By now, all of us are worn out with the "Covid Year" and the unending questions asked and answered about "have you had the following symptoms" - you know what they are.
With as much as I have had my temperature taken, got me to thinking it's time for a temperature check on the Broncos.
It's hard to know what to make of this season. Game on, game cancelled, little home court, no fans, and hard to find opponents. With nearly half of our schedule either cancelled or postponed, it feels like the pickup games we all used to play at our favorite gym. Anyone want to play?
But all that aside - it feels a lot like the past several seasons. This season, we won seven of our first eight and recently have lost three of the last four. In the 2019-20 season, we won eight of the first eleven games, then lost four of the last five. In 2018-19, we lost four of the first five then lost another four of five mid season...
There are explanations for all of the above. Covid, injuries, off nights; pick one.
But, if we are really trying to build a nationally competitive program and rise in the WCC, the top teams don't have these "spells." The Covid Zags are 24-0 and by mind boggling margins. BYU, must be something in the Utah air, is a continual top two in the WCC. St. Mary's, the same, except for this year, where they are struggling.
The rest of the WCC and more importantly the Broncos, are still middling around. No doubt our overall talent is better. But, the other "middlers" in the WCC have done just as well and in some cases, better. Up front, we have more depth and versatility. Sorely needed. In the front court, we also have depth, but not enough firepower, speed, or consistency. Opposition quick guards give us fits. The loss of Trey Wertz (Notre Dame) and Tahj Eaddy (USC) didn't help. It's happening all around the league except for the Zags and BYU. Good talent leaving for better programs. USF and St. Mary's also had some of their best talent leave...
The Broncos temperature against the Zags was our hottest all year. Proud that we didn't play scared. The ball was moving, the defense made it harder for their bigs, and hey, we shot pretty well. The Zags shot around their season average except from three. Generating 16 turnovers from the Zags showed what we could be, but what we are not, yet.
So where has this effort and more importantly, game consistency been? Is it because we were playing #1? The point is, the top WCC teams seem to show up most every game. I'm sure the Zags weren't jacked up against Dixie State, but rolled them and pretty much the entire WCC schedule with 30+ point margins. Sure their talent level is amazing, but attitude comes from within. Hating to lose. I mean really hating it.
For me, although we are seeing flashes of progress, our temperature is still lukewarm. Some highs, beating St. Mary's away and making the Zags game not a gimmie. Some lows like losses at home to USD and LMU with failures to close out those games. A 6-3 mark in the WCC would have meant a lot more in the WCC tourney seedings.
We'll see which Bronco team shows up tonight in the WCC tourney. We hope it's the hot team like last Thursday and not the lukewarm version.
It'd be great to see our temperature rising in Vegas and into a hot start next season...
