Does anyone feel a twinge of embarrassment...

[Tenspro2002]

reading all of the tournament previews talk about our two lottery picks and preseason top-5 ranking, given the kind of season we've had? We've made pretty much every list talking about underachievers.

I hope we re-write the story of our season this week. A Sweet 16 appearance would put us right back in line with expectations. A first-round exit would certify the disappointment.

 

[Inyatkin]

It all evens out. People remember championships and not who didn't live up to what preseason ranking. How did last year's preseason No. 4 team do? Who knows?

 

[IMind]

Given the fact that we were without a backup point guard and a head coach for a significant number of games. Nope.

 

[UCHuskies08]

Not even a little.

 

[hungry husky]

It all evens out. People remember championships and not who didn't live up to what preseason ranking. How did last year's preseason No. 4 team do? Who knows?

Definitely a good point. I do remember UConn beat that vastly overhyped (Preseason No. 2) Michigan State team in Maui last year...

Wikipedia says they finished 19-15 and lost to UCLA in the "second round". I think UConn has had way more internal problems and has a much greater potential for a deep run.

 

[UChusky916]

preseason rankings mean nothing. granted, the team hasn't performed to the level they're capable of when you account for talent. But that's not all that a team's about.

My buddy is a big MSU fan. I think it's funny how the past 2 years turned out for each of our teams.

Last year, UConn wasn't expected to do much, unranked preseason. MSU was #2 preseason. UConn had the Maui success, blew up late, won BET, earned a 3 seed, eventual champs. MSU had their issues all year, snuck into the tournament as a 10 seed and lost in the first round.

This year has flip-flopped... UConn preaseason #4, MSU unranked. UConn had its issues all year, earns a 9 seed. MSU does great in a tough Big10 and wins Big10 tourney, earns #1 seed.

Just goes to show how little expectations matter in the grand scheme of things...

 

[Waquoit]

MSU had a tough time beating Central.

 

[bobbygt]

I know it's about potential, but AD is just not a legit lottery pick right now, at least not in the way that 'lottery pick" equates to him being an All-American caliber player, which is sorta how I read it.

Looking over past years' draft, there just aren't many guys like AD, who've been drafted in the lottery, who are not only years aways from contributing, but just aren't what I consider borderline all americans.

Biyombo is one. The next I see is Bynum back in 2005.

All the other lotto picks in that time frame were either pretty damn good in college, or were European/foreign.

I don't consider AD a really good college player at this time.

 

[Giddyup5]

duckk em all!

 

[HuskyHawk]

No, but I hope the kids are embarrassed a little, and have something to prove. They have no excuse for losing to PC, and should have managed to win 2-3 others on top of that (UCF, Cincy, @Tennessee, ND at home, Cuse at home). All five of those games were 2-3 point losses except UCF, which was 5. So we went 2-6 in close games (FSU, Nova the wins). Make that 4-4 or 5-3 and this team has a 5-6 seed. I'm sure JC isn't happy with the results.

 

[Palatine]

None of those predictions mean squat without a healthy JC.

 

[The Funster]

It is what it is: a new season.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

Eh, not really. Below is a link to the preseason coaches poll. Other notables:
#8 Louisville finished 7th in the Big East (granted they were decimated by injuries)
#9 Memphis got an 8 seed in the tournament (but probably deserved better)
#11 Pittsburgh is playing in the CBI
#16 Arizona was so far off the bubble that making the conference finals didn't even get them a tournament spot.
#19 was Texas A&M
#20 UCLA has far greater issues than the fact that they missed the tournament

At least a couple of the teams listed above were far greater disappointments than Uconn was.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings/_/year/2012/poll/2/week/1/seasontype/2

 

[WestCoastHusky]

Beat IOWA ST and UK and prove them all wrong!

