If We Were In a Better Conference

[jibsey]

For all those who have said that CR has been the culprit of our downfall consider this: Pitt and St. John’s are a combined 0-19 in their conferences ACC and BE. I have watched both of those teams multiple times this year and though they have blowout losses they have also had competive losses against good teams, and I feel they are both better teams than we currently are. This not to say that they are good but how would we fare if we switched positions in their conferences? I fear that it could be worse than what it has been even though our OOC has been much stronger.
We are now the patsy on the AAC schedule for many teams right now and I did not see this coming a few years ago when I thought we would be the Memphis or the Louisville of old CUSA getting nearly automatic bids every year. No doubt we were hurt recruiting wise by the switch but the fact is that we aren’t treading water where we are.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Our only losses you could call competitive are WSU, Zona, and Tulsa. Crazy.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

You know, when the league split, I truly thought our record would like 29-4 going into the NCAAs on pretty good seasons.

Can't even crack top 3 in the regular season standings.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

U could argue we’d be getting blown out more or by a worse margin in a different conference. There is a thought that we’d of gotten a few of the recruits that passed on us because they didnt want to play in the AAC.

 

[djct1999]

For UConn, its simple.............recruiting. UConn has failed to make any adjustments on how we recruit. While we were elite in the Big East, we could prioritize who we wanted and many times were able to get those kids. Now, for many reasons, we almost always miss on our top kids and have little to no back up plan. Too often, this staff got caught late in the recruiting period we no other viable option, after kids they thought we were good on went elsewhere. Thus, they filled very important scholarships with marginal talents. We need to adjust on how recruit and who we recruit.

 

[polycom]

For UConn, its simple...recruiting. UConn has failed to make any adjustments on how we recruit. While we were elite in the Big East, we could prioritize who we wanted and many times were able to get those kids. Now, for many reasons, we almost always miss on our top kids and have little to no back up plan. Too often, this staff got caught late in the recruiting period we no other viable option, after kids they thought we were good on went elsewhere. Thus, they filled very important scholarships with marginal talents. We need to adjust on how recruit and who we recruit.

Why do people repeat this over and over? This has been proven false multiple times.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

For UConn, its simple...recruiting. UConn has failed to make any adjustments on how we recruit. While we were elite in the Big East, we could prioritize who we wanted and many times were able to get those kids. Now, for many reasons, we almost always miss on our top kids and have little to no back up plan. Too often, this staff got caught late in the recruiting period we no other viable option, after kids they thought we were good on went elsewhere. Thus, they filled very important scholarships with marginal talents. We need to adjust on how recruit and who we recruit.

Yes, UConn' recuiting has been terrible. They fielding a team of players where most would not play at any decent program. This is the same model the football team has been following for a while now.

 

[Brochacho]

We love talking about the Big East, ACC, and B10. Out of the 39 teams that play in those conferences, only Pitt is worse than us in the kenpom: UConn 163, Pitt 204. The only team from those conferences we are within 30 spots of is Rutgers at 134. For even more fun, the only teams in the AAC with a lower ranking than us are ECU and USF, two third-world basketball programs.

The only argument for Kevin Ollie is his buyout. Any other argument deserves to have that person institutionalized.

 

[djct1999]

Why do people repeat this over and over? This has been proven false multiple times.

What has been proven? That UConn thinks they are all in with a Hamidou Diallo, he goes elsewhere, and we end up with Tyler Polley? That is a recipe for continued failure. Believe what you want. The issue is how we recruit, who we recruit, and who we end up with.

 

[Brochacho]

What has been proven? That UConn thinks they are all in with a Hamidou Diallo, he goes elsewhere, and we end up with Tyler Polley? That is a recipe for continued failure. Believe what you want. The issue is how we recruit, who we recruit, and who we end up with.

Even worse, Ollie can't retain anyone. Six out of our thirteen recruits from the 2013-2016 classes transferred. Hamilton only stuck it out for two seasons. For the 2013-15 classes, Brimah, Facey and Adams are the only ones to make it to their junior year. Out of 8 players.

 

[jdb50]

We love talking about the Big East, ACC, and B10. Out of the 39 teams that play in those conferences, only Pitt is worse than us in the kenpom: UConn 163, Pitt 204. The only team from those conferences we are within 30 spots of is Rutgers at 134. For even more fun, the only teams in the AAC with a lower ranking than us are ECU and USF, two third-world basketball programs.

The only argument for Kevin Ollie is his buyout. Any other argument deserves to have that person institutionalized.

Love the handle Brochacho. Off the Ollie boat but still a UCONN fan hence the life preserver. Unfortunately that buyout is like an immunization from being fired.

 

[StunningSteve]

The NBE loses recruiting battles to the AAC all the time.

