What to look forward to

[shizzah]

I’m a bit depressed. What’s a realistic best case scenario?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[sufandu]

Winter Olympics are coming up.

 

[phil77]

Our coaching search

 

[Cusefan0307]

Punxsutawney Phil not seeing his shadow.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I’m a bit depressed. What’s a realistic best case scenario?

First, our 3 point shooting is improving since Donnie's return - he draws so much attention that it opens things up for the other guys, and they are making more of their shots.

JJ slashing to the rim is working really well in the offense. In the last 3 games, he's averaging 15 points a game and is shooting 20-35 from the field. That's over 57%.

Donnie and George are unlikely to have 7 TO's in a game again. Donnie's averaging 2.6 a game on high usage. George is averaging about 3.4. George needs to get better, but last night was atypical.

We are still blocking shots, generating steals and rebounding at a high level. Those things win games.

We've still won 8 of our last 11. That's not terrible. We have let a couple get away, but it's not like the last couple years. I feel like we have the chance to win every game when Donnie is in the lineup.

Although this was the easy part of the ACC schedule, I still see a lot of wins out there.

Virginia Tech at home is next. That should be a win. Miami at home after that. They are playing well, but I think we're going to win this one. We've had lots of trouble winning in Miami in the past, but this is a home game.

Three of four after that are road games against NC State, UNC and Virginia. Although we won't be favored in any of those games, I think we could steal a win against either State or UVA.

In between those is Notre Dame at home. That should be a win. Then we have Cal and SMU at home. I think we can win both of those, too.

That would put us at 18-8 when we travel to Duke. Likely a loss, but if Donnie wants to get drafted this year, this is his big audition game against Boozer.

We finish home vs. UNC, @ Wake, @Louisville, home against Pitt. I think we beat Wake and Pitt, giving us 20 wins, and if we can beat North Carolina at home, or upset Louisville on the road, that's 21 wins, and an 11-7 in the league with one of those upsets.

It's still possible to make the dance.

 

[NineOneSeven]

If you’re a Bills fan, try tripling that level of depressed. Yesterday was as bad as it gets.

 

[IthacaMatt]

If you’re a Bills fan, try tripling that level of depressed. Yesterday was as bad as it gets.

That interception looked like the wrong call to me. He had the ball in his hands and hit the ground before the DB stole it away.

 

[dasher]

If you’re a Bills fan, try tripling that level of depressed. Yesterday was as bad as it gets.

I actually thought of that while watching the game. I thought there must be a lot of Bills/Syracuse fans.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Celtics to the Eastern conference finals

 

[OttosShoes]

yeah, we're not likely to make the tourney and Red in his lame duck era, but all is not lost. A few yarns to follow:

• Donnie's NBA draft stock. He should be a first rounder and at the rate he's playing could become a lottery pick.
• Kiyan needs another year, which means we can watch as he develops into an absolute showstopper for next year. He's un-guardable at times, he just needs 10-15 lbs and to learn patience with shot selection. Plus his parents are about as loyal as can be and it's fun to see them too.
• William Kyle isn't done threatening the structural integrity of the hoops. That is fun as all get out.
• The coaching search is ongoing now. It's basketball's chance for a Mullen thread.

 

[NineOneSeven]

I actually thought of that while watching the game. I thought there must be a lot of Bills/Syracuse fans.

Any words of advice, grandpa dash? You’ve helped me over the years believe it or not (considering we are “just” usernames on the internet).

The Bills have continued to find ways to lose in truly the most heart breaking fashion in the biggest moments. Pulling off basically the impossible every year. Just deflated… again. Clockwork.

Add in the cuse collapse, which isn’t even close to the same level, just completes a perfectly awful stretch of sport. I know the last word matters and it’s simply sports but…

 

[dasher]

Any words of advice, grandpa dash? You’ve helped me over the years believe it or not (considering we are “just” usernames on the internet).

The Bills have continued to find ways to lose in truly the most heart breaking fashion in the biggest moments. Pulling off basically the impossible every year. Just deflated… again. Clockwork.

