It's Not That Easy

[tykurez]

I get it ... we're UConn. We've been the dominant program of the last 20 years. We're the capitol of the college basketball world. At times, we've made it look easy.

But it's not that easy.

This season came with inherent risk. If there's one thing The Boneyard is good at, it's throwing all perspective out the window and having completely overblown reactions.

But as of about 7 or 8 months ago - two of the starters on this roster had never played with anyone else on the team.

Not only that, but one of them is the starting point guard.

His backup? A freshman.

One of our "stars"? He's having a hell of a sophomore slump.

Our starting all-defensive center? Broken finger half-way thru the year.

Our coach? In his fourth season as a head coach after taking over for a hall of famer.

That's a lot of adversity, and it's not even including all the other hot garbage that the program is still recovering from in terms of the APR ban, recruiting limitations, and conference realignment.

But these guys have now only played 20 games together. 11 of them without Amida Brimah. This isn't the NBA - where you just pick up two offseason veterans and work them in through an 82-game schedule. There was inherant risk that the very things that are happening now were going to happen. They're either eventually going to figure it out, or they're not. Or maybe something in between.

Get angry after a loss. Blow off some steam. But for the love of god keep that perspective, continue to root for this team and our coach, and look forward to a couple top-10 recruiting classes.

 

[Fishy]

Stop.

They're underachieving.

This is a talented roster that is receiving $4,000,000 worth of coaching this year.

They simply should not be 14-6 and in 5th place in the American right now.

 

[KemBuckets21]

I get it ... we're UConn. We've been the dominant program of the last 20 years. We're the capitol of the college basketball world. At times, we've made it look easy.

But it's not that easy.

This season came with inherent risk. If there's one thing The Boneyard is good at, it's throwing all perspective out the window and having completely overblown reactions.

But as of about 7 or 8 months ago - two of the starters on this roster had never played with anyone else on the team.

Not only that, but one of them is the starting point guard.

His backup? A freshman.

One of our "stars"? He's having a hell of a sophomore slump.

Our starting all-defensive center? Broken finger half-way thru the year.

Our coach? In his fourth season as a head coach after taking over for a hall of famer.

That's a lot of adversity, and it's not even including all the other hot garbage that the program is still recovering from in terms of the APR ban, recruiting limitations, and conference realignment.

But these guys have now only played 20 games together. 11 of them without Amida Brimah. This isn't the NBA - where you just pick up two offseason veterans and work them in through an 82-game schedule. There was inherant risk that the very things that are happening now were going to happen. They're either eventually going to figure it out, or they're not. Or maybe something in between.

Get angry after a loss. Blow off some steam. But for the love of god keep that perspective, continue to root for this team and our coach, and look forward to a couple top-10 recruiting classes.

I like the positive outlook. But fish is right, our talent is better than the teams we have lost to (with the exception of maybe UM). Our cohesion, on the other hand, is fleeting at best.

 

[Rico444]

Stop.

They're underachieving.

This is a talented roster that is receiving $4,000,000 worth of coaching this year.

They simply should not be 14-6 and in 5th place in the American right now.

Facey and Phil Nolan would fit in nicely as centers in the MAAC, and they've been our guys the entire conference season.

 

[boog204]

You make some valid points... My issue is simply this. We look unprepared, do not play together, players seem to be unaccountable for poor decisions/shot selection, and there is little to no adjustments being made. This is not a team without talent or without competent coaches. But yet, we look awful more often than not. I can't sugar coat that or find some sort of silver lining. We've played more or less like ass since the 2nd half of the Michigan game. We looked like a top 10 team up until that point. Since, not so much.

 

[tykurez]

They're underachieving.

You're so curmudgeony in your old age

There's really not a question though that based on talent alone they are underachieving. But you could see this scenario playing out well before the season started.

There's still time though.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I get it ... we're UConn. We've been the dominant program of the last 20 years. We're the capitol of the college basketball world. At times, we've made it look easy.

