From the neck up

[joober jones]

That's what won us this game. There's a level of mental toughness to this team that was lacking last year - last season, we would not have come back from the 9 point deficit late in the 2nd half. These fellows don't hang their heads and lose confidence after a mistake and that will be huge for us all season.

 

[UConnNick]

It's pretty clear that the SNY announcers have all seen something they never saw from this team last season. More than one of them commented about all the players being on the same page, and alluded to last season not being like that. It seems likely the combination of a down season due to injuries, plus certain players already dreaming about being someplace else, took its toll on the entire team.

 

[tcf15]

I think Borges meant to say @August_West

 

[shizzle787]

LOL

 

[awfuldan]

Coach Chill commented on this moment in the post-game interview with Joe D too.

Much-needed leadership. Love it.

 

[AdamaNation]

That's what won us this game. There's a level of mental toughness to this team that was lacking last year - last season, we would not have come back from the 9 point deficit late in the 2nd half. These fellows don't hang their heads and lose confidence after a mistake and that will be huge for us all season.

Not to be that guy. But didn’t we come back in like every single game last year to make the game interesting only to run out of gas due to heavy minutes, no bodies , and dinged up active guys? Aside from a few of course.

 

[joober jones]

Not to be that guy. But didn’t we come back in like every single game last year to make the game interesting only to run out of gas due to heavy minutes, no bodies , and dinged up active guys? Aside from a few of course.

Well that's kind of the point. We'd build a much larger deficit, come back to almost tie it, then flame out again.

 

[Wordbomar]

Most of us agreed that 3-0 heading to PK80 was the minor goal to start the season and we are 1 win away from achieving that. Leave it at that. 2-0 is much better than 1-1

 

[djct1999]

Mental toughness against a team slated to finished fourth in the American East? Sweet. Sadly, this is UConn's new reality. The glory days of Calhoun appear in the rearview mirror farther and farther away after each passing game. Ten years ago, we would play on the big stage. The last two, we struggle against the likes of Stony Brook, Wagner, and BU at home. What makes things worse is that UConn has a better chance at success keeping things status quo than cleaning house. Unreal. UConn is simply becoming what most pundits warned what would happen once Calhoun retired. We are fighting our way back to being a regional program that will have an occasional stronger than normal season. That is not this year. How far has UConn fallen? Three and a half years ago, a young Coach Ollie was talking about "level 5" against Kentucky in the National Championship. Last night, he was talking about 'level 5" after being down 9 at home to a team who probably has an rpi of over 200. I wish I could laugh but it simply is not funny. It is sad.

 

[djct1999]

That's what won us this game. There's a level of mental toughness to this team that was lacking last year - last season, we would not have come back from the 9 point deficit late in the 2nd half. These fellows don't hang their heads and lose confidence after a mistake and that will be huge for us all season.

Again, this was against Stony Brook. The bad news is after seeing Duke last night, they would beat us by atleast 30. The good news..... is that we actually get to see them beat Syracuse by the same amount.

 

[UConnKev]

Mental toughness against a team slated to finished fourth in the American East? Sweet. Sadly, this is UConn's new reality. The glory days of Calhoun appear in the rearview mirror farther and farther away after each passing game. Ten years ago, we would play on the big stage. The last two, we struggle against the likes of Stony Brook, Wagner, and BU at home. What makes things worse is that UConn has a better chance at success keeping things status quo than cleaning house. Unreal. UConn is simply becoming what most pundits warned what would happen once Calhoun retired. We are fighting our way back to being a regional program that will have an occasional stronger than normal season. That is not this year. How far has UConn fallen? Three and a half years ago, a young Coach Ollie was talking about "level 5" against Kentucky in the National Championship. Last night, he was talking about 'level 5" after being down 9 at home to a team who probably has an rpi of over 200. I wish I could laugh but it simply is not funny. It is sad.

How many times does it need to be stated that we have 11 new faces on this team? Two coming back from season ending injuries. We would had lost this game with last year's team.

I swear, people love to bitch regardless of any outcome.

 

[djct1999]

How many times does it need to be stated that we have 11 new faces on this team? Two coming back from season ending injuries. We would had lost this game with last year's team.

I swear, people love to bitch regardless of any outcome.

Some people have the ability to look past the outcome. That ability came to the same conclusion, whether down 9 or up 7. The program is a shell of itself and those 11 new faces are not an excuse for mediocrity, it's the cause of mediocrity. The frontcourt does not stand a chance against anyone good.

 

[AdamaNation]

Well that's kind of the point. We'd build a much larger deficit, come back to almost tie it, then flame out again.

I think we are agreeing. I just think the bodies gave out last year before the fight. Still tough. I actually had a theory that ko made them slow pace the first half to save energy for a big run in the second due to no bodies being available

 

[ktuck911]

Anybody catch any of the Duke/MSU or Kentucky/KU games? We CANNOT play the way we did last night and expect to beat teams like that...

