Best Case/Worst Case

[bmayuc]

Some people think the sky is falling, and have ample evidence to back that. TRANSFERS! RECRUITING! RECENT RESULTS!
Some people think this was a blip, and they have ample evidence to back that. OLLIE WON A SHIP ALREADY FFS!!

So lets let go of that constant ( and constantly boring) argument. The goal of this is to understand what everyone thinks the likely best case/worst case scenarios are for UConnMBB specifically, and Athletic Department 5 years from now.

Best Case

Ollie, the consummate survivor, knows how to self-evaluate and re-make himself and his team. His willingness to hire Chillious underscores the introspection that properly comes with a tire-fire season. The injury bug & transfers that decimated the squad reminds Ollie to properly balance the roster, and focus on the "right" kind of recruit rather than chasing rankings. Ollie has built a solid foundation by 2018-2019, and we return to the Elite 8.

The Athletic Department buoys our Tire-Fire BBall for a couple years because the Football team has a bounce-back in relevancy under HCRE while Ollie rights his ship. As always, UConn WBB keeps the good press rolling with another nearly perfect season. Notre Dame officially announces a committee to look at ACC integration.

Worst Case

Ollie, under siege from the AD and barely takes Calhoun up for advice. Former players start to question his aversion to leveraging the Hall-of-Famer. He turns his energy and focus inward, trying to white-knuckle success. This approach further alienating players and continuing to centralize decision-making and development. After a .500 season, a quick exit in the AAC tourney, and missing the NCAAs again due to an imbalanced roster, young players not being trusted with developmental minutes, and an injury to a major cog, Ollie enters 2018-2019 under a lot of stress, and centrally on the hot seat.

The athletic department as a whole has a series of awful items hit the press, continuing the public perception of program collapse. Geno announces his retirement, effective at the end of the 2018-2019 season to pursue his new venture, the olive oil business. Mens BBall, with now 4 full years of mediocrity or worse after their miracle 2014 championship, is in full-fledged crisis. Randy Edsall struggles at 3-9 in his first year, unable to change the narrative with 1AA players. It seems that will be a full, true rebuilding process that could take a decade. Notre Dame confirms it will stay Independent through at least 2025, and the Power 5 strengthens its financial foundations with digital contracts. No Expansion looks likely until mid 2020's, if that.

Ok,

What do you guys think?

 

[pj]

I think if I could foresee the future I'd be a lot richer.

 

[CTBasketball]

With regards to men's basketball, your "Worst Case Senario" has been happening for the last 12 months.

 

[SirHypeAlot]

Um...your worst case scenario is exactly what is happening right now

 

[ConnHuskBask]

It's not even next season that I'm really worried about. It's 2018/2019.

Assuming Jalen leaves to go to the NBA and Larrier elects to go pro (Draft/Europe) that leaves us with Gilbert, CV and a whole hell of a lot of unknowns.

2018 recruiting class needs to be a good one and by most accounts, it seems we're already behind the 8 ball.

 

[Horatio]

If we can get 2-3 decent kids to come in and support the good set of players we have , we'll be ok. We just need to have 10-12 kids at least and I think our main kids could get us to 24 wins next season. That's all I got.

 

[Doctor Hoop]

Assuming Jalen leaves to go to the NBA and Larrier elects to go pro (Draft/Europe) that leaves us with Gilbert, CV and a whole hell of a lot of unknowns.

All recruits/injury red shirts are really unknowns until they perform/develop. The ones we've got have the potential to be quite good, if they work hard. For 2018-19 it's better to assess guys like Carlton, Polley, Whaley, Diarra after this year, not now. They are unknowns now, and may be flotsam. But they may turn out to be much better than expected. Very few schools are getting "can't miss " prospects. And even some of those miss.

 

[Sphinx]

Strikes me that the best case is that KO has the team he wants. He has retained/brought on ten players that line up two-deep at each position. His guard contingent is quick, smart and confident. His big men are tough or athletic or both. They are potential rebounders, outlet passers and mobile defenders. He has lost two bigs who were statuesque on defense, indifferent on the boards and required a set offense to engage their few skills. He has lost a wingman who couldn't get off his feet. This is now a team that might just play the basketball KO wants to play.

Recruiting? Listen, you can't trumpet the merits of Adams, Gilbert and Vital and then wonder why MAL chose to go elsewhere. You can't project Larrier as a pro prospect and then wonder why Wilson chose St. John's. And what is it with the assumption that Carlton, Polley and Whaley are chopped liver -- that KO and staff took them as a consolation prize? Which of these guys would you really want to trade to have VJ back???

The best case requires a bit of good fortune on the injury front. Key guys have to come back healthy and stay healthy. The best case would like to see another pick-up or two to fill out the practice squad, but another 4-star recruit? Not likely. Not necessary.