American Athletic Conference Preview Welcome Wichita State

[UConnSwag11]

American Athletic Conference Preview: Welcome, Wichita State!

 

[UConnSwag11]

Not much love for UCONN and Adams is briefly mentioned

 

[Guapo]

I think what is said about UConn here is 110% correct.

 

[Son of Robert]

Conner Frankamp of Wichita St. impressed me as a player. Plays within the offense. Poised, and he doesn't seem like he's doing that much, but the next thing you know he's got his shot off.

 

[gtcam]

Another chance for a writer to profess how much he knows or doesn't know
I understand that as it stands right now, WSU and Cinci standout
We will see when January rolls along......................................................

 

[BFieldHusky]

We have to prove it on the court so I think for now with write ups like this, we just have to take it for what's it worth. But a couple of thoughts:

I have believed for a while Witchia State and Cincy are two best teams. But let's not forget they both have major question marks too. New league for Witchia, and their two best players are coming off foot injuries. Lets see how that plays out. I think Broome for Caupain at Cincy is going to be an adjustment. He wont be as good defensively.

SMU is very much like us. Total wild card. They lost 3 all league players, and I think their front court is prob worse than ours. UCF should be good but who knows. Temple too.

My only point is we arent the only team in this league with MAJOR questions. For now lets stay under the radar. "We need to stay healthy." NO s++t. So does everyone else.

 

[upstater]

The biggest insult is this:

FIVE NON-CONFERENCE GAMES TO CIRCLE ON YOUR CALENDAR

• 12/2, Wichita State at Baylor
  
• 12/2, Cincinnati at Xavier
• 12/2, USC at SMU
• 12/3, UCF at Alabama
• 12/9, Cincinnati vs. Florida (Newark, NJ)

UConn v. Syracuse? Nah.
UConn v. Arizona? Nope.
UConn v. Oregon? No.
UConn v. Villanova? No way.

Baylor, Xavier, Alabama > Syracuse, Arizona, Villanova?

No.

The insult is UConn.

 

[superjohn]

There shouldn't be any preseason love for UConn. We have to prove it on the court.

 

[WrenchFan69]

Reasonable take on UConn, but so, so off on the players and the non-conference. Maybe the most disrespectful thing I've heard all offseason is someone putting Rob Gray ahead of a healthy Jalen.

 

[champs99and04]

The biggest insult is this:

FIVE NON-CONFERENCE GAMES TO CIRCLE ON YOUR CALENDAR

• 12/2, Wichita State at Baylor
  
• 12/2, Cincinnati at Xavier
• 12/2, USC at SMU
• 12/3, UCF at Alabama
• 12/9, Cincinnati vs. Florida (Newark, NJ)

UConn v. Syracuse? Nah.
UConn v. Arizona? Nope.
UConn v. Oregon? No.
UConn v. Villanova? No way.

Baylor, Xavier, Alabama > Syracuse, Arizona, Villanova?

No.

The insult is UConn.

I would agree with this. I don't have a huge problem with them picking us sixth. It's on the low side, but it's conceivable. What it indicates more than anything is how much better the conference has gotten. In another year, sans Wichita State, it would be easy to envision this identical UConn team being picked second or third. Hell, last year we finished fifth.

But the "they have to prove it on the court" analysis is lazy and kind of defeats the whole purpose of doing this sort of thing in the first place. This isn't your typical team coming off a 16-17 season and I don't see the sense in pretending otherwise.

 

[superjohn]

I would agree with this. I don't have a huge problem with them picking us sixth. It's on the low side, but it's conceivable. What it indicates more than anything is how much better the conference has gotten. In another year, sans Wichita State, it would be easy to envision this identical UConn team being picked second or third. Hell, last year we finished fifth.

But the "they have to prove it on the court" analysis is lazy and kind of defeats the whole purpose of doing this sort of thing in the first place. This isn't your typical team coming off a 16-17 season and I don't see the sense in pretending otherwise.

It's a team which returns 2 players who played last season. There is some talent but they are the ultimate "they have to prove it on the court" type of team.

 

[mauconnfan]

A lot to prove no issues here. Always liked our Huskies with less hype anyway better place to come from and to be noticed.

 

[UConnSwag11]

It's a team which returns 2 players who played last season. There is some talent but they are the ultimate "they have to prove it on the court" type of team.

