That said, I personally look at this season as a "No Excuses" type of affair. I really don't care how many players get suspended or for what reason. I know why we got where we are, and I know how it happened. I respect the hand Felton was dealt originally.
But these are Felton's recruits. Sixty percent of last year's starters have been suspended and/or dismissed from the team already this year, and we aren't even in December.
Felton isn't going to be pumped about this article. In fact, he says this about negative comments from fans like me...
"I take great offense to anyone who would throw in the towel on our season based on a few players being suspended or dismissed," Felton said. "We have a terrific group of talented players here, as a matter of fact, as talented and as deep as we've had. So I take offense to anybody who would suggest that our season is down or cannot be successful because of this..Ok...well, if this is your super duper talented team, then make the NCAA tourney with it. Impress us all, and get a huge pay raise. I don't think anyone is pulling against them.
"I really like the people that we have in our program and I like the people that are coming into our program," Felton said. "Just like everything else with our program, it's just getting better and better all the time."
At some point though we do have to make meaningful progress as a program. That progress involves making the NCAA Tourney. Progress isn't measured in NIT banners. This is Year 5. If Felton makes the tourney with this group, then he deserves a large contract extension and pay raise.
If not...it'll be hard decision time. In the meantime, be good or behave. Right not, we're doing neither.
Regardless, I'll be attending 6-8 games just like I have every year for the past 17. It's like banging your head inside a car door at times, but what the hell. It's the Dawgs, and I get to bark. So there's that.
See Also:
-- Mercer deserves no sympathy - ABH
PWD
