Duke Baylor Gonzaga

[navery12]

No matter what you say some here are determined to prove we suck. I don’t get it

People here love to complain. It's somehow gotten worse since the team is good again. I used to hate coming here after losses, now it's wins too

 

[Kitaman]

Some people weren't around in 2013-2014 or even when the boos rained down on some of our other previous Championship teams.

Chicken Littles I understand, but damn at least wait till February. This is freakin November!

 

[tzznandrew]

What games are you watching? Cole is a very good defender.

Cole has been good on defense so far. But we're talking about him guarding the best of the best. He's short and not a plus athlete, so there are going to be nights where he won't be able to stay in front of his man.

 

[tzznandrew]

I like your posts generally but I actually can't believe you're making this argument. So are you as panicked as polycom right now?

I don't know, maybe I'm the one taking crazy pills, but it would seem to me that if a team beats Auburn, beats VCU by the same margin as the Baylor team everyone here genuflects in front of, and then gives away a game to Michigan State in which they were clearly the better team, maybe it's not the best analysis to say their true self is the team that sleepwalks through their next game against some directional school that they probably though they could beat wearing crocs.

But that's just me. I'm sure you guys are right.

I'm not panicked at all. This team is exactly what I thought it would be: unless Hawkins or Jackson really steps up, they're a NCAA team that likely peaks in the Sweet 16. That's okay—there's a lot to enjoy and like about this team. And, the thing about MBB is that players develop, so the ceiling here can rise (though not to a title team) while the very good teams sometimes play like trash, opening up opportunities for big wins against teams that are objectively better than yours (Duke-OSU).

The Baylor game seems like a silly comparison to me. Over 40 minutes Baylor was down for 1 minute and essentially kept a 8-12 point lead the entire time, but a few runs by VCU. UConn tied VCU over 40 minutes and was down for much of it, needing a 3 with about a minute left to tie the game for OT. The raw scores here are misleading—just as the raw records of Tarleton State and UMES were.

 

[Kathy]

So Tyrese is probably going to be out a month. He played those games in the Bahamas with an avulsion fracture in his wrist. That Auburn dogfight wiped us out pretty good. We really need to start using our depth now, guys need to be given the chance to step up and they need to step up when called upon.

If an avulsion fracture might be more than a month

 

[storrsroars]

Some people weren't around in 2013-2014 or even when the boos rained down on some of our other previous Championship teams.

Chicken Littles I understand, but damn at least wait till February. This is freakin November!

Who here thought there was any hope of even getting past the first weekend of the NCAAs after Louisville mopped the floor with our boys by 37, then won by 10 in the AAC final? In that drubbing by L'Ville, I remember posting that it was the first time I'd ever seen our team actually quit on the court. They certainly didn't look like Hungry Huskies that day.

There are weaknesses in this team for sure, along with a ton of talent. And four months left for everyone to get better individually and as a team. But there are also ebbs and flows to a season and sometimes just plain bad matchups. UMES had a plan, and even Hurley said their use of 4-5 guards was effective in that it didn't allow him to sub in the frontcourt the way he wanted to.

Remember that In 2013-14 Louisville kicked our ass 3x. But UConn also handled Florida twice, first time they were ranked 15th, second time they were #1.

Plenty of time to go. Come Selection Sunday, maybe we're a 4 seed, maybe we're a 9 seed. But there's no way we're a no-seed.

 

[McLovin]

People seem to forget that we won our first 3 or 4 games by an average of 50 points and were the 2nd highest scoring team in the country after the first 2 weeks (when everyone else was playing cupcakes too).

A team of 18-22 years olds aren’t going to be on every night. Heck, in the NBA good team lose to the dumpster fire teams (or fail to cover) all the time.

I’ve seen enough flashes from this team to know it’s in them. The season is still young. We have 3.5 months to unleash our full potential. We don’t need to peak in November.

 

[Get a Job]

People here love to complain. It's somehow gotten worse since the team is good again. I used to hate coming here after losses, now it's wins too

I probably fall a little bit to the pessimistic side of the average on the pessimism-optimism bell curve as it pertains to UConn basketball. To the extent that I voice any pessimistic opinions on the Boneyard, though, it is almost exclusively in response to what I view to be naive comments that lack any objectivity. I find no joy or point in moping and expressing my worst doomsday thoughts in moments of peak pessimism, but, at the same time, it drives me nuts when @aburks41 and @AntG168 are gushing about how phenomenal this team is when many signs indicate differently.