We don’t know what to expect from our team this year but the lack of respect for Jalen is ridiculous. Also putting usc vs smu, ucf vs Alabama, and cinci Florida over our three OOC games not including vs oregon at the PK80 is terrible

 

[uchusky32]

I bleed blue. But why would we expect anyone to write we are the cream of the crop when it comes to the AAC? Yes, I hope we have a chip on our shoulders and our boys can handle the pressure this jersey bares. We have questions with our bigs and mental obstacles (injuries).

I'm not confident about this year. Exicited of what could be but guarded with recent past disaapointments.

 

[Kitaman]

Frontcourt ?? That's are main issue. We had a miserable year last year, and for obvious reasons. Since 2014 we have not had much success, sans Jalen's unbelievable shot.

Its evident we are not highly thought of or even respected. That's not the writer's fault. This squad is so new its practically impossible to predict the season.

Other than our guards this team will have to gel, become unified and play together very quickly. To think because of our 'paper' roster we are automatically a title contender is a little naive. Just saying we've got some work to do and things to settle on the court.

I just hope we fans can be patient and recognize that this season is all about righting the UConn ship as opposed to the final destination. I just want to 'finally' see the Ollie foundation being built similar to JC's Chris Smith and crew days.

 

[kobe]

The biggest insult is this:

FIVE NON-CONFERENCE GAMES TO CIRCLE ON YOUR CALENDAR

• 12/2, Wichita State at Baylor
  
• 12/2, Cincinnati at Xavier
• 12/2, USC at SMU
• 12/3, UCF at Alabama
• 12/9, Cincinnati vs. Florida (Newark, NJ)

UConn v. Syracuse? Nah.
UConn v. Arizona? Nope.
UConn v. Oregon? No.
UConn v. Villanova? No way.

Baylor, Xavier, Alabama > Syracuse, Arizona, Villanova?

No.

The insult is UConn.

Also doesn't include Cincinnati at UCLA which is a national CBS game.

 

[Guapo]

Also doesn't include Cincinnati at UCLA which is a national CBS game.

It's almost like this journalist for NBC went out of his way to not include any CBS games

 

[DoakW]

We don’t know what to expect from our team this year but the lack of respect for Jalen is ridiculous. Also putting usc vs smu, ucf vs Alabama, and cinci Florida over our three OOC games not including vs oregon at the PK80 is terrible

USC will be a top 10 team coming into Moody on a Saturday night at 9pm...considering they beat SMU twice last year and revenge is on the mind this is a pretty big game. Not only for SMU, but the conference. One thing is for sure...Moody will be very liquored up and violent that night, especially after the allegations for USC.

 

[justinhub2003]

The biggest insult is this:

FIVE NON-CONFERENCE GAMES TO CIRCLE ON YOUR CALENDAR

• 12/2, Wichita State at Baylor
  
• 12/2, Cincinnati at Xavier
• 12/2, USC at SMU
• 12/3, UCF at Alabama
• 12/9, Cincinnati vs. Florida (Newark, NJ)

UConn v. Syracuse? Nah.
UConn v. Arizona? Nope.
UConn v. Oregon? No.
UConn v. Villanova? No way.

Baylor, Xavier, Alabama > Syracuse, Arizona, Villanova?

No.

The insult is UConn.

As a UC fan, you absolutely have to include the UC vs Xavier in the top non conference games. UC is top 15 and Xavier is top 15, in the same city 3 miles apart. I think you could have subbed UCF vs Bama for UC @ UCLA and had 3 UC games on this list. UC plays 3 preseason top 20 teams this year and they themselves are top 15, so any matchup they play in of that caliber should be on that list.

I mean, I want UCONN to return to form this year. I want you guys to beat WSU twice (and lose to us of course) and shock some teams. It will strengthen the American even more. But I dont think its wrong for them to not include UCONN games until they prove they are back. The only game that is debatable that you could sub with a UCONN game is the UCF and Bama game and even then, that games has a better narrative because its 2 teams on the rise.


That all said, I will be rooting for UCONN to beat Cuse, nova, Oregon and Zona. And I think if they could split those games or at least win 1 of them, it would do a ton to change the narrative people are throwing on UCONN. Ollie is better when his team is an underdog and they've been counted out by a lot of people.. not me though.

 

[kobe]

As a UC fan, you absolutely have to include the UC vs Xavier in the top non conference games. UC is top 15 and Xavier is top 15, in the same city 3 miles apart. I think you could have subbed UCF vs Bama for UC @ UCLA and had 3 UC games on this list. UC plays 3 preseason top 20 teams this year and they themselves are top 15, so any matchup they play in of that caliber should be on that list.

