Hard questions

[BUConn10]

Moron Boy!? You're the one who failed to pick up my subtle sarcasm mocking the folks on this board who think that UCONN's success is dependent on what conference it is in. UCONN has the pedigree, history and fan passion that can keep the success coming. They just need to make sure they have a good coach in place and schedule top OOC competition to maximize competition and exposure.

I love UConn with all my heart, but I think you are over-estimating the pedigree of the program and how it is perceived outside of our UConn-fanatics bubble.

 

[Cheeky]

How dumb to you think NBA execs are?

Dumb enough to draft Hasheem Thabeet 2nd.

 

[mauconnfan]

Moron Boy!? You're the one who failed to pick up my subtle sarcasm mocking the folks on this board who think that UCONN's success is dependent on what conference it is in. UCONN has the pedigree, history and fan passion that can keep the success coming. They just need to make sure they have a good coach in place and schedule top OOC competition to maximize competition and exposure.

You're a troll. Our coach is fine, is yours? Let us know who you might support and maybe we can discuss the better option of the 2 rather than just trolling along.

 

[CL82]

You're a troll. Our coach is fine, is yours? Let us know who you might support and maybe we can discuss the better option of the 2 rather than just trolling along.

So stop feeding him?

 

[Crossbones]

You're a troll. Our coach is fine, is yours? Let us know who you might support and maybe we can discuss the better option of the 2 rather than just trolling along.

Wow, you may want to see someone about your anger issues.

If it isn't obvious, I am an ECU graduate who grew up in the thick of ACC Country which fed my passion for basketball. It was disheartening to attend a school that had a bad team and no real support from neither the ECU football fans nor the students. During my four years in school our women's team was regularly in the Top 20. As a result, they packed the arena. Normally the men's games followed right behind the women's but after the Women's game the crowd would leave.

You should consider yourselves lucky to have a program that's worth being passionate about. That's basically what my point was. If that makes me a troll then so be it.

 

[mauconnfan]

Wow, you may want to see someone about your anger issues.

If it isn't obvious, I am an ECU graduate who grew up in the thick of ACC Country which fed my passion for basketball. It was disheartening to attend a school that had a bad team and no real support from neither the ECU football fans nor the students. During my four years in school our women's team was regularly in the Top 20. As a result, they packed the arena. Normally the men's games followed right behind the women's but after the Women's game the crowd would leave.

You should consider yourselves lucky to have a program that's worth being passionate about. That's basically what my point was. If that makes me a troll then so be it.

Nice start for a post:

If, as you claim, that the AAC will destroy UConn athletics, that doesn't speak well for your program.

Were you looking for friends to discuss college basketball coming out with this as your lead reply? I respect ECU and who they are, like them actually. But please do some homework and look at UConn mens basketball and the Big East over prior 24 years or so until we joined the AAC. Then come back with a different statement to have positive feedback. I get what you are trying to say but you have never been on top trying to recruit the best as our guys have been. A bad year for our team, as we are having, while battling the P5's with all of their negative recruiting tactics and unfortunately facts is not going well. Do you honestly believe if we were in the ACC or B10 this would be the case?

 

[Joobie]

I am kinda surprised (& kinda not at the same time), that no one mentioned what we LOST from last year's team. That team was totally bonded, due in large part to the post season ban. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill: leading scorer, leading rebounder, best free throw shooter, best 3-point shooter, unquestioned leader. Don't see anyone on this team that has been able to fill those voids, though Boatright, to his credit, is doing his best.

 

[uconnbill]

I suppose that now that UCONN is in the AAC that slogan needs to be changed to "UConn basketball, program of has beens"

Defending National Champions and having four titles in the last 15 years. That is pretty great and you need to go back to your mom's basement and play some D&D

 

[businesslawyer]

This team isn't remotely as talented as the ones you're citing - not even in the same orbit.

Cassell, Samuel, Brimah, Nolan, Lubin...projecting our current three-star players to the teams above, maybe Brimah carves out a role on some of the rosters and perhaps benefits from the additional talent around him, but the other four aren't on the team.

1992-93...Ollie, Fair, Donny Marshall, Donnyell Marshall, Torraino Walker (for 30 seconds), Burrell, Hayward.

1996-97...Rip, Ricky, Rash, Freeman, Kirk King, Jake, Hardnett, Klaiber

2000-01...Taliek, Caron, Mouring, Robertson, Saunders, Cox, Deng, Wane

2006-2007...Adrien, Austrie, Dyson, Edwards, Johnson, Kelly, Price, Robinson, Thabeet, Wiggins

2009-2010...Dyson, Edwards, Majok, Oriakhi, Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, Beverly, Kemba, Okwandu, Darius Smith.

Absolutely disagree that TSam wouldn't be in the rotation on those teams. He was on the rotation on a national championship team after all.

Jr. and (at least now) Lubin would not have been in the rotation on good UConn teams. But they seem to be dropping out of the rotation on this one (and Lubin would never have been in it if Phil Nolan played like he played prior to getting stuffed 67 times in the national championship game).

 

[Fishy]

Hmmm....Samuel averaged about nine minutes and two points a game last year. He was our ninth or tenth man.

He's not pushing anyone out of the way on those rosters.

 

[August_West]

I suppose that now that UCONN is in the AAC that slogan needs to be changed to "UConn basketball, program of has beens"

If we are in the AAC in 5-10 years still that is is EXACTLY what our slogan is going to be, which is why we want the hell out of here.

 

[champs99and04]

Absolutely disagree that TSam wouldn't be in the rotation on those teams. He was on the rotation on a national championship team after all.

Jr. and (at least now) Lubin would not have been in the rotation on good UConn teams. But they seem to be dropping out of the rotation on this one (and Lubin would never have been in it if Phil Nolan played like he played prior to getting stuffed 67 times in the national championship game).

