Sick and tired

[ConnHuskBask]

The problem is that when freshman and sophomores made these type of mistakes, Calhoun held them accountable in game and then made sure they didn't happen again. We have a collection of guys on our team who are still doing the same things they've done every season for 3 or 4 years under KO.

To another person's point, I can't get over the amount of air balls and ugly shots we've seen this season. Jackson and Vital seemingly put one up a game.

If you want to say we are undermanned on the road against Cincinnati or Temple fine. Against a .500 Tulsa club with I believe 10 new players on it? It's a slippery slope for excuses.

We are not a tourney team without larrier and gilbert but beating mediocre AAC teams isn't too much to ask.

 

[huskiesnyc]

Most of you appear to be in denial about just how bad Tulsa is. They lost 7-8 best players from last year and brought in garbage recruits. We absolutely had enough to win yesterday and there's no excuse for consistently losing gift wrapped games. We scored a whopping 3 points in overtime

 

[Mr. French]

Also important to remember that UConn lost to San Diego when AJ Price went down.

This was the year before Kemba Walker showed up.

I can't even remember who took over for AJ when he tore his ACL. Was it Craig Austrie? Funny that people are saying Austrie would be a huge improvement over Vital, since UConn had no business losing that big game to San Diego (this is a U. San Diego the Catholic school, not San Diego State).

4-13 matchup that was too tight, but we didn't lose until OT when AJ was already done ... If I remember correctly.

That's so true, not only in college hoops but in our program. We run on multiple guards, multiple creators, and everything else is based off of that. When 2 and sometimes 3 of our only 3 creators on offense are injured, that's going to kill a team, even if we had a stud or 2 in the frontcourt.

Why don't people understand these basic principles of basketball, college basketball, and most specifically UConn basketball.

 

[UofCT]

And that will be the end of UConn athletics.

I disagree. Can't get any worse than this.

 

[UofCT]

please, oh coaching wizard, what would you have done differently and who would you have played?
CV threw a bad pass - not the end of the world
I am most displeased with SE and VJ - both of their overall games were pathetic
Again these were not the kids expected to play 30 minutes and produce right away - only AG and Larrier

We are playing bad teams and losing. Stop making excuses. Our roster isn't NCAA Championship caliber I get that but we still have enough to be competitive in the American.

 

[3rdbass]

And that will be the end of UConn athletics.

Why one good year after a hall of fame coach? Yeah I guess if medicrocity is our new measuring stick. We can't even win the American. Ask Mike Davis of Indiana if he thought he would get fired so soon after that one good year.

 

[Steve85]

I disagree. Can't get any worse than this.

really? too young to remember the Perno years?

I gather that many of the loudest complainers are the youngest here on the Yard, not scientific, just a guess but an educated one. they don't know how bad it was in the Perno years (underachieving teams that had NCAA-worthy talent.)

There is certainly plenty to complain about - even with the injuries - the lack of BBIQ/instincts is an issue with too many players. not sure however how much of that can be "coached out" of a player. some of it can be cleaned up but if you don't have good instincts/BB IQ by the time you arrive on a college campus, I'm not sure how much you can gain in this area.

 

[UChusky916]

Couldn't help but be reminded of 'Heartless and gutless'. I doubt this thread will have a similar effect.

 

[HuskyHawk]

really? too young to remember the Perno years?

I gather that many of the loudest complainers are the youngest here on the Yard, not scientific, just a guess but an educated one. they don't know how bad it was in the Perno years (underachieving teams that had NCAA-worthy talent.)

There is certainly plenty to complain about - even with the injuries - the lack of BBIQ/instincts is an issue with too many players. not sure however how much of that can be "coached out" of a player. some of it can be cleaned up but if you don't have good instincts/BB IQ by the time you arrive on a college campus, I'm not sure how much you can gain in this area.

Why do people say this? Some of the Perno years were absolutely better than this. Several of his teams would crush this team. As he got deeper into the Big East the competition was too great, but even those 12 and 13 win teams got those records again much tougher competition.

My first year at UConn was 84. That team was 13-15. They played three games against the #1 team another agansit #2 and another against #19. Barely lost to #4 SJ and, beat #7 Syracuse twice and beat #20 BC. You guys think this season is better than that? That team had nine games against top 20 teams. It would have won 20 games against this schedule.

