I admire this team

[August_West]

it just wasn't our year.
Injuries
Lack of consistent execution from the seniors who needed to pick us up from the injuries.

But one thing I can say. As bad as we have looked at times, there have been very few instances where I felt this team felt sorry for itself and mentally packed it in. I have seen a Calhoun team or two mentally pack it in completely in a down year.

This team has every ready made excuse to do so and simply did not. I can think of a couple times this year that there were flashes of it going south permanently but they fought through it. Big props to the Players and KO on that front.

I admire that and will let them know it tomorrow ( and Thursday or Friday) in person.


In what is proving to be the cruel theme this year, we weren't rewarded for it. In fact at every juncture another negative ( injury ) would happen.

I do have a feeling though that we may be at the end of the line on that front.

This team has been extraordinarily resilient this year ( didn't always translate to success unfortunately) but I think maybe the latest stuff happening to Adams, Vital and Jackson might be the proverbial back breaking straw.

3 weeks ago We were able to have legit thoughts about being a realistic challenger for the conf tourney . A tall order but you couldn't be faulted for imagining it.


Now? This is only a prediction and a personal feeling , I think that obviously from a floor perspective the recent injuries kill us. I mean that's obvious even for casual fans like myself ( is that right Chief?). But more than that I think we may finally be mentally done. In my mind I see us going out with a whimper the next 2 games as the most likely scenario. If Cinci steps out early tomorrow , it will have the makings of a long day. And I can see it carrying into the tourney opener.

And I won't blame the kids one bit. They gave a lot this year under real, real crappy circumstances. I will remember that and always respect the hell out of them for that.

We have a gazillion flaws as a team this year.

Heart was never one of them.

I like this team. I like the kids.
They deserved better.

 

[UConnDad]

Ok then, c u tomorrow!

 

[UConnDan97]

Same here.

Pride. Heart. UConn.

 

[shizzle787]

This thread is subtle likewhoring. But I like it.

 

[SwingDog]

it just wasn't our year.
Injuries
Lack of consistent execution from the seniors who needed to pick us up from the injuries.

But one thing I can say. As bad as we have looked at times, there have been very few instances where I felt this team felt sorry for itself and mentally packed it in. I have seen a Calhoun team or two mentally pack it in completely in a down year.

This team has every ready made excuse to do so and simply did not. I can think of a couple times this year that there were flashes of it going south permanently but they fought through it. Big props to the Players and KO on that front.

I admire that and will let them know it tomorrow ( and Thursday or Friday) in person.


In what is proving to be the cruel theme this year, we weren't rewarded for it. In fact at every juncture another negative ( injury ) would happen.

I do have a feeling though that we may be at the end of the line on that front.

This team has been extraordinarily resilient this year ( didn't always translate to success unfortunately) but I think maybe the latest stuff happening to Adams, Vital and Jackson might be the proverbial back breaking straw.

3 weeks ago We were able to have legit thoughts about being a realistic challenger for the conf tourney . A tall order but you couldn't be faulted for imagining it.


Now? This is only a prediction and a personal feeling , I think that obviously from a floor perspective the recent injuries kill us. I mean that's obvious even for casual fans like myself ( is that right Chief?). But more than that I think we may finally be mentally done. In my mind I see us going out with a whimper the next 2 games as the most likely scenario. If Cinci steps out early tomorrow , it will have the makings of a long day. And I can see it carrying into the tourney opener.

And I won't blame the kids one bit. They gave a lot this year under real, real crappy circumstances. I will remember that and always respect the hell out of them for that.

We have a gazillion flaws as a team this year.

Heart was never one of them.

I like this team. I like the kids.
They deserved better.

Excellent post, August- you've expressed my thoughts as well and I'm sure you did a better job in articulating them than I could. I too am proud of the way these guys have fought through this season, even to the very end of games that were out of reach. There have been very few instances where they hung their heads. I'm disappointed with the outcome but not the overall effort.

 

[August_West]

This thread is subtle likewhoring. But I like it.

