I feel I must repond to this thread.  I completely concur with Dave
Hendrickson's line of thinking. To insinuate that Walsh would tell the guys
that the games "just aren't that important" prior to the tounament is just
plain hogwash. If you have any idea as to how competitive this guy is, the
thought would never cross your mind. You don't attain the type of success the
program has enjoyed by taking these games so casually.
 
I can, however, believe that he could rationalize their loss as "not that
important" in the grand scheme of things AFTER THE FACT since they are in the
NCAA's after all. Who wouldn't rather win the HE tournament and put themselves
in a better position for a bye??
 
Now, I was sitting in the Harp prior to Friday's game and an athletic official
was telling us that he had come in from the hotel on the team bus....only
players were on the bus - no coaches - at the appointed time, the bus pulled
away. A few minutes later, Bobby Stewart told the guys to remove their
headphones and focus on the monitor. What followed was a tape of the coaching
staff giving "one of the most memorable motivational speeches" he had ever
witnessed. The players disembarked like a machine with incredible
focus....does this sound like a coaching staff that was taking this tournament
so casually???