18-13

[Balker]

Here's the thing, though, all these years KO has been the coach, the one thing he has never let happen is superior bigs dominating the limited one's he has to work with. This season in particular, all these physically imposing bigs like Bridges and Ayton have done nothing. Even think back to Randle in 2014 was smothered for the entirety of the championship game and I believe Young in the Final Four v. Florida was the same.

The problem this team has currently is perimeter defense. They can't keep guys in front of them causing the defense to collapse and thus allow open 3s. Brunson can feast on that unless guys decide to start guarding the ball better.

True enough. I still think Nova is a winnable game though. Our guys will (hopefully) be fired up and have spent a whole season underperforming at historic levels. They've only got so many chances to make it up and their careers, to some small extent, kind of depend on it.

It's the beauty of college ball. So much on the line. So many unknowns. At the end of the day, they aren't really that much more talented than we are. Just a lot better team through half a season.

To clarify... I do NOT think we will win the Nova game. I just don't think that whatever BPI nonsense prediction of 99.999% Villanova win is remotely accurate. Think it's more like 89%

 

[HooperScooper]

If we guard them well, turn them over, and shoot well, there is no reason at all we can't win.

So tell us which games UConn has done that in?

The defense has been better. But UCF and ECU are awful offensive teams so I don't know how much we can take out of those games.

 

[pj]

Sad that people are hopeful for NIT. And this is the coach some of you want back?

NIT is a big step up from where we appeared to be in May 2017. It was a big step up for Jim Calhoun in 1988. Sometimes coaches and teams have to progress up the lower rungs of the ladder before they get to the pinnacle.

 

[Balker]

So tell us which games UConn has done that in?

The defense has been better. But UCF and ECU are awful offensive teams so I don't know how much we can take out of those games.

One half against MSU. Oregon. Most of the Zona game. I mean I'm not gonna sit here and say we've had a good year, you surely know as well as I do we've played like crap and there are a lot more questions than answers on January 12th.

But I don't think I'm as devoid as hope as some of us are here. I've seen stretches of a decent team. I watched the Zona game in a bar when I was out of town. A national audience was watching the game as if it were any other game against two top programs. That's what it looked like, and they weren't nearly as jaded about our program as we've become. But I've seen progress in the last few weeks. Especially over the last two games, almost every player on our roster has looked substantially better. Particularly hopeful is seeing a 7-8 man rotation that half makes sense and is working hard to get better together. I'm hopeful we can keep improving and shock some people on Jan 20th.

To reiterate. I fully expect to lose to Nova. But I'll be pumped up and feeling like we've got a shot to give the season some life.

 

[auror]

True enough. I still think Nova is a winnable game though. Our guys will (hopefully) be fired up and have spent a whole season underperforming at historic levels. They've only got so many chances to make it up and their careers, to some small extent, kind of depend on it.

It's the beauty of college ball. So much on the line. So many unknowns. At the end of the day, they aren't really that much more talented than we are. Just a lot better team through half a season.

To clarify... I do NOT think we will win the Nova game. I just don't think that whatever BPI nonsense prediction of 99.999% Villanova win is remotely accurate. Think it's more like 89%

We're going to be like 15 point underdogs at home against Nova.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Let me ask you this: does a team with an RPI 57 and SOS 30 with a 18-13 record make the NCAA Tournament? Because if you play around with the numbers at RPI Forecast that's where UConn could end up. I'm not saying that's going to happen, especially since we have seen 1 quality win since November (it happened last night), but just know all possibilities are still in play. For those wondering what assumptions I used ROS:

Win @ Tulane
Win @ Memphis
Loss v. Nova
Loss v. SMU
Win @ Temple
Loss @UCF
Loss v. Cincy
Win v. USF
Loss @ Wichita St.
Win v. Tulsa
Win v. ECU
Loss @ Cincy
Win v. Memphis
Win v. Temple
Win @Houston

So win on the road at Houston. The team that beat Tulsa by 30 last night? Much easier to beat SMU at home or UCF on the road. Houston looks like the 3rd team in to me.

