12 hardest teams to gauge this season - UConn is one

[Jerry1714]

UConn Huskies
Which UConn will we get this season? Will it be 2011-12 UConn, a Kevin Ollie-coached team that made a run through the NCAA Tournament to secure the title as a No. 9 seed? Or will it be a repeat of the 2016-17 season, a largely disappointing campaign plagued by injuries -- and the first losing season since 1986-87? Rodney Purvis is gone, but back is leading scorer Jalen Adams, a dynamic guard who can score it and distribute the rock. It's still anyone's guess where they might finish in the AAC, though. And it's likely to be down closer to the bottom than the top of the standings with the addition of Wichita State in a suddenly top-heavy league that no longer features UConn as its darling.

Louisville, NC State and Maryland among the 12 hardest teams to gauge this season

 

[awfuldan]

Man, that 2012 title run was truly unforgettable. Kevin Ollie really was amazing as our head coach that year.

 

[mauconnfan]

"..And it's likely to be down closer to the bottom than the top of the standings with the addition of Wichita State in a suddenly top-heavy league that no longer features UConn as its darling."

Closer to the bottom? Kyle Boone's clueless but what would you expect from an SEC/Big 12 area buffoon. Hard to guage? Sure I agree very tough. But they finished in the muddle of the pack with the injuries I'm not sure he even knows who they will have. 2011-12 no it won't. 2016-17 nah don't think so. A good guess would be in the middle fighting for the tourney but I guess if you're short on knowledge how could you come up with that scenario? Best to say close to the bottom in that case.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Man, that 2012 title run was truly unforgettable. Kevin Ollie really was amazing as our head coach that year.

It's right up there with Jim Calhoun's run to the 2015 title as a #4 seed.

 

[jibsey]

Back court and SF should be stellar but we’ve had gaping holes in our frontcourt last several years, so tell me what that is going to be, and gaugeing this team won’t be a problem.

 

[WrenchFan69]

Things like this really make me think I'm in the wrong industry. Couldn't even be bothered to fully read the Wikipedia page he got our info from

 

[sammydabiz]

I don't know the azzhat who wrote this, but my man really stinks at his job. That or he had a 7am deadline and he went out the night before

 

[4in16]

Must be one of the 12 hardest to research facts on as well.

 

[auror]

Things like this really make me think I'm in the wrong industry. Couldn't even be bothered to fully read the Wikipedia page he got our info from

The good news is that I can guarantee he's not well-paid.

This was a worthless article, fact inaccuracies aside. Who needs a 3 sentence blurb that doesn't even make the right argument? I could write this same article in 45 minutes.

 

[joober jones]

That Jeremy Lamb missed windmill at the buzzer sealed the deal and made us champs in 2012.

 

[HooperScooper]

Man, that 2012 title run was truly unforgettable. Kevin Ollie really was amazing as our head coach that year.

O.K. so he fixed the year to 2013-2014 but kept the No. 9 seed in there even though they were a 7 seed that year. They were a 9 seed in 2011 but obviously not coached by Ollie. Boone must be having a bad day.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

O.K. so he fixed the year to 2013-2014 but kept the No. 9 seed in there even though they were a 7 seed that year. They were a 9 seed in 2011 but obviously not coached by Ollie. Boone must be having a bad day.

They were a 3 seed in 2011 coached by Calhoun.

They were a 7 seed in 2014 coached by Ollie.

 

[champs99and04]

This is like when a teacher grades a paper and can tell right away that student didn't actually read the book. I agree with the premise, though.

 

[NowInStorrs]

#alternativefacts

 

[4in16]

O.K. so he fixed the year to 2013-2014 but kept the No. 9 seed in there even though they were a 7 seed that year. They were a 9 seed in 2011 but obviously not coached by Ollie. Boone must be having a bad day.

9 seed was the 2012 tournament.

 

[HooperScooper]

They were a 3 seed in 2011 coached by Calhoun.

They were a 7 seed in 2014 coached by Ollie.

You’re right. Not sure what I was thinking. I guess I’m having a bad day also.

 

[Travelman6]

It's right up there with Jim Calhoun's run to the 2015 title as a #4 seed.

Hey, lets not forget that 2005 run as a 6 seed! That, for sure, was my favorite championship of all!

 

[Towney007]

I mean a terrible mix up on the facts, but he's not really wrong.

I feel like this team has the *potential* to be really good and a super, super dangerous team come march if the backcourt gels even though they're clearly lacking in the front court. They've got enough *talent* to make a deep run in the tournament.

I could also see them as a wildly frustrating, on-again, off-again, incoherent mess in the same vein as the 2014-2015 team that beats some teams that maybe they shouldn't and has some inexplicably embarrassing losses that keep them out of the tournament and give you enough to hope, but not enough to believe. That's the other side of the coin.

Honestly, it's the first UConn team in eons I can remember that's like this. There's a lot of new players, soooo many question marks. The stars are talented enough that they SHOULD be good - and they've got some lottery tickets that should hit more than they miss. As kind of a 'reset' roster - they've put themselves in position to overperform if the cards fall the right way. But I don't feel comfortable saying anymore than that.

