High Quality Basketball

[benjordan]

While I'm excited about the potential NCAA tourney run next year's team seems capable of, I'm most excited for the potential of a season with high quality basketball from beginning to end.

We've obviously had two amazing runs in the last 5 years, but we haven't had a team that was really dominant since the 2008-2009 Final Four season.

So while I hope 2015-2016 ends with another banner being raised in Gampel, I'm most excited about watching UCONN play well for the entire season.

 

[CTGoonie]

"So while I hope 2015-2016 ends with another banner being raised in Gampel, I'm most excited about watching UCONN play well for the entire season."

Maybe I'm in the minority on this but I would rather have another average regular season and end with another run for title #5.

 

[Kembacity]

"So while I hope 2015-2016 ends with another banner being raised in Gampel, I'm most excited about watching UCONN play well for the entire season."

Maybe I'm in the minority on this but I would rather have another average regular season and end with another run for title #5.

BOOM

I can see both sides of it, but its kind of beautiful to be forgotten or just underrated most of the year and then be the last one standing waving a flag at the end of the year while all of the "top teams" sit with their thumbs up their butts. So if we have to choose between one or the other, I'll take the ring. Wouldn't mind a 1999-esque regular season/championship balance though

 

[CTBasketball]

It would be fantastic to see another UConn team go like 30-2 or something. That keeps us in headlines all year long.

 

[businesslawyer]

You know who says "Winning a championship may be less important than being a consistently good team all season?" Not someone who will ever be a champion.

(By the way -- the runner up answer to that rhetorical question would be "A Syracuse fan.")

 

[HuskyBballFan]

While I'm excited about the potential NCAA tourney run next year's team seems capable of, I'm most excited for the potential of a season with high quality basketball from beginning to end.

We've obviously had two amazing runs in the last 5 years, but we haven't had a team that was really dominant since the 2008-2009 Final Four season.

So while I hope 2015-2016 ends with another banner being raised in Gampel, I'm most excited about watching UCONN play well for the entire season.

There's a distinction to be made between "high quality basketball" and the dominance of the 2009 team, which was ranked #1 in the country for a decent chunk of time. Are you really expecting that next year?

 

[FeedTheDove]

I think all the OP is trying to say here is that while he appreciates the runs that we've made in 2011 and 2014, we haven't really had a vastly talented roster from top to bottom since 2009, (You could argue 2012) - whether that be because of recruiting issues, effects of the ban/JC stepping down, etc. It finally looks like the next few years may offer that type of talent, and the OP is very excited about that.

I'm sure he would trade a 3 loss season for a championship just like any other UConn fan on this board.

 

[sdhusky]

You know who says "Winning a championship may be less important than being a consistently good team all season?" Not someone who will ever be a champion.

(By the way -- the runner up answer to that rhetorical question would be "A Syracuse fan.")

If you want to win championships, the very best way is to have teams that consistently win all season.

Yes, we have had two teams that caught fire in the tourney, but if you look at the FF year in and year out, you find way more #1 and #2 seeds than #7 seeds and #4 seeds that got hot.

I would rather have a guy like Jim Calhoun in the 90's who fielded consistently winning elite teams but was known as a guy who couldn't win the big one.

Eventually, those guys win the big one & usually more than one.

 

[Brochacho]

Boneyard (v.) - to take a completely genuine, pro-UConn thought and spin it in a way that makes OP seem like an anti-UConn heretic. Context: Hey Jim, did you see my thread about expecting a successful season? Yeah Ron, you really got Boneyarded on that one.

 

[businesslawyer]

What gets lost from a lot of these discussions is that it's much, much harder to roll out your team and win 30 games year in and year out than it used to be. Who outside of Kentucky and Duke is doing that? Indiana? UCLA? Michigan State? North Carolina?

There are reasons for this. Kids thinking they are more important than programs. Every decent team having at least half their games on national TV. Fewer quality players staying for 4 years. More money meaning more colleges really trying to win.

It would be great to put together a bunch of seasons where we're in the Top Ten from start to finish, but there are very few schools able to do that any more. I'm doubtful a young Jim Calhoun could do it as consistently as he did from 90 to 09.

 

[UConn9604]

What gets lost from a lot of these discussions is that it's much, much harder to roll out your team and win 30 games year in and year out than it used to be. Who outside of Kentucky and Duke is doing that? Indiana? UCLA? Michigan State? North Carolina?

There are reasons for this. Kids thinking they are more important than programs. Every decent team having at least half their games on national TV. Fewer quality players staying for 4 years. More money meaning more colleges really trying to win.

It would be great to put together a bunch of seasons where we're in the Top Ten from start to finish, but there are very few schools able to do that any more. I'm doubtful a young Jim Calhoun could do it as consistently as he did from 90 to 09.