 

[HuskyHawk]

WOW....No attack on you but this gives me flashbacks of early fandom days in The Yankee Conference. The dream was to just make the top 25 and be mentioned in the national picture. That would include making The NCAA tournament or The NIT which at the time still meant something. We got there and beyond any of my dreams by winning a NC and more.
With 68 teams now included in the NCAA event the NIT is now The Nobody Interested. I am still a fan and listen to games on the radio for the ones not on my cable package. I will not however be jumping up and down or the least bit excited about making the NIT. Jaded, spoiled, I don't know. I watch a lot of college ball but no longer consider that tournament to be of much value. The NIT is simply practice for next year, nothing more.

In case you didn't notice, that's where we are. This is 1987-88. We are back 30 years in time. As a student then, I can say that I believe that winning the NIT is what put UConn over the edge. We never looked back after that, until now.

 

[Storrs South]

So win on the road at Houston. The team that beat Tulsa by 30 last night? Much easier to beat SMU at home or UCF on the road. Houston looks like the 3rd team in to me.

This is just one particular road map and it's entirely based on the team improving. Play like last night and progressively get better every game then this theoretical output is somewhat feasible. Play how they did every game between Oregon and UCF and we will be lucky if they finish over .500. I just wanted to illustrate that they don't need to win out again Wichita St., Cincy, and Nova to have a shot at the tourney.

 

[HuskyHawk]

This is just one particular road map and it's entirely based on the team improving. Play like last night and progressively get better every game then this theoretical output is somewhat feasible. Play how they did every game between Oregon and UCF and we will be lucky if they finish over .500. I just wanted to illustrate that they don't need to win out again Wichita St., Cincy, and Nova to have a shot at the tourney.

Other than that game, we can win every game you listed as a W. And we can win the two games I mentioned that you had as a L. Beyond that we'd need some sort of miracle.

I criticize Ollie quite a bit, and don't think he's a very good coach. That said, I thought this team had the players to win in the low 20's. Gilbert being out hurts that, but I think we can still get to 18-19. Temple is the only team in this league with a schedule nearly as tough as ours out of conference.

 

[PAHusky]

NIT is a big step up from where we appeared to be in May 2017. It was a big step up for Jim Calhoun in 1988. Sometimes coaches and teams have to progress up the lower rungs of the ladder before they get to the pinnacle.

Yes but that's the point. The situation isn't even remotely the same between 1988 and now. Calhoun was still building the program so of course it was a big step up, that's so obvious it barely needs to be said. KO inherited a program that, while it had suffered setbacks like the one year postseason ban, had won four national titles in the prior 15 years and had recruited at a level comparable to some blue bloods.

The NIT is a big step up from where we were in May 2017, no doubt. But Ollie himself put us in the position we were in in 2017! KO creates his own mess, blames lack of success on the mess he created, vows to improve, goes into this season with the same problematic issues that plagued last year's team, blames the mess he originally created.....and on and on.

 

[bennyMr]

Yes but that's the point. The situation isn't even remotely the same between 1988 and now. Calhoun was still building the program so of course it was a big step up, that's so obvious it barely needs to be said. KO inherited a program that, while it had suffered setbacks like the one year postseason ban, had won four national titles in the prior 15 years and had recruited at a level comparable to some blue bloods.

The NIT is a big step up from where we were in May 2017, no doubt. But Ollie himself put us in the position we were in in 2017! KO creates his own mess, blames lack of success on the mess he created, vows to improve, goes into this season with the same problematic issues that plagued last year's team, blames the mess he originally created.....and on and on.

If we were to play out the next 10 years in the same way that followed 1988, (1989-1999) would anyone really have a problem with that? As frustrating as some of the results were; 1990's loss to Duke, 1994's loss to Florida, 1995's loss to UCLA, 1996's loss Miss. State....I am pretty sure everybody enjoyed the ride.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

