If you’d a told me 18th KenPom

[AZHuskiePop]

So far, with ups and downs and pluses and minuses, we’re right where the consensus for us was coming into the season. We’re a team that’s going to have a chance to get to the second weekend and compete at the top of the big east. And we have the potential to be better than we are today if either the role players can consistently contribute or the high ceiling guys like Hawkins and AJ can move towards their potential.

Unfortunately, however, some on here read way too much into our blowing out four terrible teams and expected us to walk into the Bahamas as a top ten team. We’re not yet. We don’t have the consistency in offense or outside shooting yet. And it’s possible we won’t. In which case we’re going to have to fight like heck on the boards and on D to be slightly better than last year.

If we won three in the Bahamas I suspect we would have been top ten.
Us against Baylor would have been interesting. I think under normal circumstances we’re 8-10 pts better than MSU currently. That may or may no be true in March. Instead some weaknesses got exposed true however we got punched back by guys in our weight class and survived. I think we’re legitimate top 20. The next test is a true OOC road game our first in the Hurley era. That will be a big indicator on how we do in. a hostile environment in some must win conference games.

 

[superjohn]

I agree we can get better and be good but if you saw the Duke Gonnzaga game last night you know we just don’t have the personnel to be that class, but no one else does either.

I wasn't all that impressed with either Zags or Duke. Outside of Holmgren the Zags athleticism is fairly pedestrian.

 

[superjohn]

No one is guaranteed but if you saw that game last night how do we not get beat by at least 20 by either of those teams? we don’t have Kemba we don’t have a Bazz or Boat.

Don't think we get beat by at least 20 to either of them. I expect a loss but we would keep it close. I don't see anyone blowing this UConn team out.

 

[navery12]

I wasn't all that impressed with either Zags or Duke. Outside of Holmgren the Zags athleticism is fairly pedestrian.

Did you watch the Zags/UCLA game? Just curious, because I didn't see last night's game but against UCLA they looked like they would run any team out of the gym

 

[Kolumbo]

This team needs to run. Play tough D and score in transition when the athletes can get up the floor. Cole isn't super fast like Taliek but scoring in transition will result in easier buckets than in their half court sets. Athletes, great defense, blocking, steals, and a deep bench. Play to their strengths. Easy-peasy.

 

[superjohn]

Did you watch the Zags/UCLA game? Just curious, because I didn't see last night's game but against UCLA they looked like they would run any team out of the gym

Yes, they looked good that game but I thought UCLA played poorly and UCLA has no frontline or physicality without Cody Riley.

 

[polycom]

Do people not watch games outside of UConn? Duke, Zags, Baylor all beat us by 20+ are guards aren’t athletic enough to stop any of those teams. We are a good team but let’s not get crazy

 

[Kolumbo]

CBS Sports 25 And 1 has UCONN smartly at 15.

 

[uconnfan68]

We don’t have the consistency in offense or outside shooting yet.

^^^ this

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Do people not watch games outside of UConn? Duke, Zags, Baylor all beat us by 20+ are guards aren’t athletic enough to stop any of those teams. We are a good team but let’s not get crazy

First of all Baylor doesn’t beat us by 20 if at all.
And there is a big drop off after the the top 3-4 , you could almost put the next 15 in a hat and pick blindly.

 

[Ts5034]

There is 3 months plus of basketball to be played before we get to the conference and NCAA Tournaments. There is so much time and season left. There will be up’s and down’s along the way. It’s crazy to put too much stock into what happened the last 3 games and think thats how It’s going to be the rest of the year. We will get better by March. I can’t wait to see the player that Hawkins is come March.

 

[Dooooooomed]

I agree, right now it seems like Duke, Gonzaga, Baylor and then everyone else.

But I think our defense keeps us in just about every game this year and if a guy or two can break out and Hurley can find a way to use them correctly I think we’re dangerous against anyone.

I'd add Purdue.

 

[aburks41]

Yes, they looked good that game but I thought UCLA played poorly and UCLA has no frontline or physicality without Cody Riley.

UCLA is so overrated. Same team as last year that was garbage all year until they got hot for 5 games. They were in the play-in game for a reason.

 

[polycom]

First of all Baylor doesn’t beat us by 20 if at all.
And there is a big drop off after the the top 3-4 , you could almost put the next 15 in a hat and pick blindly.

Ok. Believe whatever you want.

 

[superjohn]

UCLA is so overrated. Same team as last year that was garbage all year until they got hot for 5 games. They were in the play-in game for a reason.

They're definitely overrated but you have to rank some teams at the top and there just doesn't look to be great teams out there so far this year. Gonzaga, Baylor, and Duke are probably the best but none of them are as good as their recent teams.

Not saying some teams won't become great as the season goes on but I've seen everyone play full games and nobody is great as of now and several of the highly ranked teams are flawed just like UConn is. As flawed as this UConn team is there's a lot of talent on it and their ability to rebound, play D, and play different styles doesn't look like a team that will get blown off the floor by anyone.

 

[aburks41]

They're definitely overrated but you have to rank some teams at the top and there just doesn't look to be great teams out there so far this year. Gonzaga, Baylor, and Duke are probably the best but none of them are as good as their recent teams.

