Way back when I think almost everyone could see the potential this team had. That's why they had all those lofty preseason rankings. That's why Cronin was talking up this team.
I think we all could also see that it would take time for this team to get their legs under themselves learning how to play together and, for those new to the program, how to play within Cronin's demands. Throughout the season, starting with the Arizona game, we kept seeing that potential emerge.
Then we'd see the slippage over and over again. Progress is hardly ever a straight line affair but this team has taken that journey to another level. This "roller coaster" ride of a season has had to be a strikingly frustrating challenge for Cronin and his staff.
We who are viewing all of this from afar keep thinking this team has turned the corner and are finally on their way toward all those lofty preseason predictions only to be disappointed once again. We've seen the meltdown of Cronin as he continued to suffer the slings and arrows of his team's venture toward growth.
When I look back to the Arizona game and, to a lesser extent, the Gonzaga game I think of all the wasted opportunities. This team reminds me of a team I coached that all season was better then they had played the entire season until the last game. In that last game of the season we beat the conference leader quite handily who had dominated the entire conference. I remember just crying after that game as all my frustrations of the season were released in one fell swoop. But sometimes growth has its own timeline and it can't be rushed or manufactured. Let's hope this is finally the corner being turned for this team.
Right now it is not totally unreasonable to think that this team could run the table. If so, it couldn't be happening at a better time and could bode well for their tourney chances. Fingers crossed.