Column: Matt Burke: UConn men's basketball is no longer 'big-time'

[UChusky916]

Don't give this guy the clicks -- not worth it.

 

[4in16]

Was Kentucky no longer "big time" between 98 and Cal, how about Indiana??

 

[Brochacho]

I know what you're trying to get at BUT to compare 7 plus yrs to 2 plus yrs perhaps skews the numbers a bit
However, It's nice to see that the time gaps for one team is much shorter than another

Oh yes, definitely. But my general point is that no logical argument can be made that UNC has disappeared from the national scene since their last title.

 

[chiller99.5]

Metro is great for paper training pups other than that

 

[Tenspro2002]

This writer doesn't have a lot of cachet, and he overstates his conclusion, but he's right that we are on a downward trajectory from where we were in our 90's and 00's heyday.

Consider that from 1994-2009, we were a #1 or #2 seed 10 times, and a #5 seed or better 13 times. That suggests we were nationally relevant about 75% of the time.

Consider 2010-present. Let's divide the year into 3 periods: 1) pre-season/OOC, 2) conference play, 3) postseason/offseason

In 2010, we were maybe relevant in the preseason, but not so much after that. Call it 0.5/3.
In 2011, we stormed the OOC, but were mediocre in conference and were out of mind by end of February. Then we stormed back in March. 2.5/3
In 2012, we had some offseason buzz coming in, but fell off the map quickly and never really came back. Say 1/3.
In 2013, through no fault of our own we were never going to get buzz, though the showing in Germany was nice. 0.5/3.
In 2014, we were ranked to start the year and had a rousing OOC win vs. Florida, but conference play was mediocre again. Then we got hot in March. 2/3.
In 2015, we were never relevant. 0/3.
In 2016, we were irrelevant aside from the week and a half between Jalen's shot and the Kansas game. A generous 1/3, since it enhanced our March reputation, maybe the only thing we have going for us right now.
In 2017, we fell flat on our face out of the gate and haven't looked back since. Only hope of salvaging anything is an AACT run like last year. 0/2 so far.

Total is 7.5/23

So over the last 8 years, some JC, some KO, we've been relevant on average about 1/3 of the time. That's not going to cut it going forward.

We just lost the highest-profile recruiting battle we've been in for maybe 5 years. If this keeps up, soon it won't just be the top 10 guys who refuse to give us the time of day, it'll be top 20, top 40.

 

[Stainmaster]

If this keeps up, soon it won't just be the top 10 guys who refuse to give us the time of day

Because so, so many top 10 guys gave Calhoun the time of day! He was practically rolling in them, right?

 

[MexicoHusky]

What the author does not realized is, all the major programs are 1 retired coach away from a downward slope. Most of those programs have very large budgets, but budget is not everything. We saw both Kentucky and UNC slide with the wrong coach. None of these programs are immune. Most of them just haven't had their long time coach retire yet....many of those coaches are about to retire. We'll see what happens when they do.

 

[Deepster]

Let's approach this from another angle.

Let's agree he's not right in his statement that UConn is no longer big-time. Done.

How far off is he in that statement?

• The success of the men's program was in great part a very Calhoun-centric thing. Ollie came on strong (with Calhoun's players) and got a title, but we've seen chinks in the armor since then in player development and his in-game X&O's.
• We don't have the conference. And we're not getting a conference affiliation that provides any palpable boost in the foreseeable future.
• The NBA pipeline is drying up. Shabazz in 2014 and he's yet to make a mark. Lamb and Drummond in 2012 and Drummond really can't point to UConn for that. Kemba in 2011. That's it dating back to Thabeet and AJ Price in 2009.
• Attendance. The crowds are bad. You look at a fanbase like Indiana? In 2013, they were 17-15 and 7-11 in conference. They got 17,472 for a home game on 12/22 against Kennesaw State.

So, I'm not saying he's right....yet. But how far off is he?

 

[Tenspro2002]

Because so, so many top 10 guys gave Calhoun the time of day! He was practically rolling in them, right?

My point was actually the second half of the sentence.

