'24 Huskies vs. '26 Huskies | The Boneyard

'24 Huskies vs. '26 Huskies

uconn_jack

uconn_jack

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Since there has been so much talk about Michigan being as dominant at the '24 Huskies, here is a fun exercise. What would this '26 team need to do to beat the '24 team?
 
They would have had to show up. We Had 4 draft picks, including 2 lotto, versus 0. Being generous We were equal to or better at every position, especially at guard:

Newton >> Cadeau
Cam >> Nimari
Castle = Yaxel
Alex = Johnson
Clingan > Mara

In order for Michigan to break the 2024 team’s record tournament point differential they will have to beat us by 33

Edit- sorry I interrupted the question as what would the 24 UConn team have to do to beat the 26 UM team
 
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This will be an interesting matchup. Reed vs Mara will very much be like Adama vs Clingan. Mullins is a lot like Jordsn Hawkings. Silas is a bit more advanced as an all around player than Tristen was in year 1. 2023 Team was a very, very deep Team. 2026 is more front heavy like 2024.
 
bendm said:
They would have had to show up. We Had 4 draft picks, including 2 lotto, versus 0. Being generous We were equal to or better at every position, especially at guard:

Newton >> Cadeau
Cam >> Nimari
Castle = Yaxel
Alex = Johnson
Clingan > Mara

In order for Michigan to break the 2024 team’s record tournament point differential they will have to beat us by 33

Edit- sorry I interrupted the question as what would the 24 UConn team have to do to beat the 26 UM team
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Lol.

This place. Do you think we are getting 2026 Castle who has played for the Spurs for two seasons? Do you think Castle would have won B10POY this year as a freshmen even if he were featured? Or first team AA in a heralded class of talent.

Johnson is better than 2024 Alex, not by much given different.

It's worth sliding McKinney in there as the 2 since he gets more time, Cam was still much better.

The point differential thing isn't even worth looking at - Michigan had AZ by 30 and let it go.

This 26 team would have zero chance against the 24 team. Their only chance would be to feed Reed and foul Cling out, which everyone tried to do.

As for UM, Clingan would have owned Mara as he had 40lbs on him. Yaxel would be a tough guard - rare that we put Castle on guys that much bigger, but he would have likely got up in his shirt and played deny.
 
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‘24 UConn would win but it probably wouldn’t be double-digits. This ‘26 team scrapes and claws and wouldn’t just fold.
 
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bendm said:
Expected you to weigh in but that’s a long post to come to the same conclusion. Castle was months away from being an nba starter and eventual ROY. Neither of which Yaxel will be.
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But he wasn't that during the 2023-24 season. I don't think he was even on a BE all conference team other than freshman. Yaxel has 3 inches and 35 lbs on him, shoots, passes, plays great d too. He also has 4 years on him.
 
RuffRuff said:
But he wasn't that during the 2023-24 season. I don't think he was even on a BE all conference team other than freshman. Yaxel has 3 inches and 35 lbs on him, shoots, passes, plays great d too. He also has 4 years on him.
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Are you kidding me? Castle wasn’t featured on offense at all he was the 4th option because of the guys around him but you know that. And He was still an elite elite elite defender. How much better do you think he got in the 6 months before the nba season started.
 
bendm said:
Are you kidding me? Castle wasn’t featured on offense at all he was the 4th option because of the guys around him but you know that. And He was still an elite elite elite defender. How much better do you think he got in the 6 months before the nba season started.
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Just stop. You are arguing over a guy who was the second highest rated player in all of CBB this year by a wide margin (after Boozer), has 3 inches/30lbs on him, was B10 POY and first team all AA. I can't with this. In a far more talented field this year. This argument is dead to me. At some point it honestly become a joke to even discuss. Take this anywhere other than the Boneyard and you'll get 100% agreement on this side. Not 99, not 98, 100. Good grief. What's next, he's better than Boozer? C'mon man. Better than Flagg? Hint, Yaxel's EvanMiya rating this year was higher than Flagg's last year.

A college player in one given year is not valued at how he developed in the NBA two years later.
 
RuffRuff said:
Lol.

This place. Do you think we are getting 2026 Castle who has played for the Spurs for two seasons? Do you think Castle would have won B10POY this year as a freshmen even if he were featured? Or first team AA in a heralded class of talent.
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You are truly a fool!

