Sounds like a coach's nightmare. But also part of the job. The Cal game will be interesting - should be a Buff blowout like WSU, based on CEC and comparable match ups (other than Cal beating Wyo at home), but Cal has won 4 straight after losing 6 straight.
Interesting that you mention Cal.
This team kind of reminds me of the Cal football team a couple years ago that we beat. They look like a team that has lost interest. Lost interest in what the coach has to say, lost interest in each other, lost interest in winning. All it takes make them fold like a napkin is a little bit of effort and they can't be bothered to match it.
Tad built UNC on character guys, he built his early success at CU on character guys. It may be that in trying to recruit talent to match the teams he was aiming at he lost some of that focus.
I'm not saying that individually the players on this team are not good people, not knowing them personally that wouldn't be fair.
What is fair to say is that the combination of players right now isn't working. They don't play hard, they don't do the things they are coached to do, they don't have a spirit of playing for each other and the team.
Don't know what Tad is going to have to do to get that back but I hope he does a couple of things. One is to get back to recruiting the kind of kids that buy into what he is selling and if not be leaders at least be high quality followers. If he needs to encourage a couple guys to move on to create space for these guys I'm for it. I know that isn't pleasant but this is big boy basketball now. If you aren't going to give it your all for the team go someplace that will accept that.
Secondly it is obvious that the discord extends into the coaching staff as well. Again clear some deadwood. In the process find an assistant who can coach a halfcourt offense that looks like it belongs in a league like the PAC12. I love Tad as a coach but these offensive dead periods that have killed us aren't something new. Recognize your weakness and address it.