DiMauro: “The ‘new’ Big East: Is that all there is?“

[Dean Wormer]

Hurley is not to be harassed after 3 years but IMO he doesn't have an endless amount of rope to play with. The biggest thing is to get quality guards to work with. His recruiting has been good..

If in another couple of years we’re looking at 1st or 2nd round losses to lower seeds, his seat starts to get warmer.

 

[M.S.G.]

How many high schools are in Eastern CT? Fewer than the city of Hartford

My conference has 19 schools, that doesn't take into account the half dozen tech schools in Eastern CT.

Nice try though.

 

[billybud]

There are 556 high schools in Connecticut....

431 public, 125 private


Less than Virginia (623 high schools)...more than South Carolina (469).

About the same number of public HS as Massachusetts (437) but Mass. has more private (204).

 

[Waquoit]

If in another couple of years we’re looking at 1st or 2nd round losses to lower seeds, his seat starts to get warmer.

So the hot seat gets hotter even with making the tournament every year? Because that worked so well at Cincy.

 

[freescooter]

So the hot seat gets hotter even with making the tournament every year? Because that worked so well at Cincy.

Yes. Eventually you need to do more than just make the tournament. Sorry but this is UConn, not Cincinatt. Not Xavier. Not Seton (yuck) Hall. Making the Tournament isn’t the goal. There are probably 20 teams, maybe fewer, for whom “making the tournament” isn’t the goal. Teams like Duke, UNC, Kansas, Michigan, Michigan State, Syracuse, Kentucky, Villanova Louisville and a handful more. UConn has been one of that elite group. My sense among the fan base and the administration is that it is no longer the case. We have lowered our expectations. In some ways being in the New Big East is perfect because for all but one other team, hearing their name called on selection Sunday is a successful season.

Now that doesn’t mean you can’t have a bad year here or there, or can’t lose a game or need to make the Final Four. But you need to be in the conversation in a serious way, and need to make regular runs deep. Otherwise you are just Providence. And it is hard. Really hard. Sadly I suspect we are closer in Outlook to Seton Hall than to Villanova now.

 

[Dean Wormer]

Yes. Eventually you need to do more than just make the tournament. Sorry but this is UConn, not Cincinatt. Not Xavier. Not Seton (yuck) Hall. Making the Tournament isn’t the goal. There are probably 20 teams, maybe fewer, for whom “making the tournament” isn’t the goal. Teams like Duke, UNC, Kansas, Michigan, Michigan State, Syracuse, Kentucky, Villanova Louisville and a handful more. UConn has been one of that elite group. My sense among the fan base and the administration is that it is no longer the case. We have lowered our expectations. In some ways being in the New Big East is perfect because for all but one other team, hearing their name called on selection Sunday is a successful season.

Now that doesn’t mean you can’t have a bad year here or there, or can’t lose a game or need to make the Final Four. But you need to be in the conversation in a serious way, and need to make regular runs deep. Otherwise you are just Providence. And it is hard. Really hard. Sadly I suspect we are closer in Outlook to Seton Hall than to Villanova now.

Said it so much better than i ever could. Even though i like Hurley, i want to see more than making the tournament as his high point, especially since he’s shown he can bring in talent.
If we have stacked teams getting knocked out in the opening weekend year after year, that’s gets old quick. We ARE UConn and our expectations should be higher.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Said it so much better than i ever could. Even though i like Hurley, i want to see more than making the tournament as his high point, especially since he’s shown he can bring in talent.
If we have stacked teams getting knocked out in the opening weekend year after year, that’s gets old quick. We ARE UConn and our expectations should be higher.

Who do you think you're arguing with when you drop an ice-cold take like this? Absolutely zero people have suggested that losing in the first round is an acceptable permanent level for Hurley. That's just a strawman DiMauro made up so he can make himself seem reasonable, rather than the ignorant, whiny brat that he actually is.

 

[freescooter]

Said it so much better than i ever could. Even though i like Hurley, i want to see more than making the tournament as his high point, especially since he’s shown he can bring in talent.
If we have stacked teams getting knocked out in the opening weekend year after year, that’s gets old quick. We ARE UConn and our expectations should be higher.

Right. But I get a sense that it isn’t the case now. There has been talk of limiting recruiting for example to the northeast. Now we will head blather that there are lots of good players here. And there are, but national teams recruit nationally. Seton Hall and Providence recruit Boston to Washington...basically our fan base is returning to the old Yankee Conference mentality just at a somewhat higher level.