It's Time for an Attitude Change

[businesslawyer]

I've had enough about how nice it is to see KO performing well, or the team being better than a bubble team, if eligible, and heading for over 20 wins and "it's like the Dream Team season." It's time to stop with the "oh, isn't this a lovely surprise" crap and FOCUS.

Yes, this team has holes, and yes, this team wasn't expected to do well, but we're one game short of the halfway point and we're one damn game out of first place in the loss column with our next two being against one mediocre and one terrible opponent and then a three game home stand.

Can we now start expecting something and start talking about winning the god damn conference championship instead of how "nce" everything is? Yes, we have no tournament so the regular season is our tournament. I think I liked this board better when we were all miserable despite being good.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

You are being completely unrealistic. This team is not that good, is dependent on outside shooting for scoring, and has a bunch of role player-quality guys logging very big minutes.

20 wins is a great target for this team, and would be a tremendous accomplishment.

 

[businesslawyer]

You are being completely unrealistic. This team is not that good, is dependent on outside shooting for scoring, and has a bunch of role player-quality guys logging very big minutes.

20 wins is a great target for this team, and would be a tremendous accomplishment.

If I wasn't clear, I don't think we are nearly as good a ball club as some of the teams at the top of the conference. But that isn't my point. Pre-season is a good time to talk about how you're not good enough and don't have a realistic chance. Eight games in, and one out in the loss column, with the next two opponents being St Johns and Seton Hall, is not the time to worry about why we're not that good but is the time to win damn games and stay in the race one day at a time.

 

[Dann]

I've had enough about how nice it is to see KO performing well, or the team being better than a bubble team, if eligible, and heading for over 20 wins and "it's like the Dream Team season." It's time to stop with the "oh, isn't this a lovely surprise" crap and FOCUS.

Yes, this team has holes, and yes, this team wasn't expected to do well, but we're one game short of the halfway point and we're one damn game out of first place in the loss column with our next two being against one mediocre and one terrible opponent and then a three game home stand.

Can we now start expecting something and start talking about winning the god damn conference championship instead of how "nce" everything is? Yes, we have no tournament so the regular season is our tournament. I think I liked this board better when we were all miserable despite being good.

i agree. i have this team and schedule pegged at 21 wins and am sticking to that. but now that we have made it thru our tuff stretch and also weathered a couple wtf games, its time to look around the lockerroom and see if we can find something. we need 1 of our bench guys to improve more. i'm thinking that might be leon. i'm not sure how much O he will have, but the kid is 6'9 and has a thick frame as a frosh. in much better play asap shape then others. his height could be a game changer for us at the 4 if he can get some minutes and contribute.

our schedule has a couple nice set ups for us. like i said 21 wins i had. but cuse isn't the same cuse we thought they were going to be. they are still a good team but they are not miles ahead now. nova, cincy and gtown are all good teams but not over our heads. we can do something special here.

 

[upstater]

Their margin of error is so low. I'm enjoying the season as it is. Shabazz is nearly perfect every game. Kemba had let downs. Shabazz hasn't.

In other words, no, I can't expect more because I'm not expecting more.

 

[RMoore1999]

If I wasn't clear, I don't think we are nearly as good a ball club as some of the teams at the top of the conference. But that isn't my point. Pre-season is a good time to talk about how you're not good enough and don't have a realistic chance. Eight games in, and one out in the loss column, with the next two opponents being St Johns and Seton Hall, is not the time to worry about why we're not that good but is the time to win damn games and stay in the race one day at a time.

Actually, you were crystal clear. And it was a great suggestion.

As it turns out, Fishy is off trying to remove malware from the Boneyard, and Whaler is away at the annual "how to survive and thrive as a contrarian" conference, so Nelson agreed to take a break from his nnnbe tv valuation maximization modeling for a moment to assume the role of Chief Parade Rainer for this particular thread...

 

[cohenzone]

I honestly don't think it matter what we say here one little bit. We can say every tough minded thing we want and we cannot get one rebound or make one shot for them. The team is what it is, is performing better than anyone who is honest will admit they expected. This is a team that has overwhelming support from everyone. No UConn fan I know doesn't want them to keep on winning. Losing games and not winning the conference does not take away from what has been an impressive job by KO, if nothing else, of motivating the team. Everyone not from Albania knows we are heavily guard dependent. And almost every team we are playing has a little more at stake this year than we do. Beating them or even staying in the gym with them is a treat. We've had enough teams, despite our successes, that have failed to meet our expectations, that scolding fans for not being demanding enough of this team seems a little over the top. And as I said, it doesn't do a thing to make us win anything. Going to a game and not sitting on one's hands, now, that's a Husky of a different color.

