** We are BACK!! We are on our way to the DANCE!!
** I kid … I kid.
** But when following a team with such seemingly schizophrenic propensities, it’s difficult not to be drawn into in their mighty highs and epic lows.
** It was hard to watch the Notre Dame game because it seemed like such a lifeless performance. But it was even harder to watch because our Panthers had previously demonstrated to us how capable they can be. And the disparity between this team’s good and bad is extraordinarily maddening!
** Fortunately, there was next to nothing that could be considered maddening about the Panther’s performance tonight They were relatively consistent throughout, and other than shooting too many threes early in the game, our men were well focused on the task at hand.
** After the ND debacle, fellow poster @gary2 suggested the now well known mantra, “as X goes, so go the Panthers.” I countered, perhaps correctly, that Bad X was inconsequential to the Panthers’ loss that day. In other words, the team was so bad that Bad X wasn’t the reason.
** Without a doubt, Good X was every bit the reason for this big Panther win tonight. And it wasn’t just his shooting, but also controlled and productive drives to the rack. Even his turnovers weren’t ones caused by any particular carelessness.
** Good X was also a leader on the defensive end, often disrupting the Hokies at the point of attack.
** So maybe it is that simple … as X goes, so go the Panthers.
** Good X was especially welcome because we didn’t get Good Justin. That isn’t to say he was bad Justin either. Virginia Tech worked very hard to deny him the ball, and often double teamed him when it was in his hands. So let’s offer him kudos for not forcing too many shots, and doing his typical, ACC leading work on the boards.
** One of the developments one would hope to see with Justin’s offensive rise and subsequent defensive attention is room opening up for others. That’s what we saw today with Ithiel. This might have been his first stellar offensive performance that basically wasn’t just zone busting on his part. I also thought Ithiel played some of his most effective defense of the season.
** I was having a hard time figuring out exactly what to make of Au’Diese for most of the game. But then he too began to surf the team’s wave of confidence and his game came back to him as well.
** It was easy to especially appreciate the extra effort post up and bucket by Toney down the stretch. That’s the AT we have come to love. It was good to see him return.
** So … now what with our Panthers?
** I suspect it’s going to be a bit more difficult to enjoy our team this year knowing they have such high and low tendencies. It’s probably even harder if you are one who likes to indulge in a little bit or wagering. Fortunately, for me, I’m not one who does. But what did Las Vegas know that we didn’t considering that Tech was only favored by a few?
** I’d be willing to bet @Bethlehemjohn made a few bucks tonight.
** I can only imagine how hard it is for Jeff Capel to endure the swings this team provides. I’m a big believer in Jeff Capel the man, even if I have begun to waver a bit in my belief in Jeff Capel the coach. But for my money, there is absolutely no reason to doubt that every ounce of his best intentions are committed to his team and the success of his young men.
** So I hope others will join me in offering a hardy congratulations to our Head Coach. Leading his team through adversity is one of the most important qualities of the man in charge. There was plenty of adversity to face in the last few days.
** Jeff still has plenty of work to do to get most of the Panther Hoops faithful back on his bandwagon .. a bandwagon that was quite crowded a little over two weeks ago. But for now, at least the wheels are back on the cart.
** As for me, I’ll try to refrain from getting too high or too low with the inevitable Panther swings for the remainder of this campaign.
** But what I can offer is that I’m at least now looking forward to watching Saturday’s game, even if against the mighty Cavaliers. Looking forward to a game may not seem like that big of a deal, but I confess that right up until game time, I was less than enthused to watch tonight. And I was fearful that level might continue for the rest of the season.
** I’m no longer fearful. I know now that almost anything on the spectrum is possible.
** Enjoy the ride!
** I kid … I kid.
** But when following a team with such seemingly schizophrenic propensities, it’s difficult not to be drawn into in their mighty highs and epic lows.
** It was hard to watch the Notre Dame game because it seemed like such a lifeless performance. But it was even harder to watch because our Panthers had previously demonstrated to us how capable they can be. And the disparity between this team’s good and bad is extraordinarily maddening!
** Fortunately, there was next to nothing that could be considered maddening about the Panther’s performance tonight They were relatively consistent throughout, and other than shooting too many threes early in the game, our men were well focused on the task at hand.
** After the ND debacle, fellow poster @gary2 suggested the now well known mantra, “as X goes, so go the Panthers.” I countered, perhaps correctly, that Bad X was inconsequential to the Panthers’ loss that day. In other words, the team was so bad that Bad X wasn’t the reason.
** Without a doubt, Good X was every bit the reason for this big Panther win tonight. And it wasn’t just his shooting, but also controlled and productive drives to the rack. Even his turnovers weren’t ones caused by any particular carelessness.
** Good X was also a leader on the defensive end, often disrupting the Hokies at the point of attack.
** So maybe it is that simple … as X goes, so go the Panthers.
** Good X was especially welcome because we didn’t get Good Justin. That isn’t to say he was bad Justin either. Virginia Tech worked very hard to deny him the ball, and often double teamed him when it was in his hands. So let’s offer him kudos for not forcing too many shots, and doing his typical, ACC leading work on the boards.
** One of the developments one would hope to see with Justin’s offensive rise and subsequent defensive attention is room opening up for others. That’s what we saw today with Ithiel. This might have been his first stellar offensive performance that basically wasn’t just zone busting on his part. I also thought Ithiel played some of his most effective defense of the season.
** I was having a hard time figuring out exactly what to make of Au’Diese for most of the game. But then he too began to surf the team’s wave of confidence and his game came back to him as well.
** It was easy to especially appreciate the extra effort post up and bucket by Toney down the stretch. That’s the AT we have come to love. It was good to see him return.
** So … now what with our Panthers?
** I suspect it’s going to be a bit more difficult to enjoy our team this year knowing they have such high and low tendencies. It’s probably even harder if you are one who likes to indulge in a little bit or wagering. Fortunately, for me, I’m not one who does. But what did Las Vegas know that we didn’t considering that Tech was only favored by a few?
** I’d be willing to bet @Bethlehemjohn made a few bucks tonight.
** I can only imagine how hard it is for Jeff Capel to endure the swings this team provides. I’m a big believer in Jeff Capel the man, even if I have begun to waver a bit in my belief in Jeff Capel the coach. But for my money, there is absolutely no reason to doubt that every ounce of his best intentions are committed to his team and the success of his young men.
** So I hope others will join me in offering a hardy congratulations to our Head Coach. Leading his team through adversity is one of the most important qualities of the man in charge. There was plenty of adversity to face in the last few days.
** Jeff still has plenty of work to do to get most of the Panther Hoops faithful back on his bandwagon .. a bandwagon that was quite crowded a little over two weeks ago. But for now, at least the wheels are back on the cart.
** As for me, I’ll try to refrain from getting too high or too low with the inevitable Panther swings for the remainder of this campaign.
** But what I can offer is that I’m at least now looking forward to watching Saturday’s game, even if against the mighty Cavaliers. Looking forward to a game may not seem like that big of a deal, but I confess that right up until game time, I was less than enthused to watch tonight. And I was fearful that level might continue for the rest of the season.
** I’m no longer fearful. I know now that almost anything on the spectrum is possible.
** Enjoy the ride!
