WIll Taylor seems to be playing really well in Germany.

Cal Poly fans last saw Will Taylor on the court in last year’s Big West Tournament. Taylor transferred to Cal Poly and played two seasons under Joe Callero, providing some strong, athletic punch in the middle and averaging 10 points and 7 rebounds per game during his senior season last year.

After trying his hand at Australian Rules Football in the offseason, the 6’7″ forward found a home with Rheinland Versicherungen Hertener Lions in Germany. Taylor has solid stats so far this season. His team is winning (10-3 record, second place in their division as of this morning) and Taylor is putting up 15.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game — good for the second leading scorer and tied for the leading rebounder on his team. The Maryland native is shooting over 60 percent from the field over his first 13 games.

We caught-up with Will over the holidays, which he spent in Germany.

Fansmanship: What is the hardest thing about playing professionally overseas?

Will Taylor: The hardest thing (for me) about playing overseas is wanting to be home. The only time I feel like I’m in the states is when I’m on the court. The style of play is a bit slower but way more physical. I’m really enjoying playing here.

Fansmanship: What do you miss most about college?

Fansmanship: What is your favorite thing about Germany?

Fansmanship: How much German have you learned?

WT: I’ve learned a little Deutsche. I have a class every Wednesday which is pretty cool. I know the very basics….

Fansmanship: What are your goals in professional basketball?

WT: I really don’t know…I’m just blessed to still be playing basketball. I would love to play in the top league for a club in Spain, Italy, or Australia.

Will Taylor can be found on twitter @Wiltay52

Will Taylor denies a UCSB shooter last season.

Sometimes things just come together.

This morning I was looking at random posts on a Cal Poly message board and found this link. The short version is that former Cal Poly forward/center Will Taylor got and answered a call to try out in Los Angeles for the Australian Football League and the United States Australian Football League.

The report from worldfootynews.com said:

The Combine will test 21 student athletes with basketball backgrounds, four with football backgrounds and one USAFL player.

Will discussed his travels from San Luis Obispo, home to Maryland, then back to Los Angeles for the combine. Taylor talked about pick-up basketball games and said he was one of the more physical guys at the combine.

All that being said it looks like his heart is in basketball. To that end, it looks like he might soon ink his first professional deal with a team in Portugal. His agent is Portuguese and he seemed pretty confident about it.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=b22GxVRGbyw

Conversation with Will Taylor:

It looks like the Mustangs have pulled this one out. In doing so, they’ve won their second Big West Conference Tournament game under Joe Callero and avenged last year’s heartbreaking first-round loss to UC Riverside. 

Because UC Irvine beat Cal State Fullerton tonight (remember, the Big West Tournament is re-seeded after the first round), the Mustangs will face rival UC Santa Barbara tomorrow night. The Mustangs have failed to beat the Gauchos in each of the past two seasons, but the cliche stands here — in the postseason you can throw out the records.

Three things stand out for me in this game –

1) Jordan Lewis’ all-around game as he continues to be a part of the starting lineup. Lewis scored seven points and grabbed two rebounds while moving the ball and playing solid defense. The move to put Lewis back in the starting lineup seems to have been a very good one for Coach Callero.

2) Cal Poly shot 18-20 (90%) from the free throw line. For a team that has struggled at times from the free throw line, the Mustangs netted one of their best free-throw efforts of the season.

3) Amaurys Fermin finally had the kind of big game in a difficult situation that Callero has been waiting for all season. With 16 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds, Fermin played the kind of solid game that has eluded him at times during this conference season.

Tonight, Musty survived and advanced. Tomorrow, a renewal of the Blue-Green Rivalry is in store. It should be a good one.

* Look for pictures from this game and others from the Honda Center over the next day or so.

9:52

I keep waiting for UC Riverside’s run. And it hasn’t come yet. 55-46 Cal Poly with about 5:30 left. If Royer keeps jacking up 3’s, the Highlanders will be glad. Again, I’m not surprised that it’s been a total team effort for Cal Poly, but I am a little surprised about the fact that it’s clicking so well. Also, I’m surprised that the Mustangs are 14-16 from the charity stripe.

9:35

Was I wrong about balance? Was I mistaken when I said the Mustangs would need a starter to score more than 15 in order to win?