 

[EricLA]

I agree with upstater, nelson and choezone. Why should we suddenly have expectations to win the conference? Our front court is filled with guys who in normal seasons would be role players off the bench. Our margin for error is incredibly small. Why not just be really excited and surprised at how great this team has performed, how KO has gotten more from the team than most of us ever thought possible, and simply enjoy the ride?

We barely escaped with wins over an 11-11 PC team and the worst team in the BE, USF. SJU is a tossup. They are better than both PC and USF, teams we barely escaped with W's. This season is a fun ride because so little was expected, and there is no game coming up that is a sure thing for the team. Not a single game. That's why I wouldn't have been upset had we lost to USF or PC. Sure i'd have been bummed and disappointed, but I don't expect this team to beat anyone in the BE, especially if we just barely beat the worst team in OT.

The rest of our schedule - USF and PC again, Seton Hall and Depaul are games we should win. SJU, Nova, and Georgetown are tossups. Syracuse and Cinci (x2) are games we won't be favored in. But we could just as easily go 2-8 as 8-2. I'd be thrilled with 5-5.

 

[businesslawyer]

Actually, you were crystal clear. And it was a great suggestion.

As it turns out, Fishy is off trying to remove malware from the Boneyard, and Whaler is away at the annual "how to survive and thrive as a contrarian" conference, so Nelson agreed to take a break from his nnnbe tv valuation maximization modeling for a moment to assume the role of Chief Parade Rainer for this particular thread...

Whaler has to have better uses of his money than going to the national contrarian conference. Unless, as probably is the case, he's on the panel for every single program.

 

[junglehusky]

George Carlin on "Nice" (skip to 1:30)

 

[Ricky1Moore]

Pretty sure Uconn players and fans alike should be focused on St. Johns and only St Johns, very tough game at MSG on Wednesday

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I am simply saying that this season is a lot of fun without putting arbitrary, unreasonable expectations on the team. I think UConn is losing 5 more games, and at least one of them will be to a pretty bad team like Seton Hall or St. Johns. This team is capable of losing those games, just like it is capable of beating Cincinnati or Georgetown.

After the last 20 months of mostly unpleasant news about UConn's athletic program, it is nice to just enjoy the games. I am certainly not going to look for ways to be disappointed in this team.

 

[UConn Hoops1]

Is it reasonable to have a yardstick relative to "when" our expectations and winning the conference regular season start to coincide? If we beat the Stain and Seton Hall on the road; and take any two of the next three at home, I would view us as serious contenders for the regular season regardless of the play of our front court (because, with the exception of a few good games by DD, they haven't really mattered to date).

GO HUSKIES!!! BEAT THE STAIN!!!

 

[HuskyHawk]

I am simply saying that this season is a lot of fun without putting arbitrary, unreasonable expectations on the team. I think UConn is losing 5 more games, and at least one of them will be to a pretty bad team like Seton Hall or St. Johns. This team is capable of losing those games, just like it is capable of beating Cincinnati or Georgetown.

After the last 20 months of mostly unpleasant news about UConn's athletic program, it is nice to just enjoy the games. I am certainly not going to look for ways to be disappointed in this team.

I'm not sure I ever agreed with you more than on this. While I like the idea of shooting for the league title, and by all means the team should be setting that as a high water mark target, I can't possibly expect it. It isn't fair to them, or reasonable. It's been an enjoyable team to watch, if frustrating at times. But back to back OT games over mediocre opponents does not suddenly make them a top ten team.

Syracuse, @Cinci, Cinci home, Georgetown home, Nova home and @USF are all very tough games. Most of our tough opponents are home games, but let's take this one game at a time.

 

[gibhunter]

We might be underdogs in all except Nova and @USF. Based on how we played at PC and vs USF, we might lose all.

 

[CTBasketball]

If we even come close to winning the regular season Big East Championship, the referees will screw us like at Marquette. The NCAA does not want us to succeed, especially this year.

 

[businesslawyer]

If we even come close to winning the regular season Big East Championship, the referees will screw us like at Marquette. The NCAA does not want us to succeed, especially this year.

The NCAA has nothing to do with referees in Big East games, but I hate interrupting conspiracy theories.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

This season so far has exceeded my expectations by a ton.

To have 15 wins at this point with no real bigs and a razor thin bench and 2 guys carrying the bulk of our offense every night is totally amazing.

I hope we win out of course but I'll sign for 20 wins right now.

 

[upstater]

The NCAA has nothing to do with referees in Big East games, but I hate interrupting conspiracy theories.

While that's true, who is going to be paying these guys future paychecks? CYO7? ACC? Hmmmmmmm.