UCONN didn’t need or have to feature Castle and he was still the 4th pick in the draft!

If you do not think Castle could guard and contain Yaxel you’re clueless.
RuffRuff said:
But he wasn't that during the 2023-24 season. I don't think he was even on a BE all conference team other than freshman. Yaxel has 3 inches and 35 lbs on him, shoots, passes, plays great d too. He also has 4 years on him.
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you just love to make sh.t up!

First, Yaxel is almost exactly 2 years older and he’s got 25lbs on him. Keep making stuff up so it sounds good for you
 
uconn_jack said:
Since there has been so much talk about Michigan being as dominant at the '24 Huskies, here is a fun exercise. What would this '26 team need to do to beat the '24 team?
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The teams aren’t comparable. 24 team is legendary. This team has overachieved. I don’t expect them to beat Michigan. I do hope they beat Michigan. I expected the 24 team to whoop everyone.
 
RuffRuff said:
Just stop. You are arguing over a guy who was the second highest rated player in all of CBB this year by a wide margin (after Boozer), has 3 inches/30lbs on him, was B10 POY and first team all AA. I can't with this. In a far more talented field this year. This argument is dead to me. At some point it honestly become a joke to even discuss. Take this anywhere other than the Boneyard and you'll get 100% agreement on this side. Not 99, not 98, 100. Good grief. What's next, he's better than Boozer? C'mon man. Better than Flagg? Hint, Yaxel's EvanMiya rating this year was higher than Flagg's last year.

A college player in one given year is not valued at how he developed in the NBA two years later.
Expand ...
Again we’re talking about 6 months later the start of his rookie of the year season. Yaxel is a borderline lotto pick. Put him in castles draft and castle is still going ahead of him and winning ROY over him.
 
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controlfade said:
You are truly a fool!

UCONN didn’t need or have to feature Castle and he was still the 4th pick in the draft!

If you do not think Castle could guard and contain Yaxel you’re clueless.

you just love to make sh.t up!

First, Yaxel is almost exactly 2 years older and he’s got 25lbs on him. Keep making stuff up so it sounds good for you
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Yaxel - 6'9" 240, 23 years old this year.
Castle - 6'6", 210-215, 19 years old in 23-24

Yaxel, Evan Miya score this year - 13.84, only scores higher in the last few years have been Edey and Boozer
Castle that year - 6.67

Get your facts straight before you start coming at me like the fool. You think I'm comparing San Antonio Spurs Castle? Yeah, let's start taking NBA players and comparing them to college, SMH. Maroon.

bendm said:
Again we’re talking about 6 months later the start of his rookie of the year season. Yaxel is a borderline lotto pick. Put him in castles draft and castle is still going ahead of him and winning ROY over him.
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And? Are we evaluating college teams based on players NBA careers? Then a LOT of Duke and Kentucky teams would look amazing.

Yaxel is a borderline lottery pick in this draft. Do you realize the vast difference between draft classes and how the NBA evaluates NBA talent? Was Castle a better college player than Edey? By your way of evaluating, Reed Sheppard was a better college player than Castle. None of your rationale makes any sense whatsoever.
 
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RuffRuff said:
Lol.

This place. Do you think we are getting 2026 Castle who has played for the Spurs for two seasons? Do you think Castle would have won B10POY this year as a freshmen even if he were featured? Or first team AA in a heralded class of talent.

Johnson is better than 2024 Alex, not by much given different.

It's worth sliding McKinney in there as the 2 since he gets more time, Cam was still much better.

The point differential thing isn't even worth looking at - Michigan had AZ by 30 and let it go.

This 26 team would have zero chance against the 24 team. Their only chance would be to feed Reed and foul Cling out, which everyone tried to do.

As for UM, Clingan would have owned Mara as he had 40lbs on him. Yaxel would be a tough guard - rare that we put Castle on guys that much bigger, but he would have likely got up in his shirt and played deny.
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I scrolled past the author of this post before seeing who it was. When I returned to the top I was completely unsurprised.
 
