Often in the big dance when you have a program that does not consistently go to the tournament somehow get a seed like 4 or better (top 16 ranking), we see them faulter before they make the S16.

The spotlight, the virgin territory of being favored, the weight of the moment just just becomes too much. Guys dont play loose, they arent physical, skill players that are consistent and highly regarded just disappear. Sometimes these teams fall apart in the off-season never to recapture what made them successful in the previous season. Other times they are seasoned by the experience, the newness of the playoff is less of a factor. And the subsequent year they go deeper in than they have or should have.

With Elko doing internal hires, it seems that he likes what won him 11 games. He wants to maintain the consistency of his coaching vision. If a time traveler told you in August we would have an 11 win year, most of us wouldnt believe that him. Yet many people today want to clean house, or have some splash hire for OC.

At the end of the day this was a top 10 season. Yet it feels unsatisfying. But year 3 has already begun and we need to develop and fix the holes.