Expectations

[visitingcock]

Have your expectations been damaged? I doubt it. Few if any of your could have "expected" to go through the season undefeated. Hope? of course! Expect? I doubt it.

Although the hopes and expectations of a "spoiled" Huskie may exceed that of a mere Gamecock like me, I would think that y'all are similar in expecting an elite 8, hoping for a final four, and dreaming of a championship. An undefeated season is too much to allow one's self to dream of and yet I did despite knowing the near impossibility.

The UCLA loss hurt even though I expected the road loss. Nevertheless, I lost the unreasonable hope. We have not lost my expectation, my hope or my dream. Yes, the sun did truly rise the next morning,

So wake up UConn fans. There is life after a first loss and even after that. Number 12 is still alive

 

[yhun89]

Honestly, I'm not worried.

Same thing happened last year. Still made it to a FF. In fact, we lost worse last year than this year.

ND shot lights out from 3. Won't happen often. We shot 2-16 or something like that. PB normally shoots at least 1-2 3's. Missed 4, 2 wide open. Likely won't happen often.

We were missing defensive menace in Azzi and Aubrey. That's a huge loss. Somehow, Karlen came back despite someone telling me she hasn't participated in warmups for weeks. She was huge on the glass for them.

Keep in mind last year:

Lost to NC State
Lost to UCLA
Lost to ND
Lost to SC
Lost to Texas

Guess who made it to the FF? Only one of em. We. Will. Be. Fine.

 

[ABCDFE]

Honestly, I'm not worried.

Same thing happened last year. Still made it to a FF. In fact, we lost worse last year than this year.

ND shot lights out from 3. Won't happen often. We shot 2-16 or something like that. PB normally shoots at least 1-2 3's. Missed 4, 2 wide open. Likely won't happen often.

We were missing defensive menace in Azzi and Aubrey. That's a huge loss. Somehow, Karlen came back despite someone telling me she hasn't participated in warmups for weeks. She was huge on the glass for them.

Keep in mind last year:

Lost to NC State
Lost to UCLA
Lost to ND
Lost to SC
Lost to Texas

Guess who made it to the FF? Only one of em. We. Will. Be. Fine.

Listen, I want to be optimistic as the next guy but we talk about championships at UCONN, not final fours. Yes I (we) are that spoiled. It’s like this for all the great dynasties. I think we have the talent this year for sure to compete for a national title but there’s been several years of many unfortunate circumstances that has allowed many other programs to catch up if not pass us. For us to get back to glory we will need more than number one recruits. We need some attitude, we need some nasty and we need some guts. We need players to get fired up like Hidalgo, we need players to go into opposing arenas like Trae young does when he goes to Madison Square Garden and basically rip out their hearts, we need the players that have uber confidence and a killa instinct that instills fear every time they touch the ball. Like when MJ played for the bulls.

I know it’s not what Geno and CD preach but too many times we are on the short end of the stick from the refs and I know we want to play beautiful basketball and position less basketball and do thing the the John Wooden way, but sometime you just have to be physical and force the aggression on the opponent. Make the job hard on the refs to not call a foul on the opposing player by going time and time again to the rim to initiate contact. This Give us more opportunities to get to the foul line. Cause more pressure on the opposing teams best players by making them guard you hard for the whole game. Maybe get them in foul trouble.

I’m rambling but in the past our pure talent was a let hide these other issues like refs and fouls. Bit times have changed. Our margins are slimmer, other programs are getting better. We need to find other ways to beat teams. And it starts with the type of players we recruit. I would like a mix of the Steph Curry’s and Charles Oakleys on our team.

 

[cgshuskie]

ABCDFE is right... Some time you have to punch them in the mouth. Some times attitude is the best bet and is needed if the object is winning. Sometimes you have to win ugly. Teams have to have the good and the mean to be champions. Only the strong survive.

 

[visitingcock]

Listen, I want to be optimistic as the next guy but we talk about championships at UCONN, not final fours. Yes I (we) are that spoiled. It’s like this for all the great dynasties. I think we have the talent this year for sure to compete for a national title but there’s been several years of many unfortunate circumstances that has allowed many other programs to catch up if not pass us. For us to get back to glory we will need more than number one recruits. We need some attitude, we need some nasty and we need some guts. We need players to get fired up like Hidalgo, we need players to go into opposing arenas like Trae young does when he goes to Madison Square Garden and basically rip out their hearts, we need the players that have uber confidence and a killa instinct that instills fear every time they touch the ball. Like when MJ played for the bulls.

