I'm gonna start this thing with a few caveats. First off, I regret to inform any anti-Bzdelik posters that this game, even though it is one of the worst games I have ever seen, has not "converted" me any more than I already was. I have never said conclusively that I think Jeff Bzdelik should be the Wake coach of the future; to me the jury is out whether or not his contract should be extended after next year, though admittedly it's skewing towards a no.
I feel like there is this misconception that I am perhaps content with mediocrity or that I don't have any investment in the coaching situation other than what boils down to defending the administration (and part of that is a defense mechanism, but I won't get into that). This is patently false. If this level of performance continues next year then yes, it is GENUINELY time to start exploring other options or at least seriously considering them. No one will get any argument from me in that case other than perhaps the vehemence with which the sentiment is expressed.
Secondly, I will not be discussing or breaking down stats. I just don't have it in me this time guys, I'm sorry, but I feel as if I'd be doing my colleagues here on BSD a disservice by not providing something, and something substantial this time. So we're going to get that. Oh we're going to get it alright.
Thirdly, in a way I'm glad for this experience, because it will forcibly teach me how to express levels of rage, contempt, disdain, confusion, and disgusted resignation I previously wouldn't have been able to even fathom all without the use of profanity.
With those caveats out of the way, go through the looking glass after the jump if you dare...
I'm gonna do my best to say something about everybody, but some people are gonna get more attention than others. This is less because I'm trying to single people out (because just as it's a team effort when we win, it's a team effort when we lose, especially in such mind boggling fashion) and more because the flaws and failures of some stuck out in my mind more than those of others.- Tony Chennault: my God. I don't have any idea what he was doing, and I don't think he would've been able to tell me what he was doing either. Whatever song he was playing, it wasn't "I'm Gonna Be A Good Point Guard" by whoever did that one. I honestly can't remember. It's confusing to me; it's not as if the kid isn't capable of playing basketball. He wouldn't have gotten scholarship offers if that was the case. It's also not as if he's terrible 100% of the time. Tony has had good games for us. I think he's probably a good kid who works hard (and actually while we're at it, assume I said this about everyone because I really do like the cut of the players we have right now and I don't want it to ever be thought otherwise) and I fully think that Tony is CAPABLE of being a good point guard and growing as a player. But saying Tony was ineffectual today would be like saying General Custer got taken a little bit by surprise and thought "You know, I wish I had thought this through a little bit better."
- Nikita Mescheriakov: apparently had his jaw wired shut and was still playing. I tip my hat heartily to the man for that, but his efforts today offensively (which was honestly the problem with this game in my opinion) was a lot like a milkshake coming out of a broken blender: it tried to be smooth and tasty, and you could vaguely tell what it was supposed to be like, but there was a whole lot of spinning around involved (in this case balls on the rim) and it ended up just being sorta chunky and failing to be the intended result.
- Ty Walker: actually did everything he was supposed to again, really. Shame about the rest of it.
- C.J. Harris and Travis McKie: both had the same problem, they just disappeared and ultimately couldn't break through their frustration and have success. Travis actually got ejected after an elbow to the face of Scott Wood. I honestly don't get how that works; apparently it was by the letter of the law and everything and that's all well and good but the good news is apparently Wood himself came up to Coach Bzdelik afterwards and said he didn't think it was a dirty play and didn't begrudge Travis for it. As an aside, that's a legitimately cool move by Wood and I have to give him props even though it feels vaguely dirty.
- Chase Fischer: hit a couple pretty shots. That's basically it. But they were PRETTY when they fell.
- Daniel Green: seemed to hustle when he was out there. Good on him.
- Anthony Fields deserved to play more minutes. He didn't look terrible from what I could tell and with TC having what may very well have been the worst game of his career at any level I don't really understand why he wasn't in the game earlier when we could've theoretically made a comeback. Unless of course Anthony Fields is the Hulk Hogan to Scott Wood and oh, I don't know, Lorenzo Brown's Outsiders (dropping the references no one will get today, heck yeah).
- Carson Desrosiers was big. As in physically large, just to be clear. Otherwise I didn't really notice him much.
This was basically the worst game I've ever seen and I was in a huge contingent of State fans. Lucky me. Look guys, I'm not gonna necessarily begrudge any Bzzout types for using this as ammo (though I'll thank them to not bring it up constantly, especially not right now. I'm trying to forget this garbage and it's not going to convince me of anything right now so just don't bother, at least not with me personally) but the fact of the matter is I feel like this game was SO bad I feel like you can't really fairly use it as an indicator of anything. It was a different team in the worst way.
No one looked like they cared. It was bizarre. I've never seen it on the level that we saw today from any team anywhere. Freak confluence of bad circumstances if you ask me. It was like there was something in the water. Or the air. Or something.
Hell, FSU beat UNC by 33. An admittedly Erick Green-less Virginia Tech lost to Boston College.. It's Bizzaro World. Man, if only those Men In Black amnesia light things actually existed...