We suck this year. We didn't improve much. I know that was a letdown for me because the measurables I set were about improving on defense and on the boards, in taking better shots and finding guys for the future. In a season where W&L wasn't gonna matter much, those areas of improvement felt reasonable. Hardly half of those were met. Those are my concerns for the team going forward. I hope Danny has the temperament for kids these days. He strikes me as a no nonsense type of guy who won't take shit from divas who think the game is about them. When we do get stars on campus (and we will again soon, I have little doubt), they better be the right kinds of kids. Manning also strikes me as a fucking winner, someone who losing affects him personally and at his core. It's how you become the best player in college basketball, win championships, and then enter a career leading young men. I don't know if Manning will be successful at Wake. The challenges of the new ACC, the program he inherited, the state of the athletic department, the rigors of Wake academics. It's a very tough job, especially for a new (relatively) young coach. I have my concerns and doubts about aspects of his coaching style and demeanor.
At this point though, the hand wringing is beyond idiotic. A frank assessment of this roster is not Wake Forest caliber. I don't say that to denigrate the character of the players specifically or as a group. I don't say that lightly either. We expect better because we have been better, the last five years notwithstanding. If people get angry, I understand why. I don't think they're bad fans, though I think some are blinded by unrealistic hatred. There's also some level of class and decorum that I'd like to think separates us from Pack Pride and other awful boards, but with some posters here, it's clearly lacking. The "balck Buzz" tags, the constant player call out threads, the inflammatory drivel that adds nothing.
I think we will be better as a team next year and even better the year after that. We'd better be.
