Does the Selection Committee...

[jfuchs91]

Take into consideration the fact that we've been without Calhoun for many games this season? I know they consider when key players are absent for games, but do they look at a head coach being away?

Maybe I'm just grasping for straws after how poorly we've played over the past month and a half, but I think the selection committee has to consider that. I seriously believe we have at least 2-3 more wins if Calhoun had coached the entire season.

 

[Ts5034]

Jeff Hathaway was interviewed in studio on CBS last weekend. Seth Davis asked him the question about Uconn being without JC and Boatright, and how the committee takes that into consideration. He didnt give a specific answer, he kind of danced around it by saying last year they had a team where a coach was suspended (Bruce Pearl-Tennessee) and a situation where Robbie Hummel got hurt with Purdue a couple yrs ago and each committee member would have to look at the situation and see how they felt about it. If i remember correctly both of those teams got in. Maybe that will give us a leg up but i dont think any committee members will have much sympathy for Uconn.

 

[GavinEdreamy]

I don't really see why any team should get sympathy votes / consideration because a head coach was out. Every other team in the country has also been without Jim Calhoun this year and for the past 26 years - they don't get special treatment for it. The players have to perform. Period. Whether or not the head coach is present should not be a major factor. Missing Pearl for part of last year may have been a factor for TN and helped them get into the tournament, but they promptly got destroyed in the first round, so I imagine that hurts any argument for a team trying to use the absentee head coach excuse.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I don't really see why any team should get sympathy votes / consideration because a head coach was out. Every other team in the country has also been without Jim Calhoun this year and for the past 26 years - they don't get special treatment for it. The players have to perform. Period. Whether or not the head coach is present should not be a major factor. Missing Pearl for part of last year may have been a factor for TN and helped them get into the tournament, but they promptly got destroyed in the first round, so I imagine that hurts any argument for a team trying to use the absentee head coach excuse.

Wrong. The philosophy on a missing player or coach is simple. They are trying to take the best teams, so if a key player or coach was missing for a stretch, and the team performed measurably better with that player or coach than they did without, and the player or coach will be there for the Tournament, then they will absolutely take that into consideration. This isn't my opinion by the way, I am paraphrasing comments by the selection committee over the years on this topic.

The corollary is also true. Cincinnati was the best team in the country by a wide margin in 2000, but when Kenyon Martin got hurt, they dropped to a 2 seed because he would not be with the team for the Tournament.

That said, I think this factor functions more as a tiebreaker than a primary decision point. UConn must start winning again.

 

[RuffRuff]

On the same token, I wonder if they take into account that two of their lastly measly three wins were against teams without their best player.

 

[mauconnfan]

They got beat by PC last night with a 14pt lead.............if they don't beat Pitt and win 2 more they won't consider anything.........

 

[Scoe]

If you cant get in out of 68 teams its your own fault, its in the commitees hands losing to Providence doesnt help obviously. If your in the top 25 or top 5 or even top 7 of the BE or of course win your conference tourney then you dont have to worry about getting in or not. If this team doesnt show any fight then I dont want to see them in the tournament if they show fight then I want to see them make it.

 

[UCFBfan]

I'm sorry but I just don't think this team would be any good with or without Calhoun. There's no effort/leadership on the court. Even when Calhoun came back the team did not respond to his usual antics of pulling players as soon as they made an error. This team is just not Tournament worthy and we all need to admit that.

Sure, we all love our Huskies and want to believe that they should be in the tourny but seriously, look at what they've done! If this was Cinci or WVU or any other program we'd all be furious that they were even getting consideration for the tournament. In the last 12 games we are 3-9. Are only wins against Seton hall, DePaul, and Villanova. The 'Nova game was lucky that we even won and the losses include Tennessee and Providence. This team is not worthy of a bid.

This is not me just upset about last night. We all need to honestly look at this team and ask ourselves, do they really deserve it? The answer is clear. No. To top it off, does anyone really think the Pitt game will be a sure-fire win? If we couldn't beat Providence last night, we'll be really lucky to beat Pitt.

Calhoun couldn't save this team even if he stayed healthy all season. I'm hoping the ban for the Tourny next season gets repealed and that some of these players move on. The chemistry on this team is horrific and we need some different players who are willing to step up and be leaders. Heck, I'll take players that play like they wanna win!