It's Time!

Following the Mocs solid performance against Kansas, the Mocs return home....exactly where we thought they would be. They are 1-1.

So what was gained against Kansas? A measure of respect by the Jayhawks and the national media. A little bit of pride from the Mocs faithful. Hopefully some confidence for the Mocs players.

So here they sit. And now they come home for the CBE Classic to take on three schools that are all mid-majors. Can the Mocs go unbeaten in these three games?

According to Pomeroy, the Mocs have a chance to win every game, obviously. He declares the SE Missouri game a 50-50 toss-up. The Mocs have (according to him) an 11.9% chance of going 3-0. They have a 10.9% chance of going 0-3. So the chances are roiughly equal for them to go unbeaten as to go undefeated.

That of course is in theory, only. Southeast Missouri is 2-1, Louisiana Tech is 1-1, and Troy is 1-1. The Mocs are also 1-1. So what are the chances for a perfect week?

Better than we might think if the Mocs play with the same confidence they played with in the first half at Kansas.

The key is what kind of confidence the Mocs play with. They really need to come up with the same effort they showed against Kansas on Thursday night. If they do that, the Mocs have a great opportunity to win all of these games. In fact, the Mocs should not be afraid of any team left on their schedule. They can absolutely play with any team left on their schedule, and beat any team left on their schedule, if they continue to play the way they did against the Jayhawks.

This is a huge moment for the Mocs. I get what Coach Shulman said on Thursday night about the record not making any difference after these games. The focus is on getting better. That is partly true. But the Mocs need to come up with the wins for the fan base to continue the enthusiasm that was started on Thursday night. They need to come up with wins to build confidence as they move forward.

I'm not saying 3-0 is necessary. I'm not sure what the Mocs need to do exactly. A 2-1 record would be very good. I've been pushing for the Mocs to be 3-3 after the first six games at least. A 2-1 record would guarantee that much heading to Kennesaw State next weekend.

I'm feeling very excited. I'm ready. The Mocs successfully managed to make me even more excited about this season with their performance against Kansas. Now, with these games that I have been most looking forward to all offseason finally here, my energy has reached a fever pitch. I don't know what this coming week brings (other than a very satisfying four Mocs basketball games, and a remarkable two days that I do not have to go to work), but I do know that I will know a lot more about the Mocs in nine days.

It's time....