We had an averageish effort against a team capable of beating us at averageish effort if they played closer to their best putting us in a position of being beatable on that particular night yet we did not play so poorly as not to have a chance, we just failed to dig it out.
If you are looking for a flaw, it was always defensive rebounding. A couple of boards taking away second chances probably means we don't have this particular conversation.
If you want another then it is one created by happenstance, we didn't play any of the barely or really even less a handful of teams in the country capable of punishing us for switching every screen until the Final Four because it was essentially just Wisconsin, Duke, Gonzaga, and maybe Arizona that had the personel.
The worry about the switching was conventionally a big in in a mismatch on the perimeter but Willie and to a lesser degree KAT could handle that piece, Wisconsin got us with highly skilled big men that could handle and take our big guards to the post and abuse them, particularly Booker who is neither strong enough to hold such a skilled big nor enough of a pest to challange the handle.
I also think we win in any event if Lyles doesn't hit that kid in the face OR if the foul is called, sure our lead is evaporated by that but there was time and motivation to play like the devil is at your back but by going down like it did, 5he officials went totally against probably in part as "make up", we then go conservative to hold on and crap out, no fouls will be called on drives unless they are tackles.
I believe that action and no call changed the momentum.
Nothing special happened, we didn't get exposed, we didn't melt down, we didn't just show up. We just played a really good and experienced team with skilled, NBA caliber, upperclassmen bigs against whom we had a high C/low B effort that overall played about to their potential and so they had just enough to squeak by us on a given night.
We lost, we were good enough to win but didn't. It happens there are no seven game series in college so more often than not the best team doesn't win, suck it up, and be thankful we are in it to win it year in and year out.
Once the Final Four isn't at an least acceptable year (even if almost minimally so) no matter how good a team we have you are doing nothing but setting yourself up for all but constant disappointment and unappreceative delusional thinking.
It is supposed to hurt when the big hardware doesn't come home to Lexington, it is supposed to be frustrating, it should generate that gnawing hunger in our bellies but not so much that the game is joyless or empty save winning the final game.
