Expect 'great things' next year from Titans, really

As the "Go green!" of the Spartan faithful turned from an enthusiastic cheer of expected victory to a desperate plea for the clock to hit zero at the NCAA Championship game April 6, I couldn't help but think that MSU's tournament run and UDM's 2008-2009 sports season had more than a few similarities. A lot of hype - with poor final results.
Following the lead of the residents of East Lansing, everyone in the state was swept up in a tornado of green and white as the Michigan State Spartans suddenly became "our" team.
Even devout Wolverine fans started paying a little more attention to Izzo's crew as they advanced farther and farther in the Big Dance.
By the time the Spartans and Tar Heels suited up for the final game of the season, every single eye in Michigan was on the Spartans, and no one in their right mind was betting against them. It was their game to win.
They had fought past three number-one seeds, carrying the honor and pride of the troubled host city on their shoulders all the way to Ford Field. They were supposed to dig deep and pull out one more win against a favored opponent. But they didn't.
Most fans didn't have time to finish their five dollar hot dogs before it was clear that the green and white confetti would not leave the rafters that night. It was a pretty pathetic ending to the buildup of the preceding days.
At first glance, the same can be said for UDM.
At the beginning of the season, "change" was the popular buzzword around campus, and not just because of the soon-to-be-elected President's campaign slogan. New coaches, logos, teams, fields and players were supposed to revitalize nearly every sports program.
Basketball was supposed to matter again. Softball was supposed to surprise. Soccer was supposed to build on previous seasons. Even lacrosse was expected to at least be competitive.
What was the end result of all of that hope and excitement?
In basketball, the men finished with the same 7-23 record as last year, and while the women's team showed promise at times, it couldn't break the .500 mark, and finished with just 12 wins.
In soccer, the women's team flamed out in the playoffs, while the men struggled to win four games all season.
Softball isn't finished, but the team has already fallen to 7-26 on the year, recently being shut out in four straight games.
The men's lacrosse team has not won a single game all year, and for the first seven games never even held the lead for a single second. The women have fared a little better, but with injuries and a tough schedule they will also fail to win more games than they lose.
I could end my column here, but I won't. There is still one more similarity between the Spartans and the Titans, and it's probably the most important: They haven't peaked yet.
Most experts are already predicting MSU will be back in the championship game next season, and everyone is saying that despite the loss, there are many positives to build on for next year. Once again, the same can be said for UDM.
The men's basketball team has one year of experience with its new coach, and once key players return from injury, there is no reason why the Titans can't double their win total. On the women's side, UDM will lose three seniors, but gain one of the state's leading scorers among a group of prized recruits. Expect the team to make a deep post-season run.
A year of experience will also benefit the lacrosse, soccer and softball teams, all of which are very young. Throw in a few new faces and a renewed commitment to winning, and you are looking at three possible league champions next year.
And let's not forget tennis. The women will finish above .500 and have a chance to make a name for themselves in the playoffs. They, along with the men, can only get better next year as well.
While this season may not have yielded the results that everyone hoped for, it did do one important thing: It laid the foundation for the future success of the entire program.
So this time next year, don't be surprised if you see someone on campus in a T-shirt that says "MSU 2010 NCAA Champions," because they'll probably be sitting next to someone wearing one that reads "UDM 2010 Horizon League Champions.