Before the board gets unreadable...

[UChusky916]

Keep this in mind before the board collectively slits their wrists from the game last night:

In a game in JANUARY, WITHOUT Boat, Cinci shot lights out from 3 and took care of the ball, Lamb, AO and AD had bad games, and we were STILL in the game with only a few seconds left.

Yeah, no one likes losing. Yeah, we shouldnt lose at home. Yeah, it was a big game in terms of BE seeding.

But the only thing that matters is how the team plays in March. Calhoun will dig into these kids a little more and get more out of them.

 

[Adios]

On the bright side, we'll have a desire for revenge in the Big East tournament. Cincy got revenge somewhat for us knocking them out of the NCAA tournament last season.

 

[freescooter]

A. I don't think anyone is jumping off the roof of Gampel over this game. Everyone seems to be taking it in stride, even Calhoun.
B. Cincy shot the lights out from 3 largely because we didn't cover them very well. Now I'll grant that the lsot two were pretty unbelievable shots, but most of them were open 3s because either we didn't get out on the shooter or because someone went for a steal and missed.
C. I know everyone loves to say Calhoun will turn it around by March, and he certainly did last year, but if you look at the record book, he has had mixed results. Like every other great coach, he's had some teams that were good from the opening tap of the opening game (1999, 1995 both come to mind) Some that got much better as the year went on (the Dream Team is the best example, I think, one could also argue the 2004 title team fit that mold as a very good team that just seemed not able to get it together early) and some that actually get worse (2010, 2007, 2006 all come to mind). the guy has done great things but he can only work with what he has to work with and sometime it doesn't come together. I think it remains to be seen whether he can put the pieces together with this team this year. is this a team that comes togehter like 2004 or is it a team that when you look back you say iti never lived up to its potential?

 

[DogMania]

...
C. I know everyone loves to say Calhoun will turn it around by March, and he certainly did last year, but if you look at the record book, he has had mixed results. Like every other great coach, he's had some teams that were good from the opening tap of the opening game (1999, 1995 both come to mind) Some that got much better as the year went on (the Dream Team is the best example, I think, one could also argue the 2004 title team fit that mold as a very good team that just seemed not able to get it together early) and some that actually get worse (2010, 2007, 2006 all come to mind). the guy has done great things but he can only work with what he has to work with and sometime it doesn't come together. I think it remains to be seen whether he can put the pieces together with this team this year. is this a team that comes togehter like 2004 or is it a team that when you look back you say iti never lived up to its potential?

None of us has a crystal ball...well maybe some do but don't know how it works ...but there's nothing about this team, assuming RB returns at some point in the season, that tells me they don't have the talent that JC is capable of pushing over the finish line.

They have the depth and talent to beat anyone in the nation. The question is, will they mature individually and as a team by March? Look at it this way, after the last game of the regular season, who here thought that JC could mold the 2010/11 team into a National Champion? Anyone? Chirp...chirp....chirp...

I'll be more surprised if this team isn't a Final-4 team when it's all said and done.

If the NCAA began now, UConn would be ripe for the picking. Let's see what this team looks like come March.

 

[freescooter]

I'm not saying thtey won't DogMania. I'm just saying right now this team looks to me like as I said in another post, one of those yankee teams Steinbrenner used to love. All Stars at every position but never quite able to get all the pieces to fit right. Everyone wants to bat 3rd and hit homeruns, but games are won by guys batting 8th who bunt to get on and hit sac flies as well. That is this team. Lots of good players but nobody knows his role,at least among the front court, and I'm not sure Calhoun knows them either. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but that is the best example I can think of. And I'm not sure how you put this all together even with Boatright. As far as he goes, I'm not sure he's the missing piece really. A solid Craig Austrie/Beverly sort would probably be just as useful for what they need. I'll grant that Boatright is way better, but again, I'm just talking about his role. And to me in some ways that's the problem with this team. to paraphase the old country song, nobody want to play rythmn guitar behind Jeremy, they all want to be the lead singer in the band.

Last year, I fully admit, I didn't think UCONN would win a national championship. But last year's team had a feel to it that if they got going, and they did, they might be a tough out. I didn't think they'd win it all at the beginning, but thought they'd be a real tough out. Combine that with an overall weak field (and if you don't agree the field was weak, explain Butler and Virginai Commonwealth BOTH making the Final Four, 5 mid-majors in the Sweet 16...if you don't agree that it was weak, you have to admit that there were no dominant teams like 2004 UCONN and Duke or 2009 North Carolina. It was the overall highest seeded FF ever I believe) and a good team playing perfectly went all the way. to me, 2009 Villanova was a similar team to us last year, but the field had North Carolina, so a good team playing great was no match for a terrific team playing well.

 

[Fishy]

You're a little late - this board became unreadable in 2001.

 

[jibsey]

Most of the time these BE games come down to who is tougher and who wants it more. Calhoun said as much. Last year Kemba had this eye of the tiger thing going and then the skill to back it up. AO and Roscoe were supposed to have that this year and JL is just not that type of personality. Roscoe needs the PT. Drummond? He's only 7 games in and he's feeling his way. Aside from no contact dunks he's trying to finesse it. For us to be successful we need him and Alex to get brutal in there. It's the Big East.