January General CBB Discussion Thread (Non-BE)

[NJHusky]

We honestly haven't had a ton of aesthetically pleasing wins this year - these are mainly grinders. This is not 2024, that much I know. The Picasso that was is basically that team is more like grafitti this year.

Graffiti over time becomes Basquiat!!

 

[Giddyup5]

This isn't about effectiveness, it's about aesthetics man. Do you just love arguing?

I appreciate the winning first and foremost. No one is going to call this UConn team a beautiful watch though. They are 24th in the OKP. Perhaps they start clicking in a way that looks more appealing offensively soon. Hasn't happened yet. They have won with a grinding defense.

3 of the last 7 games we have shot 49% from the floor or better.

We are 15th in the country in assists per game.

Silas is just turning the corner in running our offense and I anticipate better efficiency from Tarris as he is now healthy.

Solo may not be a 44 percent three point shooter, but he’s not sub 30 either.

If you want to be critical that we haven’t been able to put teams away to pad our Kenpom number, that’s fair.

But the team is developing nicely and there is beauty in being able to win different types of games.

Comparing any team to 24 is unfair as that was the best team in the modern era.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I’ve gotta figure that @Deepster has probably never had as obvious or expeditiously-identified Hanging candidate as this dope @RuffRuff

 

[FLDawg16]

Eh I’ll call it a win win regardless for us. Either ISU loses and we move up to #2 or Kansas wins which is better for our resume

Someone needs to take my phone away from me when it's bedtime yikes

 

[Gurleyman]

This was what happened in this similar stretch of the season in 2023-24.

• Loss at Hall
• Down late to St. John’s at home
• Rolled a bad DePaul team
• A game at Butler we only led by 1 with three minutes to go.
• A game we led by 14 at Xavier before X cut it to 3 in the final minute.
• A very underwhelming 13-point home win over a lousy Georgetown team.
• A good defensive win against Creighton - but our offense got bogged down a bit in the second half and a 20 point lead was cut down to 10.
• A one-point win at Nova
• an A+ game against Xavier where we saw how good we could be
• A meh home win over PC where we only led by 5 with two minutes left.
• A meh home win over Butler where we only led by 5 with two minutes left.

That team had to evolve a bit during the dog days of the big east season to get to the juggernaut they were at the end. They didn’t always put teams away. They didn’t dominate weaker teams at home. But we were building a nice lead in the standings and then we started to look like the team that would cut down the nets by the end of the regular season after the hiccup in Omaha (crushed Hall in the rematch, crushed Nova at home, emasculated PC on their senior day, etc.).

 

[uconngb]

The '23 team beat one ranked team at this point and had 3 losses. The '26 team is 17-1 with wins over 5 ranked teams and a winnable loss to #1 without two starters.

The revisionist history is incredible

Why do you bother arguing with this guy?

 

[Tyler2Rings]

A meh home win over PC where we only led by 5 with two minutes left.

Probably one of the worst games I ever watched. If I remember correctly it took nearly three hours due to all the whistles

 

[John]

Why do you bother arguing with this guy?

can't help himself, he's compelled to always get the last word.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Aesthetics in wins against bad teams and in losses?

Tonight's game wasn't a pretty basketball game because the refs allowed Seton Hall to tackle us. I found our other wins aesthetically pleasing.

We all know you would've been throwing a tantrum if UConn lost by 15 tonight or if we were in the process of a major losing skid after having only one ranked win like in '23.

Every year we seem to forget that games against traditional Big East teams are ugly as hell. Marquette, Creighton, Xavier, Butler those feel different, not Big East style teams. Even DePaul never really plays rock fight basketball. PC, St. Johns, Seton Hall, Georgetown (recent years) are all rock fights and produce ugly basketball, win or lose. Cinci did as well before moving on. Villanova usually has to the talent to play a different style.

 

[RuffRuff]

Every year we seem to forget that games against traditional Big East teams are ugly as hell. Marquette, Creighton, Xavier, Butler those feel different, not Big East style teams. Even DePaul never really plays rock fight basketball. PC, St. Johns, Seton Hall, Georgetown (recent years) are all rock fights and produce ugly basketball, win or lose. Cinci did as well before moving on. Villanova usually has to the talent to play a different style.

True

 

[NewBlood]

This team is putting it together. What’s encouraging is the growth of Silas, Mullins, and that we keep getting to massive leads in games.

The best coaching staff in America will hone the last pieces by March

 

[Ewekon]

We honestly haven't had a ton of aesthetically pleasing wins this year - these are mainly grinders. This is not 2024, that much I know. The Picasso that was is basically that team is more like grafitti this year.

True that.

Still, this is more to the Keith Haring graffiti school than junk. Just win.

 

[Waquoit]

ISU proved the fraudulent. They didn't even compete.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Sometimes the underdog wins. This is why they play the games.

 

[RuffRuff]

True that.

Still, this is more to the Keith Haring graffiti school than junk. Just win.

With you - love the team/players, simply haven't found a fifth gear.

 

[HooperScooper]

can't help himself, he's compelled to always get the last word.

Both of them. Which is why their arguments go on forever. It is what it is.

 

[HooperScooper]

ISU proved the fraudulent. They didn't even compete.

Nah, they're still very good. They were down by 26 in the first half and then got it down to 11 midway in the 2nd half before Kansas pulled away. Those kind of games on the road happen sometimes.

 

[superjohn]

can't help himself, he's compelled to always get the last word.

 

[John]

View attachment 115965

Obnoxious as always and you prove my point.

 

[bazzdog]

Cmon guys
We all UConn fans

 

[Waquoit]

Nah, they're still very good. They were down by 26 in the first half and then got it down to 11 midway in the 2nd half before Kansas pulled away. Those kind of games on the road happen sometimes.

Or put another way, the undefeated number #2 team couldn't even cut the margin to single digits. A minute or so after they cut it to 11, it was back up to 19. The last 8 minutes was essentially garbage time. I know that stuff happens but this says not-ready-for-primetime to me. But I think they catch a break playing Cincy next game.

 

[JLW]

By March, they will be a well oiled machine. They’re winning ugly but winning while coming together. Enjoy the improvement as it happens!

 

[CL82]

I’ve gotta figure that @Deepster has probably never had as obvious or expeditiously-identified Hanging candidate as this dope @RuffRuff

He'll still screw it up though. Honestly, he's just a shell of his former self.

 

[Hungryhusky99]

The '23 team beat one ranked team at this point and had 3 losses. The '26 team is 17-1 with wins over 5 ranked teams and a winnable loss to #1 without two starters.

The revisionist history is incredible

23 lost to a 2 seed and a 3 seed on the road. You are the incredible one

 

[Edward Sargent]

This isn't about effectiveness, it's about aesthetics man. Do you just love arguing?

I appreciate the winning first and foremost. No one is going to call this UConn team a beautiful watch though. They are 24th in the OKP. Perhaps they start clicking in a way that looks more appealing offensively soon. Hasn't happened yet. They have won with a grinding defense.

I think this team is a beautiful watch!