Just a cautionary tale....
Let's rewind a year....Freeman, Candido Sa, Mike Williams etc on Senior Day and Sanders wearing a white warmup with the seniors who were graduating.
Illinois pretty much wiped the floor with RU in a convincing win.
RU drew Minnesota who some said packed it in as an 11 seed...RU as the 14 seed prevailed...Minnesota didnt take a disappointing finish and loss to RU into the following season.....they added their freshman and upperclassmen got a little better and are going to the NCAAS this year.
RUs disappointed fans on senior day last year but won 2 games at MSG to total up 5 overall B1G wins. And Indiana was a part of equation of momentum into next year by RU defeating the Hoosiers....and then a helluva game vs Purdue.
Some fans say MSG didn't matter much and that 3-15 is the record and RU finished last. Well now RU finished tied for 10th with Penn State and Illinois and won 7 total B1G games so far.
I don't know what path is more important but I just look at the entire body of work vs the B1G. And regardless of Chicago, RU has exceeded expectations given Eugene's injury and hobbled play for most of the B1G and the expected overexposure of Geo as opponent's focus of the game plan defensively by opponents.
RU can beat Nebraska and some fans may roll their eyes as if it's a given. Nothing is a given, just like RU as a 14 seed last year showed.
In whatever case you want to slice it, RU has changed the mindsets of fans and expectations, whether those are reasonable or not doesn't matter. If you win, great, play Thursday and get a bunch of freshman a critical lesson on conference tournament play, even in a 12-13 matchup.
Myles, Carter, Harper, Caleb, Montez, Kiss all have had 20 games vs the B1G, but a neutral court and new arena and setting are valuable elements of the growth cycle.
Finishing in a 3 way tie with PSU, Illinois is a good huge step...just dont overhype this "bottom feeder" , commentary....when the shoe was on the other foot, I never saw it that way and certainly don't now.