Glass Half Full(maybe 3/4 Full) View

[JB75]

Welp, I figured since after the Super bowl ends Sunday , we have a 5-6 week stretch between this coming monday and March madness which I annually refer to as the “February Doldrums”(especially with uconn prolly having no shot at tourney bid again)- So I figured I’d take a “Glass half-full(or 3/4 full) positive look on this season:
*we beat cuse, we Shudda beat zona(refs were awful- Jalen makes that drive late in game we prolly win)
*we competed hard against a very solid and tuff FSU team
*we prolly Shudda beat USF
*we really Shudda beat cincy(no Jalen for end of game and brutal reffing)
*we would of won last night if AG played and Jalen showed up 10% more in first half.
- so right there that’s 4 very good wins(@cincy, @usf, @ucf, zona.) puts our record at 15-5 instead of 12-9- with 3 good road wins. Plus, we have zero production from our 4 spot, no backup center at all, AND Our two most active rebounders (Yakwe, Diarra) are out with injuries. Just crazy bad luck over and over. Not bad considering what we ve had to work with this year. I’m not even upset about last night. I do see improvement and really like how Carlton is starting to be consistent -and I was one of his biggest critics. Give us a month and a half from now and I really think we can make some noise in conf. tourney and in these last 10 games - and I’m usually pretty negative about our squad lately(it’s hard not to be after last few years) Sorry fir the long message but just trying to bring a ray of hope to the board as the “February doldrums” begin on Monday. Lol. Let’s go huskies!!!
*

 

[Friendship]

bad take

[- Friend]

 

[JB75]

I kno I’m reaching but just trying to be positive. That’s why I titled it “glass 3/4 full” lol

 

[Madmannsucks]

In my opinion, the team has underachieved this year. I will give DH a partial pass because he did not build this team. This does NOT look like a team that could make a run deep in the tourney, but the cupboard is not as empty in my opinion as others have opined. Either way, it's not over. But it is close.

 

[UofCT]

In my opinion, the team has underachieved this year. I will give Dan Hurley a partial pass because he did not build this team. This does NOT look like a team that could make a run deep in the tourney, but the cupboard is not as empty in my opinion as others have opined. Either way, it's not over. But it is close.

Wilson, Polley, Cobb, Diarra, Smith, B Adams, Whaley, Yakwe, and Kwintin are all guys who should be playing in the Big Sky.

Avg of 3.4 Points per game
Avg of 2 Rebounds per game

I'd go down and do the rest of the stats but it's making me angry.

 

[Madmannsucks]

Wilson, Polley, Cobb, Diarra, Smith, B Adams, Whaley, Yakwe, and Kwintin are all guys who should be playing in the Big Sky.

Avg of 3.4 Points per game
Avg of 2 Rebounds per game

I'd go down and do the rest of the stats but it's making me angry.

Not buying it Polley/Wilson/Whaley/Diarra were recruited by a big list of top programs. I am not buying it. Numbers are just that. Up to the coaches to develop them.

 

[businesslawyer]

It's even more simple than this. We beat Syracuse, rather handily, our first real game. If you look at early season, we thought that between Cobb and Carlton we'd have competent play in the middle. Carlton showed it against crap, and then Cobb against some big boys. But Cobb totally disappearing from usefulness made this team mediocre at best. Add that to not being able to win enough close games down the stretch, and here we are.

 

[intlzncster]

It's even more simple than this. We beat Syracuse, rather handily, our first real game. If you look at early season, we thought that between Cobb and Carlton we'd have competent play in the middle. Carlton showed it against crap, and then Cobb against some big boys. But Cobb totally disappearing from usefulness made this team mediocre at best. Add that to not being able to win enough close games down the stretch, and here we are.

Syracuse was without their PG, and not who they are now. We played OK, but I think we'd struggle to beat them more now.

 

[HooperScooper]

Shuddas, cuddas and wuddas unfortunately don't count.

 

[intlzncster]

Not buying it Polley/Wilson/Whaley/Diarra were recruited by a big list of top programs. I am not buying it. Numbers are just that. Up to the coaches to develop them.

Do you develop guys in 6 months (offseason work)? Guys who've already been in a different system, and clearly had some bad habits baked in? Breaking bad habits is harder to do than instilling new ones.

And not all guys develop, no matter who the coach is (JC included). Diarra has been injured the entire time, I don't know why he is in this conversation. Why didn't Justin Brown develop under JC? Why not Chad Wise? Because those kids, while they may have looked like they had the stuff, did not.