But it's not that easy.

This season came with inherent risk. If there's one thing The Boneyard is good at, it's throwing all perspective out the window and having completely overblown reactions.

But as of about 7 or 8 months ago - two of the starters on this roster had never played with anyone else on the team.

Not only that, but one of them is the starting point guard.

His backup? A freshman.

One of our "stars"? He's having a hell of a sophomore slump.

Our starting all-defensive center? Broken finger half-way thru the year.

Our coach? In his fourth season as a head coach after taking over for a hall of famer.

That's a lot of adversity, and it's not even including all the other hot garbage that the program is still recovering from in terms of the APR ban, recruiting limitations, and conference realignment.

But these guys have now only played 20 games together. 11 of them without Amida Brimah. This isn't the NBA - where you just pick up two offseason veterans and work them in through an 82-game schedule. There was inherant risk that the very things that are happening now were going to happen. They're either eventually going to figure it out, or they're not. Or maybe something in between.

Get angry after a loss. Blow off some steam. But for the love of god keep that perspective, continue to root for this team and our coach, and look forward to a couple top-10 recruiting classes.

I don't see how you can reconcile your first paragraph with the rest of your post.

We're UConn. We consider ourselves a blue blood program. We should be a perennial contender.

But let's be OK drifting among the Cincinnatis and St. Louises and Marquettes and Notre Dames and Utahs and Baylors and VCUs of the world.*

*These are all teams who have earned Top 5 NCAAT seeds since the last time we did.

 

[HooperScooper]

Stop.

They're underachieving.

This is a talented roster that is receiving $4,000,000 worth of coaching this year.

They simply should not be 14-6 and in 5th place in the American right now.

I'm going with that also. Before the season I wasn't expecting a national championship or anything close to that. But there is way too much talent on this team to be where they are after 20 games. And even in most of the wins they haven't played particularly well, especially offensively. There is a whole lot that is wrong and they don't have much time left to fix it.

 

[tykurez]

I don't see how you can reconcile your first paragraph with the rest of your post.

We're UConn. We consider ourselves a blue blood program. We should be a perennial contender.

But let's be OK drifting among the Cincinnatis and St. Louises and Marquettes and Notre Dames and Utahs and Baylors and VCUs of the world.*

*These are all teams who have earned Top 5 NCAAT seeds since the last time we did.

The truth is we've only been a blue blood since then. We're grouping ourselves in with programs with a MUCH richer history than us.

Those programs also haven't gone through nearly the adversity ours has in the last 5 years. To think we've actually won a championship in that timeframe is pretty remarkable.

 

[Rico444]

The truth is we've only been a blue blood since then. We're grouping ourselves in with programs with a MUCH richer history than us.

Those programs also haven't gone through nearly the adversity ours has in the last 5 years. To think we've actually won a championship* in that timeframe is pretty remarkable.

* two championships

 

[Ts5034]

You make some valid points... My issue is simply this. We look unprepared, do not play together, players seem to be unaccountable for poor decisions/shot selection, and there is little to no adjustments being made. This is not a team without talent or without competent coaches. But yet, we look awful more often than not. I can't sugar coat that or find some sort of silver lining. We've played more or less like ass since the 2nd half of the Michigan game. We looked like a top 10 team up until that point. Since, not so much.

And this is exactly what has been bothering me. We looked really good up to that Syracuse game although it was against lesser competition. I thought we turned the corner again after Maryland because we went on a nice run starting with the Ohio St game. Once conference play started we started the downward spiral again and its been up and down ever since. I thought this team would have figured it out by now but its the same story over and over with the inconsistency.

