Who cares if Huskies stay in Big East?

[AZHuskiePop]

Right now UConn doesn't have a choice the NBE is the best basketball option available to us.
The remaining teams in the Big East especially if we return to form will be the very best conference available to our basketball team. Right now were a bottom third BE team at best and that's an big IF,
The NCAA saw to it that our arrogance was answered by gutting the team.
I remember when San Francisco, Depaul, and Loyala of Chicago were dominate programs.
Nothing is given to you you have to go out and earn it.
Keep up the we are so much better than you B/S and these guus that gave us a chance years ago might throw us out.
The facts are when Jim Calhoun was our coach we use to better than you. Can you say we are now?
Our real problem isn't basketball its about protection of $100mm plus investment in football.
which we allowed to go down the toilet by shortsightedness.
Based on the decisions we've made our football options are pretty lean.
Staying in the NBE is probably our best option. The only other options are NBE basketball and Olympic sports only.
Football either indedenpent or the MAC (who probably wouln't want us)
If Ollie survives and proves he is a Big Time coach kids will still flock to us basketball will survive. . Has the Big East lost some luster, of course but whining isn't going to help. The basketball side will be okay in time.
Frankly I would have never put a an elite program in the hands of someone with 0 experence. Ollie might be the second coming of John Wooden but he has never been in charge.
The perception his hire created is that we were no longer bigtime. The knives were being sharpened.

I've seen this kind of coaching decision before I can't remember a good outcome.

I believe this is one of the reasons why we we passed over.
Why the current powers at Storrs accepted Calhouns resignation before we we safely in another conference could be another topic. Everybody out there hated Calhoun and by defacto Uconn. Hatred in sport is the surest sign of respect.
When Jim left the Aura went with him. Our task now is to recreate that Aura

 

[UC990411]

As a program I think we'll be in a position similar to UNLV and SDSU. With the right coach - Final Fours are not out of the question.

You really have to root for KO because he is the one guy that will not look at UConn as a stepping stone.

Ew

 

[NOTaDIME]

As a program I think we'll be in a position similar to UNLV and SDSU. With the right coach - Final Fours are not out of the question.

You really have to root for KO because he is the one guy that will not look at UConn as a stepping stone.

If you really want to be on the same level as UNLV and SDSU then you need to check yourself at the door. Those type of schools have "dream runs" to the final four. That is their peak. Our dream runs are championships which include HOF coaches and NBA draft picks. Do I really need to preach to the choir? Sometimes I read this board and feel like I'm going crazy because of the content. WE ARE AN ELITE PROGRAM AND DESERVE AN ELITE CONFERENCE.

 

[ChrisSmithsPart]

I hope the recruits Coach KO & staff are targeting aren't reading the boneyard at the moment...

 

[CTFIRERETIRED]

+1

+10 if you ask me.

 

[CTFIRERETIRED]

As a fan, I don't want to see us go from being in a BCS powerhouse conference to being in a mid-major. There are many negatives, especially with the retirement of a Hall of Fame coach. There's too much transition. Calhoun built this program, but in the early years, he used to tell recruits, "look who you can play against". KO or whoever our future coach is won't have that card to play.

Let me take this a little further. As said KO will not have the benefit of saying..................... "look who you can play against". The other is will be who will want to stay at UC ? UC will become that "NEXT STEP" up the coaching ladder.
Thats right boys and girls, we will be that place where young coaches come to, on their way up to the next Big program.

 

[willie99]

the existing Big East will still be a top hoops conference, although it won't be better and deeper than everybody else like it has been for the past few seasons.

CT, Cinn, GTown, Marg, Nova have all been strong. St Johns and Prov vastly improving with new coaches and Memphis has been pretty solid too. Getting 5+ bids every year will not be a problem. Still a better hoops conference than the SEC and the PAC 12. Furthermore, teams coming in will improve, they always do.

We can also begin to schedule tougher OOC games on a more regular basis. I know my man crush would never do that, but Ollie might be different. Schedule 4 or 5 tough OOC games every year like Memphis, Gonzaga and UK do and our schedule will be loaded.

As for football, well that's a different story. We have to hope everybody that was supposed to come still comes, especially Boise, and we have to hope the TX schools stay strong, otherwise we are in bad company

When one door closes, another door opens. Things tend to work themselves out far more often than not.

 

[ChrisSmithsPart]

Let me take this a little further. As said KO will not have the benefit of saying..................... "look who you can play against". The other is will be who will want to stay at UC ? UC will become that "NEXT STEP" up the coaching ladder.
Thats right boys and girls, we will be that place where young coaches come to, on their way up to the next Big program.

lol...that has been the case for the BE since its inception...Where did Pitino begin, UCLA's Ben Howland, Michigan's John Beilein, Tommy Amaker left SHU for UofM, Ohio State's Jim O'Brien, Indiana's Tom Crean, the list goes on. Yet this has not stopped the conference from succeeding in the past...Good programs can/should succeed even with coaching changes.

