I've always loved coaches who get their players to play HARD. Coaches whose guys are living and dying with their ability to fight for loose balls, pick it up on defense when the game gets to critical moments, make hard plays, do the work of boxing out even if they aren't great natural rebounders, and do the other little things that add up to being competitive, and winning. Coaches who get most guys who buy-in to the system, understand roles, and don't get thrown off their game even when the opponent is trying to impose their will. To me, that's the eye test part of a team. TEAM that's greater than the sum of the parts. We're failing badly at that.
I can say that I've seen moments of that type of fight with these guys. AJ and Trent stick out. But we're no where close to what it takes to compete in the BIG, and I don't see the line-ups we have getting there anytime soon. Could they? Sure. But sadly, the season's over except for maybe a moral victory when someone higher in the conference has a really bad game. It's just staggering as a fan to think the conference season has barely started, and it's Game Over for post-season except the mandatory BIG tourney appearance.
I can't see ANY possibility of meaningful success this season, and I suspect that the players all know this, even if they talk the talk. These guys HAVE to be doubting Underwood, because what he's preaching hasn't been successful. As Bardo said, once you lose a team, it's very hard to get them back.
Giving away games happens. I get that. But when you come in to a game against a clearly inferior opponent looking woefully unprepared for the fight at hand, it begs the question of when will you ever be prepared? And why would you expect people to watch it or support it?