1/12: NET 25, KenPom: 25

[uconngb]

Who cares about metrics. We' re ranked 9th!!! Should be a 3 seed at worst, even if we slide a spot tomorrow. Rankings mean nothing now! Ridiculous!

Did you just say rankings mean nothing after noting that we are ranked 9th??

RANKINGS mean nothing, unfortunately metrics do. That’s a fact as has been pointed out ad nauseum on this board.

 

[Husky68]

In last 20 years the worst KP by a NCAA champ has been on O a UConn team and on D another UConn team. UConn don't need no KP.

 

[uh-no]

I guess I’d argue that fouling too much is major defensive flaw, and a problem we cannot dismiss so easily. Our defensive free throw rate, which is free throw attempts divided by field goal attempts, is 42.9%. That’s #341 in the country, and the worst among all high majors. Hurley’s teams have historically fouled a lot, but last year’s 31.1% rate was much better. We’re elite at defending against two-point attempts (11th nationally), blocking shots (4th), preventing three-point attempts (7th), and decent at keeping teams off the offensive glass (53rd). Teams are shooting 38.4% from three against us (354th ). There’s a lot of evidence that opponents’ three-point percentage is more luck that skill. If we get that inevitable regression, we just need to foul less to have a defense good enough to go on a run. Our offense is, and will continue to be, awesome.

Exactly. Jonathan ain't committing those fouls. The crux we're at is...to more closely guard the three, we leave less room for error on the drive, and end up fouling. We're a step or a couple inches of wingspan short on one side or the other....a result of players who are, IMO, near the limit of their current ability. high effort on the floor, but solo/diarra/johnson on the limit of their ability to execute.

 

[uh-no]

In last 20 years the worst KP by a NCAA champ has been on O a UConn team and on D another UConn team. UConn don't need no KP.

Even if it were true (which it's tenuous to begin with since raw comparisons across years don't really work given how the system calibrates within a year, not across them), This team is nearly 8 points a game WORSE on average than that 2011 team. Spotting an extra 8 points, that uconn team would have lost 5 of those 11 straight...losing in the BE quarters and the elite 8.

Don't get me wrong, I'd be thrilled if we were playing for a F4....but pretending like overcoming the #15 D in the land is equivalent to overcoming the #115 D in the land is a bit silly.

 

[navery12]

Even if it were true (which it's tenuous to begin with since raw comparisons across years don't really work given how the system calibrates within a year, not across them), This team is nearly 8 points a game WORSE on average than that 2011 team. Spotting an extra 8 points, that uconn team would have lost 5 of those 11 straight...losing in the BE quarters and the elite 8.

Don't get me wrong, I'd be thrilled if we were playing for a F4....but pretending like overcoming the #15 D in the land is equivalent to overcoming the #115 D in the land is a bit silly.

But this team is also 8 points better on offense than the 2011 team, and it turns out that's also a factor in winning basketball games

 

[jibsey]

They will drop us how many spots today based on the Nova loss without Liam?

 

[Mooch82]

The “kill the clock” offense is so painful to watch and tbh I don’t really understand why we do it. Our normal offense takes 20-25 seconds to run anyways. What is the benefit of just dribbling around for 25 seconds and then heaving up a terrible shot? Sure it bleeds the clock the same way our normal offense does, but it kills the spreadsheet math which does make a difference when you are on the edge of a seed line in the NCAAT.

We scored 4 points in the final 8 minutes yesterday. We made a 25 point blowout look like a close game because we just decided to dribble around and get 3 shot clock violations in a row.

It drove me absolutely nuts. I understand the desire to kill some clock...but no coach ever has ever said to dribble around until there is 1 second left on the shot clock and then throw up a prayer. We can kill clock until the 8=10 second mark and then actually run a set to get a decent shot off and get it off with less than 5 seconds on the shot clock. Taking a few more seconds to score a few more points is going to benefit us more than hurt us. I wanted to gouge my eyes out the last 8 minutes of the game.

 

[auror]

They will drop us how many spots today based on the Nova loss without Liam?

My guess is to 12.

 

[jibsey]

These polls are absurd. I’m no fan of Pitino but how are they not even in the top 25? If we are 9 or 12 they are at least 15.

 

[auror]

These polls are absurd. I’m no fan of Pitino but how are they not even in the top 25? If we are 9 or 12 they are at least 15.

There's a good chance they're in today.

 

[6Nattys4Us]

Rankings like AP/coach's are just a barometer of "what would we be seeded if the tourney started this week"

Ultimately it does not matter as the seed we get is what does matter and who we play and our potential path to 7.

