AAC Auto Bid or Bust

[Silk31]

Well unless we basically run the table from here on out (severely unlikely), you better believe that our only realistic shot at salvaging this season is to win the AAC Tourney.

We probably will get a shot at Oregon, great. Even if we beat them does that offset our two horrendous losses? Not even close.

The rest of our schedule will not offer enough chances for us to bolster our overall resume with big time resume building wins to cancel out the Wagner & NE defeats. The schedule will actually provide us with more chances to do even more harm to our resume with potential losses to crappy AAC teams.

I'm not piling on here and not being a fair weather fan. I will still watch and root for this team each and every game for the rest of the season but it's the harsh reality that this regular season will only mean us building and improving towards a run in the AAC Tourney. That is our only shot at a tourney bid and if you think otherwise then I believe you may be a blind optimist.

The only silver lining to this atrocious beginning to the season is that we play in the god forsaken AAC and the conference tourney is at Hartford. I'm not big on moral victories so I'm not going that route after last night's game. It was, however nice to see them not lay down and die but now it's time to show some pride in yourself as players and the University and play better.

 

[gtcam]

Agreed for the most part
The AAC tournament in Hartford is UConns golden egg at this point in time
I do see this team improving with time and hopefully gelling at that point in March

 

[Excalibur]

I think we kind of knew this after the first two games.

 

[gwhuskyfan]

If we can somehow get out of Maui 3-3, and can steal a game vs Cuse or @ OSU, I think we'll be ok. I certainly see this team improving as the season goes along. Most likely will need AAC Tourney, but give us 3 home games and I'll take our chances.

 

[Silk31]

I think we kind of knew this after the first two games.

Losing to OSU guaranteed a date with Chaminade and no shot at the winner's bracket for a chance to bolster their overall resume. This was the nail in the coffin after Game #4 and now for my eugoogoly:

RIP 2016-17 Regular Season, you lived a short and painful life. May you potentially rise from the dead in Hartford, CT specifically on 3/9-3/12

 

[Candyman]

We have to beat ranked Oregon and ranked Syracuse plus take out Ohio State and Auburn. Not saying that will happen but there is a small window.

 

[Silk31]

We have to beat ranked Oregon and ranked Syracuse plus take out Ohio State and Auburn. Not saying that will happen but there is a small window.

Yes of course. We have to be perfect and not lose to any AAC opponents either. Being undermanned certainly won't help our cause though

 

[UConnStats]

If we beat Oregon and Cuse we will probably start having votes in the AP poll again. We don't need to win the AAC tournament yet. That's going overboard.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I don't want to be down double digits before the first TV timeout

 

[jibsey]

If we finish second in the AAC and go to the AAC tourney finals, we don't get a bid?

 

[7774]

If we finish second in the AAC and go to the AAC tourney finals, we don't get a bid?

Even you can't think this is an answerable question as of today right?

 

[jibsey]

Even you can't think this is an answerable question as of today right?

Well the title of this is AAC auto bid or bust so to me that makes no sense at this point, capish?

 

[UConnfan8]

If we beat Oregon and Cuse we will probably start having votes in the AP poll again. We don't need to win the AAC tournament yet. That's going overboard.

Not true. And top 25 votes?? LOL! You see how much respect the AAC gets? None. We need to win the AAC tourney. Even with wins vs. Cuse and Ohio St. Sorry, but thats the way the committee views the conference, and will continue to view this conference. Shame we're in it, isn't it??

 

[Bryan Lord]

We arnt getting any AP votes again this year.

 

[7774]

Not true. And top 25 votes?? LOL! You see how much respect the AAC gets? None. We need to win the AAC tourney. Even with wins vs. Cuse and Ohio St. Sorry, but thats the way the committee views the conference, and will continue to view this conference. Shame we're in it, isn't it??

Your posts are consistently brutal.

 

[UConnfan8]

Your posts are consistently brutal.

What is not true about the statement I made? You're happy with not being in a P5 conference?

 

[jibsey]

I think we get Gilbert and Larrier back we make the tourney somehow, but should we start getting beat by Tulane, Central Florida etc then we won't get to the NIT. The fight back last night gave me hope.

 

[RJScootin]

I think we get Gilbert and Larrier back we make the tourney somehow, but should we start getting beat by Tulane, Central Florida etc then we won't get to the NIT. The fight back last night gave me hope.

Love is blinding. This team lost to crummy teams with those guys. A comeback in a game UC never had a chance to win gives you enough hope to make up for all the awfulness they've shown so far? I guess I appreciate the optimism and hope you're right, but currently this thought seems delusional to me.

 

[jibsey]

Yeah even though they were unforgivable losses we had a ton of new personnel on this team. I don't blame the new players, I blame KO and staff for not getting them ready to play with urgency. I blame facey, Brimah and Purvis even though he lost his bro. we saw some of that urgency last night. Let's see what they show today and tomorrow. the season is going to go on regardless.

 

[HuskyHawk]

They have two bad losses and no good wins. That's bad. So the choices right now are (a) win, and keep winning or (b) win the AAC tournament. I haven't given up on option (a), because the team I saw in the 2nd half last night would be 4-0 and ranked in the top 10. I expect them to win the next 12 games and be 13-3. That includes beating Oregon or UTenn plus Cuse and both Memphis and Tulsa on the road. Then they play @ GTown and @ SMU....those may be losses. 13-5. Three easy games than @ Cinci. 16-6. Three more easy ones and then @ Temple. 19-7. Three tough games in the last 4, so call it 21-9. Does that team get a bid? I think so.

 

[Jaker]

Beat Cuse in MSG and no matter our final record, the season will have beeen a success. LOL ;}

 

[JimHurley]

Not quite. Beat Oregon, Cuse, Ohio State, GTOWN and avoid any silly losses then we still have a shot. With these 2 ridiculous early losses (Wagner + Northeastern), I'd guess we'll need roughly 22 wins for an auto bid. That would mean we'd have to go 20-5 through the next 25. Doesn't seem very likely but still possible.

 

[Jaker]

Not even thinking about the tourney anymore, just hoping for a winning record in the American.

 

[7774]

What is not true about the statement I made?

Basically everything. Tulsa wouldn't have made the field last year if the committee had the lack of respect for our conference that you say they do.

My comment wasn't about this specific post though, just a general comment about all your posts. Brutal.

 

[Hi-Low]

My recommendation is not to track our at-large prospects after 5 games....we have 2 "bad" loses that may not looks so bad in March as Northeastern & Wagner may both vie for their conference bids. With Oregon, Cuse, OSU, BU, Auburn & G-Town left on non-conference schedule there are plenty of "good / decent" non-conf wins available....give UConn credit for not scheduling many "cupcakes".

As far as AAC need to have around a 14-4 record to be "viable" for an at-large coupled with 3-4 good non-conf wins and we should be in the mix.

If we lose AG & TL for a chunk of the season then Adams, Purvis, Jackson, Brimah will need to be pretty special and we'll need solid contributions from Vital, Facey, Enoch & Durham. We have talent and plenty of opportunities to make our case.