Not saying some teams won't become great as the season goes on but I've seen everyone play full games and nobody is great as of now and several of the highly ranked teams are flawed just like UConn is. As flawed as this UConn team is there's a lot of talent on it and their ability to rebound, play D, and play different styles doesn't look like a team that will get blown off the floor by anyone.

I agree I don't think we'll get blown out this year. None of the offenses in the Big East really scare me all that much, and our defense is good enough to keep any game within 10 points

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Baylor beat VCU by one more point than UConn did. It’s always amazing that people who allegedly watch college basketball for 20 years still do this “that team would definitely beat UConn by 20” like this is some computer simulation and not sports. Probably the same people that spent all last season saying Gonzaga was unbeatable.

 

[UconnU]

One close neutral site loss to Michigan State without one of our best players isnt that big of a deal. Good teams compete they win close games even when their shots are falling. We're on schedule.

 

[MexicoHusky]

18th KenPom

Top 30 offense and Top 30 defensive teams in the country

If you tell me that’s where we are in March, I take it.

Wasn’t the best in Bahamas, but I’ll take those metrics over the course of the year with this team — and call it a success

The Bahamas were a resounding success. If you disagree I'd say you are living in the past. A past that includes 4 NCs, lots of 4 and some 5 star recruits, coaches that had seen almost everything.

The team and coaches of today are none of that. Our coaches have zero NCs and are roughly mid career (plenty to learn). Our players are not 4 and 5 star recruits.

I like to think our program is roughly at the same place Calhoun was in 1987. Except some unknown event or events happened in the past that resulted in really nice facilities. The details of how we obtained such nice facilities are unclear.

Put yourself in your 1987 shoes. I think you'll have a better understanding of where our program is.

 

[superjohn]

The Bahamas were a resounding success. If you disagree I'd say you are living in the past. A past that includes 4 NCs, lots of 4 and some 5 star recruits, coaches that had seen almost everything.

The team and coaches of today are none of that. Our coaches have zero NCs and are roughly mid career. Our players are not 4 and 5 star recruits.

I like to think our program is roughly at the same place Calhoun was in 1987. Except some unknown event or events happened in the past that resulted in really nice facilities. The details of how we obtained such nice facilities are unclear.

Put yourself in your 1987 shoes. I think you'll have a better understanding of where our program is.

What on earth are you talking about? Our program is in the same shape as it was in 1987?

Our players are not 4 and 5 star recruits?

This is such a strange post and all of it is wrong.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Baylor beat VCU by one more point than UConn did. It’s always amazing that people who allegedly watch college basketball for 20 years still do this “that team would definitely beat UConn by 20” like this is some computer simulation and not sports. Probably the same people that spent all last season saying Gonzaga was unbeatable.

To be fair, Baylor led wire to wire and played the entire second half around that 8-point cushion.

We eked out a win in overtime (7 point margin pretty misleading).

That said, in college basketball, it's rare that any top 100 team will just blow out another. We would probably play Baylor respectably and lose by a not-huge margin, like VCU did.

 

[Candyman]

By the way == where are the folks who mocked me for saying hitting 3s against terrible teams didn’t prove we’d do it against good teams after the Auburn game? Feeling a little silly about thinking you can read everything into one game?

So we struggled to shoot threes against two top 5 defenses according to Kenpom. Yet we lit up a good Auburn team for 15 threes. How many other teams lit up VCU for threes? Cmon this a bad take.

 

[Candyman]

All these take that we are not In same class as Duke and Gonzaga can go kick rocks. I watched last nights game and saw two exceptional offensive teams but mediocre defense. We could lock down Duke. Sure we would struggle on offense or maybe it’s an Auburn game and we light it up. I would not say they are a class better.

 

[jibsey]

All these take that we are not In same class as Duke and Gonzaga can go kick rocks. I watched last nights game and saw two exceptional offensive teams but mediocre defense. We could lock down Duke. Sure we would struggle on offense or maybe it’s an Auburn game and we light it up. I would not say they are a class better.

Who is locking down Banchero?

 

[KingAG]

Who is locking down Banchero?

The same guy who locked up Mobley last season. THE WRENCH

 

[superjohn]

Who is locking down Banchero?

Nobody but UConn is one if the best equipped to slow him down. Great players don't get locked down.

 

[polycom]

Who is locking down Banchero?

No one. But it’s not on defense we lose it on offense we wouldn’t score enough to keep it close

 

[businesslawyer]

Now you are saying we can't make 3's after just one game. I say mocking remains in effect.

No, I’m not saying we’ve shown we won’t. I’m mocking those who looked at the Auburn game and said it showed we would. And we both know you’re smart enough to know the difference

 

[KingAG]

No, I’m not saying we’ve shown we won’t. I’m mocking those who looked at the Auburn game and said it showed we would. And we both know you’re smart enough to know the difference

When have we shown we won’t? We haven’t shown to be a good or bad shooting team. We’ve shown to be a streaky one

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

I wasn't all that impressed with either Zags or Duke. Outside of Holmgren the Zags athleticism is fairly pedestrian.

The game is called basketball, not athleticismball. The Zags are individually and collectively excellent basketball players. For instance, I love AJ's athleticism, but I wish he was a more complete basketball player (which he certainly can grow into).