A Perverse View From CBS Sports

[nyhuskies13]

Sending what to Hurley? The poll following the Purdue loss won't come out until Monday. I hope to god Hurley is worrying about more important things than what one writer or talking head predicts the next poll will say. I even wish you did.

Hurley unquestionably has the program focused on the next game, any short-term goals, and season-long development for this squad

Hurley also sees even a single voter's slight as disrespect and uses that as rocket-fuel in his quest to dominate. The guy is almost petty (Jordan-esque) in describing how a conversation, doubter, or competitor lit a fire under him throughout his life.

Both things can be true

If you think Kentucky or Duke wouldn't automatically be voted #1 from #4, I don't know what to tell you. And Yes, we are ALL aware there's still a game this weekend and the poll isn't announced til early Monday afternoon. But we're all as fiery as our incredibly competitive coach

 

[tzznandrew]

Hurley unquestionably has the program focused on the next game, any short-term goals, and season-long development for this squad

Hurley also sees even a single voter's slight as disrespect and uses that as rocket-fuel in his quest to dominate. The guy is almost petty (Jordan-esque) in describing how a conversation, doubter, or competitor lit a fire under him throughout his life.

Both things can be true

If you think Kentucky or Duke wouldn't automatically be voted #1 from #4, I don't know what to tell you. And Yes, we are ALL aware there's still a game this weekend and the poll isn't announced til early Monday afternoon. But we're all as fiery as our incredibly competitive coach

You do understand that the poll isn't a monolith, right? It's individual voters, and pretty much none of their ballots match the published Top 25? You can track how they vote. There are obvious boneheads, but this is the sort of absurd conspiratorial thinking that makes this fanbase insufferable at times.

 

[WrenchFan69]

Things that matter this season:
1) Big East regular season title
2) Big East tournament title
3) Final Four
4) National Championship

The rest is noise

 

[uconnfan68]

"The University of Connecticut, winning 5 lucky national championships since 1999."

ftfy

 

[HooperScooper]

It's also not up to date. There's been some movement.

They should be proud to be in the Top 10. They should also lament that they only have 1 title despite that sustained success.

Syracuse last made the top 25 in December 2018....

Imagine going 5+ years without being ranked? We'd freak!

 

[tzznandrew]

Syracuse last made the top 25 in December 2018....

Imagine going 5+ years without being ranked? We'd freak!

I can't tell if you are joking, but we were damn close...

We went from 1/1/2016 to 1/11/2021 only being ranked Preseason 2016, so in a way...

 

[Hunt for 7]

Assessing the "chaos" this week among college basketball's Top Five, CBS Sports has this curiously dismissive comment as to how it reflects on UConn:

"UConn survived the mayhem with an 80-75 win at Xavier but not without trailing in the second half against the mediocre Musketeers.

...

Collectively, the run of results illustrates a lack of dominance among the supposed top teams in the sport and opens the door for recently downtrodden brands such as Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina to reclaim their place atop the college basketball hierarchy."


Curious logic, it strikes me. Rather than lauded as an exception to the "chaos", UConn is lumped with the losers, all part of a discredited Top Five. Oh, well, maybe if we beat Georgetown.

We play our games on Fox sports. So there is that to consider. Late night on cbs sports network one of the analysts pretty much said the only team that has set itself apart was UConn. So who knows what is going to happen but I am guessing #2 in AP and Coaches polls.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Assessing the "chaos" this week among college basketball's Top Five, CBS Sports has this curiously dismissive comment as to how it reflects on UConn:

"UConn survived the mayhem with an 80-75 win at Xavier but not without trailing in the second half against the mediocre Musketeers.

...

Collectively, the run of results illustrates a lack of dominance among the supposed top teams in the sport and opens the door for recently downtrodden brands such as Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina to reclaim their place atop the college basketball hierarchy."


Curious logic, it strikes me. Rather than lauded as an exception to the "chaos", UConn is lumped with the losers, all part of a discredited Top Five. Oh, well, maybe if we beat Georgetown.

Nothing new. Our last 3 titles all had the narrative of "well they didnt have to play any of the top seeds" like somehow our title means less and now that we`re back in the top 5 and likely #1 now the top 5 is filled with "supposeds" and not worth much to be ranked #1. All the haters in the media can F off!

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

I have this feeling that we're somehow going to end up at #2 next Monday. I'm not sure who jumps over us for the top spot, but it just seems like something that would happen.
The only poll that matters is in April.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

I have this feeling that we're somehow going to end up at #2 next Monday. I'm not sure who jumps over us for the top spot, but it just seems like something that would happen.
The only poll that matters is in April.

The only team that would be #1 over us (If we both win on the weekend) is Purdue.

 

[HooperScooper]

I can't tell if you are joking, but we were damn close...

We went from 1/1/2016 to 1/11/2021 only being ranked Preseason 2016, so in a way...

