I think we need a little perspective...

[johnhuskies95]

I think a valid critique about Boatright is that the ball stuck in his hands too much sometimes. It's fine and completely reasonable for him to have the ball a lot and try to score, but there was a lot of just holding the ball 30 feet from the basket for 10 seconds or more. Kemba and Napier moved it around better in my opinion, and Napier's floor vision especially was at an elite level. He completely decimated Florida in the Final Four with just throwing the ball over the top of the defense.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Also, I don't think Boatright is nearly as good as those guys at using ball screens, which is obviously a big part of UConn's offense.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I agree with that. I'm reacting more to the "how dare you be upset" tone of that post. To suggest that people shouldn't be concerned moving forward is just silly at best.

I don't believe anyone posted "How dare you be upset" and if one of my posts was interpreted that way I apologize. What I was attempt to convey was that it appeared half the boneyard needed to be talked off the ledge, which is mind boggling considering everything we've witnessed over the past few decades.

 

[David 76]

I actually thought Boat did a far better job as a point guard than I thought possible. He was not Bazz or Kemba, but those guys each had a once in a lifetime year. Boat was pretty close though.

We need a primer on delusionally rose colored glasses vs morbidly pessimistic vs reality-based
We have 5 quality big men fits the former.
We are in a suicidal downward spiral is delusionally negative.
This conference is a deficit and we need to improve recruiting is rational

 

[Nychusky1]

Having a hard time with anything remotely critical of boat. The kid left it all on the floor and i personally loved watching his athletisism and spirit over the past four years.

Personally i was a fan when Uconn was in the Colonial and although the P5 has changed college athletics, I trust in KO. I have complete confidence we will continue to be relevent. If my kid was good enough, i would be thrilled to turn him over to KO.

 

[UConnWingman]

I actually thought Boat did a far better job as a point guard than I thought possible. He was not Bazz or Kemba, but those guys each had a once in a lifetime year. Boat was pretty close though.

We need a primer on delusionally rose colored glasses vs morbidly pessimistic vs reality-based
We have 5 quality big men fits the former.
We are in a suicidal downward spiral is delusionally negative.
This conference is a deficit and we need to improve recruiting is rational

I never got the love for Boatright. Both Walker and Napier had the capacity to lure multiple looks from nearby defenders which would create lanes / passing opportunities. Boatright just wasn't that kind of guy, at least as far as I could see this year.

 

[David 76]

Yes, he really is a short 2 who didn't think pass first. But given that, I thought he did very well. One tough warrior, great speed.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

1. Marcus Williams couldn't guard my sandwich in a locked refrigerator. He might have been a better pure passer than Kemba or Shabazz, but as an all around point guard absolutely no way. Being more "prototypical" does not make you better.

2. On Boat, this seems like one where you seem to be fighting to disagree over nothing. Our team was much better because Boat was on it. But part of the role of a point guard is getting other people their shots in the right place in the right time. Boat was, frankly, not good enough at that. Shabazz and Kemba absolutely were good at that (hence, the rings), even if they were also more of scoring threats than Marcus.

I don't think that is an accurate statement about Williams. He was the only ball handler on the team, and while there was a lot of talent on that team, there was only 1 ace outside shooter, Rashad. Defensively he wasn't great, but saying he was terrible defensively is a bit of an exaggeration. And Williams was probably the best passer UConn has ever had.

I am confident that if we could have survived George Mason, UConn would win the whole thing that year with only 2 losses in a Big East that was amazing that year. The George Mason loss was not Williams' fault nearly as much as it was the two feathered pillows we had in the post that game.

 

[ctchamps]

I don't believe anyone posted "How dare you be upset" and if one of my posts was interpreted that way I apologize. What I was attempt to convey was that it appeared half the boneyard needed to be talked off the ledge, which is mind boggling considering everything we've witnessed over the past few decades.

The recent cycle of this forum.

A horrible senior season by Dyson. This place is beyond reasonable. People throw the kid under the bus not acknowledging what he did the previous season. People are questioning whether JC has lost it. The next season Kemba leads the team to a NC, UConn then gets the number 1 recruit and most are riding a high. This place is a fun place to visit.

Then a disappointing season, the APR sanctions, CR dumps on us, a legacy coach leaves, players transfer, recruiting is down, and this place is hellacious.

Then KO is announced and people are contentious. Some applaud the hire. Others are angry JC pushed KO down the universities throat.

Then Shabazz leads a team with nothing to prove beyond what most of us expect and we're starting to feel good again. This place is fun.

