Or you would be saying that our matchups were favorable and if we had had to go through Michigan State then Florida you'd venture to......

Ah, BG86, and an inside scoop on the Big Manz revolt!  

I believe it's official.

The bigger question in my mind is whether Jacobs was offered the chance to finish his degree at the expense of Ohio Basketball.

Anyone?

As is often the case, you say some reasonable things, but then fall back on a "don't get uppity " attitude.  Not sure where folks (even anyone) is saying Sweet 16 EVERY SINGLE YEAR.  Yes, the goal now should be to win the MAC every year and make the dance.  But not be satisfied with that.  As we establish ourselves as MAC elite, our aim should also be to make a run in the dance. 

Will we win the MAC every year no - but that should be out goal.  Will we make a run every year?  No, but that should be our goal and if we are the elite MAC team, have tourney experience (a very big thing to have), play hot at the end of the year, and get good match-ups (all the things UNC, OSU, Duke, etc. must have) then we can make a run.  as consistently or as consistently as far a run as a Duke or UNC?  No, but a run - and yes, to another Sweet 16 (again, not every time) - we should not see this run as an aberration anymore than a Mich. St.  should see a Final Four as an aberration.  As far as a Final Four some day? If we put ourselves consistently in a position to make a run, then yes, I would hope we aspire to a Final Four.  I know you have a separate, but equal view of us versus OSU.  But I tire of the "you done good boy, but you are still a back of the bus material - don't be trying to test out the seats up here with us folk " attitude.

Not a rumour, unlike Big Canada who was able to finish his degree in the capacity as a manager under the Groce transition Ethan is being shown the door. No choices. He will finish here with a pretty good dent in his requirements for a Psych degree and a 3,2 GPA.

THere is no hand wringing from this camp just a bit of remorse that I have maintained for many years with regard to Goodman s ever growing transfer list that I comment on periodically and consistently.

Ethan will land somewhere and may get the coaching he needs plus an extra year to get his school work and homework basketball.

He really doesn't deserve the crap you give him.

Let's admit it.  We are all suffering from basketball "withdrawal" and it hurts because we miss the action so much!
      Some of us are taking it out on those closest to us - other BOBCAT fans!

The problem is most of your posts completely downplay what was accomplished.  It wasn't earned, it was circumstances.   You like to mention that we were a missed bucket here or there from not making the tournament but fail to mention that we were the better team against Akron.  We were the better team against Michigan and we were the better team against USF.  This wasn't 2010 where we caught lightning in a bottle.  There was only one game this year (UNC) where I thought that our opponent was on another level talent-wise and that includes Louisville.  But when I read your posts about our Bobcats  I envision a man looking down at a little girl holding up a finger-painting saying "Oh honey, isn't that nice." 

Apologies, I stand corrected.  I'll have a retraction on page 6 tomorrow. But to that point, needing something unlikely to happen for our season to end poorly underscores my point.   Pointing out things to downplay our season is defeatist.  We were a hell of a lot closer to an Elite Eight appearance than we were to an NIT or CTI appearance. 

I do agree that expecting a Sweet 16 appearance every year is ridiculous.  Putting ourselves in the running to win the MAC regular season each season should be our #1 goal.  That's where we start. But if we are really making a serious commitment to our basketball program then expecting more than that on a yearly basis isn't ridiculous.  As demonstrated by statistical analysis on several places it's almost a direct corrolation between financial expenditure and basketball success.   This is a new thing and something you seem to be ignoring.

It's funny - because I always read his posts as cautiously optimistic more then anything.  I think he just gets dumped on unfairly from being an admitted OSU fan more then anything.  While I don't agree with everything he says, he stays WAY more even kilter then most on this board, making him much easier to read and debate with.

If Walt Offutt hits a free throw with 7 seconds to go, something he does well more than half the time we are an elite eight team.  The events that would have led us to losing to Akron were considerably less likely than that.

I thought Walt's free throw attempt came with 25 secs. left.

Yes, I remember the 2008 football discussions also.  And, that does color my preceptions of Ozcat.  The fact is that we did almost beat the Evil Empire that year -- one muffed punt that wasn't muffed and it could have easily happened.  Not much different from our "almost win" against UNC. Just a few different bounces of the ball at the end and we would have won.  Someone saying that we never could have won, when we came that close, sounds arrogant to me.  It reminds me of O$U fans back in the '60s in basketball before we beat them the first time.  They were at a different level and in 1968-69 when we had a good first half and then got blasted in the second half it was all because the Bucks weren't taking the game seriously in the first half.  Once they got into gear we were doomed, these arrogant fans said.  They only had to wait a few more years to find out that those "scrappy Bobcats," as the Dispatch called them in the '68 game, could do more than scrap.  They could actually beat the "The" in its own house.