And we did freak. Man, seems so long ago but it wasn't.

 

[caw]

UConn's numbers are just too messed up right now due to basically playing zero games with a fully healthy and functional starting five so far this year. So I would take Kenpom numbers with a large grain of salt.

Games 1-2 Clingan was on a minutes restriction.

Then Castle was out completely from games 3 - 8.

Then Castle was on a minutes restriction games 9 - 11 (can't find if he technically was for SHU but he only played 20).

Then Clingan got hurt in the second half of SHU (game 12) and has been out 13 - 16 so far.

It would be generous to say UConn had a minute restricted starting five for a total of 5.5 games this year and a fully functional starting roster for .5 (first half of SHU).

 

[CL82]

Syracuse last made the top 25 in December 2018....

Imagine going 5+ years without being ranked? We'd freak!

In their defense, a lot of people don't pay attention to Canadian basketball.

 

[Blades]

From CBS Sports-

College basketball power rankings: UConn reclaims top spot, Kentucky surges amid upsets

UConn is back on top of the CBS Sports power rankings even while playing without Donovan Clingan

www.cbssports.com

 

[JohnFSilver]

Calling the people currently paid to generate articles "journalists" and the work they perform "reporting" is a big stretch.

Journalism is dead.

The only journalism being done is by local reporters and the associated press.

Everything else is hot takes

 

[JohnFSilver]

Parish rally does a good job explaining Purdue over us, and based on stats he’s right on. We can counter with some maybes and coulda, mighta, but they have better Q 1 and 2, 5 wins against top 20 NET, and beat us on most computer metrics.

I’ll take #2 in college hoops in the oh so critical CBSSports line poll right now knowing we’ve still got significant upside.

Who you taking on a neutral floor if everyone is healthy?

 

[RedStickHusky]

Personally, I enjoy it much more when they are all forced to bow down before us, reluctantly, at the end.

 

[Huskygrad88]

Who you taking on a neutral floor if everyone is healthy?

Absolutely irrelevant for ranking the teams on 1/11/24. Clingan is not playing at the moment, and as much as I hate to write this, we really do not know when he is coming back, what his game will be like, or how likely he is to get hurt again. In my mind you rank on what a team has right now not on “if”; perhaps others take a different view.

But to answer your other question-absolutely UConn for so many reasons.

 

[Sphinx]

Absolutely irrelevant for ranking the teams on 1/11/24. Clingan is not playing at the moment, and as much as I hate to write this, we really do not know when he is coming back, what his game will be like, or how likely he is to get hurt again. In my mind you rank on what a team has right now not on “if”; perhaps others take a different view.

But to answer your other question-absolutely UConn for so many reasons.

Regarding DC, this is a brave statement on this forum but very, very true. I would go so far as to change "when he is coming back" to "if he is coming back." His return is not a function of UConn's need for him. It is a function of guaranteeing his health for a future NBA career -- a career that can be reasonably valued in eight, maybe nine, figures.

 

[dennismenace]

Exactly.

It's a Quad 1 win, but they have to denigrate it somehow, including a take as flimsy as "well, they were losing by 1 at one point.)

TV "journalists" don't want to lose the loyal (even if undeserved) support of the nostalgic fans who still believe this garbage. As long as we keep rubbing their noses in it the more foolish they look.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Absolutely irrelevant for ranking the teams on 1/11/24. Clingan is not playing at the moment, and as much as I hate to write this, we really do not know when he is coming back, what his game will be like, or how likely he is to get hurt again. In my mind you rank on what a team has right now not on “if”; perhaps others take a different view.

But to answer your other question-absolutely UConn for so many reasons.

I think this is fair and you changed my opinion, thanks.

 

[superjohn]

Regarding DC, this is a brave statement on this forum but very, very true. I would go so far as to change "when he is coming back" to "if he is coming back." His return is not a function of UConn's need for him. It is a function of guaranteeing his health for a future NBA career -- a career that can be reasonably valued in eight, maybe nine, figures.

No, it's not if he's coming back. He's coming back.

 

[dennismenace]

This is what Hurley means when he says we still do not get the respect that we’ve earned - not deserved - earned. How do programs like Purdue and Houston get more respect from the media as media darlings when they have accomplished absolutely nothing?

Huge cities...........ratings matter.

 

[Hunt for 7]

No, it's not if he's coming back. He's coming back.

I truly hope you are correct. Because when he comes back we are the best team in the country and honestly if we get the 2022- 2023 version of DC even if he only plays 20 minutes a game, I don’t think it is even close.

 

[superjohn]

I truly hope you are correct. Because when he comes back we are the best team in the country and honestly if we get the 2022- 2023 version of DC even if he only plays 20 minutes a game, I don’t think it is even close.

He can always reinjure it while rehabbing or get another injury just like every player can. I'll I'm saying is there's zero plans from Donovan, the coaches, his camp, or doctors to shut him down for the draft.