I expected. This year's Bruins team was pretty good but not championship caliber, IMO. With the Bruins not having the scorers/offense to over come what may be the best defense in the country, the loss wasn't surprising. I believed we would have to score at least in the low 70s to beat Tennessee but of course, that didn't come close to happening. Lack of a really dominant, true PG is always a problem for teams when playing in big games and the Bruin team simply doesn't have one. Clark is decent, plays hard, but often inconsistent and not dominant from what I see in his game. And Andrews is certainly a disappoint based on what many of us thought he would become by the time he was a junior. Perry seems to have potential but as a 5 star, MacD all star, wasn't the freshman phenom PG that we often see on other some other teams.
I believe that in order to be a legitimate challenger for the BIG 10 title and NCAA championship, the Bruins need the following to add to the team with the returning players next year. (1), a big physical rim protector and good rebounder ( and one who has a decent free throw percentage--don't want any 50% free throw shooters). Be nice if he can score and has some developed post moves too. Mara has a lot of potential but needs quite a bit of physical development to give him that capability--probably adding 20-30 lbs of muscle and improving his stamina and core strength before he can become that guy. (2), a "proven" high end PG if one is available and can be brought in (preferable that he is a good three point and free throw shooter). (3), a dynamic/athletic 6'7-6'8 wing who is a proven scorer, can create his own shot and is a good rebounder. Offensive upgrades and rebounding are key areas that need to be addressed, IMO. Those are 3 "highly skilled" position players I would like to see Cronin bring in to add to the current returning players (maybe a couple more if several players in addition to Johnson and Stefanovic leave). Am I asking for too much?
Anyway, Mrs traprh and I still have one team in the fight. However, Michigan may meet their master with Auburn next week. Michigan has already got a commitment from one of the best PG's in the country coming in next year.