Dudes like MAL were signing with UCONN in an AAC that wasn’t as strong as it is now.

It’s the recent turmoil that may have steered some guys away but to make it a conference narrative is grasping at straws. UConn has been a finalist on a lot of guys over schools in those leagues.

Those guys chose schools over schools in those leagues as well.

UCONN just needs to get better.

 

[BlueMAB]

Shabazz and Boat made Ollie look like a much better coach than he is. If we were in a better conference, we'd still be the easiest team to game plan against, facing better competition, and often better coaching.

Can't imagine our record would be any better. Maybe it doesn't take OT to beat Wagner and Columbia though.

 

[kobe]

Louisville of old C-USA? LMAO. They won the conference once, missed the tournament three times and finished under .500 twice. Seems like you're meeting expectations.

 

[Travelman6]

If Uconn were in a better conference they would have better recruits, no doubt. I had heard recently that there are a group of highly touted recruits that would absolutely consider Uconn. Their only holdup, (literally only), is they would have to play in the AAC.

Imagine if Uconn went to the ACC during the last realignment. They would be a middle of the pack team at worst with more money and better players.

Louisville of old C-USA? LMAO. They won the conference once, missed the tournament three times and finished under .500 twice. Seems like you're meeting expectations.

Come back when the Bearcats make the final four even two times.

 

[mauconnfan]

Louisville of old C-USA? LMAO. They won the conference once, missed the tournament three times and finished under .500 twice. Seems like you're meeting expectations.

Be careful kobe you've been accepted with open arms thus far. No matter how bad we are now you won't even be able to stand if we begin to compare. Tread lightly in this angry room.

 

[gtcam]

Louisville of old C-USA? LMAO. They won the conference once, missed the tournament three times and finished under .500 twice. Seems like you're meeting expectations.

Ok Kobe - enough of you
You fooled many here but you have over reached your welcome
Win an Elite Eight game - or should I say - even get there..........................................

 

[gtcam]

Even worse, Ollie can't retain anyone. Six out of our thirteen recruits from the 2013-2016 classes transferred. Hamilton only stuck it out for two seasons. For the 2013-15 classes, Brimah, Facey and Adams are the only ones to make it to their junior year. Out of 8 players.

They were lucky Hamilton played for 2 years - KO kept him here for season #2
There are transfers and early leavers all over college basketball The 3 who left last year have been well documented here
UConn is not an anomaly

 

[August_West]

Win an Elite Eight game - or should I say - even get there..

they would throw a parade to get to sweet 16 even.

Cincinnati took up Pitts mantle in the shift from BigEast to AAC.

Both teams beat up on people in conference looked like world beaters got decent rankings, and then when it came time to step out of the familiar in the post season they flame out and drag the whole conference image down. Win a few tournament games do SOMETHING.

 

[kobe]

Be careful kobe you've been accepted with open arms thus far. No matter how bad we are now you won't even be able to stand if we begin to compare. Tread lightly in this angry room.

wait wut? I was making fun of Louisville. They weren't that good in C-USA.

 

[mauconnfan]

wait wut? I was making fun of Louisville. They weren't that good in C-USA.

Missed it, shoot me!

 

[Lefty2one]

We haven't had a fully-loaded, proper program since the sanctions in 2013. We've needed grad transfers and Plan C's to fill out the roster every year since then. We haven't gone through proper progressions and chemistry-building under Ollie's tenure; meaning a unit goes through growth like had with Rip & Co 1997 through their title win or Emeka/Ben & Co's growth from 2002 to the title in 2004. Recruiting is an issue, but to a much smaller extent than coaching is. Hell, when Alterique is healthy we have two 5-stars in our backcourt.

Alterique/Jalen/V. Jackson/Larrier/Enoch is enough talent to make the tournament. If we can keep kids here with halfway decent development and coaching then we'd be in an okay situation.

 

[BlueMAB]

Louisville of old C-USA? LMAO. They won the conference once, missed the tournament three times and finished under .500 twice. Seems like you're meeting expectations.

wait wut? I was making fun of Louisville. They weren't that good in C-USA.

I took this as you saying UConn in the AAC = Louisville in the CUSA. I think others did too.

 

[kobe]

I took this as you saying UConn in the AAC = Louisville in the CUSA. I think others did too.

The original post said they thought UConn would be the Louisville of old C-USA. I was pointing out that Louisville wasn't that good in old C-USA.

 

[BlueMAB]

The original post said they thought UConn would be the Louisville of old C-USA. I was pointing out that Louisville wasn't that good in old C-USA.

Right, and you posted "seems like you're meeting expectations". Which made the post sound like you agreed with the poster, because I don't think a single UConn fan believes we are currently meeting expectations.