What do you think?

[purplehorse]

Granted we still have a ways to go so the answers here could change 180 degrees before the end of the season.

Based on the season as of today this is the question:

Do you think we have underachieved or overachieved based on the talent on this Furman team?

I can see the answer being either way. I think we have less offensive power on the court this year vs last year with Andrew Brown now being gone.

[DungeonRealm]

Granted we still have a ways to go so the answers here could change 180 degrees before the end of the season.

Based on the season as of today this is the question:

Do you think we have underachieved or overachieved based on the talent on this Furman team?

I can see the answer being either way. I think we have less offensive power on the court this year vs last year with Andrew Brown now being gone.

We are 18-5 and sitting in first place of a good SoCon, if anybody says underachieved I am going to slap them silly

[DungeonRealm]

Next year we get everyone back except Lyons, and we get 4 new players into the fold to strengthen our bench, we are built for long term success

[CharlieFU]

Next year we get everyone back except Lyons, and we get 4 new players into the fold to strengthen our bench, we are built for long term success

I look for a breakout season next year for Slawson and Bothwell.

[Paul C]

Overachieved

We are 8-2 in the SoCon and this time last year were 6-4.

[Furmanoid]

I think we have overachieved to an almost miraculous level. After watching the last few games, I just don’t think our guys are really super good. I don’t watch every game so it’s more of a random sample. They always look pretty much the same to me: not that great. Eye test-wise they look like an above average DII team (I watch a lot of DII). BUT THEY WIN. So we should be proud of them but hope to keep getting better guys.

[DungeonRealm]

I think we have overachieved to an almost miraculous level. After watching the last few games, I just don’t think our guys are really super good. I don’t watch every game so it’s more of a random sample. They always look pretty much the same to me: not that great. Eye test-wise they look like an above average DII team (I watch a lot of DII). BUT THEY WIN. So we should be proud of them but hope to keep getting better guys.

You deserve a slap, saying you don't watch every game but calling the first place team in the SoCon "an above average DII team"
You sound like a secret woffy fan trying to say asinine things

[Roundball]

I think we have overachieved to an almost miraculous level. After watching the last few games, I just don’t think our guys are really super good. I don’t watch every game so it’s more of a random sample. They always look pretty much the same to me: not that great. Eye test-wise they look like an above average DII team (I watch a lot of DII). BUT THEY WIN. So we should be proud of them but hope to keep getting better guys.

You have underachieved with your comments. I am suspicious that you are a Woffy fan. Auburn was lucky to beat this team. To compare our Paladins to an above average DII is nuts. Since you are a Woffy fan, I will admit that against your Terriers, we looked like a below average DI team.

[DungeonRealm]

I think we have overachieved to an almost miraculous level. After watching the last few games, I just don’t think our guys are really super good. I don’t watch every game so it’s more of a random sample. They always look pretty much the same to me: not that great. Eye test-wise they look like an above average DII team (I watch a lot of DII). BUT THEY WIN. So we should be proud of them but hope to keep getting better guys.

You have underachieved with your comments. I am suspicious that you are a Woffy fan. Auburn was lucky to beat this team. To compare our Paladins to an above average DII is nuts. Since you are a Woffy fan, I will admit that against your Terriers, we looked like a below average DI team.

As did wofford recently when they played UTC and WCU

[apaladin]

If we are ranked in the top 23 percent of D1 teams and are a mediocre D2 team what does that make the other 275 teams below us including Clempson, UNC, S. Carolina and Woffy?

[Davemeister]

I'll let you know what I think after March 9.

[Furmanoid]

Not a Wofford guy. Furman ‘83. The hysteria about my comparison to DII just shows you don’t know much about DII. The best DII teams would regularly beat the dreadful bottom 200 of DI. That’s no big secret. They would sometimes beat the better ones. Augusta U. (upper middle maybe) beat USC in Columbia last year. VMI and Citadel would really struggle. I watch DII games a lot. When I watch Furman it isn’t obvious that they are very much better. Seeing that makes it hard to get super excited about the current team. But they are winning, and that should help them get better players and really build something. Too bad our facility really does look like DII.

[youwouldno]

This season, D-I teams have gone 430-6 against non D-I teams. That provides plenty of data points for computer rankings to compare teams across divisions.

In Massey, Furman is #77 overall. The #1 D-II team is #130. The next two are #149 and #181. So overall, in all of D-II there are 2 teams that are above the D-I average, and 1 team right around average. The SoCon has 3 teams better than any D-II team and another that is comparable to the top D-II team.

The worst SoCon team, Citadel, would rank #58 out of 309 in D-II.

So whether or not it is "obvious" to any particular observer, Furman is in fact much better than every single team in D-II, and much, much better than the typical "above average" D-II team (like 30 points per game better).

The Paladins could certainly use more size/athleticism/firepower to compete against strong D-I teams, but that's the case for almost all mid-majors.

[Furmanoid]

I was making the point that Furman is winning even though their players aren’t all that talented. OK I’m wrong they are awesome. But somehow they needed a miracle to beat the most unathletic group of stiffs I think I’ve ever seen on a college court. So that means the coach must be horrible. What other explanation is there?

[youwouldno]

I was making the point that Furman is winning even though their players aren’t all that talented. OK I’m wrong they are awesome. But somehow they needed a miracle to beat the most unathletic group of stiffs I think I’ve ever seen on a college court. So that means the coach must be horrible. What other explanation is there?

That's not how basketball works. It's hard to believe you watch much of it at any level, to demonstrate this level of ignorance.

The better team doesn't always win. Upsets are pretty common in modern basketball, due to the role of the 3-point shot.

Loyola Chicago lost at home to Coppin State (much worse than VMI) and is now 2nd in the Missouri Valley. It happens. There are examples across all conferences.

It's impossible to be the ~#78 team in the country and not have much talent. It just can't be done. And Furman has wins against the #66 and #79 teams in the country. How is that possible without talent? Your posts on this are completely idiotic and you should quit while you're behind.