We don’t know what else to talk about but the economy and UM sports.
While everything looks fine and dandy with the baseball team (except for that slip-up against Rhode Island last week), the high hopes initially riding on Jack McClinton and the basketball squad seem to have been forgotten.
This season has not gone where it was supposed to go. Our first loss to UConn was upsetting but expected. Things really began to slip when McClinton slapped an Ohio State player 10 minutes into the first half of that game. We blew a 14-point halftime lead and lost by five.
About two months and two losses later, we lost to Virginia Tech in overtime, starting a three-game losing streak, all of which were winnable games. The inconsistency is upsetting to fans. The worst part is there is no sense to be made from all of this. The team has the talent and (we thought) the motivation to be winners. After enduring four years of rough football, we finally thought the basketball team was on the rise.
The kicker? This team isn’t bad. Perhaps they couldn’t recapture the lightning in a bottle that fueled last season’s run to the second round of the NCAA tournament, but veteran presence should have been enough to get this squad primed for another run. Instead, like so many past Canes basketball seasons, we fans sit and wait for the results from the ACC tournament, wondering if we can win enough games to hit that magic number.
Enough disappointment. It’s time for the ACC tourney, and it’s time to step up. There is no doubt in any Hurricane mind that we have the talent to beat any team in our conference. The opportunity for redemption is here. We’ll be playing Virginia Tech (again) in the first round Thursday at noon. It’s now-or-never time.