Add in the cuse collapse, which isn’t even close to the same level, just completes a perfectly awful stretch of sport.

I'm a Giant fan so what the bills have been doing over the last decade actually looks great to me. I will just tell you this. I am a avid Red Sox fan. And no fan base, with me along for the ride, went through more heartbreak than us. And then, we won 4 world titles in 14 years. Nothing good or bad last forever. The Bills will have their day. Hopefully for you Bills fan sake, it won't take 86 years.

 

[Lukeyloo]

There’s good talent on the roster so we may still steal a nice win, coaching be damned.

 

[Orangezoo]

There’s good talent on the roster so we may still steal a nice win, coaching be damned.

Stealing a nice win, like UNC in Reds first year is almost more painful than enjoyable. It makes us sound like BC.

 

[Dmcnabbrules]

I think the women’s lacrosse team is going to win a Natty. For real.

 

[FireballPhil]

If you’re a Bills fan, try tripling that level of depressed. Yesterday was as bad as it gets.

add on the fact that Iowa State is in a serious funk... a very bad day.

 

[Scooch]

That interception looked like the wrong call to me. He had the ball in his hands and hit the ground before the DB stole it away.

It was the right call, per the rules. But I get why Bills fans are sad.

 

[Lukeyloo]

Stealing a nice win, like UNC in Reds first year is almost more painful than enjoyable. It makes us sound like BC.

Well we just lost to BC so…. Lol

 

[Scooch]

I'm a Giant fan so what the bills have been doing over the last decade actually looks great to me. I will just tell you this. I am a avid Red Sox fan. And no fan base, with me along for the ride, went through more heartbreak than us. And then, we won 4 world titles in 14 years. Nothing good or bad last forever. The Bills will have their day. Hopefully for you Bills fan sake, it won't take 86 years.

Yep, Sox fan too, and you have to make your peace with not winning a title and just enjoying the ride.

I took my father to game 3 of the 2004 ALCS. He hadn't been to a Sox playoff game since he went to all 4 World Series games at Fenway in 1967. We famously lost 19-8 and fell down 0-3 in the series.

On the T ride back to our car after the game we agreed that should the Sox ever win a WS in my lifetime, since it assuredly wasn't going to happen for my Dad, I promised to place a pennant on his grave.

Driving back home the next day I decided that I'm just going to enjoy the journey -- the good games, the traditions with family and friends -- and accept the inevitable losses.

And then...

 

[Orangezoo]

Well we just lost to BC so…. Lol

BC looks forward to beating BC….

 

[IthacaMatt]

It was the right call, per the rules. But I get why Bills fans are sad.

I read that ESPN article, too. But the premise is that he didn't have control. He totally did.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

March 10 to 12, which is likely our last game of the season and the time period where Red gets fired and we can actively discuss the new coaching search

 

[Scooch]

I read that ESPN article, too. But the premise is that he didn't have control. He totally did.

No, the rule is that a receiver has to survive the ground, not just have a moment of control. Think of it this way: if there was no defender there, and the ball went flying away after Cooks hit the ground, then no one would be claiming it was complete. We saw that happen a few times in yesterday's game. Those weren't fumbles because a receiver has to survive the ground.

In this case, the defender ripped the ball away simultaneous to Cooks hitting the ground. It was a very weird play, but the refs got it right.

 

[Scooch]

No, the rule is that a receiver has to survive the ground, not just have a moment of control. Think of it this way: if there was no defender there, and the ball went flying away after Cooks hit the ground, then no one would be claiming it was complete. We saw that happen a few times in yesterday's game. Those weren't fumbles because a receiver has to survive the ground.

In this case, the defender ripped the ball away simultaneous to Cooks hitting the ground. It was a very weird play, but the refs got it right.

I’ll add, sideline catches are looked at the same way. It’s not enough for a receiver to have the ball in his hands and get 2 feet inbounds. He also has to maintain control of the ball through landing on the ground. If he lands hard and the ball pops out, even if he had two feet down, it’s not a catch.