Spot on, Optimist. 

I agree with the pro Christian posts on this thread. Yes, we are all disappointed in the past few games, but overall, this doesn't mean we have a weak coaching staff. It points to the fact that college basketball is a very tough sport to coach and win at.

We overachieved early in the season and got our hopes up. Now, as our depth shrinks and the physical/mental consequences of being banged around in the MAC for 16 games sets in, we are underachieving.

Overall, to be at the brink of 20 wins and a respectable winning percentage (threw that in for you, Alan) after losing our top four scorers from last year and Ric Johnson is very respectable.

I know some of you think that Ohio should be the next Gonzaga and Butler due to our supposed "incredible recruiting advantages", but it's never worked that way in the MAC. Even Akron and Kent State, in their 20 win seasons, have had years when they weren't playing well at the end of the year.

Next year will truly be a rebuilding year. But I think we will have enough talent to actually reload and finish above .500.

For the most part I am happy with Christian but now way giving him an A.

Last year he got us our first albeit shared Regular Season Conference crown which was a good accomplishment that has alluded many of our past OHIO teams.  However one that should have happened whoever coached that team, but nonetheless you still have to do it.  The failures of that team in the post-season I think I put more on the players than the Coach.  He still probably could have made some better decisions, but when you have such a Senior and Junior laden team I put a lot of that failure on the players.

As for this year, I think we were all kind of pessimistic coming in to this season.  However Ndour's chemistry and play raised those expectations greatly for  a lot of us.  Again there are decisions that Christian made that could have been better, but the injuries and 1st half play from the players are harder to pin it all on him.  I would say this team has at least met the expectations so far we had for them coming into the year, but has fallen short of what we were expecting after our preseason.  How this team ends the year should give us a bit better picture on what we will get from Christian as a in-game coach, as long as injuries don't completely muck it all up.

Next year will probably the first year we can really start to grade Christian with having time to get his recruits in here and implement his system.  Ndour has been a gem, with Wilkins, Setty, and Campbell a little bit getting better throughout the year.  The only major flop has been Bean and he could still improve, but 1 failed recruit out of 5 is not bad.  Also with all the negative PG talk we have had lately one can't forget we could have had a gem of a PG if Groce had not left, but Michigan got some revenge on us for that NCAA tourney loss by stealing our future PG.

I don't remember if that was health or desertion. 

Looks like it was a little bit of both.  Zach Kiekow left and Delvar Barrett and Sonny Johnson were hurt.  And Marin Bota was called back to the mother planet.