A horrendous ending should not define the movie or the book. But it often does.
Last season ended on a dour note with 6 losses and a 1st Round bounce from the HLT but there are many reasons to be hopeful about the future.
Let's stop with all this garbage talk about the Milwaukee program has no talent to even talk about a big turnaround. I'm here to start talking about that big turnaround. 'Starts today with a victory over K-State.
The Horizon League- and the MVC once they realize we are a demographic and geographic fit- are going to be fun next next few decades. The Horizon can become competitive again. Milwaukee will reach far beyond the Sweet 16 that has defined the program up until today. Step back and take the long view.
Maybe I just believe fortune is stronger than logical prediction. And this team always gets a fortuitous thriller of a season every few years. The trick is to capture and harness and maintain that enthusiasm, that level of play and that standard of excellence.
We were literally talking about already being in the MVC (with Doug Elgin, the commissioner of the MVC) by this point in college hoops history just 2-3 years ago.
My how the mighty have fallen... But do not fear some imaginary sword of Damocles just because you need a scapegoat or a copout to justify abandoning the Milwaukee Panthers. It has taken some time to locate and assemble the chess pieces, but Coach Baldwin has found those who can unlock the cheat code, the sword in the stone that only a Champion can unlock and wield, so to speak.
Watch it wave, Horizon League.
Jog down '19-'20 season memory lane...:
Feb 15 Green Bay L 90-94 12-14
Feb 21 @ Oakland L 68-75 12-15
Feb 23 @ Detroit Mercy L 73-79 12-16
Feb 27 Cleveland State L 68-70 12-17
Feb 29 Youngstown St. L 69-73 12-18
If we win 4 of those 5 games our record would have been 16-15 overall and 11-7 in conference. It cannot be said enough how much that late-season swoon turned what was a program on the rise in most peoples' eyes into a presumed cellar dweller.
That is why we play the games. Let's see how the ball bounces in the close one's this time around.
Woulda. Coulda. Will.
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