AAC

[Uconn77Duke74]

Just for some perspective, we were 18-16 in 2009-10 and 17-14 in the 2006-07 season. We have these types of years every so often. Can we all just relax a bit here, we have three NBA caliber players on this team. I'm actually looking forward to the development of Adams, Enoch, Hamilton and Brimah next year. You can't just replace Shabazz with a Juco transfer or 2-3 star guard and expect to have the same production/results.

 

[storrsroars]

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I actually believe that this may be the case. Otherwise, I believe it was Emmert and Emmert alone that came after us. I'm 50/50 on whether it was a group decision or Emmert acting alone.

We should be royalty, yet the system refuses to protect us. Why would anyone want to kill a golden goose? We could be as big as UK with our charismatic young coach and our resume, we just need the ESPN hype. For whatever reason, they don't want to capitalize on the potential and it doesn't make sense.

Agreed. The farther away we get from the APR mess, the more information comes out and the more it appears that singling UConn for that specific time could be nothing else but a conspiracy or targeted witchhunt. When we talk about how CR is all about football revenues, let's not forget to include that being a football school also has other benefits - like keeping your hoops team away from the gallows.

 

[ctchamps]

I hope your right Fish...

I agree with you that history seems to imply Cuse and UNC just getting a slap on the wrist, but the delay in the Cuse ruling has me thinking something more is coming down.

But that could definitely be wishful thinking.

Me too. I've been on this soapbox a lot but it seems UNC is going to get let off easy here. The media has almost tried to create a sympathetic environment with the recent pastings of Stuart Scott and Dean Smith. Two very big losses for society but in a strange way seems to have softened the blow of their egregious academic issue. It will be a shocking commentary on the NCAA if they're relatively unscathed.

@uconngb

There is some basis for the skepticism we have because of the way the NCAA originally handled the North Carolina situation. Originally they brushed in under the rug stating the athletes were no different then the general student body taking AA courses. Maybe the NCAA decision was based on connections. More than likely they were under pressure at that time with conference realignment and the fear of a break away.

But things shifted when several members in congress started weighing in regarding the importance of athletics and education. Can't remember what the precipitating factor was but shortly afterwards the focus turned to the way the NCAA handled the North Carolina situation. That pushed the NCAA to reexamine things, the P5 to take a step back, and North Carolina to hire an investigator to mollify this change in the national power structures perspective.

The repeated kick in the nuts as a UConn fan part of me says a slight tap on the wrist. The pragmatic part of me says that Cuse, North Carolina and any universities currently under the NCAA cross hairs will get major sanctions. In a pure justice system they should have received these sanctions without the push by Congress. But justice is often predicated on the emotional sentiment of the nation. Currently there has been a lot of negative press regarding sports so the national tide is beginning to examine the way sports handles their problems with greater scrutiny. I agree with Fishy. I expect programs to be taken to task to give the appearance that the NCAA takes matters seriously. And then the focus will shift away and.............

 

[ctchamps]

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I actually believe that this may be the case. Otherwise, I believe it was Emmert and Emmert alone that came after us. I'm 50/50 on whether it was a group decision or Emmert acting alone.

We should be royalty, yet the system refuses to protect us. Why would anyone want to kill a golden goose? We could be as big as UK with our charismatic young coach and our resume, we just need the ESPN hype. For whatever reason, they don't want to capitalize on the potential and it doesn't make sense.

I think it was an Emmert vendetta and poor timing. Also several other factors that have been discussed.

 

[ctchamps]

People are confusing two issues. Yes, we got screwed on CR. Yes we are an elite cbb program.
It just has nothing to do with beating up on the teams who agreed to join us in this conference.

We all want to get out of it. But the constant rage against the teams that accepted our invitation to join the AAC is a little arrogant, especially when we are middle of the pack this season. It is not their fault we are here. Save your anger for Cuse, Pitt, BC, UCONN's old AD and president.

We were screwed and stuck with a league of 3 teams. All they did was accept our invitation after we were screwed.

Agree. It's a combo of arrogance and misplaced anger. We could be dominating this conference and the rage would still be there.