 

[tzznandrew]

Come back to this post in a year, you'll see what I mean.

Well, this is the sort of thing most people forget. How many people on the Boneyard now were here in 2006-2007? A team with AJ Price, Austrie, Thabeet, Dyson, Sticks...they were horrible after a good start. And they didn't have the injuries.

People on this board killed these players, talked about how they were losers with a loser mentality, and claimed Calhoun had lost it. Two years later they were in the Final Four.

These things are cyclical. We all had high hopes for this season, and the losses early this year--before the injuries--were troubling. But these kids are going to get better, and people will forget all the hyperbolic things they said in a year.

 

[whaler11]

FWIW - Tulsa was favored.

One thing I'd recommend. Stop crowning next year's team every season.

 

[UConn990411]

Well, this is the sort of thing most people forget. How many people on the Boneyard now were here in 2006-2007? A team with AJ Price, Austrie, Thabeet, Dyson, Sticks...they were horrible after a good start. And they didn't have the injuries.

People on this board killed these players, talked about how they were losers with a loser mentality, and claimed Calhoun had lost it. Two years later they were in the Final Four.

These things are cyclical. We all had high hopes for this season, and the losses early this year--before the injuries--were troubling. But these kids are going to get better, and people will forget all the hyperbolic things they said in a year.

The difference with that Calhoun team is that it got much better in 2007-08, before becoming contenders the following season. One bad season under Calhoun would typically correct itself by the next year.

To be fair to Ollie, his rosters haven't had much continuity since his first two years for a variety of reasons. I would expect everyone back next year aside from the seniors (which could be a blessing), so I'd be surprised if they weren't a lot better. But at some point, the bad patterns and underachieving seasons need to stop.

 

[tzznandrew]

The difference with that Calhoun team is that it got much better in 2007-08, before becoming contenders the following season. One bad season under Calhoun would typically correct itself by the next year.

To be fair to Ollie, his rosters haven't had much continuity since his first two years for a variety of reasons. I would expect everyone back next year aside from the seniors (which could be a blessing), so I'd be surprised if they weren't a lot better. But at some point, the bad patterns and underachieving seasons need to stop.

Sure, I largely agree. 2012-13 got better in 2013-14.

Then they had a year where they lost a transcendent player (Shabazz), along with some other talented players (Daniels, Giffey, Kromah) and struggled to integrate new players (Hamilton and Purvis). They struggled in part because they didn't have a backup for Boatright. That team got better over the course of the year, and if SMU didn't dislocate Boatright's shoulder they may have made the tournament. That team was better the next year, though it struggled to integrate Gibbs, Miller, Adams.

We expected this year to be better even than last year with the addition of new players. But then we lost Hamilton, who was already our secondary ball-handler most plays last year. Then you add in the injuries...it's hard to see a clear pattern, as you noted, because of the excessive turnover of the roster.

 

[UConn990411]

Sure, I largely agree. 2012-13 got better in 2013-14.

Then they had a year where they lost a transcendent player (Shabazz), along with some other talented players (Daniels, Giffey, Kromah) and struggled to integrate new players (Hamilton and Purvis). They struggled in part because they didn't have a backup for Boatright. That team got better over the course of the year, and if SMU didn't dislocate Boatright's shoulder they may have made the tournament. That team was better the next year, though it struggled to integrate Gibbs, Miller, Adams.

We expected this year to be better even than last year with the addition of new players. But then we lost Hamilton, who was already our secondary ball-handler most plays last year. Then you add in the injuries...it's hard to see a clear pattern, as you noted, because of the excessive turnover of the roster.

Agreed, which is why next year will be far more telling. But assuming all the key players are back, we really do need to start seeing steps in the right direction.

 

[upstater]

Why one good year after a hall of fame coach? Yeah I guess if medicrocity is our new measuring stick. We can't even win the American. Ask Mike Davis of Indiana if he thought he would get fired so soon after that one good year.

They won the American last year.

 

[upstater]

I disagree. Can't get any worse than this.

It definitely can. Most certainly it can. And I would bet a lot of money that it would.

