Beating a team this highly ranked will be a bigger “credibility” check than any other win this season.
If we win, then we immediately rise to top contender status nationally, and will have all major pundits talking (unless, of course, we absolutely fall flat on our faces the rest of the way, which won’t happen under CKS).
If we lose, but play close, then at least we earn respect; the rest of the country will know that we are for real.
But if we are convincingly defeated, then we’ll wear the “overrated” albatross around our necks for the rest of the season until tourney time.
That’s why, other than post season elimination games, this is the biggest game of the season. DON’T underestimate it.
I don’t mind if we get upset once or twice in conference play; it’s nearly impossible to run the table in basketball. But outside of tourney games, this is the closest thing to a “must win” that we have.
If the goal is to get a higher seeding 1-4 in the Tournament then today’s game is a must win game. Else it is not as we should be in the tournament anyways.
Alabama will be pretty decent…
That said everyone should chill and enjoy the game today between two very talented programs.
This should be a good shootout. Who does this game mean more to? We both have played a grand total of two games each and neither has beaten a decent team, although there could be a case for Boise State being better than anyone Tech played.
This game will be hard fought, but since it is an early game there will probably be sloppy moments.
This game is also big because these two recruit many of the same kids…we wanted McCullers and a few others at Tech now, and I know the Red Raiders also recruited several of our players, including Mark and Shead last year.
I will say this, TT plays in a much tougher conference than we do so they can easily make up a loss today. Other than Alabama I am not sure we play anyone of national importance the rest of the way.
But I am not going to lose any sleep, win or lose. I know we have a really good team and it will be a good season regardless.
I do wish their 7 footer was playing just so they couldn’t use that as an excuse. Remember we will be playing without White…
Tech is ranked ahead of Coogs in all Pre-Season Polls. A loss will not hurt at all. These are the gms that non-conf matchups are all about.
Win win for both.
In my opinion, this game will determine nothing that happens in the post season.
Just a reminder that a couple years ago UH and TT played a preseason scrimmage and reportedly were a pretty even match-up. Irregardless of that game result, both teams ended up playing in NCAA tourney games up in Tulsa but they didn’t end up facing each other in the tourney.
By way of example, if seeding was fully determinative, then #6 N.C. State doesn’t beat #1 UH in 1983 for the title, and #8 Villanova doesn’t beat #1 Georgetown in 1985 for the title.
It could very well help determine our SEEDING for the post-season though.
My understanding is that playoff committees do indeed take high-level wins into consideration when determining playoff seeding, and as far as I can tell, this is our only truly high-level opponent.
Given that…it’s DAMN important that we win.
Losing won’t ruin the season or necessarily keep us out of the playoffs, but winning would likely be a HUGE boost in terms of playoff seeding.
And yes, seeding IS important, even if not “fully determinative,” N.C. State example notwithstanding.
Clearly CKS understands that these early season game outcomes are far less important than the regular, on-going and consistent development of our team while integrating 4 freshmen players this year. And next year we add 3 more freshmen, bringing next year’s freshman team total up to 7.
This is much more of a long-term journey than it is an event. Let’s just chill out and enjoy the ride.
I think we win a low scoring slug fest today. Jarreau and Grimes will lock down McClung like they did Alston on Friday and Mills is going to go off like Grimes did. Houston by 7.
that wichita game was a program turning point IMO…it was a blessing in disguise as it shifted our cultured, prior to that game sampson used to preach on NBA offense, and being a dynamic scoring team…i remember Sampson was interviewed in the practice after that blowout loss and said “this will never happen again”. defense and rebounding became the focal point of this team ever since.