Several issues hit us at once. The APR fiasco, the loss of a legacy coach, and CR. In the end there was a lot of injustice in all of this (from our perspective) whether it is real or perceived.

Last seasons NC mitigated a lot of our emotional hurt/distrust/anger. This difficult season brought it to the forefront. Where last season gave us hope that we might still be on the radar of a P5 invite, this season has dashed that for some. Where last season's NC gave us hope that we've adequately replaced a legacy coach, this season has brought doubts for some.

It's not unusual under these circumstances (extreme highs and lows) to see the type of reactionary statements people are making. And since turbulence can reinforces turbulence it doesn't surprise me to see people increasingly snipe at one another.

I'm actually surprised it hasn't been worse up until now. If UConn only gets into the NIT or worse and struggles there I expect things to spiral downhill quickly.

 

[Uconn77Duke74]

Let's get behind the team and win the Frikkin AAC tournament against this crappy cluster f^&* of a conference and stop all this whining.

 

[jibsey]

At this time of year UCONN fans get a bit greedy and even if we don't aspire to a national title we want to enjoy the NCAA tourney as much as possible, otherwise the thing becomes mostly a root against fest, and frankly so far I haven't seen a ton of doubt about KO's ability. Is that spiraling out of control? If we only make the NIT are we supposed to go dancing in the streets? Any prominent team of our stature not making it is going to disrupt the fanbase. Imagine Duke going to the NIT after a title year. Even if we don't make it though I think an additional high profile recruit or 2 this year would change our fan's outlook tremendously because CR or not it gives us the future to be more exited about.

 

[ctchamps]

At this time of year UCONN fans get a bit greedy and even if we don't aspire to a national title we want to enjoy the NCAA tourney as much as possible, otherwise the thing becomes mostly a root against fest, and frankly so far I haven't seen a ton of doubt about KO's ability. Is that spiraling out of control? If we only make the NIT are we supposed to go dancing in the streets? Any prominent team of our stature not making it is going to disrupt the fanbase. Imagine Duke going to the NIT after a title year. Even if we don't make it though I think an additional high profile recruit or 2 this year would change our fan's outlook tremendously because CR or not it gives us the future to be more exited about.

Agree.

It's all relative. Each of us views things differently. Some will look at history and therefore a successful run in the NIT can be construed as below a standard a particular individual has created. Others may weigh a team's experience/inexperience as factors to be considered more and history less and decide that a successful NIT run is terrific. Still others may see the history of NIT runs as important in UConn's past and therefore not deride it. And so on.

IMO, the issue isn't about which of these is important for each one of us. Nor is there an issue about rebutting the different parameters we chose to consider when expressing our opinions. The issue for me is how nonsensical it becomes that our opinions need to be sacrosanct. Opinions are valid for the person expressing them. But not necessarily valid universally. Yet some people don't distinguish this.

 

[Fishy]

It is ABSOLUTELY a rigged game. I wish I had the blissful naivety to think that the UConn APR penalty was just bad timing. .

I don't think the networks were involved, but it was a rigged game.

As we saw with some of the Penn State emails, the NCAA was in a vindictive mode and there's no doubt they were thrilled to throw up a retroactive rule and snag a big fish.

If North Carolina, which we now see was providing fake APR data, was the fish who would have been snagged, that rule is never installed.

Period.

 

[jibsey]

I don't think the networks were involved, but it was a rigged game.

As we saw with some of the Penn State emails, the NCAA was in a vindictive mode and there's no doubt they were thrilled to throw up a retroactive rule and snag a big fish.

If North Carolina, which we now see was providing fake APR data, was the fish who would have been snagged, that rule is never installed.

Period.

We're gonna see what shakes out of NC and Cuse because we UCONN fans only want to see fairness and proportionality to the punishments. Ha!

 

[jibsey]

I don't think the networks were involved, but it was a rigged game.

As we saw with some of the Penn State emails, the NCAA was in a vindictive mode and there's no doubt they were thrilled to throw up a retroactive rule and snag a big fish.

If North Carolina, which we now see was providing fake APR data, was the fish who would have been snagged, that rule is never installed.

Period.

