It has been worse before and UConn recovered

[CTBasketball]

You can’t rely on out of conference scheduling as a plus to recruits.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Trying to compare the 1980s to today’s landscape is absurd.

We specialize in absurd.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

1982 to 1987 were dark time for UConn basketball:

1982/1983: 12-16
1983/1984: 13-15
1984/1985: 13-15
1985/1986: 12-16
1986/1987: 9-19 (Calhoun's first year)

In 82/83 season, we lost to Fairfield by 17. In 83/84 we lost by 27 to Syracuse, Georgetown by 25, and St. John's by 19. In 84/85, we lost to Fairfield by 7, St. John's by 33 and Georgetown by 21 and 29. In 85/86, we lost to Northeastern by 17 and Pitt by 28. In 86/87, we lost to Yale, Hartford, and St. Peter's by 25.

By 1986/1987, attendance had plummeted. UConn averaged 3,247 for home games at the Field House (capacity 4,604), 9,819 at the Civic Center (capacity 15,134), and 7,661 at the New Haven Coliseum (capacity 8,800). This included home games against #4 Purdue, Villanova, #7 Syracuse, #13 St. John's, Providence, #13 Georgetown, #8 Pitt, Bosotn College, UMass, URI, and Holy Cross.

1987/1988 started the turnaround as UConn went 21-14 and won the NIT and the fans started to come back. Attendance at the Field House increased to 3,877 and attendance at the Civic Center increased to 12,640.

The 1988/1989 season was somewhat disappointing with UConn going 18-13, but the fans continued to come back. Attendance increased to 4,604 at the Field House as all 5 games were sold out and increased to 15,006 at the Civic Center as 6 games sold out.

1989/1990 was the Dream Season and the season Gampel opened and the rest is history.

We will come back.

I like your avatar. I admire your positive attitude. I hope you are right.

 

[imno1]

Except everyone and their mother knows (since JC said it a thousand times) that the biggest tool Calhoun used to build up the program was selling the Big East. Come play in the Big East, come play against Syracuse and Georgetown. We don't have that, we don't have anything. We have the crappiest "sell" package of any great program of the last 25 years.

Come play in a great conference? Nope
Come play for a coach who produces lottery picks? Nope
Come play in a mediocre conference where you don't make a ton of 1k mile flights? Nope.
Come play before a rabid fanbase? Nope

You’re underrating the appeal of the dairy barn, Blaze, and a 20 minute ride to downtown Hartford

 

[BUConn10]

Were you even alive then, i.e., before 1987?

I didn't need to be alive in 1987 to understand the simple concept that media attention and being in a sport's premier conference boost a program's ability to quickly improve, but I think you knew that, you just like to hang your hat on having been around longer somehow makes you more qualified to speak. Turns out recruits don't care much about the senior citizen crowd and more about the ESPN coverage and Instagram likes from lottery picks and NBA all-stars.

The "out of touch posse" continues to take Ls .

 

[Stainmaster]

I didn't need to be alive in 1987 to understand the simple concept that media attention and being in a sport's premier conference boost a program's ability to quickly improve, but I think you knew that, you just like to hang your hat on having been around longer somehow makes you more qualified to speak. Turns out recruits don't care much about the senior citizen crowd and more about the ESPN coverage and Instagram likes from lottery picks and NBA all-stars.

The "out of touch posse" continues to take Ls .

All this does is demonstrate how miserable you'll be if you continue following this program.

 

[UCFan1513]

We recovered because we had one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history. The chances of that kind of coach walking through the doors next year is slim but here’s to hoping

 

[Ewekon]

1982 to 1987 were dark time for UConn basketball:

1982/1983: 12-16
1983/1984: 13-15
1984/1985: 13-15
1985/1986: 12-16
1986/1987: 9-19 (Calhoun's first year)

In 82/83 season, we lost to Fairfield by 17. In 83/84 we lost by 27 to Syracuse, Georgetown by 25, and St. John's by 19. In 84/85, we lost to Fairfield by 7, St. John's by 33 and Georgetown by 21 and 29. In 85/86, we lost to Northeastern by 17 and Pitt by 28. In 86/87, we lost to Yale, Hartford, and St. Peter's by 25.

By 1986/1987, attendance had plummeted. UConn averaged 3,247 for home games at the Field House (capacity 4,604), 9,819 at the Civic Center (capacity 15,134), and 7,661 at the New Haven Coliseum (capacity 8,800). This included home games against #4 Purdue, Villanova, #7 Syracuse, #13 St. John's, Providence, #13 Georgetown, #8 Pitt, Bosotn College, UMass, URI, and Holy Cross.

1987/1988 started the turnaround as UConn went 21-14 and won the NIT and the fans started to come back. Attendance at the Field House increased to 3,877 and attendance at the Civic Center increased to 12,640.

The 1988/1989 season was somewhat disappointing with UConn going 18-13, but the fans continued to come back. Attendance increased to 4,604 at the Field House as all 5 games were sold out and increased to 15,006 at the Civic Center as 6 games sold out.

1989/1990 was the Dream Season and the season Gampel opened and the rest is history.

We will come back.

Sorry man but the naive post of the young year thus far. Bar none.

 

[whaler11]

I disagree. The schedule this year was great:

Oregon, Michigan St., Arkansas, Syracuse, Auburn, Arizona, Wichita St. 2x, Cincinnati 2x, Villanova, Temple 2x, SMU, Houston.