 

[whaler11]

Whaler has to have better uses of his money than going to the national contrarian conference. Unless, as probably is the case, he's on the panel for every single program.

Et tu Biz?

In my defense many of my 'contrarian' views are only contrarian here.

 

[businesslawyer]

Et tu Biz?

In my defense many of my 'contrarian' views are only contrarian here.

Didn't say you weren't usually right. But you do seem to be joyful playing the role at times.

 

[CL82]

The NCAA has nothing to do with referees in Big East games, but I hate interrupting conspiracy theories.

Conspiracy Kitty says:
...or do they?

 

[champs99and04]

I agree and disagree with the OP. On one hand, this team has played a combined four overtimes with Quinnipiac, Providence, and South Florida, and had it not been for some Shabazz Napier heroics, we probably lose all three of those games. Yesterday I commented that Olander, Tolksdorf, Evans, and Wolf were marginal D-1 talents, and while I was probably exaggerating a bit in the heat of the moment, I'm really not sure I was that far off. We've seen our bigs drastically outplayed by some low to mid-major competiton this season and thanklessly abused by some better competition. Boatright and Calhoun have games where they can't stay in front of anybody, and at times the offense looks like they've never seen a zone defense before. Losing to Providence would have been forgiveable, but losing to Quinnipiac or South Florida would have been embarassing even in a down year. As happy as I was they pulled it out yesterday, and as much as I admire the grit of this team, it's not inconceivable to see a 2-8 stretch coming up if this team loses interest or has a couple breaks go against them.

On the other hand, this team is a couple of incompetant officials and a Junior Cadougan hail mary away from being tied for first place in the Big East, and about ten plays away from being 19-1 and one of the top five rated teams in the country. Realisticly, it's not as if the 15-5 record is a fluke - I'd actually say it's pretty indicative of the way this team has performed this season. They're not going to throttle anybody because of the weaknesses up front, but they're also going to stay close in games they have no buisness winning because of the occasional brilliance of our backcourt.

Let's look at the remaining ten games on our schedule:

home games: Syracuse, Villanova, Cincy, Georgetown, Providence

away games: St. Johns, Seton Hall, DePaul, Cincy, South Florida

Aside from @ Cincy, and vs. Providence, our tough games are at home and our easier games are on the road. So while I disagree with BL that we should expect a conference championship, I think his point is that if our Huskies take care of buisness in three of their five road games, we're about five kick a** home crowds away from willing our team to a 13-5 Big East record, which in my opinion, might be good enough to tie us for first. Crazier things have happened.

 

[BoatShow]

I agree and disagree with the OP. On one hand, this team has played a combined four overtimes with Quinnipiac, Providence, and South Florida, and had it not been for some Shabazz Napier heroics, we probably lose all three of those games. Yesterday I commented that Olander, Tolksdorf, Evans, and Wolf were marginal D-1 talents, and while I was probably exaggerating a bit in the heat of the moment, I'm really not sure I was that far off. We've seen our bigs drastically outplayed by some low to mid-major competiton this season and thanklessly abused by some better competition. Boatright and Calhoun have games where they can't stay in front of anybody, and at times the offense looks like they've never seen a zone defense before. Losing to Providence would have been forgiveable, but losing to Quinnipiac or South Florida would have been embarassing even in a down year. As happy as I was they pulled it out yesterday, and as much as I admire the grit of this team, it's not inconceivable to see a 2-8 stretch coming up if this team loses interest or has a couple breaks go against them.

On the other hand, this team is a couple of incompetant officials and a Junior Cadougan hail mary away from being tied for first place in the Big East, and about ten plays away from being 19-1 and one of the top five rated teams in the country. Realisticly, it's not as if the 15-5 record is a fluke - I'd actually say it's pretty indicative of the way this team has performed this season. They're not going to throttle anybody because of the weaknesses up front, but they're also going to stay close in games they have no buisness winning because of the occasional brilliance of our backcourt.

Let's look at the remaining ten games on our schedule:

home games: Syracuse, Villanova, Cincy, Georgetown, Providence

away games: St. Johns, Seton Hall, DePaul, Cincy, South Florida

Aside from @ Cincy, and vs. Providence, our tough games are at home and our easier games are on the road. So while I disagree with BL that we should expect a conference championship, I think his point is that if our Huskies take care of buisness in three of their five road games, we're about five kick a** home crowds away from willing our team to a 13-5 Big East record, which in my opinion, might be good enough to tie us for first. Crazier things have happened.

The crowd was huge yesterday. Urging the team on in the early second half when both the teams and fans could have given up.

 

[champs99and04]

You're right, I wasn't there but it sure sounded loud on TV.