RuffRuff said:
Yaxel - 6'9" 240, 23 years old this year.
Castle - 6'6", 210-215, 19 years old in 23-24

Yaxel, Evan Miya score this year - 13.84, only scores higher in the last few years have been Edey and Boozer
Castle that year - 6.67

Get your facts straight before you start coming at me like the fool. You think I'm comparing San Antonio Spurs Castle? Yeah, let's start taking NBA players and comparing them to college, SMH. Maroon.


And? Are we evaluating college teams based on players NBA careers? Then a LOT of Duke and Kentucky teams would look amazing.
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Get your facts straight !!! Castle is 2 years younger and 25lbs lighter !!
You are a f..king fool!

No one said anything about San Antonio you mor0n! I laid out the facts !
 
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controlfade said:
Get your facts straight !!! Castle is 2 years younger and 25lbs lighter !!
You are a f..king fool!

No one said anything about San Antonio you mor0n! I laid out the facts !
Expand ...
He's 21 years old now. He was 19 the year he played college basketball. Yaxel is 23 this year, yeah know, the year he was B10 player of the year, first team AA. Yeah, if you want me to pluck Stephon out of the NBA two years later and put him on UConn, I'd take him.

If you want to come out aggressive, at least have you common sense together.
 
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F Michigan, we aren’t here to evaluate their draft positioning.

‘24 UConn would probably smoke ‘26 UConn in one game. But I could also see ‘26 hanging around or getting within single digits. The more interesting debate is ‘23 vs ‘26 UConn since I think if we win tomorrow, I might have to give it to this year’s team.
 
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RuffRuff said:
]

He's 21 years old now. He was 19 the year he played college basketball. Yaxel is 23 this year, yeah know, the year he was B10 player of the year, first team AA. Yeah, if you want me to pluck Stephon out of the NBA two years later and put him on UConn, I'd take him.

If you want to come out aggressive, at least have you common sense together.
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You seem to forget what happened in 24 when Castle drew the assignment of an all-BIG 10 guy and unstoppable high scorer in the tournament and held Shannon to 8 points on 2-12 shooting en route to a 30-0 run
 
Welcome to the wonderful world of Ruff Ruff. The eve of the championship game and he’s bashing one of our best players in the last 20 years

Do us all a favor and just go where you really wanna be. And don’t you dare say anything other than WE lost when the huskies take #7 tomorrow night.
 
lonsharkin51 said:
You seem to forget what happened in 24 when Castle drew the assignment of an all-BIG 10 guy and unstoppable high scorer in the tournament and held Shannon to 8 points on 2-12 shooting en route to a 30-0 run
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Believe me I remember - neither were YL. YL more than doubles both of them in efficiency on EM.

I'm honestly not sure if people are processing how good a year that guy has had. He is rated comfortably above Flagg last year. Does that help? He has 3 inches on Shannon. Shannon was a one trick pony - all downhill.

I love Steph, but if anyone is comparing 24 UConn vs 26 Mich and saying it's a wash at the 3, they don't have their head screwed on well. And I'm not talking about 2 years in San Antonio Steph, like some doofus got wound up over.

Anyone questioning the Johnson lean, he's got 2 full points on Karaban this season and 23-24.
 
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RuffRuff said:
Yaxel - 6'9" 240, 23 years old this year.
Castle - 6'6", 210-215, 19 years old in 23-24

Yaxel, Evan Miya score this year - 13.84, only scores higher in the last few years have been Edey and Boozer
Castle that year - 6.67

Get your facts straight before you start coming at me like the fool. You think I'm comparing San Antonio Spurs Castle? Yeah, let's start taking NBA players and comparing them to college, SMH. Maroon.


And? Are we evaluating college teams based on players NBA careers? Then a LOT of Duke and Kentucky teams would look amazing.

Yaxel is a borderline lottery pick in this draft. Do you realize the vast difference between draft classes and how the NBA evaluates NBA talent? Was Castle a better college player than Edey? By your way of evaluating, Reed Sheppard was a better college player than Castle. None of your rationale makes any sense whatsoever.
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There's a lot of times you (rightfully) take some flack around here, but I'm honestly not sure how you could make this clearer...

Yaxel is a mismatch for basically everyone...kinda reminds of 00s Calhoun teams that would roll out guys like Rudy or Sticks at the 3
 
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