Good news for Shockers:

by **CBB_Fan** » February 27th, 2013, 11:53 pm

Losing to the Aces (I hate Colt Ryan more than any other MVC player in recent memory), has one beneficial effect. It will almost certainly hurt the Shockers seeding, making them at best an 8-9 seed.

How is this good, you ask? The Shockers are 4-0 in games they should have lost... and have lost 6 games to teams they should have beaten. If you are the Shockers, you probably don't want to face a team like Bucknell or Belmont in your first round.

Losing to the Aces means the Shockers will be an underdog if they get into the tournament. Honestly, I've seen the way this team plays when they are the underdog, and I've seen the way they play when they are favored. I know which I want to see.

That said, they need to go on a nice winning streak to end the season with Valley regular season and tournament titles.

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by **Deanthonybowdenfan** » February 28th, 2013, 12:02 am

It's a natural part to a competitor, you dig deeper and deeper and want it more and more, the harder you know its gonna be to win. There really is something to be said for being the underdog for any team. I believe you actually are almost right that the loss is good in that way. The key here is, be way better than your opponents think you are. Maybe that has been Coach McDermotts strategy come to think of it. Now people think were just an average team, so if we get in the Dance , our opponents will play down to their competition, not realizing that their competition is secretly a top 15 team.

by **iSASO** » February 28th, 2013, 6:54 am

I would think that the projected 4th place team would be happy as a 13-seed underdog in the NCAA tournament. I suspect Colt Ryan would be.

by **CBB_Fan** » February 28th, 2013, 7:26 am

iSASO wrote:I would think that the projected 4th place team would be happy as a 13-seed underdog in the NCAA tournament. I suspect Colt Ryan would be.

I just think the way we approach games when we are an underdog is better. Maybe it is because so much of our game involves physically outworking our opponents, and we tend to ease off when feel it isn't necessary. Maybe it is because we simply focus more as an underdog and don't get into the tight/uneasy shape that we do against the Evansvilles of the world.

by **Ace Dad** » February 28th, 2013, 8:33 am

CBB_Fan wrote:
iSASO wrote:I would think that the projected 4th place team would be happy as a 13-seed underdog in the NCAA tournament. I suspect Colt Ryan would be.

I just think the way we approach games when we are an underdog is better. Maybe it is because so much of our game involves physically outworking our opponents, and we tend to ease off when feel it isn't necessary. Maybe it is because we simply focus more as an underdog and don't get into the tight/uneasy shape that we do against the Evansvilles of the world.

Could it be your team is not as good as you believe it to be and the Aces are not as bad as you think they are?

by **CBB_Fan** » February 28th, 2013, 8:58 am

Ace Dad wrote:Could it be your team is not as good as you believe it to be and the Aces are not as bad as you think they are?

Evansville is just two of our losses, and all have come in games the Shockers were favored (maybe not Tennessee). Especially that SIU loss...

But in games @VCU, against Southern Miss down three starters with little time to prepare, @Indiana State, and versus Creighton, the Shockers have played like a completely different team. Correlation does not equal causation, but we have played better as an underdog.

by **RxJay** » February 28th, 2013, 9:03 am

Shockers were favored by 2.5 in the Creighton game. So there goes your theory.

by **CBB_Fan** » February 28th, 2013, 10:45 am

RxJay wrote:Shockers were favored by 2.5 in the Creighton game. So there goes your theory.

While that might have been the spread, I think people still felt the Shockers were the underdog in that game. A 2.5 spread at home essentially means the Shockers would have been 3-4 point dogs on a neutral court.

by **WhiskeySierraUniform** » February 28th, 2013, 6:21 pm

Deanthonybowden wrote: Now people think were just an average team, so if we get in the Dance , our opponents will play down to their competition, not realizing that their competition is secretly a top 15 team.

That ship sailed a long time ago my friend...nobody outside of Omaha thinks CU is a top 15 team.

by **Deanthonybowdenfan** » February 28th, 2013, 11:49 pm

That was my point ......are you retarded ? My whole point was that noone will think were a top 15 team....god bless bro