Well, another terrible team that will hurt our RPI, and another terrible effort. This time, we managed to "gut it out" in a 80-69 win over the7-7 Rhode Island Rams. It's a good thing they didn't still have Lamar Odom, or they probably could've beat us. Russell Robinson was sick, I guess, but that doesn't change the fact that we struggled to execute offensively once again.
We really play up or down to whoever suits up against us. Roy would've beaten this team by at least 25.
It would've been nice if we played a legit top 25 team on the road before conference play. I think the first time we go into a really hostile gym, our guys won't be ready and we lose to someone crummy like ISU or Baylor.
Well, if URI had Lamar Odom they'd beat a lot of people.
ReplyDeleteBut I obviously agree about scheduling. As much as I've complained about it, if we had just one more road or neutral game against a powerhouse, I'd have had no complaints at all.
But you just can't expect 18-21 year-olds to play inspired basketball against Detroit Mercy or URI; it should be no surprise that we underperformed in both games.
That said, we still have to go into South Carolina this weekend. And just because those guys aren't ranked doesn't mean it's an automatic win. They're a legit SEC team who beat Florida twice last season and gave us a hell of a game at the Fieldhouse two years ago. This may be our toughest road game this year.
Other Big 12 news: Knight breaks the wins record; and OU football is snake-bitten again, not by the officials this time but by the most improbable series of trick plays I've ever seen, culminating with a game-winning "Statue of Liberty" play. How often have we seen that? Thanks, Boise State, for the most entertaining college football game I've ever seen. Check the 4th-quarter and OT highlights here.