Cal Poly has built a 6-point lead with very balanced scoring. Three players with 8 points apiece and one with 7. The question will be who gets to take a big shot at the end and can that player knock it down? I hate that basketball so often comes down to that, but it does, especially in a one-and-done situation.

9:25

Fermin comes out with a few quick buckets in the second half. I’ve been saying all year he’s gotta get more points. He needs to be a more Lorenzo Keeler-type scorer I think for the Mustangs to have postseason success. I’ll put it this way — if he scores more than 12 or 13 points in the game, it favors the Mustangs.

9:20

Tom Barket just told me that Cal Poly is 2-12 this season when they trail at halftime. Here we go!

9:06

D D D D-Fence. Cal Poly has a track record of giving up a high shooting percentage to opponents this season and the issue seems to have reared its ugly head at the end of the first half. Riverside is shooting 51.9 percent from the field in the first half and I’m sure Coach Callero has to be focused on defensive strategery during halftime. It will be interesting to see what adjustments both teams come out with. #notomorrow…

9:04

Did I speak too soon? I thought both teams would go in at halftime within a few points, but UCR has begun to extend their lead. Six point lead for the Highlanders and Cal Poly already has 5 turnovers.

8:57

Seems like both teams are fighting in a good game here. Both squads are doing everything they can to get into halftime at this point it seems. Also, Phil Martin is a beast. The Mustangs held him down at Mott Gym a few weeks ago, but he’ll get his tonight.

8:45

Chris Eversley has come off the bench and provided instant offense all year. Mustangs fans should be excited about getting to see him play for two more seasons. He has 6 points in 6 minutes so far tonight…

8:35

We have a Maliik Love sighting! Love, who has sat at the end of the bench recently is in the game early-on — ahead of Kyle Odister. Callero has played 9 players during the first 7 1/2 minutes of the game.

8:31

When Cal Poly has started slow, it’s been really hard for them to reverse the early trend this season. Not a good start from the field for the Mustangs (2-9).

8:25

It seems as though none of the Mustangs seniors have had a huge individual performance this year in a really big game. David Hanson hit his first 3-pointer and Will Taylor scored a bucket already. Will it take a 15-plus point performance from one of the Mustangs starters if they are going to have a shot? I think maybe it will.

8:19

We have received confirmation about our photographers. Word is that the Cal Poly Cheerleaders are the winners of the “Spirit” award. Also, Will reports that the band is “pretty great.” Sounds like CP is well-represented.

Jordan Lewis will start tonight for Cal Poly. After going through just about the whole team in that 5th starting spot, Joe Callero has settled on the senior from San Rafael to stabilize the roster. Four seniors and one junior starting bodes well.

If the Mustangs win tonight, they would play UCSB tomorrow night since the tournament is re-seeded after the first round.

If you want good updates on twitter, follow @fansmanship or the Tribune’s JD Scroggin @slocollegebeat.

8:09 Pacific Time – 

Fansmanship.com supposedly will have TWO photographers working the game tonight so there should be some good photos by tomorrow or so… Friend of Fansmanship and photographer Bryce Ashland was my roommate in college and will be a featured part of an upcoming baseball road trip saga that we will post in at least four parts. The first part will likely come out next week.

Photographer Will Parris (http://www.parris-studios.com/) is a fantastic photographer in the Orange County area. He shoots sports for Fansmanship.com, but he takes pictures of all kinds of things, including my wedding. I can’t recommend him highly enough.

Thanks to both Bryce and Will for their taking pictures for fansmanship tonight.

The last time they were at a game together, Cal Poly was blown out by Fullerton. Mustang fans hope they bring a different mojo this time around…

March 8, 2012 – 6:07 Pacific Time –

Chris Eversley and Will Taylor used a game of "Musty" to warm up for the Big West Tournament. Photo by Owen Main

Tonight I’ll be blogging in an “old school” pre-twitter way that sees me updating the post here each time (Most Recent Comments on Top).

If you are a Cal Poly fan in the mean time, you can check out this game of “Musty” that Cal Poly Media Relations superstar Chris Giovanetti showed me today. It’s not a game of “horse.” On the eve of the Big West Tournament’s first round, it’s a game of “Musty.”

