Satisfied?

[bgrch1350]

If we don't win against a seed higher than a 10...its been a failure. The last 4 years.

Fresh) lost to #7 San Diego St.
Soph) lost to #12 N. Dakota St.
Junior) Beat #14 Albany, Beat #11 Dayton, Lost to #7 Mich ST.
Senior) Beat #15 Cal St Bakersfield, Beat #10 VCU, and now we face #3 aTm.

If we get this win. Season satisfied. If we lose, then a huge disappointment b/c of what is stated above.

 

[pnkranger]

I am ecstatic with the growth in our program over the last 4 years and the careers of our seniors. I am happy with this season overall ...

But I think it would be a shame for this group to graduate without winning SOMETHING. A regular season, a conference tournament, etc. I would consider winning a regional as a Championship (West Regional Champs). That would be satisfying for me.

 

[skyvue]

Anything less than elite 8 is a failure.

But here's the thing: To pick a team -- any team -- and pronounce that they must reach a certain round of the tourney or they're a failure is arbitrary. It ignores any number of factors. If a good team -- again, any team -- ends up facing a team that is the worst possible match-up for them in the entire field and that team happens to shoot lights out that night while the team with greater expectations goes cold from the field, is the losing team a failure, or did they just run into some bad luck?

I'm guessing some of the same posters who are insisting that this team's a failure if it loses tonight are also claiming that we're in trouble tonight because of A&M's size.

I mean, one can't really have it both ways. If tonight is such a bad match-up for us because of A&M's size, then is it fair to hold it against the team if they drop a close game?

The same thing happened leading up to the Tech game in Lubbock. There was much doom and gloom on this board about our prospects in that game -- Tech was hot, they were playing much better, they'd just upset two good teams in a row, etc. And as we know, those posters were prescient that week, and we did suffer a tough defeat.

But ever since, that loss has been held against the team by many posters, cited as a terrible defeat as if we'd been upset by McNeese State. There's a disconnect there.

 

[soonernutt]

To me, there's a huge gap between having hopes that didn't pan out and considering the season a failure. No way I can consider a season in which we win 27 games and make it to the Sweet 16 a failure -- not by a mile.

We've previously won as many as 27 games just five times, and we've never played in a tougher conference than this season (and our nonconference schedule was solid, too). Will I be disappointed if we lose tonight? Sure. But we had exactly one loss all season that could truly be called a bad one (others -- Tech, ut -- were certainly disappointing, but not bad losses).

Sorry, but for my money, no way this season is a failure. In fact, it's one of the best in our history.

Took the words right out of my mouth.

Our program was in pretty ugly shape, twice in recent history. Back to back Sweet 16s is good. I know this is the year this team has to make its move, because we get a ton younger next year. But still, this program is again on solid ground and moving in the right direction. I have no complaints about that regardless of happens tonight.

Just don't ask me the same question if we lose tonight. I might need a few days to simmer down and be rational again.

 

[oudna]

I was thinking Final Four or bust 2 months ago. But I've matured my expectations.

This year has been a great one regardless of how tonight's game turns out.

 

[oudna]

But here's the thing: To pick a team -- any team -- and pronounce that they must reach a certain round of the tourney or they're a failure is arbitrary. It ignores any number of factors. If a good team -- again, any team -- ends up facing a team that is the worst possible match-up for them in the entire field and that team happens to shoot lights out that night while the team with greater expectations goes cold from the field, is the losing team a failure, or did they just run into some bad luck?

I'm guessing some of the same posters who are insisting that this team's a failure if it loses tonight are also claiming that we're in trouble tonight because of A&M's size.

I mean, one can't really have it both ways. If tonight is such a bad match-up for us because of A&M's size, then is it fair to hold it against the team if they drop a close game?

The same thing happened leading up to the Tech game in Lubbock. There was much doom and gloom on this board about our prospects in that game -- Tech was hot, they were playing much better, they'd just upset two good teams in a row, etc. And as we know, those posters were prescient that week, and we did suffer a close loss.

But ever since, that loss has been held against the team by many posters, cited as a terrible loss as if we'd been upset by McNeese State. There's a disconnect there.

Yes.

The line of thinking... "Round of 16 equals failure but round of 8 equals success."

That's ridiculous. It's just one game.

 

[hoopsaustin]

But here's the thing: To pick a team -- any team -- and pronounce that they must reach a certain round of the tourney or they're a failure is arbitrary. It ignores any number of factors. If a good team -- again, any team -- ends up facing a team that is the worst possible match-up for them in the entire field and that team happens to shoot lights out that night while the team with greater expectations goes cold from the field, is the losing team a failure, or did they just run into some bad luck?