 

[jibsey]

Are we not playing up to our potential, giving effort, or do our players have flaws in their own games that hurt us again and again? I say it's the latter. Our point guard is a great spot up 3 shooter but is not really a point guard. Our small forward is a playmaker and rebounder but lousy shooter, poor handle. Our 2 guard can hit a 3 but can't convert a drive, doesn't spot up. Our centers are offensive mannequins. We have a very good power forward. Our backup point/2 is a freshman and so far doesn't shoot that well. Not much on the bench to help either. We have enough talent to win games but the players' individual shortcomings are not going to be going away permanently. I honestly wish none of this were true because starting the season I thought that players improvement and growth would have helped some of this by now.

 

[connectikev]

Stop.

They're underachieving.

This is a talented roster that is receiving $4,000,000 worth of coaching this year.

They simply should not be 14-6 and in 5th place in the American right now.

Conference records for the past several season:

Currently 4-3 (KO)
14-15 - 10-8 (KO)
13-14 - 12-6 (KO)
12-13 - 10-8 (Big East / KO)
11-12 - 8-10 (JC)
10-11 - 9-9 (JC)
09-10 - 7-11 (JC)
08-09 - 15-3 (JC)

So - going back to the 2009 season start, UConn is on par with their track records for conference records (granted the AAC should be easier to attain a better record than the Big East, but it hasn't worked out that way).

Looking ahead at the remaining conference schedule, UConn should be favored in the majority of the conference games. couple of road games and maybe SMU aside)

I seem to recall a couple of final fours and NC in this run.

I think that folks are getting a bit polarized unnecessarily - I try to remember a couple of things:
- JC is no longer the coach
- KO is the coach
- KO coaches differently than JC
- JC wanted KO to have the job
- therefore I should be ok with KO as a coach even if he coaches differently than JC
- it has been 8 years since UConn dominated any conference (AAC included)
- for many years now, college BBall has been about March - just gotta get there

 

[The Funster]

Gibbs hit 3 straight threes near the end of the 1st half. 2nd half Cinci adjusts and we did absolutely nothing to shake SG free. I see very little evidence of an organized offense. No down screens, no double screens, no inside out, no pick an roll, no pick and pop, no nothing. We swing the ball on the perimeter until someone tries to go one on one. Crossover, first step and stop because they don't have a lane or crossover, first step if they can shoulder by their defender and try to get shot up when defenders converge on them. It's all one on one. There aren't even any clearouts! Ollie should know better. His assistants should know better. This isn't on the kids because I don't see them ignoring instructions. I don't see them getting instructions! I'm not even sure if they run set plays on out of bounds play, "OK guys you four get in a line and when he slaps the ball all go different ways. When they go different ways, you hit the open guy. Got it?" That's it?

 

[cohenzone]

There has been a constant under KO, erratic ball movement and too much dependence on a ball handler breaking down the D. All of us watch plenty enough college hoops to understand efficient ball movement and offensive schemes. There's no problem with our D.

 

[SubbaBub]

That had that game wrapped at least twice and gave it away through their own stupidity and inability finish easy lay-ins.

We should also look at swapping the baskets from each end. I don't know if there is a new guy in charge of setting them up, but since Bazz beat Florida that other end of the floor has been very kind to opposing buzzer beaters.

 

[tentoes4rings]

There has been a constant under KO, erratic ball movement and too much dependence on a ball handler breaking down the D. All of us watch plenty enough college hoops to understand efficient ball movement and offensive schemes. There's no problem with our D.

I think this is a great point and right now, other than Jalen there's nobody really capable of breaking down their defender and getting to the rim. Jalen has done a nice job of it lately but we also have to live with his turnovers in the process. Rodney gets to the rim a bit out of half court sets but keeps missing his layups, Hamilton gets halfway into the key, does his spin move and throws up a brick or passes it back out. If we're going to rely so heavily on this scheme, I think you hand the keys to Jalen and continue to let him learn on the fly and live with his mistakes. Had Cassell Jr. been a legit D1 player or Rodney or Gibbs capable of playing the point as they were brought in to do, Jalen wouldn't unfairly have to shoulder this load as a freshman.

