Below is what I wrote after witnessing the Memphis debacle in person. 3 months later, I think we have our answers to some of these questions. 

Did this team get tougher as the season went on? Did Christian make better in-game decisions as the season went on? It's perplexing how Baltic an Kellogg pulled disappearing acts in several games  This team benefitted from a horrible MAC conference or the record could have been a lot worse. 

Count me in with the majority of people on this board who have serious questions about Christian moving forward. I just have a hard time believing that a Groce "Don't Flinch" team lays an egg like this in a MAC Championship game. 

Christian: 0-8 against quality opponents
                  0-1 against Winthrop

December 6, 2012

That was a fun trip (sarcasm).

Walking out of the FedEx Forum on Wednesday night a Tigers fan turned to me and said, "Is that really the same team that nearly made the Elite 8 last March?"

My response: "I don't know which team that was?"

Through 8 games, this team has no identity. Where is the toughness? I hate throwing around the word "soft", but it applies here. One suggestion...fly in Tommy Freeman and let him show these guys how to step in the lane and take a charge. Somebody has to be willing to take one for the team. 

I don't think OHIO committed one hard foul on Wednesday night. Everything is ticky-tack and way too many fouls 35 feet away from the basket. I also remember on 3 occasions when a Memphis player had nowhere to go under the hoop. They were forced to attempt a circus, reverse lay-up and we ended up slapping them on the wrist and getting whistled for a foul. Why? Poor court awareness. 

Rebounding. The numbers don't lie. Alarming to say the least. 

There was a lot of on-court bickering between players and horrible body language throughout the game. Confidence is clearly lacking and Christian needs to nip this in the bud. I was disappointed by Christian's lack of emotion and anger on the bench. This team lacked energy and focus and I actually thought Christian should have took a technical foul. Anything to try and energize the team. 

With all this said, I'm not ready to push the panic button. In 2009, I traveled to Pittsburgh and saw a similar performance when OHIO lost a December game to Pitt by 26 points. That team went onto beat Georgetown the following March. 

Better to lay an egg in December than March. This team has been humbled. I'm really curious to see how Christian handles it from here.

PS No more ally-oops to Baltic when you have a 4-on-1 break. A lay-up also counts as 2 points. 

I agree. I am supportive and I think Christian will do a great job. It seems that John Croce and Christians have different styles and I actually believe that is why they did not really sync as the season went on. His Kent State team were always solid underneath and seem to always win the rebound battle. Groce (who I think is a great coach) did not seem to worry as much about winning the battle of the boards. I think moving forward you are going to see Ohio move to an inside offensive game and not so guard oriented so I would assume we will see a little different recruiting focus.

One final observation is I was amazed at the Ohio fan turnout last night! No other school in this conference travels to the MAC tournament like Ohio fans do! So Proud!

+1

Groce inherited an ILLINI team that wasn't supposed to be very good (not his players) and turned them into an NCAA team in his first year. 

When you inherit a Sweet 16 team with its top 10 players back, you can't lose by 20 in the MAC Championship game to a team that lost the 2nd best point guard in the league. Walt Offutt hinted in the presser that something was missing with OHIO all year. These guys never bought into what Christian was selling. 

Fear Leon, you are so far off base with your your posts that they do not even deserve comment or rebutal.  Start following another program so Bobcats do not have to read your bull#@$&.!
This team improved all season long.  We won three games at the end of the season, two on the road, that last years team would not have won.   We did not catch lightning in a bottle in the tournament, and got beat by a quality team.  A couple of our kids did not have their best game with them on Saturday.....that happens in college basketball.  Please subscribe to Hawk Talk, or possibly the  Eastern Michigans web site and take your consistent "ANTI- COACH" themes with you.

He's going to be here at least three more seasons. Might as well hope for the best.

We lost in the 2nd round of the MAC during the 2010-2011 season (with this very same seasoned group of veterans). 

Unless my math is failing me, in 2010-2011, the "same seasoned groups of veterans" would have been primarily sophmores, with a couple of freshmen mixed in. I would expect improvement as they became and junior and seniors.