Strangely, @Scrappy3 doesn't bother me in the least.

 

[jdb50]

The team will be fine unless there is an injury bug that hits us. I am more concerned with how empty the XL was as was Gampel the last game. Coaches and players like to play in front of big home crowds.

 

[polycom]

I like your posts generally but I actually can't believe you're making this argument. So are you as panicked as polycom right now?

I don't know, maybe I'm the one taking crazy pills, but it would seem to me that if a team beats Auburn, beats VCU by the same margin as the Baylor team everyone here genuflects in front of, and then gives away a game to Michigan State in which they were clearly the better team, maybe it's not the best analysis to say their true self is the team that sleepwalks through their next game against some directional school that they probably though they could beat wearing crocs.

But that's just me. I'm sure you guys are right.

Please point me to where I've shown that I'm panicked about the prospects of this team? It'll take you a while to find them because they don't exist. This thread is merely to point out to the people who think this current iteration of the team is final four bound/competitive with the teams that are currently performing the best to look at the games we've played and watch the games and want to talk about basketball.

Instead you and many other decide to not even discuss basketball and just well because our shirts say UConn and their shirts say something else we'll be competitive with anyone. That's fine, it's just not reality. For the 4th time or 5th who knows at this point, we are good team that is flawed in ways that will show themselves against good athletic teams. That doesn't mean that aren't going to the tourney and that we won't make a run. It just means we aren't as good as the best teams in the nation and they'd like beat us by 10+ given that.

Watching this game there were many instances were UConn guards were letting guards from MD directional U turn the corner in a 5 out set which allowed help to come and basically their option was foul or give up a layup, a handful of times we did both. If our hope is to compete with the tops teams during half court defense in 5 out we can't give up a layup, to someone who is 5 10, that's just not reality.

On the coaching side of things, Jordan Hawkins took I believe 5 shots maybe 4, of those 5 shots two were ISO dribbles (even though hawkins handle is terrible) into a contested shot. That's just poor coaching, Hawkins had 2 open looks, 1 of which he knocked down 1 he missed, Hawkins should be getting more than 2 open looks a game...

 

[8893]

On the coaching side of things, Jordan Hawkins took I believe 5 shots maybe 4, of those 5 shots two were ISO dribbles (even though hawkins handle is terrible) into a contested shot. That's just poor coaching, Hawkins had 2 open looks, 1 of which he knocked down 1 he missed, Hawkins should be getting more than 2 open looks a game...

^This

 

[Hungryhusky99]

The team will be fine unless there is an injury bug that hits us. I am more concerned with how empty the XL was as was Gampel the last game. Coaches and players like to play in front of big home crowds.

It was Maryland Eastern Shore on a Tuesday night. The crowd was fine.

 

[tzznandrew]

The team will be fine unless there is an injury bug that hits us. I am more concerned with how empty the XL was as was Gampel the last game. Coaches and players like to play in front of big home crowds.

Maybe UConn should considering not bringing in one of the worst 10-15 teams then...after having 3 other of the worst 15 teams the weeks before.

The home fans won't have any games to be excited for until the start of the BE season. Hell, I know people who couldn't give tickets away...but that's another story.

 

[AntG168]

Please point me to where I've shown that I'm panicked about the prospects of this team? It'll take you a while to find them because they don't exist. This thread is merely to point out to the people who think this current iteration of the team is final four bound/competitive with the teams that are currently performing the best to look at the games we've played and watch the games and want to talk about basketball.

Instead you and many other decide to not even discuss basketball and just well because our shirts say UConn and their shirts say something else we'll be competitive with anyone. That's fine, it's just not reality. For the 4th time or 5th who knows at this point, we are good team that is flawed in ways that will show themselves against good athletic teams. That doesn't mean that aren't going to the tourney and that we won't make a run. It just means we aren't as good as the best teams in the nation and they'd like beat us by 10+ given that.

Watching this game there were many instances were UConn guards were letting guards from MD directional U turn the corner in a 5 out set which allowed help to come and basically their option was foul or give up a layup, a handful of times we did both. If our hope is to compete with the tops teams during half court defense in 5 out we can't give up a layup, to someone who is 5 10, that's just not reality.

