Wait Until Next Year.....

The Texas A&M Aggies battle cry year after year. Because of the recent Boston Red Sox success, Aggie fans have now become the leaders when it comes to high hopes, stunning disappointments, and the undying belief in this thing called next season. (Apologies to Chicago Cubs fans)

The latest in a long string of heartaches, the ninth seed Aggies 49 and one seed UCLA 51.

I honestly didn’t think that this would be much of a game. I thought the inconsistency the Aggies had faced all year would come to the forefront early on in the game and UCLA would just be too much for this team. I was wrong and right. As my Aggies built a 10 point lead midway through the second half, I began to make hotel reservations in San Antonio for the Final Four. Little did I know that 30 very short real minutes later I would be pitching a temper tantrum like a four year old girl. ALMOST 10 MINUTES WITHOUT A BASKET, 10 MINUTES. HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU DO THAT? My sick suspicion before the game came to be a real fact in the end.

Most would hope that I would say that had Donald Sloan should have been at the line with a chance to tie. We were robbed, we were robbed. Well, we were!!! On that call… But as a former high caliber high school athlete playing this particular sport, I think that you never blame one call for the loss of a game.

Donald Sloan had a chance to let the play develop and get it to who it was meant for in the first place, Dominique Kirk flashing open for a three to win the game. Watch the replay, Kirk’s man gets lost in the shuffle. Had Sloan waited a half-second longer to commit on his drive, Kirk gets open with a great look to win the game.

The real thing to blame is the inconsistency of not having a go to guy on offense to help you down the stretch. It is hard to replace an All-American point guard like Acie Law. It may have been too much to ask this team to duplicate the success is the 06-07 season. All and all I think the year was successful. The program moved forward.

But next year, good ‘ol next year. Next year we will be really good. Or will we? Between now and next October, Mark Turegon must find his leader and go to guy when it all matters the most. The leader in the clubhouse? Donald Sloan. He is at times clunky, out of control, and on the brink of being another special player to vault the Aggies to the next level. Why Sloan? For all of his flaws, he is not afraid. He has the look in his eye that many great closer have. You know, that intense stare that boarder lines on psychotic killer. Every great player has it. I see it in Sloan. He made a bad decision (not as bad as Deandre Jordan did, but that is a completely different and lengthy post) but from this bad decision he will learn. Who knows, the next big crunch time decision may be the decision that takes the Aggies all the way to the Final Four.

But then again, I am thinking about next year. Everyone knows how much we Aggies love looking forward to next year……