 

[UConnSwag11]

Not to be that guy. But didn’t we come back in like every single game last year to make the game interesting only to run out of gas due to heavy minutes, no bodies , and dinged up active guys? Aside from a few of course.

We also have more talent and depth. We’re also a bigger and quicker team that seems have a higher b-ball iq. We didn’t have a guard that could handle the ball or want the ball when Adams was out or in trouble. We only had really one player.

 

[BUConn10]

How many times does it need to be stated that we have 11 new faces on this team? Two coming back from season ending injuries. We would had lost this game with last year's team.

I swear, people love to bitch regardless of any outcome.

Do you think UConn is the only program to suffer from this "problem"? 3 of the top 5 programs in the rankings right now essentially have new rosters each season, and yet it never looks like they are about to lose gimme games against regional branch campuses like it's an annual tradition.

 

[shizzle787]

I think we are agreeing. I just think the bodies gave out last year before the fight. Still tough. I actually had a theory that ko made them slow pace the first half to save energy for a big run in the second due to no bodies being available

And I thought I was the conspiracy theorist.

 

[buddy]

I think the program is in big trouble. Barely beating these former cupcakes is a sign. I am really afraid UConn will be totally embarrassed and exposed in Portland. I hope not, but I am not optimistic. This years team is better than last, but a far cry from great UConn teams in the past. I believe that we are looking at another middle, upper middle finish in the AAC this year and no tourney berth. I think KO will get a pass again for one more year. Alas, things could be worse. I just saw Seton Hall dismantle a formerly proud Indiana program.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Do you think UConn is the only program to suffer from this "problem"? 3 of the top 5 programs in the rankings right now essentially have new rosters each season, and yet it never looks like they are about to lose gimme games against regional branch campuses like it's an annual tradition.

Duke has had the #1 recruit in the country something like 4 out of the past 5 years, and they've got three kids in the Top 10 lined up for next season. Their roster turnover is a bit different from Connecticut's. I'm not saying that the present situation is acceptable, but that's an idiotic comparison. There's a middle ground.

 

[champs99and04]

Duke has had the #1 recruit in the country something like 4 out of the past 5 years, and they've got three kids in the Top 10 lined up for next season. Their roster turnover is a bit different from Connecticut's. I'm not saying that the present situation is acceptable, but that's an idiotic comparison. There's a middle ground.

A program like Oregon might be that middle ground, which is why it feels like the opener in Portland will be so revealing of how this season is going to go.

 

[August_West]

I think Borges meant to say @August_West

Buncha non believing reactionary meltdown chuckleheads.

 

[MSGSeven]

Anybody catch any of the Duke/MSU or Kentucky/KU games? We CANNOT play the way we did last night and expect to beat teams like that...

Did you happen to also catch that Kentucky won squeakers against Utah Valley and Vermont in Lexington and then almost beat Kansas. It's a different era if you haven't noticed the mid-majors can play with the majors.

 

[Bagel&Cheese]

Mental toughness against a team slated to finished fourth in the American East? Sweet. Sadly, this is UConn's new reality. The glory days of Calhoun appear in the rearview mirror farther and farther away after each passing game. Ten years ago, we would play on the big stage. The last two, we struggle against the likes of Stony Brook, Wagner, and BU at home. What makes things worse is that UConn has a better chance at success keeping things status quo than cleaning house. Unreal. UConn is simply becoming what most pundits warned what would happen once Calhoun retired. We are fighting our way back to being a regional program that will have an occasional stronger than normal season. That is not this year. How far has UConn fallen? Three and a half years ago, a young Coach Ollie was talking about "level 5" against Kentucky in the National Championship. Last night, he was talking about 'level 5" after being down 9 at home to a team who probably has an rpi of over 200. I wish I could laugh but it simply is not funny. It is sad.

The days of UConn winning games by 20+ points are long gone. We are no longer blowing out inferior teams like we did in the Calhoun years. Sucks but true. There are a myriad of reasons for that but that doesn't mean we can't be successful. That is a relative term in today's Uconn bball world but we still have a name and hopefully we can get back to be a consistent top 25 team.

 

[tcf15]

The days of UConn winning games by 20+ points are long gone. We are no longer blowing out inferior teams like we did in the Calhoun years. Sucks but true. There are a myriad of reasons for that but that doesn't mean we can't be successful. That is a relative term in today's Uconn bball world but we still have a name and hopefully we can get back to be a consistent top 25 team.

I get that it feels like that, but those days are not long gone.

UConn beat North Florida and USF (2x) by more than 20 last year.

Year before that UConn beat Maine, Furman, Sacred Heart, Ohio State, CCSU, UCF (2x), Memphis and USF by more than 20.

 

[Bagel&Cheese]

I get that it feels like that, but those days are not long gone.

UConn beat North Florida and USF (2x) by more than 20 last year.

Year before that UConn beat Maine, Furman, Sacred Heart, Ohio State, CCSU, UCF (2x), Memphis and USF by more than 20.

Let my clarify. It doesn't happen as often as it did in the Calhoun days. But like I said, it doesn't mean we can't be a great team again.