re: UA Basketball (16-15, 8-10)

Oats speaking to the team through the media now.

15 regular season games to go.
I'll predict 11-4 or at worse 10-5 which will be 19-20 wins & NCAA tournament worthy.

So win all of our home games and try to get 1-2 on the road. Or go 9-6 the rest of the way?

If we beat Missouri I feel confident t the rest of they way minus Arkansas.

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We are the best 7 loss team by far according to all the metrics.

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Print the damn shirts.

I'm not worried for a few reasons:

1.) It's been a long time since Oats lived in Wisconsin.

2.) Wisconsin will never outbid Bama for a coach. Their current one makes less $$$ than Oats does. Prob. the same when Bo Ryan was their HC. Wisky is not a "money" program, that's why they always going for value---hiring a successful mid-major coaches or even div. 3 one like Ryan.

3.) Oats style is a complete 180 from what Wisky's been running for a quarter century (half-court, swing offense). Even the high schools in that state run that style of offense.

4.) Greg Gard is just a few years older than Oats and he's doing well in that gig. AD Barry Alvarez doesn't hire/fire folks on a whim. He understands the limits of Wisky's athletics and plan around it. That's why their football program stole Nebraska's idea of having a stout walk-on program and they always hire from w/n. As a matter of fact, Alvarez cut his teeth at Nebraska.

I would be more worried about MSU but they would have to offer a ridiculous amount of money. Few Big 10 schools roll like that b/c they still have this "academic" first and foremost mindset. Isht, Oats could've reneged on Bama and went for the Michigan job but he didn't.

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Don’t forget we can actually win one or two in the SEC tourney to help our chances too this year.

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We'll get Kentucky on Friday like usual.

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Has this start begun to show up in recruiting yet?

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Not publicly it hasn't. I'm sure there are prospects out there that are paying attention to what is happening though. The staff has done a pretty good job imo of hitting the trail and being seen. Unfortunately we spent a lot of time and resources on guys that we ended missing on like Nimari and Nix. Not to mention that we were considered heavy favorites to land MarJon, but he elected to skip college altogether and prepare for the NBA Draft. Had we spent more of that time on guys like Colby Jones and/or Deivon Smith, we probably could already have them committed to go along with Keon Ambrose. Hopefully we can keep playing well, pile up some wins, and really make the program a lot more attractive to some blue chippers.