Name one thing you hope that will be improved this week against OU?
I don't have really high expectations for this game, not that we can't keep it close or competitive, but to me it feels like that would be more on OU struggling than something we can control (while understanding we could add to them struggling, OU has had good games and bad games this year so hopefully we catch them on a bad game night). So with that in mind, I want to see something get fixed quickly that happened last week...
Coach Beaty got visibly frustrated last week. It's understandable why, and personally the OkSU game was the probably the most disappointed I have been this season, but I will explain why I hope this doesn't happen again this week. I say he was frustrated not so much in the sense of a play didn't go his way or player didn't do what he wants - that happens all of the time and furthermore any coach would be getting frustrated given the situation KU is in right now...Beaty isn't Superman (I don't think he is anyways). But something we saw after the game last week was him mentioning he wasn't pleased with the effort...then at his press conference this past week said he had misspoke and the effort was there. To me, that was a sign that Beaty let his frustration get the most of him, but also a sign that he knew he needed to fix that because he didn't have to address this at his press conference. So for that, I do find some encouragement.
Why I hope this gets fixed goes back to thinking that this season was never about this season, it was about preparing for future seasons. That means with the next few games, things can still be accomplished that will be helpful for the program. Things can still be built. However, you don't want a trail of frustration following you to finish the season. That requires the coaches to stay the course, stay focused, and still bring the energy they have. It can be hard to maintain this with the season KU has had, but these kids need that energy. I also think they will be like that. I see what happened last week as a very very very minor hiccup and Beaty has already shown he is fixing it (which again is encouraging), but no matter what happens tomorrow I want to see that energy throughout the game against OU and it starts with the coaching staff (and I think they will bring the energy).
I don't have really high expectations for this game, not that we can't keep it close or competitive, but to me it feels like that would be more on OU struggling than something we can control (while understanding we could add to them struggling, OU has had good games and bad games this year so hopefully we catch them on a bad game night). So with that in mind, I want to see something get fixed quickly that happened last week...
Coach Beaty got visibly frustrated last week. It's understandable why, and personally the OkSU game was the probably the most disappointed I have been this season, but I will explain why I hope this doesn't happen again this week. I say he was frustrated not so much in the sense of a play didn't go his way or player didn't do what he wants - that happens all of the time and furthermore any coach would be getting frustrated given the situation KU is in right now...Beaty isn't Superman (I don't think he is anyways). But something we saw after the game last week was him mentioning he wasn't pleased with the effort...then at his press conference this past week said he had misspoke and the effort was there. To me, that was a sign that Beaty let his frustration get the most of him, but also a sign that he knew he needed to fix that because he didn't have to address this at his press conference. So for that, I do find some encouragement.
Why I hope this gets fixed goes back to thinking that this season was never about this season, it was about preparing for future seasons. That means with the next few games, things can still be accomplished that will be helpful for the program. Things can still be built. However, you don't want a trail of frustration following you to finish the season. That requires the coaches to stay the course, stay focused, and still bring the energy they have. It can be hard to maintain this with the season KU has had, but these kids need that energy. I also think they will be like that. I see what happened last week as a very very very minor hiccup and Beaty has already shown he is fixing it (which again is encouraging), but no matter what happens tomorrow I want to see that energy throughout the game against OU and it starts with the coaching staff (and I think they will bring the energy).
