Quote Originally Posted by Gato78 View Post
I posted this on the premium side and thought maybe it should be over here, too. I am referring to all the boards and naysayers:

I see the problem as follows: those kids played their guts out coming back and taking the lead. They messed up at the end. They deserve some respect for the way they played. Todd made some mistakes but had total stones. Jake MAY have screwed up on the jump ball situation but he hit clutch threes. Yet, he gets hammered. Derrick Wilson would probably be really happy if he could shoot better. Buzz would probably like it if the team executed better. Yet, a lot of yo-yo's are questioning Buzz. Calling it a defining moment. A wasted season etc. Yet, last night more than any other game this year, that group put it all out there.

I will always remember the bus pulling in front of the hotel in St. Louis after we lost to Tulsa in the NCAA in 2002. We fans were waiting for them to give them a pat on the back (hotel bar was right there). They refused to get off the bus. Never saw a more emotionally wrecked group. Some stayed on the bus for 30 minutes, heads down, refusing to look up. I assume it was the same last night. So when the critics show up on the internet, I think of that game and how much it killed that group of kids to lose and how they thought they let everyone down. The guys taking shots need to take a closer look as to how this affects the players and assess the importance to them versus their own comfort and desires.
Well said Gato; I completely agree.