With a record of 13-12, are we in position or out of position to finish our season with a winning record?
Last week's games typified our entire season. A superb road win at Pepperdine and then a close road loss at USF. A seesaw year that began with significant roster changes that has resulted in too many turnovers per game.
Not that history matters, but you have to go back 10 years to find a higher T.O. number. The stat that is our Achilles' Heel this season is the points scored against us via turnovers. In a sampling of eight recent games, four wins and four losses, the points scored against us off turnovers is 124. More grist in league play, we are averaging more turnovers, 14.4, than assists; 11.
It's an awkward position to be in when most of your starters are playing out of their normal position. On top of all that, four starters are in their first year in Coach Sendek's system. I guess the result of all the roster turnover is more turnovers.
Should be an easy coaching fix. Right. Imagine the situation. Lose three starters to injury and all your point guards. Convert your only two remaining guards, who were recruited as shooting guards to play point with no/little D1 experience. No problem.
In business, it might be like asking your best salesperson to become your CFO...or a history teacher forced to teach calculus ?
I'm NOT trying to give the coaches a pass, even with better athletes, it's a hard thing for first year players to learn a new position at a new level of competition. All of these growing pains are unfolding in front of our season ticket holders and fans who don't have much patience left after waiting 20+ seasons...
Paradoxically, even though our players are playing out of position, we are in a position to finish with a winning record.
Of our five remaining games, three are at home (SMC, Pacific, USF) and two away (LMU, Portland). Going 3-2 would be great ending at 16-14 and 8-8 in league. We can't take anything for granted. FYI, LMU is 10-2 at home this year. Even with a 2-3 outcome, we finish the season 15-15 and 7-9 in the WCC.
IF we can do 8-8 in league and the other teams achieve their expected wins, it creates a potential logjam in the final league standings and an interesting seeding for the WCC tourney. At 8-8 we could finish as high as solo 5th. The shakeout at the top between SMC, BYU, and USF will determine our fate as will what happens with Pepperdine, USD, and LMU.
Of the top tier teams SMC and USF have easier schedules than BYU. My pick is for USF, SMC, and BYU to all finish 11-5. BYU and USF could run the table and get to 12-4. Doubtful.
We are in the mushy middle with Pepperdine (5-6), LMU (5-6) and USD (5-5). All of them have the tougher schedules remaining. Pepp plays away at USF, SMC, and Gonzaga. LMU plays at home vs Gonzaga and BYU, then away at USF. USD has BYU twice, SMC, Gonzaga, and at USF. Ugh...
If it comes down to us and Pepperdine for 5th place at 8-8 or 7-9, we own the head to head tiebreaker with them.
We have a lot to play for. We all wonder, "which SCU team" is going to show up. The team that lost to Prairie View or the team that beat USC?
As season ticket holders and fans, we'll be in our usual positions at Leavey helping to rally our guys to "turn it up" rather than turn it over.
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My God Fred...more excuses. Come on....comparing a sales guy to a CFO...really! Get Real Buddy. These kids play all positions growing up and it's on the coach. The previous coaches had to deal with injuries. Herb has a LOSING record and will continue to lose with his recruiting and lack of inspiration. Your posts need to be real and stop with the rah rah speeches as Herb is 42-46 and for $1M...explain that. He barely has more wins than Keating in 3 years and he was paid half and lost the same amount of starters including kids who played overseas after SCU. When will you send a post to call out REALITY!
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