before the season, i pointed out that we were thin and inexperienced up front. with seyfert hurt, we had only andrew strait back as a legitimate experienced big man, while hasquet, sharp and van vliet were all freshmen, and chavez hadn't played in two years. i said this would be a transition year, while our younger guys got added experience, and before chase and vanderjagt arrived. it would be next year and the years after that we would have dominant front lines and fully arrive as a big sky power.
oh! the hoots! the howls! you don't need big men to win the big sky conference, i was told. and i must say, as this remarkable season has unfolded, in which the griz have won 16 games, and led at halftime in four of their five losses, i was beginning to question my own belief.
no more.
simply put, the situation i foresaw has become worse, with the apparent injury to van vliet, the mid-season slump by hasquet, the evident youthfulness of sharp and the failure of dlouhy--a true two guard--to provide any consistent help up front. that the griz have come this far with this much youth up front is truly testimony to the remarkable coaching job turned in by this staff. even in the big sky, we've protected our home turf, while turning in two wins on the road. in a year when anything can happen, hasquet might become productive again, and sharp emerge as a force late in his freshman year.
just don't forget, it's next year and the years after that are going to be truly memorable for this team and for our program. that was true at the beginning of the season. it remains true now.
oh! the hoots! the howls! you don't need big men to win the big sky conference, i was told. and i must say, as this remarkable season has unfolded, in which the griz have won 16 games, and led at halftime in four of their five losses, i was beginning to question my own belief.
no more.
simply put, the situation i foresaw has become worse, with the apparent injury to van vliet, the mid-season slump by hasquet, the evident youthfulness of sharp and the failure of dlouhy--a true two guard--to provide any consistent help up front. that the griz have come this far with this much youth up front is truly testimony to the remarkable coaching job turned in by this staff. even in the big sky, we've protected our home turf, while turning in two wins on the road. in a year when anything can happen, hasquet might become productive again, and sharp emerge as a force late in his freshman year.
just don't forget, it's next year and the years after that are going to be truly memorable for this team and for our program. that was true at the beginning of the season. it remains true now.