I mean, I want UCONN to return to form this year. I want you guys to beat WSU twice (and lose to us of course) and shock some teams. It will strengthen the American even more. But I dont think its wrong for them to not include UCONN games until they prove they are back. The only game that is debatable that you could sub with a UCONN game is the UCF and Bama game and even then, that games has a better narrative because its 2 teams on the rise.


That all said, I will be rooting for UCONN to beat Cuse, nova, Oregon and Zona. And I think if they could split those games or at least win 1 of them, it would do a ton to change the narrative people are throwing on UCONN. Ollie is better when his team is an underdog and they've been counted out by a lot of people.. not me though.

Get lost dude, no UC fans are allowed on this forum.

 

[upstater]

As a UC fan, you absolutely have to include the UC vs Xavier in the top non conference games. UC is top 15 and Xavier is top 15, in the same city 3 miles apart. I think you could have subbed UCF vs Bama for UC @ UCLA and had 3 UC games on this list. UC plays 3 preseason top 20 teams this year and they themselves are top 15, so any matchup they play in of that caliber should be on that list.

I mean, I want UCONN to return to form this year. I want you guys to beat WSU twice (and lose to us of course) and shock some teams. It will strengthen the American even more. But I dont think its wrong for them to not include UCONN games until they prove they are back. The only game that is debatable that you could sub with a UCONN game is the UCF and Bama game and even then, that games has a better narrative because its 2 teams on the rise.


That all said, I will be rooting for UCONN to beat Cuse, nova, Oregon and Zona. And I think if they could split those games or at least win 1 of them, it would do a ton to change the narrative people are throwing on UCONN. Ollie is better when his team is an underdog and they've been counted out by a lot of people.. not me though.

What has UCF ever done that impressed you? UConn beat them 2 or 3 times last year (actually dont remember if we faced them a 3rd time, they didn't impress me). And Alabama? PLEASE!!

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

The biggest insult is this:

FIVE NON-CONFERENCE GAMES TO CIRCLE ON YOUR CALENDAR

• 12/2, Wichita State at Baylor
  
• 12/2, Cincinnati at Xavier
• 12/2, USC at SMU
• 12/3, UCF at Alabama
• 12/9, Cincinnati vs. Florida (Newark, NJ)

UConn v. Syracuse? Nah.
UConn v. Arizona? Nope.
UConn v. Oregon? No.
UConn v. Villanova? No way.

Baylor, Xavier, Alabama > Syracuse, Arizona, Villanova?

No.

The insult is UConn.

If other AAC teams win OOC games, it should increase the number of tournament teams and improve their seedings. Past that, UConn need only concern itself with winning both out of and in conference. Be that comeback team that puts it together.

For 5 years, those giving UConn the benefit of the doubt at the beginning of the season have found themselves disappointed, so I think an article like this shows some increased attention over past years. I'm very eager to see what happens on the court, and I welcome this as a level-headed preview of an improving league.

 

[champs99and04]

It's a team which returns 2 players who played last season. There is some talent but they are the ultimate "they have to prove it on the court" type of team.

That is more than a lot of other teams and they aren't just any two players. They're guards that both played virtually every minute last year in the conference tournament.

How many players does Kentucky return? No, it's not an apples to apples comparison, but we're not talking in binary terms here. Things like talent and experience exist on a continuum - we might not be Kentucky, but we're the Kentucky of our league in that there is as much or more talent on the roster than there is with the teams picked to finish ahead of us. Again, I don't have a problem with being picked sixth, but I do think a distinction should be drawn between this team and other sixth place teams.

 

[MSGSeven]

I don't know why people would care what comes out in the preseason. UConn almost always has been better when we're not hyped and we're the underdog. As fans we know what we have as far as talent and personnel. This is exactly what we want - to give a very young and hungry team motivation to prove everyone wrong.

 

[justinhub2003]

What has UCF ever done that impressed you? UConn beat them 2 or 3 times last year (actually dont remember if we faced them a 3rd time, they didn't impress me). And Alabama? PLEASE!!

UCF finished really strong last season, beat us and has a top 5 defense last year because of tacko fall. BJ Taylor is one of the best pg in the league, they have tacko fall in the paint and added Aubrey Dawkins and some other transfer who can really shoot.

Alabama has 5 Star Colin Sexton and John petty. Both teams are expected to be tournament teams.

I’d personally rather watch UConn vs zona or nova but I can understand people who like a game between two fast rising programs with new coaches