I haven't done this for almost a month now because @Baller-Status read my last one and crushed me for how negative it was. I went back and read it after typing and decided that it was pretty damn negative, so I wanted to give the team some time. The last one was the Monday after UNLV game and K-State was 3-0.
So let me start off by apologizing for how long this is going to be. This would be a good time to close the post and move on to better things in your life.
I kind of had today in the back of my mind as to when I would put my thoughts on paper for a couple of reasons. First, I needed to step back and give the team some time to sort out it's identity. Second, it seemed like a good time in the schedule. The team would have three weeks of basically playing one game a week (thus getting in a lot of practice) and then the tournament and then a couple of games culminating with the biggest non-conference game of the season.
Here we are, a month later into the non-conference schedule and I have more questions than ever. I think this team has more questions than ever.
I read @ksu_FANs thoughts and the thread from after the game and I have a lot of the same thoughts. I think he nailed almost all of it.
First, I want to start with the schedule. Right now, the team is sitting at 5-3 without a quality win. Going back and reading my preseason thoughts, 5-3 is right about where I thought we would be, though I thought we would get here differently. I honestly thought we would split the first two games, win the two against Momouth and AKPB in blowouts, split the tournament in some fashion and then split this week. So, all in all, the record is not much different from where I thought but the schedule hurts. For example, we heard a lot about how good NDSU is and is going to be. They were a tournament team last year and favorites to win their conference this year. Since then, they have lost to Stony Brook, Utah Valley and Indiana State. At UNLV is the best win on the schedule, but they are currently 4-7.
What is different is how I feel about the rest of the schedule. I thought we would win the next two, split with Tulsa and St. Louis and then lose at Alabama for a final non-conference record of 8-5. Now, I have no confidence we can beat Mississippi State and splitting with Tulsa/St Louis doesn't feel like a certainty either. That said, I am guessing we split each of the next two weeks and lose to Alabama and finish the non-con with a 7-6 record.
So let me start off by apologizing for how long this is going to be. This would be a good time to close the post and move on to better things in your life.
I kind of had today in the back of my mind as to when I would put my thoughts on paper for a couple of reasons. First, I needed to step back and give the team some time to sort out it's identity. Second, it seemed like a good time in the schedule. The team would have three weeks of basically playing one game a week (thus getting in a lot of practice) and then the tournament and then a couple of games culminating with the biggest non-conference game of the season.
Here we are, a month later into the non-conference schedule and I have more questions than ever. I think this team has more questions than ever.
I read @ksu_FANs thoughts and the thread from after the game and I have a lot of the same thoughts. I think he nailed almost all of it.
First, I want to start with the schedule. Right now, the team is sitting at 5-3 without a quality win. Going back and reading my preseason thoughts, 5-3 is right about where I thought we would be, though I thought we would get here differently. I honestly thought we would split the first two games, win the two against Momouth and AKPB in blowouts, split the tournament in some fashion and then split this week. So, all in all, the record is not much different from where I thought but the schedule hurts. For example, we heard a lot about how good NDSU is and is going to be. They were a tournament team last year and favorites to win their conference this year. Since then, they have lost to Stony Brook, Utah Valley and Indiana State. At UNLV is the best win on the schedule, but they are currently 4-7.
What is different is how I feel about the rest of the schedule. I thought we would win the next two, split with Tulsa and St. Louis and then lose at Alabama for a final non-conference record of 8-5. Now, I have no confidence we can beat Mississippi State and splitting with Tulsa/St Louis doesn't feel like a certainty either. That said, I am guessing we split each of the next two weeks and lose to Alabama and finish the non-con with a 7-6 record.