 

[Jaker]

With the exception of the Houston game we are not getting blown out and have had chances to win. That is something, it shows that the team is still fighting and cares.

 

[Adios]

That would be Kevin Ollie speaking to the Boneyard.

 

[Sonova]

They won the American last year.

You're a jackass.

 

[UConnDad]

Vance needing to lose weight is a new one. Looking at him, he is broad shouldered and young. Still growing into his body. But to think there is some correlation between physique and hoop ability is absurd!

 

[David 76]

Why do people say this? Some of the Perno years were absolutely better than this. Several of his teams would crush this team. As he got deeper into the Big East the competition was too great, but even those 12 and 13 win teams got those records again much tougher competition.

My first year at UConn was 84. That team was 13-15. They played three games against the #1 team another agansit #2 and another against #19. Barely lost to #4 SJ and, beat #7 Syracuse twice and beat #20 BC. You guys think this season is better than that? That team had nine games against top 20 teams. It would have won 20 games against this schedule.

No. I am saying if you take two of the best players off that team plus a third, throw in the equivalent of Adam ' s injury, then we would not be worse.
I'm also thinking you probably cherry picked Perno's best BE year. For Ollie, that would be a NC. 2013 was, imho, another impressive year

 

[upstater]

You're a jackass.

Jackass who likes facts. Anyone is a jackass to the fact deficient.

 

[David 76]

Why one good year after a hall of fame coach? Yeah I guess if medicrocity is our new measuring stick. We can't even win the American. Ask Mike Davis of Indiana if he thought he would get fired so soon after that one good year.

You mean two great years after a HOF coach? Overcoming huge obstacles. Followed by 2 off years where we only made our conference final one year and won the conference the other and made it to the second round of the tourney? Followed by a year lost to injuries.

 

[upstater]

Patience is important. Look at Jay Wright, he's in the middle of a run right now that may elevate Villanova's status for good. One more NC, and he's number one ranked right now. But he had a decade of NITs and NCAA tourney experiences in the 2000-2010 period, and it didn't yield much. Then as the BE was breaking up, he had 5 years that should have had Villanova fans questioning his future.

2010–11 Villanova 21–12 9–9 T–9th NCAA First Round
2011–12 Villanova 13–19 5–13 T–13th
2012–13 Villanova 20–14 10–8 T–7th NCAA Round of 64
2013–14 Villanova 29–5 16–2 1st NCAA Round of 32
2014–15 Villanova 33–3 16–2 1st NCAA Round of 32

One losing season in 2012, and he couldn't get out of the NCAAs first weekend. They were looking like Pitt.

Then, wham!, it finally all came together.

Took 15 years.

 

[tzznandrew]

Patience is important. Look at Jay Wright, he's in the middle of a run right now that may elevate Villanova's status for good. One more NC, and he's number one ranked right now. But he had a decade of NITs and NCAA tourney experiences in the 2000-2010 period, and it didn't yield much. Then as the BE was breaking up, he had 5 years that should have had Villanova fans questioning his future.

2010–11 Villanova 21–12 9–9 T–9th NCAA First Round
2011–12 Villanova 13–19 5–13 T–13th
2012–13 Villanova 20–14 10–8 T–7th NCAA Round of 64
2013–14 Villanova 29–5 16–2 1st NCAA Round of 32
2014–15 Villanova 33–3 16–2 1st NCAA Round of 32

One losing season in 2012, and he couldn't get out of the NCAAs first weekend. They were looking like Pitt.

Then, wham!, it finally all came together.

Took 15 years.

Sure, on some level, but they had some good runs in them before with Wright: from 2005-2009 Villanova was in the S16 every year but 1, with 1 Final Four and another E8. In 2005 they should have beaten UNC (horrific call in the S16) and in 2006, 2008, and 2009 they lost to eventual champs (Florida, Kansas, UNC). They had a downswing, for sure, but that downswing was really only about 3 seasons (2010-2013) bracketed by underperforming 2-seeds. Even those 5 years you list included a 2 seed and a 1 seed.

I'd like to get back to that level of success, but, like you, I suspect we're more in a 2010-2013 funk rather than, to keep the analogy going, the Steve Lappas years.