Not to fan flames or rumors, but I've wondered a couple of things:
*Has the sickness that kept coming back to bite Melsahn Basabe essentially wiped out his season? He just doesn't seem to be able to keep his energy for very long. If so, I feel bad for the young man, because we've all seen what he can do when he is fully healthy. Even when he comes out strong (several key rebounds early in the Northwestern game), it seems he can't sustain it;
*Is there something affecting Gesell's shooting (like an injury)? He certainly wouldn't be the first player to have a season wiped out by something like a nagging wrist injury that he won't say anything about because he doesn't want to use it as an excuse. But the idea that a point guard's free throws are, at best, a crap shoot seems strange to me. I just can't get over the fact that, somewhere inside that young man, is a much better shooter;
*Is there at least some truth to the idea that, because of the long season (that goes back to Europe), they have hit a wall? Those that doubt that would point to the "one-game-in-thirteen-days" they had after the Indiana/Assembly Hall debacle. But in that light, see what a major league team would do after having thirteen days off after the World Series - they're still tired, but now they have also lost their edge - they may or may not ever get it back without an off-season;
*I also can't ignore the fact that we have had the misfortune of playing a lot of teams lately with a giant "chip on their shoulder." A couple of them (Ohio State, Illinois) had been playing so badly up to the Iowa game, they had had "player-only meetings" prior to the Iowa game. Even some of the others, like Michigan State, Northwestern and Northwestern were coming off something pretty bad - Tom Izzo even stepped in when Sparty wanted to have such a meeting prior to our game. I'd LOVE to play one game on terms where the two teams just play.
Yes, losing breeds speculation. But often-times there really is more to it. But nothing would cure that than an NCAA bid followed by a victory - then another - then ... GO HAWKS!!