 

[Kitaman]

Gibbs hit 3 straight threes near the end of the 1st half. 2nd half Cinci adjusts and we did absolutely nothing to shake SG free. I see very little evidence of an organized offense. No down screens, no double screens, no inside out, no pick an roll, no pick and pop, no nothing. We swing the ball on the perimeter until someone tries to go one on one. Crossover, first step and stop because they don't have a lane or crossover, first step if they can shoulder by their defender and try to get shot up when defenders converge on them. It's all one on one. There aren't even any clearouts! Ollie should know better. His assistants should know better. This isn't on the kids because I don't see them ignoring instructions. I don't see them getting instructions! I'm not even sure if they run set plays on out of bounds play, "OK guys you four get in a line and when he slaps the ball all go different ways. When they go different ways, you hit the open guy. Got it?" That's it?

"I told them at halftime, we'd win the game if we don't let Sterling catch and shoot," Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said. "We've got to get back in transition, and we'll score enough to win. … It's a quality win against a really good team. We're talking about a [UConn] team that's beaten some real teams, man."

And what were our adjustments other than inserting Phil?

 

[amory]

Conference records for the past several season:

Currently 4-3 (KO)
14-15 - 10-8 (KO)
13-14 - 12-6 (KO)
12-13 - 10-8 (Big East / KO)
11-12 - 8-10 (JC)
10-11 - 9-9 (JC)
09-10 - 7-11 (JC)
08-09 - 15-3 (JC)

So - going back to the 2009 season start, UConn is on par with their track records for conference records (granted the AAC should be easier to attain a better record than the Big East, but it hasn't worked out that way).

Looking ahead at the remaining conference schedule, UConn should be favored in the majority of the conference games. couple of road games and maybe SMU aside)

I seem to recall a couple of final fours and NC in this run.

I think that folks are getting a bit polarized unnecessarily - I try to remember a couple of things:
- JC is no longer the coach
- KO is the coach
- KO coaches differently than JC
- JC wanted KO to have the job
- therefore I should be ok with KO as a coach even if he coaches differently than JC
- it has been 8 years since UConn dominated any conference (AAC included)
- for many years now, college BBall has been about March - just gotta get there

I like how this is the only relevant part of your entire post and yet you went ahead and skimmed over it like it's not really important.

Big East >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>American

9-9 and 8-10 in Calhoun's last 2 years got us into the tournament because of the Big East.

.500 or thereabouts in the American is a complete and total failure, and an NIT trip.

 

[Rico444]

I like how this is the only relevant part of your entire post and yet you went ahead and skimmed over it like it's not really important.

Big East >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>American

9-9 and 8-10 in Calhoun's last 2 years got us into the tournament because of the Big East.

.500 or thereabouts in the American is a complete and total failure, and an NIT trip.

Obviously .500 in this conference is terrible; nobody's saying if we end up .500 we'll be in good shape.

 

[socal613ws]

Uconn has easily the best talent in the american and aside from smu nobody comes close, and people aren't supposed to be pi ssed or upset? They're not supposed to be angry they lost to a bottom feeding team like Tulsa and another team that was on the bubble like Cincinnati? Scoring 2 fgs in the 2nd half vs Gtown and 1 fg in the last 6 min vs Cincy? Boy I'm glad you are not a gm or ad cause then the NIT would be celebrated as an accomplishment.

 

[8893]

Got to pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues...

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

"I told them at halftime, we'd win the game if we don't let Sterling catch and shoot," Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said. "We've got to get back in transition, and we'll score enough to win. … It's a quality win against a really good team. We're talking about a [UConn] team that's beaten some real teams, man."

And further . . .

“We knew they can’t win if they couldn’t score,” [Gary] Clark said. “It came down to making stops. We weren’t scoring, but we were holding them from scoring.”

