“Aztecs Basketball-Wait Till Next Year”
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So it’s officially over.

No one is happy. Lots of work to be done.

The Aztecs are going to any post-season tournament games, not the NCAA..not the NIT…not the CIT tourney.

What they need to do is take some time off…hold end of season exit meetings with the coaches staff….get ready for off season workouts.

And expect a culture change and tougher coaching going forward.

For years and years, a 19-win season would have been rewarding, but now it is a disappointment.

Aztecs basketball has been about 20-plus win seasons…even a 30-win season…trips to March madness….a chance to be in the Sweet 16.

What happened this year? Lots.

Injury and illness to virtually all their big men. It started with the Malik Pope knee injury…it ended with him injurying it. Add in Zy Cheatem, Max Hoetzel, Matt Shrigley, sometimes healthy, sometimes not.

Valentine Izundu was a disappointment after transferring from Washington State.

Defense was the Aztecs calling card for years, but the card must have fallen out of their pocket on many nights, because we only saw it once in awhile.

Scoring became a challenge. Free throw shooting was erratic. The resolve to take over games missing.

Was there too much ego? Was there not enough resolve? Was there faulty leadership? Was there lack of discipline? Was there too much notoriety? Was too much taken for granted?

You can probably hit check marks in all those categories.

So things must change. Better focus, more intensity, and additional players.

Jalen McDaniels redshirted this year as a freshman. He plays and plays alot next year.
Guard Devin Watson transfers in from USF and plays with 3-years left.

They do return Trey Kell and Jeremy Hensley, but they graduate D’Erryl Williams and Dakari Allen, their defensive spirit.

It’s the second year in a row without an invite to the Big Show. Hell they didn’t even get an invite to the NIT, where Colorado State-Boise-Fresno all play this weekend.

This year was an aberration. Next year will be a bounce back season.

Believe it, thought between point A today to point B-next opening night, things are going to change, on the floor, off the floor and in that lockeroom.

Steve Fisher and Brian Dutcher will mandate it. These Aztecs players will have to deal with it. .

What we saw this year was not acceptable for a program that had risen to great heights.

Wait till next year. They better work harder to be better than this year”

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