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Bracketology 2017

I think it's easy to go back and look at individual close losses and chalk them up to "missed opportunities." But if we had capitalized on all of those opportunities we would be something like 23-6, 24-5 against a top 10 schedule. That's a top 15-20 team by any metric.

I just don't think it's accurate to say that we were a top 20 team this year that blew a ton of missed opportunities.

This season felt more like we were a top 50 team that punched above its weight all year and grew into being a top 30 team by the end of the season.
 
RChildress107 said:
I think it's easy to go back and look at individual close losses and chalk them up to "missed opportunities." But if we had capitalized on all of those opportunities we would be something like 23-6, 24-5 against a top 10 schedule. That's a top 15-20 team by any metric.

I just don't think it's accurate to say that we were a top 20 team this year that blew a ton of missed opportunities.

This season felt more like we were a top 50 team that punched above its weight all year and grew into being a top 30 team by the end of the season.
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Yeah. When you're asking 3 Sophomores to carry the load, you would hope they could pull out a few close ones, but can't be too shocked if they don't given the insanity of this year's ACC.
 
Demonwolverine said:
Yeah. When you're asking 3 Sophomores to carry the load, you would hope they could pull out a few close ones, but can't be too shocked if they don't given the insanity of this year's ACC.
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Yup. A big reason we won last night is because the closest thing we have to veteran leadership (Mitch and Dinos) stepped up in a big way.

If Collins comes back it would be the first time in forever that we could plausibly put a competitive lineup on the floor with all Juniors and Seniors.
 
RChildress107 said:
I think it's easy to go back and look at individual close losses and chalk them up to "missed opportunities." But if we had capitalized on all of those opportunities we would be something like 23-6, 24-5 against a top 10 schedule. That's a top 15-20 team by any metric.

I just don't think it's accurate to say that we were a top 20 team this year that blew a ton of missed opportunities.

This season felt more like we were a top 50 team that punched above its weight all year and grew into being a top 30 team by the end of the season.
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agree with every word of this.

I just think some realism needs to be injected into the conversation. We didn't get Notre Dame and FSU and Virginia at home? Too bad. Are they appreciably different from Duke? How did we do against Duke? We didn't get VT at home? Too bad. Are they appreciably different from Clemson? How did we do against Clemson? We would have beaten Pitt on the road? The same Pitt that led us by 19 in our place?
 
This Wake team did a lot of growing during the season. Collins is the obvious one, but BChill, Wilbekin and Crawford also got better as the season went on. BChill was pretty limited at the beginning of the season. He did a really good job against Donovan Mitchell the other day. Crawford is slowly learning not to force it when things aren't going well for him. He is better at recognizing he has actually good players around him.

As a team, Wake is playing better defense. Opponents still score, but they have to work harder for their points. You should read the "woe is us" over on the Louisville boards.
 
RChildress107 said:
Yup. A big reason we won last night is because the closest thing we have to veteran leadership (Mitch and Dinos) stepped up in a big way.

If Collins comes back it would be the first time in forever that we could plausibly put a competitive lineup on the floor with all Juniors and Seniors.
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It's also possible if Moore steps up to replace Collins.
 
I agree with those who have picked SJM as a more likely "replacement" than Doral.

I like Doral's effort and I like his size but I just don't see it with him. No body control whatsoever.
 
Pitt and Louisville were basically the opposite game flows of our entire season. Start off great, eventually tighten up and let the lead slip late to start off bad, hang tough and slowly fight back and finish off the game late.
 
I totally get the desire to focus on what actually happened. But no matter how you slice it, the fact that the 5 teams we missed at home -- VT, Syracuse, Notre Dame, FSU and UVa -- all would've been quality wins, when the major flaw in our resume IS quality wins, is an unlucky break.

thatguy2016 said:
I just think some realism needs to be injected into the conversation. We didn't get Notre Dame and FSU and Virginia at home? Too bad. Are they appreciably different from Duke?
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I certainly would've traded shots at each of them for one shot at Duke
 
Crawford, Wilbekin, Woods, Dinos, Collins would be a very solid lineup.

Other potential all upperclassmen lineups in somewhat recent Wake history:

2010: Ish, Clark, LD, Chas, Weaver

2006: Gray, Strick, Drum, Ellis, Big E

2005: Downey, Gray, Levy, Vytas, Big E

2002: Hicks, Dawson, Howard, Scott, Songaila

1997: Rutland, Braswell, Goolsby, Peral, Duncan
 
Pardon if this has appeared somewhere else, but did I see Andy Katz had a little feature this morning about us being a sleeper in the NCAA Tourney? I was at the gym and had my music on and just saw some copy about his sleepers, and then video of Keyshawn and Collins.
 
RChildress107 said:
Crawford, Wilbekin, Woods, Dinos, Collins would be a very solid lineup.

Other potential all upperclassmen lineups in somewhat recent Wake history:

2010: Ish, Clark, LD, Chas, Weaver

2006: Gray, Strick, Drum, Ellis, Big E

2005: Downey, Gray, Levy, Vytas, Big E

2002: Hicks, Dawson, Howard, Scott, Songaila

1997: Rutland, Braswell, Goolsby, Peral, Duncan
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Next year resembles that 1997 starting lineup if JC comes back.
 
88Deac said:
Pardon if this has appeared somewhere else, but did I see Andy Katz had a little feature this morning about us being a sleeper in the NCAA Tourney? I was at the gym and had my music on and just saw some copy about his sleepers, and then video of Keyshawn and Collins.
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It actually was Katz asking Kara Lawson what team could barely get in and win a game or two, and she said us since we're tested being in the ACC, we have a star in Collins and b/c we're potent offensively.

Andy had a huge smile on his face after her comments
 
Fuck Your Couch said:
Pitt and Louisville were basically the opposite game flows of our entire season. Start off great, eventually tighten up and let the lead slip late to start off bad, hang tough and slowly fight back and finish off the game late.
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I like the end results of the Pitt and Louisville games better than the results of the other way.
 
It bears noting how much Wake Forest is a reflection of their coach. No matter what happens we just keep grinding. Not just within one game, but the entire season.
 
Lunardi tweet: As of 3PM today -
Last Byes: Cuse, Seton Hall, Providence Marquette.
Last In: Xavier, USC, Wake, Vandy.
First Out: URI, Cal, Illinois, GTech.
Next Out: K-State, Georgia, Iowa, Clemson
 
Got a decent bump on bracketmatrix - currently an 11 seed, but now appearing on 73 of 109 brackets (looks like the site purged 14 brackets as a I swear it was 123 this morning...)

Surprised that GT is only on 2 brackets now. After last night, feeling good that Houston is done and so is Cal.
 
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