Will Taylor vs. Chris Eversley. Check it out

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFM0YOdLcxw

Thanks to Will Parris from Parris Studios for taking the photos. Great job Will!

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On this night, the Blue/Green rivalry lived up to the hype.

In the first Big West Conference game for both teams, UC Santa Barbara’s Orlando Johnson made a three-pointer that bounced off the rim at least three times to give the Gauchos a 58-57 win over Cal Poly Tuesday night.

The loss was maddening for a sold-out Mott gym crowd that saw its team claw back from a 13-point deficit despite making only 13 of 24 free throws in the game. Just like last year, a late shot from a Gaucho helped UCSB escape Mott Gym with a victory.

Will Taylor blocks a shot in the second half of Monday night's game. Photo by Jamie Pereira

“If that thing would have came off, I would have grabbed it,” said Mustang forward Will Taylor, who netted a game high 17 points and 11 rebounds. “I thought it was coming into my hands, I’m not going to lie. I thought it was coming right to me… it felt like forever just watching it bounce and bounce and bounce, like on a cartoon I guess.”

“I thought it was coming off,” said Cal Poly point guard Amaurys Fermin “It bounced off three or four times. But that goes to tell you that anything can happen. He’s considered the preseason player of the year and that was a tough shot.”

Johnson’s game-winning shot was set-up by a series of Cal Poly misses at the free throw line. The Mustangs were 11-21 from the charity stripe in the second half including 1-4 in the last 36 seconds.

Unexpected Contributions

The Gauchos were paced by four players in double figures, including two unlikely heroes. Freshman forward Alan Williams scored 13 points and pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench. Nate Garth also came off the bench with a hot hand, knocking down all four of his shots from the field including 3-3 from behind the arc.

Despite stars Johnson and James Nunnally being held mostly in-check throughout the contest, Garth’s 3-pointer witth15:19 remaining in the game put UCSB up by 13 points.

That’s when the Mustangs started to scrap back into the game. Cal Poly used a late 13-4 run to earn a two-point lead with 18 seconds remaining. That set the stage for Orlando Johnson to once again break the hearts of the Mott Gym faithful.

Mustang guard Jamal Johnson, who has seen sporadic minutes this season, came off the bench and helped to spark the Mustang comeback, connecting on two three-pointers and giving Cal Poly another ball handler on the floor.

“Jamal gave us a tremendous shot in the arm,” said Mustangs head coach Joe Callero. “I thought Jamal was a real catalyst.”

Resilience

While they have lost some close games (losses to CSU Bakersfield by 2, Saint Mary’s by 5, DePaul by 5, and now UCSB by 1), the Mustangs have kept themselves in games when it looked as though things were getting out of reach.

“We’re just as good as they are,” said Taylor of what the Mustangs can take away from the game. “We’re not going to quit, we’re not going to roll over. We’re just going to keep playing Cal Poly Basketball. We’re still learning.”

Mott Sold Out

The game was the first sell-out at Mott Gym since the UCSB game two years ago. Even with a team that finished second in the conference regular season standings, the Mustangs did not sell out any of their home basketball games last season.

“It was exciting. Every time I step out on the court and play with the team here, it’s just really exciting,” said Fermin. “I’m excited for the next 15 [conference games].”

The crowd, which was anxious through most of the game, came alive during Cal Poly’s second half run.

“I love it. I love playing at Cal Poly, I love playing in this atmosphere, and I know they’ll be back,” said Fermin of the fans. “That’s what gets us going. We’re going to get excited for them. They know they’re excited for us, and we’re happy to have them.”

Bouncing Back

The Mustangs won’t have much time to think about the UCSB loss. They turn around and travel to Long Beach to play conference favorite Long Beach State on Thursday night. The 49ers won their conference opener at UC Irvine by 14 points after trailing 32-31 at halftime.

“We know UCSB was going to be a tough match-up,” said Taylor. “At the end of the day, we were right there with them. We know we’re good enough to play with any team.”

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Photos by Jamie Pereira

In a game that might have best been described as “weird,” the Mustangs rode a scoring outburst from Matt Titchenal and held on for a 47-40 victory to sweep the season series versus the Spartans at the SJSU Events Center.

Titchenal, who didn’t see any playing time in four of the first eight games, checked in early in the first half and quickly provided a spark. The senior guard hit on both of his 3-point attempts in the first half during a 13-5 Mustangs run that put them up 27-19 at halftime.

