Good discussion. I have been loathe to be too critical of the men (at least in public), because at the end of the day, they are student athletes, not professionals.
I played a sport in college, and my son is currently a D-1 athlete.
The pressures these guys have to deal with, both on the court/field and off, cannot be put into words. Everyone thinks they have a good idea of what's required/expected - I assure you, you do not. Things have changed markedly since my time in school and my son's.
Having said that, the players on this team do not seem to possess the historical "toughness" gene brought to UConn by Jim Calhoun. That's not to say that they are soft per se, or give up, but I think they do get flustered at key moments.
They are all supremely talented athletes, and by all accounts they are good kids. I think both of those things are important and not to be discounted. However, sometimes you have to be an S.O.B. and take over a game with your talent instead of looking to pass to a less talented teammate.
I don't believe mental toughness is a trait that can be learned, or corrected. At this point, it is what it is. I think the best we can hope for is that they learn how to better respond to an opposing team's run before they lose a lead, because by then it's too late. I do like the consistency of the defense, and I think that some of the teams that made runs on us made some tough shots along the way.