I'm guessing some of the same posters who are insisting that this team's a failure if it loses tonight are also claiming that we're in trouble tonight because of A&M's size.

I mean, one can't really have it both ways. If tonight is such a bad match-up for us because of A&M's size, then is it fair to hold it against the team if they drop a close game?

The same thing happened leading up to the Tech game in Lubbock. There was much doom and gloom on this board about our prospects in that game -- Tech was hot, they were playing much better, they'd just upset two good teams in a row, etc. And as we know, those posters were prescient that week, and we did suffer a close loss.

But ever since, that loss has been held against the team by many posters, cited as a terrible loss as if we'd been upset by McNeese State. There's a disconnect there.

Yes, because good teams make it work even through bad match ups, injuries, cold shooting nights, ect.

I think this team was a championship caliber team. They played like it earlier this year.. but they probably aren't currently. But they can go off any night so I'm betting on them and i don't care if there are matchup problems.. we are a matchup problem for them!

we got the POTY, a solid 2 guard in Cousins, a floor General and creator in woodard (both playing backwards from What i would do), spangs can be tough on the boards, and Lattin a solid, sometimes very solid, role player. I say bring on anyone

 

[usedtobe1]

Of course I'm satisfied. How could I not be satisfied with a 27 win season? I'm prouder of the character of this team than I am of their win/loss record. I feel like I know these players, and have a special bond. They've given me a lot of great memories.

 

[sperry]

But here's the thing: To pick a team -- any team -- and pronounce that they must reach a certain round of the tourney or they're a failure is arbitrary. It ignores any number of factors. If a good team -- again, any team -- ends up facing a team that is the worst possible match-up for them in the entire field and that team happens to shoot lights out that night while the team with greater expectations goes cold from the field, is the losing team a failure, or did they just run into some bad luck?

I'm guessing some of the same posters who are insisting that this team's a failure if it loses tonight are also claiming that we're in trouble tonight because of A&M's size.

I mean, one can't really have it both ways. If tonight is such a bad match-up for us because of A&M's size, then is it fair to hold it against the team if they drop a close game?

The same thing happened leading up to the Tech game in Lubbock. There was much doom and gloom on this board about our prospects in that game -- Tech was hot, they were playing much better, they'd just upset two good teams in a row, etc. And as we know, those posters were prescient that week, and we did suffer a tough defeat.

But ever since, that loss has been held against the team by many posters, cited as a terrible defeat as if we'd been upset by McNeese State. There's a disconnect there.

The season is taken in context. The non-confernece play was awesome, but is the least important part of the season. This team was good enough to win a conference championship, and finished third. This team was good enough to win the conference tournament and lost in the semis. This team is good enoguh to make it to the final four, and if they lose tonight they didn't even come close.


This team had the national player of the year, and 4 starters who each started over 100 games. If that team doesn't accomplish any of the big 3 milestones: Regular season conference title, tournament title, deep march madness run (nor come particularly close to doing any of them), that is a disappointing seaosn in my mind.


Again, context. Getting a B is a good grade in a vacuum, but it's a disappointment if you're a straight A student and you had the ability to make an A.


This team is better than last year's team. Last year's team finished 3rd in the conference at 12-6, lost in the conference semis, and lost in the sweet 16. I think it's a disappointment if you do not improve on any of those things with a better team.

 

[WTSooner]

The season is taken in context. The non-confernece play was awesome, but is the least important part of the season. This team was good enough to win a conference championship, and finished third. This team was good enough to win the conference tournament and lost in the semis. This team is good enoguh to make it to the final four, and if they lose tonight they didn't even come close.


This team had the national player of the year, and 4 starters who each started over 100 games. If that team doesn't accomplish any of the big 3 milestones: Regular season conference title, tournament title, deep march madness run (nor come particularly close to doing any of them), that is a disappointing seaosn in my mind.


Again, context. Getting a B is a good grade in a vacuum, but it's a disappointment if you're a straight A student and you had the ability to make an A.

That's pretty much how I feel.

When KU, or UK, or Duke have teams like this, they aren't satisfied with not winning anything of note. Just b/c we don't have teams like this very often, doesn't mean we should be satisfied either.

 

[ousooners1baby]

I think this team has been fun to watch. But, I'm sure they will feel they didnt accomplish what they set out to do as soon as they lose. If they do?

 

[scrybe]

That's pretty much how I feel.

When KU, or UK, or Duke have teams like this, they aren't satisfied with not winning anything of note. Just b/c we don't have teams like this very often, doesn't mean we should be satisfied either.

To be fair, I don't recall anyone saying they would be "satisfied" with a loss in the Sweet 16.