We have a very tough conference schedule plus Nova
Of their 15 remaining games the will be favored in 5 of them.
If they get to 19 wins or go 10-5 they deseverve to be in the NCAA ,
I’ll compare schedules with anyone.
But that’s a huge IF
Unless we find another offensive weapon it’s going to be a long hard season.
Playing the tough team D necessary to overcome our offensive difficulties is a tall order to sustain.
The Boneyarders apologist for the three deserters failed to take into account what they did to their alleged brothers. Their juvenile plot to get revenge on their “abusive “ coach pretty much damaged the careers of guys that they pretended to be friends with.
Nice friends . Maybe if KO threw Jackson off the team when he had the confrontation with him the other two conspirators would still be here.
Even though of the three Jackson would help this team the most.
One more guy with an outside shot gives our shooters ,but most importantly JA room to work. Then again a legimate post player wouldn’t hurt either.
Here’s our schedule you pick the sure wins,
Tulane New Orleans, LA 1/13 1 p.m. ESPNews
Memphis Memphis, TN 1/16 9 p.m. CBS Sports
Villanova XL Center 1/20 12 p.m. CBS
SMU Gampel Pavilion 1/25 7 p.m. CBS Sports
Temple Philadelphia, PA 1/28 8 p.m. ESPN 2
UCF Orlando, FL 1/31 9 p.m. CBS Sports
Cincinnati Gampel Pavilion 2/3 12 p.m. ESPN/ESPN 2
USF Gampel Pavilion 2/7 7 p.m. ESPN U
Wichita State Wichita, KS 2/10 TBA TBA
Tulsa XL Center 2/15 7 p.m. ESPN U
East Carolina Greenville, NC 2/18 3 p.m. ESPNews
Cincinnati Highland Heights, KY 2/22 7 p.m. ESPN/ESPN 2
Memphis Gampel Pavilion 2/25 2 p.m./4 p.m. ESPN/ESPN U
Temple Gampel Pavilion 2/28 7 p.m. CBS Sports
Houston Houston, TX 3/4 4 p.m. CBS Sports

This could get ugly or be one of the best stories in UConn history
Stay tuned .

 

[Balker]

KO inherited a program that, while it had suffered setbacks like the one year postseason ban, had won four national titles in the prior 15 years and had recruited at a level comparable to some blue bloods.

Recruit rankings don't matter if the players leave every 1-2 years. We'd have been a crap team for a long time if Cliff left in 87 to play in greener pastures. That was how Calhoun turned the program around. His in game style is just personal preference. Doesn't matter that much how many timeouts you call, or how quickly you pull players out. Those are just small pieces in a much larger system. The players have to believe in your system. Calhoun had a great system to convince the kids that he was tough, but they would grow. He was the father figure for dozens of kids over two decades, and they trusted him to do right by them. That's what made us who we are. That's college basketball (and for what it's worth, it's why the one and done atmosphere is a load of that's ruining it).

Ollie's gotta figure out how to keep the players that will make UConn UConn. If he can't do that, he should go. His in game coaching is honestly not a problem. It's everything else. The little things. Convincing the players you are in control, and their future should be in your hands. Marketing the program to the world. Marketing himself to the world.

That's easy when Shabazz wins you a title. It's a lot harder when you have multiple injuries and a losing record. He hasn't been up to the task.

 

[Ewekon]

True enough. I still think Nova is a winnable game though. Our guys will (hopefully) be fired up and have spent a whole season underperforming at historic levels. They've only got so many chances to make it up and their careers, to some small extent, kind of depend on it.

It's the beauty of college ball. So much on the line. So many unknowns. At the end of the day, they aren't really that much more talented than we are. Just a lot better team through half a season.

To clarify... I do NOT think we will win the Nova game. I just don't think that whatever BPI nonsense prediction of 99.999% Villanova win is remotely accurate. Think it's more like 89%

They are not under performing. They are under talented. Jeez.

 

[pj]

Yes but that's the point. The situation isn't even remotely the same between 1988 and now. Calhoun was still building the program so of course it was a big step up, that's so obvious it barely needs to be said. KO inherited a program that, while it had suffered setbacks like the one year postseason ban, had won four national titles in the prior 15 years and had recruited at a level comparable to some blue bloods.

The NIT is a big step up from where we were in May 2017, no doubt. But Ollie himself put us in the position we were in in 2017! KO creates his own mess, blames lack of success on the mess he created, vows to improve, goes into this season with the same problematic issues that plagued last year's team, blames the mess he originally created.....and on and on.

Calhoun also had the Big East affiliation, Ollie has the AAC. Look, as many have pointed out, the experience of Indiana, UCLA, etc shows that success under a legendary coach doesn't mean that the successor is going to succeed. And even Hall of Fame coaches have to rise a learning curve.

No one disagrees that Ollie created the mess of 2017. He made mistakes, as is not surprising from a first time head coach. The question is whether he can learn from his mistakes and keep improving until he becomes competitive with the best. I don't know, but until AD Dave Benedict and Susan Herbst decide he can't, I'm going to stay at his side and root for him.

 

[intlzncster]

They are not under performing. They are under talented. Jeez.