Matt Titchenal scored a career-high 16 points against San Jose State on Saturday. Photo by Jamie Pereira

The Spartans hung tough in a second half that had its aesthetic challenges. After a 12-4 run by San Jose State cut the Mustang lead to two, Cal Poly once again looked to Titchenal to bail them out. Titchenal scored eight straight points for the Mustangs, including two 3-pointers and a monster tip-in, and extended the Mustangs’ lead to 39-32.

The Spartans would again cut the lead to two with under four minutes left. Once again, a Cal Poly senior restored order for the Mustangs. Will Taylor grabbed an offensive rebound off an Amaurys Fermin miss and the Mustangs’ lead was no less than four points the rest of the game.

“We tried to get two guys who could really shoot the ball in there at once,” said Mustangs head coach Joe Callero. We brought Matt Titchenal in off the bench thinking he was quick enough to defend, he’s a guy that we have confidence in as a senior, and he nailed down a shot or two, got some more confidence, and ends up going four for four and really from the offensive end, saving our bacon scoring 16 points.”

Titchenal, a product of the San Francisco Bay Area, had a large contingent at the game. His grandfather, who played football for the 49ers, played center on the only undefeated San Jose State football team, according to Titchenal. He was later the Spartans head football coach.

“Once you hit the first one, it takes the edge off a little bit and you’re more confident,” said Titchenal, whose career-high coming into the game was 9 points.

“I’ve been working hard in practice and coach decided to give me a shot. I was really excited to get out there and help my team. I got out there for my defense and luckily I was able to knock some shots down off some good passes from my teammates.”

While Titchenal was 6-7 from the floor, the rest of the Mustangs shot 26% (12 of 47) for the game.

“We weren’t pretty tonight offensively, but at least we made the game ugly defensively,” said Callero, whose Mustangs held Southern California to 36 points earlier in the season and held the Spartans to their lowest point total of the season Saturday.

Taylor paced Cal Poly with 10 rebounds and 8 points. Callero was impressed with his efficiency.

“To really appreciate Will, sometimes, you have to appreciate his stats based on his minutes. In a 20 minute time, he almost had a double-double,” said Callero.

Cal Poly had two opportunities to salt the game away during the final minute, but failed to convert on the front end of two 1-and-1 opportunities.

Guard Keith Shamburger led San Jose State with 19 points including 10-10 from the free throw line. At least two driving layup attempts rolled off the rim for Shamburger during the final three minutes. Both would have cut the Cal Poly lead to three points. Frustration boiled over for Shamburger as he and Amaurys Fermin received a double technical foul with less than one minute to play.

But the real story was Titchenal’s outburst.

“Titch goes off in practice, so we just wait for him [to do it] in the game,” said Taylor. “He went off tonight. Everyone knew he could do it just the same as Dylan… . Like I told him before the game, I said, we all have faith in you, just believe in yourself.”

With the win, Cal Poly’s record improves to 6-3 on the season, tying them with the 2001-02 team for the Mustangs’ best start at the Division I level.

Cal Poly next hosts Menlo College on Wednesday night before a two-game road trip to Fresno State and DePaul.

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Spartans coach George Nessman’s comments after the game:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCxIDzTCUXg

After red-shirting last season (during his would-have-been senior year) in order that he might suit up with longtime friend and point guard Amaurys Fermin again, the two are back on the court for the green and gold.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn_LLkf695M

Will Taylor takes the ball to the basket Wednesday night versus. Sacramento State. Photo by Jamie Pereira

Forty pounds lighter with a buffed out wide shouldered frame, the fifth-year senior is serving a greater purpose this season in Coach Callero’s gritty style of play.

Currently, the bruiser’s 9.7 points per game rank third on the team. His 6.7 rebounds rank first, while a torrid 55.8% from the floor and 90.9% from the free throw line are also tops on the team.

But beyond the numbers and stats, the man’s greatest intangible is his work ethic. He is the spark plug who drives Callero’s feisty guard-heavy group. His high energy play mixed with a mouth like a chatterbox never breaks during a forty-minute strap. And while others might take a higher shot total then him, the 22-year old calmly plays “the man” role demanding his share of touches on the low block.

