I'm probably not the one to lecture our fan base on respect and dignity, but I can honestly say I've never been as embarrassed to be a Bobcat as I was at the Convo tonight.

Someone tell me when our collective fan base (O-zone included) degraded into a bunch of name calling, rude, childish, bullies willing to hurl biting insults at anyone and anything that didn't go our way?

I have honestly never heard a group of fans demand a foul be called for their team every...trip...down...the...court. I mean every single trip people were bloodthirsty for some variation of foul or violation to be called.

The worst part is that our team and Coach followed right along with this behavior. As much as I like Freeman and Washington, they absolutely imploded down the stretch and Groce sat by and let it happen. Washington talking trash to Oakland down 11 with 4 minutes left? Absolutely stupid and class-less.

The O-zone chanting "Fat-Ass" to the Oakland Coach (Greg Kampe) who came in with a perfect game plan, talented team, and hard nosed attitude while they kicked our asses and out-played and out-coached us all over the gym? You guys should have been chanting "genius" instead, because Groce made him look like the Wizard of Westwood tonight.

Seriously, it's time to grow up. There's a way to handle your business in these games, and the entire program looked like amateurs tonight. Fans, Players, Coaches, everyone. The funny thing is that half the dumb insults coming from the crowd are from Faculty shmucks who want to do away with the very sports we are watching.

If the O-zone wants to be funny and crude, I'm all for it - but make it halfway intelligent. Chanting "fat ass???" - You're better than that. You've proven it in the past.

Alright, I'm off my soap-box. Let's go to the tape:

Highs: There were few.

1. We kept fighting...relatively speaking. Consistently cutting it to 9, 10, 11, and 12 with only a few minutes left was moderately impressive. Tommy was getting clean looks and also creating his shots. Guys were being a little smarter with their penetration and getting better looks closer to the basket.

2. Oakland...really like their team and coach. Benson was a victim of foul trouble, but he is legit. Wright, Bader, Hamilton, and Eackles put together a really nice game and Wright & Hamilton were terrific on Cooper. Kampe's game plan was clearly to disrupt Cooper and they executed to perfection.

3. The Refs...I actually thought they did a nice job. Contrary to the dumbasses behind me, they did NOT lose control of the game...quite the opposite. Were there some questionable calls? Yep. But overall did they grade out well in my opinion - Yep. No issues at all with the job that was done.

Lows: There were plenty, so I'm not going into great detail.

1. Our ghetto clock system and/or timekeeper. That's some operation we have going there.

2. Coaching...clearly did not know Kellogg was about to pickup 4 fouls in the FIRST HALF. Groce tried to pick up the pace at about the 12 minute mark of the first half and that was an epic failure. We looked un-disciplined and without any kind of game plan on how to handle their bigs. As good as Groce and Co were against Delaware, they were terrible tonight.

3. Coaching Part II...How does Ric Johnson (Freshman) play 20 minutes, launch 6 bad shots, pick up 3 bad fouls, turn it over 2x...and play more than Asown Sayles (Senior)? Questionable at best.

4. The Freshmen....Long way to go. Long way to go. I thought it might be TJ's night when he took it right at Benson in the first half, but then he disappeared. Kellogg was a mess with the fouls. Johnson tried to take over the game by himself, but is WAY short on ability and experience right now. Jacobs can't even get on the court right now for some reason at 6'11". Long way to go.

5. Washington...glad to have him back. Not glad to have that attitude and demeanor, though. Nice flashy dunks and 3-pointer...worse display of ego and showmanship when we are getting our tails kicked in. Nicest kid in the world, but this was ridiculous. He should be a 10+ rebound guy every night, and tonight he grabs 4 in garbage time. Just wrong.

6. Keely and Baltic...did they have class tonight during the game b/c I can't remember either of them doing anything noteworthy. Combined for 2-10 shooting and 4 points. Not gonna cut it. I've got to see more from Ivo facing up. Tonight was exactly what I talked about in my last post...he's not going to be able to back better players down every time. Benson swatted one away something nasty in the 1st half. The two bright spots were liked fading Supernovas tonight.

7. Our fans...you know it. You do. 

8. Lack of a backup PG...DJ didn't play great tonight, he was frustrated and trying to force the action, however Oakland really exposed a huge weakness of ours this year. NO backup PG whatsoever. It's going to be a long year for DJ, because he's going to be playing 38 minutes every single night with few breaks. If teams wear him down like Kampe did tonight, we're in big trouble.

As I told people before the game...this was a REALLY important game come discussion time in March/April. We lost, but the good news is that we've got time and games to get better. I'm personally worried that the lack of discipline that was pervasive last year, is creeping back into the fold. This to me, is where Groce has to earn his money and start kicking some ass around the program, because tonight was not his finest moment.

That's all. We should all think about how to get better for next Sunday's game v. Texas A&M CC.

Point out where I said I wanted Jelan Kendrick. In fact i said the opposite. But if I did want him, I would expect him to act like a civil human being.

-Concur on most points with the exception of the refs. In no way am I blaming any of our beatdown to them, just disagree that it was their finest performance either. I thought there were too many ticky-tack fouls but I'm a fan of letting them play and call the blatant ones.
-I figured out our first game that we have a point guard. ONE point guard, DJ. Kellogg appears to be Groce's ONLY option to spell DJ for an occasional minute or two at best. Keeping him on the court with 3 fouls in the First Half was just a WTF moment. As out of sync as the whole operation was in the first half, you just knew Kellogg's 4th was coming any second and I think it took no more than 10 to get it. Just fabulous coaching there.
-For as impressive as Ivo and Keely were against Delaware, they were equally as unimpressive against Oakland. They HAVE to be better consistently or we are in for more nights like Oakland.
-DW granted it was his first live game action and it showed. For the antics at the end, look at the scoreboard, not pretty. Your a Senior - show the younger guys some leadership. When your getting your _ss kicked on your home court, leave the trash alone, especially when your opponent just did all the Trashing of you and your mates. 
-Groce, love his enthusiasm, especially when compared to Comatose Timmy, but he needs to get himself under control at times. The entire operation, from Convo malfunctions to coaching malfunctions to player malfunctions produced what can only be described as a BRUTAL result.
-The freshmen played like well freshmen. I'm not over-reacting on their performances last night as they got little to no help from any semblence of an inside game from us in the first half and when our "experienced" guys were pressing, it put lots of undue pressure on them as well. This group needs to be eased into game experience, last night they were thrown to the wolves.
-Didn't understand Sayles not getting lots more court time. Another in many of Groce's WTF decisions last nite.  

Tommy's shooting form looked all messed up last night.

Sad that the only way to prevent insipid personal insults is to put it in a bulletin as a reminder.

Also include - don't get arrested on the way home;

don't ignore class assignments;

call Mom;

cheer when OUr team scores.

That about covers it.

Didn't see it or hear it but from the posts here it sounds like some of our players and fans think that we're pretty good.  Based on a few games at the end of last year and a few at the beginning of this year, that is a bad attitutde for those players and fans.

Good competition couldn't care less about our recent little bit of success or what we think of ourselves.  We do want to be good competition and to compete with and beat tough competition, don't we?  That takes tough play every time out, with not even thinking of strutting.  Win.  Don't boast.

Must be the holiday season; Wanamaker and I have agree once or twice this week.