How frustrating is this?

Well, the game itself was frustrating, as the Jackets lost to NCST 2nd time this year and the umpteenth time in a row. The Jackets manage to score a whopping 51 points, and yet still managed to only lose 53-51. The entire game is controlled by NCST who plays the boring, slowdown crap that we cannot deal with.


Folks, this game came down to just one issue - shooting. The Jackets shoot 39% from the floor. Doesn't sound too too terrible right? Wrong. Try 7% from 3pt range. A grand 1-14. And these were not all in-your-face tough shots. There were wide open looks, easy makes for players of this caliber. But what do you do when NOBODY is shooting well? Me, I would have brought in Morrow, but he got one scant minute in the whole ball-game. Bynum and Elder combine to go 1-12. Once again Jarrett Jack has to virtually carry the team, leading in points, rebounds, and assists.


You know, down the stretch we went over 8 minutes without scoring a bucket. Then poor execution and turnovers in the key moments in the last 5 minutes sealed our doom.


The real frustrating part is that now this team is squarely on the bubble. If we weren't before, we are now. All-of-the sudden, the future looks cloudy. And the remaining games are going to be a chore. We go to FSU next, where the Seminoles have beaten Wake Forest this season. We then host Duke at home, go to Miami, go to Wake Forest and end with Clemson at home. To finish .500 in the ACC we will have to go 3-2 in these remaining games, and it is not clear that will happen.


The lesson here? Beating Clemson for a one-game winning streak is not a "turnaround", like the media is portraying. BJ Elder was clearly tired during that game, and he only played 22 minutes. The chemistry is not there yet.


One more lesson for yee of little faith. Keep cheering on this team. There's a lot of game to be played. Keep cheering and supporting and don't get too down.


One last point: NCST has 4 conference wills so far - Maryland, Clemson, Georgia Tech and Georgia Tech. So half of their conference victories have come against us. Sometimes these dang match-ups are a killer. We own them in football, they own us in hoops. Plain and simple.