T-Sam is your prototypical UConn guard. Everything about his game and mentality seems like a reflection of past guards. I don't know if he'll ever develop into a really good player, but he has more than earned his spot on he team. To Fishy's point, is Terrence Samuel a radically different player than somebody like Craig Austrie? If you want to get technical about it, maybe he's not pushing anybody out, but guys like Samuel have been playing at UConn for years.

 

[mauconnfan]

T-Sam is your prototypical UConn guard. Everything about his game and mentality seems like a reflection of past guards. I don't know if he'll ever develop into a really good player, but he has more than earned his spot on he team. To Fishy's point, is Terrence Samuel a radically different player than somebody like Craig Austrie? If you want to get technical about it, maybe he's not pushing anybody out, but guys like Samuel have been playing at UConn for years.

I trust Craig Austrie with the ball more than TSam and their defense was similar. TSam is tougher to the hole and Austrie a much better shooter. We could really use a Craig Austrie on this team or next years.

 

[UofMemphis]

"6) I absolutely hate the AAC. I despise how they're selling us out to help the rest of the conference sell tickets on their Saturday dates and I hate how they are selling us out to fill gaps in weekend programming on Sundays. The defending champion just played a game 1,800 miles from campus in front of a dozen fans. You can hear the high-fives in Bristol, Syracuse and Chestnut Hill."

and lost...

you don't have to stay in the AAC, you're welcome to drop football and join the BE, but the constant whining changes nothing...we'll sure miss ya!

 

[tcf15]

Not sure if the use of a Beverly Hillbillies picture was intentionally used to depict the rest of the AAC or just purely coincidental, but that is a fitting picture.

 

[TRest]

"6) I absolutely hate the AAC. I despise how they're selling us out to help the rest of the conference sell tickets on their Saturday dates and I hate how they are selling us out to fill gaps in weekend programming on Sundays. The defending champion just played a game 1,800 miles from campus in front of a dozen fans. You can hear the high-fives in Bristol, Syracuse and Chestnut Hill."

and lost...

you don't have to stay in the AAC, you're welcome to drop football and join the BE, but the constant whining changes nothing...we'll sure miss ya!

Why would you even read this thread? Do UConn fans scrutinize your board and tell you to stop bitching about things?

 

[UofMemphis]

Not sure if the use of a Beverly Hillbillies picture was intentionally used to depict the rest of the AAC or just purely coincidental, but that is a fitting picture.

Completely intentional...

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I trust Craig Austrie with the ball more than TSam and their defense was similar. TSam is tougher to the hole and Austrie a much better shooter. We could really use a Craig Austrie on this team or next years.

Your problem is Comparing Austrie as a senior to TSam as a Soph.
Austrie is the lower end of TSam potential, that wouldn't be awful, but I think he has greater upside than that. Ricky Moore maybe.

 

[mauconnfan]

Your problem is Comparing Austrie as a senior to TSam as a Soph.
Austrie is the lower end of TSam potential, that wouldn't be awful, but I think he has greater upside than that. Ricky Moore maybe.

Not my problem I'm hoping he's as consistent and dependable as Austrie when he's a senior. Different kind of players but both solid back up guards which we will need every year on every team. His upside is not close to Ricky Moore in my estimation in no way. Only Boat has come close to the defense Ricky provided and Ricky was a much better ball handler even as a freshman. Shooting and getting to the rack similar but purely as a PG I doubt he gets to Ricky, hope so though.

 

[champs99and04]

I trust Craig Austrie with the ball more than TSam and their defense was similar. TSam is tougher to the hole and Austrie a much better shooter. We could really use a Craig Austrie on this team or next years.

Sure, but you're kind of agreeing with me. Austrie was a useful player, but reading posts around here you would think we rolled three McDonald's all-Americans off the bench back in the day.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Not my problem I'm hoping he's as consistent and dependable as Austrie when he's a senior. Different kind of players but both solid back up guards which we will need every year on every team. His upside is not close to Ricky Moore in my estimation in no way. Only Boat has come close to the defense Ricky provided and Ricky was a much better ball handler even as a freshman. Shooting and getting to the rack similar but purely as a PG I doubt he gets to Ricky, hope so though.

So do I, if he does ,and Adams is as good as advertised, that could be a pretty special. Backcourt.

 

[CTBasketball]

Don't really see the Terrence Samuel - Craig Austrie comparison. Austrie shot the ball pretty well his entire career - always shot over 30% from three at least, which is okay. As we know, Terrence's stroke outside 15 feet needs an entire makeover.

I think Terrence Samuel is much more closer to a poor man's Taliek Brown. If we surround Terrence with 35-45% 3pt shooters and dependable posts that can shoot mid-range it'll eliminate his need to shoot. If he can create and distribute to these guys like Taliek did, he'll be a good player. More useful than Austrie at least.

 

[Kitaman]

What I fail to understand is that we have Ollie, Hobbs and Moore all good point guards and we have guards lacking a strong handle or ability to effectively run our offense. You would think that would not be an issue considering our coaching staff.

 

[CTBasketball]

What I fail to understand is that we have Ollie, Hobbs and Moore all good point guards and we have guards lacking a strong handle or ability to effectively run our offense. You would think that would not be an issue considering our coaching staff.

Just because they're good players doesn't necessarily mean they're good coaches. Do you think Allen Iverson or Charles Barkley would be good coaches? Didn't mean to come off as a , but there is a difference and I think UConn was blinded by history with some hires.

 

[uconnfan68]

Sam Jr. is a decent ball handler but his D will limit his minutes. Maybe a Jr. college player could fill the void.

too slow for this level... on O and and D.