I know it’s not what Geno and CD preach but too many times we are on the short end of the stick from the refs and I know we want to play beautiful basketball and position less basketball and do thing the the John Wooden way, but sometime you just have to be physical and force the aggression on the opponent. Make the job hard on the refs to not call a foul on the opposing player by going time and time again to the rim to initiate contact. This Give us more opportunities to get to the foul line. Cause more pressure on the opposing teams best players by making them guard you hard for the whole game. Maybe get them in foul trouble.

I’m rambling but in the past our pure talent was a let hide these other issues like refs and fouls. Bit times have changed. Our margins are slimmer, other programs are getting better. We need to find other ways to beat teams. And it starts with the type of players we recruit. I would like a mix of the Steph Curry’s and Charles Oakleys on our team.

You “ talk about championships at UConn” sure. But do you expect them every year? If you do, then your expectations fail in most years . Expectations and hopes are different. Heck, I also hope for a championship every year.

I expect a Final Four for UConn every year, and that expectation has only failed once in the past couple of decades.

My Elite8 expectation for SCar is new but has been met been met since it’s inception in 2021.my hope each year is the same as yours, a championship.

 

[Puppy Love]

Expectations are premeditated resentment.

 

[oldhusky]

We have far more depth than the end of last year, but my expectations depend heavily on whether we can get a third or forth star from the players other than Paige and Sarah. We have lots of good players but need a couple more to elevate to really really good. Our first two are as good as anybody, but there is a big drop-off to the next tier.

Many of the top contenders have better 3rd 4th or 5th best players IMO, at least with the lineup we had against Notre Dame. Obviously Azzi if she returns healthy can give us a third star, and Aubrey after getting her legs back could be near that level, but I think Ash,, Kaitlin, KK and Ice will be very good contributors, but on a true top level championship contender they should be more like 6,7,8,9 than 3,4,5,6.

Other than Azzi and Aubrey, I think Jana is another player that may have upside to be a star, but of course is still a work in progress. Our two stars and lots of good complimentary players will have us in contention regardless, but if we want to be near the top of a group like South Carolina, Notre Dame, Texas, UCLA, USC, and LSU, we need our 3,4,5 players to be stars or close to it as well.

Azzi and Aubrey could do that if fully healthy, and maybe by season's end Jana can force Geno to start her, or KK or Ash can have a breakout leap from last year, which hasn't happened yet, but potentially still could.

 

[Aluminny69]

It's not too difficult to determine posters "expectations." Just read their predictions and reasoning why UConn is "better than" ND.

As they say, correctly, "That's why they play the games."

 

[kidfrom360]

Honestly, I'm not worried.

Same thing happened last year. Still made it to a FF. In fact, we lost worse last year than this year.

ND shot lights out from 3. Won't happen often. We shot 2-16 or something like that. PB normally shoots at least 1-2 3's. Missed 4, 2 wide open. Likely won't happen often.

We were missing defensive menace in Azzi and Aubrey. That's a huge loss. Somehow, Karlen came back despite someone telling me she hasn't participated in warmups for weeks. She was huge on the glass for them.

Keep in mind last year:

Lost to NC State
Lost to UCLA
Lost to ND
Lost to SC
Lost to Texas

Guess who made it to the FF? Only one of em. We. Will. Be. Fine.

Well technically two of them, but I get what you’re saying.

 

[Next 12]

I did not expect this loss. I really believed we would win, so, back to the drawing board. Uconn's salvation is the Big East's games. That is where we will work out our short-falls and become the team we are supposed to be. GENO is too goopd a coach to let this loss get to the team. To him, it will be a learning experience. I can already hear him harping on the game's performance and yelling at them" did I pick wrong?" I believe in this team with all my heart and still predict NO 12. GO FESHMEN!!!!! GO HUSKIES!!!!

 

[Charliebball]

There will be no undefeated teams in WBB this season........way too much parity at the top.......basketball is a game of matchups and UConn just doesn't match up particularly well against this Notre Dame team........there's a very good chance that UConn will lose another game or two this season but we should remind ourselves that the only loss that really matters is the one in the big tournament...