I wanted to let the emotional side of the my reaction to the end of the season to dissipate to a substantial degree before providing a few thoughts about this year and next year.
2022-23: To state the obvious, the season encompassed a number of extreme “highs” and “lows”, as well as a period of mediocrity, which I will not recount here because we all know what they were.
On a comparative basis when considering the 2017-18 to 2021-22, I would grade the season as “close to excellent”, but that’s not the correct way to look at things in my view. Because, when I judge the season in the context of not making the NCAA tourney, albeit in the coach’s 4th year, then I give it a “good” rating, only by giving an overweight to how the last 1/3 of the season played out (and, admittedly, bringing emotion into the equation stoked, in particular, by victories over UT and UK as well as additional doses of Memorial Magic “sprinkled over” the Auburn and Mississippi State games down the stretch).
Just a perspective about how I viewed the season which may influence how we feel about the team looking forward. Usually, we like our teams to finish strong after a slow start because it gives us something to look forward to as the next season approaches (assuming all of the players don’t move on) and leaves us with some positive vibes. In contrast, teams that start strong and then fade down the stretch does not leave many of us with a good feeling as we look to the future . . . more likely a feeling of frustration. However, when some of us dissect this year and prior years’ performances, we see “slow starts” and “strong finishes” with multiple possible reasons given for this pattern. We must “break” this cycle if we are to succeed next year. In my book, “success” means NCAA Tourney berth, and no less!
2023-24: In light of the portal activity in progress and yet to play out, plus one player’s prospective NBA tryout, there is no way I can speculate about next year’s team’s performance absent a full roster. However, I do want to point out the uphill climb the team (however, it is constructed over the next month or so) will face to compete in the SEC portion of the schedule . . . 2/3 of all games pre-NCAA tourney. If I am correct, and, admittedly, I could be wrong here, will we not play Auburn, Mississippi State and Arkansas on the road next year . . . with all 3 contests this year resulting in a win for VU? [I did not include Ole Miss “yet” into this grouping but am wary of the portal results Beard “the tampering maestro” might be able to achieve, albeit in only a few months.] [Further, I have assumed we have home and away with UF, UK and UT.] And, we will probably play Alabama once next year and I don’t know if this will be at home or away. If I was a total optimist, I could say that home games with aTm and MO give us the chance to turn the tables on these opponents, but I think the home/away scales are weighted in the wrong direction here. [I know that I did not address uSc, LSU and UGA.] On the surface, and only if I am correct with my assumption, we have a real tough road to success here which only amplifies the importance of the non-conference schedule.
Let me know what you think and where I went astray here.
2022-23: To state the obvious, the season encompassed a number of extreme “highs” and “lows”, as well as a period of mediocrity, which I will not recount here because we all know what they were.
On a comparative basis when considering the 2017-18 to 2021-22, I would grade the season as “close to excellent”, but that’s not the correct way to look at things in my view. Because, when I judge the season in the context of not making the NCAA tourney, albeit in the coach’s 4th year, then I give it a “good” rating, only by giving an overweight to how the last 1/3 of the season played out (and, admittedly, bringing emotion into the equation stoked, in particular, by victories over UT and UK as well as additional doses of Memorial Magic “sprinkled over” the Auburn and Mississippi State games down the stretch).
Just a perspective about how I viewed the season which may influence how we feel about the team looking forward. Usually, we like our teams to finish strong after a slow start because it gives us something to look forward to as the next season approaches (assuming all of the players don’t move on) and leaves us with some positive vibes. In contrast, teams that start strong and then fade down the stretch does not leave many of us with a good feeling as we look to the future . . . more likely a feeling of frustration. However, when some of us dissect this year and prior years’ performances, we see “slow starts” and “strong finishes” with multiple possible reasons given for this pattern. We must “break” this cycle if we are to succeed next year. In my book, “success” means NCAA Tourney berth, and no less!
2023-24: In light of the portal activity in progress and yet to play out, plus one player’s prospective NBA tryout, there is no way I can speculate about next year’s team’s performance absent a full roster. However, I do want to point out the uphill climb the team (however, it is constructed over the next month or so) will face to compete in the SEC portion of the schedule . . . 2/3 of all games pre-NCAA tourney. If I am correct, and, admittedly, I could be wrong here, will we not play Auburn, Mississippi State and Arkansas on the road next year . . . with all 3 contests this year resulting in a win for VU? [I did not include Ole Miss “yet” into this grouping but am wary of the portal results Beard “the tampering maestro” might be able to achieve, albeit in only a few months.] [Further, I have assumed we have home and away with UF, UK and UT.] And, we will probably play Alabama once next year and I don’t know if this will be at home or away. If I was a total optimist, I could say that home games with aTm and MO give us the chance to turn the tables on these opponents, but I think the home/away scales are weighted in the wrong direction here. [I know that I did not address uSc, LSU and UGA.] On the surface, and only if I am correct with my assumption, we have a real tough road to success here which only amplifies the importance of the non-conference schedule.
Let me know what you think and where I went astray here.
