In reply to: Not sure how you can make a determination on practice posted by bmoreirish
I agree this could be a interesting year coming up. However, we all need to be realistic. 19-20 wins might be the best this team can do. With no seniors to lead the young players will have to find their way. If this team makes the sweet 16 it will be a major accomplishment with what is coming back. If you get some good transfers that might change somewhat.
Next year is the definition of a rebuild.
Just once (18 wins in 2005-06) and has had just 20 wins 2 more times (2001-02 and 2006-07). The last time she didn't have 30 wins was 2009-10 (29 wins that season, but 22 the year before that). In her ND career she's failed to hit 20 wins 3 times and had 3 seasons with exactly 20 wins.
Breakdown, number of times for number of wins in a season:
37: 1
36: 1
35: 4
34: 1
33: 2
21: 2
29: 1
27: 2
29: 1
27: 2
26: 1
25: 1
23: 3
22: 3
21: 4
20: 3
18: 1
15: 1
14: 1
I am a big fan. Have been all my 62 on this planet. My reality every year
and every team I follow is we can and will win it all. Until the record
and schedule shows there is no chance. I will not change.
...I stand by the current team that they will have a great season. They
will win. They do need their fans to support and believe in them. What
do we as fans have to lose in believing that this is the best team on
on the planet. Will we go to jail - No, will we be fined - no, will
be banished from the university for ever - no, will we cause the team -
to lose- no. So why not believe this team will win it all?
...I have been a big fan of my favorite teams all my life win or lose.
Even when I transferred around the world. I never changed who my
favorite teams were and are. My favorite teams are the same ones I had
back in the early 60's. I always felt they would all win the title.
...I was a fan of the 76ers when they only won 9 games. A fan of the
flyers when they came into hockey. A fan of the Jets when they were
the Titans. A fan of the Phillies when they could not find theit way
out of last place, even if the league never showed up to play. I also
was a fan of the Irish even though I grew up in Nittany Lion Country.
...My reality is this team will win and make us proud. Hopefully we
can get some good transfers to augment this very young team.
...Trust me on this last point. A leader will show up out of the blue.
Always happens when everything is against a team. That special person
is willing to step forward and be the leader. I have faith in this
process and this team.
SEG/Chief
for you to be this wonderfully devoted. I think most people are just as big a fan as you are on this blog. However, dealing in reality is not being a bad fan. Sometimes its fun to watch a group develop as these girls will. The fact is the talent is not the same and expectations should not be unrealistic.
My big sport was football. A sport is a sport in many ways. Losing for
example. I know what it is like to lose 50-10. I also know what it feels
like when you lose the way our girls did in the championship game. We were
losing with seconds to go and time for one play. Our QB hit our WR in the
end zone for the winning score, we thought. We were jumping and screaming
and having a good time. Until one of the officials (not the primary on
that call), ruled the pass incomplete. Said his foot was out. We all saw his
foot in bounds. No video replay in 1973. So we lost.
...The point of the story is similar what Arike and the ND BB team went
through. You will not feel a more harsh pain in sports than losing a game
you thought you won. Arike and the women to me are still champs. They won
the game. Just did not have the highest score.
...They did not lose 4 games. There were 4 games that the other team
scored more points. That does not make them the best or better team.
...This team were pure warriors and champions. I would take them any
time to compete for a title.
...We will be a better team next year because of this game. First of
all. We always have to have a revenge game. It is written in our
rules book. But most important. The players coming back next year are
not going to want and go through this type of pain again.
SEG/Chief