Probably both, but who's quibbling.

 

[Woof 101]

In case you didn't notice, that's where we are. This is 1987-88. We are back 30 years in time. As a student then, I can say that I believe that winning the NIT is what put UConn over the edge. We never looked back after that, until now.

AGAIN, HH no attack just a difference of opinion. In case you didn't notice, I very much understand where we are and also have a grasp of the difference between 1987 and 2018. March Madness and the size / magnitude of the tournament has rendered the NIT nothing but practice games. Your selling a top recruit on a school that has four NC's in the last 20 years and you think making the NIT will impress them????
Having said that it will obviously make you and a handful of fans feel good and I have nothing against that. I spent many a year as the hard core in the rise, I guess the decline has me a bit jaded. I want nothing to do with taking away the joy of a UConn fan celebrating and enjoying their participation in the NIT. Have at it....

 

[The Funster]

I don't think the Nova game will tell us anything. They are on another level entirely atm.

If we can hang with them though...that would be a huge positive, IMO.

 

[buddy]

It does appear that 30 years of athletic success were wiped away in 2012. I never would have dreamed that UConn would win a national championship in men's basketball, let alone 4, but to get to the point where people would be happy to make the NIT at this time is just pathetic. How many elite basketball schools hope to make the NIT? When we are at the point where a victory over UCF is celebrated as a great accomplishment and getting beaten at home by Wichita State is acceptable, then I have to say that this is no longer an elite program. Cinci was an automatic win at that time, now it is an automatic loss. It is hard to go backwards, which is what has happened to UConn. It seems like we are back in the late 70's when the big game was against Seton Hall to see who would avoid last place.

 

[buddy]

NIT is a big step up from where we appeared to be in May 2017. It was a big step up for Jim Calhoun in 1988. Sometimes coaches and teams have to progress up the lower rungs of the ladder before they get to the pinnacle.

I think KO has already been at the pinnacle with his national championship. They seems like a very distant memory at this time. You can only go down after reaching the pinnacle. The question becomes can the pinnacle become reachable again? Can you remain in the conversation? It seems like Duke, KY, MSU Louisville, NC, Nova,etc. are always in the conversation,. Can you seriously say that with this coach and this team it is possible? Is UConn in the conversation any more?

 

[pj]

I think KO has already been at the pinnacle with his national championship. They seems like a very distant memory at this time. You can only go down after reaching the pinnacle. The question becomes can the pinnacle become reachable again? Can you remain in the conversation? It seems like Duke, KY, MSU Louisville, NC, Nova,etc. are always in the conversation,. Can you seriously say that with this coach and this team it is possible? Is UConn in the conversation any more?

Nobody thought Louisville was always in the conversation when they were in Conference USA. Louisville and Nova are in the conversation due to great coaches, we'll see how Louisville maintains itself after Pitino. Same with Duke after K, MSU after Izzo, though again they have top conferences to help sustain them.

Of course it's possible for UConn to reach the pinnacle again, and yes we are in the conversation. We still have good access to NYC and New England recruits and a good brand. Yes, it could dissipate further, but you can see we can recruit the west coast still (Akinjo, Matthews) and that's something JC was only able to do after 1989-90.

 

[UCweCONN]

Pitt may be the worst team in a major conference this year.

Imagine what they'd be like with Mustapha Heron, the SEC Player of the Week?

 

[Waquoit]

UConn isn't .500 year end. No top 30 recruits next year. On it will go.

That's the spirit!

 

[UCweCONN]

Nobody thought Louisville was always in the conversation when they were in Conference USA. Louisville and Nova are in the conversation due to great coaches, we'll see how Louisville maintains itself after Pitino. Same with Duke after K, MSU after Izzo, though again they have top conferences to help sustain them.

Of course it's possible for UConn to reach the pinnacle again, and yes we are in the conversation. We still have good access to NYC and New England recruits and a good brand. Yes, it could dissipate further, but you can see we can recruit the west coast still (Akinjo, Matthews) and that's something JC was only able to do after 1989-90.

Fudge the West Coast kids. Just get me the Waters and Herons and I'll be happy. Both of them are killing it. Excluding Andre Drummond (we hardly knew ya), who was the last CT player of note? Let's firm up our foundation.

 

[Waquoit]

I think we will marginally surprise on the upside as our chemistry improves with a shorten rotation.

Sounds crazy, but it just might work!