 

[caw]

AP Week 1 top 5 2011-2012 w/ current record

1. UNC (29-5)
2. UK (32-2)
3. OSU (27-7)
4. UConn (20-13)
5. Syracuse (31-2)

2010-2011 w/final results

1. Duke - (32-5, Sweet 16 loss)
2. MSU (19-15, NCAA Round of 64 loss)
3. KSU (23-11, NCAA Round of 32 loss)
4. OSU (34-3, NCAA Sweet 16 loss)
5. Pitt (28-6, NCAA Round of 32 loss)

2009-2010 w/final results

1. KU (33-3, NCAA Round of 32 loss)
2. MSU (28-9, NCAA Final 4)
3. Texas (24-10, NCAA Round of 64 loss)
4. UK (35-3, Elite 8 loss)
5. Villanova (25-8, Round of 32 loss)

2008-2009 w/final results

1. UNC (34-4, Champions)
2. UConn (31-5 , Final Four)
3. UL (31-6, Elite Eight loss)
4. UCLA (26-9, Round of 32 loss)
5. MSU (31-7, NC Game)

2007-2008 w/final results

1. UNC (36-3, Final Four)
2. UCLA (35-4, Final Four)
3. Memphis (38-2, NC Game)
4. KU (37-3, NC)
5. G-town (28-6, Round of 32 loss)

The AP did a fantastic job of ranking teams in 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. 2007-2008 was amazing for them, with the four final four teams occupying the top four spots preseason. They were OK in 2009-2010 and pretty bad in 2010-2011.


Every team ranked pre-season or at least in week 1 of the AP polling in the past 5 years has made the NCAAT, only UT and MSU have lost in the round of 64. 10 of the 20 teams have at least made the elite 8, 2 have made the sweet sixteen and 6 the round of 32 (with 5 unknowns this year).


LSU in 2006-2007 was ranked preseason top 5 and failed to make the NCAAT, but they did have the champion and two other elite eight teams ranked in the top 5 and the other three final four teams were 6-8 preseason.

 

[willie99]

I wear their hate like a medal of honor, because it is

 

[DogMania]

I don't ever pay much attention to how we or any team does in comparison to their preseason ranking, especially with a team like our which I and I'm sure many other had significant question marks as to how good this team would be without Kemba Walker.

To put things in perspective, teams that have few to no upperclassmen (in our case we had just one, in Alex O who's a junior) usually don't have such lofty (#4-preseason) expectations, unless the team is loaded with Burger AAs up and down the line-up. With that said, I felt #4 had a very good chance of being far to high, but still expected them to find themselves somewhere within the top 25.

The book on this season has not been completed, so let's just hold off and see how the ending goes. Unfortunately, they put themselves into a tough position as a 9 seed having to face a higher seeded 8th with the #1 overall seed UK waiting in the balance. By not taking care of business pre-NCAA tournament, they run the risk of not making it past the first game and if they do, not making it to the 2nd weekend, at least making a case for being one of the top 16 teams in the nation.

One way of looking at this is, losing to the #1 over-all seed in the tournament isn't something to be ashamed with, but when that happens in your second game and you don't reach the S-16...well that will be a disappointment to us all. Disappointing? Yes. Ashamed. Not at all!

 

[Ricky1Moore]

Everyone else is going to feel embarrassed when win this whole tournament

 

[tzznandrew]

Going into the season, I suspected the team would be something like 28-5 or so, with losses @Louisville, @Syracuse, and then some combination of @Villanova*, @Georgetown, @ND, and BET.

You give us Calhoun and Boatright the whole season, looking at the schedule, they would have been closer to 26-7 (giving them UCF, Tennessee, PC, Syracuse, Cincy, and one other random game).

This team may be a 9 seed, and it may lose to ISU, but this, to me, is one of the great "What could have been" seasons. Give this team Calhoun through February and they would be in much better shape.

As it is, I think they have a good chance against ISU and have a "better-than-9-seed" chance against Kentucky. I think Kentucky is really playing a 4-5 seed in the second round. That sucks for them, but 1s usually beat 4-5s and history will only remember this team if they win.

*Goes to show you how I misevaluated Nova--although they did almost lose there.

 

[Deadrody]

I know it's about potential, but AD is just not a legit lottery pick right now, at least not in the way that 'lottery pick" equates to him being an All-American caliber player, which is sorta how I read it.

Looking over past years' draft, there just aren't many guys like AD, who've been drafted in the lottery, who are not only years aways from contributing, but just aren't what I consider borderline all americans.

Biyombo is one. The next I see is Bynum back in 2005.

All the other lotto picks in that time frame were either pretty damn good in college, or were European/foreign.

I don't consider AD a really good college player at this time.