 

[ctchamps]

I think they're probably excited about joining a legitimate conference.

The Big East is a ramshackle graveyard. You're polishing a turd. I respect the optimism, but I'd prefer an exit plan.

Give it a couple of billion years and even turds become diamonds. What's the matter, don't you have a couple of billion years?

 

[willie99]

KO is not going anywhere, his family has been living in CT all along and he loves UConn. He's family

if I recall correctly, he could have been an assistant coach in the NBA and make a lot more money than he did sitting next to Jimmy & George

 

[ctchamps]

How much have those benefits that the ACC provides meant for Wake, Miami, VT, GT, BC, Clemson, Virginia & to a lesser extent FSU & Maryland bball. A part of me really wants to post comments similar to yours, because there is truth in it. But what's not included in your post is that...A Choice Doesn't Exist right now. So either we feel down or we double down...I for doubling down, manning up & betting on our chances against any other program out there in any conference!

Best attitude to have and as far as I'm concerned the only attitude to have. When JC arrived the BE was still a relatively new conference but the order was established. The blue bloods were Georgetown, Cuse, Nova and St. Johns. UConn was a bottom dweller. Things turned out well for the university. Things didn't go as well for Seton Hall or Rutgers basket ball wise. Last season with the arrival of AD and DD everyone felt on top of the world. Look how that played out. Two years ago, after following a bad season, no one was expecting a NC. But that is what happened.

The beauty and ugliness about life is it is unpredictable with one big exception. It is predictable that people will forget that life is unpredictable.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Ticket sales care. Syracuse and Louisville are a little different than Tulane and SMU.

If only there was a way to schedule non-conference games.

 

[UConnSwag11]

If I remember correctly, Memphis with John Calipari played in a God-awful conference which they dominated and were on national TV all the time.

and when cal left, have they received as much as exposure or any?

 

[dante]

and when cal left, have they received as much as exposure or any?

they have a pretty good recruiting class

 

[zls44]

If only there was a way to schedule non-conference games.

There's no reason for Syracuse to schedule UConn. Pitino said yesterday that Louisville will not play any of the remaining Big East teams anymore.

 

[UConnSwag11]

they have a pretty good recruiting class

yeah i know hes recruited well, but the exposure is nothing like it was for them

 

[HuskyBballFan]

yeah i know hes recruited well, but the exposure is nothing like it was for them

That's because he isn't doing a very good job of actually coaching them. Calipari actually won tournament games when he was there.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

There's no reason for Syracuse to schedule UConn. Pitino said yesterday that Louisville will not play any of the remaining Big East teams anymore.

Pitino also said it was stupid for Uconn to consider leaving the Big East for the ACC. Let's give him some time before we hold him to that.

 

[scrappy2.0]

Let me take this a little further. As said KO will not have the benefit of saying..................... "look who you can play against". The other is will be who will want to stay at UC ? UC will become that "NEXT STEP" up the coaching ladder.
Thats right boys and girls, we will be that place where young coaches come to, on their way up to the next Big program.

OMG Fn stupid. Uconn is a *brand* now. Name me another school that has 10 NC between Mens and women's basketball in the last 15 years? Could we morph into a UCLA type problem--there is always risk. But they have no problem recruiting high quality basketball players. Uconn has a direct feed to NY basketball--its easy for the kids to stay close enough to have their family stay involved yet far enough to have some space. Uconn has top-notched TV coverage media coverage -how many NBA players in the last 25 years--I think 25 ranging back to a very good Cliff Robinson(who was at school when I was there) Every good NBA team---Memphis Rudy Gay LA Clippers Caron Butler Oklahoma--the resurgent Hasheem Thabeet the vastly improved Chalotte Bobcats who have won just as many games as last year already Ben Gorden Kemba Walker Rip Hamilton NBA chamo Chicago Bulls Ive seen Drummond on ESPN top 10 3 times already and hes not even 20 yearsetc..... we have a large contingent of NBA players 3 NC Championships great fans great school great TV close proximity to NY--this argument is F stupid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Brochacho]

If only there was a way to schedule non-conference games.

http://the-boneyard.com/threads/if-we-are-indeed-stuck-in-the-big-east.28716/

Would have been a relevant zinger 24 hours ago.

 

[ChrisSmithsPart]

From your keyboard to Aresco's ears...

 

[ctchamps]

It would be a great idea except that if UConn wumps those guys UConn becomes more attractive to the ACC and B!G. So unfortunately the bb only schools are going to approve this.

 

[ctchamps]

Maybe. But who knows what different people think. You know the saying: if you think of it someone out there is already implementing it. Anyways I'm hoping you are correct and I'm wrong.