We're gonna see what shakes out of NC and Cuse because we UCONN fans only want to see fairness and proportionality to the punishments. Ha!

 

[ctchamps]

I don't think the networks were involved, but it was a rigged game.

As we saw with some of the Penn State emails, the NCAA was in a vindictive mode and there's no doubt they were thrilled to throw up a retroactive rule and snag a big fish.

If North Carolina, which we now see was providing fake APR data, was the fish who would have been snagged, that rule is never installed.

Period.

The networks were not involved with the APR ruling but they certainly had a say in the discussions regarding conference realignment. How much of a factor is debatable.

The APR was always a poor parameter if universities self reported. I argued this vigorously even before the NCAA went retroactive. The retroactive decision was purely a vendetta.

 

[Fishy]

The networks were not involved with the APR ruling but they certainly had a say in the discussions regarding conference realignment. How much of a factor is debatable..

Of course, ESPN was involved in realignment, but as it pertained to UConn and the ACC...I don't think they really gave a s--- who the ACC took from the Big East so long as it was fatal.

Taking UConn or Pitt or Louisville or Syracuse all advanced the agenda of eliminating the Big East Conference.

 

[ctchamps]

Of course, ESPN was involved in realignment, but as it pertained to UConn and the ACC...I don't think they really gave a s--- who the ACC took from the Big East so long as it was fatal.

Taking UConn or Pitt or Louisville or Syracuse all advanced the agenda of eliminating the Big East Conference.

I was clarifying you post to nelson. Knew you were talking about APR vs. realignment but felt some posters who value your opinions wouldn't know this.

I agree about ESPN. The agenda was to destroy the BE. Wasn't the original agenda but after the BE refused their offer (flick Pitt and ND and big mistake Gtown) it was a good strategic move to submarine the conference and not leave a decent venue for the other members of the media.

Regional tv probably was more influential in choosing Ville over UConn.

 

[BUConn10]

I was clarifying you post to nelson. Knew you were talking about APR vs. realignment but felt some posters who value your opinions wouldn't know this.

I agree about ESPN. The agenda was to destroy the BE. Wasn't the original agenda but after the BE refused their offer (flick Pitt and ND and big mistake Gtown) it was a good strategic move to submarine the conference and not leave a decent venue for the other members of the media.

Regional tv probably was more influential in choosing Ville over UConn.

I'd say the power and pull of the football schools in the ACC was the deciding factor between UConn and Louisville for the most recent ACC expansion. The football schools didnt want the ACC to turn into the new BE and they were blinded by their short term memory and sight of Louisville doing well in football and being in an upswing while UConn's timing of events was terrible and the declining football in a region of the country that, well frankly will never ever field a successful football program, was the deciding factor.

 

[ctchamps]

I'd say the power and pull of the football schools in the ACC was the deciding factor between UConn and Louisville for the most recent ACC expansion. The football schools didnt want the ACC to turn into the new BE and they were blinded by their short term memory and sight of Louisville doing well in football and being in an upswing while UConn's timing of events was terrible and the declining football in a region of the country that, well frankly will never ever field a successful football program, was the deciding factor.

The CR forum has gone over this many times. The point you make certainly was a huge factor. But there were others. BC and maybe Cuse feeling threatened by a big public in their region and believing that elimination of that power would give them a better outcome than continuing rivalries. Some schools concerned about the conference becoming too northern. Swoffords son an executive for a regional media provider that has a sweetheart deal with the ACC and Ville is in their region while UConn isn't.

The feeling that UConn was less likely to get taken by either the B!G or the Big 12 because of geography vs. Ville or Pitt which would be potentially attractive partners for WV in the B12. Therefore a better probability that UConn would be available in the future vs. either of those schools.

All pragmatic thoughts expressed regarding this topic and far more likely than a failure by UConn's leadership.

 

[UC990411]

vacating wins may be the weakest, 'slap on the wrist' type of punishment I've ever heard of...you may think that's an insult...but as long as I have fun and can buy some t-shirts...I don't care if it gets 'vacated' later

T shirts? For sweet 16's? I'm not even going to laugh or ask if you're also a Cuse fan. I'll leave it at that.