Phantom Warrior
09-14-2013, 03:16 PM
Regardless of how this season turns out, it will always be a "What if?" season for me, as in "What if Vander had chosen to stay for his senior year?"
There have been a few other "What if?" seasons for me over the years but never one that I already knew was going to be a "What if?" season before the season began. I probably shouldn't feel that way, but I do. That question will be hovering/lingering from the first game through the last.
If we don't make it to the Big Dance, the questions will be, "Would we have made it had Vander stayed?"
If we make it to the Dance but don't win conference, it will be, "Would we have won the conference had Vander stayed?"
If we get knocked out in the Round of 32, it will be, "Would we have made the Sweet 16 had Vander stayed?" And so on, right up through the Final Four. And of course, we'll never know the answer to any of these questions.
The other "What if?" seasons came about because of things that happened during the season.
Topping my list is, "What if Al had swallowed his pride and hadn't opted for the NIT instead of the NCAA?" That one still haunts me to this day.
Another one is, "What if Chones had stayed throughout his junior season instead of taking the money and going to the ABA?" That one still pisses me off because no other player in history - as far as I know - left his school before the end of the season to turn pro. I understand the thinking, but JC would have gotten a great contract six or eight months down the road. Could that team have made it to the Final Four? Could it have won the NCAA? Those questions still rumble around in my brain from time to time, but at least I understand why Chones did it.
Then there's the "what ifs" regarding referees, specifically the call on Whitehead in '78 and the calls on the Dream in the game against Ohio State. But I at least can accept the fact that poor officiating is part of the game. It burns me up, but I can deal with it.
There's also the injury-related "what ifs" like DJ's foot injury in '09. I think that team could have made it to the Final Four, but, again, injuries are part of the game, and I accept that.
But Vander's decision to leave baffled me when he announced it, and it still baffles me today. The irony is that his choice probably hurt his chances of making the League relative to if he had stayed this year, had a solid season, and led MU deep into the tourney.
To all those who say, "It was his decision; wish him well," I understand and agree. It was his decision, and he had every right to make it. But anyone who thinks we will be a better team without him is kidding himself.
And to those who point out that Lucas, McNeil, and Wade all left early, the difference is that their decisions seemed rational to me, and they all were drafted (as was Doc). Vander's case was different.
And that is why I already have the "What if?" question before practice even starts, and I also know it's not going to go away any time during the season. Others may say, "Hey, get over it," and "There's nothing you can do about it," which is true. But I couldn't do anything about Al's decision or Chones' decision, but I still think about both more than 40 years after the fact.
All right, everybody. Feel free to blast away. But the reality is that no matter what anyone else says, I won't be able to shake that question regardless of how the season turns out because I'll always wonder if we could have done better, gone further (unless, of course, we win the NC). Having the "What if?" process going on prior to the season is a first for me.
There have been a few other "What if?" seasons for me over the years but never one that I already knew was going to be a "What if?" season before the season began. I probably shouldn't feel that way, but I do. That question will be hovering/lingering from the first game through the last.
If we don't make it to the Big Dance, the questions will be, "Would we have made it had Vander stayed?"
If we make it to the Dance but don't win conference, it will be, "Would we have won the conference had Vander stayed?"
If we get knocked out in the Round of 32, it will be, "Would we have made the Sweet 16 had Vander stayed?" And so on, right up through the Final Four. And of course, we'll never know the answer to any of these questions.
The other "What if?" seasons came about because of things that happened during the season.
Topping my list is, "What if Al had swallowed his pride and hadn't opted for the NIT instead of the NCAA?" That one still haunts me to this day.
Another one is, "What if Chones had stayed throughout his junior season instead of taking the money and going to the ABA?" That one still pisses me off because no other player in history - as far as I know - left his school before the end of the season to turn pro. I understand the thinking, but JC would have gotten a great contract six or eight months down the road. Could that team have made it to the Final Four? Could it have won the NCAA? Those questions still rumble around in my brain from time to time, but at least I understand why Chones did it.
Then there's the "what ifs" regarding referees, specifically the call on Whitehead in '78 and the calls on the Dream in the game against Ohio State. But I at least can accept the fact that poor officiating is part of the game. It burns me up, but I can deal with it.
There's also the injury-related "what ifs" like DJ's foot injury in '09. I think that team could have made it to the Final Four, but, again, injuries are part of the game, and I accept that.
But Vander's decision to leave baffled me when he announced it, and it still baffles me today. The irony is that his choice probably hurt his chances of making the League relative to if he had stayed this year, had a solid season, and led MU deep into the tourney.
To all those who say, "It was his decision; wish him well," I understand and agree. It was his decision, and he had every right to make it. But anyone who thinks we will be a better team without him is kidding himself.
And to those who point out that Lucas, McNeil, and Wade all left early, the difference is that their decisions seemed rational to me, and they all were drafted (as was Doc). Vander's case was different.
And that is why I already have the "What if?" question before practice even starts, and I also know it's not going to go away any time during the season. Others may say, "Hey, get over it," and "There's nothing you can do about it," which is true. But I couldn't do anything about Al's decision or Chones' decision, but I still think about both more than 40 years after the fact.
All right, everybody. Feel free to blast away. But the reality is that no matter what anyone else says, I won't be able to shake that question regardless of how the season turns out because I'll always wonder if we could have done better, gone further (unless, of course, we win the NC). Having the "What if?" process going on prior to the season is a first for me.