Polley is the type of guy who should contribute some his Jr year, but mostly Sr year, off the bench. Carlton the same. Wilson mid sophomore year. The other guys on the chart probably shouldn't be at this level.

The fact is, this team is a black hole in the middle, and severely limited in shooting. And has holes defensively. Their ceiling is limited.

 

[spudzj6]

Welp, I figured since after the Super bowl ends Sunday , we have a 5-6 week stretch between this coming monday and March madness which I annually refer to as the “February Doldrums”(especially with uconn prolly having no shot at tourney bid again)- So I figured I’d take a “Glass half-full(or 3/4 full) positive look on this season:*

I take it you aren't high on the new AAF? Starts Feb 9th. Think CBS, TNT and (oddly enough) NFL network will cover the games.

 

[Scrutineer]

One thing that stands out is how last night, in spite of losing the only new man of consequence on this year's roster, Gilbert, we did not get blown out after a poor first half. Think back to the last couple years when the head coach would be wincing and grimacing as the games became 20+ point losses so often.

When I begin to question if Hurley is what we all hope he'll be I think about how competitive this team has been and how they haven't quit. Add some players next year and with continued development of Carlton, Gilbert, Polley and Wilson, this should be a tournament team and one that can win the league.

 

[Palatine]

Losing Yakwe turned out to be a big deal. Good rebounder, decent rim protector, five fouls a game, those would all have been helpful.

 

[intlzncster]

When I begin to question if Hurley is what we all hope he'll be I think about how competitive this team has been and how they haven't quit. Add some players next year and with continued development of Carlton, Gilbert, Polley and Wilson, this should be a tournament team and one that can win the league.

Why bother questioning that yet? Start after year 3.

 

[intlzncster]

Losing Yakwe turned out to be a big deal. Good rebounder, decent rim protector, five fouls a game, those would all have been helpful.

And beef.

 

[JB75]

Yeah. Shockingly , we miss Yakwe. Like I said before. We just have nothing down low. And no, I will not be watching the new AAFL or whatever it is. lol

 

[Yardigan]

Shuddas, cuddas and wuddas unfortunately don't count.

Don't forget bad ref'ing

 

[djct1999]

You want half full.............we have the best coach in this region that knows how to rebuild a program. Its a futile exercise to judge the impact Hurley has had on this program by its W-L record. He inherited a brutal team late in the recruiting cycle and was "stuck" with KOs players. WE HAVE NO FRONTCOURT. That is not on Hurley. Even the most loyal UConn fan needs to recognize this was never a tournament caliber team. To me, the team is still playing hard and responding to our coach. Thats a win. I could only imagine how we would have looked with the old regime. Rebuilding is a multi year process. I will check back in year 4 when Hurley has us back in the top 10. Gents, the glass is half full because of Hurley. Its half empty because of what KO left behind.

 

[ucawn]

 

[ucawn]

View attachment 39051

I guess we could maybe still get a 20 W season

 

[JB75]

Now I’ll go glass half empty. We ll beat ecu. But not beating temple at temple. Not beating cincy. And prolly 50% chance we beat Memphis. Lol

 

[Madmannsucks]

Do you develop guys in 6 months (offseason work)? Guys who've already been in a different system, and clearly had some bad habits baked in? Breaking bad habits is harder to do than instilling new ones.

And not all guys develop, no matter who the coach is (JC included). Diarra has been injured the entire time, I don't know why he is in this conversation. Why didn't Justin Brown develop under JC? Why not Chad Wise? Because those kids, while they may have looked like they had the stuff, did not.

Polley is the type of guy who should contribute some his Jr year, but mostly Sr year, off the bench. Carlton the same. Wilson mid sophomore year. The other guys on the chart probably shouldn't be at this level.

The fact is, this team is a black hole in the middle, and severely limited in shooting. And has holes defensively. Their ceiling is limited.

My read is you are giving DH a pass. That's fine. If we use the argument that last years team underachieved(which almost everyone on the board has stated), and they have more talent, and they have a weaker schedule(although the AAC appears to be stronger, especially the lower tier teams) and we have a better coach, then logic would dictate the team should be better.

 

[intlzncster]

My read is you are giving Dan Hurley a pass. That's fine. If we use the argument that last years team underachieved(which almost everyone on the board has stated), and they have more talent, and they have a weaker schedule(although the AAC appears to be stronger, especially the lower tier teams) and we have a better coach, then logic would dictate the team should be better.

My read is that the guy is 9 months into the job. I think not giving him a pass is a little nuts. jmo

It's not an on and off switch. You don't just plug somebody in and everything instantly improves. Programs take generally take some building.

Everywhere he's been they've stunk their first year.