GP1

Worse, it looks the same to recruits. A loooong string of losing seasons at this point.

The thought of another year of orange hair makes me sad.

Minimum is right. I think I'm just about tired of waiting around.

Funny post. Makes me sad.

Good luck indeed. It's like being a Browns fan. Not sure I can put any energy into that.

When does the disaster ever end?

My review of the sseason is we have 5-7 talenttale and 5-7 coaching.

Narrows bowl season travel plans.

Mine is the talent levetl. Talent alone should beat lent.

First Firsdrive of second half important. Good to get fg.

Finding someone better to call plays is a better answer. We still need a lot more talent. Nobody seems to want to talk about that.

Then why is our qb so average and qbour back up a turnover machine? Bowden is involved in the signaling of plays. I don't believe he doesn't have a say. The final say is his.

I'm about ready to move on from the whole thing.

This shows me how tired the team had to be. Everyone shot badly. You shoot with your legs and guide the ball with your arms and hands. No legs, no shots made. Very simple. The conditioning they got in the past week will pay dividends down the road.

Tough four game road trip. Not unusual for a team to run out of gas in the second half of the last game of a long trip. All in all, going 2-2 against power conferences on the road is a good road trip.

Sorry to hear one of the team hotels fell short of expectations. The last time I stayed there was around 7 years ago so a lot must have changed. The Courtyard across the street from the arena was really nice and newly remodeled. Two of the teams were staying there and seemed satisfied with it. Was there another team staying at your hotel or only the Zips?

Good post. I like Gaudio as well. Not as much as you, but in general, he is able to help fans understand the finer points of the game. For example, one of the teams ran a baseline back screen and scored. Gaudio was able to break down which player was responsible for rim protection in that scenario and why that breakdown resulted in a basket. He is also a good commentator for ESPNU studio shows so he can do color and studio. He is a younger and smarter version of Dick Vitale (Was Dick Vitale ever young?) before Vitale bought into his own hype and sort of became a cartoon character of himself. Frank Martin? Interesting guy. Not sure if he is a great coach or a lunatic. I'm not certain that is an either/or situation. I'm leaning towards lunatic. In SC, we hear about all of his great recruits. Not sure where they all are, but they aren't on the court. On the other hand, how many point blank shots did they miss the other night? Why no SC fans at the game? Because there are few SC basketball fans. Their home games are thinly attended. They have even fewer fans outside of Columbia. Probably a result of little success over a long period of time.

The luckiest woman in the world, Mrs. GP1, just sent me a note saying the Hurricanes just walked through her department at work on their way to the basketball court to practice. They play UNCC tomorrow. Interesting how at least two of the team who played in that tournament have games the following Tuesday after the tournament.

I totally understand, but in general, they seem to be ahead of where they normally are. Are they perfect? No, but that sort of goes back to the basketball smarts. If they can continue to do the basics of athletic competition, they are going to continue to get much better. Scoring will increase and mistakes will decrease. That's my prediction anyhow.

After this weekend, I believe Zips fans are going to be entertained by the point totals scored this season. There is still some chemistry that needs to be built, but in general the team looked very good considering the hurdle that had recently been thrown in front of them. Early season, I look for the following before I consider point totals because I think if a team can do the following early, points will easily follow: 1. Physical conditioning - I went to the CCU game a year or two ago around this time of the season and the Zips looked horribly out of shape and lost to a poor CCU team. Generally speaking, the team is in very good physical condition. 2. Organization - Generally speaking, they looked well organized and better organized this early in the season than they usually are. Players generally knew where to be, what to do and who to give the ball to. The coaching staff seems to have a firm understanding of who they want in the game, when and why. Less substitutions because I think many of the players are good at a variety of things so situational substitutions are as frequently needed. 3. Basketball Smarts - The upper classmen have pretty good instincts on the floor and seem to know what they are doing. The under classmen don't have as much, but seem ahead of where their peers were at the same age. 4. Fundamentals - We seem to do the following things well: run, catch, jump, pass, throw, rebound, etc. I know it sounds simple, but early in the season these basic things escape a lot of teams and we seem to have a grasp on the basics.

PSU Analysis

I'd be interested in hearing some reviews. Lots of places I haven't been there and maybe someone had some good experiences at some places I should be visiting.

After the Maimi game, I wanted to see Pat more decisive and he was in a way that moved the offense. Wanted to see more #4 and got it in a big way...would still like to see him starting. Wanted to see less McAdams...did he even play yesterday...oh, he started. I'm happy today with what I saw.

I never liked or disliked him in the past. What I see now is a guy who brings energy into the game and I like it alot. Not yet ready to call him a star after one good game. 6th man of the year? He should be starting and McAdams should be coming off the bench for 4-7 minutes a game until he can prove he can make some shots.

He's more than just a little out of shape. One can keep weight off while hurt by shoveling in less food.