It makes you wonder what kind of numbers he’d put up if he played in a solid 3-2 post set. But in Callero’s swing it, run it and swing it half court montage of three point shooting, Taylor’s minutes are limited. But don’t be fooled by this. Taylor is as important as anyone on the Mustangs roster.

Despite limited minutes, Taylor raises from his seat on the sideline doing what he does best-inspire and root on others. And when his number’s called, which it will be, the big fella drops five to eight foot half-hooks in the key with a soft, velvet touch.

In last night’s affair against Sacramento State, Taylor came out demanding touches and posting with authority. While his defenders commonly fronted the “undersized” big man, his strong lower half and determination sealed a high percentile position.

It seemed like the young man never stopped moving. From left to right, Taylor zig-zagged end line to corner box to free throw line. His defenders looked haggard and worn, while their coach madly questioned: “You can’t stay with him!? If not, Ill have to find someone who can.”

Nobody ever really did. Yes he posted “just” 11 & 6, but Taylor did his usual grinning with an intensity like no other. And as is becoming more and more common in Mott Gym, the Mustangs responded.

Cal Poly 77, Sacramento state 51.

__________________________________________

Lady Mustangs Lose to Pepperdine

Faith Mimnaugh’s Lady Mustangs (3-3) suffered a series of blows in their 80-78 loss to Pepperdine on Wednesday night. The Mustangs squandered an 18-point lead and team leader Kristina Santiago suffered an ankle sprain. The severity of the sprain is unknown. Santiago sat out the last thirty-plus minutes of basketball while her team looked discombobulated and out of sync. Ashlee Burns led the way for the Mustangs with 14 points and sophomore point guard Jonae Ervin chipped in 13. Fifth year senior guard Katie Menton dropped 27 in the W for the Waves.

For many dedicated Mustangs fans, the campus was one-stop sports shopping. Eight hours of Cal Poly Basketball and Football, with only a short tailgating session to divide the two.

Basketball

Coach Callero’s basketball team got off to a great start, leading 20-4 early-on. San Jose State came back with a 16-5 run against the Mustangs’ second team and it looked like the game might be close. But the Mustangs closed the first half with a spurt to lead by 13 at halftime.

The Mustangs defense clamped down in the second half and the scoring kept on coming — a welcome sight for the fans who remember the offensive droughts the team experienced at times a year ago. By the middle of the second half, Coach Callero was emptying his bench. All twelve Mustangs saw time during the game and eleven of the twelve got into the scoring column.

What I learned about the 2011-12 team

While a defensive purist might have enjoyed Cal Poly’s tempo last year, Mustangs games will be much more aesthetically pleasing this season. Coach Callero calls it “spurtability,” but the truth is that the Mustangs will probably be in the 70’s more often than the 50’s this year. Callero talked about not caring how ugly games were as long as they were winning last year, but if they can have continued success playing with a little more offensive tempo, I don’t know any observer who will complain.

Experienced “additions” who are easy to root for

For the Mustangs, the game marked the regular-season return of three players who will play key roles this season. Point guard Amaurys Fermin played in his first game as a Mustang, despite the fact that he has been on-campus for the past two seasons. A junior college transfer from Hagerstown, Maryland, Fermin suffered season-ending injuries each of the past two seasons. As a senior, Fermin started his first game for the Mustangs and scored a game-high 17 points.

Joining Fermin in his return to the Mustangs was a slimmed down Will Taylor. Also a transfer from Hagerstown, Taylor sat out last year as a redshirt. In his first game back, the senior looked aerodynamic and spry, scoring 12 points and pulling down 13 rebounds. Callero says that Taylor gained four inches on his vertical jump during his absence and Taylor confirmed post-game that he has lost 40 pounds since arriving in San Luis Obispo.

Lost in the great games of Fermin and Taylor was Kyle Odister’s return. A sophomore, Odister reshirted last year due to an injury. The point guard who earned All-Big West Freshman Team honors two years ago came off the bench in the second half and knocked down a three-pointer. Odister clearly has some rust to knock-off to regain his form of two years ago, but his return adds a fifth guard who has some experience running the point. While he has had a limited off-season due to his lingering injury, Odister’s getting in the box score rounded out the return of the three key players Callero’s Mustangs missed in 2010-11.

