[2006alum]

I just noticed a rather unfortunate coincidence.  The "Play for Kay" shootout in which we are playing (beginning November 23) is at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.  I'm not particularly concerned--that facility must continue on as per normal--but I hadn't expected to see that name popping up in my sports world.  We start the tournament against Kent State, and then will likely play Gonzaga and then Ohio State--for the second time, since we travel to Ohio State for our first game about two weeks earlier.  That is if the seeds hold out.

Our preseason schedule is brutal.  Ohio State (likely twice,) UConn, Baylor, Tennessee--with only Tennessee from that group being at home.  With a very young team, five weeks in November and December are going to provide a very stern test.  And then we get UCLA (at home) to open the season before New Year's. 

Zounds.  It will be like the NCAAs in November.  Thank goodness our wide eyed frosh got a chance to play against the Italian pros.

I kind of like how tough it is. We have eight players in our frosh and sophs who will need to carry our team for the next 3-4 years, and better they get an eye-opening early. I also think our teams in recent years have over- rather than under-performed relative to seeds, so I'm fine with us being lower ranked as a result of early losses to tough teams if it means we're battle tested come March. The only real downside is the possible risk we fall out of the top 25 for the first time in ages if we lose all the tough games. That said, according to our schedule, the first OSU game is technically an exhibit that won't count, and we have enough more forgiving games that we probably won't fall below 50% after a presumptive 0-1 start with the UConn game. By the time we play Tennessee, we'll have played 11 non-exhibition games, so I think even with a 7-4 start we should probably remain ranked. The only real question mark is whether we have surprising bad losses like a few of the ones we've had in recent years (I'm thinking the Santa Clara and Gonzaga ones in particular). If that's the case, all bets are off...

[2006alum]

I just noticed a rather unfortunate coincidence.  The "Play for Kay" shootout in which we are playing (beginning November 23) is at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.  I'm not particularly concerned--that facility must continue on as per normal--but I hadn't expected to see that name popping up in my sports world.  We start the tournament against Kent State, and then will likely play Gonzaga and then Ohio State--for the second time, since we travel to Ohio State for our first game about two weeks earlier.  That is if the seeds hold out.

Our preseason schedule is brutal.  Ohio State (likely twice,) UConn, Baylor, Tennessee--with only Tennessee from that group being at home.  With a very young team, five weeks in November and December are going to provide a very stern test.  And then we get UCLA (at home) to open the season before New Year's. 

Zounds.  It will be like the NCAAs in November.  Thank goodness our wide eyed frosh got a chance to play against the Italian pros.

I kind of like how tough it is. We have eight players in our frosh and sophs who will need to carry our team for the next 3-4 years, and better they get an eye-opening early. I also think our teams in recent years have over- rather than under-performed relative to seeds, so I'm fine with us being lower ranked as a result of early losses to tough teams if it means we're battle tested come March. The only real downside is the possible risk we fall out of the top 25 for the first time in ages if we lose all the tough games. That said, according to our schedule, the first OSU game is technically an exhibit that won't count, and we have enough more forgiving games that we probably won't fall below 50% after a presumptive 0-1 start with the UConn game. By the time we play Tennessee, we'll have played 11 non-exhibition games, so I think even with a 7-4 start we should probably remain ranked. The only real question mark is whether we have surprising bad losses like a few of the ones we've had in recent years (I'm thinking the Santa Clara and Gonzaga ones in particular). If that's the case, all bets are off...