[81alum]

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If I had to make a bet before the tourney began, the Elite Eight is where I would have bet on our losing (second game away from home). Didn't really expect us to make the Final Four, but I sure didn't expect a second round loss at Maples either.

Yes, it was a year of diminishing expectations.  After our overtime loss to South Carolina, I thought we could win a national championship, based on how close we came in that game and the expected improvement of our freshmen, who had not played much then.

But loss by loss it became increasingly obvious that something was amiss, and expectations got eroded bit by bit.  By the end, in my worst nightmares I imagined something like our loss to Andy Landers' Georgia team in the sweet sixteen in 2013.  But the loss came even earlier.

[81alum]

.

If I had to make a bet before the tourney began, the Elite Eight is where I would have bet on our losing (second game away from home). Didn't really expect us to make the Final Four, but I sure didn't expect a second round loss at Maples either.

Yes, it was a year of diminishing expectations.  After our overtime loss to South Carolina, I thought we could win a national championship, based on how close we came in that game and the expected improvement of our freshmen, who had not played much then.

But loss by loss it became increasingly obvious that something was amiss, and expectations got eroded bit by bit.  By the end, in my worst nightmares I imagined something like our loss to Andy Landers' Georgia team in the sweet sixteen in 2013.  But the loss came even earlier.