This is true, and even Calhoun had to push in the clutch between dynasties (1997, 2001, 2007, 2010).

 

[CL82]

Crimeny!! What is the matter with you people?! Ever heard of mojo? You crazy b@stards are going to ruin everything. Now, repeat ...after ...me:

WE....ARE....DOOOOMED!!!​

 

[sdhusky]

I'm doubtful a young Jim Calhoun could do it as consistently as he did from 90 to 09.

Bullsh1t.

 

[businesslawyer]

Bullsh1t.

Obviously, you're allowed your opinion on something that is not capable of proof. But look at how inconsistent other long time powers are today compared to 20 years ago. I've been clear how highly I think of Calhoun, and still believe that you can make a case that he, and not K, was the coach of his generation. I am not saying he still wouldn't be. I'm just saying it would take less wins to get there.

 

[sdhusky]

Obviously, you're allowed your opinion on something that is not capable of proof. But look at how inconsistent other long time powers are today compared to 20 years ago. I've been clear how highly I think of Calhoun, and still believe that you can make a case that he, and not K, was the coach of his generation. I am not saying he still wouldn't be. I'm just saying it would take less wins to get there.

You know why no one is doing what Calhoun did in the 90s? Because Calhoun isn't coaching.

He wasn't just a great coach. He was the best coach of his generation.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I don't think anyone would trade our 2014 or 2011 season for the 2014 or 2011 version of, say, Kansas's season (I use Kansas as an example of a team that's consistently excellent in the regular season).

That said, having Kansas-like regular seasons is a lot more likely to produce championships in the future than having UConn-like (2010-2015) regular seasons. Those regular seasons are also, frankly, a lot more fun to watch.

I don't think there's anything wrong with saying that we'd prefer a return to consistent Top 10 (or even consistent Top 20) performance or that the last 6 years of regular season performance have not been up to par with the standard set over the previous 15-20 years.

 

[Palatine]

No sane person would trade our championships for a Kansas like run of excellence with fewer NC banners.

But I am looking forward to a season where we don't have a WTF loss every single week. A long sustained stretch of great basketball would warm up the winter. And the long stretch of good press and high rankings would shut up many detractors. So, yes, I would love to see the Huskies play to their potential in the regular season and I would bask in the love showered on the team.

 

[businesslawyer]

You know why no one is doing what Calhoun did in the 90s? Because Calhoun isn't coaching.

He wasn't just a great coach. He was the best coach of his generation.

I'll give you this SDH -- you have a rare talent for making me feel like I'm taking a stupid position while you are actually agreeing with direct statements I made. I hope you find a way to monetize it (and no, I won't pay you to stop posting. LOL)

 

[Inyatkin]

This is such a weird debate. Whether they mean it or not, it always ends up with people somehow discounting our last two titles. As in, they were great and all, but they weren't from "dominant" teams, or something. Which drives me nuts.

 

[CL82]

I love the "UConn won the national championship but they weren't the best school" line of reasoning that has followed virtually all of our NCs. I though a national tournament was how you determine who is the best team. Wanna know who is the best? Check and see who is the last team standing.

 

[sdhusky]

This is such a weird debate. Whether they mean it or not, it always ends up with people somehow discounting our last two titles. As in, they were great and all, but they weren't from "dominant" teams, or something. Which drives me nuts.

No. It's just that I'm greedy and want more titles and I think we get more with a more dominant team.

 

[Inyatkin]

There's no "formula" for winning titles. Great regular seasons don't get you there. If they did, Kansas and Syracuse would have a lock on the past decade.
The best you can do is give yourself a chance, which we do with regularity (though I could stand for a little more of that.) If you have players capable of gelling and playing at a really high level, you've got a shot. That's it.
Our team has been stunningly successful at putting it together when it matters most. There's no formula for that.

 

[pnow15]

"So while I hope 2015-2016 ends with another banner being raised in Gampel, I'm most excited about watching UCONN play well for the entire season."

Maybe I'm in the minority on this but I would rather have another average regular season and end with another run for title #5.

I'd rather go 4o-0.

 

[MDHusky]

What separates UConn and its 4 National Championships from all of the other teams (30+ regular season wins) is that UConn has focused on strong guard/PG skills, and recruited players who have stuck with the team as Juniors and Seniors.

Guard play and senior leadership usually bodes well in the NCAA tourney.

 

[sdhusky]

I'll give you this SDH -- you have a rare talent for making me feel like I'm taking a stupid position while you are actually agreeing with direct statements I made. I hope you find a way to monetize it (and no, I won't pay you to stop posting. LOL)

Monetize it?

Is there a big market for making you feel stupid?