On the coaching side of things, Jordan Hawkins took I believe 5 shots maybe 4, of those 5 shots two were ISO dribbles (even though hawkins handle is terrible) into a contested shot. That's just poor coaching, Hawkins had 2 open looks, 1 of which he knocked down 1 he missed, Hawkins should be getting more than 2 open looks a game...

Why are you conflating posters who think we'd be competitive, with thinking we are final 4 bound. You said we wouldn't keep it close, and some think you are just wrong. Ohio St beat duke last night. We are as good as OSU. We would absolutely compete on a court against anyone. Doesn't mean we'd win, or were final four bound. But you can't point out the last time we didn't compete with whoever was on the floor in the last 3 seasons.

 

[BGesus4]

By these posters metrics, every team we’ve ever had other than 99 sucked… as well as almost every national champion in recent history

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I probably fall a little bit to the pessimistic side of the average on the pessimism-optimism bell curve as it pertains to UConn basketball. To the extent that I voice any pessimistic opinions on the Boneyard, though, it is almost exclusively in response to what I view to be naive comments that lack any objectivity. I find no joy or point in moping and expressing my worst doomsday thoughts in moments of peak pessimism, but, at the same time, it drives me nuts when @aburks41 and @AntG168 are gushing about how phenomenal this team is when many signs indicate differently.

Strangely, @Scrappy3 doesn't bother me in the least.

Scrappy's a force of nature.

As to the biggest bone of contention in this thread, the Auburn game had hints throughout that EITHER team could have won by 10, or even 20.

My calendar shows December 1st.
One game at a time.
Go Huskies.

 

[aburks41]

Maybe UConn should considering not bringing in one of the worst 10-15 teams then...after having 3 other of the worst 15 teams the weeks before.

The home fans won't have any games to be excited for until the start of the BE season. Hell, I know people who couldn't give tickets away...but that's another story.

That's something everyone agrees on. Hurley probably realizes it was a mistake too. It cannot happen again in future seasons or else AD David Benedict will have some explaining to do.

 

[Hurleyman216]

What games are you watching? Cole is a very good defender.

Agreed, Cole is a stone cold killer out there on both sides of the court. This will be a VERY unpopular take, but I like having Cole as our “go to guy” more than Bouknight last year because Cole seems to have a feel for when he needs to assert himself and he’s been very consistent when he does. Last year we never really knew what we’d get from Bouk. Cole is Mr. Consistent at both ends of the floor. Will he have a game where he scores less than 10 points this year? Maybe, but probably not. Last year our alpha dog laid a lot of goose eggs in crucial moments (like the NCAA tournament)

 

[jibsey]

Agreed, Cole is a stone cold killer out there on both sides of the court. This will be a VERY unpopular take, but I like having Cole as our “go to guy” more than Bouknight last year because Cole seems to have a feel for when he needs to assert himself and he’s been very consistent when he does. Last year we never really knew what we’d get from Bouk. Cole is Mr. Consistent at both ends of the floor. Will he have a game where he scores less than 10 points this year? Maybe, but probably not. Last year our alpha dog laid a lot of goose eggs in crucial moments (like the NCAA tournament)

It's his team and you know what? He's damn good. Reminds me a bit of Bazz and I know it's sacrilegious to say it because of what Bazz ultimately did.

 

[McLovin]

Agreed, Cole is a stone cold killer out there on both sides of the court. This will be a VERY unpopular take, but I like having Cole as our “go to guy” more than Bouknight last year because Cole seems to have a feel for when he needs to assert himself and he’s been very consistent when he does. Last year we never really knew what we’d get from Bouk. Cole is Mr. Consistent at both ends of the floor. Will he have a game where he scores less than 10 points this year? Maybe, but probably not. Last year our alpha dog laid a lot of goose eggs in crucial moments (like the NCAA tournament)

If this is unpopular, then up is down and left is right.

 

[Dooooooomed]

Speaking of Baylor...

 

[superjohn]

I don't think Cole has gotten nearly enough credit around here, it's nice to see it now swinging the other way.

 

[mussels]

Speaking of Baylor...

"If I rated them right now, I'd put Baylor first, but I'd put UConn a close second, and I'd put Kansas third." "UConn the fact that they were physical, they had an incredible post player who was really good. They had a great point guard and they're very good defensively and well coached"

 

[jibsey]

We'll go as far as our defense allows. Hurley hangs his hat on defense. Izzo knows it.