Frankly, I agree on Drummond, but also on Lamb in the same way. Its ridiculous that the dearth of talent in the NBA and college has two kids clearly not ready to play in the NBA possibly going in the top 5-10 of the draft. Its ridiculous. Drummond would get eaten alive in the NBA right now. And Lamb wouldn't be far behind. They're both very good college players right now, but neither of them stand out above their peers on a nightly basis. I thought it was very telling as Doris Burke and her partner there were lamenting the fact that Lamb was just standing in one place waiting for the ball at the end of the SU game in MSG. Both of them could clearly use another season in college to truly be NBA ready. Being drafted at the top of the draft and being READY to play in the NBA are two vastly different things.

 

[caw]

Frankly, I agree on Drummond, but also on Lamb in the same way. Its ridiculous that the dearth of talent in the NBA and college has two kids clearly not ready to play in the NBA possibly going in the top 5-10 of the draft. Its ridiculous. Drummond would get eaten alive in the NBA right now. And Lamb wouldn't be far behind. They're both very good college players right now, but neither of them stand out above their peers on a nightly basis. I thought it was very telling as Doris Burke and her partner there were lamenting the fact that Lamb was just standing in one place waiting for the ball at the end of the SU game in MSG. Both of them could clearly use another season in college to truly be NBA ready. Being drafted at the top of the draft and being READY to play in the NBA are two vastly different things.

There is no dearth in talent in the NBA. The problem with the NBA is the talent sits with relatively few teams.

 

[tzznandrew]

Its ridiculous that the dearth of talent in the NBA and college has two kids clearly not ready to play in the NBA possibly going in the top 5-10 of the draft. Its ridiculous. Drummond would get eaten alive in the NBA right now.

I don't think you can say both that the NBA has a dearth of talent and that players would get eaten up in it.

I think your latter part is right, but it is because the NBA is deeper in talent than it has been since the 1980s. Growing popularity, both nationally and internationally, has meant that global talent has finally caught up to devastating expansion that took place from the late 80s to late 90s.

There are still some teams that are complete messes (Charlotte, Washington, Toronto, New Orleans jump out, although some of them have some young pieces), but by and large even weaker teams have very talented players.

 

[defense]

I certainley am no expert, but I strongly agree that AD & Lamb are not ready for the NBA. However, I have read quotes on ESPN from NBA scouts saying that they see "potential" is these players and they will be drafted on this. If they receive feedback from the teams that they will be 1st rounders, they have to come out for the silly guranteed $$$ they will receive.

 

[EricLA]

Frankly, I agree on Drummond, but also on Lamb in the same way. Its ridiculous that the dearth of talent in the NBA and college has two kids clearly not ready to play in the NBA possibly going in the top 5-10 of the draft. Its ridiculous. Drummond would get eaten alive in the NBA right now. And Lamb wouldn't be far behind. They're both very good college players right now, but neither of them stand out above their peers on a nightly basis. I thought it was very telling as Doris Burke and her partner there were lamenting the fact that Lamb was just standing in one place waiting for the ball at the end of the SU game in MSG. Both of them could clearly use another season in college to truly be NBA ready. Being drafted at the top of the draft and being READY to play in the NBA are two vastly different things.

Agree 100% which is exactly why some kids who are not NBA ready make the jump anyway. the NBA execs draft as much on potential as anything else, which is why guys like Thabeet went so high.

i think they can look at a guy like Drummond and realize he's not NBA ready, but has the potential to be a very good player. and that's why i think he probably jumps and goes in the top 10-12 or so. Lamb, on the other hand, i just don't see him going early in the draft. standing around can be corrected but he isn't as quick as other 2G's, not as strong as the 3's in the NBA, can't create his own shot, and lacks the shooting touch of guys like Allen or Hamilton. maybe he goes late first round or early 2nd round...

i'm not saying i'm right, because clearly i make $0 with regards to anything related to the NBA and i'm no analyst, but i can't see how Lamb would be a coveted NBA prospect at this point...

 

[Ricky1Moore]

Dudes... Drummond goes no lower than #2... his potential is off the charts and teams drafting that low have to take a risk on getting a franchise player... Drafting guys with lower ceilings just doesn't do much for those franchises that are in the dumps... Drummond is a huge risk at this stage, but at least he has the potential to be a franchise player... Who else can you say that for in this draft ? Only Davis