Let's Hope This is Our Turning Point

[Hurleyman216]

I'm done with reading all the negative posts. I'll summarize it all here for you:

1) We suck
2) Ollie should be fired
3) The American sucks, even though we can't win it

Every great run has to start somewhere. We now have potentially 5 games to play before the tournament and KO is fire up. Let's see how we respond. We have yet to put together a full 40 minutes of bball on both sides of the ball, and as it stands right now, we're still one of the best 35 teams in the country.

We have more pieces than most other teams in the top 25, we just need to put it together. I was actually encouraged by the number of open 3's we had yesterday. Both Adams and DHam were driving and kicking, which we haven't seen enough of. I like our chances with Purvis and Gibbs shooting wide open 3's. Yesterday might have been the first game all year where they were BOTH cold...that's not gonna happen again. The defense yesterday was bad, but we know we're a good defensive team. There's not one team out there that wants to see the name "UConn" on their side of the bracket. Let's go out and grab a 10 seed and make history.

 

[Shabazzkets]

I like the attempt at optimism, but I do not see us as having "more pieces" than most other teams in the Top 25. Last night I re-watched some of the 2014 Final Four. That UConn team--which was hardly loaded--had at least three players better than anyone we have now: Bazz, Boatright, and Daniels. Hamilton is better than Giffey, but Giffey was a heady senior who was terrific throughout the tournament, even when missing makeable shots.

Point being, we know what it takes to make noise in March. And we don't have it this year. Still hoping we find some magic and make a mini-run, though.

 

[GoUconn7961]

I like your optimism, but the bottom line is - the team doesn't have "it" this season. There's no floor leader, no real basketball IQ in difficult situations, and a lack of hustle. We're all playing the blame game coaches vs. players when it's really a combination of the two. Even the best coaches won't inspire players who aren't "getting" it, and there is a lack of crunch time coaching. It's not one or the other - it's both.

Until everyone is 100% invested - like the 2014 team, seasons like this one will continue.

 

[polycom]

As others have said this team doesn't have the basketball IQ to be successful. It reminds me of the Drummond squad...however that team had more individual talent.

 

[Palatine]

SMU should have been our tuning point. We followed it with a soft game against Cincinnati. Ohio State looked like a turning point. It was just a game. Either Temple game should have been a turning point. We just follow the same pattern.

Hope springs eternal. And I'll be with the Huskies until the last 0:00. But I haven't seen anything all season that shows the lights will ever come on for this team. They never seem to sustain a high level play even within game, let alone over multiple games. I've given up on turning points, what we need is divine intervention.

 

[August_West]

Nice Post /Handle OP

LOL - I admire your tryhard optimism. It is refreshing.....but.............You want to know the final turning point this season? Blowing a 12 point lead at Temple with 5 minutes left. I think when all is said and done this season and we put some distance between the end of the year and our reflection of it that THAT will be where we look and say "jeez if we pulled that out we could have had a different season"

 

[JimHurley]

I don't think there will be a turning point for this season. There's plenty of talent but we just can't seem to put it together.

 

[August_West]

I don't think there will be a turning point for this season. There's plenty of talent but we just can't seem to put it together.

Let me tell you why it is the Temple game I listed above.

We had won 6 of 7 going in to it. We had won 3 in a row (with 2 on the road) all by 20 points or greater. Adams had been finally integrated into the team and that was the difference on how well we looked for those 3 games going into that Temple game. We looked to have turned the corner. And for the first 35 minutes of that Temple game we still looked like we had turned the corner. Staring a great looking road win right in the face with number 1 seed of AAC tourney on the line. Then Adams got mouthy. He rightly sat (and never should have come back in) and we absolutely snatched defeat from the jaws of certain victory. If Adams never got sassy and we managed to hold that game Im of the opinion that our season looks MUCH different right now. It was like we were starting at square 1 after that loss. A seasons worth of progress (slow progress at that) gone in a F'in instant.

 

[jibsey]

When we got a 16 ppg scorer from the BE I thought we replaced Ryan Boatright, so that was my first mistake. Rodney Purvis finished last year very strong scoring 18-20 ppg, thought that would continue. We have been playing all season without a true point guard and Jalen is just starting to get comfortable. Maybe he had to be brought along slow, but the inability to create a shot by Purvis and Gibbs has hurt our entire offense. Also, why don't we get to the line? Home game we went half as much as Houston. Lets face it, we have a pretty weak front line with apologies to Shonn. Not going to rip KO but he should have recognized that we had no point, bit the bullet and thrown Adams into the fire to develop, the kid is amazing getting to the rim.