You are barking up the wrong tree, rover. You know that

 

[shizzle787]

You are barking up the wrong tree, rover. You know that

Just because I'm not king of the basketball forum yet doesn't mean I won't conquer it.

 

[August_West]

Just because I'm not king of the basketball forum yet doesn't mean I won't conquer it.

youre not the king of anything except getting off a classic line ( and it was great ) in a poker hand you had no business not folding

 

[shizzle787]

youre not the king of anything except getting off a classic line ( and it was great ) in a poker hand you had no business not folding

I wouldn't have folded anyway. I'm stubborn and impulsive. It worked out in my favor.

 

[superjohn]

Tough times around here when all we can say is they didn't quit. We desperately need like a 29-6 season next year.

 

[shizzle787]

Tough times around here when all we can say is they didn't quit. We desperately need like a 29-6 season next year.

We need a national championship next year.

 

[Travelman6]

no 787, just a solid season.

 

[whaler11]

This thread is subtle likewhoring. But I like it.

Yeah really subtle

 

[shizzle787]

no 787, just a solid season.

We aren't Gonzaga, we UConn. We need a title.

 

[superjohn]

We need a national championship next year.

We need to be relevant again. Be somewhere in the top 25 and finish in the top 3 of AAC, anything less than that is very bad news.

 

[superjohn]

Yeah really subtle

Thought Auggie was better than this.

 

[Travelman6]

r

We aren't Gonzaga, we UConn. We need a title.

right now uconn would kill to be like gonzaga and do what they have done for the past three years for that matter. you know how they beat up on st. marys, imagine if uconn did that to smu....yah...no. national titles are great but for next year that is not realistic. at all. simply being solid IS, however. I will take 9 or 10 ooc wins, 12 or 13 aac wins, at least two in the aacT and a sweet 16 for 25 or. 26 wins or so.

 

[uconnfan68]

it just wasn't our year.
Injuries
Lack of consistent execution from the seniors who needed to pick us up from the injuries.

But one thing I can say. As bad as we have looked at times, there have been very few instances where I felt this team felt sorry for itself and mentally packed it in. I have seen a Calhoun team or two mentally pack it in completely in a down year.

This team has every ready made excuse to do so and simply did not. I can think of a couple times this year that there were flashes of it going south permanently but they fought through it. Big props to the Players and KO on that front.

I admire that and will let them know it tomorrow ( and Thursday or Friday) in person.


In what is proving to be the cruel theme this year, we weren't rewarded for it. In fact at every juncture another negative ( injury ) would happen.

I do have a feeling though that we may be at the end of the line on that front.

This team has been extraordinarily resilient this year ( didn't always translate to success unfortunately) but I think maybe the latest stuff happening to Adams, Vital and Jackson might be the proverbial back breaking straw.

3 weeks ago We were able to have legit thoughts about being a realistic challenger for the conf tourney . A tall order but you couldn't be faulted for imagining it.


Now? This is only a prediction and a personal feeling , I think that obviously from a floor perspective the recent injuries kill us. I mean that's obvious even for casual fans like myself ( is that right Chief?). But more than that I think we may finally be mentally done. In my mind I see us going out with a whimper the next 2 games as the most likely scenario. If Cinci steps out early tomorrow , it will have the makings of a long day. And I can see it carrying into the tourney opener.

And I won't blame the kids one bit. They gave a lot this year under real, real crappy circumstances. I will remember that and always respect the hell out of them for that.

We have a gazillion flaws as a team this year.

Heart was never one of them.

I like this team. I like the kids.
They deserved better.

Is it too late to redshirt Kentan Facey? We could use one more year of him.

 

[yukonyc212]

r

right now uconn would kill to be like gonzaga and do what they have done for the past three years for that matter. you know how they beat up on st. marys, imagine if uconn did that to smu....yah...no. national titles are great but for next year that is not realistic. at all. simply being solid IS, however. I will take 9 or 10 ooc wins, 12 or 13 aac wins, at least two in the aacT and a sweet 16 for 25 or. 26 wins or so.