You may say "eh, we never needed top 10 guys anyway", and to an extent that may be true. But if we fall further off the map, it won't just be the Diallo's of the world who turn us down, it'll be guys in the Hamilton/Adams/Gilbert/MAL class. Without recruits even of that caliber, we'd be dead with no hope of recovery.

 

[BUConn10]

I bet if he was praising us everyone in this thread would be happy with his writing and would have zero issues with his credentials.

 

[Stainmaster]

My point was actually the second half of the sentence.

You may say "eh, we never needed top 10 guys anyway", and to an extent that may be true. But if we fall further off the map, it won't just be the Diallo's of the world who turn us down, it'll be guys in the Hamilton/Adams/Gilbert/MAL class. Without recruits even of that caliber, we'd be dead with no hope of recovery.

You're saying that because we missed out on top 10 guys, we'll be missing on top 20-40 guys in the near future because of it. If that's the case, how come Calhoun was able to reel in top 20-40 guys while bringing in only 3 or so top-10 guys over the course of his entire career here? Could it be that...*gasp* they aren't related?

I know you like to traffic in outlandish scenarios predicting the implosion of the program, but this one needs work.

 

[HooperScooper]

You knew this stuff was coming. If the team continues the rest of the season like they have done so far this season then there will be more of it in the offseason from national writers. But they said the same thing when JC retired and then they won a national championship.

I think most rationale people said there would either be a drop off or an adjustment period when JC retired. JC did what probably 99.9% of coaches couldn't do. I think people need to give it more time before declaring the death of UConn as a national power. But I will admit that if you take the last 5 years, besides that great run to the NC in 2013 (remember that they weren't a dominant team that whole season), that this period hasn't been as good as any 5 year period that JC coached the team (maybe the first 5 years, but not after that). Just need to give it more time though.

 

[BlueDogs]

Let's approach this from another angle.

Let's agree he's not right in his statement that UConn is no longer big-time. Done.

How far off is he in that statement?

• The success of the men's program was in great part a very Calhoun-centric thing. Ollie came on strong (with Calhoun's players) and got a title, but we've seen chinks in the armor since then in player development and his in-game X&O's.
• We don't have the conference. And we're not getting a conference affiliation that provides any palpable boost in the foreseeable future.
• The NBA pipeline is drying up. Shabazz in 2014 and he's yet to make a mark. Lamb and Drummond in 2012 and Drummond really can't point to UConn for that. Kemba in 2011. That's it dating back to Thabeet and AJ Price in 2009.
• Attendance. The crowds are bad. You look at a fanbase like Indiana? In 2013, they were 17-15 and 7-11 in conference. They got 17,472 for a home game on 12/22 against Kennesaw State.

So, I'm not saying he's right....yet. But how far off is he?

The truth is usually in between the lines. The program is in a precarious spot and obviously tending in the wrong direction, but the course is not irreversible nor fatal. The systematic challenge is the AAC which is like anchor pulling us down in recruiting, fan interest, revenue, etc. Yet, we see that in terms of conference alignment nobody places a premium on basketball. So, basketball ultimately goes as football goes and the only solution is getting hell out of the ACC and into a power conference. The new BE is not the answer unless UConn can find a football only conference affiliation.

 

[pj]

Didn't Matt Burke formerly write for the Daily Campus?

For example, CSTV.com: #1 in College Sports

 

[QDOG5]

. By the same token, winning the AAC tournament and making a miracle run to the sweet 16 would do wonders.

And if my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle.

 

[7774]

The truth is usually in between the lines. The program is in a precarious spot and obviously tending in the wrong direction, but the course is not irreversible nor fatal. The systematic challenge is the AAC which is like anchor pulling us down in recruiting, fan interest, revenue, etc. Yet, we see that in terms of conference alignment nobody places a premium on basketball. So, basketball ultimately goes as football goes and the only solution is getting hell out of the ACC and into a power conference. The new BE is not the answer unless UConn can find a football only conference affiliation.

I don't think we're trending in the wrong direction at all. Our recruiting has finally moved past the sanctions, and our freshman and sophomore classes are full of good players. I think we really trended down a few years ago, and now you're seeing the results of that on the court.

