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Message: [QUOTE="A Clockwork Orange, post: 4532924, member: 16"] Judah has had some rocky games this year, but this one was his worst. He looked rattled, really, for the first time in his young career. It's not entirely surprising. They were: 1) Playing a road game in Miami 2) Against the #16 team in the country 3) Filled with seniors and dudes who can get after it on defense The good news is he's a freshman. The bad news is, he might be gone next year. I'm heartened by the fact that Judah rarely seems to make the same mistake twice. He has learned on the fly the whole season, and I think he'll use this to improve. It's just the type of competitor he seems to be. Furthermore, I actually don't think it was a bad move to have him in at the end. Yes he was a trainwreck for most of the game, but he's also the point guard and the de facto leader of this team. Not having him in could do more harm long term than giving him the opportunity to make a play. He made the wrong decision and that sucks. But that's basketball. If someone asked you based on what you know of this team up to this point in the season if you'd want Judah to have the ball in his hands with time running down in a close game, I think most everyone would unanimously say yes. Great players make plays even on bad days. Judah didn't, but I'm not sure I would have handled that closing scenario differently as a coach. I do think this team has it in them to make a run, and I actually think a close loss on the road to Miami and a comeback close loss to UVA on the road is probably helping them with their confidence. I think this group of freshmen now realize they can play with the rest of this league. I'm hoping Judah comes back stronger, and the rest of the frosh learn from these early experiences against ranked teams on the road. I think it will pay dividends down the line. My goal for this time is postseason play. I want to see them play in the NIT and get that experience. I don't think they'll win it or even go deep in it, but it sets a solid foundation for the future. In the meantime, I'm excited to see if these players can continue to progress and grow as quickly as they have thus far. [/QUOTE]

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