Unfortunately, we did not have the team this year to compete against that schedule.

Lottery picks? That is all about one and dones in this era. In the last 4 drafts, there have been 8 upperclassmen out of 56 lottery picks selected as lottery picks. And, it's hard to win the NCAA tournament with one and done. In fact, the last 5 teams that have won the NCAA championship, only one team, Duke in 2015, had a lottery pick.

Fanbase? Win and they will come. Lose, and lose ugly, and fans will not come.

What do we have to sell? Facilities are great. School is a very good public university. Alumni come back. We have 4 NCAA titles. We schedule great out of conference opponents and get invited to great tournaments. When we start winning again, fans will be there. And, hopefully, great coaching (may not be Ollie) to prepare kids for the next level.

It’s a great schedule for the 90% of people here who watch on TV.

In person we got WSU and Villanova after the season was 99% sunk.

 

[Stinger92860]

1982 to 1987 were dark time for UConn basketball:

1982/1983: 12-16
1983/1984: 13-15
1984/1985: 13-15
1985/1986: 12-16
1986/1987: 9-19 (Calhoun's first year)

In 82/83 season, we lost to Fairfield by 17. In 83/84 we lost by 27 to Syracuse, Georgetown by 25, and St. John's by 19. In 84/85, we lost to Fairfield by 7, St. John's by 33 and Georgetown by 21 and 29. In 85/86, we lost to Northeastern by 17 and Pitt by 28. In 86/87, we lost to Yale, Hartford, and St. Peter's by 25.

By 1986/1987, attendance had plummeted. UConn averaged 3,247 for home games at the Field House (capacity 4,604), 9,819 at the Civic Center (capacity 15,134), and 7,661 at the New Haven Coliseum (capacity 8,800). This included home games against #4 Purdue, Villanova, #7 Syracuse, #13 St. John's, Providence, #13 Georgetown, #8 Pitt, Bosotn College, UMass, URI, and Holy Cross.

1987/1988 started the turnaround as UConn went 21-14 and won the NIT and the fans started to come back. Attendance at the Field House increased to 3,877 and attendance at the Civic Center increased to 12,640.

The 1988/1989 season was somewhat disappointing with UConn going 18-13, but the fans continued to come back. Attendance increased to 4,604 at the Field House as all 5 games were sold out and increased to 15,006 at the Civic Center as 6 games sold out.

1989/1990 was the Dream Season and the season Gampel opened and the rest is history.

We will come back.

Those years don't count. Wow

 

[Waquoit]

Recruiting was better? ...From 1982 to 1987 the highest a UConn kid was drafted was 3rd round, which in today's draft would be late 2nd round.

Tate George was recruited in that time frame and was a 1st round pick.

 

[UConnJim]

Tate George was recruited in that time frame and was a 1st round pick.

By the New Jersey Nets based on the Shot. Do you really think he should have been a 1st round draft pick?

 

[HooperScooper]

I don't think where the program was in the early 1980s is analogous to today. Think about the success on the national stage before the early 1980s and the success on the national stage for much of the last 25-30 years before now. The expectations now because of previous success is much different than where it was in the early 1980s.

 

[Marat]

I don't think where the program was in the early 1980s is analogous to today. Think about the success on the national stage before the early 1980s and the success on the national stage for much of the last 25-30 years before now. The expectations now because of previous success is much different than where it was in the early 1980s.

Yep. Even back in the mid 90s I didn't think the Huskies would ever win a national championship as it seemed a bit out of reach. And after winning 4 of them .... no matter the state of the program now fans expect to get back at competing for titles in the future....... hopefully.

 

[Fishy]

Our circumstances are worse than they were at any point in Calhoun’s tenure...basically, because we had Calhoun back then and now.

We can get back - the name still means something.

It’s easier said than done, especially now with the NCAA mess, but we just need the right coach.

 

[8893]

I didn't need to be alive in 1987 to understand the simple concept that media attention and being in a sport's premier conference boost a program's ability to quickly improve, but I think you knew that, you just like to hang your hat on having been around longer somehow makes you more qualified to speak. Turns out recruits don't care much about the senior citizen crowd and more about the ESPN coverage and Instagram likes from lottery picks and NBA all-stars.

The "out of touch posse" continues to take Ls .

Well I’m not a senior citizen and I’m not hanging my hat on anything. I was genuinely curious because you seemed to be talking out your ass about things you couldn’t possibly have experienced.

Thanks for confirming.

 

[GotNets?]

Except everyone and their mother knows (since JC said it a thousand times) that the biggest tool Calhoun used to build up the program was selling the Big East. Come play in the Big East, come play against Syracuse and Georgetown. We don't have that, we don't have anything. We have the crappiest "sell" package of any great program of the last 25 years.

Come play in a great conference? Nope
Come play for a coach who produces lottery picks? Nope
Come play in a mediocre conference where you don't make a ton of 1k mile flights? Nope.
Come play before a rabid fanbase? Nope

If you believe this then there is only one factor you can control — be at the next game and be insane.

Be the best bloody fan on the planet. Buy gear, support the players, make donations, paint your face, build advocacy campaigns for the athletic department, and lose your voice. The fans are the cornerstone and also the problem if this board is any indication.

You can vent, but hold your head high — this program has won 4 national championships in the past 20 years (the present coach won one of them!). Programs like UVA, NC State, and UCLA would give practically anything for a quarter of our success.