Is the SMU Game a must win | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Is the SMU Game a must win

Status
Not open for further replies.
"Is SMU a must win?" No. But.... any game short of a championship round game in the AAC tourney should be considered a must win. Get to the tourney final and UConn gets into the big dance regardless how they finish out the regular season.
 
weyuo said:
"Is SMU a must win?" No. But.... any game short of a championship round game in the AAC tourney should be considered a must win. Get to the tourney final and UConn gets into the big dance regardless how they finish out the regular season.
Expand ...
I don't agree with this. If we don't beat SMU and UCF we have to win the tourney. If we don't beat SMU we need to win the tournament.
 
weyuo said:
"Is SMU a must win?" No. But.... any game short of a championship round game in the AAC tourney should be considered a must win. Get to the tourney final and UConn gets into the big dance regardless how they finish out the regular season.
Expand ...

I do not agree. This conference should be treated as a mid major, one not likely to get more than 2 bids the way things are playing out.
 
UConnMike04 said:
That's what bothers me the most. When the hell did we turn into a program that has no chance of beating a barely ranked team on the road? The AAC is killing us, back in the Big East days we'd go out and beat teams that would wipe the floor with this SMU team. That's the scariest thing of all for me.
Expand ...
Because (WAKE THE duck UP) this team is not one of those teams you're selectively remembering.
 
UConn needs 2 wins of any kind before Selection Sunday to be certain.
 
UConn men always seem to play best when their backs are against the wall and this team is more talented than they've shown thus far. Maybe it's gonna take the reality of lose and it's over for them to play to their potential. They haven't played their best basketball yet and maybe the immediacy of survive and advance will coax that out of them.
 
.-.
wheelerdog said:
Even if they beat SMU, I think we're going to need to get to the AAC final. And if we lose Thursday, we're out unless we win the tournament.
Expand ...
Look at the other teams on the bubble. If they best SMU on the road they will be 3-1 vs. RPI Top 25, with wins @SMU, @Texas, N-Michigan...

The Houston loss today was terrible. But you're in a UConn centric bubble here. This loss put us on the bubble. A win @SMU pulls us off provided we don't the bed against UCF or against whatever team we get in the AAC first round. Those last two things aren't definites with this team, though.
 
3rdbass said:
I don't agree with this. If we don't beat SMU and UCF we have to win the tourney. If we don't beat SMU we need to win the tournament.
Expand ...

We're not even in the last 4 in right now. Beat UCF and the first round opponent in the AACT and we're fine.
 
johnhuskies95 said:
We're not even in the last 4 in right now. Beat UCF and the first round opponent in the AACT and we're fine.
Expand ...

The first round opponent will likely be Houston.




You were saying?
 
zls44 said:
The first round opponent will likely be Houston.




You were saying?
Expand ...

Uh, that it validates what I was saying? Win against UCF and the first game of the AAC tourney and we're in, first round opponent doesn't matter.
 
SMU is a must win if we want to lock up a home NIT game. Still think we would need to beat SMU and then win at least a couple in AAC tourney.
 
.-.
Uconn77Duke74 said:
SMU is a must win if we want to lock up a home NIT game. Still think we would need to beat SMU and then win at least a couple in AAC tourney.
Expand ...
Find me 36 at-large teams with better resumes.

I mean, seriously. Do it, and then maybe I'd agree with you.

But you can't. Because the bubble is particularly garbage this year.
 
johnhuskies95 said:
Uh, that it validates what I was saying? Win against UCF and the first game of the AAC tourney and we're in, first round opponent doesn't matter.
Expand ...

The first team they will play in the AAC tournament would be Houston.
 
tzznandrew said:
Find me 36 at-large teams with better resumes.

I mean, seriously. Do it, and then maybe I'd agree with you.

But you can't. Because the bubble is particularly garbage this year.
Expand ...

I like how Amore and Borges both just said UConn has to win at SMU or win the AACT to get in.

Its like there isnt other college basketball to these guys.
 
zls44 said:
I like how Amore and Borges both just said UConn has to win at SMU or win the AACT to get in.

Its like there isnt other college basketball to these guys.
Expand ...
I'd expect Borges would know better but we'll see in 2 weeks.
 
Lets keep things in perspective, a team with like 6-7 losses may be a 1 seed in the tourney. There will be teams with losing records in the conference getting at large bids. If we play well against smu and beat c florida and a couple of games in the AAC tourney we will be fine.
 
Need 3 wins to feel safe:

A) SMU + UCF + AACT quarters
B) UCF + AACT quarters + AACT semis
C) Win AACT (obvious)

Just 2 wins will leave us sweating on Selection Sunday, especially with the Committee's previously-evident disdain for the AAC.
 
.-.
mauconnfan said:
I don't mind the split with them half as much as the sweep of us from Temple.
Expand ...
The point was that if we lose in the first round of the AAC tournament to Houston they will have won the three game "series" this season and thus we most likely at least deserve to be sweating bullets on Selection Sunday.
 
Honestly, the team has the potential and talent to be in the NCAA Tournament but if I'm a selection committee member I'm seriously asking if they just fold and bust on day 1 given the inability to win in critical situations. Crazy as it sounds, they can beat anybody if they are playing at the top of their game, it just rarely reaches that level even for a full game, let alone many in a row. If they go NIT I don't think they fare any better. The team is a total riddle . There is no chance for any sustained run deep into the tournament based on this season, but they could take down a high seed on a good day. It will be a gamble selection with the hope they put on a good show for a day or two.
 
I don't know when I've ever been more disappointed in a UConn team. They just have a knack for pulling defeat from the jaws of victory, for doing the wrong thing at the wrong time.

It's staggering when you think about it, that a team with a top 5 national free throw shooting percentage can't close out a game. Hell, they can't even get to the line, even when they get fouled shooting a three late in a game.
 
I know this a strange season in college hoops and I bleed blue but I can't see us getting an at large bid. I used to coach high school and in my interview for the job I asked what happens if I care more than the players. The interviewer told me I already did. I think us Husky maniacs actually do care more than most of the team.
 
.-.
ucp990411 said:
I know this a strange season in college hoops and I bleed blue but I can't see us getting an at large bid. I used to coach high school and in my interview for the job I asked what happens if I care more than the players. The interviewer told me I already did. I think us Husky maniacs actually do care more than most of the team.
Expand ...

I think they care more than we will ever give them credit for.
 
The idea that these kids don't care makes me laugh and if you watch their faces during the games you know what I mean. That said it's been discussed ad nauseum what deficiencies some of the players have and it is what it is. It's their lack of consistency that is maddening because at times we play like a top 10 team.
 
HuskyHawk said:
I don't know when I've ever been more disappointed in a UConn team. They just have a knack for pulling defeat from the jaws of victory, for doing the wrong thing at the wrong time.

It's staggering when you think about it, that a team with a top 5 national free throw shooting percentage can't close out a game. Hell, they can't even get to the line, even when they get fouled shooting a three late in a game.
Expand ...

Good post Hawk I would just substitute "disappointed" with frustrated, but all else spot on.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,162
Messages
4,555,504
Members
10,441
Latest member
Virginiafan


Top Bottom