Statistics confirm that UCONN defense CAN be stellar, but what do your eyes tell you when the Georgetown game is won 65-62 after a 60-62 deficit at 4:32, and the Cincinnati game is lost 57-58 after a 57-53 lead? Clark's quote is the one I want to be hearing from KO or the players.

When all is said and done, are you enjoying yourself while watching this team play?

I enjoy made free throws and defensive stops enough to make me overlook missed shots.
I also like crisp passes and heady playing and relentless effort.
Sigh.

 

[Palatine]

It's not that easy to win 20% of close games. Random chance would dictate wining 50%.

 

[KingAG]

Most of our expectations for this year were based on D ham becoming an absolute star, and that has not happened. Gibbs the last 5 or 6 games has been playing like the Gibbs we thought Wed get. Purvis is playing pretty much how we thought hed play. Miller has also pretty much loved up to the hype. If d ham turned into the offensive star we thought he would then our record would be more like 17-3 and safely in the field. "Star" D ham is the missing link

 

[jibsey]

Most of our expectations for this year were based on D ham becoming an absolute star, and that has not happened. Gibbs the last 5 or 6 games has been playing like the Gibbs we thought Wed get. Purvis is playing pretty much how we thought hed play. Miller has also pretty much loved up to the hype. If d ham turned into the offensive star we thought he would then our record would be more like 17-3 and safely in the field. "Star" D ham is the missing link

You are right, just a bit better shooting from DHam and these close losses probably get turned around. Everyone else is as advertised. Jalen's shooting has been bad I think he will turn it around and I'd like to see more time for him.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Most of our expectations for this year were based on D ham becoming an absolute star, and that has not happened. Gibbs the last 5 or 6 games has been playing like the Gibbs we thought Wed get. Purvis is playing pretty much how we thought hed play. Miller has also pretty much loved up to the hype. If d ham turned into the offensive star we thought he would then our record would be more like 17-3 and safely in the field. "Star" D ham is the missing link

I think that KO and staff decided that dham had to be the one to become the "STAR," and not too many of us would have disagreed that he was the most likely. To get there, I think that KO probably told him to start shooting the ball more and that's when he changed his game so drastically. I do not believe that he just woke up one day and decided to change the way he was playing in such a dramatic fashion. Again, most of us would have agreed because at that time, he was getting assists but few points. I think of it as an experiment that was not successful, but who else would have been a better candidate? Well, I think that the time has come to really put the ball in Jalen's hands as the PG and move dham and SG back to their natural positions. I don't know how much it would help Jalen's game to get the keys, but if for no other reason, we need him better for next year. The hope would be that he would rise up and have enough of the "magic" of his predecessors to make things happen on offense. Daniel needs to be moved back to the 3/4 and no more isolations up top. Going with Jalen is risky and he may not be as close to ready as I am assuming. On the other hand, it sucks to have no one who can break down the defense and get into the lane. Try another experiment.

 

[huskyharry]

Are we not playing up to our potential, giving effort, or do our players have flaws in their own games that hurt us again and again? I say it's the latter. Our point guard is a great spot up 3 shooter but is not really a point guard. Our small forward is a playmaker and rebounder but lousy shooter, poor handle. Our 2 guard can hit a 3 but can't convert a drive, doesn't spot up. Our centers are offensive mannequins. We have a very good power forward. Our backup point/2 is a freshman and so far doesn't shoot that well. Not much on the bench to help either. We have enough talent to win games but the players' individual shortcomings are not going to be going away permanently. I honestly wish none of this were true because starting the season I thought that players improvement and growth would have helped some of this by now.

good point, although the team has a lot of individual talent, the individual players deficiencies are negatively synergistic which results in for offensive execution. Coach has repeatedly yelled at them to move the ball more quickly on offense in to make sharper cuts and set harder screens. However, the players continue to not do this. He doesn't have better players on the bench to bring in and execute those plays. that being said, if Rodney and Daniel make 30% of their shots instead of 22% we end up winning the games that have been close losses