Metrics themselves don't really matter to me - trends in metrics matter - is our O getting better or worse, is our D getting better or worse, etc.

 

[HooperScooper]

They will drop us how many spots today based on the Nova loss without Liam?

Down 5 spots to #14. I guess they don't think too much of Villanova.

NCAA College Basketball Rankings: AP Top 25 Basketball Poll

The official page for the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll. Keep up to date and view the latest NCAA men's basketball ranking updates each week for the 2023-24 season.

apnews.com

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Down 5 spots to #14. I guess they don't think too much of Villanova.

NCAA College Basketball Rankings: AP Top 25 Basketball Poll

The official page for the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll. Keep up to date and view the latest NCAA men's basketball ranking updates each week for the 2023-24 season.

apnews.com

We are still the highest ranked team with 4 losses so I think our brand is keeping us at the 4-seed line. AP poll is very much “who just lost? Let’s move them down.” I don’t think the Nova loss will sting long term but hopefully those mid-week road games don’t lead to too many losses

 

[REB1094]

I get that they have to move up the people who didn’t lose, but dropping 5 spots for losing a Q1 game by 2 where you were +1.5 feels harsh

St John’s 1st team out!

 

[jibsey]

There's a good chance they're in today.

Uh, no they ain’t.

 

[auror]

Uh, no they ain’t.

26th, off by 1. Good chance isn't 100% chance.

 

[CL82]

I think we’ll be forgiven if we can start humming

It's true. Who doesn't like a good hummer.

 

[6Nattys4Us]

Down 5 spots to #14. I guess they don't think too much of Villanova.

NCAA College Basketball Rankings: AP Top 25 Basketball Poll

The official page for the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll. Keep up to date and view the latest NCAA men's basketball ranking updates each week for the 2023-24 season.

apnews.com

"They" = AP writers; College BK coaches say 13th.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I personally would have no problem if we are a five seed in this year's tournament as we still have that open on our bingo card:

One Seed - 1999; 2024
Two Seed - 2004
Three Seed - 2011
Four Seed - 2023
Seven Seed - 2014

We still need five, seven and eight.

Give us a five seed and let the four seed and one seed in our bracket soil their pants on selection Sunday.

That would be fun, but in earnest, we're not gonna get a Providence pod if we're a 5 seed, possibly not even as a 4. A 3 or higher has to be the goal.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

5 seed is cool, love to watch the 4 seed and the 1 seed in our bracket crying when the brackets are released and then again after we send them home

Then watch the college bureaucrats tell us about "the body of work", because they can't talk about talent. And they have no idea what the eye test even means.

You must have loved it last year when we were the 1 seed and the board collectively wept over Auburn and SD state being the 4 /5.

 

[RuffRuff]

It's true. Who doesn't like a good hummer.

Good point. Chrome off bumper.

 

[willie99]

You must have loved it last year when we were the 1 seed and the board collectively wept over Auburn and SD state being the 4 /5.

I remember that now, we did have the conference of champions bracket. Didn't matter much. I did laugh at all those Purdue was better because of "their body of work" arguments. Hence I'm frequently mocking that "body of work" poppycock.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

That would be fun, but in earnest, we're not gonna get a Providence pod if we're a 5 seed, possibly not even as a 4. A 3 or higher has to be the goal.

In all candor I'm not sure this team wouldn't be better served going on the road for the first few rounds and there is a chance that even if we ended up in the west, midwest or south we could play our first two rounds in Providence.

I also believe that we may be a bit too entitled with our expectations if we view not getting a drivable subregional and regional site two years in a row would be a disappointment.

 

[jake14mw]

A 5 seed sounds about right based on our whole body of work. The Big East is weak, and we're not lighting it up.

 

[UConNick]

That would be fun, but in earnest, we're not gonna get a Providence pod if we're a 5 seed, possibly not even as a 4. A 3 or higher has to be the goal.

I think if we're a four or higher there's a good shot we get Providence; no teams in the northeast to really compete with for that site. Though they could certainly send some SEC team like Kentucky up that way if the S-curve falls in that direction... think it's still too early to tell.

As for being a five, I can never remember if the geographic priority is to your first/second round pod, or to the regional (i.e., if we're 17th on the S-curve, ceteris paribus, would we go to Providence and then like the West, or some other early site but in the East regional out of Newark?).

E: thinking about it, in 2022, when I believe we were 17th on the S-curve, we did get sent to Buffalo for the early round games but it was in the West regional. So that could answer my own question, but still not sure. And then obviously all the conference matchup considerations will complicate things further.