 

[minidarren]

I still reminisce about our 2037 tournament run as a 29 seed. Coach Brown did an exceptional job.

 

[jibsey]

I mean a terrible mix up on the facts, but he's not really wrong.

I feel like this team has the *potential* to be really good and a super, super dangerous team come march if the backcourt gels even though they're clearly lacking in the front court. They've got enough *talent* to make a deep run in the tournament.

I could also see them as a wildly frustrating, on-again, off-again, incoherent mess in the same vein as the 2014-2015 team that beats some teams that maybe they shouldn't and has some inexplicably embarrassing losses that keep them out of the tournament and give you enough to hope, but not enough to believe. That's the other side of the coin.

Honestly, it's the first UConn team in eons I can remember that's like this. There's a lot of new players, soooo many question marks. The stars are talented enough that they SHOULD be good - and they've got some lottery tickets that should hit more than they miss. As kind of a 'reset' roster - they've put themselves in position to overperform if the cards fall the right way. But I don't feel comfortable saying anymore than that.

Don’t necessarily agree with the talent statement. Where’s our *talent* in front? I hope this is not true but our frontcourt with so little experience could be a foul factory. As they learn on the court will they be rotating and helping as they should? Blocking out is as basic as it gets but not all big men do it well. The next part is how are they going to shoot fouls? We went off on Enoch last year for this same stuff and against good oponents early I think we get a reading and that determines what our season is because your backcourt can’t do this by itself all the time.

 

[Palatine]

The Huskies have had mediocre regular seasons for many years. So this may be a correct assessment. I hope it is not.

 

[Rico444]

UConn Huskies
Which UConn will we get this season? Will it be 2011-12 UConn, a Kevin Ollie-coached team that made a run through the NCAA Tournament to secure the title as a No. 9 seed? Or will it be a repeat of the 2016-17 season, a largely disappointing campaign plagued by injuries -- and the first losing season since 1986-87? Rodney Purvis is gone, but back is leading scorer Jalen Adams, a dynamic guard who can score it and distribute the rock. It's still anyone's guess where they might finish in the AAC, though. And it's likely to be down closer to the bottom than the top of the standings with the addition of Wichita State in a suddenly top-heavy league that no longer features UConn as its darling.

Louisville, NC State and Maryland among the 12 hardest teams to gauge this season

Great article. I agree with the author; losing Bromah will be huge. Hamidou Diarra will be big off the bench, but not enough for head coach Donny Marshall to bring us back to the promised land like he did as a player when he hit those two big free throws against Miami.

 

[CL82]

I
Honestly, it's the first UConn team in eons I can remember that's like this. There's a lot of new players, soooo many question marks. The stars are talented enough that they SHOULD be good - and they've got some lottery tickets that should hit more than they miss. As kind of a 'reset' roster - they've put themselves in position to overperform if the cards fall the right way. But I don't feel comfortable saying anymore than that.

There are some parallels to the 2010-2011 Kemba Walker led team.

• Talented point guard poised for a break out season gets a new talented backcourt-mate who allows him to play off the ball and come off screens for open looks.
• Two capable points each able to score or distribute but more importantly are able to provide smothering defense against opposing guards. (Calhoun's "cut the head off the dragon" strategy.)
• Young, promising but unproven supporting cast comes in and opponents, prognosticators and fans are unsure what the team will look like.
• Team spends the summer working on bonding and identity.
• Undersized front court that ends up being effective.
• Early tournament versus talented opponents ends up being a coming out party.

Look a run like the 2011 NC happens once in a lifetime, right? Well except that it pretty much happened again for the 2014 NC. It is the Husky formula for success and no one does it as well as us.

That said... We're Doomed!

 

[auror]

Undersized front court that ends up being effective.

We weren't really that undersized in 2011 (mostly thanks to Lamb and Okwandu), but this is clearly where the rosters differ. We don't have the 5* experienced center, who may be underwhelming on offense but still anchors the paint and rebounds. Or the borderline 5* freshman PF who at least protects the rim. Or the senior backup big who commits a lot of fouls, but, again, at least protects the rim.

Actually, Onuorah might be that last one at least.

 

[ctchamps]

We weren't really that undersized in 2011 (mostly thanks to Lamb and Okwandu), but this is clearly where the rosters differ. We don't have the 5* experienced center, who may be underwhelming on offense but still anchors the paint and rebounds. Or the borderline 5* freshman PF who at least protects the rim. Or the senior backup big who commits a lot of fouls, but, again, at least protects the rim.

Actually, Onuorah might be that last one at least.

I'm not sure any of the front court are as good as freshman Amida or freshman Kentan. Are they closer to Nolan, to Sellers, to Adrien, to Jake? Who knows. But a front court with a Nolan ceiling will limit any backcourt no matter how good they can play. The loss of Steve and Juwan were critical losses.