Guard Play

At any time, this year’s Mustangs can have 2-3 guards on the floor with some experience at the point. Maliik Love and Drake U’u both have the ability to play out of the post and with only one true post player (Donahue or Taylor) on the floor at any one time, they should get some opportunities to show their strength and post skills against smaller guards.

Bottom Line

Cal Poly basketball is much more dynamic this year. With their guard play and deep bench, the Mustangs should be even more fun to watch than last year while maintaining their trademark defensive style.

Football

After losing the Golden Horseshoe rivalry game and their playoff hopes last week in Davis, the football team had pride to play for Saturday on Senior Night.

Fansmanship?

While the basketball team got a decent showing (almost 2,000 fans in Mott Gym for a 2:00 PM Saturday game), the football crowd was less-than-stellar. Nearly two whole sections on the eastern side of the field were empty as Eastern Washington drove for an early score. The irony is that students who chose not to attend missed what was probably one of the most entertaining home games of the year, despite the loss.

Senior Night

Senior Jake Romanelli (Templeton High School) led the Mustangs with 74 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Romanelli came out of the game with what looked like injuries at least three times during the game only to return to his duty, racking up consistent four and five-yard runs. On senior night, Romanelli ended the triple overtime contest with a career-high’t be kept out for long, rushing for 143 yards and a touchdown.

Comeback Kids

It seems like every home game for the Mustangs has been close. While Cal Poly has pulled out earlier games, they couldn’t keep Saturday’s game from going into overtime.

After Eastern Washington kicked a field goal in the first possession of overtime, Cal Poly’s James Langford evened the score with a field goal of his own.

 What I learned

College football is a fickle beast. When you fail to move the ball on a defense as porous as Eastern Washington’s, you leave your team susceptible to losses like the one Saturday night. It was surely a game the Mustangs feel like they should have had.

Bottom Line

The football program remains solid. And with increased pregame festivities, tailgating, etc… , going to a Cal Poly Football game is more fun than ever for even the casual fan.

______________________

From a fan’s perspective, and isn’t that what we’re trying to provide here, Cal Poly Football and Basketball games on Saturday were a really great time. From the optimism of a first-game blowout to the excitement of a late-night triple-overtime thriller, a San Luis Obispo sports fan has plenty of worthwhile opportunities to display his or her fansmanship.

On Thursday night, Fansmanship.com was in attendance at the Honda Center as the men lost an overtime thriller to UC Riverside. While they had got the better of the Highlanders twice during the regular season, Riverside started the game hot, while the Mustangs didn’t seem to get any easy first-half shots. Cal Poly overcame the deficit and led the game at the end before two free throws sent the game into overtime.

“There was no crying in the locker room because these guys played their butts off,” said Callero after the game.

While there is nothing anyone would have liked more than to advance in the tournament, the team didn’t leave anything on the court and doesn’t seem to have any regrets about the game. It’s what a coach should hope for from student-athletes and for that, they should all be proud.

The women’s team was in attendance, enthusiastically cheering for the men on Thursday.  On Friday, the women won their semifinal game before being beaten by UC Davis in the Big West Final on Saturday.

Like the men’s team, the women’s loss came largely due to a sub-par first half. Despite a late-run, Cal Poly couldn’t overcome a 13-point halftime deficit to beat the Aggies.  Though they probably won’t be an at-large invitee to the NCAA Tournament, they automatically qualify for the Women’s NIT tournament.

While neither team accomplished everything they wanted to this week, the future is bright. Kristina Santiago will return to a women’s team with postseason experience who will lose only two players, though one of those is Big West Player of the Year Rachel Clancy.

The men’s team will return next season with a lot of experience. All-Big West First Team player Shawn Lewis is a sizable loss in both scoring and general explosiveness, but next year’s team will feature seniors Will Donahue, David Hanson and Jordan Lewis. Along with senior leadership, the Mustangs’ roster will include six guards with experience, which could prove vital in late-season conference and tournament play. The Mustangs should also see the return of Will Taylor, who red-shirted this season.

Next November is far away still, but signs point to both programs being on the upswing. There were many “firsts” this year for the men’s and women’s teams, and there will an additional dynamic leading up to the 2011-12 season – something Mustangs teams have not experienced in some time – excitement building up before the season and higher expectations.