At the beginning of the year I expected us to make the NCAAT. Then I saw us play, and I thought we were an NIT team. We exceeded that, and overachieved. We probably finished about where we should have finished, 1st/2nd round exit. No one thought we'd get thumped, but it happens. We did. We also beat UNC, Duke, UVa (on the road) and some other very good teams. We were a good team. We have the chance to be special next year. We could be more talented than 2012-2013. Two first round picks in Brown and Walker. Another 5-star in Huell who'll have to live up to it. Other very good players in Lykes and Gak. I still think DJ is going to be good as he fits into his role. Amp still has a role on this team. The Rion Brown or TMJ role from 2013. His numbers this year were similar, but he was asked to do more this year, and struggled. We'll see what we have in Waardenburg, and anything we get from Miller will be a plus. Also, I think Newton has a role if he plays like did against Cuse and last night. He should be a spark off the bench and the 6th man role, which I think he will be next year.
I've said this all year, but I'll say it again because a lot of you don't understand, or are living in this dumbass "now" generation instant gratification. Coach L is a building a program. Not a season. A program. I don't think some of you understand how mediocre we were from Perry Clark through Frank Haith. We went to 1 NCAA tournament from 2002 until L's second year in 2013. That's bad. And, we had only been to 5 in our history before L got here (and L has gotten us to 3 in 6 years). 6 appearances in 70 years (we didn't have a team from 1971-1985, but started playing in 1926), and 3 in the last 6 under L. We never had a winning record in the ACC before L got here. We've had winning records in 5 of his 6 years.
Here are our records before L, going back to Perry Clark:
16-13, 8-8
24-8, 10-6
11-17, 4-12
14-16, 4-12
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ACC/ Frank Haith
16-13, 7-9
18-16, 7-9
12-20, 4-12
23-11, 8-8
19-13, 7-9
20-13, 4-12
21-15, 6-10
Larranaga
20-13, 9-7
29-7, 15-3
17-16, 7-11
25-13, 10-8
27-8, 13-5
21-12, 10-8
Again, this wasn't going to be built in 1 day. Someone said to me, well look what Donovan did at Florida. Well, he had losing seasons his first two seasons. Yes, he made the NCAA finals in his 4th year, but people forget, UF was in the Final Four under Lon Kruger 3 years before Donovan got there. If Larranaga had come right after Hamilton's run from 1997-2000, then, maybe, someone would have a tiny argument, but the numbers speak for themselves. He's won the ACC regular season and tournament title. He's made 2 Sweet 16s. He's gotten Miami to 3 NCAAT's in 6 years, and 2 in a row, the last being in a rebuilding year where he, himself, thought we were going to suck. He brought in, arguably the best recruiting class in school history last year, only to follow it up with a better one for next year. Like I said, he's building a program. When you're a program, and you make the NCAAs every year, or a 4 of 5 years, which I expect us to do from here on out, you're going to have years when you go 1 and done in the tourney. Duke loses to Mercer. It happens. Now, I'm in no way comparing us to Duke, we're not, but that's the NCAAT. George Mason goes to the Final Four, Michigan State loses to 15 seed Middle TN.