 

[QDOG5]

Does anyone have year over year attendance numbers for Gampel and XL?

 

[Stainmaster]

An interesting exercise...

Calhoun's last three seasons:

1. 2009-10: NIT
2. 2010-11: National Champions
3. 2011-12: 1st Round

Ban season is a wash.

Ollie's first three (legitimate) seasons:

1. 2013-14: National Champions
2. 2014-15: NIT
3. 2015-16: 2nd Round

 

[HuskyHawk]

What the author does not realized is, all the major programs are 1 retired coach away from a downward slope. Most of those programs have very large budgets, but budget is not everything. We saw both Kentucky and UNC slide with the wrong coach. None of these programs are immune. Most of them just haven't had their long time coach retire yet....many of those coaches are about to retire. We'll see what happens when they do.

Other than Duke, this isn't true. They all had long time, very successful coaches retire. Wooden, Smith, Knight, Rupp, Allen those guys are gone. Larry Brown won a title a KU. Williams left KU for UNC, and Self came in and both UNC and KU are better as a result. That's how you become one of those teams. You do it despite the coach, or through several coaches.

UConn isn't out yet...that 2014 Ollie NC bought us a little time. But KO needs to start dominating this mediocre conference the way Kansas dominates its much better one. I'm pissed about it largely because this was the year I thought they'd finally do that. They have under-performed their talent every year since 2014.

 

[pj]

Didn't Matt Burke formerly write for the Daily Campus?

For example, CSTV.com: #1 in College Sports

PS - I did that search because I'm pretty sure I remember some highly controversial anti-UConn mbb articles by Matt Burke when he wrote for the Daily Campus that generated some heated threads on the Boneyard 12-13 years ago.

 

[pj]

An interesting exercise...

Calhoun's last three seasons:

1. 2009-10: NIT
2. 2010-11: National Champions
3. 2011-12: 1st Round

Ban season is a wash.

Ollie's first three (legitimate) seasons:

1. 2013-14: National Champions
2. 2014-15: NIT
3. 2015-16: 2nd Round

If Ollie at the beginning of his career is as good as JC at the end of his career, then we have a lot of good things to look forward to.

 

[Blue Blood]

I was at the UCF game. I think his figure of about 5000 fans was about right. In the 200's level there where whole sections that were virtually empty.

A lot of what he says is true. UConn hasnt been relevant on the national stage for the last 2 1/2 seasons. You can make all the excuses you want, but the program isnt what it once was. To not even be a contender for the regular season crown year after year in the AAC is disappointing to say the least.

The UCF game was definitely a step in the right direction. Jackson and Vital are getting plenty of minutes. That should help greatly next season.

I bought 3 tickets to the UCF lower section row J the Tuesday before the game directly through UConn that type of thing wouldn't happen in previous years. The program is not as in as bad of shape as this year would indicate but right now we are not a national power and in the current conference that is not likely going to change. I'm not saying the fandom on the Boneyard is any less radically insane but the general public is not following the team as much as they were in the 90s up to Kemba's title.

 

[UCFan1513]

Got to the second paragraph where he said we were turning into St. John's and closed it. Utter garbage lol

 

[Stainmaster]

I bought 3 tickets to the UCF lower section row J the Tuesday before the game directly through UConn that type of thing wouldn't happen in previous years. The program is not as in as bad of shape as this year would indicate but right now we are not a national power and in the current conference that is not likely going to change. I'm not saying the fandom on the Boneyard is any less radically insane but the general public is not following the team as much as they were in the 90s up to Kemba's title.

The program didn't have any modicum of widespread fan support until the NIT run and the Dream Season. People are frontrunners, plain and simple.

 

[BUConn10]

The program didn't have any modicum of widespread fan support until the NIT run and the Dream Season. People are frontrunners, plain and simple.

What does this even argue or prove?

I can't help but feel like you are constantly trying to make sure everyone knows you are the one, truest fan. Referencing an event from 27 years ago and saying everyone since is front running? What?