Whoa, wait a minute... I have said they choked? CHOKED? You're gonna have to prove that one.Polito wrote: but I'll just say to wags, disagree 100% that this program shouldn't have won before this year. And you have said it yourself before too. This program has fully choked at least 2, likely 3 times. It is inexcusable that this team has not gone dancing before this year. Talent wasn't the issue (overall) IMO, they just failed.
Doesn't take away this years awesomeness one bit IMO by the way - I'm on cloud 9! But to act like they shouldn't have won before is silly to me.
Again, just because HU in particular has struggled to get over the hump doesn't necessarily mean they didn't have the talent. They've just dropped the ball until now. We know as sports fans plenty of sports teams across the world fail despite their talent. It's literally the definition of 'choking, and HU has done their fair share unfortunately for us all!
I've never thought that. I said they had the talent to win in the past, but talent alone doesn't win. If it did, the most talented team would win every sport, every year, and we know that's not even remotely the case. You have to execute. I've said they failed to execute, but I don't believe I ever said that they choked or SHOULD have won going into the tournament. At most, I said they should've held onto the lead in 2016 and that Juan'ya severely cost them the chance to do that, going 2/16 and missing late at the line (nothing against him, great player, great career, just not that night). But I never said they SHOULD win going in. Talent and the 1 seed merely gives you a good chance. But you don't play on paper, you play on the floor. I said they had great chances to win that year and last year. How could you not have a great chance to win when you're the top seed, like they were in 2016 and 2019? But that guaranteed nothing, especially when you're playing a 2 seed with good talent of their own in each of those games.
And, you said likely 3 times? What would be the third time? I don't think you can count 2007, especially after Stokes got punched, and I don't think you can count 2015, which was extremely close, but they were also a 5 seed, trying to beat a 1.
Big difference between COULD have won and SHOULD have won. Absolutely COULD have won a few times, including 2007 and 2015. I'm on board there. SHOULD, or CHOKED, is when you're a heavy favorite and don't show up. They'd never been in that position in the CAA tourney, even this year, at a 1 seed facing a 6 in the finals (hence the 1-pt favorite they were in that one).