After the game I was thinking about all the games this year where we should have won comfortably but either lost or barely held on to win (UVA, Miami, Louisville, Kentucky, Syracuse, ND the first time and ND tonight). I tried to look back and understand why. Here's what I came up with:

After 30 + games, we still do the same things again and again and I do not mean to be critical of any one player but
1. Blackshear keeps shooting 35 foot shots at critical points in the game when his percentage has to be in single digits at this point
2. Robinson lets the refs get in his head and then lets the no calls obviously effect his remaining play
3. Clark keeps attacking the basket but but does so by bowling people over in the process and picking up charge fouls
4. Clark makes the list twice ( and I'm a big fan) but he (along with a few other I won't name) keep reacting to things that transpire with what appears to be a "hot headed" attitude. Tonight's T Foul may have cost us the game. Because it gave ND 2 FT plus the ball. Also it may have effected Clark offensively. He got fouled after he came back in and missed both FT's.
5. Walker seems to continue to force his play, seems to play poorly without the ball in his hands and then tries too hard to make something happen when he does get the ball instead of letting the game come to him.
6. Blackshear appears extremely talented but plays soft for his size, more finance than dynamic finishes
7 Bibbs, Hill and Robinson are streak shooters who can often lite it up. What we don't appear to have is a clutch player who can get you a basket when you gotta have it
8. And although I don't recall us doing it tonight it seems like we foul 3 pt shooters multiply times every game
9. Wilson plays great defense and I wish he would shoot more. He's been much better in critical situations this season than anyone else I can recall
10. Me !! I'm offering criticism and I want to include my self. I'm an avid fan and have been since I was in school there decades ago. I bleed orange and maroon but I too find myself making the same mistake over and over as well. I convince myself that we've finally reached that point in sports where we can compete and win on big stages; and against the best whether it be basketball or football. But my expectations seem to almost always be unrealistic and the big events end in disappointment.

I just hope the team and coaches can do some self assessments and use this colossal collapse to eliminate the issues that seems responsible for their play down the stretch.