 

[Silk31]

I remember attending a Senior Night collapse vs ND in 2011 and left Gampel thinking to myself that Kemba had a great run early with the team but him and the rest of them ran out of gas and they would go out with a whimper in the BET & the NCAA Tourney.

Obviously I was way off in my thinking but I know most of the fan base also shared the same sentiments I had at that time.

A much different scenario this year as we are still fighting for our at large lives but as bad as it seems in the fallout of this one, things can turn on a dime.

I still think this team makes the field as a 8-10 seed and gives us at least a little excitement

 

[Tenspro2002]

We've been reading posts like this for months, and seemingly for the last 7 seasons.

I guess we're 2 for 6 so far on there having been a "turning point" at some point. Otherwise it's just been a continuation of mediocrity.

 

[Chin Diesel]

What scares me about hitting rock bottom, turning points and coming to Jesus moments is this.

If you can imagine what that looks like, it's usually several magnitudes worse than your imagination.

 

[UConn_Top_Dog]

If they do end up winning a championship, then I could truly say I have seen it all as a UConn fan, despite the incredible runs of 2011 and 2014.

 

[intlzncster]

We've been reading posts like this for months, and seemingly for the last 7 seasons.

I guess we're 2 for 6 so far on there having been a "turning point" at some point. Otherwise it's just been a continuation of mediocrity.

2 of 6 is the best % in the NCAA during that time. Not too shabby. Only one other team has won two in that time (if you add one year). So we must be doing something right.

 

[willie99]

sure, why not

Go Huskies

 

[scdono]

I like the attempt at optimism, but I do not see us as having "more pieces" than most other teams in the Top 25. Last night I re-watched some of the 2014 Final Four. That UConn team--which was hardly loaded--had at least three players better than anyone we have now: Bazz, Boatright, and Daniels. Hamilton is better than Giffey, but Giffey was a heady senior who was terrific throughout the tournament, even when missing makeable shots.

Point being, we know what it takes to make noise in March. And we don't have it this year. Still hoping we find some magic and make a mini-run, though.

I disagree. We have talent but no moxie. The team doesn't have "it". That doesn't mean they can't get "it". "It" is a funny thing-it can show up at any time. I have seen this team play top 5 defense and top 5 offense. Therefore, the potential remains. The underlying question is does this team have the ability to put "it" all together. Ironically, I'm still hopeful. If 2011 and 2014 shows us, it any over until "it" is over.

If you want to cash pout early, feel free. I'm staying for the whole ride.

 

[August_West]

I disagree. We have talent but no moxie. The team doesn't have "it". That doesn't mean they can't get "it". "It" is a funny thing-it can show up at any time. I have seen this team play top 5 defense and top 5 offense. Therefore, the potential remains. The underlying question is does this team have the ability to put "it" all together. Ironically, I'm still hopeful. If 2011 and 2014 shows us, it any over until "it" is over.

If you want to cash pout early, feel free. I'm staying for the whole ride.

I actually woulda cashed out early. But I cashed out early in 2014 and was taught a lesson. Im probably stupid, but I wont let that happen again.
This team pisses me off more than that one did though.

 

[intlzncster]

I actually woulda cashed out early. But I cashed out early in 2014 and was taught a lesson. Im probably stupid, but I wont let that happen again.
This team pisses me off more than that one did though.

No point in cashing out early. If they continue losing, it's not like the extra lumps you take make anything all that much worse. And those times you win...

 

[CardiacAndre7]

We are too inconsistent to have a turning point

 

[intlzncster]

We are too inconsistent to have a turning point

Either that, or we've already had about 7 or 8 turning points up til now. Got room for 2-3 more!

 

[Hankster]

I like the attempt at optimism, but I do not see us as having "more pieces" than most other teams in the Top 25. Last night I re-watched some of the 2014 Final Four. That UConn team--which was hardly loaded--had at least three players better than anyone we have now: Bazz, Boatright, and Daniels. Hamilton is better than Giffey, but Giffey was a heady senior who was terrific throughout the tournament, even when missing makeable shots.

Point being, we know what it takes to make noise in March. And we don't have it this year. Still hoping we find some magic and make a mini-run, though.

Giffey was outstanding all the way.