nice statement, but difficult to implement.  Just read the rules text re: players "cylinder space" and you'll see all the attempts at consistency lead to inconsistency because officials are human and each interprets action on the court differently.  I'm not blaming the officials (well, I guess indirectly I am) but they have an impossible job.

For example, this season to date on the road, our opponents have attempted 64 more free throws than us.  That's nearly a full game point total.  In Provo, BYU made more free throws (24) than we attempted!  If the proverbial "make up calls" exist, then maybe we have 64 coming our way in the remaining six road games.  Doubt it.

Whether it is the Wizard of Westwood or the "Wizard of Oz" it's true, there's no place like home.  We have six games left at Leavey:  Gonzaga, LMU, Portland, St. Mary's, Pacific, and USF.  At 2-2 thus far, going 6-6 in last 12, given our short roster, would be a good finish going into the WCC tourney.  IMHO, it's going to take a road upset or two to get there.  

Tomorrow at St. Mary's is a tough test.  They shoot it among the best in the WCC and don't turn it over.  They have experience and match up well with us.  It can be done, but it will take one of our best road performances a-la Washington State.  

No doubt we've seen real improvement.  It's time to keep it going.  

We can help.  If there's really "no place like home," let's do OUR best to make opponents feel "homered" when they come to Leavey.  We need to get our 64 back by letting the Coaches and players know we've got their backs!


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SCU Men's Basketball - "You Know It Don't Come Easy"

                                                                          

Ringo Starr isn't a Bronco, but his lyrics are right on for SCU in this years WCC - "It Don't Come Easy."  You can listen along while you read - just click the link.

Ringo Starr - It Don't Come Easy

"You gotta pay your dues if you don't wanna sing the blues, cause you know it don't come easy."  

We are paying our dues big time this season and the next six games are full of potential "blues."  

Mark Few and his full strength Zags showed us the gap that still remains to the experience and talent needed to compete with top 20 ranked teams.  A real facial. 

It's no secret he relishes calling out the rest of the league two years ago to "step it up" and now crushing them on his home floor.

I don't know about you - but I have this HUGE $%### for payback...

It Don't Come Easy...

The next six games are brutal for our young Bronco team.  Three roadies - BYU, St. Mary's, and Pacific.  Three home games - Pepperdine, Gonzaga, and LMU.  

Surviving the six games at 3-3 would be very good.  Especially tonight against Pepperdine; after our tsunami loss in Spokane.  With only eight scholarship players left, the margin for error is a few microns in Silicon Valley parlance.  

Pepperdine has won two of their last three games and took USF to the final 15 seconds; losing to an off balance 3-pointer.  St. Mary's crushed BYU at home and lost to USF away.  LMU is 13-3 with an early season win vs Georgetown.  Pacific is 10-7 with close losses to San Diego and BYU.  Add the above, plus the Zags coming to Leavey, and, well - "It Won't Come Easy."

If there's a bright spot, it's that every WCC team is beatable this season; which has not been the case for years.  Other than Gonzaga, we are CAPABLE of beating the other nine.  Doesn't mean we will, but it can be done.  I'd love nothing more than for us to be the ones to tarnish some of their shiny preseason records.  

So, if I'm going full Ringo, the next six "Won't Come Easy" but "it's here within your reach if you're big enough to take it."

If we are big enough to take it, it can make a "big" difference in the trajectory of our program...

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SCU Men's Basketball - Are We Out of Our League?

                                                                   

Is any team's preseason record a reliable predictor of upcoming WCC league play?
   
If it is, the road win at Washington State completed our early season resume of whether we are "In" or "Out" of our league.

As we begin league, the USC double overtime and Idaho blowout wins make us the "Forrest Gump" team.  We lose to lowly Prairie View, Idaho State, and then punch out USC.  Who are these guys?

Sports writers following the WCC say were "Out" with a best case seventh and likely ninth place finish.  Making that case is pretty easy as all of the WCC mid-level teams are rolling in preseason.  Geez, LMU is 12-2!   

The only certainty the pubs claim is that Gonzaga is a lock.  

The rest is up for grabs.  To some degree, Mark Few is getting what he complained about -  the weak becoming more competitive. 

I'm sure he loves and laughs at the league's preseason records.  I mean USF is 12-2 with a 258 strength of schedule...LMU is 12-2 with an S.O.S. of 263...Pacific is 10-5 with a 253...This out of a worst possible 350.  BTW the Zags S.O.S is 42.

In reality, it looks like more of the league is using the St. Mary's model of the past, shiny impressive win/loss records against mediocre teams.   We all know how that worked for them with NCAA tourney snubs.

One thing for sure, this WCC season will be different.  Instead of the usual two challengers for second place, there are arguably five.  Additionally, three of those could give the Zags tough battles.  Both BYU and St. Mary's, while having erratic preseasons, have rosters capable of upsets.  USF has experience and has played a solid schedule with some good wins over Harvard, Cal, and Stanford.  

The other two teams, San Diego and, believe or not, LMU have played well, have experience and young talent to make some noise.  The fight for spots 2-6 in league will be hotly contested and IMHO will include at least one or two of the above beating Gonzaga.

So based upon the above, are we "In" or "Out" of our league?

We're both...

When it comes to depth of roster, we're out.  KJ's loss for the season leaves us razor thin in key spots.  Our roster is heavy on youth which makes us "Out" based upon experience.  Our starting rotation is pretty small which makes us "Out"; where rebounding will decide close games.  Our league schedule puts us "Out"as four of our first eight games are on the road including games at BYU, St. Mary's, Gonzaga and Pacific.  Our first four home games are Gonzaga, San Diego, LMU and Pepperdine. 

Daunting...

The conundrum is that what makes us "Out" will also offer us the opportunity to be "In."  What?

With expectations low, there are teams that will overlook us.  As winners of seven of our last eight games, the young guys are learning how to win and close out games a la USC.  Our offense has actually looked much better, shooting more than 50% in our last four games and 46% for the preseason.  Our assists levels are up into the 18-24 range per game.  Translation, the ball is moving.  

Our defense has also shown some bright spots - particularly in the paint.  We're scoring down low and Caruso has become a legitimate "eraser" with our blocks averaging six per game over last five games.  At nearly five per game overall, it's the highest in the last six years.  Translation, less easy freebies driving the lane. 

As a by-product of all of the above, season ticket holders and fans are buying "In" to the talent and potential that is clearly visible from the roster recruited by Coach Sendek and his staff.  Only one active player is left from the Kerry Keating era.

For what it's worth, (not much) I'm thinking, barring no more injuries, an 8-8 WCC would be very good considering losing your top scorer, starting center, and only nine scholies left on the roster.  There is potential to rise to 10-6 with an upset or two.   

If we can accomplish either of the above, it will put us "In" the conversation for the future rather than being left "Out" as irrelevant.


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