Expectations are high the next season and for the most part people are posting positive things. Until the blowout against Ville and then some are heading to the edge. The AAC tournament pulls them back. And then the NC happens and everyone is thrilled. Place is fun to visit and expectations are riding high for this season with the Boat, the Ferrari, DHam and the negator being touted as leading the team to at least the sweet sixteen.

Positive vibe heading to this season only matched by discussions of pizza. And then the season happens and the world as we prefer it is ending. Now we can't recruit, KO can't coach, the conference has destroyed us and there is little or no chance that this might be a blip.

I don't go back as far as some here, but I probably could describe this cycle of ups and downs in this forum being in step with the ups and downs of the teams play coupled with our expectations of how the team should have played. This has been going on for a long time. It's nothing new.

 

[nycscooby]

Well if there's a split and a formation of 4 superconferences, I bet UConn gets in anyway. No way we aren't a top 64 AD.

Wanna bet? Football drives the bus and there is no seat on there for us today. When and if is anyone's guess.

 

[The Funster]

My sense was that Boat was often getting it to them in the right place, or near right place, and they pump faked away the open shot or lane.

I won't deny that he doesn't always put it on the money in the way that Marcus or Taliek or Shabazz did. But he does it enough that--with more confident scorers and playmakers--our offense would look a lot better than it did.

In other words, the last person I would blame here is Boat (not to put words in your mouth @businesslawyer )

Pretty much how I see it. Perimeter pump fakes and fake first steps got tedious during the season. That and the fact that teams just packed it in on us meant that it was hard for Boat to dribble drive and create. He always drew the longest defender and never got a break. I don't think Boat ever had the freedom that Kemba and Bazz had.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Wanna bet? Football drives the bus and there is no seat on there for us today. When and if is anyone's guess.

It's more complicated than "football drives the bus." Spend more time in the CR forum.

 

[amory]

It's not too much of an expectation for our fan base that we make the tournament. Expecting to make the field as an at-large with the talent we had on the roster this year doesn't make us spoiled or jaded. If we beat Houston and Yale we're in.

Bad job by the team this year.

 

[tzznandrew]

I don't think that is an accurate statement about Williams. He was the only ball handler on the team, and while there was a lot of talent on that team, there was only 1 ace outside shooter, Rashad. Defensively he wasn't great, but saying he was terrible defensively is a bit of an exaggeration. And Williams was probably the best passer UConn has ever had.

I am confident that if we could have survived George Mason, UConn would win the whole thing that year with only 2 losses in a Big East that was amazing that year. The George Mason loss was not Williams' fault nearly as much as it was the two feathered pillows we had in the post that game.

I didn't buy the bolded statement, and so I looked. And wow, both Rudy and Denham had terrible outside shooting years.

Rashad and Marcus were both 40%. All other significant players were 32% or under.

Given the great passing, and the interior offense that team had, players were missing open looks.

But I also agree on your point about winning the whole thing. That UConn team did have a flaw of only one ball handler, but they were monsters.

Sadly, they only showed up when they respected the opponent--and they got a bad draw for that.

 

[Waquoit]

I always get turned off when someone decides I need perspective. I've got plenty of perspective, thank you. The fact is, the good times are over. I'm still going to go to games and follow the team, but it won't be the same. It will be like when the Whalers left and the Wolfpack came in. Games are still fun, they just don't matter.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I always get turned off when someone decides I need perspective. I've got plenty of perspective, thank you. The fact is, the good times are over. I'm still going to go to games and follow the team, but it won't be the same. It will be like when the Whalers left and the Wolfpack came in. Games are still fun, they just don't matter.

So you need perspective and insight.

 

[CTBasketball]

I didn't buy the bolded statement, and so I looked. And wow, both Rudy and Denham had terrible outside shooting years.

Rashad and Marcus were both 40%. All other significant players were 32% or under.

Given the great passing, and the interior offense that team had, players were missing open looks.

But I also agree on your point about winning the whole thing. That UConn team did have a flaw of only one ball handler, but they were monsters.

Sadly, they only showed up when they respected the opponent--and they got a bad draw for that.

I think that the issue wasn't that we only had one ball handler, but it was the latter. They only showed up for opponents they respected - look at the NCAA Tournament. We barely got by Albany and UK. Washington was a hurdle, but they were a good team. And ****in' George Mason. People forget they smacked UNC and Michigan State in the previous rounds.

Marcus could handle pressure, various defensive schemes, etc perfectly as the only ball handler. He was that good - his basketball IQ was advanced for college. Even Austrie was really good his freshman year - alleviated Marcus off the bench in times. Its just that the team lost track of why they play the game in the first place.