I'm pretty certain Gonzaga fans would trade places with our results the past 6 in a heartbeat. Also... It doesn't matter how well we do in the tournament next year (if we make it). I just want to see 1 year where we dominate this mid-major conference we're in to be sold on Ollie going forward. There's no reason why we can't be like Memphis was in the old CUSA when Squid was there. We should be rolling off 16 - 2...15 - 3 years regularly. If we dominate the regular season and get upset in the tournament... fine... There are no excuses for next season. If we have another ugly season than I really hope we wave some money around and see who else is out there A prolonged downturn of multiple missed tournaments and losing seasons will have a devastating effect on recruiting.......

When Bobby Knight was fired at Indiana in 2000, the interm coach Mike Davis took over the program. He locked down the permanent position a year later. In his second year at Indiana (2002) they win a share of the Big 10 title and get a 5 seed in the tournament. They go on to make a run all the way to the title game where they lose to Maryland in a terrible final. With the majority of their team coming back for the next season, they end up on the bubble ultimately getting a 7 seed and losing in the 2nd round. The next 2 seasons they finish 15 - 14 and 19 - 12 respectively, missing the tournament each year. During the 05 - 06 season IU comes out of the gate strong, but stumbles mid season. Following the Uconn upset of IU in Indiana, Davis announces his resignation amid public pressure and rumors he was going to be fired at years end.

After Davis's ouster they hire Kelvin Sampson, who proceeds to get them put on probation for illegal recruiting contact after 1 season. They then hire Tom Crean who goes 28 - 66 in his first 3 seasons before righting the ship with 2 straight sweet 16s in 11 and 12.. Fast forward to today where they struggle to be relevant on a yearly basis and will miss the tournament again this year... Indiana has only gotten out of the first weekend 3 times since 2002 and haven't gotten past the sweet 16. 15 years, 7 missed NCAA Tournaments, and only 3 sweet 16s to show for it from a "Blue Blood" program.

Point of the history lesson is that Indiana is Indiana. They have history and legacy and are considered by everyone to be a "Blue Blood" program. They play in one of the 2 best conferences in the nation for athletics. They have no recruiting limitations like we do. We can't afford to stumble like they did and expect to recover easily. Their fan base and institution would not accept 3 straight NITs and thus forced Mike Davis's hand into resigning even after getting them to the title game 3 years before. Just because you win a title / get to the final 4 / title game, it doesn't give you a free pass forever. You still have to produce results, and the bar is set much higher at blue blood programs. (We most certainly are a blue blood program) We are a 75 foot prayer away from 3 straight missed tournaments after winning an NCAA title. Next year, anything less than winning this crap conference will be a failure as far as I'm concerned. I hope Ollie can turn it around, but I'm skeptical. I truly hope he turns into another Bobby Knight, not a Mike Davis.

 

[willie99]

I admire the fans that are still here

 

[8893]

This thread is subtle likewhoring. But I like it.

What else do you expect from such a beta?

 

[djct1999]

It are posts like these that instantly qualify you as a better fan than 95% of the UConn fanbase. Congrats and keep typing.

 

[Matrim55]

Great post @August_West. I have a feeling that we'll all be able to look back on this as the year of tribulations that catalyzed an extended stretch of excellence, like 92/93 or 00/01.

And I agree 100% that several of Calhoun's teams quit on him, but we've never seen that from Ollie's group. My guess is we don't see it this year, either, even with all the injuries.

 

[blackbird]

People for whatever reason, forget the terrible years. It goes in cycles, the kids have to grow up. We were terrible Dyson/Sticks Freshman and Senior seasons, and we rebounded from that wonderfully...because the kids have to grow up.

And I agree, what we learned from this season is that we've got a bunch of kids with a lot of heart. They are certainly easy to root for.

 

[yukonyc212]

People for whatever reason, forget the terrible years. It goes in cycles, the kids have to grow up. We were terrible Dyson/Sticks Freshman and Senior seasons, and we rebounded from that wonderfully...because the kids have to grow up.

And I agree, what we learned from this season is that we've got a bunch of kids with a lot of heart. They are certainly easy to root for.

Yup we had terrible years. But not 2 out of 3 with a mediocre year sprinkled in between.