 

[sperry]

To be fair, I don't recall anyone saying they would be "satisfied" with a loss in the Sweet 16.

Well, that's the outcome you are discussing. This team could have accomplished great things, it's one of the best teams in OU history. If it falls short of all of it's goals, that's a disappointment. This is the last, and IMO most important, goal they can achieve.

OU is not Kansas, or Duke, or North Carolina. We can't reload with burger boys every season. This team was crafted through a core of seniors who spent years playing together and improving together. That's the kind of team that can accomplish the things that OU won't be in contention for every year. When that falls short, it's a disappointment.

 

[MsProudSooner]

I think this team has been fun to watch. But, I'm sure they will feel they didnt accomplish what they set out to do as soon as they lose. If they do?

Fan expectations and team or individual player expectations are completely different.

If the happen to lose tonight, I would be disappointed for them but not disappointed in them.

 

[skyvue]

When that falls short, it's a disappointment.

Being disappointed is one thing. Dubbing the team a failure because they didn't reach an arbitrary goal is quite another (and make no mistake about it, saying a loss in the Elite 8 is acceptable but losing in the Sweet 16 isn't, without considering the teams played in those two rounds, is arbitrary).

If every Sooner team that didn't do as well as I hoped they would was a failure, then we have had very few successful teams. Because I'm almost always hoping for big things. But in most cases, the problem is with my hopes/expectations and not with the team.

 

[skyvue]

Fan expectations and team or individual player expectations are completely different.

If the happen to lose tonight, I would be disappointed for them but not disappointed in them.

Exactly. And expressed much more effectively (and succinctly) than I managed to do.

 

[opsooner]

My goal was at least Sweet 16 again. I knew going into the tourney we would have to win close games and did that in the first 2 games (at least pretty close). We can certainly beat A&M but we can certainly lose as well. I think we have a good chance to win and also to get to the FF but no idea whether we will do it.

I didn't always like everything we did in the last game but I did always like the effort. If we show the same effort tonight I will have no issues. We will either win or lose based on whether shots are falling.

 

[Soonerman]

But here's the thing: To pick a team -- any team -- and pronounce that they must reach a certain round of the tourney or they're a failure is arbitrary. It ignores any number of factors. If a good team -- again, any team -- ends up facing a team that is the worst possible match-up for them in the entire field and that team happens to shoot lights out that night while the team with greater expectations goes cold from the field, is the losing team a failure, or did they just run into some bad luck?

I'm guessing some of the same posters who are insisting that this team's a failure if it loses tonight are also claiming that we're in trouble tonight because of A&M's size.

I mean, one can't really have it both ways. If tonight is such a bad match-up for us because of A&M's size, then is it fair to hold it against the team if they drop a close game?

The same thing happened leading up to the Tech game in Lubbock. There was much doom and gloom on this board about our prospects in that game -- Tech was hot, they were playing much better, they'd just upset two good teams in a row, etc. And as we know, those posters were prescient that week, and we did suffer a tough defeat.

But ever since, that loss has been held against the team by many posters, cited as a terrible defeat as if we'd been upset by McNeese State. There's a disconnect there.

Well said.

 

[chuckb]

To me, there's a huge gap between having hopes that didn't pan out and considering the season a failure. No way I can consider a season in which we win 27 games and make it to the Sweet 16 a failure -- not by a mile.

We've previously won as many as 27 games just five times, and we've never played in a tougher conference than this season (and our nonconference schedule was solid, too). Will I be disappointed if we lose tonight? Sure. But we had exactly one loss all season that could truly be called a bad one (others -- Tech, ut -- were certainly disappointing, but not bad losses).

Sorry, but for my money, no way this season is a failure. In fact, it's one of the best in our history.

Agreed. Any notion that anything less than a Final 4 is a failure is absurd. It's been a great season and, let's be honest, unless we win the national championship, will end disappointingly. But that won't make the season a failure.

I still believe they're going to accomplish even more this year but if I'm wrong, I won't see the season as a failure.

 

[WaymanFan]

It doesn't have to be "black or white", "all or nothing", or "success or failure". I can't imagine this season being a "failure" by any means if we lose tonight. As already mentioned, we went through the non-conference unscathed for the first time, we were #1 in the country for the first time in 26 years, had the (likely) National Player of the Year, won 27 games with a very tough schedule, and made it to the Sweet 16.

To me, the season has already been a success, but we did fall short in winning the conference title or conference tournament. We've also had way too many close calls that weren't necessary (like the last two games), so it's fair to say we still have two wins to go to make this season "truly memorable" and four wins to make it "truly magical".